Eluzinete Pereira Garcia

Eluzinete Pereira Garcia is a missionary of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church assigned to a public health ministry in Latin America and the Caribbean. Based in Brazil, she coordinates and promotes Comprehensive Community-Based Primary Health Care (C.C.B.P.H.C.), a primary healthcare program in partnership with CIEMAL, the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Health is the promotion of life, therefore I integrate in the workshops I facilitate all aspects of health: spiritual, psychological, physical and environmental/social,” Lu explains. “In his ministry, Jesus clearly demonstrated this concept of health. He said ‘I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.’”

“I believe that my mission is and will continue to be promoting the good news of abundant living so people and their communities will work together, making opportunities for life and health possible,” Lu says, describing her call to service. “C.C.B.P.H.C. is based on principles of the Kingdom of God, which are peace, justice and empowerment of the people and communities.”

Lu has worked with C.C.B.P.H.C. since 1998. During that time she has seen God work through the program many times, such as during a training session attended by a severely depressed woman whose life had been afflicted by arthritis. “Her self-esteem was very low, she felt she was no longer capable of helping others or herself. She had tried to take her life twice,” Lu recalls.

“During the training experience she felt empowered, her faith was renewed, her self-esteem was restored and she shared with the group ‘I was dead and now I am alive.’ Later, I visited her in her work place and saw her interacting with children. I could see that she was indeed alive again and sharing God’s love with them and the community.”

A native of Parana, Brazil, Lu has a degree in education and pedagogy from the Methodist University of Sao Paulo, San Bernardo do Campo. Before beginning her work with C.C.B.P.H.C., she worked as the assistant secretary of educational programs for the Methodist Church of Brazil from 1996-97, and before that, as the coordinator of social programs for the mission region of Amazonia from 1993-95.

Lu is married to Natanael Garcia Marques, a pastor of a Methodist church in Brazil. They have one son, André, 13.

Eluzinete Pereira Garcia is available for Covenant Relationship support in Virginia Annual Conference.

Missionary code:  14208Z

E-Mail: luzgaria@uol.com.br