Francisco & Larissa Cuogo

Francisco and Larissa are originally from southern Brazil and, along with their daughters, have been living in Portugal for 10 years. In 2016, they moved to Europe with the goal of completing their doctoral studies, but as they experienced the reality of ministry and mission work on the European continent, they realized that the need for evangelism was much greater than they had initially imagined.

Over time, they came to understand that God’s plan for their lives was not limited to academia. Feeling called, they began to develop missionary projects in Europe, applying some of the experience they had previously gained in Latin America.

Thus, in 2017, upon accepting invitations from local churches, they began holding seminars on Church History as part of the celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. From that point on, they began developing various missionary projects in the cities of Braga, Porto, Viana do Castelo, and Vila Real.

Among these initiatives, the creation of the Braga Youth Movement (MJB) stands out; it brought together dozens of young people and teenagers to study the Scriptures and reflect on topics such as science and faith, identity, existentialism, creation, and evolution. They also organized evangelistic activities, such as “Coffee with Testimony” and “Christian Movie Night,” as well as an 18-month theological training course—the Céu & Terra School (@ceueterrapt)—designed to equip workers and missionaries.

In November 2018, they launched a church-planting project in the city of Braga, at a time when northern Portugal was one of the regions with the fewest churches in the country. As a result, the Esperança Christian Community Church was founded; today it has more than 100 members and a multicultural congregation, bringing together people from eight different nationalities. The church has plans to multiply, with the goal of establishing new congregations in the Minho and Alto Minho regions, as well as supporting missionary projects that work with orphans and refugees in Africa (Guinea), Spain (Almería), and the United Kingdom (Manchester).

If you would like to participate in the missionary work that the Holy Spirit has been carrying out through our family, we would like to share three specific areas of need:

Prayer and intercession: The work is intense, and physical and emotional exhaustion is common. We ask for your prayers that we may find rest, renewal, and guidance in God, always remaining aligned with His will.

Financial support: Our funding depends entirely on supporters. We have high travel costs, since we work in different cities and regions, and we also use our own resources to support some missionary projects.

Christian literature: There is a shortage of good biblical and theological materials in Europe, and many of those available are expensive. We need books, devotionals, and Bible commentaries that will help in the spiritual formation and strengthening of the people who participate in our projects.