First Week on the Boat
I just returned yesterday from first boat trip since coming down here. I go out on my second in a matter of hours. Ha ha love it.
It was amazing, of course. the stunning pictures do not do the Amazon justice. Before coming to Brazil, I thought of the Amazon as a fearsome place with painful death around every corner. But the beauty of this place is over-whelming. It's like the Creator just has his own playground to show off. The river is gorgeous, the sunsets and sunrises will take your breath away, the sky is ever changing, ever stunning and soooo big!!!! It never gets old, never gets normal.
The first few days I struggled with wanting to justify my presence. I wasn't going as an interpreter or part of the brazilian crew, not really. But I also wasn't part of the team from Dallas either. I was anxious of both groups turning to one another and thinking, "But why is she here???" And I'm still not sure. I tried to be a help to the American team as they processed their individual and team impact, I tried to help the crew and the brazilians as much as possible. In the end I'm still not sure of my official job responsibilities, but I grew closer to the brazilians that I work with, surprisingly very close with those who speak little English. And I already miss the Dallas team, like I miss family. It seems strange that I may never see them again. I don't like that thought, they became too familiar to become people I never see. Saying goodbye is going to be hard to get used to.
What I did realize is that it doesn't matter what official title or contributions I make; there is no way I will give more than I receive on these trips. My portuguese continues to get better and better. I feel like I used it more on the boat and learned more on the boat than I had in Manaus. The Brazilian leaders and crew on the boat continue to just floor me with their passion for the villagers and their dedication to reaching people who haven't yet truly grasped how much they are loved by a tremendously huge and capable God. The lengths they will go to in order to help, share, hug, love, pray for, bring aid to people in the area just amazes me. I'm so soft, you guys. I'm a soft, white gringo surrounded by men and women of the amazon. The fact that they let me hang with them at all is a gift I will never be able to repay.
I also learned so much from the team from Dallas. Their passion and dedication to evangelism, and the way they did it, with such joy and love, really made me re-think what I thought I knew about God. Which is good. I'm realizing that I stand to get so much from the teams coming in as each church will have different emphases or approaches to missions and the gospel. I'm very excited to learn from many many different people and churches.
Ok, now on to the Rio Negro!! See you next week!
It was amazing, of course. the stunning pictures do not do the Amazon justice. Before coming to Brazil, I thought of the Amazon as a fearsome place with painful death around every corner. But the beauty of this place is over-whelming. It's like the Creator just has his own playground to show off. The river is gorgeous, the sunsets and sunrises will take your breath away, the sky is ever changing, ever stunning and soooo big!!!! It never gets old, never gets normal.
The first few days I struggled with wanting to justify my presence. I wasn't going as an interpreter or part of the brazilian crew, not really. But I also wasn't part of the team from Dallas either. I was anxious of both groups turning to one another and thinking, "But why is she here???" And I'm still not sure. I tried to be a help to the American team as they processed their individual and team impact, I tried to help the crew and the brazilians as much as possible. In the end I'm still not sure of my official job responsibilities, but I grew closer to the brazilians that I work with, surprisingly very close with those who speak little English. And I already miss the Dallas team, like I miss family. It seems strange that I may never see them again. I don't like that thought, they became too familiar to become people I never see. Saying goodbye is going to be hard to get used to.
What I did realize is that it doesn't matter what official title or contributions I make; there is no way I will give more than I receive on these trips. My portuguese continues to get better and better. I feel like I used it more on the boat and learned more on the boat than I had in Manaus. The Brazilian leaders and crew on the boat continue to just floor me with their passion for the villagers and their dedication to reaching people who haven't yet truly grasped how much they are loved by a tremendously huge and capable God. The lengths they will go to in order to help, share, hug, love, pray for, bring aid to people in the area just amazes me. I'm so soft, you guys. I'm a soft, white gringo surrounded by men and women of the amazon. The fact that they let me hang with them at all is a gift I will never be able to repay.
I also learned so much from the team from Dallas. Their passion and dedication to evangelism, and the way they did it, with such joy and love, really made me re-think what I thought I knew about God. Which is good. I'm realizing that I stand to get so much from the teams coming in as each church will have different emphases or approaches to missions and the gospel. I'm very excited to learn from many many different people and churches.
Ok, now on to the Rio Negro!! See you next week!
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