Pastor Gomes Wildo

Since the beginning of Mission Life, in 1983, I dreamed of an open space where we could develop occupational, vocational and whose results could be absorbed by the recovery center. I dreamed of a place to plant and harvest food for people assisted by the institution. A place where inmates can work and see the fruits of your labor. This was the dream that at the beginning of the work of the Mission Life seemed very distant.

When I decided to build the first rehabilitation center for homeless people in Brazil, the place which the Lord gave us was a field in one of the poorest and most violent neighborhoods Annapolis. The neighborhood was known as Korea, relating to the conflict between North Korea and South Korea Exit to the streets after the 21 hours was a risk and used to say that if a person could cross the neighborhood at night without being mugged, would receive a prize. The street where the land was donated by a church in the city was certainly the poorest streets of the city's poorest neighborhood.

The church owns the lot at that location tried to open a small congregation, but failed. Often, during worship, the church was stoned, hacked the furniture was broken and battered people. But this was the place that the Lord has given and there was built the Mission Life. It was not an easy period. The residents were aggressive and hostile. Sometimes we worked in construction all day and when we returned the next day, everything had been overthrown and the stolen materials. The truth is that we are not wanted in the neighborhood, but we do not let intimidation and the first recovery center for homeless people in Brazil, with twelve places, was built and began operating.

The Life Mission's presence transformed the neighborhood. Five years after our arrival in Korea, living conditions have improved considerably in the industry. Drinking water, sewer and asphalt were some of the benefits that come as consequences of our work from local government. With the improvements implemented, the huts of wood and canvas gave way to brick houses. Many beggars and alcoholics who lived in the region participated in the recovery program and had their lives transformed. Gradually, Korea has disappeared and is now just a memory of the oldest residents of the city.

Even with the Recovery Center built, I never stopped dreaming and praying for a larger area. I came to look at a farm of two acres and 30 miles from Annapolis, believing that there would be a great place. However, God had much bigger plans for Mission Life and He would give us the perfect place at the right time.

Even in the early years of Mission Life, I met D. Agnes Chagas, an American woman who had been a Red Cross nurse and was the widow of the brother of the scientist Carlos Chagas. She lived in a large property within 55 kilometers of Annapolis and spent his days helping poor girls of the region, teaching them to cook, go and wash clothes and notions of etiquette and also alphabetizing them. But that lady was a great desire to donate their land for churches and evangelical missionary organizations and transform the whole area into an important point for evangelization in the Midwest. She divided the property and made donations, but many churches and institutions have never used the area as desired his grantee.

When I met Agnes Chagas and talked about the work of Mission Life, she had already done all donations. Only the farm where he lived and had been donated to the installation of an antenna for transmitting a radio still could have canceled the donation. She offered to contact the radio and try to undo the donation, since with satellite transmissions, radio no longer needed in the area. However, despite having been with me at first contact with Mrs. Agnes Chagas, the pastor of the church where she and I both were members, a few days later, returned alone to the farm and told her not to donate the land to Mission Life it would not be able to improve the facilities and even to keep them. Agnes accepted the suggestion of the pastor and told us of his decision.

Although very upset and sad about what happened, my friendship with Agnes Chagas lasted until his death. I used to visit her regularly and we will pass the day praying and talking. We walked the property and I heard about their dreams for this place. She was an extremely objective, intelligent and above all committed to the Kingdom. I remember a very striking scene. She was in front of his house, planting trees when an employee asked him why, at age 80, she was concerned about planting the trees probably would not grow. She looked into the eyes of the man and said:

- You see those trees laden with fruit? It is likely that the person who planted them not to have seen. Thank God, this person did not think like you and therefore we have the shade and the fruits of these trees.

Within that property, I found a very nice and quiet, near the farmhouse, and made that place my place of prayer. Whenever I could, I picked up there for moments of intimate conversation with the Lord. This became a habit and a pleasure.

After some time, we invite Pastor Marcelo Gualberto, national president of Youth for Christ (YFC), for the anniversary celebrations of Life Mission. In his weekend in Annapolis, he asked me to take him to an area that the MPC had received as a donation. He was not sure of the location and would like to see if the land had been invaded. If the area was not invaded, the MPC had plans to sell it.

We went to the site and what was my surprise to find that the property of 33 acres had been donated by an American woman named Agnes Chagas and the location was exactly where I used to pray. Pastor Marcelo, realizing that the area was still intact, asked me if I could help you find someone to buy the property, because the MPC had no interest in keeping it. And at that moment, I spoke in the interest of Life Mission to build a recovery center at the site and would like to purchase the property. Without knowing the value of the area, made the proposal to pay a thousand dollars per bushel.

