Lucas, a young man from the poverty-stricken area of northeastern Brazil, refused to give up on his dream. He was selling his blood to pay for school fees when Life Impact met him and helped change his life.
When his father left him as a boy, his mother struggled to care for her three children. His sister and mom both worked but brought home only $80 per month to support a family of four. It was common for him to open the pantry and there would be nothing to eat. University seemed like an impossible dream, but he was determined to do whatever he could to get an education so he could provide for his family and escape the terrible poverty that was the beginning of his life. By God’s grace and his hard work, he was determined that his life would end better than it had begun.
I always tell God that my youth is His, my whole life is His, until I die.
Lucas
Like Moses, God used what was in his hand. What was in his hand was the blood in his veins which he sold to pay his entrance exams and later his tuition. He had no food to take to school but there were fruit trees nearby and when he could, he would take a piece of fruit and drink water to fill his empty stomach. He kept going, even though at times he was sick and weak with hunger. He refused to give up.
This was his state when our Life Impact team found him and his family. We recognized immediately that this was an honorable young man who deserved help. Poor boys in Brazil are often pressured into the cartels to traffic drugs and are at risk for human trafficking. That this boy had resisted the drug culture all around him, with its lure of easy money, sex, and violence, showed us his great character. We found a sponsor for him in America and went back to change his life. God provided the funds for him to have plenty of food for his family and money to pay his tuition. Now all Lucas has to worry about are his studies! Now he can stay and study at school all day where there is internet and reliable electricity. Now he can flourish instead of struggle.
“He was rescued from his community to come back and bring inspiration. God’s going to use his life to show people there is hope.”
Lana Vasquez
God’s hand is on Lucas and we are honored to be a part of his journey. We can’t wait to see what God is going to do with his life. As Lana has said “He has rescued from his community to come back and bring inspiration. God’s going to use his life to show people there is hope.”
UPDATE
Please pray for his mother who has a herniated disk and struggles to work. She is trying to get Brazil’s version of social security and retire but has been turned down. A Life Impact Brazil team member has a lawyer friend who is helping her. Pray for this situation with us and for Lucas to continue to be strong and realize God’s great purpose for his life.
