I’m writing this on an Azul flight leaving Manaus from our Amazon Mission Trip. What an amazing week - praise God! We had a team of 28 from Rolling Hills serving with our Justice & Mercy Amazon Staff this week. It is incredible to see the way our God is working in villages along the Amazon River. This trip was remarkable and life-impacting.
Together with our US team and the Brazilians, we had over 50 people sleeping, eating and traveling on our Justice & Mercy International boat - the Splendor. We boarded the boat in Manaus and traveled over 20 hours up the Amazon River. We slept in hammocks on the boat at night and then would wake up in a different village each day. In that village, we would meet with the pastor, his wife and the tribal leader. Then, we would start to serve. We had medical and dental clinics. We ran kid’s clubs in local schools. We had home visits, and we gave out food boxes, clothes, shoes, etc. The villagers were all so grateful and excited to have us. One of the villages had never had a group visit before. It was powerful to see their openness and desire for the Gospel. They loved us, and we loved them.
What was special to me was that all four of the villages we went to were pastors from our JMI Pastors’ Conference. All four came to the Pastors’ Conference in January, and now we were in their villages. They were ecstatic! I love these pastors! They would come on the boat in the morning and share their testimony with us. Then, they would stay with us all day doing ministry. They said what we could accomplish in a day would take them a year to do alone. Together we planted seeds of the Gospel through the dental, medical, children’s ministry and more. It was life-changing for the people we served and for us. All glory to our great God!
One night in the village with Pastor Sebastian, we held a worship service. The church was big, full and beautiful. The three churches we worked with that day all came together. You could feel God’s Spirit falling fresh in the place. One of our team members, Ryan, shared his testimony. We sang worship songs in Portuguese and English, shared a sermon, prayed and encouraged one another. Such a special time worshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ in a different country. It truly was a little taste of Heaven.
The biggest highlight for me was serving with our church family, the JMA team and my own family. With 50 people all on a boat, in villages and with no cell service for a week, you have a lot of together time. It was so special to hear them share with each other and to serve alongside one another. I love our church’s heart for missions. To see the incredible generosity over the years through starting Justice & Mercy International is amazing. You truly see the difference JMI makes, and I am so proud and thankful to be a part of Rolling Hills Community Church. Sarah, Magno, Lucas and the entire JMA team of translators, cooks, crew and staff are dear friends and co-laborers in the Gospel. And, then to serve alongside my wife and two daughters is beyond words. To watch Lisa love on the pastor’s wives, serve at Kid’s Camp and pour into our JMA staff makes me so grateful for her heart for Jesus. Watching my two daughters love on the children in the villages, lead Kid’s Clubs, do home visits, wash dishes after meals, play games, do their devotionals, laugh and have the best week ever, brings joyful tears to my eyes.
If you have never been on a mission trip, then go. Go somewhere and serve. And, if you ever have the chance to serve on a mission trip with your spouse or your children, then don’t miss it! It draws you together with a special bond. Seeing couples on this trip doing their morning devotionals together. Seeing parents serving alongside their children. Watching the entire team work hard, lay hands and pray over people and worship together will ignite your faith and relationship like nothing else. Give your “yes” to God, and watch miracles happen in the lives of others as well as in your own life, and your family forever. Join God in what He is doing and watch God do what only God can do. Personally, I’m tired and yet so grateful for everything my God is doing at Rolling Hills, JMI, in my family and in my life. My cup runneth over (Psalm 23).