Thomas with boys

Thomas Galphin Smoak III and his wife, Susanna, serve the Lord in São Paulo where Thomas is Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean and they both work with children in crisis. Thomas recently shared about the 20th anniversary celebration of ABBA (Aslan’s Brazilian Beneficent Association), an interdenominational Brazilian outreach to abandoned children and their families.

Thomas writes, “This past weekend was ABBA’s 20th anniversary. Susanna and I served as its directors from 1996 to 2010. I was asked to organize this anniversary celebration.

“Early on in the planning stage we decided that we wanted this party to proclaim God’s goodness. We chose to hold the celebration in an area of town that has been called ‘the Valley of Demons’ for centuries. Even today, despite its modern look, it is still the place locals come to get their fortunes told, find a prostitute, or get drugs. What a place for a party!

“We worked hard for months as we acquired the proper authorizations from the mayor’s office, worked though logistics, and publicized the event widely online and through posters. We invited five singing groups to perform and a dynamic speaker to give the closing message. The more we worked, the grander it became. We had never done anything like this before and we began to wonder if it was too big to be possible. Could we really pull off a public concert that brought glory to God?

“Everything came together until just two days before the big event. We received word from the city that all of our electronic authorization forms had disappeared and that our event permit had been denied. This was crushing news! We had already built the stages, purchased the food, and sent out hundreds of invitations.

“The next morning two of my friends and I met with the Director of Public Events and explained the situation. She decided to let us proceed with the celebration. She even gave us her personal cell number and said to have municipal guards call her if they had questions. At the end of the meeting my friend asked if we could pray for her. She told us that she followed Candomblê, a religion which many Brazilian Christians believe is demonic, but nevertheless accepted our prayers gratefully. It occurred to me that perhaps all of this could have been God’s plan to organize a prayer meeting in her office.

“It rained all night the evening before the event and the forecast for the event day was no better. Then, around 10 a.m., the rain stopped. What a memorable afternoon and evening we had! The crowd was a mix of middle-class church-goers and glue-sniffing street kids. The food was delicious, the decorations and lighting were spectacular, and the music was wonderful.

“Then, at the last minute, our guest speaker had to cancel. One of the musicians suggested that we allow a group of students from his church, all talented rappers, to finish the night. They were great! As the group danced and sang, the kids in the crowd gathered around, drawn in by the street beat, and began to hang on to every word being sung. At the end, the young believers laid out the message of salvation as clearly as a spotlight in the dark. By the time they finished, many people prayed to accept the Lord. We praise the Lord for this wonderful event and pray that ABBA will continue to reach many children and their families for Christ.”