Feliz Ano Novo

Greetings from the Linda Esperanca,

Today we went to Sao Jose and had a great time with the people there. Corey, Skylar, Lydia, Taylor and I had the opportunity to talk to the teenage girls about life, boys, school and God this afternoon. It was really neat to see how the girls opened up to us and were really receptive to what we had to say about having pure relationships. Zach Woods shared his testimony with the adults after the daily afternoon soccer game and it was incredible. The people there invited us to a service tonight at the local church and we went, sang some songs and Skylar and Brennan shared their testimonies. The pastor of the church was so sweet and thanked us multiple times and once again we were blessed with hearing how the Linda Esperanca has passed by his village multiple times and he told us that he had been praying that the boat would stop there one day. It continues to rock my world how God is using this boat and this ministry without us even realizing it. After going on so many trips the past 10 years it has been an incredible encouragement to me that this boat has such an impact on the lives of the Brazilian people.

Sam Turtletaub had a neat experience tonight getting to talk one on one with a 13 year old boy named Leandro. He had become friends with the boy during the day and sat by him at the church service this evening. During their discussion Sam learned that this young Brazilian boy was addicted to maurajiuna and his friends told him if he stopped doing drugs he would have no friends. Sam and Thiago were able to share the gospel with him and he prayed to receive Christ as his Savior but he is going to have a long struggle with overcoming addiction ahead of him so please be in prayer for him.

We had a minor soccer injury today so please keep Chandler in your prayers that she would have a quick recovery. Nothing major but of course we want her to be back to 100% as soon as possible! Everyone is doing great but exhaustion is starting to take its toll so strength, energy and endurance is our greatest prayer need right now. God is good and we witnessed that in a marvelous sunset this evening! Happy New Years!

In Christ,

Landen Ellis

Day #3

Dear Family and Friends,

Day 3 of ministry has just come to a close and once again it was such a blessing! Everyone is still healthy and safe praise God! Today we worked at Sao Pedro and it was a pretty large village. For those of you familiar with the area the we have been working in is about an hour speed boat ride away from Itacoatira. Our ministry schedule was similar to the past few days and I got to spend some time sitting in on discussion with the teenage girls! It was such a blessing seeing how well they received the message from the Chapada team.

Katie Johnson, one of our team members had a neat experience in the village today. "A group of us had the opportunity to go into two different homes and share the Gospel with two families. They were so sweet and joyful, and were very encouraged by everything we had to tell them. Later on in the afternoon, one of the familes that we had the opportunity to talk to came and found me, and the mother left her two young children with me the rest of the day. The little boy, Kyle, was one of the most joyful boys I had ever seen. His smile and presence made my entire day. Even though I wasn't able to communicate with words, it meant a lot that he still wanted to stay with me the rest of the day, and wouldn't leave my side!"

One thing that Mr Delph has told us is "Share the gospel and use words only when you have to". This phrase is really cool because despite the language barrier I have witnessed so many of these college kids communicating God's love through their actions. We are studying the power of the Holy Spirit and reading Francis Chan's 'Forgotten God' which has really opened our eyes to how great our God is and how He has been in the Amazon long before we got here. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to love on the people in these villages! Keep up the prayers for health and safety, they are working! Time for alligator hunting! Tchau! :)

In Christ,

Landen Ellis

(Please forward on to Jeff Hurt)

Day Two!

Bon Dia from the Linda Esperanca,

Yesterday was another great day for our team! We went to the village Nossa Senhora do Perpetuo Socorro and had a full day of work there. We got off the boat nice and early and set up medical, women's ministry and VBS. In VBS we did the skit of the Angel setting Peter free from Prison, Will made a great (and rather large angel) the kids absolutely loved it! The women's ministry has been going very well and Mrs Delph was able to sit down with all the women of the village yesterday and have an incredible time of prayer and discussion, what a blessing!

One thing that has been such an amazing encouragement to me after going on trips all these years is the similar stories we have been hearing the past two days that I'm sure will bless many of you as well. At both villages we have talked to people and yesterday to one woman in particular who was so excited to have our boat stop in her village because everyone there recognized the boat well. They knew the Linda Esperanca because every time it passed someone would throw out balloons with candy and Bible verses. This women had saved all the Bible verses from inside the balloons and had her daughter teach her how to read so that she could understand. She said before we came she did not know what this boat did but she knew it had to be something great because the simple balloons had blessed her and her people so much. Hearing this story blew my mind because after 8 trips I never realized how much of an impact this simple ministry had! Glory be to God for showing up in an awesome way yesterday. The entire team agreed that the Holy Spirit was present in the village and we really felt God moved in the lives of the people there. Please continue to pray for health and safety for our team!

In Christ,

Landen Ellis

P.S. Johnson Ellis, could you please forward this email to Jeff Hurt (Jhurt@sw-credit.com) so that he can send the last two emails on to our family members not registered for the blog! Obrigada!

We're Alive and Well!!

Greetings from the Linda Esperanca,

We just finished our first day of work out on the river and it was incredible! The village we went to today was Nossa Senhora das Gracas. There were about 60 families in this village and we had a great time getting to know them throughout the afternoon. It was only an 8 hour boat ride to the village from Manaus so we got there early this morning and then unpacked all the bags and got everything ready for the day since we did not have a lot of time to do so on the boat. The medical team went out and worked with the people in the morning and we did VBS and women's ministry in the afternoon. The people from Chapada have been very helpful and fun, we are all having a great time getting to know them despite the language barrier. They did a puppet show about joy to go along with our VBS lesson on Jonah this afternoon. It went really well once we finally got the sound system working and I think the kids really enjoyed it. After VBS we all went out and played some soccer because no trip would be complete without a good ol game of Brazilians vs. Americans (which we lost of course but not without a hard fight!) After the game we were able to gather many of the villagers together and Mr Delph gave his testimony. The kids absolutely loved hanging all over Will, Zach, Brennan and Sam and we got to play with the children for a little while before heading back to the boat and onto the next village. At this point the plan is to hit one village everyday so we are on the move at the moment. Yesterday we spent some time in Manaus doing some outreach for Shalom Baptist church and then went to the Sunday night service there. We met up with a team from YWAM which was really cool because there were so many different nationalities represented among all of us! All is well, everyone is safe and healthy and all of our bags made it safely Praise God! Please be praying for continued health and safety! The team has already bonded so well and we are having a great time working together to bring glory to God's name!

Everyone sends there love!

In Christ,

Landen Ellis

Pai, eu to viva!

P.S.: Johnson, eu recebi seu recado e e stou cuidando da tua nenem!

November 28th

Boa tarde!!

Well, we've started our 24 hour journey back to Manaus. We're enjoying a relaxing day of food and fellowship on the Linda Esperanca. We currently have a competitive spades tournament going on while people nap, sing songs and read while enjoying the beautiful Amazon scenery. Praise God we have a breeze because the boat is moving!! We've blown up baloons with Bible verses and candy to launch off the boat along with soccer balls as we see young children in the villages along the river. Who knew a baloon launcher would be so handy in the Amazon! It's entertaining to see how kids will jump off boats and swim into the river just to grab the goodies - it's also funny to see the ones who are expecting the boat of Americans and flag us down! We stopped briefly this morning in Itacoatira to say goodbye to our friends Audrey and Lexi who had to catch an earlier flight back to the US. Please pray for their safety as they make the long journey home.

We ended our time in Lake Carada with an adventurous speed boat hunt for alligators. We seriously thought they were joking until we ended up on the boat armed with life jackets, head lamps, and an alligator net. We took 4 speedboats through the same alligator infested canal that our group got stuck in the night before. We sailed through the canal with no light but the moon and a spotlight looking for the perfect gator. Once the glowing red eyes are spotted everyone has to be silent and all lights go off while one of the crew goes in for the catch. Those gators are quick though and out of 4 boats only 1 came back with a prized catch...a baby gator only about 2 feet long...we have proud pictures of Jeff holding the gator now. He might have reacted differently if it was hog hunting. Tonight we have a big boat party planned that involves bowling, coreography, skits, and of course hair braiding. We may or may not take Amazon Glamor Shots...there are no words to describe the look of one who has been in the Amazon for 9 days. Keep in mind the pictures will not do the smell justice!

