I grew up in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janieiro, Brazil. One time I went
 with a friend to the airport. I knew he was coming here. I was twelve. I saw him going and something inside of me said, “Okay, one day I’m going, and I’ll never come back again.” When I came back home I told my mother, “One day, Mama, I want to go to the United States.” She goes, “Nahhhh.” I said, “One day I will go.” I love my country, but I always had America in my mind.
    
When I got the opportunity to come to the United States in 1989, I was twenty-one years old. When I came here,  to Newark, New Jersey, I didn’t know any English because it is so different here. I used to take a dictionary with me everywhere I went: Portuguese to English.     
    
I was ordained through the Assembly of God in 1998. I went to Florida as associate pastor for a year. The pastor, Pastor Rosa, was going to Martha’s Vineyard. He said the church was going through difficulties. It was very small, thirty-six, forty people. First time I came was December 2002. He introduced me to the New Life Assembly of God Brazilian church at the Stone Church in Vineyard Haven. There was a meeting and they accepted me as  head pastor.
    
We all came in January 2003 – 
my wife Sandra, my kids: Rebecca, ten; Nathan, four; and Sarah, she’s two. They had a house rented for me, everything ready. My wife loved it here right away. My daughter Rebecca loves it so much that when I tell her, “C’mon let’s go off-Island,” she doesn’t want to go, to miss a day of school. Nathan, he goes to a preschool and people treat him so good. We just love it here. It’s the first time I’m a head pastor. I can decide things, which direction to go.
    
I don’t think the people took to 
me very well in the beginning. They didn’t know me.  
    
They gave me a big list with over one hundred names. Flavio Souza – he’s now a minister – took me around. I would say, “C’mon. Give it a chance.  Let’s work together.” And door by door, things started changing. I learned to drink coffee here on the Island. Every house I go, they offer me coffee. We drink coffee in Brazil, but not as much. One day I went to thirty-seven houses and in every single one I had coffee – so thirty-seven cups of coffee.
    
I changed the name of the church.  A Igreja Que Cresce: The Growing Church. God spoke to me that this would be a growing church where people would grow in wisdom, stature, and grace. At first it was a strange name for a lot of people and people laughed. A lot of my friends said, This is not a name for a church. I said that’s okay. Now people are used to it.
    
What is The Growing Church? It’s  Pentecostal, all denominations, everybody coming into one church. When people come here from Brazil, they come with the expectation of making money and helping their families. 
They look for a church that is more 
like them.
    
When God brought me and my wife here, the first thing he spoke to my heart was that I have a responsibility. In the Brazilian community, there are so many people wounded here, and we try to come with a word of hope. We tell people they can succeed no matter if they are an immigrant. It’s the plan of God. You have to strive, to do your best, to learn. America is about immigrants. People come here because it’s a place of opportunity, a culture that helps people.
    
When Brazilians come to the Island, the first thing I tell them is to be honest. Everybody needs to learn English. Be friendly with people. A lot of people don’t care about learning; they say, “I’m going back pretty quick.” But that’s not true. They’re here two, three years; the kids are here, and they don’t want to go back. I tell them not to be afraid, pursue your dreams, trust God.