Casa Brasil: A Church That Worships in the Language of the Heart and Serves Beyond Borders

By: Rev. Dr. Rafael Viana and Rev. Ivette Llano, Organizing Pastors, Casa Brasil Church and El Camino Church

Peace and blessings, dear NCDC family!

What a joy it is to share with you some of the wonderful things God has been doing among us! For seven years, Casa Brasil Church has faithfully proclaimed the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, welcomed families, made disciples, and embraced the wonderful privilege of serving God's Kingdom.

This has been a year filled with many blessings, but also significant challenges. Early in the year, a member of our congregation was detained by ICE, bringing fear, uncertainty, and many questions to our immigrant families. Yet, amid these difficult circumstances, we were reminded once again that our hope does not rest in our circumstances, but in the Lord who walks alongside us. Fear did not stop us. Our faith inspired us to keep moving forward!

And so we continued, celebrating life and God's faithfulness. We held a special retreat for our youth and, in partnership with our sister congregation, El Camino, organized our annual church camp, bringing together 134 people for days of fellowship, learning, and spiritual growth.

We also had the joy of celebrating baptisms! We welcomed Daniel, little Angelina, and Mr. Antônio as they publicly professed their faith in Jesus Christ (Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbtQNRKRYcO/).

And the celebration continues, as later this month we look forward to the baptism of a young woman named Marília. Each baptism reminds us that God continues to write new stories of grace among us!

But our mission does not end at the doors of our church, nor at the borders of the United States.

For the past four years, Casa Brasil has faithfully supported a mission project that provides meals for children in the city of Beira, Mozambique. This year, our pastors Rafael and Ivette, together with our brother João, had the privilege of visiting this mission in person and witnessing firsthand the needs of the community.

Following that visit, God opened doors for us to do even more! We purchased additional land, doubling the space available for the local ministry. On this new property, we built a kitchen so that meals for the children would no longer have to be prepared in pots resting on stones over the ground. We also purchased kitchen equipment and utensils to improve meal preparation and built a well that provides clean drinking water, blessing not only the church but also families throughout the surrounding community.

It is deeply moving to realize that a community of Brazilian immigrants in Georgia can become an instrument of God's love, bringing food, clean water, and hope to children and families on the other side of the ocean. We may be a small congregation, but we have a missionary heart that knows no borders!

And I want to extend a very special invitation to you! Please take a few moments to watch this video and see with your own eyes what God is doing through this beautiful mission in Mozambique. It is more than a story about a kitchen, a well, or a piece of land. It is a story of faith, love, and lives being transformed through the generosity of God's people. I would truly love for you to experience a little of this journey with us. I believe it will touch your heart!

Watch our mission in Mozambique: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdRyNtrp39f/

Meanwhile, here in Georgia, we continue investing in discipleship and strengthening families. Every Friday, our music school provides opportunities to develop talents and serve God through worship. Our small groups have become precious spaces for fellowship, prayer, and growth in God's Word. Our ministries with children, teenagers, and young adults continue planting seeds of faith in the next generation.

And because we believe the Gospel is for everyone, we provide English translation during all our worship services, welcoming those who do not speak Portuguese.

At Casa Brasil, we worship God in the language of the heart, but we dream and serve with a love that reaches beyond every linguistic, cultural, and geographical barrier.

We are deeply grateful to the NCDC family and the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta for walking alongside us on this journey. Your partnership, prayers, and support are part of each of these stories.

If you have not yet visited Casa Brasil, we warmly invite you to join us, worship with us, and witness what God is doing in our midst! There is always a place at the table for you.

We continue moving forward in faith, not because the journey is easy, but because the One who has called us remains faithful.