It's just the warm-up

9 days. So crazy. 

I will be in Brazil in 10 days from now. It's definitely hard to grasp.

The last few weeks have been spent getting everything ready for this trip. Finalizing things with contacts. Figuring out how we will be getting to Belem from Manaus. WE GOT OUR VISAS! And just generally preparing to be responsible for taking a team of 11 into another country for 3 months. It is a big process and there are still things we need to figure out in these next 9 days but God has had His hand all over this trip.

At a staff meeting last week, all the outreach leaders got together and discussed what they are thankful to God for doing within their team. As Ryan and I thought about this, we were blown away by the favor God has placed on this team. He has completely blessed us from the very beginning. Without Ryan or I doing anything, he has led us first to going to Brazil, then giving us many contacts in different places which led us to going to Belem, and then giving us a team of 9 students that is absolutely incredible. We came to the revelation that we have really done nothing. God has placed all these things in our laps over and over. Even without our team, our students have initiated team bonding right from the beginning. They are a group of people who want to constantly encourage and honor each other. It's almost like us as leaders have just jumped into the river that they have started moving. All glory to God for this whole trip! It is such a testimony to how faithful God is to bring things to life and guide us toward him.

This has been a verse that we have committed to valuing within our team:
"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." -Colossians 3:16-17

Update on what we will be doing:
On September 24th, we will be landing in Manaus, Brazil, a city of almost 2 million people in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. From there we will either be flying straight to Belem, Brazil, about 800 miles away, or we will be staying a few nights in Manaus and then taking a 5-day boat trip to Belem. Belem is where we will be for a majority of the time. We will be working with a ministry called Amazon Reach who runs through YWAM and staying at their house in the middle of the city of 1.5 million people. 
With Amazon Reach, we will be doing a few boat trips into the communities that live on that river. These trips will include VBS's for kids, house discipleship, teen seminars, medical clinics, community ministry etc. We are so excited to help lead these out while living with the people! 
We will be staying in Belem until the end of November, making our way back to Manaus the 5-day boat trip, and then departing back for Kona on December 9th. 

I am so excited to get to blog about stories along the way, take photos, and get to share with you all!

Finances
Friends, thank you so, so much to everyone who has poured into this trip. It seriously wouldn't happen without your support! I am truly thankful.
I am still in need of $500 to raise in the next 9 days! Over $2000 has already come in and that it such a testimony to the provision of God!!!
But in order to lead this team, I will have to have the full amount paid by September 23rd. Please pray about sewing into this ministry trip! Any little bit will help to get me to the goal!
If you are interested in donating, please check out my missions page here: http://uofnkona.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=652&MN=5799



Alyssa