“um, dois, três…Hallelujah!”
THE MISSIONARY
In the heart of Brazil, one woman carries forward a legacy of faith and resilience.
After the passing of her husband, Mayara stepped into leadership of their congregation—taking on the title of “missionary”, a role her church culture grants women in place of the word pastor. With quiet strength, she guides her community through a season of loss and hope.
Partnering with Pioneer Missions Global and members of Fellowship Bible Church, Mayara’s congregation rallies support from across the world to build a permanent church home—fulfilling the vision her late husband once dreamed of.
The Missionary is a story of compassion, unity, and the power of faith that transcends borders. It highlights how God’s faithfulness works through His people, uniting hearts across the world to build something lasting for His glory.
Director/Cinematography: Jian Salcedo
Editor: Jian Salcedo
a major pivot in story
We first heard of Mayara’s story on our first day in Brazil during a mission trip, and her testimony was so powerful that her story was the spark to make a film where the organization wasn’t the main character, but was the guide to someone else’s story. Initially commissioned for a simple recap video, the pivot for a focused story became the inspiration for Sojourn Creative and our work turned into an award winning documentary short.
With The Missionary, our desire was to honor Mayara’s resilience and to capture how the global body of Christ—across cultures and nations—can come together to fulfill a vision bigger than any one person. This film is a testimony to the compassion of believers and the enduring power of God’s promises.
Approach
In partnership with Pioneer Missions, we conducted interviews with Tony and Mayara during the church build. Tony, the operations director, and Mayara shared separate but interconnected perspectives. With Mayara, we focused on capturing her testimony—her life story, her faith, and her deep love for her husband and for God. In a separate interview, Tony walked us through the church-building process and reflected on how Mayara’s story shaped and encouraged the work.
Over the following seven days in Teresina, Brazil, production included time-lapse photography, detailed B-roll of the build, and additional content designed for social media distribution.
Results
Designed to honor the story and serve the mission, this project now lives beyond the build - traveling through festivals, marketing channels, and donor conversations.
Award Winning Film:
The Missionary was submitted to 7 different film festivals, the film earned 2 Best Documentary Short awards, validating the project’s cinematic storytelling quality and narrative strength. It also spread the organization’s mission through audience members worldwide.
High volume content delivery
Produced 300+ professional on-site photographs, a mission recap video, multiple short-form social media content, equipping the organization with a versatile content library.
Fundraising & donor enablement
Created a core storytelling asset that can be used in road shows and donor capital-raising efforts, helping Pioneer Missions and Fellowship Bible Church communicate mission impact through a personal, human-centered narrative.