by Jimmy Beacham
As a tree grows from a small seed, so too, CCI-Brazil began with a small event. What many might consider a chance meeting, we consider a divine appointment. This particular one took place in 1988 in Greenville,Texas between Bill Jones and Roberto Silvado. This meeting began a relationship that would eventually blossom into something greater than either of them could have imagined that day.
In July of 1992, Bill Jones and João Mordomo, co-founders of Crossover traveled to Curitiba, Brazil with two others to lead a youth congress. This proved a “first step” in our activity in Brazil. Over the next two years Crossover sent short-term teams into Brazil and in January of 1995 Bill and João returned with six seminary students to lead another youth conference. Upon returning to the United States, Bill approached João saying “Roberto and I have been thinking that maybe God wants us to start CCI in Brazil and you should go do it!” Unknown to João, Bill and Roberto had been praying and planning for some time. João reluctantly agreed to pray about the opportunity. He knew Brazil was the third largest evangelical church and didn’t need another missionary. He desired to plant churches in Eastern Europe or the Middle East. He didn’t realize that God wanted to use him to prepare and send even more people there – Brazilian missionaries.
God began revealing to João and Roberto the importance of the Brazilian church in His global plan. While João sought confirmation from God, Roberto approached his church, regarding supporting a mission agency. The idea met with overwhelming enthusiasm and the church agreed to provide office space for the fledgling agency. Roberto understood the Brazilian church. João knew Crossover and how to start a mission agency. Together the ministry grew year after year with the addition of volunteers and staff.
Utilizing the approach of business as mission CCI-Brazil sends workers out to closed countries to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Roberto is excited to see what God is doing. He feels “the Brazilian church is continuing to respond to the challenge of the Muslim world…and it’s exciting to see what CCI is doing all over the world, especially CCI in Brazil.” João agrees, saying “God has done something that we couldn’t have done on our own…We wouldn’t have been able to look ahead and say we need that person and that one. But God did it. He put us together in the right way, in the right place and now we’re releasing the workers to plant churches in the Muslim world.”