Baylor Day 2

Howdy!

 

Day 3 of ministry here in the Amazon. Update from yesterday, the youth rally was incredible! Americans and Brazilians were blessed and relationships were formed that will not soon be forgotten. We got to work with a group of roughly 60 young adults from Pastor Elmer's church in Parintins. They were such a blast to be around. Gabi shared her testimony in church and encouraged so many with her words by letting the Holy Spirit use her.

 

We spent time split up into groups of guys and girls and shared powerful stories of purity, forgiveness and restoration in Christ. God really did some amazing things in the short time we were in Parintins. I want to personally thank the Young Singles at Prestonwood who worked so hard to raise money to make this event so incredibly successful. I got to spend time training the leadership in the church how to run a youth rally so that they can go out into local villages and reach the young people there.

 

Today we are in a larger village called Bahaia. Us Americans (mainly me) are learning to be flexible and roll with the punches. Harrison has done an incredible job leading and keeping my head on straight, he also just told me he scored a goal against the Brazilians in our big soccer game this afternoon.

 

The Bush family, Tori, Amber and Leah worked hard at the dental station pulling teeth all day. Lauren Simpson, Lathan, Lexi, Emily, Troy, Taylor, Jennie and Lauren Glavin spent the afternoon loving on kids. They were awesome VBS leaders and I was so blessed to watch them share the love of Christ with the sweet Brazilian people who are so dear to my heart.

 

We started some mens and womens ministry today and it went well. The Holy Spirit really spoke through Michael and Harrison's testimony to the men. We also gave the women some of the new evangelism aprons that were made and donated to Amazon Outreach and they were overjoyed, smiling laughing and posing for one another, it was a sweet sight to see.

 

Harrison and I had the opportunity to meet the President of the village and hear his story. He has been praying for 3 years that a church would be built in his village and here in a couple of months Amazon Outreach is bringing a trip here led by Bill Blythe that will build that very church to answer his prayers. The people here are open and hungry for the gospel so please be praying for the future leadership of the church here because the enemy definitely does not want such a large, powerful community on fire for Christ.

 

Everyone is healthy and we could not be more thankful for that. Keep praying for continued health, rest and that God's name will continue to be glorified throughout the nation. We look forward to a new day to proclaim His name but until then, "Soups On Baby" aka Dinner Time!

 

Deus Abencoe
Sic Em Bears
In Christ,
Landen Ellis, Harrison Ross & Baylor Team

Day Two, Part 2

Oi from Brasil,

 

Everyone has made it safe and sound. The Bush family, Amber and Michael and Leah all arrived safely in Parintins this evening. The past few days have been crazy because of weather and flights but we have all arrived and everyone is doing great!

 

This afternoon most of the team went to Good Samaritan Village here in Parintins (a city/island on the Amazon) where we had Vacation Bible School and played lots of soccer with the kids. Shelton, Taylor, Troy and Jennie made great disciples in the skit where Jesus tells the men in the  to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Brent Adams, Lexi and Lauren were swarmed by kids, they were loving on them and having a blast just playing silly games despite the language barrier. It was a successful afternoon and no one wanted to say goodbye when it was time to head back to the boat.

 

There has been plenty of rain here but we are all going strong and aren't letting that stand in our way. Pray for us Saturday as we will be doing a youth rally (basically day camp on steroids) with a group of teenagers here in Parintins. It is a powerful opportunity for us to minister to kids close to our own age and really relate with them and share the hope we have found in Christ.

 

We can feel your prayers. We are so grateful that everyone was able to make it here safely. Pray for strength, energy and boldness in the days to come. We look forward to letting you know how the Youth Rally goes.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Jones-- Amber made it here safe and sound and she wants you to know that she loves you and is already having a great time here in the Amazon. Thanks for your prayers, God bless!

 

In Christ,
Landen Ellis & The Baylor Team

Day Two, Part 1

Hello from the Amazon!  We are in a city on the river called Paritin, and we are going to begin VBS with the kids soon.  This is the first chance we've had since arriving to connect with the satellite and let everyone know we're doing great and we're alive.  We will, God willing that it doesn't rain all night, post again this evening with more information about what's going on and how we're all doing.  In the meantime, don't worry and we love you all!

The Village March Team-Day 8

March 26, 2011 - Day 8

Hoy!

