Challenges of street evangelism during the pandemic
During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of our activities that involved street evangelism were paralyzed or modified. We continue our discipleship, but online with those who have access and we have been providing assistance to some people we have already accompanied. Gradually the activities return to the original format, but we have already seen many reflections of this difficult period, especially for those who arrive in a situation of vulnerability, but we also see stories of overcoming, learning and miracles.
With the return of our team and the beginning of some projects, September was an exciting month for us. After 5 months without being able to go to the streets, the Father’s Love team met again with those who are in a situation of prostitution on the streets. As our base is located in a new location, we will not only go to the streets of downtown Recife, but also to a region known for prostitution near our base. As our team has not been on the streets for a long time because of the pandemic, they seek specific guidance for both locations. One of the things we realize is that there are a lot of new women on the streets, especially young people. The conversations have been challenging due to the fact that many women and men are under the influence of drugs.
Our Church on the Streets team has also returned to the streets! It was great to reconnect with people and families they hadn’t seen in a long time. As we walked through the park and around the corners, our team prayed and talked to people who live or stay in that area daily. As we continue to go on Thursday nights, we are discovering the change in movement, places and people that has occurred in the past five months, with the aim of finding new places where we can continue to reach even the smallest of them. Be with us in prayer for our teams, that they will have direction and wisdom in this post-pandemic return.