I just received an urgent email from pastor Danilo in Tianguá stating that the church building had been broken into by a gang and totally trashed.

Anything of any value, primarily a small sound mixing board, microphones and speakers, appear to have been stolen. The front door was literally ripped off it’s hinges, destroying the frame, door and part of the wall. Danilo is struggling to find some way to at least secure the building for tonight.

I’m waiting to hear back from him as to what is necessary to redo the entrance. The bottom line is that he has nothing at all in terms of finances and is trying to pull off what would be called a Brazilian “miracle” (dá um jeito) to secure it for night. If left open, there would likely be further damage inflicted on the interior.

Pastor Danilo and his wife Fátima have been persecuted by three groups in Tianguá who all want to see him gone: the Catholic Church, Evangelical churches and drug dealers. Seems he is bringing way too much light into the darkness. The fact that numerous evangelical churches want him gone so that they can have his facilities and because he is putting too much –and successful– emphasis on helping the poor, the addicts and the prostitutes in the town, making them look bad. He has been receiving death threats regularly.

As soon as I know what it will take to at least put the main entrance back up I’ll disseminate the information here. Any and all financial donations would be greatly appreciated. I am anticipating a minimum of $2000-3000 being required.

As an aside, this is the church that I’d posted the letter earlier today.