Poverty tries to suffocate those who are caught in it. Realizing that we are made in God’s image and that we are nothing less than the crown of His creation completely changes the way we face our obstacles. Understanding that God loves us is the first step to overcoming poverty.

“The church cannot be trapped between four walls,” says Josué, pastor of our partner church, Baptist Missionary Church in New Conquest, which does holistic development work in the poor community Nova Conquista (New Conquest).

Nova Conquista has many problems: dysfunctional families, alcoholism, drugs, fear, gun violence, etc. The goal of the church is not only to reach out to children, but also to their families, through love and assistance.

Most of the community’s inhabitants are unemployed or have part-time jobs, earning just enough to survive. Nova Conquista is an urban slum located in Diadema, a city located in the São Paulo, Brazil, metropolitan area. (more…)