Reaching Hearts Brazil—the "place for weddings"
The Reaching Hearts Brazil School of Evangelism is busy fulfilling the great commission of Jesus to "go and make disciples" in northeast Brazil. The school graduated its first class of 17 dedicated lay missionaries on Dec. 16, 2009. The students came from various parts of Brazil to receive training.
During the program, the students worked with more than 100 families in the surrounding community, which did not include a single Adventist family or individual. They visited people daily and held an evangelistic series that led to 43 requests for baptism. Eight were baptized Dec. 6. The remaining 43 will be baptized this month—after they are first married by the local Justice of the Peace.
It turns out that Reaching Hearts Brazil has come to be known as the "place for weddings." In Brazil, it is common practice for couples to live together without officially getting married. Those seeking baptism were told they needed to get married first, or live separately. Several weddings were held on the school grounds in January, and the baptisms will soon follow
In addition to the 43 individuals seeking baptism as a result of the students' work, another 100 baptisms were performed in 2009 at various area churches where evangelistic series were held by school leaders.
Visit the Reaching Hearts Brazil website.