TCA 2016 - Days 3 & 4

Bom Dia!

Bugs, bugs, and even more bugs, but besides that the past two villages have
been heavenly. On Wednesday, Kelsie Ferrell, was a big hit during women's
ministry as word got around of her hairdressing skills. During VBS, we were
all swooning as we witnessed JB Bowman and Colin Wiegand play with all the
little kids during morning VBS. It was so sweet to see them carry the girls
around, and in turn, watch the little girls adore them. Our whole group was
blown away by how welcomed we were in that village. As you can probably
guess, we have not won a single soccer game against the Brazilians. Yet.
That night, Kelsie Ferrell and Jessica Pitts shared their testimonies during
the evening service followed by a skit. Thursday, during morning VBS, the
kids enthusiastically swept us away to an impromptu boys vs. girls soccer
game. Junior, Poppy Eriksen, nearly took a little boy out in her
determination to score a goal. As Mr. Williamson so elegantly put it, "You
gotta do what you gotta do!" The girls unfortunately did not win even with
Poppy's gladiatorial drive. During the evening service, Madison Helms and
Caitlin Hickney shared their testimonies with the village. After our group
returned to the boat, we surprised our translators with a party to celebrate
their love and hard work this week. We each were assigned a translator to
serve during their dinner. It was a special time in which we each went up to
the microphone and spent a minute praising the translators for their
wonderful qualities. Best part of the night was eating queso again for the
first time...in what feels like forever.

Love,
Melanie Marshall and Caitlin Hickney...

TCA 2016 - Tuesday

HELLLOOOOIIIIII!!!!!!


UPDATES!!!!!!
-the engine is still broken...
- all the skinny popcorn is gone:(
-Rose Delph took an unfortunate tumble, but recovered in a moment's
notice
- Davis, Mr. Williamson, and Callie Orten have also had unfortunate
falls..... RIP plastic chairs
-Macey Walker, challenged in a soda chugging competition, failed
miserably
- Haley Kate Patterson vs. mud... mud pulled through with a victory
-Three sweet girls have not failed to be locked in the shower every
night thus far
-Another sweet soul endured this pain, but in the end was rescued by
the removal of the bathroom door
-Shoutout to Julia Eggleton for waking up an entire village with her
sleeping talking
- from the wise words of Max Merrifield, "Moist towelettes"

BUT... all is well:-)

Thankfully we were able to experience a full day because the boats
actually made it on time. Poppy Eriksen, at first misunderstanding the
secret conversation between the translator and a Brazilian woman, was
pleasantly surprised when the woman returned with a beautifully hand crafted
necklace for her. Caitlin Hickney and Lili Figueroa made sweet connections
with teen girls and broke the language barrier through laughter and
relatable teenage conversations. Mr. Woodward and others were encouraged by
the Brazilian men who, unlike the majority of the village men, stepped up as
fathers and spiritual leaders. Caroline Pierce had the courage to share her
testimony in front of not only our entire team, but the entire village.
Caitlin Hickney and Travis Harrison emotionally portrayed the roles of God
and man, and no matter what sin we think separates us, God overpowers all
with love. Jack Bolton was uplifted by the dedication of Mr.Henegar to his
job as a dentist, despite the amount of blood seen. Ethan and Max Merrifield
were introduced to a new perspective of contentment through simple games of
hacky sack and silly songs sung at VBS. Dr. McFerren made it a priority to
not only mend the physical needs of the villagers but to more importantly
check up on their spiritual well-being. To say the least, we were all
encouraged by the hope and spiritual maturity of the Brazilians in the
village today. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for our team
and the villagers tomorrow! Please keep us in your prayers, and if at all
possible send more skinny popcorn.

xoxo,
Three sweet girls still stuck in the shower

Fw: TCA 2016 Trip - Monday

Boa Tarde!

After a long day of travel, we all made it to Brazil safely. We boarded the
Amor e Esperanca shortly after midnight and made our way down the river.
Please pray for our trip. Shortly after leaving Manaus, the Amor's engine
started experiencing some problems, so the crews connected the translators'
boat, the Linda e Esperanca, to ours. They have been towing us down the
river ever since, but we are still moving and able to reach the villages!
Sunday night we stopped in a small city, Belle Vista, to attend a church
service where Molly Henegar shared her testimony. Also, the drama team, led
by Caitlin Hickney and Travis Harrison, performed the Lifehouse "Everything"
skit, depicting how temptation and sin tear us away from Jesus, but He
continues to pursue us. We also had a sweet time celebrating the Lord's
Supper with the Brazilian congregation.

