8-year-old Alani Santos is a special little girl – she claims that she can channel the power of Jesus Christ to cure people of various illnesses. Hundreds gather at the San Gonzalo church just to get a glimpse of the miracle child and be healed by her touch. Incidentally, Alani’s father is a pastor at the same church. Pastor Aduato Santos, a reformed car thief, has fondly given his daughter the name ‘missionarinha’ or ‘little missionary’.

Some of Alani’s healing sessions have been taped and uploaded on YouTube. One of the videos shows her healing a man who had been suffering from HIV for seven years. As the man stands with his head bowed, the pastor tells him: “You’re next. When the little missionary touches you, something will happen. You will be cured. You will feel the warmth.” As soon Alani puts her hand on the man’s head, he collapses on to the floor. The healing is then complete.

Photo: Vocativ video caption

The clips show several others bursting into tears after Alani touches them. Like this one old woman with crutches. Pastor Santos takes her up to the front of the hall, where Alani repeatedly touches her legs. After a while, the woman is in tears of joy as she slowly walks around the room without the crutches. Alani has been curing people in this manner for the past two years. She enjoys making people better, and wants to become a doctor when she’s older.

Photo: Vocativ video caption

“To see God working though people and their lives, that is very pleasing,” she said. “A lot of the time I touch people, sometimes I just pray and worship and the person is cured. I pray and God performs miracles. My dad interviews people and they say they’ve been cured.” When asked about the most emotional part of the service at her father’s church, Alani said: “It’s the part when I pray and God performs miracles.”

Thanks to the growing popularity of Pentecostalism in Brazil, exorcisms and healings have become a common practice. Twice a week, the sick and vulnerable from around the country travel to San Gonzalo to meet with Alani and be touched by her. At the end of the service, a collection bowl is handed out and people are asked to fill it with whatever they can. Pastor Santos also sells T-shirts, DVDs and posters and allows people to access Alani’s healing services via Skype as well…

Source: Vocativ