The past few weeks our team has gotten to experience something that we may never get to experience again. We had the opportunity to travel up the Amazon river by boat and spend a few days in the pueblo of San Jose. It began with a “7-hour” boat ride that was really about 15 hours all together. We started on a big boat and trolled along the river for 12 hours. Then we hopped onto a smaller boat and went another 3 hours but this time it was completely dark outside and there were no lights whatsoever. They actually steer the boat by a man up front using his flashlight to guide the captain in the back, pretty cool stuff. I wish I could have captured that moment. When we go to that boat they were scooping water out of the bottom and it was lined with people. A few of us slept and a few of us worshiped and enjoyed the awe of cruising down the Amazon river in the dark with the only light being stars and the flashlight guide.
Here is the sunset from our first boat.
When we got to the village we stayed with the pastor there, Lenz. This is his home, his living room we put our hammocks in, and him with my teammate Gail!
Our team had a chance to connect and play with the children. We put on a skit for them at the school. We also got to talk with them about prayer and show them how to pray!
They have a church service every night. The first night we enjoyed and listened to the sermon. The second night we got to sing two songs with our guides daughter, Margareth. Then Taylor shared a sermon in Spanish with the church! Nicole then gave her testimony fully in Spanish as well. I am so amazed at these two! I also shared my testimony with the church and it was an amazing experience.
We ran into some new friends, these we didn’t like so much.
We also got the opportunity to swim in the Amazon river while a storm approached. That was incredible. Then we departed the village and spent a day on another boat. This boat was completely packed. We were in the bottom next to the engine. Anything people brought on was put by us. Plantains, chickens, a bucket of parrots, a basket of dead fish. Anything you can think of really and a lot of stuff you probably can’t, we had it by us.
The people of this village have very little. Most of the homes look like this and have one or two rooms in it that the entire family sleeps in.
It is incredible to see people who live like this but have so much joy and kindness. They have very little, I honestly don’t even think they use a monetary system here. But they are full emotionally and greeted us with love and smiles. The worship in the church was so joyous. Probably the coolest part is I got to share my story with someone battling their own demons. We had a talk so honest I know it was God who brought it about because in society today men don’t often speak like that and I am so thankful because I enjoy that so much. Getting to share my past and my battle with addiction and depression, feelings of unworthiness and not knowing who God was. Then getting to show where I am now and how God has filled me with so much love and joy. These are the talks that I truly live for, sharing a bit of hope through the pain I went through.
I am blessed to be a part of this trip and God is so good. Our team also had to pay out of pocket a little bit for this trip because the city we flew into, Iquitos, Peru and the city we flew out of Laticia, Colombia are so deep in the jungle you have to fly in or out! So for those of you who donated this is where some of that money is going! I am so thankful for y’all’s support on social media and the kind words that I have received.
God is good!
Love Y’all
