We are planning a trip to assist RBC-supported missionaries Holly and Marcelo Vieira in Benevides, Brazil on May 25 – June 7, 2024.

About the Trip: Our team will build a home for a family living in a very unstable, unsecured structure and also build a community playground. The town has donated property next to the church for the purpose of providing a safe place for the children of the community to play. The team will also participate in various church activities and help as needed in Holly & Marcelo’s ministry. Check out the video at the bottom for a recap from the 2023 building trip!

About the Location: This project will take place in Bairro das Flores (Flowers Estate), a community built around a regional landfill. This is a highly-impoverished area in the town of Benevides, and the people there are largely marginalized. Many in the community make their living digging through the dump. Through camps, community service and building projects, RBCers have partnered with missionaries in this area for nearly 20 years.

About the Vieras: Holly and Marcelo moved to Benevides over a decade ago as church-planters. Espaço Emanuel Church was established in 2012 and offers Bible teaching, study and discipleship to anyone wanting to know more about Jesus Christ. Today, Espaço Emanuel ministers the hope of the gospel through a variety of men’s, women’s and children’s ministries as well as sports and community service events.

About the Family We Will Serve: Pictured are Vitoriano, two of his 3 children (Vitor and Bruna – not pictured is Breno) and his grandson, Brian. They are hardworking but do not have full-time jobs, so subsist mainly on delivery jobs and lawn work, sometimes making R$5 an hour (about $1 U.S.) Their family lives in the house pictured. They care well for their house, but have pieced it together over the years without the know-how to do so properly. They have a difficult time, especially in the rainy season. Bruna, Breno and Vitor attended the RBC camps as children. Breno and Vitor participate in the Espaço Emanuel’s Men’s Group and occasionally come to church as well. We’re praying that our team along with the church can serve this family in the practical way of providing and building a safe house for them to live, and that God would use this experience to show them His love and provision for both physical and spiritual needs.

To apply: The approximate trip dates are May 25 to June 7.  Approximate costs will be between $1800-2000. Dates and costs may shift slightly due to ticket prices and travel times. A valid US passport that does not expire prior to December 31, 2024 is required. Construction experience is not necessary. For questions, further information, or to express your interest in the trip, please contact Chris Smith at (703)380-4802 or  cmsmithservices@gmail.com.