Drone Bolsters Distribution of Adventist Literature in Brazilian City

By: Cida Souza, South American Division, and Adventist Review

Imagine that you are strolling on a beach and suddenly receive a gift that came from the sky. It seems like the kind of thing you only see on television.

But tourists and locals on a beach promenade in the city of Fortaleza in northern Brazil were pleasantly surprised when a gift literally reached out to them from up in the sky. The Adventist literature distribution initiative was carried out by Seventh-day Adventist church members who resorted to a drone to give away copies of the Portuguese-language edition of the book The Greatest Hope, by Adventist authors Diogo Cavalcanti and Luís Gonçalves.

As curious eyes looked up to the sky to see a drone approaching, an Adventist volunteer would approach them and ask, “Would you like to receive a gift?” If the person approved, another volunteer would maneuver the drone to get closer and deliver the sharing book with the astonished passerby.

It was a move that brought smiles and even tears to some of those who received the free book, the initiative coordinators said.

Regional church leaders shared that children, youth, and adults took part in the distribution initiative. They also emphasized that the feedback was very positive.

“I just received hope, and I think at the moment I need it,” said educational counselor Ivane Diógenes. “I just arrived here, and I have already received a gift from the sky. Since March, we have been experiencing difficult days. But I believe we will overcome this. Hope never dies,” she added.

All safety measures of the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) were respected, including the drone operation carried out by a certified pilot.

“Given that I have been working with a drone for some time now, I realized that many find it interesting to see the drone flying overhead,” pilot Antonio Souza said. “Many people have never had the opportunity to see the drone working up close. So we thought: Imagine a drone flying over with a book! It would attract people’s attention even more.” And that’s what happened. It was a pleasure for me to use what I know to share hope.”

The Greatest Hope is one of the titles distributed by the Hope Impact initiative, which includes an annual distribution of Adventist books across eight countries in South America. Due to the 2020 pandemic’s impact, the program coordinators are using creative ways to distribute the books.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.