Sunday, 10 June 2007

Met at 9:00 on the roof for a worship service. We shared our hopes and fears for the week ahead. At 10:30, we walked to a street fair. We took the hotel van and a taxi to the mall for lunch. After lunch, we rested and packed. At 4:30, we checked out of the hotel and took the bus to the church for worship (3° 7′23.24″S, 60° l’23.67″W). We again offered greetings from Clairmont, and this time we sang Celebrai and Exalterai Teu Nome. We left from the church for the dock (0259.030 S, 060 06.235 W). We arrived at our boat, the Semeador (formerly the Zany Silva III), and got all of the luggage on board and then set up our hammocks and mats for the night. After a light supper, we had our first group meetings with the Brazilian team. Read More→

A team of 24 ROW Volunteers will arrive in Fortaleza, Ceara on July 16th to embark on a week of various mission projects. The volunteers will prepare and serve a soup kitchen in an impoverished community, work with children in the urban ghetto of Pirambu, provide Bible stories, take part in recreation and crafts, and help with some light construction work. The teams leader, Rev. Penny Hill, will also be delivering funds that have been raised for a school in Pirambu.The team will also venture to the rural towns of Pentecoste and Cipo to spread moral support and blessings to the hundreds of students studying with PRECE. This incredible educational institution, which receives most of the team’s financial contributions, strives year round to help Brazil’s financially poorest students prepare to pass the entrance exam into the federal university.

This mission trip focuses on the relationships that have been formed over the past 6 years and how each participant, American and Brasilian, can grow through this mission partnership to solve the current problems facing the people in this part of Brasil.

 

Every time we go to Brazil we learn something new. And our trip in June 2006 was no exception. In the past we have learned about the love of the Brazilian people and their care for us, “their North Americans.” We have learned that Brazilian Presbyterians are great folks to be with when a boat breaks down. And we have learned that the partnership between ROW and the Presbyterian Church of Manaus is a gift from God. And in the summer of 2006, we learned the names of all the members of the Brazilian soccer team! Read More→

Bible Study In Brazil

Our team from Riverwood High School was not large, but they worked as hard as a huge team!! We went to the villages of Amanjou and Sylva and painted the churches, held medical and dental clinics, worshipped with folks, did arts and crafts with the kids, built a latrine, and shared a wonderful week with new Brasilian friends!

Coach John MacDonald and his wife, Debbie, were team leaders. Alice and Brandon were old Peru hands and Lauren was brand new to ROW. John and Debbie had been to Belize - but that’s not at all like Brasil!!

Rev. Djard, our host, did a great job of making us feel at home. We went to evening church and had ice cream before we hit the river and it was great! We traveled all night and arrived at our first village at 1PM.  Read More→

Sorry! No story on from this trip, but we’ve got some great photos! Read More→

On behalf of the entire Brazil Mission Team I would like to thank you, the COH congregation and all of our prayer partners for the support that you have provided us over the past few months and this past week while we were on the river in Brazil. The trip was fantastic and was a true blessing for all of us. Read More→

The group I lead was from Smyrna Presbyterian Church in Conyers, Georgia. We had 15 people, mainly college students with a few “older adults” with nursing or other skills and interest in serving with ROW in Brasil.

Read More→