Monday morning we met our translators as well as the pastor who will be
leading us on this trip. Our seniors are leading devotions every morning and
night. Melanie Marshall led the group this morning by reading Psalm 8. We
arrived later than expected to our first village since towing a boat takes
longer and low water levels near the village caused us to go slowly.
Despite these setbacks, we spent a lot of time getting to know each other
better. When we finally reached the village, we set up VBS, sang songs, and
colored with the kids. Bubbles or "bolhas" are a huge hit! Even though we
do not speak the same language, a smile and hug are understood by everyone.

Speed boats shuttled villagers to our boat so doctors and nurses could treat
their physical needs. A special shout-out to freshman Caroline Tate for
stepping up and helping Dr. Henegar pull teeth! During our evening worship
and devotional time, seniors Lili Figueroa, Gavin Jones, Savannah Bass and
Melanie Marshall shared the "One Word" they have each chosen to focus on
throughout this year. Madison Helms and Savannah Bass along with Mr.
Williamson then led the group on a discussion of two chapters in the book
our team is reading this week, "The Cure." Even though we did not get to
spend a full day in the village, it was still a sweet time to love on our
Brazilian brothers and sisters in Christ. We eagerly await a full day of
VBS and various other ministries in tomorrow's village. Please pray for our
team's health and safety as we minister to the villages this week!

Tchau!
-Lili Figueroa, Melanie Marshall, and Jessica Pitts

Fw: TCA 2016 Trip - Monday

Boa Tarde!

After a long day of travel, we all made it to Brazil safely. We boarded the
Amor e Esperanca shortly after midnight and made our way down the river.
Please pray for our trip. Shortly after leaving Manaus, the Amor's engine
started experiencing some problems, so the crews connected the translators'
boat, the Linda e Esperanca, to ours. They have been towing us down the
river ever since, but we are still moving and able to reach the villages!
Sunday night we stopped in a small city, Belle Vista, to attend a church
service where Molly Henegar shared her testimony. Also, the drama team, led
by Caitlin Hickney and Travis Harrison, performed the Lifehouse "Everything"
skit, depicting how temptation and sin tear us away from Jesus, but He
continues to pursue us. We also had a sweet time celebrating the Lord's
Supper with the Brazilian congregation.

Monday morning we met our translators as well as the pastor who will be
leading us on this trip. Our seniors are leading devotions every morning and
night. Melanie Marshall led the group this morning by reading Psalm 8. We
arrived later than expected to our first village since towing a boat takes
longer and low water levels near the village caused us to go slowly.
Despite these setbacks, we spent a lot of time getting to know each other
better. When we finally reached the village, we set up VBS, sang songs, and
colored with the kids. Bubbles or "bolhas" are a huge hit! Even though we
do not speak the same language, a smile and hug are understood by everyone.

Speed boats shuttled villagers to our boat so doctors and nurses could treat
their physical needs. A special shout-out to freshman Caroline Tate for
stepping up and helping Dr. Henegar pull teeth! During our evening worship
and devotional time, seniors Lili Figueroa, Gavin Jones, Savannah Bass and
Melanie Marshall shared the "One Word" they have each chosen to focus on
throughout this year. Madison Helms and Savannah Bass along with Mr.
Williamson then led the group on a discussion of two chapters in the book
our team is reading this week, "The Cure." Even though we did not get to
spend a full day in the village, it was still a sweet time to love on our
Brazilian brothers and sisters in Christ. We eagerly await a full day of
VBS and various other ministries in tomorrow's village. Please pray for our
team's health and safety as we minister to the villages this week!

Tchau!
-Lili Figueroa, Melanie Marshall, and Jessica Pitts

TCA 2016 - Tuesday

HELLLOOOOIIIIII!!!!!!


