It took six years, but the gift of a Seventh-day Adventist missionary book bore fruit in a city in southeastern Brazil’s Santa Catarina state—and amid a pandemic, no less.

Truck driver Antônio José de Souza lives and works in the city of Itajaí. In 2014, he received the book The Great Hope from an unknown Adventist. He took the book and put it in his truck, and there it stayed for six years. Whenever he needed to drive another truck, his gear and the book went with him. All this time, the truck driver had shown no interest in reading it. However, in March this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Antônio's activities were interrupted. He was part of the risk group.

At the change, the driver picked up his things, and, again, the book was there. But this time, it was wet for some reason. He then decided to dry it and finally start reading. Devouring the content, Antônio decided to call the phone printed at the end of the text. He wanted to visit the church associated with the book’s message. To his pleasant surprise, there was an Adventist Church very close to his home and he decided to visit.

Antônio went to the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in Itajaí and, at the end of the service, a couple approached him: it was Max and Verônica, Adventists who had just been baptized. After a brief conversation, Max invited the truck driver to study the Bible with them in a newly formed study group. Antônio accepted the invitation and diligently studied each lesson.

Around lesson 13, he understood the message about baptism, the Sabbath, and many other truths, then decided to be baptized. Currently, Antônio is an active member of the central Adventist church in Itajaí, involved in Sabbath School, and a big supporter of Impacto Esperança, or “Impact Hope,” a free book distribution carried out annually since 2008 by the Adventist Church in South America. Antônio says, “the seed will bear fruit, even after six years!”

Impact Hope 2020

This year, the Impact Hope distribution took place differently, with creative actions adapted to the pandemic. This was the reality of the project that completed 13 years in South America. Adventists from the central and southern region of Santa Catarina rolled up their sleeves and had more than 300 thousand copies of the Portuguese-language book The Great Hope (A Maior Esperança) to distribute in their communities.

The book, authored by pastors Luís Gonçalves and Diogo Cavalcanti, comes at an opportune time. “The world is seeing that our hope has to be solidified in something greater, in someone higher than ourselves. The world is sick and in sin, and people in this pandemic realized the need to understand God better. This book is a balm for the fear that afflicts our society today,” explains Pastor Evandro Vargas, leader of the region's Publishing Ministry.

Creative actions flooded the local churches. There were those who set up clotheslines for pedestrians to acquire a copy, while others promoted marches, following safety and health measures and even those who carried out individual actions.

In the square in front of the São Cristovão do Sul City Hall, for example, books were hung from trees. People passing by were greeted with posters that encouraged them to pick up a copy. The result? Taken books! “It is a different and fun way to distribute literature. The preparation of the square mobilized the church, and we are happy to witness the receptivity, the positive impact that this has made on people. It was gratifying,” comments Jonathan Neves, one of the action’s leaders.

“We are happy that Seventh-day Adventists have gone to great lengths to bring hope to their neighbors. This is the call of God. We must go and preach the gospel, spreading these books like autumn leaves that will one day be read,” concludes Pastor Evandro.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site