Our partner organization Christland (Cristolândia) ministers to two very special groups of people. They have the best program I know of for helping men and women struggling with chemical dependency to come to know Christ at the same time they are overcoming dependency. They also have a center in downtown Recife only a few blocks from where we minister to the homeless in Derby Park.
That center is open five days a week, with worship services and hot meals for breakfast and lunch. The homeless can also get a shower, a change of clothes, and help with medical needs. And when they’re ready to get help with an addiction, they already know the loving brethren at Christland are there for them.
During the first two weeks of the Covid19 quarantine Christland closed the doors to its downtown center, awaiting clarity on government regulations. Currently they can’t have gatherings indoors, but they have been able to feed and provide clothing and medical attention to the homeless through the gate at their downtown center and that’s what we’re helping them to do.
Five days a week men and women line up for breakfast and lunch served by Christland’s team. Breakfast is usually a serving of cuscuz, a delicious Brazilian cornmeal hash with frankfurters and sauce, along with coffee or juice. Lunch will be either chicken and vegetable soup or a piece of roast chicken with rice and beans.
Pastor Gildo, Christland’s director with a serving of Brazilian Cuscuz and frankfurters
Your donations help us to provide food items, mostly protein as that’s harder for them to come by. Here’s a freezer (which we’re also going to help them replace), with chicken and frankfurters for the protein in the meals they serve.
Frozen chicken and frankfurters you helped provide.
Cuscuz and coffee, a favorite Brazilian breakfast!
All Christland workers wear masks and gloves in preparing and serving meals.
Blessed are the hands that serve, and the hands that make that service possible!
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. – Luke 6:38
At a time when a lot of organizations have been forced to either shutter or drastically reduce their help to the needy we have been able to keep Christland and the other groups we work with going through your support and prayers.
We couldn’t do what we do without your help. Blessed are the hands that serve, and blessed are the hearts and hands that make that service possible!
For a look at what our other partners are doing on the street during Covid19 see “Blessed are the Feet”.
