Brazil

The Need

Brazil is the largest country in both South America and Latin America with a population of 213 million. The national language is Portuguese. The majority of Brazilians identify themselves as Catholic with 26% of the population identifying as evangelical Christian. However, one third of Brazilians visit spiritist priests for help and guidance, a practice derived from African animism and witchcraft.

Economically, admirable reforms and progress are being achieved, but a significant proportion of individuals in large cities still live in poverty-stricken, crime-ridden favelas (slums). Nearly 20% of Brazil’s population and up to one-third of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo’s populations live in slums (there are now 600 favelas in Rio alone). Unprecedented breakthrough, spiritual and social, is sorely needed to turn this around.

The indigenous Amerindians in the Amazon basin have endured centuries of prejudice, oppression, massacre and exploitation, which continue to this day by encroaching woodcutters, gold prospectors, and ranchers. Their unique cultures are disintegrating through despair, disease, substance abuse and suicide. Six million indigenous people in 1500 AD now number a mere 700,000, with many reduced to small bands in inaccessible areas. The large majority of these tribal groups now number less than 1,000 people, and most remain unevangelized.