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!

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~Dara Griffin