...CONTINUED FROM MONDAY NIGHT, June 28, 2010
What is a mission trip without a little suspense and a little adventure? Late Monday afternoon the Linda Esperanca got STUCK on a sandbar! The crew used the small motor boats to transport all the passengers to a large pier where we sat for about an hour watching the skilled sailors try and try again until finally they were successful. One of our young ladies was in the shower while all of this was happening, so she was a little surprised to find that she was the only one on the boat. After dinner we went alligator hunting. There is nothing more thrilling than launching out into the wide Amazon in the night in a small boat with only the stars and the moon to guide us. Each boat that went out came back with a gator. One group brought back a giant jacare and the other boat caught a beauty that was a bit smaller. The post hunt festivities went on into the night with laughter and photo sessions until we finally released the gators back into the river.
TUESDAY IN SAO BENEDITO, June 29, 2010,
The unique village of Sao Benedito brought many surprises. The entry to the eighty-family village has been nicknamed "The Thigh Master" and "The Stairway to Heaven". We had to walk across a long, rustic plank bridge and then straight up the steepest set of stairs yet. There were 65 double-side stairs that shot straight up to the sky. Our calves and thighs certainly got a workout! Many of us discovered our divine appointments in this village. We had the great privilege of seeing sorrow turn to joy right before our very eyes. Listening and obeying the voice of God was a great lesson learned. After five encounters with one extremely sad woman, we realized that we were in the midst of some serious spiritual warfare. The day ended with this precious woman accepting Christ as her Lord and Savior. The clinics, VBS, and the men's and women's ministries were very busy and fruitful all day long. The father of one of our translators previously established a sports ministry in Sao Benedito. It reaches out to 85 kids ranging from ages 7 - 20. Our team enjoyed playing soccer with these young people. 120 photographs were taken of the families in the village and presented to them in homemade fun-foam frames that were made before the trip. We fell in love with these warm and loving people. Many found this village very difficult to leave.
WEDNESDAY IN AMANDIO, June 30, 2010
The village of Amandio was extremely picturesque . Fifty-seven families work hard to keep their colorful village clean and tidy. There were houses painted in shades of pink, blue, purple, and green. Exotic flowers were in bloom everywhere. Pet parrots and monkeys entertained us as we walked the paths visiting with the people. There were 112 precious children in VBS. They showed their respect by removing their shoes before entering the small wooden church building. 43 women had a meaningful afternoon in the Women's Ministry. They studied the Bible, heard testimonies, and made name bracelets. It was heartwarming to watch the single-file trail of proud women toting pink bags on their way to their homes. Each woman received a pink bag full of useful things such cup towels, hot pads, and sewing kits. The Men's Ministry was especially powerful in Amandio. A large group of men gathered to talk about Challenges Facing Our Families. It was good to find these men willing to talk about their concerns. They received much needed pocket knives, fishing line, fish hooks, and ball caps. The Evangelism Team spent the day meeting new friends and talking to them about their lives. They were shown alligator meat hanging on outdoor poles to dry. They heard one very sad tale about a little boy who had been carried away by an alligator while his mother washed clothes in the river. The alligator was so fast that there was no chance of saving the child. At one house a little boy was in a lot of trouble because he had accidentally spilled his chocolate milk into the only generator shared with several families. The child was distraught, but the story ended well due to the patience of the adults. Everyone on the mission team agreed that this was the hottest day so far. The people of Amandio were receptive at the outdoor worship service. We all returned to the boat very tired but with full hearts.
THURSDAY IN PARI, July 1 2010
Thursday began well before dawn for some of our more adventurous people! The word was out that the village of Pari is home to the ancient and very rare Strangler Fig (Apuiceiro) tree. We dressed in the dark, gathered rain gear, and set out in the misting rain in search of this natural phenomenon. After several disappointments, one was spotted. It was impressive to touch and photograph this tree that we had only read about in books about the Amazon Rainforest. We spent the morning in the calm and peaceful village of Pari. Two toucans delighted us as they flew overhead! Cows ambled throughout the village. At one point it looked like they were going to try to get on the boat to come home with us. The people were gracious. The children were very well behaved and appreciative. In VBS the children were adorable as they donned elaborate costumes and put on the play of the Birth of Christ. They made their own jeweled crowns and wore them the rest of the day. Even the adults were wearing these bright and glitzy crowns around the village. One woman in the village was trying to matchmake her grandson with one of our beautiful American princesses. It seems that we connected wholeheartedly with these charming friends. We had our usual ministries, and many say this was their very favorite village of the entire trip. Back on the boat, Cecil washed the feet of all the people on the mission. This is a very humbling and touching experience.
HOMEWARD BOUND
As this blog is being written, we are having a relaxing cruise down the Amazon heading toward Manaus. A school of pink river dolphins are very near the boat at this moment. The sun is setting, and it will be our last time to see this splendid sight until next summer. It will be a very long trip (twenty-four hours from the time we began). All the supplies have been sorted, and the things we did not use were given to the full-time missionaries who live and minister to the people along the river. We are having a dinner party tonight honoring the very fine crew and translators on the boat. The music is setting the mood and our teenagers are decorating the tables with palm trees and flamingo blow-ups. Without our Brazilian partners we could not do what we set out to do. Our plans are to stop early Friday afternoon at "Stuckeys on the Amazon", the floating outdoor market where we will purchase some souvenirs. We have some rooms reserved at the Tropical Hotel in Manaus where we will take hot showers and change from our river rat clothes into traveling clothes. We will not spend the night this year due to our flight times. We have heard that Erika, Vanderley, and little Emmanuelle (missionaries from previous trips) are already in Manaus and will meet us for a short visit. Everyone is anticipating a dinner at Galucho's, the original Brazilian steakhouse where they serve meat on swords. We will go straight to the airport for the long flight home. It will be sad to leave, but we leave with a great sense of accomplishment, renewed faith, and a deeper relationship with our Lord.
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