On a serious note today has been a great time to reflect on the work of the Holy Spirit in the Amazon. We truly believe that we advanced the kingdom in ways that we've never been able to before. The success of the speed boat teams were crucial in not only building relationships and witnessing but in discipling our new friends. Our prayer is that this format of discipleship will forever change mission work as we know it in the Amazon. Because of the positive feedback from the speedboat team of the first 4 days, the entire team was able to minister to the villages of Lake Carada in the same way. We split up into small groups and went to all 4 villages going door to door as VBS was held for the children. It was amazing to see the Holy Spirit at work in ways we had never witnessed...rather than focusing on quantity we focused on quality. We spent most of our time investing in individuals by being intentional with building relationships. Once we built trust we presented the gospel. Some had never heard it before, some resisted, and some are heavily catholic (which for the most part here in the Amazon means that they believe that heaven is based on works). Several individuals from all 3 categories made professions of faith and after that decision was made we poured scripture and encouragement into their lives. Rather than just leaving with a good feeling of furthering the kingdom we stayed longer to make sure they understood their decision fully. We then showed how to study the Bible and taught them what it meant to be a disciple and to spread the Good News to their family and friends. The Evangicube was extremely helpful...it was especially a success among the younger people as it served not only as a way to share the gospel with them but was an intriguing way for them to share with their friends since it's easy to follow and serves as a prompter as they walk others through the gospel message. A few of our team members were able to share and practice the Evangicube with new believers...what an encouragement to have them repeat the message of the cube with us so that we were certain that they understood the message in order to pass it on. It was amazing to see how comfortable our team became in speaking with these Brazilians. Although there were different bariers, with the power of the Holy Spirit, they were all lifted in that moment. We connected people in the villages and began to set up small groups as we taught them the importance of what Paul said that the church should look like. These villages are so tight-knit that many of them already practice community as it is described to us in Acts 2. That was enlightening and encouraging to our team and presented a great opportunity for us to learn from them. We often go to foreign countries thinking that we have so much to give and bless others with. Our approach this time was different. Rather than meeting a person once, sharing the gospel, and leaving with hopes that they got the message, we were intentional with our time and invested in really getting to know these people over several days. That way, we were not only able to know that their decision was genuine...we were able to teach them to grow in a relationship with Christ. We taught them the importance of sharing and that is could be their first step of obedience as a Christian. We made sure that the people in the villages were aware of everyone who made professions of faith so that they can encourage one another and discuss their faith further. Essentially, these will be the first village small groups. The missionaries for the areas are aware of the decisions as well. They will be following up with the progress of these new believers.

We have both been on mission trips before, but this one is different. As fun as life on the boat with our friends is and being surrounded by beautiful scenery, it is the relationships we built with the people that will be missed the most. We came here to change lives and are leaving with our lives changed just as much. The way we prepared and approached this trip has forever changed our thoughts on missions. We have learned the importance of disipleship and how crutial it is for future and further impact on the world. We believe our group has a new grasp on the Great Commission. We have committed to pray for these communities that we were so welcomed to over the past 9 days. Although praying for them seems like all we can do, it is actually EVERYTHING we can do.

We will be home soon! We will do our best to explain what took place on the trip, but honestly, there are just not enough words to do it justice. Thank you guys for all of your support and prayer. Please pray for our safety back. Also, Josh Rolf's passport cannot be found as of right now. He will be going into the city to work everything out. Please pray for a quick resolution and a quick way to return to the states.

In Him,

Lauren Newman and Cathleen Moffitt

 

Thursday, November 26th, 2009 - a.k.a Thanksgiving!!!

At the break of dawn we loaded onto the speedboats and wisked down the canal to Lake Carara. Upon the opening we saw crystal clear water (in Amazon terms, meaning mucky brown) and beautiful palm trees lining the horizon. Now that we have painted you a wonderful picture...

Today we split into two groups, the first going to a surrounding village to share the gospel and provide VBS for children, and the second going to host a soccer tournament. We were on the soccer team and upon entering the speedboats to take us to the village, one of our valued members was left behind (that valued member was Audrey). After hiking up to the soccer field in Sol Nasciente we realized we were without a translator and Audrey, but through much smiling, pointing and Spanish we managed to survive until Norman and Audrey joined the team. The soccer tournament was for the four main villages that surround Lake Carara and served as the audience for the grand opening of the mission house that had been built in Sol Nasciente. We provided the teams with full uniforms inculding jerseys, shorts and socks. We played the first two games in the morning: Divino played Bucuzal and Bucuzal was victorious! For the second game it was Sol Nasciente vs. Paraiso where Sol Nasciente was the winner. The two winning teams would play each other in the afternoon for the Championship.

We returned to the Linda Esperanca for lunch and rest and shared our morning experiences amongst each other. Everyone was rather tired at this point and knew that the afternoon session was going to be pretty long. We boarded the speedboats again (this time no one was left behind) and returned to the soccer field. The consolation game was played first, Paraiso was the winner, followed by the Championship where Sol Nasciente took first place. After the tournament was over we walked over to the Mission house where Josh Rolf preached and we presented all of the teams with medals and Most Valuable Player awards. We ended the evening serving BBQ to all four villages. Lindsey and I were on the second to last speed boat to head back to the Linda Esperanca; on the way our driver pointed out the alligators in the water showing there orange eyes above the water reflecting off the light. As we entered into the connecting canal the water level was rather low causing the speed boat to get stuck and turning us around forcing us to conquer the canal by driving backwards. Suddenly there was a splash to the side, Kelly jumped out of her seat over Matt. Upon said startling, Audrey squeezed her cup to its breaking point. We are not sure what caused the splash but Lindsey is "absolutely certain" it was an Alligator. In the end, we made it back unscathed. Needless to say after a long day in the sun we were in desperate need of rest.

The lifestyle of the people inhabiting these villages is so different from ours in America, yet the children just smile all the time and are grateful for things that most would consider minute and meaningless. It is amazing to see how God is working throughout these villages, His presence is in their smiles and in their eyes, they light up at the mention of "el nome de Jesus Cristo". The villages truly embody the church through fellowship and community, through breaking of bread and walking according to God's call. "How Beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news," Romans 10:15. The people wait patiently for us to come, not because we bring them material things, but because we bring hope and good news for them and encouragement to share in their faith with other villagers.

Friday, November 27th, 2009

This morning we again headed back to our respective villages, to further witness and encourage and to again hold VBS. We had a group of about 40 children in Sol Nasciente attend our VBS, where they learned about Daniel in the Lions Den. We did crafts with them and played with them, but mostly we just loved on them and entertained them in anyway we could imagine. One of the translators explained that the reason it takes the kids a bit of time to get to VBS is that they take showers and put on their best clothes when they hear that we are coming. The amount of joy that we provide them pales in comparison to the amount of joy they provide us; it is humbling to be here and do the work that we are doing.

In the afternoon we went to Paraiso and did another VBS. When walking back we saw and petted a baby armadillo ("Tortu") that one of the villagers had found in the jungle. Then further down the walk back a young child was coming up from the river holding a large fish in one hand and a giant bird in the other, we are truly one with nature here. When we approached the end to begin walking down towards the boat, the sun was setting through the palm trees, seeing God's majesty as we walked down the hill was the essence of breathtaking.

On a lighter note, we leave you with a humorous story...

One of the groups coming back from the furthest town had the privelage of experiencing shallow water, too many people and too big of a boat. One boat took all of the girls. Because of the weight we decided it was best to have a speed boat take two of the men across the lake to deeper water, where they could be picked up later. While that was happening three guys got into a canoe to follow them, because a group of hogs were coming towards the beach (Jeff Summerlin, Jon Lantz and Lucas the translator, were in the canoe). Nelson Crowe was left behind with his bucket hat to fend off the hogs alone. Long story short, the canoe started to sink half way across the lake, Lucas and Jon were laughing while Jeff (our resident banker- who gets queezy watching 'Planet Earth') was more than a little concerned. Keep in mind he had seen multiple alligators the night before. Water kept pouring into the sides of the boat, Jon is trying to keep the boat steady, Lucas is trying to paddle, while Jeff is frantically scooping water out of the boat with his bare hands- trying to keep his body perfectly still so as not to allow more water into the boat; keep in mind the water is only three feet deep! They finally make their way about 20 feet out from the shore when they get stuck in a mud slick. At this point a panicked Jeff began screaming to stop all together and wait for the other boat to come rescue them. He made the comment: "this is the most scared I have ever been in my entire life" to which Jon replied, "this is kind of funny" while Lucas is giggling at the front of the boat. Jeff's frantic response (delivered at the top of his lungs!), "I AM A CONSERVATIVE PERSON!" Jon and Lucas busted up laughing at his concern, in fact he was pointing out "alligators" (mud chunks) around them. Lucas jumped out of the canoe and towed them into shore where they left the canoe and walked around to meet the speed boat. Jeff is still upset about this occurence and we all think, a little scarred for life.

Audrey & Lindsey S. b

Bom Dia from the Amazon!

It is Prestonwood Young Singles' 5th day here on the river and we have had an incredible experience. Yesterday, our second day of the Youth Ralley, we had hundreds of Brazilian kids, from 5 to 35 years, join us for competitive games. After hours of playing competitive field games between animal inspired teams, our day ended a bit differently; but really it was only the beginning of the next two life-changing days in Parintins.

We split the young Brazilians into two groups, ladies in one and the gentlemen in another. The girls received an encouraging and truthful lesson from the woman leaders from Prestonwood. They focused on self-respect and becoming God fearing woman in Brazil. While the woman led their purity station, our very own Matt Fernandez, gathered the men together to share that Jesus loves each and every one of them. Every man and woman is equally important to God and it is our responsibility as Christians to share that message with others. Each Prestonwood man led a small group with 8-10 young men as we shared with them the Good News, John 3:16, and that God yearns for a relationship with everyone. As we sat in small circles with these men, we encouraged these men to be leaders, to respect the women of Brazil, and to be lights unto the world in a sometimes very dark place. God was working miracles in these men as their eyes began to open wide, and they began to ask questions about our faith and our Jesus.

