Bom Dia de Manaus!

...or Good Morning from Manaus!

The first team departed for home, as the second team traveled from Dallas and arrived in Manaus around 5 am this morning (Saturday) after a slight delay in Miami. Everyone arrived safely but the team's luggage and the donation bags are still in route.

Please pray that the bags arrive today and that all the donation bags make it through customs/security! This is important because all bags must be screened before you are allowed to exit the airport, and typically a couple donation bags are pulled aside after being screened because the medical/dental supplies (large bottles of ibuprofen, vitamins, antibiotics, neosporin, etc. with labels in English) are a yellow flag for the security officers who then want to double check to make sure we're not bringing anything illegal or unsafe into the country.

Today the team will do a little site seeing in Manaus and rest up one last time in the comforts we often take for granted (comfy bed, air conditioning, etc.) before they hop on the boat tomorrow for the long journey into the jungle to share the love of Christ with everyone they meet.

How can you pray for the team today?

• - That the bags arrive today before the team boards the boat tomorrow night
• - For patience as the team waits for their bags in the same clothes they have had on since Friday morning


• - For rest - physical, emotional and spiritual rest as the team prepares to embark for the jungle


• - For unity, humility and servant hearts as the team seeks to glorify God in service with the Brazilian team from the church in Manaus


• - That the entire team would have an insatiable desire to share God's grace


• - For open doors for the team to share God' grace and love


• - That all involved would be transformed forever and have a new perspective of what a MIGHTY God we serve!

Thanks again for your prayers and please check back as the team will be calling from a satellite phone each day to give updates.

Blessings,

Angela Ardis
(Brazil trip - August 2007)

"And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." Eph 1:9-10

Endings and Beginnings

Good evening!

Thank you so much for praying for the team. They had a good day today serving the people of Villa Nova and we trust that the Lord is working through them to touch the lives of those they encounter.

Tomorrow will be their last day of work. Then they'll make their way back to Manaus and head back home to Dallas. It's a long boat ride and journey back home and, while their work in the jungle may be finished, the Lord is still at work in both the team and the villages.

And while this team's trip is coming to an end, another team will begin their's Friday morning. I'll be part of that team and I couldn't be more excited! A bit sad to leave our dogs, but excited to join my husband :) and a few others from the first team who are staying for week two. And..just ready to love on those sweet people of the jungle, hold a baby or two and play with the kids.

How can you pray for both teams?

Team unity and pure motives for team 1. They are vulnerable to Satan as they become increasingly fatigued and hot. He wants to interrupt God's plan for them.

Praise God for keeping the team safe as they travel and for continued safety as they travel on to the next village tonight and back to Manaus on Friday evening.

Praise God for the provision of translators. They make these trips possible!

Pray for a strong finish for team 1.

I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold
Psalm 18: 1-2

For team 2: safe travels and that all of our donation items make it through customs. Please also pray that the Lord would begin working in the hearts of the lost.

Keep traveling with us electronically! We'll continue to provide daily updates.

Thanks again for your prayers. I look forward to providing a trip summary when we return.

Blessings,
Kelli Coblentz

Day Three: Villa Nova

Good morning!

All went well in the village of Nazare. The team is having a great time serving the people and playing with the kiddos and loving on chubby little babies. They got some relief yesterday with some rain, praise God for that! However, today will be hot as it's usually very hot and humid after a nice rain.

Today they are in Villa Nova. This village does have a church and a lay pastor so some of the people are believers. Each of the ministries (VBS, womens, sports, medical/dental) will be serving the people today and tonight they will attend a worship service in the village.

How can you pray today?

Healing and recovery for a couple of folks with upset stomachs. It's not uncommon with the change in diet, climate, lack of rest and physical stress their bodies are going through.

Endurance and perseverance. Protection from the heat.

Boldness to share the gospel

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1:17-20

Blessings,
Kelli Coblentz

Day Two: Nazare

Good Morning!

The team has arrived in Nazare, a small village far north.

This village has been visited by Christians before; however, they are not believers. Many are involved with a religion that teaches them their salvation is based on works and that they do not need a bible, they just need to listen to what their leader tells them. There is also a lot of witchcraft and jungle scorcery in this village.

The medical and dental teams are already at work. The VBS, women's and sports teams are preparing for the day. The childrens team typically holds two VBS sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They have anywhere from 10 to 50 kids, with 50 being a very large class. Average is about 25-30. There are usually 2-3 Brazilian translators working with our team and one will play guitar while the others teach the words and motions of the songs to the kids. Our team will join in too...either in front of the class or mixed in with the kids. Then they'll tell a bible story and do an associated craft.

