Nov 30 Trip - Christmas on the Amazon - Day 1 and 2

WE'RE HERE!!   Sorry for the delay in writing, we've been kind of busy.  Day 1 Travel....We got safely to Miami and realized we left 15 full bags of gifts in Dallas.  After the chaos we realized we weren't going to be able to get the bags before we left for Brazil.  We sent out an SOS to Marco in Brazil for supplies and prayer to cover all we had lost.  We're literally believing that God will provide like the 5000 he fed with 5 loaves and 2 fish....

Please continue to pray for God's provisions. We arrived in Manaus at 11:30pm, made it through customs and boarded the Amor e Esperanca, to find our hammocks already hung by the amazing crew. 

 

Our team consists of 19 Betenbough people from Lubbock, 1 from Kansas City and 5 from the Dallas area.  Our fearless leader Brenda, was struck ill with bronchitis shortly before leaving Dallas... thankfully God provided us with Phyllis, the night before our flight, to help Don lead. 

 

Day 2- After little sleep and awakening to an amazing breakfast, Don lead us in a devotional to again remind us that it is not our plan but what God has planned for us. We know our steps have already been set.  We spent the day traveling southwest on the Solimoes river (the Amazon River)       and trying to determine what gifts we actually had.  We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of gift bags we had and supplies that were brought here previously from a Prestonwood Group, supplies raised by the Brazilian team and our great packing ability. We began our packing assembly line to initially combine 50 gifts for 5 groups of children.  The more we filled the more we seemed to have available to pack.

 

We also wouldn't be successful without the great group of translators we have.  

 

We ended the day with an amazing worship and devotion by Pastor Jailson, a local minister for the Brazilian villages we will be visiting.

 

Please pray for rest and safety for our entire team and that the Holy Spirit might work through each one of us.  We are going to sleep to the sound of the rain and peaceful Amazon Rainforest. 

 

Matthew 14: 13-21  ......Amen. 

Prestonwood Singles Mission Trip

Greetings from the Amazon River:
As I write, we are half way through our week. 11/16/2012, Friday, our
team of 25 safely landed in Manaus, Brazil around midnight. We then
traveled by tour bus to our boat, the Amor Esperança, and began our 20 hour
boat ride around 1:30 am (11/17/2012). The night was short though, with
breakfast at 7 am. Of course, Saturday would not be wasted, but was the
perfect opportunity to read, study the Bible, and prepare for sharing the
Gospel to all who are receptive. Our destination was three small villages
near Parintins, a city of about 100,000 people. Our team is working with
First Baptist Church Parintins, to plant a Church in each of the three small
villages, Maranhão (Madanyow, the largest), Varrevento (Vahevinto), and
Barajós (Badajois, the smallest). Three small teams were formed and
assigned to each village, for the purpose of sharing the Gospel. In support
of the small teams are about 9 translators and a medical team that is
spending 2 days in each village, while the small teams witness and hold
Bible studies with the local Christians. The medical team consists of Dr.
Socorro, one Brazillian dentist, one physician assistant, and two nurses.
Dr. Socorro and our PA's are examining patients, writing prescriptions, and
dispensing medications. On Sunday & Monday, the medical team was in
Maranhão and on Tuesday & Wednesday, the medical team is in Varrevento.
Thursday, we complete the medical work in Barajós.
Another important accomplishment for our mission trip is the drilling of
a water well in Barajós, which is the result of a $5000 donation. The
people in all three villages get their water from the river, which is not
always clean. Maybe in the near future, Maranhao and Varravinto will also
get a water well. The well drilling team began on Sunday (11/18/2012) and
the well will be ready to use on Thursday. We expect to have a well
dedication service before coming home.
On Tuesday, some of our translators who are from New Baptist Church in
Parintins, performed two drama presentations to American music for the youth
in Maranhão. Following the presentations, our team members had the
opportunity to present the Gospel to the youth of the village. We plan to
do the same today in Varrevento.
We begin the long journey back to Manaus on Thursday night, to arrive in
Manaus on Saturday morning. Many thanks (muito obrigado) to all who are
praying and have given to make this trip a success.
Our current GPS coordinates are: 2.82993 S, 56.75615 W.

Team Bent Tree Amazon Update

Hello from the Amazon!  The Bent Tree team is safe and well.

 

Sunday, 09/02/2012
Village:  Marajo

 

Our first day of ministry was amazing, we spent the day in Marajo, the first location of the Bent Tree water well.  All ministries were in full force.  We left the waterwell crew there to continue drilling as the minstry team continued down river.    

 

 

Monday, 09/03/2012
Villages:  El Shaday and Sau Mateus

 

Happy Labor Day y'all.  Another full day of ministry.  The visit to El Shaday was especially meaningful.  Some of our team members were involved in the early construction of this Christian village back in 2000.  It was amazing to see how the village has grown over the last twelve years and the impact it has had on that region of the Amazon.  We found out that they hit rock while drilling the first water well at Marajo, which normally means the well has to be moved.  However we found out that miraculously they were able to get through the rock! Glory to God!

 

 

Tuesday, 09/04/2012
Villages:  Badajos and Vonderley & Tiane

 

Today was the most amazing day! This morning we worked in a small village named Badajos where the people had been resistant to the Gospel until recently.  We were very well received and many prayed to receive Christ.  During the morning a  few of us went to visit a couple named Tiane and Vonderley.  They became Christians through an Amazon Outreach team last year and have been persecuted by the friends in their village and by their family ever since.  Two months ago they had to move out of their home because Vonderley lost his job. The villagers told him he could have it back if he decided to not follow Jesus but he and Tiane decided that they had no choice but to follow Him!  A Christian family near Badajos told Vonderley and Tiane they could build a home on their land.  We came to their little home site in the middle of the jungle with only Vonderley and their two young sons to work.  The team decided to come back after lunch and help them level the dirt under their roof and clear the land around the house they had begun to build.  We are putting the second BTBF water well on their property.  Tonight we're collecting a love offering for them to purchase the cement for the floor of their house.  Tiane spoke to all of us and as she spoke we realized how small our faith was in comparison. No one on our team has ever been faced with losing everything for Christ.  We will never forget this couple and their family and they will remain in our prayers.

 

Tuesday-Thursday, August 14-16, 2012

Thursday, August 16, 2012, 6:30 a.m.

 

Bom dia from Manaus!  I had satellite issues Tuesday, so I wasn't able to post our blog.  Yesterday, we had a busy

day, so I never found time to post.  So this morning, I am posting two blogs.  Happy reading!

 

Tuesday night, Marcos (one of the translators) invited his father, Don, and two sisters onto the boat to tell us about
their orphanage, Monte Salem.  Don moved here in 1988 when he was 24 years old.  He got married, and his
wife felt called to start an orphanage.  They started a school first.  The school currently has about 170 kids.
A few years later, they started the orphanage, Monte Salem.  They currently have 10 kids in there now.  Yesterday, we worked
with them.  A group of our men helped clear some brush near the entrance road.  Another group of us played
with the kids for a little while.  I helped in the group that repainted some areas of one of their main buildings.
During our lunch and siesta time, we took the boat over to a small beach to have a baptism ceremony for
Brian.  Andrew and Izzy baptized him.  After the baptism, a few of us went for a little swim.  We went back to
the orphange to finish up our brush clearing and painting.  Earlier in the morning, a 13-year-old boy named
Lucas was dropped off there at the orphanage.  He had been in prison the past two months for stealing and dealing drugs.
Just before we left that evening, the workers at Monte Salem had baked him a birthday cake.  It was his birthday!  How
awesome was it that a big group of Americans happened to be there!  Natalie sang him happy birthday in
Chinese.  Our whole group sang to him in English.  Then the translators and Monte Salem kids sang in Portuguese.
Izzy prayed for him.  When we were leaving, he asked if we were coming back tomorrow.  When we said we weren't,
he was kind of sad.  He said he didn't want us to leave.  Lucas will remember this day for the rest of his life.  That's
what we do here in the Amazonas.  We plant seeds and water other missionaries'  seeds.  We also took up a love
offering among ourselves to give to Don to use for whatever he needs at the orphanage.

 

Today, we have a free day in Manaus.  We will tour the city and do some shopping.  We will enjoy our last meal
together at Gaucho's, a Brazilian steakhouse.  Our flight back to the United States leaves at 11:50 p.m.  We will
arrive back in Tampa (after a short layover in Miami) at 8:40 a.m.  Tchau!  - Bekah

 

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 2:00 p.m.