After a full day of rest and traveling back to Manaus, we have arrived! I just wanted to let you know where we'll be over the next 2 days as we make our way back to the states. We just spent our afternoon buying souvenirs for you all. Oh and, no big deal, but Bill Clinton actually got to say hi to a few of us (no joke) as we played pool in the Tropical hotel of Manaus today. He, along with Sir Richard Branson and Arnold Schwarzeneggar, are speaking at a Global Sustainability conference (Amen Lord) and was blessed to make eye contact with yours truly. We are now lounging on the mother ship awaiting to depart for dinner. Afterwards, we'll be waiting at the departure gate from 11pm to 2am (so please pray for patience and that we manage to entertain ourselves!). Then, the journey commences:

Sunday
2:40 am - depart from Manaus to Brasilia
6:30 am arrive in brasilia
9:00 am depart for Miami
3:40 arrive in MIA
7:25 depart for DFW (Flight AA 1973)
9:40 HOME!!! I wish I could tell you exactly what gate we'll be arriving at, but unfortunately we will not know until Miami.

It's been such a blessing serving my Amazon family through writing this blog; I've loved being the one to document the beauty that we've experienced. So from me, (Skye) to you (readers), thanks for tuning in! My prayer is that many, for years to come, will write on this same boat sharing the stories of God's restoration in the Amazon.

See YA'LL in the TX!

Until the whole world hears,

The Village March Team

Oh and Paul Stuart the Amazing Dude will be speaking at the hotel about sustainability (joke). Paul is totally awesome (joke). He invented the essence of masculinity; then Jon Lamb made it Godly (also joke).

I kissed Arnold Schwarzeneggar! California represent what what!!! <3 Chrissy Allison

Chris Manack wants to thank all my family and friends that gave their prayers and finances that allowed me to make this trip. Thank you all and God bless.

 

The Village March Team - Day 6

March 24, 2011 - Day 6

Hoy!

"Indescribeable...uncontainable...awe-struck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, You are amazing, God."

We awoke today singing these words for morning worship as the Lord set a brilliant sunrise as our backdrop; I am hoping that you are seeing this for yourself as I have attached pictures in hopes that they may say to you what I cannot.

Our lives are forever blessed from day six, and our prayer is this: that we are not merely stirred, but drastically changed. The Jaquareqara Village was heartbreaking and joyful all the same; yet, no matter our state, God was greater. Our hearts broke to see a three-year-old burn victim still healing from her wounds. Yet, we were overjoyed when her family, once enemies of God, whole-heartedly accepted Jesus as their Savior. The enemy had been tormenting this particular family for years, as was evident in the tragedies they had endured; yet, God pursued His children and prevailed. Our hearts broke, again, as a 16-year-old mother claimed that reincarnation followed death; this opinion formed solely on her own assumption. Yet, joy poured into us when a woman stood before her unbelieving peers and proclaimed that Jesus had saved her pneumonia-stricken baby through the Amazon Outreach missionaries six years ago. Today, her healthy daughter stood next to her mother as she said in Portuguese, "I will never stop telling my story."

To be apart of stories such as this, is living the Gospel; it's seeing the Father restore His creation in a place where it is easy to forget it was ever fractured. I had to remind myself of this corruption as I watched fireflies imitate the stars amidst the trees in the rainforest while we hunted for alligators. (Our boat caught two, by the way, and it was absolutely thrilling; we have many pictures - Mama Terri: HA! :P ) To be sitting in the middle of the Amazon River under an astounding night sky, glancing back at an impoverous, broken village is witnessing the tear that is sin while still realizing that He makes beauty out of ashes; and still the best is yet to come.

Although we will not be evangelizing to any villages tomorrow, this place is in desperate need of prayer. The power of prayer is something God has really taught me on this trip and, for the first time, I get it. Thus, I plead with you to join me in prayer as Pastor Jose Carlos, the pastor and full-time Amazonian missionary that has joined us on this excursion, continues where we have left off. We are only here briefly, yet the Lord has settled Him here and continues to annoint his mission. Hearts have come to know Jesus through the obedience of this man and his family, and our prayer is that God continues to use him miraculously.

This entire experience has been so beyond us, our abilities and our expectations; I just want to, again, say obrigada (thank-you) to all of our sponsors and supporters for joining us in the mission field through your faith and obedience. I cannot thank you enough as God has used this entire team to teach me and share their wisdom with me. This team exemplifies so many characteristics of what God ordained the church to be, and I'm so incredibly, unbelieveable grateful to be stuck on a boat with these insane, loving, joyful, wise and compassionate people. So, I first thank God; then I thank you for sending them here.

Further still,

The Village March Team

The Village March Team - Day 5

March 23, 2011 - Day 5

Hoy! (Hi in Portuguese)

I am writing from the third deck of the boat while my fellow missionaries drown out the sound of bullfrogs with Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Hey, He only said to make a joyful noise; He never said it had to be a beautiful one.