The womens team will meet with the women of the village. Usually consists of 7-10 women from the village. A village "woman" could be anywhere from 13 to 70.. as the women grow up a lot quicker than N. Americans due to their responsibility at such an early age. The women are taught proper hygiene and health maintenance. One or two of the girls from our team will share their testimony and what a personal relationship with Christ has done for them. Hopefully the vulnerability of our team will spur on great discussions with the women of the village.

How can you pray today?

Pray for the Holy Spirit to do a mighty work through the team. Pray for boldness. Pray for open hearts of the villagers to receive the free gift of life, based on grace alone and not works. Eph 2:8

Pray for healing as one of our guys broke his nose while playing soccer. He is doing fine, but please pray that he is able to continue serving and enjoy the trip.

Strength and endurance for the team. I was informed that they are very tired and it's very hot. I looked up the weather: 90 degrees and 66% humidity.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40: 29-31

Thanks for your prayers!

Kelli Coblentz

Open Doors

Good Evening!

The team arrived in Codojas about 5:00AM this morning and had a great first day of serving and loving on the people. The church that we are partnering with in Manaus is planting a church there. The medical and dental teams did not set up as this village turned out to be a large town that actually has a medical clinic. The VBS, sports outreach and women's teams were in full force and those on the medical/dental teams spent the day visiting with people in the town and inviting them to the church service in the evening.

Each day the team visits a village there is a church service held in the evening. This service is similar to a Protestant church service here. The service opens up with singing and then the village pastor will say a few words and then turn it over to one of the Brazilians we are partnering with to deliver a sermon and/or one of our team members will share their testimony.

They'll be traveling overnight to the next village and should arrive by morning.

How can you pray for the team?

Strength & endurance. It is very hot and humid in the Amazon Jungle and you can get dehydrated and exhausted easily and quickly.

Safety as they travel through the night to the next village.

Open doors to share the gospel. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Colossians 4:3-4

Praise God for opening the door in Codojas and for that town to be receptive to building a church. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to work in that community and bring forth leaders within the church to disciple their people and increase the kingdom of the Lord.

Thanks for checking in with us and thank you for praying,

Kelli Coblentz

Rollin' Up the River

Good Afternoon!
Just got an update from the team. All is well and looks like their plans were adjusted as they are still en route to the first village, Codojas, which they are scheduled to arrive late tonight or early tomorrow morning. They will have traveled more than 24 hours up river from Manaus to reach the first village, which is farther than any of our teams have ever traveled up river.

They are on the Salamone River System and I wish I could provide a link to information on that, but I couldn't find anything. Must be a really remote river that feeds off a main river or a slang name for it. Kind of like those of us who live in Dallas call 75 "central".

The reason they are traveling so far is the local church we partner with really wanted to make contact with the people in this village. What an outreach! That is convicting for me as I think how it can be an inconvenience for me to just go across town, in my vehicle that would take me just a few minutes.

The team is doing well, everyone is excited to arrive and get to work!

Here's how you can pray:

- Safe travels. I don't know how to spell the Captain's name, but it is pronounced "hi" so pray for him and his team as they navigate the boat, especially at night.

- Team unity. What a great opportunity to really get to know the translators and bond with them.

- Boldness in the village. 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

Have a great day and thanks for checking in with us,

Kelli Coblentz

Boarding the Boat

Bom dia! (Good Morning!)

All is well with the team in Manaus. Today they will meet the translators from the local church that we partner with to serve the Amazon Jungle and also attend worship service with them. Then they'll hop on the JJ Mesquita, which is the boat pictured here, and begin the long journey into the jungle to begin loving on and serving the villagers tomorrow. The team is excited!

How can you pray today?

- Safe travel on the river.

- Praise God for allowing this opportunity and providing a local church partner that continues to serve the people of the Amazon Jungle even after we leave. Their goal is to build 100 churches in the jungle by 2010 and they have about 80 so far!! Continue praying for the Lord to raise up leaders in the villages of the Amazon to serve Him and bring forth His message to others.

- Continue praying for the Lord to work in the hearts of the lost

- Team unity and working well with the translators. To have someone translate everything you say is a different form of communication to learn. Pray that the Lord would bless that parternship and that the Holy Spirit would work through the translation to effectively communicate to the villagers.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over alla nd thorugh all and in all. Ephesians 4: 3-6

Thanks for your prayers!

Have a blessed Sunday,

Kelli Coblentz