 

Boa Tarde from The Mighty Amazon!  We just left Nossa Sra. Aparecida.  We were
able to see a few patients in the medical, eyeglasses, and dental clinic.  There were quite
a few kids for VBS.  The VBS workers performed The Good Samaritan skit for the kids. 
We held a small church service before we left.  I was on the boat packing supply kits in
Publix reusable bags.  The kits had some clothes, shoes, hats, soap, toothbrushes, and
toothpaste.  There were several families who were happy to receive these bags!  The first
lady who received one was a believer.  Her name was Luciula.  The village doesn't have a
church building, so she opens up her home to use as the church.  We are currently under way
back to Manaus today.  Tomorrow we are going to work in an orphanage in Manaus.  We
will help them any way we can.  We are going to donate kids clothes, toys, and
hoola hoops.  We just finished another fabulous lunch prepared by our awesome cooks.  It's
always a scrumptious buffet.  They love feeding us!  The boat captain and crew have been
amazing, too!  They clean this boat 2-3 times per day.  The bathrooms are sparkling white all day
and night. They are always happy, and they laugh with us as we try to learn Portuguese phrases.
The translators are our lifeline to the villagers.  We could not work without them.  So many times, a
villager has just started talking to me, and all I can do is stare blankly at them and say, "Nao falo
Portuguese."  Usually there's a translator nearby who will happily translate for me.  The trip back
to Manaus is a time for some much-needed rest and relaxation for everyone.  Tchau!  - Bekah

Monday, August 13, 2012

August 13, 2012, 12:17 p.m.

 

Yesterday we left Boa Vista right after lunch and came here to
Italiano.  We sent a small group of people out on the speed boat
to let the surrounding people know we were here and would be
opening our clinics today.  The rest of us stayed behind and played
soccer games with the Brazilians!  Even our boat crew came out
and played with us.  I've never played soccer a day in my life, much
less with Brazilian women!  The men play much more aggressively,
of course, so thankfully we had enough men to play each other!
It was a great afternoon building relationships over their favorite sport.

 

Ananda (translator) and I spoke to a woman in the village this morning, and
she said she's never seen a missionary boat here.  Praise God for guiding
us here!  Pray as we minister to these people today, that as we meet their
physical needs, they would see the Great Physician working through us.

 

Here's a note from Joanna Loyd from our team.  She's an ARNP.

 

"I spent a day and a half with the Brazilian doctor soaking up
every piece of knowledge he could give me, taking notes and
doing exams.  He is also a new doctor, just out of medical school
1 month ago.  We saw 60+ patients the first day and saw diagnoses
like fungal skin infections, ringworm, migraines, hypertension,
possible heart disease, and acid reflux.  We even saw 2 kids with
pneumonia.  The doctor left yesterday, and from here on out, it's me...
something I didn't expect.  Those of you who know me know that I'm a
quick learner, have a great education from Vanderbilt, and love taking
care of people.  But I'm treating patients with which I have very limited experience,
like kids, women with gynecological problems and people
who are fairly healthy.  My training is with very sick patients in the ICU. 
I covet your prayers for wisdom, knowledge, and safety for these
patients.  I saw patients today with diagnoses such as headaches,
miscarriages, nausea, acid reflux, inflammation of the gallbladder,
gynecological problems, and infectious bacteria... possibly shigella. 
One family came from an area where there was flooding
in their house, which is near a flooded cemetery.  They
have been drinking the same floodwaters from the cemetery. 
The Lord only knows what bacteria, hepatitis, and other infections
they have because of this.  All of these villagers live a 4-hour boat ride from
any medical care.
 
I know I'm here for a reason and these people need attention. 
I know that the Lord has me on this trip for a reason, and I'm willing to
be uncomfortable for His glory.  He is calming me, giving me wisdom, and
bringing diagnoses to mind... this I KNOW.  My team is praying for me.  The
translators are used to dispensing medications in the pharmacy, and they are
reminding me of the dosages for the various medications that I'm not used to prescribing.
While I'm working in the medical clinic meeting physical needs, I'm thankful
that everyone else is able to meet their spiritual needs and spread the gospel. 
We are so thankful for your prayers!"

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Sunday, August 12, 2012, 10:40 a.m.

 

Greetings from Boa Vista!  Today is Father's Day in Brazil, so they are having a huge party here at this village,
and most are not interested in coming to receive medical or dental care, much less to chat and get to
know us.  Some of us are on the boat right now because of the chuva!  Chuva is Portuguese for rain.  This
storm is quite windy.  There are white caps on the river.  The rest of the team is up in the village giving a few
of the villagers some medical and dental care, distributing eyeglasses and medications.  We will leave here at
lunchtime and try to find opportunities to serve in other villages.  The men from our team have been packing
fishing gear and tools to give to the men of the villages.  Linda and I are here writing the blog. 

 

Yesterday in Sao Joao Batista, we had all of our clinics and ministries open.  The medical clinic saw 44 patients. 
The dentist arrived at lunchtime, and she got right to work after lunch.  While the women were waiting in the clinics,
Linda, Jacqueline, and I got to hold some cute babies and meet some nice teenage girls and mothers.  Late in
the afternoon, we gathered about 20 women in the church to talk with them and give them some family packs
containing soaps, lotions, vitamins, washcloths, and Daughter of the King bracelet kits.  Most of the women
were believers, and we had an opportunity to pray with them and for them before we left.  Right outside the church,
Cody and Ananda were taking family pictures with our polaroid camera.  They put the pictures in a little craft
foam frame with stickers.  They really seemed to enjoy that.  The men on our team were really encouraged by the
large group of men who participated in their meeting.  Francisco shared his testimony with them.  Izzy preached
a little sermon.  One man accepted Jesus.  The children had a great time in VBS!  We saw them playing with
the hoola hoops we brought from Hoola for Happiness.  They were jumping rope and playing soccer, too. 

 

After another delicious dinner cooked by the awesome cooks here on the boat, we had our devotion, and went
to our hammocks early.  Tchau for now from Linda and Bekah!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Saturday, August 11, 2012, 6:57 a.m.

 

Bom dia from Sao Joao Batista!  I write this blog early in the morning before breakfast, but I don't have time to try to post it
until after lunch.  The satellite works better with full sun and no clouds.  There is a better chance of those conditions
right around the lunch hour.  We spent yesterday morning in Samauma.  We divided into groups to work in our various ministries.
Andrew, Ryann, Brian, Johnny, Natalie, and Ananda worked in Vacation Bible School with the kids at the gymnasium.  Cody,
Sara, and Jacqueline worked in the eyeglasses clinic.  The need in the eyeglasses clinic at this village was sunglasses,
which we do not have enough of on this trip.  Izzy, Francisco, Mike, and Stefan worked in the men's ministry.  Like
yesterday, most of the men were out working.  I saw them chatting with a store owner for a long time.
Nadyr, Sara, Joanna, Linda and I were invited to thehouse of one of the ladies we met yesterday.  Her name was Maria
Francesca.  She was so excited to show us the house she and her husband were building.  She showed us where she currently
lived.  She showed us her daughter's house, too.  She has six children, five boys and one girl, all grown.  She and her
husband gave us some inga fruit from their tree at their new house.  I call it velvety sweetness.  When you open the pod,
there are fuzzy white sections.  Inside the fuzzy white stuff is a big black seed.  You only eat the white fuzzy part.
The flesh is very soft and sweet.  She gave us plenty to take back to the boat to share with everyone later.  She gave us
some papaya, a small green plant, some juices, and farinha.  We gave these items to the cooks on our boat.  Later, Sara
joined us, and we all talked to two teenage girls.  We chatted about everything with them, sharing with them what we do
for a living in the United States.  They shared with us what they want to do when they get out of school.  Our doctor
joined us yesterday.  We will be able to provide the medical clinic today.  Joanna is a nurse practitioner, and
she will work with him and learn how to treat the villagers.  He told us a little about himself last night.  He is 23
years old.  In Brazil, they don't have to go to medical school as long as we do in the United States.  This is his first
mission trip as a doctor.  Well, breakfast is almost served, and I certainly don't want to be late for that!  Tchau! - Bekah

August 10, 2012 - STF's first Amazon Blog!

