First Baptist Simpsonville Heads Home!

After nine days on the river, First Baptist Simpsonville leaves Manaus, Brazil, enroute back home with heavy hearts and full of the blessings God showered them with.

Joining God at Work in Amazonas!

The Brazil 2010 mission team sponsored by the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention served on the Purus and Amazon Rivers, February 28 through March 7, 2010. The team consisted of team leader, Larry Creamer, Dianna Grindstaff-Abbott, John Schaidler, Karen Grinder, Danny Hemm, Hannah Yarbrough and Lisa Yarbrough from Wisconsin churches, Dr. Pepper Ashford from Tennessee, Derek George from Kentucky, Diana Hackler, Jack Janssen, Debbie Janssen, Dexter Sutterfield and Janice Sutterfield from Oklahoma, Lacie McConnell from Kansas and Tesha Howard and Sherri Lee from Florida.

We served in the communities of Paricatuba on the Purus River, Aldeia Boa Sorte and Castanherão in lago de Galiléia, Comunidade Senhora do Perpéto Socorro on the Purus at the mouth of lago de Galiléia and Jaratubinha on the Amazon.

We had the privilege of seeing at least 39 people accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The medical team saw over 455 people and gave out over $1500 of medication free of charge. Piles of clothes were given to needy families. Followers of Jesus Christ were encouraged and trained to go deeper in their faith. Children were led in activities and taught about our Lord Jesus Christ. Worship services were held in churches where the work has been sporadic at best.

At Aldeia Boa Sorte we got back from visiting one afternoon and learned that a local young man had been bitten by an extremely dangerous venomous snake. Fortunately, the snake had only pierced the man’s leg with a glancing blow from one fang. The only transportation the community had to get him to any kind of a medical facility was a 3hp motor that would take about 3 to 4 hours. Since we were there, Pastor Eli who manages the boat for Amazon Vision Ministries loaned them a 25hp motor for their community boat and cut that time to about 40 minutes.

At the end of the worship service that night, one of the community leaders spoke with Pastor Eli and me about how this incident represented an ongoing need. They have an aluminum boat that belongs to the community but no fast motor for the boat. That means that any kind of emergency medical help is always a minimum of 3 to 4 hours away. He shared the need with us of a motor for that boat which was far beyond the financial reach of the community. I shared the need with our team the next morning. People from our churches had given us money for needs God would reveal to us. We collected $2300 which will be enough to purchase a good reliable motor for this community. Pastor Eli will make the purchase and present the motor to the community on our behalf when he is back in the area in a few weeks. The end of that story is that the next day, the young man who had been bitten was back and our evangelism team was able to lead him to faith in Christ.

To me this was a great snapshot of how God uses the whole body to do ministry. Through our wonderful prayer partners God had us at the right place at the right time. Our medical professionals were able to give immediate aid and advise next steps. The faithfulness of the people who run, manage and support Amazon Vision Ministries made it possible to be at this place and provide the transportation to the place where this young man could get the medical help he needed. The commitment of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist churches to support partnership missions facilitates the planning and preparation of the trip so we could be in this community at this strategic moment. The people of our team’s churches gave for a need they would trust God to reveal. Individuals on our team gave sacrificially for this need. Our evangelism team used the opportunity of seeing Robson the next day to share with this young man who had been a fraction of an inch from death the day before how he could prepare for eternity. Pastor Nathan from a nearby town regularly goes to these communities and will lead follow up efforts. In the coming years every time a life is saved or suffering is diminished, this community will know that God knows their needs and cares for them because they have been touched by the body of Christ.

This is just a snapshot of what God did in the few days we were privileged to once again join Him in Amazonas.

Submitted by
Larry Creamer

First Team of the Season Arrives Prepared to Minister in the Western Amazon Basin!!

One day away from the beginning of our trip to Paricatuba and Galileia Lake!

Pastor Larry Creamer and 17 other team members are on their way and will be serving on the Amazon River this week. The team will be ministering in the interior until March 7th. They will be out in the community doing evangelism, discipleship training, VBS, and they will also provide medical care to the "Ribeirinhos".

While the team is on their way, the boat is loaded and has departed Manaus on the way to Manacapuru where the team will board the boat tomorrow morning when they arrive. Pastor Eli and the crew are all set and ready to receive the team and for a week of ministry and hard work!

Our prayer is that God will guide us towards where He is already working and lead us to those who are ready to receive God's great gift. May people be touched and lives transformed.

More news to come! Stay connected.

A River Story - from Nanette

"(...)It was maybe Monday or Tuesday of our trip, and we were in a town, that I forgot the name of. (Maybe I shouldn't tell this story?!)
Anyway, I had been really, really sick the night before, but I tried to hide it all day, and I'm really glad that I did because I got to go out with our evangelism team that morning.
On our team we had Daniel Cadais, Austin Brewster, Arvis Scott, and myself. Austin knew that I wasn't feeling well, so when we stopped at the school, he did most of the talking, and I just stood back and watched.
At the school there was sort of recreation building where a lot of boys were playing soccer, so we sat and watched for a little while.
After about 15 minutes of playing with them, we asked their sort of.. "Over-seer", lady if we could share the E-cube with them.
She told us that she was a christian and she wanted nothing more than for these boys to hear the Gospel, but they wouldn't ever listen to her... As we talked with her, she told us the boy's stories.
Most of them had grown up in broken homes, and even though they were about my age, 16, they had been doing drugs and drinking for maybe three years but wouldn't listen to anyone when they shared Jesus's story.
So, Austin shared the E-cube, Arvis shared his testimony (which was very similar to how the boys were living) and I sat down and prayed.
After Austin got done, he invited the boys to accept Christ's offer.
20 13-18 year old boys stood up to say that they would like to change their living style and accept Christ.
What a wonderful thing!
This really touched me, so I figured it'd be the story to tell."

