A Global Advent: 25 Stories of God With Us Around the WorldSample

The rain came on Wednesday, May 25th, 2022. Homes in Recife, Brazil, were flooded, especially those areas of lower elevation. Families were forced to evacuate. The streets were left caked in smelly mud while families were left to pick up the pieces.

“We expected the rain would cause some flooding. We deal with this reality every year,” says Adriel, Compassion centre director.

The centre immediately began responding to the needs of their neighbours, thinking the worst had passed. But on Friday, May 27th, the rain started again—harder, heavier, and sooner than expected.

The flooding made national news. At 3 a.m., Pastor Marcos of Compassion’s local church partner was leading a rescue team in a boat, getting to people stranded in their homes. “The water levels were rising faster than we had ever seen before,” he says.

Photo Caption: Lucilene, a mother of eight, stands in her home in the aftermath of a devastating flood in her community in Recife, Brazil.

It’s times of crisis and disaster when the church should shine the brightest—when God’s people can truly reflect His image by being present and meeting needs. The church is uniquely positioned to be one of the most effective responders in times of crisis because of its proximity and presence in the community.

We saw this in action countless times this year, including in Recife, Brazil—even when disaster struck the church itself.

Unlike in previous years, when the floodwaters never passed the church’s doorstep, Pastor Marcos and the volunteers returned from their rescue efforts to find the entire place flooded.

“It’s still hard to look at it without sadness in my eyes. I’ve lost 40 percent of my books, and we’ve lost all the furniture, computers, and many documents. Some volunteers [worked on] drying things, object by object, trying to save some items, but our priority was to help people in the community,” Pastor Marcos says.

Photo Caption: Pastor Marcos in the church building.

“Nothing has been easy. All of us are tired,” says Adriel. “However, despite it all, we know we need to be strong and help our community. We are their only support.”

“Most [families] lost everything they had,” says Roberta, a volunteer at the church. “We’ve been working tirelessly. Only God’s love keeps us strong and helps us to stand despite the challenges.”

How can you be the church and share the presence and provision of God with your community?