February 29 - New Friends and New Beginnings

I would be dead by now,

because I tried
to kill myself multiple times.

I couldn't think of the future,
I just thought of the present--

what was tormenting me,
and how I would kill myself.

Deeply depressed, Consuelo abandoned
her belief in God.

She tried to start over,
enrolling in nursing school

and wanting to do
something different with her life,

but her past weighed on her
wherever she went.

After class one day, a professor noticed
something was wrong

and told her about
the local Urban Center of Influence.

Consuelo visited the center,
where she met Michelly and Angie,

Adventist volunteers with a
One Year In Mission Program.

She enjoyed talking with them

and decided to take
a Portuguеsе course offered here.

Over time, Consuelo became friends
with the volunteers.

In what I saw-- how they acted,

what they said, and everything they did,

I felt the presence of God in everyone.

In the Adventist volunteers
who are here, I saw this.

Each time she returned to the center,

she felt as if her deep wounds
were being healed.

They welcomed me with open arms.

I found another family here,
another home here.

The volunteers began
talking to her about God,

and it was the first time in a while

Consuelo felt ready
to talk about spiritual topics.

She asked for a Bible study,
where she gradually developed

a new understanding of
and a relationship with God.

It helped me in every way to be here.

I saw the love of God, the grace of God
that I hadn't seen anywhere else.

I found myself growing closer and closer
to God, believing in Him,

and having more faith in Him
during the time I was here.

Since then, Consuelo was baptized

and joined
the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

She now volunteers
her time at the center,

doing medical consultations for free.

Like Consuelo, there are many who are
looking for community and love,

but most people are too suspicious
of religion to seek these things

in a traditional church.

Many people come
to this place with a vision,

maybe a little distrusting,

because they don't really know
what we will ask for afterwards.

But when they see a different environment,

where there's only empathy,
love, and friendship,

they completely change their vision.

They are very grateful
and bring more people to participate.

By serving the community,
the Adventists learned

what people in the area
were interested in.

The center runs various classes
and activities for the community,

including Portuguese and English lessons,
healthy cooking demonstrations,

crafts, and a variety of exercise classes.

We've seen the effect
of Christ's method on people's lives,

because we see a community today
open to the Adventist Church.

That was not easy to reach in the past.

Because when you have a religion,
you guard your world,

and you don't want anyone
to invade your life.

The Centers of Influence are
breaking down barriers, not just here,

but we were meeting them at home
with their families,

and that's where we
can apply Christ's method.

Through genuine care for the people,

this center has touched the hearts
of many in the community.

The results have
exceeded the volunteers' expectations.

We've seen how this ministry isn't
just good for the community,

it's also good for the churches,
it's reviving the Adventist members.

We've had a revival within the church.

Please pray for Urban Centers
of Influence like this.

Pray that through friendship
and compassion,

people will see a glimpse of Jesus' love.

Thank you for helping us
transform lives through your gifts

to Global Mission projects like this.