After the full day of activities, we met our Brazilian friends at a Baptist Church service. Two worship songs into the service, the lights went out. At first many thought it was planned, but the electricity had completely gone out in the area. One would imagine that the church service could not continue; but we are in Brazil and these young men and women didn't miss a beat. The Holy Spirit filled the building with every person singing worship songs and dancing around the chairs. While the church looked dark from the outside, hundreds of bright lights shined from inside as the Brazilians continued to praise Jesus and smile with their eyes wide open.

Our speed boat teams led a group deep into the Amazon villages the past three days, going village to village and door to door sharing the Gospel. While most of these villages were very remote, many had been introduced to the story of Jesus and were eager to grow in the knowledge of Christ. Our team, through intentional discipleship, preached the importance of moral character, living for Jesus and not for this world, and having a genuine love for others around them.

Today, we met our children bright and early on the fields to enjoy our last day of games with our Brazilian small groups/teams. What was once handshake introduction between the Americans and Brazilians became an all out spirit chant as the competiting teams developed cheers and dances to pump up their team and the crowd. The kids absolutely loved this. It's amazing to see how joyful and the sincere enthusiasm they express through their love for others. Dodgeball, Flickerball (similiar to ultimate frisbee), Tug-o-War, and the slipin' slide highlighted today's games. The games proved to be an incredible way to bring all ages together. At the end of the games, our leader Josh, gathered everyone under the shade and shared Jesus with these youth. After the message, a call to ask Jesus into their hearts was given. With every head bowed and every eyes closed, hands began to shoot up when publically asked if these kids and young adults will accept God's free gift of salvation and ask Jesus into their hearts to live for eternity. We pray that this is the beginning for many of these new believers as the old has gone and the new has come. As we walked away from the group, a few young men came to me and said "Thank You"; and I said "No, thank you, and know that I will be praying for you"; They reached out, putting their hand in mine, and said "We have already been praying for you and will continue to even when you leave Brazil." That is such an encouragment. To know that these youth are so eager to know Jesus, but sometimes do not have the means to do so as easily as in America; yet, their hearts are on fire for the Lord and they want to bless everyone around them. As we leave Parintins tonight to head west down the Amazon, we will be leaving our competitive teams and chants, but our love and prayer for those whom God introduced us to the last three days will remain in our hearts, as we will continue to support the people of Parintins.

In Him,

Nelson Crowe

Bom dia!

Hello from Brazil! The group arrived safe and sound in Manaus early Saturday morning, hopped on a boat, and set sail to Parintins. We made a pit stop on the journey in Vila Amazonia, a small village along the way, and conducted a vbs session at a church there. We exercised our acting muscles and portrayed the story of Daniel in the lion's den, complete with Samuel, accusers, and lions. Afterward, we helped the kids with a craft, painted the girls' nails, and played games outside. Later we journeyed on down the river to Parintins and set out on foot to see the church - Primiera Igrejia Batista, prayer walk around the city, and attend the Sunday evening church service.

Yesterday and today have been the first two days of the three day youth rally. We have morning and afternoon sessions with different groups of kids - mostly teenagers - each time. Monday morning there was a slight bump in the road when the site we had planned on using was already under contract for use that day. True to form, the Lord promptly provided an alternate site for the day that worked out perfectly. There may or may not have been a pool on site that some people from the group may or may not have jumped in to cool off. So far, we've only had the morning session today and it went great - other than the fact that I was soaked to the bone by a trash can of water that was unmercifully poured over me. However, I have to be honest, it was so hot so it felt great! One thing about today that was unique is we had a purity station for the guys and girls separately where we explained the value the Lord has placed on our lives, and how we can honor him with our bodies.

Several things continue to ring true - a smile, a handshake, and any form of sports ball can break down language and cultural barriers. It has been such a JOY getting to interact with the people here and seeing the work that the Lord is doing. On the first day, one of our leaders put it best when he pointed out that the Lord has been here long before we even thought about coming, and we are just meeting Him here to continue his work. We're having such a great time I haven't even thought about missing the Thanksgiving turkey. We have so much to be thankful for, I'm just grateful we can share this time with the people in this city. Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Check back for daily updates!

~Dara Griffin

Tuesday ( 9-16-09)Bom Dia do Lago do Janauca! Good morning from the lake of Janauca, which is along the Amazon in beautiful Brazil. The light of day greeted us with the beautiful cool of morning. Some of our team members are early risers. Quiet footsteps and the sounds of running water are among the first sounds we hear.

We all arose and prepared for the day. Breakfast and devotional as usual were great. Soon it was time to go into the new village for the day. We setup the dental supplies, the pharmacy and the eyeglasses tables and supplies in one large room that is adjacent to the village school and the Catholic Church sanctuary. The villagers arrived to join those already waiting to sign up for medical and dental services.

This village was such a pleasure to serve in. They had such a hunger for something more. Many of them listened in very closely when the word was spoken. Chiago (xiago- the boy with the seizures who just accepted Christ yesterday) was from this village and we got to live closely with him for the day. It was a pleasure to see him in good health. He and his friends attended the informal youth service and really paid attention to the message with his friends. We prayed with them and gave them Bibles to take.

Not long after our services were done for the day, we challenged them to a soccer match. It was a pretty competitive game. And the Americans won… of course we did have a few Brazilian boys on our team helping us out. This was a very exciting game because there was so much support from the local people. They all came to watch and cheered on their team. .. it was great.

The whole team is doing great. We are all getting to know each other well and are working well in each of the ministries. It is pretty hot during the days but nothing too bad. The evenings are nice and I think most everyone is sleeping well. Of course we miss our families and friends but we are so happy to be here serving the Lord.

The joy of the Lord is our strength and it was such a blessing to minister to the beautiful people of the Amazon because of the love of Jesus that is our everything!

Written by Carol and Amanda (143)

Tuesday ( 9-16-09)Bom Dia do Lago do Janauca! Good morning from the lake of Janauca, which is along the Amazon in beautiful Brazil. The light of day greeted us with the beautiful cool of morning. Some of our team members are early risers. Quiet footsteps and the sounds of running water are among the first sounds we hear.

We all arose and prepared for the day. Breakfast and devotional as usual were great. Soon it was time to go into the new village for the day. We setup the dental supplies, the pharmacy and the eyeglasses tables and supplies in one large room that is adjacent to the village school and the Catholic Church sanctuary. The villagers arrived to join those already waiting to sign up for medical and dental services.

This village was such a pleasure to serve in. They had such a hunger for something more. Many of them listened in very closely when the word was spoken. Chiago (xiago- the boy with the seizures who just accepted Christ yesterday) was from this village and we got to live closely with him for the day. It was a pleasure to see him in good health. He and his friends attended the informal youth service and really paid attention to the message with his friends. We prayed with them and gave them Bibles to take.

Not long after our services were done for the day, we challenged them to a soccer match. It was a pretty competitive game. And the Americans won… of course we did have a few Brazilian boys on our team helping us out. This was a very exciting game because there was so much support from the local people. They all came to watch and cheered on their team. .. it was great.

The whole team is doing great. We are all getting to know each other well and are working well in each of the ministries. It is pretty hot during the days but nothing too bad. The evenings are nice and I think most everyone is sleeping well. Of course we miss our families and friends but we are so happy to be here serving the Lord.

The joy of the Lord is our strength and it was such a blessing to minister to the beautiful people of the Amazon because of the love of Jesus that is our everything!

Written by Carol and Amanda (143)

Sunday 9-13-09

Today started with a beautiful sunrise along one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. We all arose and prepared to start a day of serving the Lord. We ate breakfast, and headed off the boat to do our daily devotional in the church at the Village we were working at for the day. This is something that we normally do on the boat without the villagers, but today the new pastor asked us to do the morning devotion on land which seemed appropriate since it is Sunday.

After the devotion we all departed to begin the different ministries we volunteered for. VBS and optical remained in the church while medical and dental were down close to the river in a pavilion. Many people came from all around to receive help through our ministries and every single person we helped was prayed over. Each ministry proved fruitful. There was no idle time at the doctor, dentist and optical locations from 9-5 (with a lunch break of course).

After the day of serving, some of us challenged the Brazilian boys to a game of soccer. Of course, we were no match for them but it was fun to try (and slightly painful)… We suffered a great loss scoring only 1 point to their 6. After the game, including multiple soccer balls to the face, fire ants bites and cow patty explosions, we gathered together for prayer and invited them to come to the Sunday night service. To our great pleasure some of them showed up and actually sat listening intently to the service. A seed has been planted and we are so grateful to watch as God pulls them in.

