Our God is an awesome God! One of the questions I ask our team members following a trip to Brazil is “So, why did God send you?” Of course, each of us must seek God’s answer to that question on our own.

One reason for our whole group to have taken this very quick and packed trip in May is already clear, though. When we arrived in Belo Horizonte on Thursday, May 4, we began to hear some disturbing news that Wellington Bessa, now 15 and one of our favorite young Brazilians for nearly six years, had been caught in the treacherous snares of favela life. He had taken first steps towards those things that catch and entrap so many young favela kids – drugs and increasing contact with the traficantes. Wellington’s parents, João and Silvia, were sad and grieving when we saw them at worship that evening. (more…)