Adventures in Mata Atlantica

Greetings, all.

More than five weeks into our Amazon Outreach, Elliot and I (Kyle) are now entering the second part of our journey---the Boat Trip.

Due to Internet difficulties, we were unable to write an update previous to our boat trip, but our team is working in a small city, so we have internet access for now. We will probably not be able to update again until the week before we return to the

United States

. Until then, I hope this update will suffice.

During the first week, my team traveled upriver to our first destination, Sobrado a “community” that consists of interspersed houses along the course of the Rio Negro (Black River), that are centralized around small properties where churches, small stores, and, of course, soccer fields, are located. Our main focus of the week was to help in the construction of the church and to clean the surrounding land for practical use.

The second week of our trip, like I mentioned before, will be spent in small city (population of 15,000 people, yet very simple). My team is working, and will continue to work, with a local Baptist church. Our ministry will be focused on children.

The third and final week of our outreach will be spent in more extreme conditions… tribal conditions, to be specific. We will spend time in three different tribes, showing the love of Christ through practical service. The people of these tribes, even the people of our first two destinations, are simple and mostly illiterate. Therefore, practical service will be one of our greatest weapons. I just hope that I can hunt a crocodile, before this is all over…

Seriously, though, our team has many difficulties to overcome, the foremost of which is alcoholism, prostitution, and spiritual passivity. Prayer concerns also include health (Malaria and, of course, those annoying piranhas---Elliot and I both caught one, by the way), and team unity. In fact, several people of my team, including myself, have had dreams involving death, rage, and danger. We would appreciate it deeply if you prayed that God’s, and not Satan’s will would be done.

God bless you, and enjoy the pictures.

Elliot and Kyle, OUT.