For 15 years, Projeto Bálsamo (Balm Project) has been offering comfort and hope to grieving families throughout Brazil. In Amazonas, the initiative takes place annually on November 2, 2024, when dozens of groups of young people, teenagers, and women dedicate themselves to providing support to people visiting the graves of their loved ones.

“This is my first time here, and it is gratifying to bring solidarity to people. It is a form of mission, of bringing God’s love to those who have lost a loved one. The Bálsamo project is exactly that: sharing love,” explains Viviane Moreira, who participated in the action at the Parque Tarumã Cemetery in Manaus together with the Águas de Merom Pathfinder Club.

In 2024, a group of 40 volunteers organized a project to serve the São João Batista Cemetery in downtown Manaus. The initiative included distributing water, missionary books, and pamphlets on the topic of death. Additionally, the church choir performed, which, according to the project organizer, Roger Becali, was a key highlight of the effort. “We divided the team into four groups, and the choir performances stand out because they surprise people and create opportunities for us to talk about Jesus,” he explains.

The initiative is part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's annual calendar. In addition to the cemeteries of São João Batista, Parque Tarumã, Nossa Senhora de Aparecida, Santa Helena, and the Indigenous cemetery, the project is also carried out in several municipalities in Amazonas, such as Parintins, Maués, Itacoatiara, Rio Preto da Eva, and Barreirinha.

Consolation

Many expressed their gratitude upon recieving the care and support from the volunteers. “This is a difficult day. I always remember my father with sadness, and I come here with a heavy heart. Receiving affection from someone I don’t even know is special. It’s like God is taking care of me,” says student Marília Bentes.

Students from Paul Bernard Adventist College also joined the project. Participating for the first time, the high school students were impacted by people’s reactions. “They were encouraged to live a little solidarity in practice, and it was a very positive experience. They left the action valuing family moments even more,” highlights teacher Hugo Oliveira.

The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese website.