Pray for safe travel as the team leaves this afternoon!

From Aleesha - We're on the boat. We made it around 6:15am. The bus ride was the worst I've experienced yet. 🙈 So far no one has gotten motion sickness. Landon and Sarah are wearing the prescription patches. He told me in the line at customs - "this feels like the longest day ever"

Pray for rest today!

Yesterday afternoon, our team was scheduled to travel to Nova Esperanza, where we’ve ministered before, but the boat developed mechanical issues. A second boat that was going to tow them also broke down last night, so the team remains in the village where voting was taking place. Pastor Will believes the Lord may be using this delay to open doors for ministry right where they are. Today, they plan to minister in the village while the crew works on repairing the boat.
Please join us in praying for quick repairs, open hearts to the Gospel, and encouragement and discernment for the team.

House visits went really well. The teams are doing a phenomenal job jumping in and asking questions to get to know the villagers. We were able to get into the Word some and ask how their personal growth is going.

The PM service was wonderful. Sarah led us in worship with the new keyboard. Aurijane also sang for us in Portuguese. Gabe shared his testimony of how he came to salvation. Pastor Will shared from Ephesians 2 and boldly shared how Christ reconciled our relationship with God by Him being our Ultimate sacrifice.

The fellowship is always rewarding and it has been so good to see the team connecting so quickly with the people here.   

The team  is headed out now.  One team is going to go a couple miles into the jungle to peel and cook Cassava.  Aleesha’s team has appointments with houses today, and the kids’ team is doing their thing in the community center with songs, a lesson, coloring pages, and games.

** PM Update**
Aleesha’s team had Bible study, covering Proverbs 31, with a single mom this morning. Afterwards they completed an activity with her that was really impactful based on what was just studied. Their translator recommended that she write on a piece of paper all of the lies she had been telling herself verses the different characteristics of the Proverbs woman. They went through each of them and gave her Bible verses or passages that were the truth from God's Word. She was really encouraged by that.

In the afternoon they had a home visit with Kelianne to hang out, but also to pray about different things pertaining to the village.

They also visited a house owned by a lady named Nega. She caught 25 bogó fish today, cleaned them, cooked them and served them to Aleesha's team to try. They all really loved it and said it had a lot of taste.

The team that went to harvest the maniác hiked 3.5 miles round trip to the farm. The terrain was a little difficult with it being overgrown and just being very wet back there. They peeled the root vegetables together. The villagers shared the process of what the vegetable goes through to be harvested. The team was able to ask really great questions about their relationship with Jesus while they worked. Two of the villagers said that they “prayed”, but they didn't go to church with the others. One of the teammates asked if they had a relationship with Jesus and they wouldn't answer. They appeared to be closed off to even discuss it. Will did lead them in a conversation to understand that they were not saved and 6 villagers prayed for salvation right there, while they were working.

The children's team taught Jesus is the Good Shepherd in the morning. They played 2 games to go with the lesson - hide and seek (the Shepherd goes out to find them) and then Simon says (do as they Shepherd tells you). Then in the afternoon they taught David and Goliath. They played a game where they had to knock down Goliath with ping pong balls. They could win a lollipop if they did. They also sat and did some coloring when it was hot. The kids LOVED the games that coordinated with the lessons.

Tonight they showed an episode of The Chosen to the villagers on a projector & screen that they brought with them. The people absolutely loved that!

Kids team -
This morning they taught the lesson about Jesus getting baptized by John the Baptist. They were able to do an activity that demonstrated that you can get your clothes dirty and wash them, but your sin is not something you can wash away. Only Jesus is able to wash you clean. They played games, sang and danced, and the younger kids loved coloring the best.

Brian’s team with home visits -
This morning and this afternoon the team went through the Romans road together in a house with the husband. MaryAnn shared her testimony, but at the end of the day the husband was just not ready to accept Christ. His name is Diego.

They also visited the mom & daughter who live as the outcast in the village. They shared the Lord's prayer with her in their time of study. The daughter is a Christian and still reads the Bible to her Mom.

Maniàc harvesting -
The team went a second day to hike back to the farm where the root vegetable is being harvested. The walk is mostly in the sun and there is little shade. Where the water has dried up so much, the walk is much farther than normal because the boats cannot access it. We found out from Victor the walk is actually 5 miles. The area where we are peeling is covered. The vegetable is just in a big pile on the ground. You just keep grabbing and peeling from the pile. They ABSOLUTELY love the vegetable peelers we brought from America. They are extremely appreciative because they can peel faster and much safer. The handle keeps their hands protected. We asked follow up questions from yesterday regarding salvation and if they understood the decision made. They all said yes. We explained to them what baptism is, using the same verbiage Will uses. Sarah and Aleesha shared a piece of their testimony that helped them understand they were living one way, then we gave our life to Christ and what it was like afterwards during the growth process. During that time, you could see them all, many times, stop peeling and listen to them talking.

Aleesha's team -
This afternoon they visited Aurijane. Her birthday is tomorrow and she asked for them to play dominoes in her home. She's a sweet friend so we played dominoes and prayed over her family & home before leaving.

In the evening service Sarah shared her testimony and led worship for us. Gabe preached from 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. It was a great service. We saw people attend that have not been before.

Today in Aleesha's team, they had their last house visit with Pedro, Keliannes’s husband. He is a man they are praying for that would feel called to help lead the village. They shared the morning devotion from Matthew 7:24-27 with him. It was an excellent example for him to understand that Christ is our firm foundation. Craig shared his testimony. We mostly concentrated on sharing parts of our testimony or wisdom that would help him feel encouraged to be bold about his faith to continue to lead his family and now the younger men of the village who do not have a role model.

They also helped Aurijane make her birthday cake and icing, from scratch, to make her birthday special.

In the morning the children's team taught on what it means to be a light for Jesus. Their activity was to make a sun and then go around and name different ways they can be a light in their homes, with their friends and at school. Erin said she thinks this lesson is the one that they understood the most and was most effective. In the afternoon they played games, enjoyed more dancing and just had a fun time since it was our last time being together.

In Brian's team they went to many different homes one last time to follow up from previous conversations. The team didn't concentrate on any specific story or passage, but just whatever came up in conversation that pointed back to Christ.

In the PM service, MaryAnn and Blake shared their testimony. Will preached from Matthew 7:1-6. He was helping them to understand that now that more and more are coming to Christ that the way you show Jesus to another person is not by judging them or making them feel bad for what they're doing. Rather, sharing Christ and how He has changed their life, so the evidence of change will be the example.

We celebrated Aurijane’s birthday with many foods that are cultural to them, a birthday cake and some drinks. It was a wonderful time and way to end our trip together. We said our goodbyes knowing that we were leaving Saturday morning.

With the water level rapidly declining in the New Hope area of the river, the team made the call to leave early this morning. They have been taking their time getting back to the city. On the way, they stopped for a swim and time to fish. It's been an easy day to relax. Tomorrow will be a long day filled with packing, shopping, taking a real, cleanish shower, and closing the evening with a nice meal at a Brazilian steakhouse before getting on a red eye flight home. Pray for the team as I know they are ready to be back. 

The team arrived safely to Manaus this morning. After a day of shopping and a little rest, they'll be heading out to dinner, a little nap, and then off to the airport.  Thank you again for all the the prayers and encouragement. Pray for a smooth trip home.