South Tampa Fellowship (Tampa, FL) here!  We made it into Manaus at 10:15 p.m. Wednesday night.
After the usual long time getting through customs, we boarded the bus for the short
ride down to the dock where the Amore Esperanca was waiting for us.  It was midnight,
and we immediately got underway to get to our first village.  We each claimed our
hammock and got settled in for sleep.  Thankfully, there's no time zone difference,
so there's no jet lag to overcome.  We arrived at Samauma early yesterday morning. 
The head pastor came onto the boat to introduce himself and tell us a little about
the village.  This is one of the more developed villages.  There is a paved road,
cars, a couple of buses, six churches (one Catholic and five Christian), and a
small hospital clinic.  There are about 900 people here.  It's pretty evangelized
here, so he asked us to build relationships with the people.  Tell them about how
we came to know Christ and share a little about our lives with them.  After
breakfast and a short time of worship and devotion on the boat, we divided into
small groups (each with a translator) and walked around the village inviting the
people to come meet with us after lunch at 2:00 p.m.  Sara & I met with the ladies,
along with Nadyr, our translator.  We gave them manicures and pedicures.  I shared
my testimony with them while I painted their nails.  Sara asked them questions
about their families.  Nadyr knows just how to translate things and make them feel
so comfortable with us.  Andrew, Brent, Mike, Stefan, Francisco, Brian went with Izzy,
their translator, to find some men.  The men were all out working, so they didn't get
to have a meeting. Johnny & Cody went with Marcos, their translator, to give out
eyeglasses.  Several of the young girls arrived, and Marcos translated they were not
there for glasses.  They wanted a picture with Cody.  Since some of you don't know
Cody, he has light brown hair that he wears a little long on top, and baby blue eyes.
Cody obliged them and let them get their picture.  Jacqueline, Linda, and Joanna
stayed behind on the boat to finish sorting all of our supplies. The pastor asked
for an impromptu church service last night.  He asked if we would sing some worship
songs as a group, and if a couple of us would share our testimonies.  Andrew and I
shared our testimonies.  Our group sang Shout to the Lord and I Will Lift Your Name
on High.  The time now is 7:08 a.m.  Everyone is moving about the boat, getting
dressed for the day, and getting ready for breakfast.  We are stillin Samauma this
morning.  We will leave here after lunch for our next village, Caapiranga.  Our Brazilian
doctor and dentist will be joining us this afternoon.  Signing off till next time, Bekah

Day 6 & 7 Carpenter's Way July 2012

Day 6:  Novo Paraiso (New Paradise, also serving Ebenezer).  Our morning devotion was concerning clinging to Christ's hope.  We debarked the boat an hour early so we could get started right away since we needed to leave at noon to head to Maues to get gas before 6pm.  This was the smallest village we visited all week serving only 9 men & 9 women in adult ministry as well as many children.  The dentistry team including first timers Amanda & Teresa saw many teeth pulled including 3 small children who broke our hearts as they struggled to fight the inevitable.  What touched many of us the most was the infectious moving of the Holy Spirit in this village because most were believers already.  Just being around the leader of the church and his family of 8 brought me to tears because they were so happy to share the morning with fellow believers.  One woman came to Christ that morning after praying with Peyton, Mary Ann, & Jacy about her struggles as a mother of 10.  I met a single mom named Ralene who I promised to pray for as she seeks a Godly man to raise her daughter with, just as I do.

 

On our way to Maues we stopped at an encampment where the local missionaries meet once a month to work together on the spreading of the gospel.  Then in Maues we said good-bye to 4 members of our team who served with us all week and will continue to serve in this area long after we are gone.  One of them named Rejane, who I call my soul sister, touched us all very deeply with her beautiful singing voice & her boldness with sharing her faith.  Chad & Teresa gave her the guitar & case that they brought with them on the trip and the gratitude she felt made some of us cry!  In Maues we walked around and had ice cream at a local vendor then headed back to the boat.  That night, we had a celebratory dinner to honor our crew & translators as well as the birthdays we had aboard:  Teresa, Toni, & Cameron.  That night, Chad shared with us about waiting patiently on the Lord from Isaiah.  Many of us stayed up later than usual knowing our time together was soon to end and because we knew we could sleep in the next day!

 

Day 7:  Today so far has been a lovely day as we cruise down the Amazon back to Manaus.  As I type we are having a share time of some of the highlights of the trip.  Throughout the day our team has been throwing & sling-shotting care packages overboard to villagers along the river as we head home.  A few of us had a blast teaching one of our translators, Gilbert, Texas slang for about an hour!  When we arrive in Manaus this evening, we will be staying in a hotel so that the boat can be cleaned & used for a large group that will be arriving tomorrow.  We are looking forward to air conditioning, a hot shower, and a chance to catch some of the Olympics, but after our time on the river, we will appreciate these things with even more gratitude than ever before!  Tomorrow we will sleep in, go swimming & shopping, attend church at Manaus First Presbyterian Church, and then we will all be going to dinner at a Brazilian steak house before we head to the airport at 9pm.  We will connect in Miami in the wee hours of the night and plan to arrive in Houston at 9:30am on Monday morning.  But as we have learned, sometimes God changes our plans and we will be cheerfully flexible if that is the case!

 

Thank you all for your dedication in praying for us.  The supplies you have sent, the money you gave to support us, and the prayers you have prayed have all been multiplied and will continue to be multiplied long after we leave here.  Please continue to pray for the villages as well as Amazon Outreach, but also pray for us as we take the lessons we have learned here and as we become more attentive to the Holy Spirit's movement in our lives.  We are forever changed.

 

Until all have heard,

Kristine Mize 

Day 4 & 5 with Carpenter's Way July 2012

Kristine here again.  Sorry I didn't write yesterday so let's get caught up!

 

Day 4:  Vila Darci is a village of about 41 families with 2 known families saved.  They have a Seventh Day Adventist church where the members of the community worship together.  Kevin led the devotion this morning from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, reminding us that we are ambassadors for Christ.  I was able to be on the evangelism team again today.  Originally, we just began visiting with the people around the clinic because it seemed everyone was in town.  Later, we walked down the path to the first house and met a man named Joshua & his wife.  They introduced us to their many pets including a monkey named Sheka.  I read Joshua the story of Joshua & the battle of Jericho because he said he did not know the origin of his name.  After our group talked with them for a while, Joshua & his wife confirmed their faith with us and I read Ephesians 3:14-21 as a prayer over them & their home.  Teresa & Chad were on the hair & nail team.  Chad cut men's hair using the hair clippers & even let one man cut his hair.  Teresa spent most of the morning holding a sweet baby girl even while painting nails!  That afternoon following lunch & siesta, a huge rain storm came but that did not deter our team or the locals from being part of the activities.  Haircuts were given, VBS played games, and the men's & women's ministry met.  In the women's ministry, Amanda gave her testimony reminding the women how much Christ loves women, Pam shared the plan of salvation with the ladies using the hot pads the Donna brought from her friends in Newton.   One woman got so excited that Pam let her stand up and "preach" while Pam sat in her chair!  The final community worship was the best so far, partly because Barbara & team kept the young children in VBS.  The Brazilians started us out with songs in Portugese, then the Americans led by Chad & myself sang two songs in English.  Kay shared her testimony and "Pastor" Kevin brought the Word.  The rain stopped & we sailed away, very fulfilled and excited about the enthusiasm the villagers had for the Word.  Once dinner was over, the newbies all went crocodile hunting and caught one!

 

Day 5:  Acao-Era is a town of 37 families, with 3 families professed Christians.  They have a Catholic church with a confirmed Christian leader, but no missionary presence.  In the morning Pam, Megan, & I were able to play manicurest, doing women's nails, 1 man's nails and a couple of pedicures.  Amanda & Naarah cut hair.  Sam Hughes assisted the dentists for the first time ever and Trey, Janice, Gilbert, Jacy, Teresa & Chad were able to be on the evangelism team.  They met a fisherman & his wife who were believers.  They shared the story of the disciples who were fishing & could catch no fish but Jesus came along & told them to cast their nets again & they could not hold all the fish!  The man & his wife told them that 20 years ago their children left for Manaus and have never returned.  They miss them desperately and hope they will return someday, but even more they hope that if they do not see them again in this life, that they will see them again in heaven, hoping that they will accept Christ too. Rejane was sharing with about 15 young men when she saw Trey & Gilbert walking by and asked them to come share with the young men.  Trey shared his testimony & the gospel with them and they prayed to receive Christ!  At the women's meeting, Donna shared her testimony & again was able to give every lady a hot pad made by her friends in Newton.  Pam again shared the plan of salvation using the hot pads.  Trey & Chad led the men's meeting where Chad was able to share his testimony & talk to the men about nutrition.  At final worship, we sang songs in Portugese & English.  Tonight, I was able to share my testimony, reading from Matthew 6 regarding Jesus' message to not worry about your life and then I sang "His Eye Is On the Sparrow".  He cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field & he will also take care of us.  Then Pastor Trey shared a message of peace from John 14:27-29.  Time at the village was capped off with a soccer match where many Americans took part (including me!) but to no avail.  We were defeated again.

