River Life…

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For those of you who received our last paper newsletter, you will remember the blurb about the new coffee shop at the front of town. Well, cappuccino withdrawal has come and gone, as this new life has kept me far from anything resembling a Starbucks. But honestly, living at Iruçanga has been incredible. (See pic of our house on left.) It is a stark contrast to our recent visit to the States. As I was sitting in the river washing clothes, I looked around and suddenly wondered, “Who am I and what on earth am I doing washing my clothes in the Tapajos River?” It seemed so natural… but I had just taken a plane trip, brushing elbows with rich people in airports as if I were someone great. And here I was in the river, scrubbing dirt stains from my clothes and trying not to let my detergent soap float away. So I grin at God’s sense of humor, laugh a little with Him, and then go back to scrubbing. This is river life.

We have had a wonderful first month living and working out in the rivers. Our first visit was to the community of Caranazal. Currently, there are 3 home group meetings every week in Caranazal, and a Sunday morning service in a thatch-covered hut. We visited the service this past Sunday. There was no electricity, so we worshipped with our voices and our “10-stringed instrument”(clapping hands). It was not a thing of “excellence” as American mega-churches would call it. Most people were not singing on key, the clapping was off at times, and it wasn’t extremely organized, but it was one of the most heartfelt and genuine services I have attended. It blessed our hearts to be a part of it. John, the local worker, gave a wonderful message, and the service began and ended with prayer that could have shaken the small thatch hut to the ground. The Spirit of the Lord was there. We look forward to working in this precious community, along with many others, in the months to come. Also, we hope to begin construction of a church building for Caranazal soon, so we’ll keep you updated on that as well.

Also, this past week was our church’s annual Missions Conference. Because we have now been sent as missionaries by the Brazilian church to the river communities, we were given the privilege of entering into the conference with the other Brazilian missionaries, dancing and waving banners for our communities. I felt unworthy to stand next to these missionaries who have poured blood, sweat and tears into this work, walking hours into the jungle to reach hidden communities, riding out storms in small, sometimes less than adequate boats to reach the lost, and without complaining. I preferred to stand to the back and let them be honored. Even thinking of wanting a cappuccino from Starbucks seemed so stupid at that moment. God has His special way of humbling us, and I welcome it so that I can be molded and shaped into something He can use, something worthy of honor before Him.

Thank you for allowing God to use you to sustain us, in prayer and support, for His incredible work here in the Amazon.

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