Finally, at the end of the evening we sat and shared the events of the day. God is working in this village and we pray that it will have a lasting effect.

Written by Amanda Starr (143)

 

Sunday 9-13-09

Today started with a beautiful sunrise along one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. We all arose and prepared to start a day of serving the Lord. We ate breakfast, and headed off the boat to do our daily devotional in the church at the Village we were working at for the day. This is something that we normally do on the boat without the villagers, but today the new pastor asked us to do the morning devotion on land which seemed appropriate since it is Sunday.

After the devotion we all departed to begin the different ministries we volunteered for. VBS and optical remained in the church while medical and dental were down close to the river in a pavilion. Many people came from all around to receive help through our ministries and every single person we helped was prayed over. Each ministry proved fruitful. There was no idle time at the doctor, dentist and optical locations from 9-5 (with a lunch break of course).

After the day of serving, some of us challenged the Brazilian boys to a game of soccer. Of course, we were no match for them but it was fun to try (and slightly painful)… We suffered a great loss scoring only 1 point to their 6. After the game, including multiple soccer balls to the face, fire ants bites and cow patty explosions, we gathered together for prayer and invited them to come to the Sunday night service. To our great pleasure some of them showed up and actually sat listening intently to the service. A seed has been planted and we are so grateful to watch as God pulls them in.

Finally, at the end of the evening we sat and shared the events of the day. God is working in this village and we pray that it will have a lasting effect.

Written by Amanda Starr (143)

Sunday 9-13-09

Today started with a beautiful sunrise along one of the most beautiful rivers in the world. We all arose and prepared to start a day of serving the Lord. We ate breakfast, and headed off the boat to do our daily devotional in the church at the Village we were working at for the day. This is something that we normally do on the boat without the villagers, but today the new pastor asked us to do the morning devotion on land which seemed appropriate since it is Sunday.

After the devotion we all departed to begin the different ministries we volunteered for. VBS and optical remained in the church while medical and dental were down close to the river in a pavilion. Many people came from all around to receive help through our ministries and every single person we helped was prayed over. Each ministry proved fruitful. There was no idle time at the doctor, dentist and optical locations from 9-5 (with a lunch break of course).

After the day of serving, some of us challenged the Brazilian boys to a game of soccer. Of course, we were no match for them but it was fun to try (and slightly painful)… We suffered a great loss scoring only 1 point to their 6. After the game, including multiple soccer balls to the face, fire ants bites and cow patty explosions, we gathered together for prayer and invited them to come to the Sunday night service. To our great pleasure some of them showed up and actually sat listening intently to the service. A seed has been planted and we are so grateful to watch as God pulls them in.

Finally, at the end of the evening we sat and shared the events of the day. God is working in this village and we pray that it will have a lasting effect.

Written by Amanda Starr (143)

Yesterday was quite the interesting day. Most of the team met at the Dallas airport at 1:15pm on Friday September 11, 2009. Others of us left from Houston and Memphis. We all united in Atlanta to jump aboard a Delta flight to Manaus, Brazil. For the most part everything went smoothly…. until we arrived in Brazil… Once we got off the plane (at 4:30am) we realized that a few of our team members were missing some very important pieces of luggage. Our leader, Rick, was surprised to find that his bag containing all of his clothes did not make it to Brazil. Two team members from Mississippi also had a bag that did not make it. The final piece of luggage that was missing belonged to our dentist from Houston. Everyone was understanding and accepting that this might just be a lesson from the Lord of some sort. God is super funny like that.

Once we stepped foot on the boat it was like coming home. I was lucky enough to be returning to see great friends that I had met in June. The people that were first timers all fell in love at first sight with the amazing beauty that we had been talking about for months. This trip is a new adventure for Amazon Outreach. We are working with a new pastor from Manaus. This means for us, that this trip is not planned. We are being forced to go with the flow of Pastor Marco!

Everyone ate breakfast as soon as we walked onto the boat, and followed it up by taking a morning nap. By this point most of us had been awake for 24 hours. It was a 7 hour boat trip from Manaus to the first village so we had plenty of time to get settled in and catch up on some sleep.

After naps, we had lunch and got to know each other. There is a nice variety of different people here. Some who have been here many times and some first timers… all different ages… in all different walks of life, an amazing team assembled by God, ready to serve Him in serving the Amazonian people.

We got all of the family packs and VBS stuff organized and had the opportunity to hear from the Pastor of the main church and the village Ley pastor.

Throughout the day the temperature began to rise and we were all hot so we decided to jump into the Amazon River and swim around. A few people started climbing up to the top floor of the boat and jumping in all together. It was a great way to have some fun and cool off. After swimming we got cleaned up for dinner then headed over to the church for their 42nd anniversary celebration, which was an amazing conclusion to the first day of missions on the Amazon River.

My final thought for the day is one of remembrance with a heavy heart. I am spending time in Brazil, while my heart is actually back in Texas. I would like to add an embrace of love extended to those left behind in the sudden wake of Michael Todd Fuqua's death. I love you all, and I wish that I was there to attend his memorial. Know that I am praying for you all!

Yesterday was quite the interesting day. Most of the team met at the Dallas airport at 1:15pm on Friday September 11, 2009. Others of us left from Houston and Memphis. We all united in Atlanta to jump aboard a Delta flight to Manaus, Brazil. For the most part everything went smoothly…. until we arrived in Brazil… Once we got off the plane (at 4:30am) we realized that a few of our team members were missing some very important pieces of luggage. Our leader, Rick, was surprised to find that his bag containing all of his clothes did not make it to Brazil. Two team members from Mississippi also had a bag that did not make it. The final piece of luggage that was missing belonged to our dentist from Houston. Everyone was understanding and accepting that this might just be a lesson from the Lord of some sort. God is super funny like that.

Once we stepped foot on the boat it was like coming home. I was lucky enough to be returning to see great friends that I had met in June. The people that were first timers all fell in love at first sight with the amazing beauty that we had been talking about for months. This trip is a new adventure for Amazon Outreach. We are working with a new pastor from Manaus. This means for us, that this trip is not planned. We are being forced to go with the flow of Pastor Marco!

Everyone ate breakfast as soon as we walked onto the boat, and followed it up by taking a morning nap. By this point most of us had been awake for 24 hours. It was a 7 hour boat trip from Manaus to the first village so we had plenty of time to get settled in and catch up on some sleep.

After naps, we had lunch and got to know each other. There is a nice variety of different people here. Some who have been here many times and some first timers… all different ages… in all different walks of life, an amazing team assembled by God, ready to serve Him in serving the Amazonian people.

We got all of the family packs and VBS stuff organized and had the opportunity to hear from the Pastor of the main church and the village Ley pastor.

Throughout the day the temperature began to rise and we were all hot so we decided to jump into the Amazon River and swim around. A few people started climbing up to the top floor of the boat and jumping in all together. It was a great way to have some fun and cool off. After swimming we got cleaned up for dinner then headed over to the church for their 42nd anniversary celebration, which was an amazing conclusion to the first day of missions on the Amazon River.

My final thought for the day is one of remembrance with a heavy heart. I am spending time in Brazil, while my heart is actually back in Texas. I would like to add an embrace of love extended to those left behind in the sudden wake of Michael Todd Fuqua's death. I love you all, and I wish that I was there to attend his memorial. Know that I am praying for you all!

Wednesday on the Uaicurapa River

August 12? I think...

 

    It's been nice not knowing what time or even day it is out on the river. We could learn a lot from the people of the Amazon. God has worked so much since our last meeting. We have since spent a day and a half in Ponta Alta, and just as the first village, the people were so welcoming and gracious. I was able to move around a little bit more these days and was able to see more of where God is working. So far I have been a childrens teacher, a stylest, and an optometrist. The Children are so open to learning new things and seem excited about Jesus. We were able to take a tour of the village which was eye opening.  We held baby's (which of course didn't pee until I held him), we saw all kinds of birds and monkeys, and most importantly we were able to spend one on one time with the villagers. This village was approximately 60 families, many of which decided to make decisions of faith... Praise God!

    This has been a trip of many new experiences. New foods, new places to visit, new people to meet. Just last night 6 of us (David, Candice, Julie, Maggie, Lauren, and Abby) went out on a small boat looking for gators! We all are still here to talk about our experience.

     Today, we are in Varre Vento. This village has several Christian families that have being shunned by their community because of their faith. To whomever is reading this today, please pray that we can be of great encouragement to each and every one of them in order to restore strength and hope in their lives. Pray also that the Lord would continue to speak through us, and that without any hindurance the gospel

would be presented.  

 

Blessings and prayers from the Linda Esperanca

Linda Esperanca Update

August 7

 

    Day one was full of early patience and team building exercizes. As early as walking into the Indianapolis airport, Delta informed us that all of our checked bags needed to be taken down by 20 lb's each! We all worked together like we had been a team for years and knocked it out in no time at all. This was to be te only excitement for two more days of airplane and boat rides. Preparation for the villages through prayer and packing for each individual ministry such as dental, pharmacy, vbs, kids, adults, and spa/hair (which my wife Candice and I are involved) consumed our afternoon of day two.