 

Back on board the boat, as I am typing, some of the group is huddled around singing songs with Chad on the guitar and sharing in the highlights of the day.  Two of our crew members accepted Christ this morning during devotion with their fellow Brazilians!!  The most significant part of this trip to me is not just the effect we have had on the villagers and of course the lessons we have learned from them, but the relationships formed on this boat.  No one wants to go to bed!  We love being together, praying together, sharing our experiences, and singing praises.  We have one last village to visit tomorrow before we begin our trip west to Manaus.

 

Your prayers are being heard and answered!  We are all experiencing the movement of the Holy Spirit.  We are meeting new sisters and brothers in Christ!  Thank you for being part of this experience with us.

 

Until all Have Heard,

Kristine

 

 

 

Day 3-Carpenter's Way July 2012

Day 3:  Bom dia-which is "good morning" in Portuguese.  We had a fabulous day in Vila Nova! This village has approximately 39 families (about 195 people), only 18% are professed Christians.  Despite this, they were very welcoming, happy to have us there and receptive to what we wanted to share.  After Dja shared with us from Acts 2 & 3 we spent a lot of time in prayer during our morning devotion, praying that we would be the face of Jesus. 

 

I (Kristine) was able to serve on the street evangelism team today which also consisted of Sam T., Jacy, Pam, Toni, Rejane, and Josimar.  We were invited to enter 2 different homes & pray with the families there.  One of them did not have a Bible at all & we read some scripture with them.  I highlighted the passages and then prayed for their family to come to know Christ.  At the second home, we met three generations of men.  Only one of them can read & we gave him a new Bible to read to the family and Pam prayed for them.  

 

VBS had 55 children today with Ally, Teresa, Barbara, Cameron, & Evelyn.  The highlight was the skit that they put on about the birth of Jesus.  The children were really into the reenactment, bowing to baby Jesus.  The medical team reported 96 patients today!  Gigi, Chad & Sam H. played photographers today.  Amanda cut hair again today with Trey stepping in to give a mohawk to one young boy!

 

"God choses the right person for the right need."  The speed boat evangelism team, Vanderlei, Paige, Gilbert, & Trey visited a house with pet pigs, a new experience even for our veteran Paige. But while visiting with a local named Jackson who received Christ during their visit, the team was even more blessed by their time with him because he and Paige shared a common bond, the recent loss of a family member. 

 

I especially enjoyed hearing Pam share the gospel at the ladies meeting today, using comedy to warm up the crowd.  We had about 40 women in attendance.  Teresa, Melinda, Donna, and I got our fill of holding some beautiful babies too!  At the final village meeting, Chad & I sang an original song that he wrote, "There You Are", and Trey shared the story of Jesus & Lazarus.  The exclamation point at the end of this day was when the whole village headed to the soccer field to watch the athletes of our team take on the Brazilians.  There were so many on our team that wanted to play that a third team was created consisting of Americans & Brazilians.  The Americans held there own today and it was very fun to watch everyone play.

 

As I type everyone is heading for their hammocks, tired from a full day of serving and being blessed.  Please keep praying for the people we will encounter.  Tomorrow we will be serving another village consisting of mostly unbelievers.

 

Until all have heard,

Kristine Mize

 

Day 1-2 Carpenter's Way July 2012

Howdy Lufkin, Texas from Kristine!  Carpenter's Way team arrived safely in Manaus and boarded the Amor e Esperanca shortly before midnight on July 21st, the same day we departed!  We settled in and most were asleep before 2am.  There is NOTHING like sleeping in a hammock on a boat that is rocking after a long day of traveling.  We slept like the dead! 

 

Day 1 consisted of our first meal as a team at breakfast and devotion followed by a steady stream of unpacking all the luggage filled with supplies.  We made piles all over the lower deck of the boat and then slowly but surely created VBS bags, ladies' bags, men's bags, and family bags to pass out at each village we encounter.  We picked up 4 more passengers in Maues, which is the hub city of all 5 villages we will be ministering to this week.

 

Day 2:  Monte Sinai is a village consisting of about 40 families (200 people), 90% of which are Christians.  So this was a wonderful start to our trip, a chance to minister to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We debarked the boat at 9am, breaking off into our teams for the day.  I was working with VBS headed up by Barbara Pate, serving along side Dana, Sam T., Megan, and our translator was Rosie.  The children were very involved and many prayed with Barbara when she led a salvation prayer after I presented the gospel.  The dental team, eye glass team, medical team, and pharmacutical team stayed very busy all day.  130 patients were seen by the medical clinic, (Kay, Mary Ann, Evelyn, Kevin, Phillipe, and Socorro) which kept the pharmacy (Donna, Janice, Claudia) very busy.  The eyeglass team consisting of Toni, Teresa, and Vanessa, saw 23 patients who can now read their bible more clearly!  Chad, Melinda, Dja, Sarah, & Marilha served on the dental team and saw about 30 patients and pulled about 20 teeth.  Ally had the chance to paint nails for some of the ladies today and was amused when the young girls wanted to paint her nails instead, and she happily obliged.    Sam H., Trey, Cameron, and Gigi were our street evangelism team.  They met with the patriarch & machriarch who started the village.  When they came here they were not Christians, but since their salvation have had 17 children (3 whom have passed).  They report that alcoholism, prostitution, and drug addition have been very low comparitively because of the acceptance of Christ in the village.  During our ladies meeting I was given the chance to share with the women the importance of spending quality time with the Lord each day, modeling for our children what it means to have a relationship with God, daily walking with him (Luke 9:23).  I am told that our soccer team was not very successful in defeating the local youth in soccer.  Amanda cut about 25 heads of hair while Naarah braided hair for some of the women & girls and cut her first head of hair with clippers today!  Paige & Peyton took portraits, and Pam got to treat a blind woman with a fresh dog bite.  Trey led the men's ministry reading from Ephesians 4:17-24, reiterating that the sinful ways that entrap so many others in surrounding villages is no more and that they can focus on renewed thoughts and attitudes.  At the final meeting, a local pastor preached about healing and many came professing to receive Christ and His healing power.

 

We have had a wonderful trip so far and look forward to serving a new village tomorrow!  Thank you all for your prayers!

 

Melinda wants to say hello to all her family and that she is having a great time with all the wonderful Brazilians she has met!  Chad wants to say Happy Birthday to his brother Nate.  Mom, tell MacKenzie mommy loves her so much and Teresa & I love you and Dad!!!

 

Until all have heard,

Kristine Mize

fourth day in Amazon

We had another great day in the Amazon.  We arrived at our fourth village today (called N. Sra. Do Carmo).  We divided up into various ministry

 

teams: a women's ministry team, a VBS, a men's ministry, a medical team, and a haircutting & nail painting ministry.  The doctor who had been with us

 

for the past three days left part way through the day after helping villagers will all kinds of problems.  Shaina, Brittany, and Elizabeth have been doing a

 

great job and were complimented by the Brazilian doctor for their efficeincy in the pharmacy. Gabby and Pedro were the Brazilian translators for the

 

medical team and, as usual, did an excellent and patient job translating.  Karin led the haircutting ministry team again today and had a mix of men,

 

women, and children who needed haircuts. Assisting with nail painting and translation, Isabela was a great partner with Karin. Connor, Brooke, Tracy,

 

Jay (who left part way through the day), Becky, and Katie led VBS.  The kids at this village were very energetic (maybe even rowdy), but nothing our

 

VBS team couldn't handle.  Pastor Abimael led another men's ministry today: he shared the gospel with men at the village and also gave out gifts of

 

fishing line, hooks, and po cket knives (and last but not least Portuguese New Testaments).  Nathan, Jacob, and Campos helped with moving

 

equipment and talked with villagers, asking if there was anything that could be done in their homes.  At the women's ministry, Phyllis, Linda, and Carla

 

shared the gospel with the village women and gave good advice about prayer and salvation. Rose (the very joyful leader of the translators) loved the

 

day, especially spending time with the ladies in the women's ministry. Part way through the day everyone took about two hours to eat lunch and have a

 

siesta because it was very hot. In the afternoon, people's roles changed, but the highlights were a balloon fight with the village kids, a group

 

conversation with a manioc flour maker, and the ladies had a special gift giving and prayer time.  The day ended with a great finale- a beautiful sunset

 

behind the boat as we ate dinner.  The Lord blessed us with another opportunity to share His Word and bring joy to others, all in all, a great day.

Days 5 & 6

Readers, today is our last in the Amazon! We are so sad to leave, but so overjoyed at the work God has done and cannot wait to share it with you in person!  Your kids have been incredible servant-hearted disciples on this trip and we know that they are anxious to share all God has taught them.

