One of the areas God has put on our hearts is to reach out to the children and adults who live in the community of Oitão Preto. It is one of the slums where there is a lot of drug dealing, drug abuse, violence, and misery.Every Saturday morning we head out to bring the love and hope of Jesus Christ to the people who live in the midst of discouragement and dispair. We visit specific families, bringing discipleship to those who have accepted Christ, and a listening ear to those who are going through tough times. And as we wander through the roads of the community we minister to the drug addicts and the street teenagers.
Last month through the arrival of a team from Hawaii we were able to also offer medical and dental assistance, and we saw hundreds of children and adults be treated with dignity as they not only received healthcare, but also heard the word of God. We still meet people who were blessed by the care they received and we are seeing a change for the better in the community.
Every wednesday we have a group of children from the community come for discipleship at the project, and these times of investing into the lives of these 12/13 year olds is so valuable. They see people using and selling drugs every day, and through working closely with them we hope to be a part of preventing them from becoming the future drug dealers and users.
Pray for us as we invest into this community. The needs are great, but we serve a great God! Pray especially for the starting of a full-time work there next year.
