Ruth & Samuel Oliveira

Ruth is from New Zealand and joined ACTION in 1997. She spent her first two years working in ABBA’s home for street boys in São Paulo, Brazil, then saw the need for Jesus’ people to work in the slums helping families so that children do not end up on the streets. She lived and worked in the slum from 1999-2006, acting in a community development and evangelism role and founded a pre-school and after school programme in conjunction with a local church. Ruth married Samuel, who is from Brazil. They worked together in the slums until 2006 when they moved out of the city into a rural area where they are now run a project, The Potters House in the nearest town, help a drug rehabilitation centre, run a mini camp/retreat centre and are involved in other evangelism and discipleship programmes. Samuel is seminary-trained. He worked in missionary support for three years in England and then about five years with the urban poor in Brazil. Samuel and Ruth have three children.