We got this far because God used ordinary people, like you and me, who invested generously, believing that the greatest return is seeing lives transformed.

Come and learn this story and see how coincidences and details reveal God’s provision and sovereignty.

Since 2004, at the beginning of our ministry in Brazil, camps have been our main tool for evangelism, discipleship, and training. It was always a challenge to find suitable dates or a place that met our specific needs, whether regarding the teenagers or the financial issues.

Having our own place had always been a dream. We prayed for a camp, but it seemed like a very distant reality… “If one day Joy! has a property, it will be because God made it fall from heaven.”

Right after the pandemic, this desire grew stronger, and Edmur and Jorge began researching some possibilities. However, whenever the realtor asked what the budget was, the answer was always the same: “zero…”

At the end of 2022, in one of these searches, they visited a property owned by a brother in the faith. As they shared the dream and the reality, this dear brother offered us, as a gift, a piece of land to build a camp… It seemed like a dream, but also a great challenge!

We had no idea that this gift would be the spark that led us to where we are now.
Many friends of Joy! in the U.S. joined in to invest in this dream. Our desire was to build on the donated land, but the cost and challenges were too high. Some of these people, with great experience in construction, camps, and ministry, advised us to look for something already built — or at least close to it.

So, we began 2024 with this challenge: to find a property that could meet at least a good part of the ministry’s needs for camps. It was a long journey, with many visits to different places. We always placed this search before God, understanding that we are missionaries answering a call, not investors or big land negotiators… and God blessed us.

By the end of 2024, we found this place in Piracaia/SP, just 9 km from Atibaia and only 40 minutes from Campinas and São Paulo. It is almost 60,000 m² with a fantastic structure: an industrial kitchen capable of feeding 200 people, a beautiful dining hall, a gourmet area, chalets, a pool, a lake, and a game room. The property also includes a main house, an artesian well, and solar panels that provide electricity for the entire camp.