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PREVENT. RESCUE.
RESTORE. EQUIP.
Lasting transformation requires more than a single response. These four pillars allow us to address both the root causes and the long-term impact of exploitation—walking with individuals from vulnerability to full restoration in Christ.
PREVENT
Prevention is a vital component of ending human trafficking in Brazil and around the world. At Shores of Grace we create opportunities to build relationships with the most vulnerable and at risk youth in our city. Unstable home lives are a high risk factor. We want to see families strengthened and children and youth protected.
We seek to reach families and youth in the community and streets with the immense love God has for them. By showing them a glimpse of how God sees them, we can help them see their identity as sons and daughters of God and the good plans He has for them — far better than selling their bodies in prostitution.
All of our ministries at Shores of Grace accomplish the good work of prevention in some way, but two ministries that are centered on prevention are Communities and Street Church. Whether we have a few minutes with someone at Street Church or we have years to build a relationship with them in Communities, it’s our joy to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them so that they can be truly set free. We have seen Him draw many toward Himself, and a future full of hope replacing the darkness they experience all around them. Our CICAF ministry also has a prevention branch that trains and equips volunteers and staff of churches and schools to create safe environments for children and teenagers.
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One person transformed through the love of God
can be the catalyst to end violence, poverty, and
human trafficking in their family, community and
around the world.
RESCUE
There is a high risk for women and underaged girls to end up prostituting on the highways and the streets of Recife. The girls that end up prostituting on the street are usually adolescents from impoverished backgrounds trying to seek a way to survive or provide for their families. Once someone starts working on the streets their self-worth and mental health changes drastically due to the violence they face and the shame they feel.
It is a heavy burden to face the dangers of prostitution as well as put themselves through the physical and emotional turmoil day after day. Our ministry seeks to find these sons and daughters where they are, in their darkest moments, and give them a hope for a brighter future. Each of our ministries can be seen as a rescue ministry in some form, however, our Ruama ministry is passionately seeking to rescue those who have been trapped in prostitution and human-trafficking.
RESTORE
Once someone has been rescued from the streets, the work has just begun in many ways. Resources for survival are hard to come by, and many of them were the sole providers of their homes. They have lived in a mentality of constantly being measured by a monetary amount. As we help them practically restore their financial and physical well-being, we also create a space where they can experience the restoration of their souls that only our Good Shepherd can provide.
We also seek to restore children and young adults who come from vulnerable situations. The number of child prostitutes in Brazil is among the highest in the world. Beyond child prostitution, thousands of children are trapped in cycles of abuse or living homeless on the streets of Brazil. After years of suffering abuse at home and on the streets some children might find themselves in the Brazilian shelter care system. The quality of the shelters lacks professional workers, training, and protection. We wanted to build a safe place where children and teenagers can call home, be restored, and speak life over them every day. We opened Bethany Villa in 2013 to provide a safe place for girls who have been through abuse, violence, abandonment, and sadly, prostitution. Bethany Villa has housed over 200 children and teenagers so far and is now considered a model for children’s rights and sheltering in Brazil.
According to the Brazilian childcare law, girls have to leave these care homes as soon as they turn 18 years old. Many of our girls aging out from Bethany were still in the process of recovery with no resources and nowhere to go. However, our goal wasn’t simply to be a part of the system, we wanted to walk with them in their journey of restoration. So, we developed a program called “Adult Life” for our teenagers at Bethany Villa. We help prepare them for adult life through education, work opportunities, life mentoring, and discipleship. Through this program, when a girl turns 18 she will have her own housing, a job, be enrolled in a course of some kind, and continue to have our staff as a community to support and love her through the ups and downs.​
EQUIP
If we were the only ones fighting for the end of prostitution and abuse, we would never be able to see this dream realized. We need the body of Christ to rise up and take their place in the face of the injustice in the world. In the same way, we need to be able to equip the people leaving prostitution with the right tools so that they can be successful in the world and impact their communities.
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Equipping others around the world to do the work of Christ in the squares, in the marketplaces, and in the communities has always been a part of Shores of Grace. The world doesn’t need another Nic and Rachael Billman in Recife doing what we do, but the world needs every Christian to rise up to the call they have upon their lives to reach the people only they can reach by the call of God. We train and equip the church to step into their purpose through our three schools, two based in Recife, Brazil and one traveling school to meet organizations where they are. Nic and Rachael travel extensively throughout Brazil and the world training people through the word, testimony, and practical application. We also regularly have groups from churches and organizations visiting our base in Recife for hands on experience and training.
Branches of Ministry
Shores of Grace has six branches of ministry because the issues we address—like trafficking, abuse, and poverty—are complex and interconnected. Each branch exists to meet people at different points of crisis and healing, working together to bring holistic, gospel-centered transformation to individuals, families, and communities.
Learn more about each one by clicking on the names below.