 

Wednesday night was our last concert in Parantins.  It was one of the students' best performances, and God moved tremendously!  It was wonderful seeing the Brazilians dance to our songs and being able to participate in worship with them.  The performance was held at a beautiful outdoor pavilion and the energy from the crowd was amazing to witness! 

 

Thursday, we traveled along the Amazon River as we headed back towards Manaus.  We held three different panels on the boats where students had the opportunity to ask questions to the adult sponsors concerning serving in ministry.  The panels included how business men share their faith, lead their families and serve in the church; how business women share their faith and serve in the church; how wives of men in ministry support their husbands, remain obedient to their callings and serve; and how college students remain strong in their faith during school. 

 

We arrived in a village this morning and spent time doing a little shopping in the market before we will board on our planes in Manaus and head back to the USA! Thank you for supporting our students through prayer, we can assure you prayers have been answered and lives impacted!

Days 3 & 4

Hello, Readers!  As you can tell, our days are so jammed packed, that it is difficult to update as often as we would like because of limited internet connection, so this post will be filling you in on the activities of yesterday and this morning.

 

Yesterday, our students went to another community and were able to do VBS activities for two different school groups with about 200+ kids.  Several of our students put on skits, shared their testimonies, and did question/answer sessions for the Brazilians, and we had many opportunities to share Christ!  Here is a testimony from one of our students on her activities yesterday:

 

"Yesterday, my family group was supposed to go help with the clinic in a village oustide of Parantins.  Instead, we were assigned to go back to VBS.  I was a little disappointed because I was really excited to experience something different.  But, before we headed to VBS, I prayed that the Lord would change my heart and attitude.  Whenever we arrived at VBS, God gave me the opportunity to lead 9 girls to Christ.  God showed me that if our circumstances don't turn out the way we want them to, He will faithfully answer prayers and give us the chance to glorify Him!" -Macie Herring

 

The groups that were not doing VBS activities, were able to assist our nurse and a dentist in a clinic we held.  We also had many people come, and were able to give away basic necessities to them.  It was truly touching to be able to serve these beautiful people.  Some of our girls were able to paint nails, cut hair, and love on women and of course we have been playing A LOT of soccer! 

 

Last night, our students performed in another outdoor pavilion of the community we had been working in all day.  It is wonderful seeing our students love on the crowd--especially the younger children.  Afterwards, we were able to hear from two missionaires we've been traveling with, Josiah and Megan McIntyre.  They are a young couple in their 20's who have been in Brazil a little over two years.  They also have an almost one year old daughter, Asia.  Our students were blessed to hear about their call to the country of Brazil, and we are thankful for their hearts in serving the Kingdom. 

 

This morning was the first time we were able to go into the classrooms of 8 different schools here in Parantins.  The students were split up into groups of 3 with one translator and the majority of them shared their testimonies to the classes of the hope they have found in Jesus Christ.  Our students really enjoyed getting to share with teenagers around their age, and the school's faculties were very appreciative of us coming!  We are going to be visiting more schools this afternoon, so please be praying God provides us with opportunities and great conversation!

 

Here is another student's account of yesterday and today:

 

"During this week in Brazil, I wasn't expecting to be so open about my faith.  I'm used to talking to friends and family about God, but would never thought to speak to young women in a foreign country who don't even speak my language!  On this trip, I was expecting to sit back, play and love on the kids and not actually share my faith or the Gospel with anyone.  But, God had different plans for me in store.  The third day, we were here I was told to help speak in front of a classroom in a village and talk about my trials of being a Christian and how I can always overcome them because I have a personal relationship with Christ.  When I was told that, I was extremely nervous and scared I would say something wrong or wouldn't say enough to where they could understand my point I was trying to get across.  The night before I prayed about that God would speak through me.  When I was handed the microphone the next day, God completely took over when I spoke.  Afterwards, a girl my age came up to me and told me she wanted exactly what I had and I got the opportunity to pray with her and help her to accept Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior.  During this trip, God has really taught me to let go and let Him take over control of my life, and now I have spoken to so many girls and boys about having a personal relationship with Him.  This trip has made a huge impact on my life!  I am now more comfortable to share God's Word with anyone, and on this trip I learned to let go and let God!" -Nicole Craven

 

We have our final concert in Parantins tonight, and we have invited students from all of the schools we've visited and will visit this afternoon. Please be praying for a mighty work of the Holy Spirit and that He will move amongst this community.  God Bless!

 

Another student shared her account of the past couple of days:

Day 2 Blog

(This is the blog from yesterday!  I apologize that it was not posted yesterday, we had no internet signal where we were! Enjoy!)

 

"Last night (Sunday), our students performed their first outdoor concert in Parantins.  It was an incredible experience, and the students were blessed to be able to watch a service in Portuguese including worship, praise dancing, and a sermon!  We saw 8 people make decisions for Christ and it was a tremendous blessing!  Our students enthusiasm has been awesome to watch, and the relationships some of them have built have forever impacted their lives.

 

Today (Monday), we went into the community of Cabori.  Our students went into the schools and ministered through various activities including VBS, sharing their testimonies, and question/answer sessions about life in the United States.  Several of our students led children and teenagers to the Lord, and were able to experience the love of the community.  Here is an excerpt from one of our students:

 

"God has taught me to be a servant for Him.  Over the past few days, He's shown me how great I really have it and how much I can help others.  I've really enjoyed helping others and sharing a smile.  I love you, family!" -Tristyn Richardson

 

Tonight, we performed a concert in front of the schools and saw many of the same students with their families.  God is alive and active amongst our students and their witnesses have truly impacted those around them.  They are truly giving above and beyond and God is using them to glorify His name!"

 

Be on the lookout later this evening for an update of today's activity and concert tonight (Tuesday)! God Bless! 

Day 1 Blog

Hello, Readers!  We have officially been in the Amazon since Friday afternoon, and God has already been working and moving immensely amongst our group and the people of Brazil!  Friday night upon our arrival, we performed a "flash mob" scene in the Manaus Mall and invited people to attend our concert the next evening and tonight's performance we will have in Parintins. 

 

Yesterday, our groups had the opportunity to do ministry along the Amazon River.  Three of our groups went to villages and ministered to the people there through VBS, and men's/women's ministry.  The other group went to an orphanage and painted all day while loving on beautiful kids!  Below is an excerpt I've asked one of our students on our boat to share about his experience yesterday in one of the villages:

 

"God's been up to big things here in Manaus.  My family group went to an orphanage of about 30 kids, over 90% of them coming from abusive environments.  We painted classrooms, tables, and played "futbol" with the kids! Later on we performed a powerful concert, and 18 made decisions for Christ!  Our goal was to bless the Brazilians, although they ended up blessing us even more.  It was evident by the encouraging comments that God revealed Himself to the Brazilians tonight.  Our next stop is an 18 hour boat ride to the different villages here in Brazil.  God's been faithful but greater things have yet to come!" -Ty Herring

 

At the concert last night we had 3,000 in attendance at New Baptist Church in Manaus.  As mentioned by Ty, there were 18 decisions made for Christ last night in result, and God truly moved through our students' performance and attitudes.  We had the privilege of getting to talk with many Brazilian teenagers after the performance, and our students were truly blessed to be able to learn from and minister to them. 

 

Please be praying for our performance tonight and be on the lookout for our post tomorrow!  God Bless from the Amor e Esperanca!

Castle Hills Amazon Outreach

JP:

 

Can you please help me post the following blogs?  I have the first template setup on Constant Contact and I know that you know how to work Constant Contact.  Julie, I am sending this to you as well so that if JP is away and is unable to send it can you send it through Constant Contact?.  I have two blogs that will need to go out individually.  I am sorry that I can not send pictures but there is a 70k size limit on this Satelite phone.    PLEASE SPELL CHECK!!!