 

August 9

 

    Finally, time to meet our first village! While eating breakfast, all of the cute chidren were hanging out of their hut windows awaiting our arrival with curiosity and excitement in their eyes. Towns people gathered to welcome our first steps on dry land in two days. Our different ministries hit the ground running almost immediately. Candice was painting nails, I was cutting hair, Abby was handing out perscriptions and the medical and dental teams were examining.... everyone was extremely busy! The Lord was present this day and it was obvious. Perhaps the biggest blessing thus far was the mens ministry, headed up by Jim. Approximately 40 men expressed interest in accepting Christ as their personal Savior! I have never seen God work in such a way. I'm exited to see what God has in store for us in the coming days, as I'm sure he will exceed any of our expectations.

07-15-2009 Heights Baptist Update

Greetings from the Amazon River!

 

Yesterday we visited 2 villages, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  We had some professions of faith in both villages.  Neither one had been visited by a boat before and were native indians of the region.  All ministries have been running well.  Bugs have been plentiful and an abundant distraction, so please continue to pray. :)  The entire team: translator crew, boat crew, Americans are all working collectively in this ministry effort and it is a blessing beyond words to see the body of Christ in action.  We are all feeling well, a few have had minor intestinal upset.  Had some wonderful share time this evening.  We will see one village tomorrow (Thursday) and another on Friday morning before we head to Manaus.  We're looking forward to sharing all our stories in person.  Please continue to pray for safety on the river and more changed lives.  We miss you!

 

Heights Baptist Church Alvin, TX Update

Heights Baptist Church Alvin, TX Update

Yesterday was the first day in a village called Borba which was a larger city where Pastor William ministers. We provided medical, dental and VBS for the church members during the day and gave testimony and worship in their church service that evening. Today we went to our first village, Espiritu Santos (which means "Holy Spirit"). This village had not been visited by a boat before and adjacent villages came to participate in our ministries, whereby many lives have been touched and professions of faith made. All glory to God. So the town lived up to its name "Holy Spirit" because the Holy Spirit was moving there. We are spending the night in a cove where we are surrounded by the 4 other villages that we will visit over the next week. Please pray for lives to continue to be changed, on and off the boat, and pray for our continued health and perseverance with the humidity and bugs. Blessings from us all...we miss you!

Heights Baptist Church Alvin, Texas Mission Team

 successfully arrived in Manaus at 12am. We were on the boat and set sail by 2am. We have had a leisurely day on the river recovering from travel and organizing our resources. No illnesses, everyone is doing great. We are picking up a local pastor tonight and starting ministry tomorrow morning. We have an additional dentist and a doctor on board. All baggage received and got through customs without incident. We are excited to start ministry tomorrow. Love to all at home.

June 25, 2009

June 25, 2009

GPS Coordinates,

Look us up on Google Earth or Google Maps!

S 03.05.522

W 057.41.393

Dear Friends,

This email is coming a few days late… because it is an update about Tuesday, but today is actually Thursday. In fact we just sent the email update about Wednesday. I felt the need to go back and document June 23^{rd, 2009 because is was the greatest birthday that I have ever had. Yes, yes this is Alisha Altman. I am the luckiest person on this boat. I just celebrated my 26th birthday.}

The day started with the most beautiful sunrise full of indigo skies, and a light tangerine tint to the horizon. It felt like the most perfect gift from God on my birthday. That morning we had another amazing breakfast full of French toast and pancakes, but the best part was the deliciously fresh papaya and pineapple (along with much more… It was time for us to go to the Village, and I was ready to do the work of the Lord. A few of us went to a Village down the river to take a peak at the water well that we dedicated to Tom Bailey on June 24th. The boat ride was interesting and a little bumpy to say the least. The other people went into the Village to search for "Devine Appointments" make by life's "Great Orchestrator."

One of my brothers in Christ was walking around the Village and found just such an appointment. He was in the presence of a man that was his same age, and actually looks quite a bit like him as well. The man was drinking rubbing alcohol to get drunk (this is because liquor is too expensive, and difficult to find). Matt was so moved by this man's desperation to escape reality that he started to share with him his own previous struggle with drinking. The connection of one problem that two men from different worlds shared almost moves me to tears as I write. The connection united these two men through Christ for life. Later that evening Matt shared his testimony at church, and the man from earlier accepted Christ into his life. All in the room electrically felt the experience. The Lord's presence was felt in everyone that day.

As we went back to the boat we shared parts of our day. My own personal story was that walking through the Village reminded me so much of the place my dad grew up. The children reminded me of myself when I was little. This place is half a world away, but I feel home! I am not sure what the means for my life, but living open-handedly for God brought me that Best Birthday of my life… I con only imagine what else he has planned for me, and everyone else on this boat.

June 24, 2009

June 24, 2009

GPS Coordinates,

Look us up on Google Earth or Google Maps!

S 03.05.522

W 057.41.393

Dear Friends,

Today was a slight change of pace for our team as we visited a rather small village of 14 families with the additional purpose of dedicating a water well our Amazon Outreach Water Team had finished drilling that day. We arrived early in the morning sloshing through the mud from the rainfall the night before. We gathered in the small but cozy weathered church building to sing praise and worship to our Father. As the congregation began to sing "Open the eyes of my heart" in Portuguese some of us began to sing along in English and the mixing of these 2 languages reminded us of a time in Heaven when all languages will be worshiping together. Laoja, one of our translators, opened with a short message about John 3:16 and challenged the women of the village to think about the significance of giving up their son or daughter to die for someone they didn't know, just as God the Father gave up His Son for us.

At vacation bible school, the team acted out a skit of the Good Samaritan in addition to throwing frisbees and kicking soccer balls around the wet grass while the medical and dental team worked about 100 yards away pulling teeth and offering medical help. All the while engaged in these activities we noticed our eyes wandering back and forth on what was happening with the water well. As the water team worked under a blue tarp we found ourselves not really knowing what we were looking at but still looking on with amazement to see what the final product would look like. Around lunchtime we were able to feed the people of the village with warm beans and rice as they eagerly gathered in line.

Arriving back from lunch the team was able to roam and engage in wherever they felt, whether that was teaching the young children how to throw a Frisbee, or gathering with the women to paint their nails. As the Amazon Outreach water team continued to work away, anticipation was growing to pump the first fresh water from the well. Soon enough word traveled that it was complete and ready to go. This particular water well was dedicated to our team leaders husband, Tom Bailey, who the Lord took to Heaven 2 years ago. Our group leader grabbed an empty water bottle and filled it with the new water as he offered it to Brenda Bailey as she drank the first sip of fresh water. Then, one by one people would come up and take their turn to pump the water including an 80-year-old grandmother and the village leader. He grinned from ear to ear at the joy that his village now had fresh water. As people were taking turns posing in front of the well, one of our team members scooped some water from the river and brought it back holding it next to the clean water. As we looked at the difference between the brown dingy water and the new clean water, we were reminded of how Christ cleanses us from our dirtiness.

The day ended with an inspiring message from one of our team members about Christ being our everlasting water and encouraged the village not to just simply receive it, but to cover themselves in it as he poured water over his head. We passed out Portuguese Bibles and encouraged the people to dig in to the scriptures and water themselves in the word. After the service, we officially dedicated the well to Tom Bailey concluded with inspiring words about the character and mission of Tom's life and the impact that it had on specific team members. This was the smallest village we visited but one of the memorable.

 

 

 

June 22, 2009

June 22, 2009

GPS Coordinates,

Look us up on Google Earth or Google Maps!

S 02.50.172'

W 057.25.039'

Dear Friends,

Perhaps it would be a nice change of pace to start with the end of the day rather than the beginning. The most exciting event occurred after dinner during the alligator hunt. Three boatfuls of Amazon Outreach teamsters cruised with our captain and engineman down the coast of this tributary just outside of our second village. As the first six of us set out upon our adventure, we adjusted our cameras to the dark and prepared for the unexpected.

The engineman shown his light through the reeds and located the red eyes of a three-foot alligator. We crept upon it and he lassoed it with a noose. Then wrestled it into the boat with the help of the captain. The alligator's teeth sunk into the handmade oar, and they were forced to pry the jaws loose in order to tie them shut with a shoestring and medical tape.

After pinning her body to the floor with his bare feet, the engineman hoisted the alligator from the dinghy to the main boat and we took turns hoisting it up ourselves for pictures.

Not exactly a spiritual highlight, but noteworthy nonetheless.

Our second day in the villages was unique from the first, but familiar enough to build upon our experience from the first day. This village, like the last, had approximately 1500 people and municipal water and electricity. There were five churches in town, a clinic, and several bars (one of which was open at 8am on a Monday).

Two evangelism teams headed out in separate directions, as the Vacation Bible School team taught the children songs, made gospel bracelets, and talked about the person of Jesus Christ. One of the evangelism teams was fortunate to visit with a local pastor and encourage him and his family, while the other team was able to share the gospel with several people, three of which indicated that they had trusted Christ.

