"Spiritual Warfare has been Very Great"
Radical Sertão PROJECT
What will You do to save a Soul?
Some people groups in the Sertão are especially challenging to reach. These include the Quilombolos, the Ciganos and the indigenous peoples. The Project Radical Sertão series trains, equips and sends Godly missionaries on a one or two year field assignment. That’s Radical.
The Sertão is the arid – almost desert – region in the Northeast of Brazil. Both rain and the good news of the Gospel are in great need. Three neglected people groups dominate the Sertão, groups largely shunned by most Brazilians. In fact, these groups are here because they were not welcomed elsewhere. For example, the Quilombolas are descendants of escaped slaves.
Radical Sertão is the culmination of a lot of work to empower Godly Christians in Brazil to effectively serve their neglected neighbors. Deep skills are imparted by the Center for the Preparation of Missionaries, a center devoted to the unique challenges of the Sertão. These challenges include the difficult geography and also the difficult cultures – cultures often suspicious of outsiders. It takes a special and Godly person to devote their lives to these people, when “easy” jobs in air conditioned city offices are possible. Life in the Sertão is hot, poor and challenging.
Radical Sertão in Prensa, Paraiba - 2020
The year 2020 was very difficult for everyone, with the COVID-19 virus raging. But a new Radical Sertão was underway in the tiny town of Prensa, way off of the beaten path. Radical Sertão was going to have to be radical to find success in 2020. Praise be to God, the missionaries improvised, did outdoor programs and even preached inside their residence with loudspeakers place outside the door. In the Sertão, days are hot and everyone goes outside at night for the cooler air while their houses cool from the day’s heat.
Photos above show some of the fruit of this Radical Sertão program. Many came to know Jesus and were baptised in a great outdoor ceremony. A rudimentary church structure was built – walls and a roof, but so-far, a dirt floor. God does not care. Worship does not require fancy. It is changed worshipful hearts that matter.
We praise the Lord for this success. Oh LORD, could we do many Radical Sertão projects each year, and not only one? The fruit might be awesome. Help is needed to make this a reality.
Radical Sertão can be called Radical Quilombolo, Radical Cigano or Radical Indigenous depending on the unique group being served.