Up the River We Will Go!

The team traveled up the Amazon river all night and all day in the JJ Mesquita, their mobile living quarters for the week. To the right is a picture of the boat. The bottom deck contains a pharmacy, rooms for the medical & dental teams to treat patients, a kitchen where all the meals are prepared and boarding for boat crew and Brazilian team. The second deck contains boarding for the American team, a common area for dining and fellowship, and the captain's seat. The top deck is sometimes used for evening devotionals or just a place to seek solitude.

While traveling on the boat today, the team (Brazilians & Americans) spent time getting to know each other as well as preparing the donation items to hand out at the villages. They arrived at Itaprangu, a fairly large city in the jungle, around 5pm tonight and plan to attend a worship service in the city at a satellite church of our host church from Manaus. The team will share testimonies and preach at the service, and then everyone will get back on the boat. They will travel all night again (30 hours in total up river from Manaus!) and arrive in their first village sometime tomorrow morning.

The team is rested but a few are dealing with sinus infections/allergies. Please pray for healing for these few! Everyone is excited to visit their first village tomorrow where they will spend the day serving and loving on the Amazon people by ministering to their medical, physical and spiritual needs.

Here's how you can pray for the team today:
- For the boat crew as they journey further up river throughout the night again and that God will guide their way along the dark river
- For team unity and that the American team would feel comfortable working with the translators.
- That the Lord would prepare the hearts and minds of the people and that they would be receptive to hearing the gospel and their hearts would be moved to learn more about Jesus if they don't know him.
- Boldness in sharing the gospel tomorrow and that no one on the team would feel insecure or ill-equipped to share Christ. Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide their words and lead them in that conversation.
- Team health & energy. The food is going to be different for some, so it's not uncommon to have a few upset stomachs...and energy because it is very hot and very humid. Specifically, pray for strength and healing for those few dealing with sinus infections/allergies


Thank you for your prayers.

Blessings,
Angela Ardis
(Brazil trip - August 2007)

"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel" - Ephesians 6:19