 

June 6th/7th Travel Day

 

Hello everyone.  Well, travel day went by with quite a blur.  We took for granted the complexities of managing 30 peoples' itineraries, as well as the complexities of getting so many people on ONE flight into Manaus!!!  The rain came to Dallas and caused our flights to be cancelled.  We waited in the airport until 2:30 a.m.only to find out that there was no hope to get a flight to Miami in order to connect with our flight to Manaus.  We went home understanding that our trip would be cut short or cancelled altogether.  Our four team members who flew in from Calgary Canada stayed with us at our house for the few hours of sleep we were able to get.  We all woke in the total amazement that the trip likely was done.  The 16 kids on the trip were all thoroughly distraught.  They thought they had lost their chance to share Jesus with the Amazon River people.  But, we knew that God had a plan.  At 8:00 a.m. Jed Thompson, Executive Director of Amazon Outreach called me and said that the earliest we could get to Manaus was Sunday Night.  We were supposed to be on the River Thursday night and now the trip would be reduced to only 3 days of reaching the river people.  Jed said that it was our call if we wanted to cancel and re-schedule the trip.  But, we knew the focus of our group was to go when God sent us.  So, we told Jed that God must have a plan and if He intended for us to be there only 3 days, then he had reasons.  WE WERE SOLD OUT!  WE WERE COMMITTED.  Jed said to sit tight and await further direction.  After that, Sara Nelson, who is moving back from Calgary to Castle Hills {Yeah!!} joined her husband Tom to go and close on their house purchase.  Melissa Workley and her family decided to kill time by going to a movie.  We started to go to our favorite Mexican Food joint for lunch.   Basically, everyone were getting back to normal life back at home.  I think we were resigned to the fact that the trip might be over, but a least on hold for a few days.  Just then, I received a text from Jed, "Get to the airport as fast as you can.  Some people will be boarding a flight at 2:25 p.m. {45 minutes from now}  We sent out an emergency communication to everyone.  Sara Nelson and her husband Tom got up from the closing table and proceeded to the airport.  The closing would have to wait.  Melissa Workley gathered her familyand lef the movie theater.  We all ascended upon the airport immediately.  We left in waves.  But, by midnight {actually 1:15 a.m.} everyone was in Miami.  God wanted us to know how complex these logistics were but also wanted us to see His total control on the situation.  Long story.....but, everyone had tickets to Manaus the next morning except for Corbin and I.  For us, we had to get to the ticket counter by 4:30 a.m. and prepare to beg and plead to let us on the flight.  Corbin was told the night before that the there was only business class tickets availalbe and that each ticket would cost $3,000!  We definitely did not have $6,000.  We could have sold Corbin's guitar but we would have still been $5,990 short! {seriously!  have you seen this man's guitar??  he would have been better off buying one off of one of the river people!!}  Corbin and I marched down to the ticket office praying all the way but TOTALLY knowing that God had it handled!  Miraculously, there were regular seats available and we jumped on the flight for $300 a piece.  We gladly paid and ran out before they could change their minds.  We made it and Corbin got to keep his guitar!!

 

After approximately 40 hours of travel we were finally on the River.  Never again will we take travel to the Amazon for granted, nor will we ever doubt that God is in control!  We boarded the boat, our home for the next week, only one day delayed!  We were greated by wonderful translators and an amazing team from Community Church in Manaus.  The river mission has been their heart for four years.  They are so GREAT!  We were immediatlely brothers and sisters.  We worship at night and in the morning in English and Porteguese!   We stand side by side, ONE CHURCH!

 

Away we go, taking God's lead!  What an amazing start!

 

 

DAY 1, JACITARA

We awoke after our first night sleeping in a hammock!  The night was actually cool....ok...COLD.  and I was the only person who didn't bring warm weather gear!!!   We are now at the village of Jacitara.  Here, there are about 20 families and one confirmed believer.    Vacation Bible School was a HUGE hit with the children!  Paul and Aaron Schmidt managed the eye exams and distribution of eyewear.  The last guy in line was LoLo, the patriarch of the village.  His entire family was beside him doting all over him.  He need 2.0's...his eyes were pretty bad!  He was so happy.  His wife and daughter and granddaughter were surrounding him and he they all looked so happy for him.  He was so appreciative that invited  us {the entire team} to lunch at his home.  Of course, we had to pass.  "OK" he said, I will still wait for you to come".  We will him again later in the afternoon.  Our Mission Kids team have been loving on the Amazon River children and they are having a great time seeing God work through them.  No whining, no moaning.  Just having fun serving Him.

 

The men are much harder to reach.  On guy {18 yrs. old} says he does not believe and "don't bother him with that stuff".  The only way to get through to the guys is to earn their trust.  It takes longer than a day.  But, as our Community Church friends keep coming, they will continue to gain more trust.  All of the guys have their hair cuts that match soccer stars.  Mohawks and bleeched hair are the trend.  They all watch MMA on saturday night on the one TV located in the covered area where we held VBS. Gyula Kalman would have had immediate credibility!  We need to get him down here!  This afternoon we did the one social thing that the guys are receptive to...we played Soccer!  The soccer gain went well and thanks to our Brazilian friends from Community Church, we actually held our own!  Jonathan Aldis had an insane header that saved a goal.  Both Aaron Schmidt and myself slipped in the mud and slid down into the amazon water... VERY Muddy!  Corbin showed off his crazy moves!  In the end we lost 3-2.  But, we truly gained their respect.  It was now dark and time to board the boat.  Now, the men who hardly cared, stopped playing soccer and sat down and watched us leave.  Small steps in a HUGE mission!  We gathered back on boat ate, showered and worshiped our awesome God.  The music and melody whether in Portuguese or English is surreal!   God is sure with us!  We hopped in our hammocks, I took some Motrin to hopefully dull the pains from the soccer game and fell asleep with anticipation for what God would have in store for the next day.

Day 6: Tapagem and Homeward bound!

Our day at Tapagem was amazing and a perfect end to an awesome mission journey.  God assembled the perfect team for this trip -- both Brazillian and American.

 

We had the largest attendance of children in this village.  They were very eager to participate - in fact, they were waiting at the entrance of the church and cheered as we arrived to begin our program.  They were very engaged as our translator, Rosie, presented the gospel and explained how they could pray to invite Jesus into their hearts.  We know at least four of them became Christians!!  The realization that one of these children could very well be the next leader to evangelize this area of the Amazon was not lost on us. Bethany and Hannah met with the teenage girls and shared their testimonies. About fifteen girls listened and shared their prayer requests afterward. They loved reaching out to the teens, and the girls seemed to love it as well!

 

The medical team saw about 125 people in this village, and the dentists saw more than 50 people!!  More eyeglasses were handed out here than in the previous villages.  It was amazing to watch people from one area of ministry see an immediate need in another ministry, and as time allowed, they willingly jumped in to help out in any way possible. 

 

During our team sharing time last night, a small boat pulled up alongside ours, hoping we could come to their village the next day. We were sad to tell them we'd be leaving, but we were able to give them medicine, clothing, flip flops, toiletries, and other household items. It reminded us that the work isn't finished and that all we have to do is show up to be a blessing.

 

Our boat just pulled into Manaus and the team will be headed for the airport in a few hours.  See y'all tomorrow!

Day 4 and 5: Sao Sebastiao and Nossa Sra Do Perpetuo Socorro

The team has had 2 more great days of ministry. We have been continuously blown away by the Lord's power and provision as we go into these villages and share Christ with the people.

The team felt the visit to Sao Sebastiao was a divine appointment.  As we spent time at the village we learned the pastor's family had been going though some trials and was in need of some spirtual support.  At the end of the day they had a special service to thank the team that ended with a slideshow of the pictures the pastor had taken of the team throughout the day.  The pastor's church was very nice compared to other village churches (they even had air conditioning), however the team learned no matter how small or advanced the church is, it's all about Jesus.

The team went and an EXTREME jungle adventure.  Where we had some serious come to Jesus moments.  We traveled 30 minutes via 3 small boats through dense flooded jungle deep into the Amazon.  During the boat ride to where we disembarked a large spider was found on Mark's back, after some panic we manged to get the spider out of the boat. With a machete we then cut a path thru the thick jungle.  What we thought was fruit on the ground was actually wild boar droppings.  There were meanacing trees with large spikes.  It was not our teams finest moment but we knew God was with us.  On the way back, the lead boat went under a large branch and a swarm of tracker jackers attacked Dan and Duane.  After numerous bites and more panic they were able to fight off the wasps.  Over all the team arrived safely back at the boat with only psycological distress.  Thanks to imediate prayers there is no evidence of any wasp bites from the attack today.

Today we learned no matter what our first impressions are of a seemly deserted village, God can show up in big ways.  What looked like a 20' X 60' island in a swamp ended up housing the most number of people we have seen in one day.  They came by the boat load to a small, flooded piece of land called Nossa Sra Do Perpetuo Socorro. All ministries were in full force and the Lord's provision was evident to all.  It was a blessing to see the supplies the team collected go into the hands of the villagers.  At the end of the day the pastor thanked us and told us about a dream he had six months prior.  The dream was about a boat coming with brothers and sisters in Christ to minister to that region.

Tonight the team got a chance to take the small boats out in two shifts to hunt alligators. The first wave that went out caught two babies and a larger one and named then Jefferson, Alfredo, and Willy. The second crew that went out had a little more luck, catching two larger gators about 3 and 4 feet long. Their names were Shadrack and Meshack. Unfotunately we couldnt catch an Abendago. One of our team members, whose initials are B.M., got a small birthday bite from one of the smaller gators, Willy.After we took all our fun pictures with them, we had to say goodbye to our new friends and put them back into the water.

