by Juan Sarmiento
Berenice Brasil is an influential person in her home village of Amandio, a remote town of around 86 families in the margins of one of the seasonal tributaries of the majestic Amazon River. She is the leader of the congregation that Manaus Presbyterian Church (IPM by its initials in Portuguese) started.
Read Moreby Celia Stone
Barreira, a Brazilian village of approximately 16 families and the least populated of the four we visited along the Amazon River, was the second stop of our medical/dental boat. It appeared that most families had basic long, narrow fishing boats or canoes, some with standard outboard motors and others with motors made from what looked to have been weed eaters. The people we encountered throughout the week fished regularly and grew a few vegetables. Lush fruit trees seemed to grow naturally.
Read Moreby Rocky Stone
On our second day in Brazil we met with Pastor Francisco, the senior pastor of Manaus Pres. Church to discuss the church’s missional model and experience. I was a bit surprised that he would make time to meet with our little group of 5 people representing our churches and The Outreach Foundation, but I was more perplexed as to why we were meeting at 11:15 am. I knew that the church had several pastors and shared preaching duties, but why meet on Sunday morning at this time? Well, as it happens they have three Sunday services at their two main locations, but none at 11:00. The most attended service is at 6:15 pm. We later attended this very lively worship service in a large converted warehouse (former car dealership). The sanctuary seated 2,600 people and majored in functionality vs. aesthetics. That, like most things at this church, was very purposeful.
Read Moreby David, Arredondo- La Mirada Community Presbyterian Church. Ca
If someone would have told me I was going to be in Brazil for 10 days in a mission trip to the Amazon River, flying for almost 14 hours, sleeping in a boat for six days in an 8x9 room with bunk beds for 4 people, I would have told that person he was delusional.
I could not believe I was waiting at Los Angeles international airport for my flight to Brazil. When Pastor Juan Sarmiento from the Outreach Foundation invited our church, Community Presbyterian Church of La Mirada, to be part of Amazon river mission in December 2018, I was clueless of the magnitude of the mission trip and how our Lord could use someone like me on this trip.
Read Moreby Juan Sarmiento
Presbyterians have a long history of partnerships in the Brazilian Amazon. Considered to be in a remote area of the country with the most diversity of indigenous communities, it seems to be an unlikely location for what today may be the largest Presbyterian congregation of the Western Hemisphere, Manaus Presbyterian Church (IPM, by its initials in Portuguese).
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