CBC is a project for children in the Agua Fria favela, or slum area, of the city. We provide a Christian oasis of peace, calm, love, security, and support for children who would otherwise be left to their own devices on the streets of the favela or home alone at the mercy of drugs, prostitution or gang violence. The public schools only provide a morning OR afternoon of education.
A mission trip to CBC is a unique and holistic mission experience suitable for all ages. Your team can include first timers and/or those experienced in missions. CBC can help your church develop leaders and strong bonds especially between generations. This trip will broaden vision and understanding of effective mission work in the context of urban poverty. It can even develop your ideas and experience in children’s ministry.
Staying on site at the project gives individuals maximum time to engage in activities as well as down time in the morning and evening to reflect and relax. Each trip is unique to your team and the needs of the project in that season. This is how we can accommodate a wide range of age, skills, and experience with your group.
Opportunities include:
- Preaching & Discipleship
- Teaching & Storytelling
- Prayer Ministry
- Arts & Crafts, Sewing etc..
- Dental Hygiene and Health
- Construction
- Landscaping
- Plumbing, Electrics, Welding
- Educational Development
- Sports, Dance, & Theater
- IT & Networking
We have a short-term mission trip manual and training package ready for you and your team. Contact us today for more information. We also invite you to read the letter from our director and Tricia’s testimony below.
Experience & Dedication by Marc Marques, Director of CBC
As the phrase goes, God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. When I first began taking coffee and bread to the street children in 1983, I didn’t imagine that hosting and translating for hundreds of visitors at the project in Brazil would be in my skill set! However, here we are, and I can honestly say that hosting teams is one of the most pleasurable parts of our work here in Brazil.
It’s an encouragement to my wife and me as well as our staff and the children at the project. As an organization we make a point of using our years of experience to host well, always learning and growing and pursuing God’s best for that team in that particular season.
I hope that Tricia’s story will encourage you to take a closer look at a mission’s trip to Fortaleza, Brazil.
Tricia’s Testimony
Armed with the prayers, love, and good wishes of my church I set off for Fortaleza on the Northeast coast of Brazil for a 10 day missions trip to CBC. I travelled as part of a team of 8 and we took with us donations of educational and play materials and office equipment. We were welcomed with open arms, literally, by the happy loving staff and children. We were in for an emotional two weeks.
During our visit we were tasked with transforming a classroom into a video room, the floor had already been re-laid using our fundraising prior to the trip and we began to paint the walls and make 75 floor cushions to make the room welcoming and comfortable. Our team did other manual labour projects, but we also spent time with the children during morning and afternoon recess. Depending on our talents and energy we played soccer, hopscotch, or volleyball. We also did loads of colouring, dancing, and singing. We managed to communicate through basic Portuguese (ours!) and basic English (theirs!). They were the happiest and most physically affectionate children I’ve ever met.
I am a teacher, so I worked with the staff supporting the valuable work they do and giving professional advice on classroom behaviour management (with the help of a translator). We also ran a craft session and multiple chapel sessions at the project. We travelled into the city to minister at a local church, see the local markets, restaurants, and a beautiful Brazilian beach.
The week after we returned home, I found myself looking at everything with new eyes, and grateful that my community wanted to do so much for CBC because children and staff at CBC taught me so much. I will carry it with me and pass it along.