We have one more solid day of ministry before heading back to Dallas.  We can't wait to see what God has planned for us. It's been really neat to see how the Lord has orchestrated our team and filled it up with so many willing servants. It already has the feel of a family and it has been a blessing to serve Christ together on this trip.

Day 2 and 3, Cinturao Verde and Novo Horizonte villages

The technical difficulties with our satellite connection have been resolved.  You should be receiving our team updates now. Yea God!  Our team remains safe and well.

 

We have had 2 more great days of ministry.  Serving the people of Cinturao Verde and Novo Horizonte.  The smiles on the faces of children and appreciation of the villagers are not easily expressed in a blog post, but we will have pleanty of pictures to share with you.

 

In VBS, our dramatization of David and Goliath will sure to up for an Oscar nomination next year.  Rosanne played an excellent David, knocking me (Dan) down with the first hit.  Wow, just like in the Bible.  Madelyn played an excellent King Saul and will sure to be nominated for best supporting actor.

 

The nurses and dentists have seen quite a few patients in the last couple days.  The rest of the team has deemed that treatment of worms is NOT an appropriate dinner conversation topic.  They have complied.   

 

The team experienced an extemely loud worship service last night.  We are asking that Amazon Outreach provide earplugs for future trips.  It is truly an awesome experience worship in a different language knowing they are worshiping the same God.  Our team was even invited to sing a song. 

 

Seriously, the team and villagers are truly being blessed.  We will have much to share with you when we return.

First Day of Ministry - Sao Sebastiao

Greetings from the Amazon jungle.

 

Good news, the team made it safely to Brazil and we have just completed our first day of ministry.  We woke up this morning to a beautiful Amazon sunrise and spent the day serving the people of Sao Sebastiao.  The water levels are very high this year, someone joked that they are the highest since the Great Flood.  God had the AC on for our team today, it was very comfortable and breezy at times working in the village. 

 

It was awesome day, all ministries were open for business: medical, pharmacy, dentistry, eye glasses, men's ministry, women's ministry, family portraits, hair/nails and VBS!  Karen and Sarah headed up the medical ministry and treated many patients.  Fred and Eli served in dentistry (or a better term may be extracted).  Geraldo and Mark dispensed medicines in the Pharmacy.  Sherry fitted eyeglasses.  My friend Duane lead the men in men's ministry and Lane completely enjoyed pouring into the women.  Rosanne and Madelyn took pictures of precious families and distributed pictures in a place where Walmart is far, far away.  I had the privlelege to serve in Children's ministry with Brenda, Hanna, Phyllis and Bethany with our awesome translators Rosie and Chris.  Our team GETS to be the hands and feet of Jesus ...HOW COOL IS THAT!  Thank you so much to our supporters, spouses, friends and families that have enabled us to do this.  You are with us. 

 

Although our team had many highpoints, the high point of my day was during our morning VBS session, 2 girls accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour after our team presented the gospel.  Right before I left for Brazil I posted a Facebook message asking for prayers for me and the team.  Immediately the responses to my post started pouring in.  I have seriously felt your prayers today.  Thank you and keep them coming, this has been only the first day of ministry there are many more to come.  Thank you all and we love you.

 

 

Dan Madsen      

Days 5 & 6 - Vila Candida, Boa Vista dos Ramos, Itapeacu

Dave D - What a blessing this week was for so many...Brazilians and Americans!  My greatest joy is watching your kids choose to serve God in ways they did...some for the very first time.  God is good to show Himself to all of us in simple and amazing ways.  Thank you for making it possible for us to be here.  The stories of His grace and mercy abound.  Here are a few...

 

Katie Mc - On Tuesday, Grace Colombo, Izabel, and I were grouped to go from door to door. It was amazing. We came to the first house, and an old woman opened the door. She invited us in and to sit down. She said she did not know who Jesus was, and after Grace and I began to talk to this woman, she opened up more. She seemed interested, and after letting her know about the service that night, we let her know that she could talk to the pastor. Later that night, I saw her at the service, and she was singing along with the worship songs. God really perservered through Grace and me as mouthpieces for Him.

 

Blake B- Mark and Francisco. The (simplified) names of the two men who made an impact on me that will last a lifetime. I was helping out at VBS in Pedra (The Rock in Portuguese). Pedra had never been visited by an Amazon Outreach boat so the day held much opportunity in itself. Earlier in the week, I was feeling like I wasn't too useful (as did many others in the beginning of the trip) and I prayed that God would use me accordingly to what He needed done. Basically I prayed that He would use me and that I would be satisfied immediately seeing fruit or not. So the afternoon after this prayer, I saw Mark in VBS and started asking if he had a kid in VBS and he said no I invited him to play soccer and of course he said yes...He's Brasilian. So I continued and asked him if he wanted to know that story of Noah; the story the kids were learning. So I began to tell him out Noah and tried to fit in the whole gospel as part of the story. We arrived at the soccer field and thankfully the Lord took over. After talking for about 20 minutes with Francisco (he came with us) and Mark, God just did a marvelous work and allowed Mark to have a soft heart to the great grace of God. He accepted Christ as his personal savior and I praise God for that. Unknowingly, he was from another village and I gave him a New Testament and a couple gospel tracts. God used me as a tool to share the gospel to two villages. Wow. I was so humbled at God's intricate creativity in His plans. I was also able to encourage Francisco in his faith: He told me that he had a dream that a large group of people came in a boat to Pedra to spur on his beliefs and he had been praying for reinforcement to instill faith in Pedra. Once again God answered prayers. This has shown me that God is ALWAYS faithful. Whether it's immediate or way later, God comes through and works his will into everything. He is so so good. Brasil has yet again been a fantastic channel which through God has blessed everyone here; from Texas or Brasil. Shout out to Jean Prouvaire. Miss you and love you so much. BRASIL 2012. Lego. Psalm 34:8.

 

Hannah Pavey- I've never seen a more beautiful smile. Hannati opened my eyes to a new kind of beauty. A few days ago, we traveled to Terra Praeta, and I felt the Lord calling me to serve in the youth girls ministry. We were setting up tables and chairs under a shaded tree and also looking for girls to invite to paint their nails and play with their hair. We had a few customers and then it happened....My eyes locked with a beautiful eleven year old girl standing off in the distance. It took a few minutes for her to accept my invitation to paint her nails and get to know her. She told me her name was Hannati. This precious girl had a cleft lip and two front teeth. Looking at her for the first time, most people in her city would have rejected her because of her appearance. However, her handicapped smile enabled me to see a picture of pure joy: Hannati reminded me that we are made in the Lord's image and PERFECT in his sight. As I painted her little nails, I kept glancing up at her and saw that she was beeming with joy. I kept saying "bonita! bonita!" This only made her smile more. We then went into a classroom with about 15 other pre-teen girls. We shared the gospel and our testamonies. After having a conversation about things girls struggle with, the Lord faithfully opened up and revealed himself to those girls. Hannati was especially blown away with the vastness of the Lord's love for her. I gave her a bible and wrote her a note in the front page: "Precious Hannati, You are Beautiful-never let anyone tell you otherwise. You are a daughter of God and he loves you more than you will ever imagine. I love you and I am praying for you." I had a translator read this out loud to Hannati, and once she heard these words, she leaped into my arms and her whole body shook with tears. I absolutely lost it when I felt her tears run down my back. The Lord brought her to me to reveal that even those with cleft lips and rejected by society are breath-taking in the eyes of the Lord. I am speechless with how the Lord places people in our lives by divine intervention and chooses to use us as vessles to further HIS Kingdom. His name was magnified this week, and all Glory, Honor and Praise go to Him!

 

Preston Pownell - Two years ago I met two young mentally handicapped boys in a village that made a drastic impact on my life.  When we first arrived in Brazil, we were told that we would be going back to the same village that these two boys were from.  Last year, we did not get to go back to their village and I honestly gave up the hope of ever getting to see them again.  Two days ago we were told that we would not actually be visiting the two boys village, and this was a very discouraging thing for me to here.  I felt like God was giving me a false hope of joy, and I was almost mad at God.  I realized that I am not on this trip to fulfill my own fleshly desires, but to do the will of God, but, God's plan was not yet finished.  Rose Delph approached me and told me that I might have the oppurtunity to take a few friends on a speedboat to their village called, Sao Benedicto.  This morning, I woke up and heard the announcement that my mom, my brother, David Jordan, Chloe Robinson, Presley Scott, Bruno, and I would be taking a speedboat to the village for the morning.  When we arrived in the village, I vaguely remembered where things where and I told the group to follow me.  It was a total God thing and I ended up walking straight to their house.  We knocked on the door and the father answered and we asked where the boys were.  He had three other children in the house and he said that he had one more somewhere outside.  He sent his younger son to go find him and I sat down in their house just praying that it would be one of those two boys.  I looked up and saw one of those two boys walking into the house and he immediately recognized me.  I was astounded and blown away at God's power and how he works things out.  The boys name is Adeyuto (I think... I can't ever really understand) and it turns out that the other boy was actually Adeyuto cousin that lives in another village but to be able to see one of them was just incredible.  Our whole group got to spend the morning with them and everyone with me got to see how sweet of a young man he really is.  God answers prayers and I would just like to encourage everyone who reads this that God is all powerful and he can even allow someone to travel across the world with a gamble that one boy might be there and provide a way for me to see him again.  God has done magnificent things this week and He does not intend to stop just here in Brazil.