Thank you Nanette!

When will you experience God's work in the Amazon Basin?

Carnaval Evangelistic Impact in Manaus - AM

AVM supports Evangelistic effort in Manaus during Carnaval!

Carnaval is one of the most popular holidays in Brazil. It is known as the “party of the flesh” where the parades take place and all the “samba” schools present their costumes and choreographies. People go out on the streets dancing, drinking, many people use drugs and sexual relations is something expected by the majority of them.

The Amazonas Baptist Convention through JUBAAM (the youth and college ministry) organized an evangelistic impact where more than 100 people went out on the streets evangelizing those who were out partying. There were thousands of people at the ‘Sambodromo’ (where the parades take place) and sinfulness all over the place. This impact lasted all four nights of party. During the day they believers would participate of seminars on Evangelism: Evangelism with Art, personal Evangelism (led by AVM personnel), Evangelism with Kids, and Vocational calling.

The work took place from 11pm to 5am from the 12th -16th of February. We were able to see 136 PEOPLE surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ.

“… where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

Glory to God for his power to save!

Have you seen the new logo for AVM?

After seven years of ministry we have a new logo. Look to the right and check it out. We have enjoyed working on the Amazon River for the last seven years and we wanted to capture that in our new logo. The new logo includes our new boat that is currently being constructed in Manaus, Brazil. The picture of the boat is taken directly from the drawings and it shows what the new boat is going to look like when it is completed and on the river.

Two of AVM's Board of Directors leave on mission to South Asia

Not only does AVM operate in the remote jungles of the Western Amazon River Basin but their Board of Directors love missions so much they travel to various other parts of the world. Two board member's from AVM have answered the call to travel to South Asia to be on mission to minister to the people in that region. When God places the call, those involved with AVM answer His calling to go and do the work He has called them to do. They are armed with the truth of God's Word and they are ready to deliver that truth boldly and confidently. Leaning not on their own strength but the strength and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray for travel safety, boldness, humility, compassion and pray that God prepares the hearts and minds of the people they will minister to.

AVM welcomes Elizabeth as the newest member to the team

Elizabeth is the newest member of the AVM team. When she read an email from Dr. Rich Elligson, the Missions Professor at The Baptist College of Florida, concerning a semester internship, she quickly responded. Elligson sent an email to all mission majors offering an opportunity to serve with AVM as part of a partnership between AVM and the college. Elizabeth is a junior and is studying missions on campus in Graceville. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Casey decided to follow God’s calling to BCF because of the missions program they offer. Missions is an area that she feels called to. For three summers she served with iGoGlobal Ministries, a Rockwall, Texas, mission organization specializing in calling students to embrace an on mission lifestyle. In the summer of 2006 she was a team member working in Tokyo, Japan and then in the summer of 2007 and 2008 she completed an eight week internship with International Mission Board Missionaries in Tokyo. Then in the summer of 2009
she returned to Tokyo with her own team that she organized and led. She is excited
about her opportunity and she states, “AVM has offered me a wonderful opportunity
through this semester internship and I am excited to be able to serve with
AVM both in the office and on the field.” We are excited to have Elizabeth working with us for the next several months and look forward to the many talents and gifts she will bring to the ministry. So, when you call the office look forward to speaking with Elizabeth and help us welcome her. Also for the teams joining us this summer, look forward to working alongside her on the river.

AVM among fifty exhibtors at the 24th annual Pastors Conference at First Baptist Jacksonville

Come by and visit our exhibit at this years Pastor's conference at First Baptist Jacksonville. The exhibit is located on the second floor of the Main Auditorium. Stop by, pick up a brochure and talk to Charles about the many ministry opportunities available this year in the Western Amazon River Basin.

AVM Board of Directors remains committed to finishing the construction of their new boat

AVM continues their commitment to continue moving forward to complete the construction of their new boat. During their most recent meeting, the board of directors committed to continue to pray for and seek donors to complete the construction of the ministries new boat. The new boat has been specifically designed for the ministry. Two features that will enhance the capabilities for medical teams is the addition of a climate controlled pharmacy and a climate controlled minor surgery unit. Maintaining the temperature in the pharmacy will prolong the shelf life of the medications that are subjected to a continually hot and humid environment. Also, the minor surgery unit will provide doctors and dentist a more sterile environment to perform minor surgery if the need arises. These are just two of the new capabilities the new boat will provide. The board continues to pray and seek the Lord's guidance in the completion to the boat. Check out their website, www.amazonvisionministries.com, to learn about the work they are doing in the Western Amazon River Basin of Brazil.

Join us in 2010 to Bring the Hope of Christ to the people of the Western Amazon River Basin

Wow! A new year of ministry is upon us and we are looking with anticipation to see what the Lord has in store for AVM in 2010. Sixteen teams are on the schedule and several others praying about going. Our goal this year is to put at least twenty-five teams on the river to do evangelism and discipleship, medical and dental clinics, sports evangelism and children ministries. However, we need your help to meet this goal. Last year the people along the river experienced devastation like they have ever experienced in their lifetime. You see, last year the Amazon River rose higher then it's been in 107 years. Entire communities were completely flooded and homes swept away by the fast moving current. Over 430,000 people were displaced and for the people along the river they had no support from the government. Our organization was blessed to have the support of Southern Baptist and the Southern Baptist global relief fund. Money was used from this fund to purchase food and we had the privilege of delivering the food. Even though the waters have receded they are on the way back up. The rainy season has begun and early reports are, that the water is rising faster this year then normal. So this means that the river could potentially rise as high as it did last year. The river people in the Amazon Basin need you and most importantly they need to hear about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Please prayerfully consider joining us this year to "Bring the Hope of Christ to the Western Amazon River Basin."