STORIES OF THE MISSION FIELD
The few stories shared below are based on real events that took place during previous mission trips. We have gathered a few of them here to help give you a clearer picture of the kind of impact these trips and missionary efforts have had in the Amazon. Each account reflects genuine experiences, lives touched, and the meaningful work being carried out in remote communities through these ongoing initiatives.
GOD'S AGENDA
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"One generation shall commend your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts” Psalm 145:4
During one of our trips to the Urucará region, we reached the final community — the most remote one. This community had never received a visit before and had no church presence of any kind. In the middle of the day, the pastor informed Thiago that there was a woman in need of counseling. Thiago spoke with one of the Americans, Stephanie, asking if she would be willing to talk with this young woman after the women’s meeting. A translator would be present, and Stephanie agreed. That afternoon, we were able to witness God’s agenda at work.
The three women met at the end of the gathering, and immediately the woman began to share the pain of her soul. She told every detail of her story and confessed that she no longer knew what to do. She did not want to give up, but she felt lost. This moment brings to mind Abigail. David met her while she was interceding for Nabal; even in the midst of her own pain, she looked with eyes of grace.
What this young woman did not expect was that Stephanie and the translator shared the very same story as hers—exactly the same, with identical sequences of events and experiences. God knew what she needed. God knows His children; we cannot hide from Him.
Even in the deepest abyss, He finds us. In the most distant communities, there are broken and lost hearts. In the deepest rivers, the fish are already prepared, perhaps more wary due to the lack of fishermen, but still hungry.
That afternoon, Stephanie and the translator were able to do what the psalmist declares in Psalm 145: one generation proclaiming to another the greatness of the Lord, declaring His mighty acts. The path they had walked was not easy, and it had been painful. But blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted! There is nothing that His love cannot heal. Their stories had been restored by the love of the Lord, for the Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever.
The three women cried together, prayed, and gave thanks to the Lord. At the end, the woman asked for a Bible so that she could continue seeking answers in God. We gave her one and encouraged her to maintain a daily life of Bible reading. The heart of that young woman, still wounded by life, now had a direction: Jesus Christ. The boat then departed with the assurance that He who began a good work is faithful to complete it.
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There is Hope
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"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Matthew 9:36
Just as Jesus encountered people without hope during His ministry, we also experience this during our missionary trips, especially during the dry season of the rivers. We do not always manage to hold services in a church building during the trips; sometimes, they are held under the shade of a tree or on the shore, as happened during a trip to the Nhamundá region.
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The Lord touched our hearts to share with the people that, despite the adversities, there is hope — a hope that can only be found in the name of Jesus. There, in front of the boat, we began to share, and the crowd was so thirsty that, even under the intense sun, they stayed there, willing to listen to the Word of God. These people were so desperate that, despite everything, they were there, seeking the hope that only Christ can offer.
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Difficulties may try to paralyze us, but we must always remember in Whom our hope is, and that we must continue seeking the Lord. The Good Shepherd never abandons us.
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There are people waiting to hear of a hope that never fails, a hope that can change their lives forever, and how wonderful it is to share that this hope is real and has a name: Jesus Christ. Pray with us that the Amazon may be filled with the hope that comes from Christ and that the riverside people may know the One who saves!
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THE TRUTH
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“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” John 8:32
There is only one Truth that has the power to set us free. The same truth that led Paul to testify that something like scales fell from his eyes. The One who is not only the Truth, but also the Way and the Life.
And still, in many places, this same Truth has yet to reach hearts.
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During one of his missionary journeys, Pastor Daniel traveled to the Upper Black River region, where this reality became evident. He visited an indigenous community that identified itself as Catholic, while also preserving indigenous beliefs and cultural traditions within its religious practices. He was there during the Easter season, when a local tradition known as “beating Judas” is observed in reference to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.
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In this ritual, figures representing Judas are made and symbolically struck by the people. At the conclusion of the practice, the community leader brings it to an end by firing shots at the figures. As Pastor Daniel observed this, he began to reflect on the meaning behind the act and on the community’s understanding of Jesus’ death. They believed that Jesus needed to be avenged.
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A few days later, during a scheduled service, Pastor Daniel shared the Word, teaching that Christ’s death was neither a defeat nor an unexpected event, but part of God’s redemptive plan so that today there might be forgiveness and reconciliation.
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After the message, the indigenous leader of the community asked to speak and shared something deeply meaningful. He said he had never reflected on the purpose behind Jesus’ death. For the first time, he understood that Christ’s death was part of God’s plan to offer forgiveness to humanity. With simplicity, he concluded, “I had never understood this before, but today I understand.”
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The message of the cross is one and the same: God’s perfect plan so that all may have access to redemption through His Son, Jesus. And then they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free.