Marcelo Spinetti

From Scissors to Shepherds: Marcelo and Kelly’s Journey from São Paulo to San Diego

It started, as many of God’s stories do, with something small.
A quiet prayer in an unlikely place. A beauty salon.

Five years ago, in the vibrant heart of ABC Paulista, São Paulo, Kelly was busy running her business, and Marcelo, an automotive engineer and designer, was climbing the corporate ladder. Faith, for them, was not a priority. They had dabbled in spirituality—experimented, searched—but Christianity felt far off, maybe even irrelevant.

Then one day, a local pastor entered Kelly’s salon—not for a haircut, but for a blessing.

"Can I pray for your business?" he asked.

She said yes. And that yes—small, polite, almost forgettable—would change everything.

The pastor returned. Again and again. Each time, he brought a short prayer, a word of Scripture, a moment of peace in the middle of the salon’s noise. And slowly, something shifted. Marcelo and Kelly found themselves listening, then wondering, then longing for more. The Word of God was sinking in, reshaping their questions, softening their resistance.

Customers began to notice. Some started joining in the prayers. Neighbors showed up. What began as a single voice in a salon became a gathering of seekers.

And Marcelo and Kelly? They were no longer on the sidelines. They were in it. Learning, growing, believing.

A Detour That Wasn’t

Just as this small movement was taking root, Marcelo’s job offered a major relocation: not to Italy, as they had planned and prepared for—but to San Diego, California. They packed their things, unsure of what the future would hold. But one thing was clear: Jesus had found them, and they would not leave Him behind.

When they arrived in the U.S., they didn’t wait for someone else to start something. They opened their home in Scripps Ranch and began doing what they had learned to do—pray, listen, welcome.

And Brazilians started coming.

Power of Faith

That living room became a place of transformation.
They called it Power of Faith—not as a brand, but as a testimony.

On Wednesday evenings, you’ll find a group gathered in their home or at a nearby church space. Some with Bibles in hand. Others with hearts heavy. Marcelo shares from the Word. Kelly listens and prays. There are tears, songs, and stories. Children’s laughter in one room, soul-searching questions in another.

But it’s not just Wednesday nights. Every day, their WhatsApp rings with messages: “Can we talk?” “Can you pray for me?” “I don’t know what to do.”
They meet people in cafés, invite them to dinner, respond to spiritual crises, and walk with people through loss, anxiety, depression, and hope. Their life is not a program. It’s a calling, lived out one conversation at a time.

A Lifeline Through the Mission Society

In time, their spiritual work started to feel lonely. No formal training. No network. No one to check in.

That’s when God connected the dots.

Before moving out of state, André Monari, the first Brazilian missionary working with the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego, introduced Marcelo and Kelly to the Society. He saw something in them and wanted to ensure that the work would continue and grow.

Through that introduction, Marcelo and Kelly found what they didn’t know they needed: mentors, teammates, and a theological home. The Mission Society didn’t just recognize their calling—they welcomed them into a family. A community committed to grace, Scripture, mission, and formation.

And it clicked.

They began to see the richness of Lutheran theology—Christ-centered, sacramental, rooted in grace. And it resonated deeply.

Today, they serve in partnership with the Society and continue to lead their group—now meeting in a local church space provided by New Break Church in Scripps Ranch. The ministry is flourishing. Families are being baptized. Marriages are being restored. People who were spiritually adrift are finding anchor.

A New Chapter Emerging

Now, Marcelo is preparing for seminary through the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, stepping into deeper formation to one day become a pastor.

The story that began with a prayer in a beauty salon is far from over.

It’s growing, stretching, bearing fruit.

And Marcelo and Kelly?
They’re still doing what they’ve always done: welcoming the broken, opening their doors, praying with the weary, and pointing everyone they meet to Jesus.

They may not have planned this life. But they were willing to say yes.
And through that yes, God lit a lamp—now shining bright for the Brazilian community in San Diego.