UPDATES!!!!!!
-the engine is still broken...
- all the skinny popcorn is gone:(
-Rose Delph took an unfortunate tumble, but recovered in a moment's
notice
- Davis, Mr. Williamson, and Callie Orten have also had unfortunate
falls..... RIP plastic chairs
-Macey Walker, challenged in a soda chugging competition, failed
miserably
- Haley Kate Patterson vs. mud... mud pulled through with a victory
-Three sweet girls have not failed to be locked in the shower every
night thus far
-Another sweet soul endured this pain, but in the end was rescued by
the removal of the bathroom door
-Shoutout to Julia Eggleton for waking up an entire village with her
sleeping talking
- from the wise words of Max Merrifield, "Moist towelettes"

BUT... all is well:-)

Thankfully we were able to experience a full day because the boats
actually made it on time. Poppy Eriksen, at first misunderstanding the
secret conversation between the translator and a Brazilian woman, was
pleasantly surprised when the woman returned with a beautifully hand crafted
necklace for her. Caitlin Hickney and Lili Figueroa made sweet connections
with teen girls and broke the language barrier through laughter and
relatable teenage conversations. Mr. Woodward and others were encouraged by
the Brazilian men who, unlike the majority of the village men, stepped up as
fathers and spiritual leaders. Caroline Pierce had the courage to share her
testimony in front of not only our entire team, but the entire village.
Caitlin Hickney and Travis Harrison emotionally portrayed the roles of God
and man, and no matter what sin we think separates us, God overpowers all
with love. Jack Bolton was uplifted by the dedication of Mr.Henegar to his
job as a dentist, despite the amount of blood seen. Ethan and Max Merrifield
were introduced to a new perspective of contentment through simple games of
hacky sack and silly songs sung at VBS. Dr. McFerren made it a priority to
not only mend the physical needs of the villagers but to more importantly
check up on their spiritual well-being. To say the least, we were all
encouraged by the hope and spiritual maturity of the Brazilians in the
village today. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for our team
and the villagers tomorrow! Please keep us in your prayers, and if at all
possible send more skinny popcorn.

xoxo,
Three sweet girls still stuck in the shower

Day 3 - Castanho

OI,

 

MORALE IS LOW(for some)...

    So here's the run down..

    -Allison Jackson currently looks like a cooked lobster

    -Mr. Williamson's feet are the size of Brazil

    -Mr. Delph is suffering from a bad reaction of his malaria pill and the sun, resulting in feet even bigger than Mr. Williamson's

    -Cathy Jean almost passed out while attempting to aid Thiago in Dental care

    -Meredith Cole has two ulcers under her tongue but with the help of numbing medicine she's feeling great... well maybe she's not feeling anything but same difference!

    -Melanie Marshall is still shaking from dropping the alligator the previous night

    -Multiple people making fashion statements with socks and Chacos due to bubbling bulging blisters

    -EVERYONE has various bug bites scattered around their bodies oozing with unknown substances....(just kidding but they really do itch)

    -BUT............................................ no one has died:)

    -All of the oatmeal chocolate cookies have ceased to exist, therefore morale. is. low.

 

 

 

    Dear fellow viewers, tonight we will be explaining our journey into the deepest parts of the Amazonas river thus far.

        Happy Birthday Sarah!!!!!! The sun rose this morning which I'm sure must have been very pretty if we had been awake to see it. Upon arriving at the village of the day, we were greeted by a stampede of eager children. So naturally VBS started off with a bang decorating cups, singing, and dancing. Women's ministry had a great turnout; from the perspective of Sherry Glosser and Milcah the women loved having the opportunity to be pampered with hair and nails. Despite the lopsided braids and poorly painted nails the women surely felt the love of the Lord through the sweet conversations they experienced. It was truly heartwarming to see women who have so little gain so much joy from these small acts of kindness. Poppy Erikson was led by Corey Page to the eye care clinic where she was deeply moved by the work of Mr. Woodward who was able to relate to the elderly men and form a relationship in which he was able to lead them to Christ. During door to door Jessica Pitts and Riley Crow amongst others had a moving experience in the home of a devoted Christian family, where with the help of a guitar, they were able to worship together in unity proving how big our God is.

