Between August 17-24, 2024, the Igreja do Nazareno Nova Europa in Campinas, São Paulo, and the Igreja do Nazareno de Fartura in Piauí organized a missions trip to benefit the community of Piauí in the Sertão backlands with various services, including medical, spiritual, and social care.

Through the Church of the Nazarene's commitment to missionary work, a team of volunteer professionals, consisting of doctors, dentists, nurses, logistical support, and children's ministry workers, was sent.
More than 500 people were reached through consultations and pastoral visits.

The services provided were as follows:

• Medical Care: 244
• Surgical procedures: 19
• Nursing care: 445
• Dental care: 182
• Child and youth care: 138
• Haircuts: 102
• Distribution of basic food baskets: 95

Pastor Antonio Marcos, assistant pastor of Nova Europa and the church's NMI president, believes all people can experience the blessing of lives through service.

"The union of God's people, the body of Christ, benefited more than 500 people,” he said. “The missions trip was a milestone in the lives of those who served but also proof of what is possible when we decide to step out of our comfort zone to help those most in need."

According to Marcos, the community of Piauí in Brazil has great needs in many areas. There is a lack of drinking water and basic sanitation, and not many churches are there to help address these issues on a larger scale.

"We generally work in partnership with health professionals," Marcos said. "Some are from the church, and others are invited to join."

They have opened clean water wells and raised a team of health workers to assist with their sertão trips. He hopes other churches can find their communities' needs and act similarly.

"The church was built to serve," Marcos said. "And God has already given us the abilities to carry out the same works he did, and more."