The medical, vision, and dental team saw approximately 60 children and a similar number of adult patients, and gave away 60 pairs of glasses. The most common ailments were worms and tooth extractions. One man who could not even come to the clinic, however, had a throat infection, which was treatable by antibiotics. Although, the long story involved many team members, the short story is that the patient's son, who is an alcoholic, after his dad's treatment, indicated that he wanted to trust Christ and did so. There was an immediate change in his demeanor, and he went on to ask for a Bible and wanted to know if there was a church in the village that he could go to where he could study the Bible and where the Bible is taught.

As we walked back to the dock and waited for the dinghy to take to our boat, we thought about the privilege of carrying this gospel to those who have not heard. The sun was setting across the river, and as we turned around and to look back up the 30-foot staircase that climbed to the village, we saw the silhouette of ten-year-old boys in front of a blue-sky backdrop. The author wonders what the future holds for these soon to be men, and we pray that they would grow in the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We ask that you would join us for just a moment and pray the same.

In Christ.

The Amazon Outreach Team

June 21, 2009

June 21, 2009

GPS Coordinates,

Look us up on Googe Earth or Google Maps!

S 02.47.703'

W 057.10.218'

Dear Friends,

This morning, seven of us woke with the sun to prepare for our day by doing physical training on the third deck of our boat. Those of us who joined in felt like it was a great start for a wonderful day of ministry.

After breakfasting, prayer and worship, we split up into our ministry teams and started into our first village. Most of us were surprised at the size of the village (200 families) and the relatively good living conditions. This village has a well in the back and running water supplied to most of the households in town. Moreover, western toilets and septic systems occupy the backyards of most homes. And electricity powers televisions that allowed villagers to watch Brazil stomp Italy in a World Cup Soccer qualifying match today.

Although the quality of life has improved as compared to neighboring villages, the problem of sin and the need for Jesus Christ's salvation are just as weighty here as they are anywhere else in the world. During women's ministry, the wives complained that their husbands were drunks and that they cheated on them often. Some of the kids in Vacation Bible School were rambunctious. And this afternoon a man was stabbed with a pool stick and a broken bottle during a bar fight.

Despite this evidence that all people are sinners and in need of a Savior, it is encouraging to know that Christ has the power to save and change lives, even those wrought with sin. During the evening worship service, the Vacation Bible School kids performed a song that they had learned, one of our team members shared her testimony to an attentive crowd, and an indigenous missionary shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was encouraging to see how many responded and indicated that they wanted to give their lives to Jesus.

Our boat is just leaving the village now (7:30 PM) and we head off to the next one. We will share what God has done tonight, worship, pray, and prepare for tomorrow. It is funny to think that we will be in a completely new place tomorrow hoping for continued impact through the power of the Holy Spirit, God will glorify the name of Christ. And we are thankful to know that there is a long-term church presence to follow-up on our new brothers and sisters in Christ.

Please keep us in your prayers.

In Christ.

The Amazon Outreach Team

Saturday, June 20th

June 20th, 2009, 9:38PM
GPS Coordinates
(try to use with Google Maps or Google Earth):
S 02.47.272'
W 057.09.316'
 
Friends,
 
It is the third night for half of the Amazon Outreach team to stay here in Brazil and the second night for the rest.  Two human-filled hammocks swing under dimly lit rope lights above the third deck of this portable hospital that floats down the Amazon River and up her tirbutaries.  Portuguese and English fly as rapidly through the air as do the moths and the other unidenifiable bugs.  Laughter bursts out over a game of Uno, and I rejoice at the international fellowship and friendships begun between us and our translators in such a short time.
 
Two nights ago, seven member of this June 18th Amazon Outreach team did not yet have their visas due to delays at the Houston Brazilian Consulate, but received them the following day and joined the rest of the team last night after midnight.  We departed from Manaus at 2 AM by boat and just arrived at our first village 18 hours later.
 
We sit anchored off-shore, preparing to use a satellite internet connection and writing this update, while others visit, play games, and swat bugs with an electric-bug-zapper-tennis-racket.
 
Its amazing to think that only two months ago, there were only four people confirmed to go on this trip, and tonight 19 are preparing for their first of six days of ministry in multiple villages off the Amazon River.  We feel confident that God has brought together this team for His purposes.
 
Tomorrow, two doctors, a nurse, and a dentist will provide care and perform checkups, treatments, and surgeries for villagers oppressed with ailments easily treatable, but often serious, because they lack access to healthcare.  We will be coordinating a Vacation Bible School, doing men's and women's ministry, doing evangelism, distributing eyeglasses, clothing, and toys, and testing water quality.  Our hope and prayer is that many would trust Christ for salvation.
 
We would quickly like to thank our wonderful fathers out there for life and love, and congratulate our sons who are fathers for the same.  We love you Dads (and sons that are dads)!  Happy Fathers Day!
 
Blessings,
The Amazon Outreach Team 

Saturday, June 20th

June 20th, 2009, 9:38PM

GPS Coordinates

(try to use with Google Maps or Google Earth):

S 02.47.272'

W 057.09.316'

 

Friends,

 

It is the third night for half of the Amazon Outreach team to stay here in Brazil and the second night for the rest.  Two human-filled hammocks swing under dimly lit rope lights above the third deck of this portable hospital that floats down the Amazon River and up her tirbutaries.  Portuguese and English fly as rapidly through the air as do the moths and the other unidenifiable bugs.  Laughter bursts out over a game of Uno, and I rejoice at the international fellowship and friendships begun between us and our translators in such a short time.

 

Two nights ago, seven member of this June 18th Amazon Outreach team did not yet have their visas due to delays at the Houston Brazilian Consulate, but received them the following day and joined the rest of the team last night after midnight.  We departed from Manaus at 2 AM by boat and just arrived at our first village 18 hours later.

 

We sit anchored off-shore, preparing to use a satellite internet connection and writing this update, while others visit, play games, and swat bugs with an electric-bug-zapper-tennis-racket.

 

Its amazing to think that only two months ago, there were only four people confirmed to go on this trip, and tonight 19 are preparing for their first of six days of ministry in multiple villages off the Amazon River.  We feel confident that God has brought together this team for His purposes.

 

Tomorrow, two doctors, a nurse, and a dentist will provide care and perform checkups, treatments, and surgeries for villagers oppressed with ailments easily treatable, but often serious, because they lack access to healthcare.  We will be coordinating a Vacation Bible School, doing men's and women's ministry, doing evangelism, distributing eyeglasses, clothing, and toys, and testing water quality.  Our hope and prayer is that many would trust Christ for salvation.

 

We would quickly like to thank our wonderful fathers out there for life and love, and congratulate our sons who are fathers for the same.  We love you Dads (and sons that are dads)!  Happy Fathers Day!

 

Blessings,

The Amazon Outreach Team

Fw: Blog 13

 

Title:  Is this really ministry?  
Body:  This is the thought going through all of our heads as we stuff ministry tracks, toys and candy in to balloons and launching them off the boat to kids on the shore. Many of the villages know the Amazon Outreach boat and run to greet us. We fill a balloon with goodies and tie it then stuff it in to another balloon and fill it will water or air to help give it weight and let it float. It is one of those moments when you say, "I am having way too much fun to be suffering for Christ."

 

We slept in this morning and had a nice leisurely breakfast at 8:30. It was optional but almost everyone made it. When you are waking up at 6:30AM every morning, it is tough to sleep in, even if you stayed up till 2AM the night before.

 

We spent some time in the word this morning as Maddy led us in a devotional. We went through some logistics and then launched some more balloons. Ayana lost a farkle and had to try to eat 24 starbursts in 2 minutes. We appreciated her effort but we are pretty sure it is impossible.

 

We are meeting at 4PM this afternoon to talk about a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. It is a great book that we gave everyone the morning we left. It is a book on spiritual life and how we can avoid complacency in our relationship with God. After that, I am sure that we will be going late in to the night again enjoying the relationship we have formed.

 

I spent 3 of my summers in college working for Pine Cove camps in East Texas. My experience is a big part of what has shaped me and my heart for college students. Their motto for their college staff is "work em hard, play em hard". It is the same motto that we are celebrating right now. We are relishing this time right now where we are not having to change our shirts 3 times a day because of how much we would sweat. The cooks actually made us a treat of French fries today for lunch and are planning pizza for dinner (most of our meals consist of noodles or rice with some sort of stew to drip over it). Brazilians do put ketchup on their pizza so we are hoping that we get that on the side.

Fw: Blog 12

 

Title: Best of
We are finished with our work in the villages. Below is the "best moment" from each of the students.

 

Patrick Blocker – My favorite moment was the night of our first village. I was running late to the meeting, and it didn't matter because our students had it done. They were amazing initiators! More than 100+ folks came to Christ that night and Michael Shapleigh became an international star.