     Meanwhile in the medical department Angel, Peyton Travis, Brooke Herman, Emily Parnell, and Macy Walker helped alongside Dr. Heber with the general health of the villagers. The most drastic case of the day was a young girl who had an ingrown earing needing to be lanced out. As she bravely held the hand of Brooke Herman this young girl barely even shed a tear not due to pain but due to the loss of her most prized earing. In the dental department Thiago, aided by Kenzie Glosser and Brooke Herman managed to make an incredible retraction of a very large and infected tooth of a 16 year old female. She was deeply moved by our gentle and loving hands inspiring her to join the service we gave later that evening. During this service Molly Legaband and Stephanie Woffard preformed the sin solution demonstration, Joey shared his moving testimony, and Mr. Wood elegantly and passionately shared the gospel and love of Jesus to the group of interested villagers. Some who were deeply moved repeated the prayer to accept Christ and then later received a New Testament from our team.

PS,

MORAL IS THE OPPOSITE OF LOW!!!!!!!!! GOD IS DOING AMAZING THINGS HERE

With love,

three junior girls  

TCA Amazon Trip - Day 2

Bom Dia!!! Day 2 of Amazon Trip 2k15 was a success!!

Today was an eventful day because we visited not one but two villages! In
the morning we visited Botafogo, a village with about 30 families. After the
absolutely stunning sunrise, we were greeted by a beautiful village. At
first, the villagers needed a little encouragement to come out of their
homes. The clinic was busy from the get-go, with our wonderful doctor and
dentist seeing patients one after another. A big shout out to them for all
their hard work! VBS was exciting for the little kids, with plenty of
activities (including LOTS of bubbles) to play with. It's great to see their
sweet smiles and have them humble us continually with their generous nature.
Even though they were shy in the beginning, the villagers were all so nice,
and genuinely happy to welcome us into their homes.

Before lunch time, a group from our team went early to the second village,
Aguia (which means eagle). Some of us, including myself (Lili Figueroa)
went door to door inviting people to VBS and other ministries. We were
walking along with our group and we happened to notice three young girls
shyly accompanying us. Priscila, our amazing translator, asked the girls if
they were following us. They guiltily admitted that yes they had been
following us. Guiding us from house to house, the girls led us around the
village. The youngest girl was surprised to see us taking photos of their
village. We told them we wanted to have memories of their beautiful village
and God's incredible nature. That girl formed a sweet bond with Addy Gibson
and they became inseparable friends. By the way, VBS was a huge success and
the kids were super engaged and intrigued by the stories we had to share.
While VBS was occurring in the school, other teams were visiting houses,
door to door.

In the midst of VBS, I (Lauren Roquemore), noticed three young mothers
hesitantly standing outside the door of the school. Each had a small child
in her arms and they seemed quite shy. I approached them, not realizing the
amazing experiences God had in store for me. The women and I began by
talking about their families and lives. I really connected with a young
women named Flavia who was only twenty-two years old yet already had two
daughters. Poppy Eriksen, Monica Choi, and Caitlin Hickney showed up at just
the right moment. All four of us started talking to them about our own
testimonies and their faith with the LORD. We had the opportunity to share
with them the difference between works and grace. We read to them from the
Portuguese New Testament which deeply connected with them on a whole new
level. We formed a day-long relationship by spending time with them in both
villages. They even invited us into their own homes in the afternoon, giving
us new fruits to try and lots of love. Even though these women have such
different lives than us, we really connected with struggles similar to our
own.

In the evening, by some type of miracle, the Americans managed to tie the
Brazilians in the soccer game. Unfortunately, the girls who played next were
not so successful. :( For the children too young to play, it was an
opportunity for us to play with them by simply kicking a soccer ball around.
After the soccer game, we all gathered for a church service. Caitlin Hickney
and Chase Rea led a skit that brought some tears to the audience. This
powerful drama without words illustrated how much God loves and will fight
to protect us from distractions and temptations. It was very difficult to
say goodbye to the sweet people of these villages who welcomed us with such
love.

The night brought new adventures for everyone with the chance to go
alligator hunting!! Groups of seven were put into small motor boats and
spent about twenty minutes each searching the waters. Sizes of these
intimating reptiles ranged from one foot to almost seven feet! However we
were unable to catch the seven footer of course! But it was still
exhilarating to be so close to these creatures in the Amazon River. What an
amazing day this was!! We are so excited for the rest of this week and can't
wait to see all the amazing things God has planned.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. We'll see you
soon! -Lauren Roquemore, Poppy Eriksen, Lili Figueroa