The tragedy caused by the floods in Rio Grande do Sul State, Southern Brazil, has been marked by a powerful wave of compassion and solidarity, as reported by Pastor Joel Engel. His ministry is based in the city of Santa Maria, one of the regions hardest hit by the rains.

“As great as the catastrophe was, the response of love and solidarity has been the greatest in all of history,” highlights Pastor Engel in an interview.

On May 7th, Engel crossed the bridge connecting the cities of Faxinal do Soturno and São João do Polêsine, which had been blocked due to damage.

“We were stranded because of the floods, but now some bridges are reopening, and we can reach other cities. In some areas, there are still many people from whom we have no news,” he reported.

 

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Uma publicação compartilhada por Tiago Engel (@tiagoengel777)

He explained that the affected families face urgent needs, primarily housing and basic items: “Most have been left without homes, they lost everything. They need to rebuild their lives from scratch. Something very special needs to happen to provide these people with everything, from housing to basic items. But today, the greatest need is drinking water. Food and clothing have already reached many places, but water is still a necessity. The supermarkets are running out of it.”

The Engel Ministry organized a solidarity lunch to serve 70 families after a quick mobilization on social media.

“We started in a place called Passo das Tropas, where entire families, within 20 minutes, were neck-deep in water. It was catastrophic,” lamented the pastor.

“As soon as the water receded and we could enter, we assessed how we could help and brought blankets and food. On May 5th, a Sunday, we provided a lunch to take to the homes. When we posted on social media, we received an extraordinary response from people bringing food and aid”, he added.

 

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Uma publicação compartilhada por Joel Engel יואל אנג׳ל (@pastorjoelengel)

It’s time for the Church to be the Response

For Pastor Engel, this is the time for the Church to fulfill its mission amidst the crisis, bringing hope and aid to the affected people.

“This is the time for the Church to fulfill — unfortunately in this way — the Great Commission. When we see people stranded on top of a house, our biggest concern is to save these human lives, given the situation. But now we realize that salvation takes on a new meaning”, he declared.

He explained: “When Jesus preaches in Luke 4:18 about the year of Jubilee, He is talking about bringing Good News to the poor, freedom to the captives, joy to the sorrowful. The Church is delivering and fulfilling the word of Jesus’ ‘go.’ It’s not time to stay at home, it’s time to save the lost, literally”.

You can help

To contribute to the actions carried out by the Engel Ministry in Southern Brazil, please get in touch  at this email: ministerioengel@hotmail.com | Whatsapp (055)9.9974-8874