Today the Amor E Esperance carried us to 2 degrees 25' S, 58 degrees 20' W where we were greeted by the village children singing and holding welcome signs; we knew God was giving us an amazing day and, as always, He was faithful. We were blessed to be able to disciple our Brazilian brothers and sisters today as this village already knew Jesus. We were able to see the expansion of God's sovereignty as our foreign world's collided under the Kingdom of God, and our meeting point was the Cross. We, again, offered reading glasses to villagers who owned Bibles but could not read them through their blurred vision. We discipled to the women, as wisdom was exchanged between God's Brazilian and American daughters. The children, who continuously manage to find a foothold on my heart, surprised us by reciting verses back to us; To hear a child recite Romans in Portuguese and to have the Spirit translate it to your heart is a thing of divinity that I pray I'll be blesed with throughout my life. The medical team even performed minor surgeries on some brave villagers who would otherwise be unable to receive the much-needed care. For the first time this week, we were able to reach out to a group of teenage girls; this may seem ordinary, however, the transition period is relatively shorter here as it is a cultural norm for children to become mothers rather quickly. God's assembly of this team and the varying talents He has ordained us all with still astounds me as I watch the divine appointments meet throughout the village.

During lunch we celebrated Tam's birthday and beforedinner we celebrated Chris Manack's new birth into the Kingdom as he was baptised in the Amazon River. To witness a brother publicly proclaim the Messiah as King and beautifully fall under obedience to scripture was amazing and something we will never forget. God's intricate timing of our lives is astounding and we give thanks. The night ended with an Amazonian alligator hunt during which this blogger (Skye) almost tipped the boat in the first five minutes. Don't worry, we only caught a baby alligator, but tomorrow we're moving to another area in pursuit of its mom. Wish us luck!

The Lord has been so good and Gracious to us. Looking up at the stars now, which cannot compare to anywhere else, is an astounding reminder that the Creator of these loves us more; He uses these to light the world but calls us to be an even greater light. Tomorrow will be our last day evangelizing on the Amazon as Friday will be a day of rest and swimming while we make the 18-hour journey back to Menaus. Please ask the Spirit to move miraculously, the Father to be our strength and for Jesus' name to be proclaimed.

"I see Your power in the moonlit night/ Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright/ We are amazed in the light of the stars/ It's all proclaiming who you are/ You're Beautiful" - Phil Wickham

The Village March Team

P.S. I hear a rooster crowing, yet, there is definitely no sun out as it is 11pm. Confused perhaps? Bom Noite!

The Village March Team Day 4

March 22, 2011- Day 4

We are alive. Jesus saved lives. There are now believers in the village that had none.

It is well with our souls,

The Village March Team

 

Jackie/Luke/Hadley, miss you guys so much. thinking about you all the time. Hopefully everything is ok there. we had a great day meeting with the men of the village, sharing the word and giving them bibles and shoes. We closed out the day getting schooled in soccer by the Brazilians. Guess all the work I put in pre-trip on my soccer skills did not pay off. Love you guys, take care, and see you soon. Love, chris

Tyler- wish you were here. I got to participate in VBS and experienced so much joy watching the children's faces; and I miss ours so very much. Three of the boys from VBS accepted the Lord that night. We closed out our night "gator hunting." Oh yes! Out in a small boat at night we (I mean a brazilian man) caught a small gator and put it on the boat. I held it!! Can't wait to show you pictures and tell you stories. Please pray that God would strenghten my spirit. Love to you from the southern hemisiphere, Aly

Mom (Leisha), I miss you so much. We are having such an amazing experience here in the Amazon. And don't worry, Dad has been on his best behaviour. :) Love you, Jessi & Bill.

Mama K and friends - love and miss you! This is quite the incredible place/experience...can't wait to tell you all about it! I've only taken approx 987 pics, so get ready....;) xoxoxoxo Rae

Mama Terri, Dad, Hunter- I'm growing weary, but still joyful; pray for endurance and energy. I almost adopted a little girl yesterday; if I was married and the time was right, you would be grandparents today and, Hunter, you would be an uncle. We just started singing Phil Wickham's "Beautiful" in the middle of the Amazon; amen for restoration. Love ya'll -Bird

Pat and Jeanne (mom and dad) - Hi love you. Tell Laurie and Carlos eu falo portoguese. And Jean, tell Nellie the search continues ;). Having a wonderful time, such beautiful people here... the kids are melting my heart and also making me miss my KV girls. Love Gwen

From Paul,

Definitely starting to miss family and friends. God's been super sweet, and I'm having a blast. Prayers are always welcome.

Lindales, I hope you guys have been recording, can't wait to get back and lay down drum tracks.

Hi Mom, Dad, & Khoa! What a wonderful way to spend a birthday! I hope that everyone is doing well at home. I am having a wonderful time. I have been waking up early (5:30am!) every morning to see the sunrise along with a cup of coffee. It's been rainy & cloudy at nights so far. I'm hoping to see the stars & the milky way soon. Anyway, it's time to start the day. I have been praying for you all & I miss you like crazy! Love you!!! - Tam