Wednesday, April 13, 2011

2011 ARRIBA Jungle Trip to the Amazon

Each ARRIBA team ends their year in Peru with a mission trip to the jungle. For the past 7 years we've had the privilege to serve the Lord by teaching and preaching in some of the small villages on the tributaries of the Amazon River in eastern Peru. This year we spent two weeks in a small village called 28th of July. (Named after Peru's Independence Day.) This is the fourth year that we have assisted Pastor Felipe in this village by having Bible clubs for the children, ladies' Bible studies, and teaching the men. Special services nightly rounded out the ministry there.




Our team this year included not only the ARRIBA students (Jessie and Kyle) but also two young ladies from our church: Celia and Delsi. After leaving our house in Lima at 3:00 a.m., they still had their eyes open when our flight arrived in the jungle.




Our transportation up the Amazon to 28th of July was the boat in the middle.


 

"Main Street" of 28th of July. It's also the only street!

 

We pitched our tents inside the town's "medical center." The tents were to keep the mosquitoes from biting us all night. This was the guys' side. Notice how clean and organized everything is. (OK, I'll be honest. It was the first morning we were there!)




Jessie and Kyle working with the kids on a craft after their Bible story. Most days about 22 kids attended the club.




Afternoons held enough free time to play games with the kids.



Jessie, Kyle and Delsi at the church with some of the kids.




Every afternoon the ladies had a Bible study with Jessie, Delsi and Celia.



Each evening we had special services. Many of the people from the village came even if they did not attend regularly. Kyle and I took turns preaching.




The first three nights my messages focused on Christ, the Lamb of God, as our substitute.




The Sunday morning service.





There were 13 men from three villages who were in the class I taught on Revelation, The Triumph of the Lamb. I had 4 and a half hours a day for eight days with these men. Three of them are pastors. Three other churches had hoped to send men, but the heavy rains kept them from being able to come. Please pray for the churches in
28th of July, Grau and Amazonas.