Things have been quite busy as of late but I wanted to touch base with everyone before I head out for a ministry trip today to the city of Parintins, an island city on the Amazon River.
RECAP
Encountering Jesus...
The first weekend in April, my new disciple, Aline (17 years old), attended a weekend retreat called the Encounter. The PAZ church has them almost every weekend and people come back with their lives radically transformed by personal "ENCOUNTERS" with Jesus. I asked Aline to give a short testimony of what the retreat meant to her.
She said, "The Encounter was TREMENDOUS! When I got to camp, I can't deny, I was so tired. I was not just physically but spiritually as well. God restored me. He took away the weight I was feeling. It was so amazing what God did in that place. The anointing of God was being poured out over us. There is nothing more gratifying than feeling closer to God. It was something unforgettable!" People who attend the retreat weekend, come back at the conclusion of the 7pm Sunday night service. When Aline saw me, she hugged me so tight and thanked me for encouraging and helping her to go the Encounter. She said it was one of the best moments of her life. Please continue to lift her up and her walk with the Lord, that she will continue strong and steady in His ways.
God so loved the world...
Every Friday night, my ministry team continues to go out to the streets for evangelism to the transvestites, drug users and anyone passing by. We are building relationships at this point but are believing for a harvest very soon. One strategy we are using is taking snacks or soup out to serve to the people that walk by. Most are surprised that it is free and want to know why and there is our open door to talk about Jesus :).
Jungle Life...
In April, during the Easter holiday, my husband, Lucivan and I were able to go out and visit some of his family in a jungle community. It was about a 4 hour trip beginning with the ride on the ferry and then as passengers on an hour long motorcycle ride on dirt roads holding our luggage ha. We had a wonderful time and it was nice to be "away from it all" out in the middle of the jungle.
College Ministry Team...
Today early afternoon, I set out on a 10 day journey with 10 college students from Oral Roberts University (ORU) to the city of Parintins. We will travel by line boat for about 16-17 hours on the Amazon River. Line boats are large ferry boats that serve as the main, and sometimes the only, method of transportation on the rivers in the Amazon.
Our 10 days will include a little bit of everything. The team will be serving in construction on a nearby village church, children's ministry, evangelism and by ministering in church services in the city. I am privileged to lead the team and all that will entail in a foreign country. Another large part of my duties is serving as the translator on this trip. Please keep us all in prayer for health and the Lord's protection over each one. We believe that much will be accomplished for the Kingdom in Parintins.
One Year...
The team and I will be back just in time for me to celebrate my first wedding anniversary with Lu on May 25th. Please keep him in prayer as well while I am traveling that the Lord will bless and protect him.
Thank you for the prayers and support. It means so much to us and the work here in the Amazon! Because of your support, we are able to help people like Aline go to the Encounter, able to further expand the street evangelism ministry and bless so many others. If you are interested in joining our support team click here --> Donate! God Bless and if we can be praying for you about anything, please comment here on the blog or send an email! If you or your group would be interested in information about visiting Project AmaZon, I would love to give you any details.
