Employees at the headquarters of the South American Division (SAD) of Seventh-day Adventists took part in the Amor que Move (“Love that Moves”) project on Sunday, September 17, 2023. The initiative was carried out in partnership with the national chapter of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA Brazil) in the Sol Nascente community, located 35 kilometers from the Federal District.

The area recently became the largest favela in Brazil, according to data issued by the authorities at the end of 2022. According to the survey, the region has overtaken Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro, in terms of the number of households.

When the team at ADRA's national office was informed of this situation, they decided to take action. However, what started out as a simple idea turned into a major project that, in total, benefited 140 people through various forms of assistance and another 259 people through the donation of food vouchers.

Fábio Salles, director of ADRA Brazil, emphasizes the importance of planning ahead of the action. "Our colleagues from the office [and their families] accompanied every stage of this event, from the visit to the site, the mapping of needs, the organization of the services to be offered, the logistics, the process of selecting beneficiaries, to the training course for volunteers that each participant had to take. In this way, they were able to understand and even experience ADRA's organized work," he says.

Love that Moves

The name of the project was born out of a desire to bring love into action—to get out of the office and join the local Adventist community in carrying out service actions on behalf of the needy people of “the rising sun.”

For Pastor Luís Mário Pinto, SAD vice-president, the motive goes further: "This kind of project raises awareness and, to a certain extent, revitalizes the desire to serve in the cause of Christ. This is the love that moves. We hope that other administrative offices of the church will follow suit and join with the local ADRA to carry out initiatives in partnership," he emphasizes.

The first edition of Amor que Move mobilized more than 100 volunteers who donated not only their time but also their resources to provide 452 different services: general health, psychosocial assistance, legal advice, solidarity clotheslines, haircuts, blood pressure checks, bioimpedance, blood glucose tests, and basic dressings. In addition, 256 multipurpose electronic vouchers worth R$220 (approx. US$45) each, 100 school kits, 100 toys, and 300 lunch boxes were handed out to the residents of Sol Nascente.

Partnership that Transforms

For Mara Ramos, who has worked at the SAD for three years, taking part in the organization of the event led by ADRA brought a lot of learning. "There are things we really didn't know, and we learned them in the process, but especially during the volunteer training,” she says. “And it was great to arrive here with everyone's tasks defined, you know? They sent us a bulletin explaining the day's schedule, the division of teams, the leaders of each team, everything tied up. We carried out the tasks with a smile on our faces."

For Luana Silva, mother of seven and one of the beneficiaries of the multipurpose voucher, this help has come at the best time. "It will help us buy food to last the month. I thank everyone who donated, and I hope God blesses them. And come back. We need you," she expresses with emotion.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.