One Last Stop

Boa Tarde (Good Afternoon) !

The team had a great last full day of ministry yesterday and today they are in a different village for part of the day. The village they are in today is called Araras. We don't have much information on this village so please continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to be revealed through our team and for the hearts of the villagers to be receptive to the Gospel.

After ministering to this village they'll continue on to Manaus. This might be the last post until the team lands back in the US. If I hear from them while they're in Manaus I'll be sure to let you know they arrived safely. Their flight departs Manaus tomorrow at 2:10pm central time and lands in Miami at 7:25pm central time. They will overnight in Miami and depart Sunday at 7:10am central time and arrive into DFW at 10:20am local Dallas time.

Please continue to pray for safe travels, health and wellness of the team and for the hearts of those who heard the Gospel to be moved and softened and ultimately come to know Christ. Thank the Lord for the opportunity our team had, for their obedience to step out of their comfort zone, the translators, the boat crew, the Brazilian ministry team, our partner church, and for all of the friends and family that supported them financially and prayerfully to make the trip possible. Praise God for the work that he is already and continues to do in the Amazon jungle of Brazil. While our team's trip is almost finished, the Holy Spirit is always at work and the team's efforts will continue to impact those villages.

Thank you for checking in and for praying for the team.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Blessings,
Kelli Coblentz

Pressing On

Good Afternoon,

Team 2 is doing well and everyone is feeling good today so thank you for praying for those that weren't well yesterday. They are in a new village today where they'll have their last full day of ministry. Tonight they'll begin the long boat ride back to Manaus but they'll have the opportunity to visit two villages tomorrow along the way back.

The villages Team 2 has visited have not been as receptive to the team or the Gospel as the villages were last week. Please pray for perseverance for the team and for the Lord to open hearts of the villagers. Pray also that the team would not grow weary or discouraged but that they would be kept at peace knowing they are being obedient to the Lord and that HE will do the rest.

Please also pray for strength and endurance. They are tired, it's hot, and when the villages aren't as receptive as they'd hoped for I'm sure it's even more emotionally and spiritually tiring.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up Galatians 6:9

Thank you for checking in and for praying for the team.

In Him,
Kelli Coblentz

Remembering Our Job

Bom Dia!

Thank you for checking in on the team. They are doing pretty good and staying strong despite the intense heat and humidity.

Today they are in a village called Bella Vista. There wasn't much information to be shared on this village but each of the ministry teams (medical, childrens, womens and mens) are geared up and ready to begin a full day of loving on and serving the people of this village with the ultimate intention of sharing Christ and the hope found in Him.

Yesterday they were in a village that wasn't very receptive to the team. While the team hopes for each person they encounter to know the Lord or accept him as their Savior, they were reminded that their job is to preach the Good News, to demonstrate Christ's love for them and to share what God has done in their lives. God will change hearts. It's easy, though, to walk away thinking "if I only did/said this, maybe they would believe" but the team has been obedient what the Lord has called them to, which is sharing and telling of his gift. His free gift of grace. The Holy Spirit will do its work in the hearts that have heard and we will continue to pray that they will believe and accept this amazing gift that has been offered to them.

With that, pray for the team's confidence today and that it would be of the Lord. That satan would not have a foothold in trying to make them feel defeated but that they would remain strong and steadfast in the Lord, knowing that they have his full armor to uphold them today.

Pray also for the team's health and endurance. There are a few folks with upset stomachs, which is not uncommon since they're eating different foods and exposed to extreme heat and are probably a bit tired physically and maybe even emotionally or spiritually.

Continue praying for receptive hearts and for the Holy Spirit to pierce through any walls that satan is trying to build. Pray for the people of Bella Vista to see and experience Christ's love for them today through the team. That they would see and believe firsthand how valuable they are and how they can be freed from opporession of a works based salvation and to be assured of eternal life with only the One who can save.

Tim sends his apologies that you haven't been able to hear directly from the team or see pictures from their time in the villages. He continues to have problems with the satellite router which enables him to connect to the internet.

Thank you for praying and for checking in.

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, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:19-20

Have a blessed day,
Kelli Coblentz

Team 2 in their First Village

Bom Dia (Good Morning) !

Thank you for praying for the boat repairs. They were able to get it running again and the team traveled up the Rio Negro and made it to the first village they'll be serving at today called Santa Maria. This is a decent sized village with 35 families; however, only 10 adults are believers so there is great opportunity today to share Christ.

All of the ministry teams are excited for their first full day and they'll soon be getting off of the boat to go out and love on and serve the Amazon people. It's going to be a very hot day today in the jungle as the sun is already out and strong with no clouds in the forecast. It's very humid and one can lose energy much quicker than they would back in the States, even during July in Texas when it's 100+ degrees.

The picture I posted is from a few years ago but it gives you an idea of the mode of transportation of the locals in the jungle. It's not surprising, as the picture shows, to see young kids traveling by boat to and from villages. It's possible that neighboring villages could hear about our team's arrival and travel by a canoe such as this...packed full...to seek medical care and just to see why they are there.

How can you pray for the team today?

* strength and endurance during the heat
* unity among the US and Brazilian teams
* receptive hearts and spirits to the Gospel
* wisdom for the medical / dental teams as they treat patients
* let's not forget to thank the Lord for his provision of our Brazilian church partner and their translators.

Thank you for praying and for checking in.

The team hopes to post a story and picture later today from their experience in Santa Maria.