 

Cody Scott- Greetings mom and dad from Brazil! I have too many good experiences to number talk about here. I will tell you later with the three hours I have filmed. Greatest consistent moment might be taking a shower on the back of the boat turning around and seeing the majestic Amazon river behind me. See you soon!

 

Sierra Anderson- Not sure it's possible to name a favorite moment but I will settle for a couple, haha. For one, living on the Amazon River has been unreal! Waking up in a hammock, falling asleep to the sounds of the jungle, and open showers (in your bathing suit) at the rear of the boat- UNREAL! Next best 'moment' for me would be our last village stop where I met  a girl named Angela who was about my age and had a precious 6 month old baby boy named Carlos.

 

Alyson Ryall-"Oi" as we say here in Brazil! I have always loved travelling internationally & have been blessed enough to have traveled to a number of countries over the past few years but I must say that I am absolutely amazed by what I have seen & experienced here on the Amazon. It is virtually impossible to choose just one experience to highlight however, this afternoon in VBS I was greeted by an elderly woman who made a lasting impression on me. She pulled me aside from the kiddos who were hanging on me like monkeys & she asked to pray with me. She told me that she has never seen her grandchildren's faces light up like they were when they were playing with us & learning from us. She then insisted on taking a picture with me so that I would remember that it was not only the children who appreciated our efforts but all of the villagers alike. Can't wait to fill you in on every little detail when we get back…I'm off to tutor one of our translators named Lucas in English now! LOVE.
(oh and we will soon have a new hammock to enjoy during the summer) 

 

Sawyer Stone- Too many amazing moments to pick out just one.  The first day that we visited a city, our nightly event surpassed all expectations.  150+ kids showed up to dance, sing, watch puppets, and listen to PB's chair speech: "I LOVE these chairs! I don't see who MADE it, I don't try to BREAK it. I just sit!" Yesterday, in the village, for some reason Cody had an army of 200 kids that would chase and bring down anybody that he wanted.  When the thunder of feet came my way, I didn't know what was happening, and soon enough I was attacked by every one of the kids!

 

Maddy McAuliffe- Hi mom and dad  The only way to really say it is that the two worlds are incomparable.  Out here we have no cell phones or facebook to distract us and it really brings out the true beauty in people.  I've seen such beauty in the people of the villages we've visited, and just as much pure beauty in the other people living on this boat.  Today  I was sitting with the sweetest four year old girl in my lap, and we both were watching Nico and Michael shoot water balloons into a crowd of Brazilian children.  I stopped and just looked at this little girl for a moment, and she looked at me, and I don't think I've ever seen someone so innocent and beautiful in my life.  It opened my eyes to what really matters in our lives.  This trip has been unbelievable and breathtaking in so many ways. 

 

Claire McCormack- There have been few times in my life as peace filled at this time in Brazil. Words cannot even begin to justify this experience. Each person has been impacted in a unique and powerfully passionate way of their own and each story brings to life this experience we all share. While serving and loving the people in the villages has been incredible, it is the moments spent with this team that has impacted me significantly... like the number of hours spent laughing- from the second we roll out of the hammocks looking mighty good, to the nap time songs sung to each other and the stories we fall asleep to…  or singing at the TOP of our lungs off the back of the boat while showering in our bathing suits with friends… or waking up to the sun rising and sharing those unforgettable moments together… or 2,000 pictures we have taken together… or the friendships that have been set on fire from this trip.  Let's just say that the videos and stories can't do justice to sharing the truth about the hearts of the people here and their passion for loving the Lord and serving others.

 

Sarah Taunton:  This week God has blessed me by letting me become more acquainted with all the wonders of who He is.  He is bigger to me after this trip to the remote people of Brazil.  He has created so much more than what I see every day, and He is sovereign over all of it.  Telling the story of how God changed my life and made it better was so fulfilling.  These people's faith is so simple but still so big.  No one I talked to rejected the opportunity to accept Christ as their friend.  The coolest thing I got to do was share Christ with a mother who was hesitant to accept Jesus because she prays for her baby every day to be healed of her skin disease and the baby is still sick.  She decided to accept Jesus anyway, and before we left I asked if I could pray for her baby.  She was excited about that, and I think it meant something to her that someone wanted to pray for her baby other than just herself.  I also appreciate the little things God reminds me of – smiles and joy and excitement and beauty are universal. God's love is universal.  It was good to be reminded of what we live for – the story of what God did for the world. We live for the story.

 

Nina Williams- This week by far has been the most amazing and rewarding experience of my life. As a team we have all grown together and all have something to bring back to Dallas when we return in just two short days. My favorite moment of this trip would have to be in the first village where we had hundreds of people attend our worship service. The high energy of that night and the people's commitment to Christ simply can not be expressed properly in words. I know it is a night that we will all remember and brought smiles to everyone faces. The one thing I learned from this trip is that a smile truly speaks a thousand words and that God made us all in his image so we can pass on his joy through a simple smile. A smile simply lights up a child's face and the children of the Amazon whose faces were lit up this week I will never forget. Thank you everyone who made this experience possible and I can not wait to share all my stories.

 

Mel Canizo Bueno- I am the first translator to do this, so here we go. When we got on the boat I was so sad because I wanted so bad to go to the other boat and I cried when I went to sleep. But as I meet the guys and see the work they were doing I just felt blessed to be their translator. It is awesome to see a team so hard-working and I am so proud of them. They did their best and it was amazing to see everything they did on the villages. Amo voces guys!

 

Nico Stirling – My favorite moment has to be watching Michael Shapleigh give autographs to little Brazillian children after PB told them he was one of the best soccer players in America. He literally had a line of probably 50 kids asking him to sign a paper, their clothes, and their arms. One of the kids asked a translator if he was on Playstation because he wanted to use Michael as his character.

 

Matt Church- My favorite part of the trip was not any specific moment, or any specific day, but the relationships built with all of the members of the mission team and the families in the village.  I love the fact that most everyone on this boat started out as strangers, and by the end we had all become family.   Words would do no justice to describe how much I have come to love and respect each and every person here. Throughout the whole trip, everyone has shown selfless humility completely leave their comfort behind and do things that they normally could not have done, and I cannot say enough good things about them.  I truly can see God's love overflowing here in the Amazon, and it is going to be very difficult to say goodbye to all the translaters, Brenda, and Warner.  Also I really enjoyed witnessing first hand PB's "casting lots"/gambling addiction.  I will continue to pray for him even as we get back to America.

 

Ayana Fletcher-Tyson – My favorite part of our trip is a very special moment that happened in our second village. Early that morning at the first VBS session I befriended a little girl named Inesh, and when I saw her at the second session we got to spend even more time together. While we were presenting to the kids, I sat with her, and continued to attempt to communicate with her. After our presentations were over and all the kids had run off to play games, she asked me the same question repeatedly. Finally, I got a translator to tell me what she was trying to say to me; it turned out that she was asking me to pray with her.  I took her over to a corner, and first I prayed in English, and then she prayed with me in Portuguese. I felt so blessed to be the person she asked to pray with her, and it was such a joy to my heart to hear her prayer.

 

Julia Biebighauser – I have absolutely loved getting to love on the kids in these villages! Helping out with Vacation Bible School at each stop has been my main job and I have had a blast.  Every time that we pull up on the boat, all of the children come running up with the biggest smiles on their faces. They follow us all the way in, play obediently, and help us pack up everything to load back on the boat. The kids at one village even ran alongside the boat as far as they could, screaming goodbye. Our group is so blessed to be able to impact these kids and just seeing the looks on their faces is the most rewarding thing in the world. I can clearly see the Lord working through us to get the love of Jesus across to these kids and I am so sad that today closed our adventure. Miss you Mom and Dad 

 

Michael Shapleigh – My favorite moment was Wednesday in the village when Nico and I were invited by the guys to go play soccer during VBS.  We went through a few trees and then came upon an open field that was surrounded by trees in the middle of the jungle.  Once we started playing, it started pouring.  The moment was so surreal.  The blue sky, the lush green grass, the waterfall of rain, and just guys playing soccer in Brazil – it was a perfect moment to enjoy God's creation.  I am so blessed to experience the relationships we build with all of the people we encounter, and for the opportunity to see part of God's creation that most people will never see.

 

Emma Killingsworth- This trip has truly been the best experience of my life, and it is so hard to pick out just one moment as my favorite. One that did stick out to me, however, was yesterday during the Women's Ministry. As I was sitting there painting an elderly woman's nails, I realized that this is such a simple task that people do for us in America all the time, and we take it for granted. Let me tell you, it was not the most fun job in the world, but it was definitely the most humbling. When I was finished she looked at her nails and then looked up at me, then her eyes just lit up as she gave me a huge hug. This woman was so happy and thankful for my horrible attempt at a manicure, and it seemed to mean the world to her. I guess the point of all of this is just that it made me realize how often we just go through the motions, taking everything we have for granted. All of the Brazilians have the best attitudes and just pour out their love on you, even though you are a complete stranger and can't even speak their language. We should all learn from these people, and take some time to spread out love and appreciate the simple things in life.

