John and Kathy Hayes have been missionaries to Brazil since 1984.  They serve in the third largest city of the world, the city of São Paulo, or "St. Paul", Brazil.  This huge and diversified city has a population of over 21 million people.

John serves as the director of the Missionary Training Center.  This center equips Latin American missionary candidates for cross-cultural ministry around the world.  This ministry multiplies the number of trained missionaries and focuses on sending missionaries to the unreached people groups of the world.  Around 200 missionaries and missions leaders have been trained, and missionaries now serve around the world in countries such as:  Bolivia, Bulgaria, India, Mozambique, Spain, Thailand, France, and a Middle Eastern nation.  The Missionary Training Center also serves as a missionary sending agency for South America, and has sent missionaries to Mozambique, India, and Spain.  Over 50 North American missionary candidates have also been trained through the ministry of the Center.

John is also involved in the leadership of the missions movement in South America.  He ministers and teaches in missions conferences and intensive training seminars, and serves on various boards and committees throughout South America.

Urban ministry in São Paulo has included evangelism, leadership training in the seminary, and church planting.  The Hayes family has assisted in the planting of five churches in the Sao Paulo area.

In 1999, the Hayes family founded a ministry to street children.  There are over 500,000 children living on the streets of São Paulo.  The City of Refuge ministry has a marvelous facility that currently houses 21 children in four homes.  The sports complex is rented out on weekends to churches for retreats and camps, providing income to make the ministry self-sufficient.  Over 200 street children are fed during the week, and many children and families have been reached through this ministry.  Children that have been condemned to a life of destruction, drugs, violence, and prostitution have been redeemed from the streets.