 

 

Day 4 - Cameta

Oi from Brazil! Currently we are waiting for the rain to pass here in Cameta so we can go out and serve the village. Last night we were reflecting on our experiences throughout the trip so far and we realized we forgot to tell you about an incredible experience God blessed us with in the airport while we were waiting to receive our visas.For those of you that don't know, 13 people did not know if they would be able to go to Brazil because their visas were denied. Jed Thompson, the director of Amazon Outreach, flew to Houston on Thursday (the day we left) to work out the visas. Because of this, all 13 of us were stuck entertaining ourselves for four hours waiting for the visas to come through. During this span of time, we all got the incredible privilege of meeting David Teran. David was helping us with our
luggage when he started to ask us about our trip. We told him all about Amazon Outreach, and how we were going to spread the love of God to the villages along the river. David had to go to work for a little bit after this and later told us that he had gone up to a Muslim man and used us as a testimony for Christ. He challenged the man, asking him if Muslims pursued love in this way. The man replied no, and simply left. While this doesn't seem like much, David was confident that God had planted a seed in that man through us. David spent about an hour talking with us, sharing his love for Christ and his testimony. He had only been a Christian for about three years, but the Holy Spirit's presence
was so evident in him. Not having our visas was an extremely stressful beginning to the trip, but us meeting David was just yet another example of how everything is just part of God's grand plan. If nothing else but meeting David came out of the stress of retrieving our visas, it was undeniably worth it. His love for Christ was the perfect start to this trip, and we hadn't even left Dallas yet!
Tchau!
Taylor, Tori, and Kathryn

 

Oi from Grace C.! I am so thankful and grateful to be here in Brazil! The Lord has so graciously allowed me to be here, but for a short time, He completely emptied my hands and made it so that I literally had no control over my situation. On Wednesday morning, my mom and I woke up at 4:45 in the morning and flew to Houston. We had found out previously that my passport picture and visa had been denied, and at this point, I didn't know if I was going to be able to go on the trip. A lot of things were running through my mind, and I was confused. I knew that if it was the Lord's plan for me to go on the trip, then nothing could stop that from happening, but I assumed that it just wasn't the Lord's plan for me to go, and I didn't know why. I was jumping to all these conclusions and trying to figure out why the Lord would have me stay home instead, as if I knew what God had in store.

As soon as we got to Houston, we drove to meet with the Brazilian consulate, and the man who drove us there happened to be a Christian. We shared with him a little bit of what was going on, and somehow he had a peace that everything was going to work out, even though I didn't. He prayed for us in the car on the way, and when we got inside there we met Jed Thompson, the director of Amazon Outreach. For the majority of the time we were there, we sat in the waiting room, which was in some ways the hardest part, in others it was the most peaceful. I recieved texts from multiple people saying that they were praying for me, and I knew God's hand was at work. The Lord gave me peace that everything was going to work out according to His plan, no matter what that was. I know that the Lord withholds no good thing from those who love Him, and even if I had had to stay home, the Lord would not have withheld good things from me there.

But it was His plan for me to be here in Brazil, and the truth is, He didn't temporarily take this trip out of my hands, but He had it in His hands all along, and never let it go even thought I felt like I had lost everything. God is working and moving in so many hearts here in Brazil, and not just the people who live here. I feel so blessed to be a part of it, to witness this change, and to be a part of God's greater plan.

Tchau!

Grace                              

 

Oi from Brooklyn and Annie! Last night Brooklyn shared her testimony for the first time in front of a crowd. Brooklyn has been to Brazil four times, but this was the first time that she had shared in public. You could tell by the crowds reaction that her testimony really hit home while talking about a broken family. So many lives were touched by this beautiful testimony, including those on the boat. She talked about how the absence of her real father made her more aware of how God is out ultimate
father and he'll never leave us and he is always by out side. In the process of giving her testimony there was a sense of peace because she was so nervous before but when she got up there, she knew God's hands were resting on her. She was really happy that she had finally shared her testimony after so many years. Brooklyn really felt that God was calling her to share her testimony with the people of Predas. Amazon Outreach had never been to this village, and it was really neat to be able to be the first ones to make a lasting first impression with them. Many came to Christ and we hope that the foundation that we have laid in this village can continue to grow from here with other trips that have yet to come. We are really excited about what God has in store for those in Predas.
Con Amore
Annie and Brooklyn

 

 The day was amazing despite a late start due to rain.  Nearly 200 little ones attended VBS, many came to receive medical and dental care.  Two different teams of 6 went into every classroom in the morning and afternoon to share the sin solution illustration to every elementary and high school student attending school today.  Many went door-to-door to share the gospel, and we closed with an evening service.  Our share time was especially sweet...and one alligator hunting group caught 2 small and one 4 foot gator.  Dr. Pablo saw a 92-year-old woman who gave birth to 25 children (yes, you read that correctly...20 of whom are still alive today).  She daily rides her bicycle to work her agricultural fields.  It's amazing what we see here!

 

Thanks for praying for us...it's a blessing to serve here.  We have a full day tomorrow and a half day on Thursday...then we're headed back to Manaus...a 20 hour return.

 

Tchau!

Day 3 - Predas

       After surviving a major storm at 3:00 am, we awoke to a small shower, praying the rain would stop so we could serve this community...Amazon Outreach's first to visit Predas, a town of 3,000. Because we were here, the schools closed for the day.  We were able to leave the boats at 9:30 and proceeded to use the school classrooms for medical, dental, eyeglasses, hair cutting, nail painting. The president of the town allowed us to announce over the church loudspeaker that we welcome everyone to come take advantage of all we had to offer.  An answer to prayer, over 100 children came to VBS in the morning and several teams walked through the town to share the gospel door-to-door and invite the people to afternoon events, soccer game, and evening service.

 

    One of the continuing themes throughout today for all of us was the fact that all the parts of the body of Christ have different functions and gifts. Some are better at holding crying children all day. Others can handle the medical and dental fields that required a strong stomach, but can really comfort those suffering and sick. And some just have a passion and gift for relaying the message of Christ's love to people, whether it's door-to-door ministry or giving a testimony in front of a whole community. All in all, we have been blessed by the fact that every person on this trip has come to find their purpose on this trip. We were blessed to see many come to Christ in this village, and we were able to hand out several Portugeuse Bibles. Here are a couple of cool stories that were shared at our nightly share-time: Blake Barnes was planning to go to VBS today and on his way he met a man with whom he was able to share the story of Christ via a translator. Blake fully intended to play soccer and hang with the kids as his ministry for the day, but God had greater plans as he helped lead a Brazilian man "Mark" to Christ. In the words of Blake: "We now have another brother in Christ that we will one day see in Heaven and I think that deserves a round of applause."

     Many people also shared tonight that they have a hard time with the fact that in VBS there does not seem like a lot of time to share the message of Christ with others because you are busy loving the kids. But today I (Grace) shared this story with the group of my experience today in VBS to encourage them of the gateway VBS does provide to talk to others about Christ. Today, I saw some adults in our group using tracts to talk to some of the parents hanging around VBS about Christ, but one young mother was distracted by her one son clinging to her ankles and her young baby in her lap. I decided to try and distract the child around her ankles so she could focus better on the adults teaching them, and she ended up wanting me to hold the 1-month-old baby in her lap. I was shocked that she would trust me, this random American teenage girl, with her tiny baby. But it turned out as we began to talk, that she thought I had children because she started having children at my age. As we continued to talk, I was able to talk to her about her faith and the struggles in her life, as well as my family back home and faith. Who would have thought that all of this could start from me just trying play with her small kid? God has revealed how He is ever-present even in the small things. We are all very thankful for our experiences so far and are excited for the challenges and stories to come as we head to Cometa tomorrow.

 

Grace Martin and Hannah Pavey