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 Brazil is the largest country in South America and the only country in the Americas where Portuguese is the primary language spoken. As Moms in Prayer Area Coordinator in Brazil, I feel blessed to tell you about our Arise! Cry Out! event. We met in homes, churches and work areas, and felt the presence of the Holy Spirit moving in people's hearts. As mothers gathering together and lifting our voices to the Lord, we witnessed what happens when we believe in the power of prayer: God performs miracles!
There were several testimonies, but one in particular I want to share with you. May God be glorified through this account from Claudia, a praying mom in Rio de Janeiro. As I think about this city, I can't help but consider the "Christ the Redeemer" statue that stands 130 feet tall and overlooks Rio de Janeiro.
Claudia writes, "Dear Sister Jane Esther, I thank God for you and for Moms in Prayer! It changed the focus of my life to prayer. Prior to this, I didn't pray very often, because I didn't understand its purpose. I did not believe in the power of prayer and thought even less about prayers being a weapon against the enemy!
My 15 year old son was raised in church. He was involved in several different activities such as chorus, etc. My son was an ideal child whom any mom would love to raise. Last May I noticed him becoming aggressive at home. I went to check on my son at school and found him with two other friends injecting drugs! I could not believe what I was seeing! I felt like I couldn't breathe and my heart ached. As a college teacher, I thought I knew how to handle just about every situation, but when I witnessed my son injecting drugs that day, I was speechless and left immediately. After I pulled myself together, I went to speak to the principal to tell her what happened. She assured me she was going to take action.
Jane Esther was a great help to me and I started my journey to believing in the power of prayer. I went back to the school where my son attended and together with my Moms in Prayer group, talked to the principal about starting a group to pray for the school. We were not sure what the principal was thinking, but she listened to us carefully. Then she shared the school's greatest challenges with us. God opened the doors for our Moms in Prayer group.
 Every Tuesday the three of us moms met at my house to pray. We followed the prayer sheet, and I began to learn how to put my son in God's hands. We prayed month after month for my son and his two friends, and for the school, teachers and all the people that surrounded him. We had faith that God was going to perform a miracle!
My son was rebellious. He only went to church at night and many times against his will. By December he was flunking out of school and did not want to participate in anything at church. He didn't even appreciate his friends there anymore. My husband and I were in anguish. We searched for God's guidance. When my son was sober, we let him know we loved him, but when he had the need for drugs he was a different person and wouldn't listen to anyone. We were desperate. He finally allowed us to take him to a recovery clinic and ended up getting out and going back again a second time. As soon as he was released, he went back to his old friends, and the despair started again.
I knew, however, that God was working. My son was trying to break free, but he did not have the strength. The addiction had taken over. The Word of God says that when we know the Truth the Truth makes us free! Jesus is the Truth! Jesus frees us! My son would be free from drugs through Jesus by the power of prayer!
On many occasions I asked my son to invite his friends  to church, but nothing came of it. Even though the situation looked bleak, I did not lose hope! One night, my son brought two friends to church. My prayer partners were there praying with me. In that moment, God spoke to me and told me a miracle was going to take place. It was a special night and I just knew something was different! At the altar call, my son's two friends went to the front and accepted Jesus Christ! When I opened my eyes, I noticed my husband crying. I looked up toward the altar and saw my son! Quickly I hurried to the front together with my Moms in Prayer group that was praying and hugged the boys. We witnessed God's hand upon those teens.
Today my son and his friends are transformed youth and serving Jesus Christ! Thank you Moms in Prayer. Thank you to my sister in Christ and Moms in Prayer leader Jane Esther. Our weapon against the enemy is prayer! Yes, I believe in the power of prayer and that every child needs a mother to pray!"
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