One of the highlights this month was a short term mission team that came down from the Vineyard Church of Delaware County to partner along side of us to minister to our Brazilian friends. The team came down for 2 weeks and got to experience the wide variety of ministries that the church is participating. We started off the trip be visiting some river communities along the Xingu River. The team brought toys and candy to share with the people to help create a bridge of friendship so that Jesus could cross over. When evening came, the team got the opportunity to share God’s love for them. Most of the evenings it was rainy and damp but we still had many people come and listen. We got to pray for people that were suffering from illnesses and after the prayers they said that they were healed. Amen! The team members also got to share their personal testimony of God’s mercy and love in their lives, and how God helped them through very difficult times in their lives.
One of the highlights of the trip was being able to witness some new believer being baptized by Missionary Richie Bouthillier in the Xingu River. The Brazilian team sang worship songs along the river’s edge while they were being baptized. It seemed liked most of the community came out to witness their public declaration of faith. The lady in the middle picture is one of the community leaders and she has a lot of influence. Please pray for her and her family that God would use them to continue the good work Jesus has been doing in their lives to touch others in the community.
After the boat trip, the team went by vehicles around 200 kilometers along the dirt roads of the Transamazon Highway to visit our church in Uruará. The church is being pastored by a couple named Poli and Nega. They are doing a great job gathering people to the church, which does not surprise me because they are so welcoming and loving. Their home / church are non-stop with people coming and going and they receive everyone with much love and care. They are in the process of building a church and the team came to offer their support and sweat. The church just got a roof but they needed to get a cement floor. The team came and gave a helping hand and by the end of the day they had a new cement floor. Everyone worked so hard and God blessed their efforts.
In the end, being a part of a short term mission team is a wonderful experience for the Brazilians, missionaries, and the team. I love the fact that when short term missionaries come to serve and “give it all away”, they are blessed back in so many ways such as physical and emotional healing, recognition of gifts, and seeing the Holy Spirit use them to touch others. I truly believe that most short term missionaries are more deeply impacted after their trip and walk away from the experience more enlightened and blessed.
Have you ever consider coming on a short term mission team? Or forming a short-term mission team to come and serve? If so, email me and let’s talk.
We also celebrated Mother’s Day here and the girls did a dance at the church. They made Mom and Dad very proud.
Please continue to pray for spiritual, physical, and emotional health for us.
Love and blessings, Steve, Elba, Camilly and Alyssa
Tax deductible donations can be written and sent to:
The Xingu Mission
P.O Box 340785
Columbus, Ohio 43234
Or On-line donations at:
On the way back from dropping the team off to go back home, we saw this anaconda on the road. It got ran over by a truck probably no more than ½ hour before we got there. The anaconda was about 16 feet long. WOW. Also, during our trip we got to see the beginning or ending of this double rainbow. I looked for the pot of gold but none was to be found.