 

Alissa Windle – When I first came here I had little expectations because I didn't know the treasures this land would hold or the secrets within its thick forests. Through it all, the Lord led me on an adventure through his beautiful creation. I was given the opportunity to capture the smiles and stories behind the eyes of Brazil's people through family portraits. It was beautiful to take their picture and give it back as a gift. While the picture itself may not seem important, this captivating land will view those photos throughout the years and remember God's love that followed these pictures. The truth these pictures hold of a greater love can never escape their grasp. The beauty of this fact blesses my heart because I know even though we were only with each village a day, our impact will not be soon forgotten and the seeds the Lord planted this week will continue to grow. What more can I ask for than Brazil's people to praise the name of the Lord and bring him glory? The Lord is faithful.

 

Chelsea Reckell- It is virtually impossible to pick out one experience that stands out from the rest. It seems as though everything is connected with each other and there is not one event that could be taken out of the trip and not have it affect the rest. So here are some of my highlights: Yesterday I was able to go out with the evangelism team in a small village and talk to the people in their homes. I was able to pray with some families to invite Jesus into their life after explaining who he was and what it meant. While doing this we had an elderly lady come up to us and tell us how grateful she was for us coming to the village. She also explained that her granddaughter had been healed from missionaries praying with her, so she was overjoyed people kept coming back to their village. I have also enjoyed being with the kids in the village. They have so much joy in them over simple things that it has been really easy to feel God's love in the villages. I have also enjoyed watching Warner pull teeth, or "surgically remove" them. He is a very gifted man and has a heart for God. He is also one of the funniest people on this boat and always has a smile on his face. We are so lucky to have him with us on this trip. Lastly, the team bond is like glue on this trip. Everyone here has a heart for God and has truly extended themselves out of their comfort zone. We all get along so well that we are like our own family. From alligator hunting to puppet shows together it is evident God handpicked every member of this team. The leadership has also been amazing PB, Abby, and all the translators have been so helpful and efficient. God has been so good to us and his love and grace has been evident. God Bless.   

 

Katye Rohr- Oi mom and dad, friends and family! This trip has been absolutely amazing and every moment has been a blessing. I know that one of my most favorite experiences from this trip was after a morning of VBS we would go back to the boat for lunch and the kids would follow us and wait for us to finish eating so we could play! I loved being a part of the VBS team everyday and getting to pour into the hearts of the children in the Amazon.  This has been an eye opening experience and a blessing to love and share life with God's people in Brazil. Love you all!

Fw: Blog 10

 

Title:  Our fans are waiting
Body:  Bon Dia!  This is Abby Goins, one of the "leaders" on this adventure…or otherwise affectionately known as "Big Mama" from many of the girls.  I tell people all the time that I really do have the best job in the world – in being on staff at a church in Dallas, I get to hang out with college girls and watch them walk and grow in their relationships with Christ.  Well…this week has just confirmed that even more.  To all the parents reading this blog, you all should be so proud of each one of your children!  One of the best parts of this week, for me, has been watching how these college students have loved and served these people on the Amazon, so selflessly.  Whether it's through making a silly balloon hat for a small child to wear through the village (that thinks it's the coolest thing ever), or providing eye glasses so a woman in her later years can actually read for the first time in a long time, to pampering the women – braiding their hair and painting their toenails, making them feel beautiful and cherished for probably the first time in their lives…these college students are AMAZING and I feel so privileged to be a part of this team!

 

One of the jokes this week….we have all gotten a small glimpse of what celebrities feel like and even though it may be for a moment and in a country we can't speak the language and the Brazilians have NO idea who we really are…we are rock stars to them!  Every village we have entered, we are greeted by hundreds of kids…waiting at the boat for us to get off.  As we unload the boat with the supplies for the day, there are crowds watching and following our every move.  We have even had kids waiting at the boat for hours…while we eat lunch and have our daily siestas in our hammocks.  As we were entering the village yesterday, I couldn't help but laugh as I turned around and saw the sea of Brazilians (mostly children) following us.  I know that we look different and talk differently (which has something to do with the fame each day) but what I realized yesterday is that even though there is a huge language barrier and we can't communicate with one another, there is still something different about us and the Brazilians see that.  They are drawn to us, not because of who we are or what we can do(even though Michael would like to think it is because of his mad soccer skills)…they are drawn to us because of the One we love and who brought us here.  The One that loves these people as much as He loves us…and what a week it has been sharing His love with these people of the Amazon.

 

As I am sitting here writing this post, I am listening to the sounds of our team laughing over breakfast and enjoying each other's company.  We all just sang Happy Birthday to Sarah…what a way to celebrate a birthday!!  We are starting to dock up to our last village of the trip…to give it all we have.  Looks like another fun and exciting adventure awaits us today.  We need to go get busy…our fans are waiting!

 

PS – Husband, I love you and miss you.  Mom and Dad, it's been a great week and call you when we land in the states.

blog 9

Title: Meet Dr. Warner Heathman
Body: Dr. Heathman is our oral surgeon on the trip. He is from Houston, Texas. We met up with him in the Atlanta airport and got to know him a little bit. He has practicing dentistry for over 25 years, and because he is an oral surgeon, he is able to do a lot from the people.

 

Our students have loved serving with him. I have been looking for an opportunity to be in there myself but to no avail as that is the team most requested to be on. Pulling teeth is cool! Doc has a quirky sense of humor that the students love. On the plane from Atlanta to Manaus, he sat next to Sierra, and on the boat someone introduce him to her and he replied, "Oh, I know Sierra!, We got high together….. 37,000 feet high" He seems to always be smiling, even when pulling teeth. It is obvious that he loves his work.

 

Today, he pulled 8 teeth out of one person's mouth (the rest of the persons teeth) and had to sow inside the patient's mouth. Julia was the one holding the patient's head when all of this was happening, and seemed to dig a little closer look than the Discovery Channel offers.

blog 8

Title: Why are all the churches blue?
Body: This is the question as we pulled up to our 3rd straight village with a light blue church right next to the dock. This village had a steep stairway from the dock up to it. Almost all the villages are this way because of the rise and the fall of the river. We first got the dentist, optometrist, and pharmacy set up. Then we got the VBS running and then we got some teams walking throughout the village to tell people about the 5PM gathering. It is starting to become a "routine" for us. Many students are switching in and out through teams to experience everything.

 

The story of this village was the kids. Over 200 kids showed up for VBS. This is not normal. Some other trip leaders that I had met in the past 6 months as I prepared for this trip told me they never had any more than 100. Our numbers have been 300, 125, and 200.

 

We pulled out the balloon launchers for the first time today. I was a little bit worried about how this was going to work. If the kids saw the balloons, we were dead, and the mob would take over, but we thought it was way too cool to not do. So, the students collected the students in to 2 groups in a field. Each group put their hands on a big white sheet while others waited to see if the game was going to be to their liking. Then, the leaders told them to catch the balloon. On the other end of the field, the leaders set up 2 launching stations with over 100 balloons. Literally, every time a balloon was launched a roar came from the crowd. This kind of contraption had never been imagined or seen. Pretty soon, we have 100 passer-bys that were watching the fun. It was such a hit and a great way to bring something new in to our program. Everything is a competition (atleast to me) and the team of Nico, Michael, Sawyer, and Sierra beat our launcher team 15-11 in getting the balloons to be caught in the sheet.

 

I continue to amazed  what great leaders our students are. I had to tend to an pressing need on the boat and had to change our schedule of construction. I had about a 30 second team meeting and these students were on it! I came back 45 minutes later and saw the most amazing sight. Somehow, they created a game where they were commanding the kids to tackle whosever name they called. Image 200 screaming kids at the command of college students. As I walked up, I heard the scream, "PB!", and was first encouraged that my arrival was met with such joy. I soon realized that my name was not the object of affection, but the call of the next target and I was soon tackled by 200 kids. After I gave up and the next target was being pursued, I asked our student how they did that. All parents of young kids want to know.

 

We have our normal service that night and continued to be amazed by the folks deciding to accept Jesus as their savior. Maddy gave her testimony and did a great job. I gave the message and decided that I am not going to speak anymore. We have too many leaders on this boat, and I have decided that any leadership that I take is simply taking it away from opportunities for students. So, someone else is going to give the sermon/gospel message tomorrow night.

 

We got back on the boat for dinner right as another American boat full of American business men came to look at land to invest in building a church.

 

Our schedule has changed for tomorrow. Our original plan was to be in the same village tomorrow, but we have decided to shove on and be at the next village by tomorrow., and Friday morning, we will begin the 24 boat ride back to Manaus.

 

At our meeting tonight, I asked who was tired. It was not a real question as we are all completely worn out and do not have any more non-sweaty t-shirts (some go through 3 t-shirts in a day). We have worked so hard and are ready to finish strong tomorrow and leave it all of our energy there.

 

We are looking forward to the ride back because our team has become so close. We have been so busy and long for time for us to just play together, and I think there will be some serious napping.