The Life Mission had no money, but God would give us strategies to raise the funds. Pastor Marcelo found the very small value on the size and location of the property, but took our proposal to the board of the MPC. And now, another miracle happened. The board approved the sale of MPC and allowed us to pay the amount in five years. We worked hard during these years to raise the funds. We performed various charity events in Annapolis, Goiania, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte and, for the Glory of God, we pay all installments strictly up to date.

Complete payment of the property, we had a new challenge: to build the recovery center beggars. We had no money even to build a ranch. I always visited the place and drove people to help us with the possibility to know the ground and talk about our project. But no one would help us. It had been almost eight years since the acquisition and nothing was built. That bothered my heart and decided to start a campaign of fasting and prayer for this project. I invited 16 people to fast and pray with me for 40 days. And so we did.

During this period, I made a connection with God that only go back to think about when building the Mission Life had $ 200 thousand for specific works. Some time ago, we we held fundraising events and some moves to raise money and at the end of the campaign of prayer, I asked the CEO how much money was specifically for the construction and to my surprise, we had R $ 217 thousand. Then it was time to begin.

We designs and establish, with the help of an engineer and an architect, the best place within the 33 acres to build the recovery center. We started the excavation and found that the site was very wet and full of stones and the works could only be performed with quality and lower cost, a few months later. I was disappointed with the unexpected. I sat in the shade of a tree and prayed to the Lord to give us a solution.

While praying, the master-builder who had recovered from the Mission Life, approached me and invited me to visit the highest point of the farm. We walked about 500 meters from a steep climb and reached a level place, almost entirely with low vegetation and incredible views. The place was perfect and, moreover, would not have to spend on the excavation area. Immediately moved the construction site. Surely, the Mission Life is one of the most beautiful places in Brazil, with a privileged view of 360 degrees. It is a wonderful place where you can feel God's presence.

We started building and one of the decisions marked this phase was the transfer of all inmates in the area of ​​construction. This is a characteristic of the buildings of Mission Life: use the manpower of the former residential recovery program and also the inmates as part of occupational therapy. I always say that when the inmates arrived at the mission life, the situation was stabilized and they are using was built by those who came here before and, therefore, all need to give your best for those yet to come.

At first, we thought about doing the daily transportation of inmates. However, besides being very expensive, there was daily risk on the road and lost time. We needed to bring the internal and the directors seek to camps in the region to help in giving the area for some time. All responses were negative.

One day I saw a building across the valley and went to the site seeking information. That area was a church of Brasilia where he worked Brasiliense Camp Alliance. The director was in place, received me very kindly and listened to my request without showing much interest. In fact, it would be strange if he had shown interest in a proposal to house former homeless for at least six months and without any financial return. At the end of the conversation, he told me to send an official request that he would present to the church board for review. To my surprise and happiness for a few days later, the response was positive.

We take the inmates and staff to Camp Brasiliense Alliance. Over 700 men worked in the construction of rehabilitation center during the many months of work. I personally lead the activities and went to the site daily. Soon after leaving the internal Annapolis, we desmanchamos all the beds and the wardrobes of the masonry core of Annapolis. This decision was a way to not succumb to the temptation to go back over the difficulties we would face. And indeed, we had enormous difficulties to develop activities of a recovery center, with about one hundred inmates, in a place without the necessary infrastructure to do so. But, for the glory of God, inaugurated the Recovery Center Beggars within one year.

God, in an extraordinary manner, raised funds for people and things that did not exist into existence. The Mission Life today is undoubtedly one of the best known places in the region and a respected institution in Brazil. Of all the jobs that were built on the property of D. Chagas Agnes, surely, has a mission life of the best facilities and is a reference not only in the Midwest, but also to other regions. And one reason we refer is the seriousness with which we have done our job.

There is a text that a lot of attention in the Word of God says: "That they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). The Life Mission has been visited not only by evangelicals, but also by officials, businessmen, diplomats and non-believers. All are impacted by what they see. Are impacted not only by the physical structure, but mainly by changed lives.

What can we attribute this extraordinary growth? Basically three things: obedience to God's will, transparency and labor. The Mission Life grows, first, because we do God's will and when someone does the will of God, things happen in an extraordinary way. Second, because we work with transparency and all money received by the mission life is spent in the Mission Life. Penny is diverted and that makes all the difference. I want to give people what I would like to receive and that includes a nice place, beautiful and good quality of life. And the third reason why God has so blessed this work is that we have worked hard. Mission team and I have given it our best life. Together, these three things have made all the difference in the work of Mission Life for over 27 years.