Trained Christian Leaders in Brazil

Tiago Braga graduated from Word of Life Seminary (WOL), Brazil, in 2007. He and Gabriela (also a graduate) are working in Northern Brazil, helping reach the river people of the Amazon Basin.

Karoline Giesbrecht graduated from WOL in 2009 and has served as a teacher in a fairly large Baptist church in São Paulo. She is now influencing children and teenagers in the largest city of the Southern Hemisphere.

Ricardo Lavarda graduated from WOL in 2008. He is working with teenagers in his hometown of Santa Rosa (in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul). Long known as a missionary graveyard, the gaucho state offers plenty of reasons for discouragement to a young minister. However, after two years at his local church, Ricardo has seen the number of teenagers reached by and involved in his Bible Club program jump from 15 to over 200. Most churches in this area do not have 200 members. Ricardo has now been appointed as state supervisor for youth programs in his denomination. He arrived at WOL with very little hope of even completing his first year of studies (Basic Discipleship Course). Years of dabbling with drugs got him expelled from the Brazilian Army, and his family had, in every practical sense, given up on him. While on campus, he was befriended and discipled by a third year student, who cared for, listened to and demanded accountability from him as part of the discipleship program. While he constantly struggled with academics, Ricardo came to enjoy studying around his third year and participated in the Bible Club Training program, another WOL ministry. He found his previous struggles and his current victory through Christ's grace to be a winning combination when ministering to kids who face the same tough choices he faced.

A note from our Regional Director for Latin America, Josué Fernández:
“A school located in São Paulo has a greater challenge than any other school. WOL is doing an amazing job training young leaders for the urban ministry and providing skills for those that will be doing outreach in the most difficult slums (favelas) of this great city. At the same time, they are training missionaries that are spreading all over the world and preaching the Gospel.”