Kelli Coblentz

Team 2 faces some early challenges

Team 1 has arrived home & Team 2 is on the river & ready to go to work. On Sunday we had a devotional, final training meeting, Brazilian church service with partner church where we met our translators & then loaded up the bus & went to the boat. The boat we are on this week is the JJ Mesquita which has been recently renovated as they added additional bathrooms & medical facilities. Last night we started up the Rio Negro river but didn’t get very far as the boat had some mechanical issues & had to return to Manaus where we are hanging out at this moment organizing our donation items as they are servicing the boat. The plan was for us to work in 5 villages along the Rio Negro river but instead of 5 full days of work (Mon-Fri) it looks like we will probably have only 4 full days of work. God is in control & we trust that the boat will be fixed soon & they estimate we will shortly begin our trip back up the Rio NegroRiver.
Please pray for:
• Boat to be fixed quickly & no more mechanical issues
• Unity between North Americans & Brazilians
• Open hearts for the gospel along the Rio Negro River

SINCE I HAD SOME TROUBLE LAST WEEK WITH THE SATELLITE ROUTER I AM POSTING A STORY FROM LAST WEEK THAT WE WANTED TO SHARE


Today was our second full day of ministry and we are really starting to get in the swing of things. We woke up to a light rain that cooled the weather nicely. After breakfast, we practiced our singing for the next village time, then Djard led our group devotional. We were all blessed by a woman from the village who joined us, Baranesee. A former witch doctor, she is now a leader in the village! As she has faced ailments in recent months, Djard anointed her with oil and we circled around her to lay hands and pray for healing, which was a very powerful experience. Later that morning, the women’s team got to visit her house and hear the story of how her husband and kids came to Christ. This woman has been touched by the hand of God in many, many ways to say the least. The stories are unending and her faith is unbelievable. To hear about how her grandson was healed from cancer as a result of an all-night vigil and all the other stories were a great reminder that our God is bigger, stronger, greater and mighty to save! The women’s team also got to visit another lay pastor at his home with Djard, whose name is Nildo. His home was unbelievably clean and you can tell he takes great pride in building it himself. The wood floors were gorgeous! We later bought candy and coffee from the shop he runs in the back. He is also a craftsmen and carved boat souvenirs that he gave us. Our whole team was struck by his generosity and peaceful heart. Melody from the women’s team shared the Evangecube and Lexi Gill shared her story with the women – 46 women accepted Christ! We felt a much more somber spirit in this village than San Antonio yesterday and were very encouraged by the number of women who came, listened to the Gospel and left with eternal life. The men’s team had an intense a day of soccer against a bunch of Brazilian women who are amazing athletes! the game started in the rain with lots of slipping and sliding, ending with a victory due to help from our trusty deck hand, Isaac, who is a former professional soccer player. Nathan Quinn shared the evangecube before the game began, and almost 30 men from all age ranges accepted Christ! The children’s VBS team had a blast today. Everyone got involved in the games, songs and bible story of Jonah and the whale. Upon arrival, there was definitely mutual affection between our team and the kids. Even with the language barrier, bonds were built with kids of all ages ranging from infants to 11 years old. Family responsibility is so strong with the kids. Even 6 year olds are carrying babies and taking care of one another. The medical team changed camps and set up triage in the pavilion next to the soccer field. The fun part about that was the team was able to keep each other updated on the score of the game throughout the day. With about 100 patients seen yesterday, the team saw about 70 today ranging from worms treatment, fungal infections and body aches. At the end of the day, Djard started the service gathering everyone from the village and Aimee Blevins and Cody Bateman shared their testimonies. Deba, our ship captain preached and had an invitation and about a dozen accepted Christ! After a long day of rain and evangelizing, we headed back to the boat for a delicious dinner of fried chicken and mashed potatoes and an after dinner alligator hunt! While perusing the banks of the jungle, one of the boats brought back four gators – the Brazilian guide caught two with his bare hands! We continue to see Christ show up in amazing ways with our health and spirits lifted high. Team unity and boldness to share the gospel remain strong as we press on towards day 3 of ministry tomorrow. Your prayers are felt and continually needed. We can’t wait to share more upon return home…..
Story by Meg Shipley

Team 2 Arrives Safely

Hello,

Team 2 arrived safely and all of their luggage and donation items made it as well. Yesterday after arriving they had some time to rest and visit a real churrascaria, Brazilian style. Today they were able to walk around the city of Manaus a bit and then they attended church this evening where they were able to meet the tranlators they'll be working with and experience a church service with the partnering church. We've been partnering with the same church for about 6 years now and their team is just amazing. They truly love the Lord and have such a servant's heart.

By now the team is probably on their way to the boat, their floating hotel for the week, to begin the long overnight journey up the river. They may even continue traveling through Monday depending on how far the villages are that they'll be ministering to.

Here's how you can pray for the team:

* Safe travels tonight
* Unity among the N. American and Brazilian teams
* Boldness and courage of the teams
* Open hearts of the villagers that they'll visit
* For the Lord to be glorified by their works and his kingdom advanced

You can also be praying for team 1 as they arrived home safely today. Pray for them as they adjust to returning home. Sometimes this can be difficult; returning to a land of immense blessings after seeing such poverty, day-to-day living and hunting for food. What's usually very convicting about the people of the Amazon is that, though they may seem poor in our eyes, they are quite happy people. They are simple, they don't want or need much and they live in true community by helping and caring for each other. Tim will usually ask the team, "Who's better off? Us or them?"

Thank you for praying and for checking in.

Have a great evening,
Kelli Coblentz