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How blessed we are in witnessing the beauty of the work of God! The Amazon is not only known as a place with one of the largest tropical rain forests and the largest river in the world, but as the place where there is a move of the Holy Spirit of God.  The fruit of this is in the edification and growth of the church. The cry of the people of God for this nation has mobilized workers for the harvest. The Lord sends those who love Him, those who intercede and offer their lives on behalf of His kingdom.

While some explored the land in search of material goods that will one day perish, others search to do the will of God, investing in eternity. We honor our brothers and sisters in the faith, those who determined in their hearts to build the house of the Lord and edify His saints. Each drop of sweat poured out for the work of His kingdom can’t compare to those that Jesus poured out for us on the cross of Calvary.

During three and a half days, from April 19th to the 22nd, part of the team worked hard to lay the foundation of a church. These were unforgettable moments for the team from Resurrection Life Fellowship of Eaton, NY.  Tariq, Collin and Jeff not only gave their spiritual support, but they rolled up their sleeves and surrendered to a challenge they had never experienced before. They carried construction materials under a blazing sun and seasonal rains, with high humidity and temperatures from 85º to 94ºF (29-34 celcius), working about 7 hours a day.

We went down the Arapiuns River from Santarém to the community of Lago Central, on a boat loaded with bricks, roof panels, stones, cement and water filters. When we arrived in the community, we unloaded the materials at the shore of the river.  From there the team carried the materials to the site prepared for the church.  The course was difficult because of the distance and the path was sand. It might not appear so difficult, but after many hours of carrying the same things over and over, each pound of brick began to feel as if it were three pounds.  I can testify to this because when I wasn’t working in the clinic I helped carrying bricks and tiles for the bricklayers. I was very happy to help with the construction, but I admit that I sweat a lot.

The woman from the team, Anne, Martha and Sandy, worked in the medical clinic along with Kelly. We had few patients in comparison with the normal averages of people we see on these trips, so when the women were able they assisted with the church construction. An advantage of this free time was that it gave us more opportunities to relate to the team and the people in the community.

One of the highlights of this trip was during the evening services when some of the members of the Resurrection Life Fellowship team had the opportunity to share their testimonies and demonstrate their talents by presenting dramas and dances. In each service they prayed individually for the members of the church. Many needed prayer for healing. You can imagine the health need usually present in these communities that have difficult access to basic health care and medications. Even without doctors and dentists we have solution in Jesus.

At the end of our time in Lago Central we could see the happiness of the team and the villagers for the work they were able to accomplish. The unity and positive attitude of the team contributed towards the success of seeing a good start to the building.

We thank God for the brothers and sisters that participated in this trip. From Santarém we had: Pr Reinaldo, our boat captain Geraldo, our filter project manager Samuel, Edneverson,  Railton, our construction manager Joaquim, brick layer Zenildo, our cook Leona and missionaries John, Silvia and Betty.  And, of course, from the USA we had the team from Resurrection Life Fellowship. All honor and glory to the Lord for the success of the work that was accomplished at Lago Central!

Please, click in this picture to see the album

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