Amazon Christian Holisitic Development

Dear Friends and Partners of the Amazon Program,

We are located in the heart of the Amazon. There is much talk lately about ecology and the conservation of the ecosystem found in the Amazon. However, the world sometimes forgets about the suffering of the people who live in the midst of this great forest. These are people who do not have access to basic health and education, people who struggle daily to have enough food to eat, people who suffer from the lack of knowledge of love and salvation in Christ Jesus.
 
We thank God for partners who were instrumental in the birth and development of the Amazon holistic ministry. We are grateful to The Outreach Foundation that believes and trusts in this ministry and to Outreach partners who have invested resources and raised funds from congregations and individuals. Thank God for the Presbytery of the Amazon, its churches, pastors, and membership - for all the volunteers who dedicate themselves to this noble work. And thank God for trusting us with the great work of bringing the "Good News" to the Amazon community.

Lake Cocoa
The community of Lake Cocoa is located on the banks of the Rio Negro (Black River) an hour and a half from Manaus. There are a large number of families there, and the Amazon program has been very well-received. On each trip we make to Lake Cocoa, members of the community actively participate in clinics, lectures, and worship. We have already evangelized a number of people, and some families have a very fruitful partnership with the third IPI which is under the leadership of Rev. Jonathan. The church holds various worship services and does evangelistic work. A good number of people have been baptized and/or made reaffirmations of faith.

Our goal was to have our first fellowship in this community; however, the government of the State of Amazona decided to remove the families from the entire region of the banks of the Rio Negro to build the State University Amazon as well as an area of environmental conservation for biological studies there. The entire population of that area is slowly being removed and compensated. So, our objective of installing a fellowship there was cancelled.

Coari
For two years the missionary couple Jeorge and Helena have devoted themselves to preaching the gospel in Coari. They have used their home as a place for worship and meetings with people the Lord has sent to them. As a result of their efforts, the number of people has increased, and their house is now too small for the gatherings.

They have also developed a Sunday School with a large number of children and hold Bible studies for many adults. They meet weekly with college students to discuss topics of interest in society, present the word of God, and answer questions about the gospel. This initiative has grown, and many fruits have been harvested. We can start dreaming about a strong and active church in the city of Coari.
 
Boa Vista and Parauá
In 2004 Boa Vista, the capital of the State of Roraima, was chosen by the Secretary of Evangelization as a target for deploying a new church. The dream was nurtured through the years. Three years ago, Rev. Calvino Camargo moved to Boa Vista to work at the Federal University. In partnership with the Secretary of Evangelization, he began a missionary work developing Bible study and worship services at his residence. With the blessing of God, this initiative has grown. Boa Vista already has about 20 people attending church services every Sunday. Parauá is a very large community of about 1,200 people. Since the beginning, this community has been very receptive to the word of God. In 2012, we began making visits to this community.

Please Pray for Us
Unfortunately, during the last few years, the dock where the Pendão Real Boat II is moored has been hit with a few storms that damaged it and destroyed part of its floor and roof. Please pray for funds needed to begin the reconstruction of this important evangelistic tool. Pray also that we continue to earn the respect and trust of the communities we have served all these years. The people of the communities trust our work and recognize that they are treated with great respect, professionalism, and Christian love. Pray for our volunteers because they make a great difference. Finally pray for the team of the Amazon program, particularly for missionaries Evandro Bindá, Valdir Negrão, Jeorge and Helena in Coari, and the Rev. Calvino in Boa Vista. All are men and women God has raised for this ministry. And they have done their work with love and total dedication.
 
Thank you for your support, gifts, and prayers for this work,
 
Rev. Jeff Ritchie, Associate Director for Mission
The Outreach Foundation