Former Addict Finds Faith and Redemption in São Paulo Favela
Former Addict Finds Faith and Redemption in São Paulo Favela
SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Maria was once known in her community for her loud voice, heavy swearing, and cocaine use. In the favela of 8,000 people, everyone knew who she was.
“You couldn’t miss Maria, even from a distance,” said Eric Reese, a missionary with the International Mission Board in São Paulo. “She was loud and rambunctious.”
Eric and his wife, Ramona, had been working in the favela through a soccer outreach that sparked a wave of interest in the Gospel. The couple soon launched a church in the neighborhood. But ministry in a community controlled by São Paulo’s most powerful drug cartel meant walking a fine line.
At first, cartel leaders allowed Eric to use one of their buildings once a month. Months later, they revoked permission after noticing a drop in drug use, which cut into their profits. Eric then shifted the meetings into small Bible studies, a compromise the cartel accepted.
That was when Maria showed curiosity. “Hey preacher, what do y’all do in there?” she asked. Skeptical at first, she eventually joined a study.
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The sessions were conversational, and Maria quickly engaged. But one night she stormed out, worried she might lash out at someone. Later she admitted to Eric, “Preacher, I’m trying to stop cussing.” She said she felt convicted after hearing his prayer, even though he had never told her to quit.
Eric explained that it was the Holy Spirit working in her life. Soon after, Maria also decided to stop using drugs. She began attending a local church and later prayed to accept Christ, asking God to help her stop swearing and smoking.
Her transformation became public when she shared her testimony at Bible study. “Since I started coming, my heart changed,” she told the group. “I went home and prayed, ‘Lord, come into my heart and save me.’”
Eric said Maria immediately began encouraging others, speaking with boldness as if she had been in church for years. Her change inspired many in the community. She later married her long-time boyfriend and started serving in church ministries.
Violence in the favela eventually forced the Bible study to stop. Shootings and killings tied to cartel activity left bodies in the streets for hours. Attendance dwindled as fear spread.
Yet Maria’s faith endured. She continues to worship at her church with her husband, serving children and the poor in nearby communities.
“Everybody in that community has taken note of Maria,” Eric said. “She’s almost become a walking missionary. She is madly in love with Jesus.”
Content Credit: Moyosola Oni
Image Credit: Google .Com
