Team Norte was blessed with the opportunity to visit the Amazon Rainforest and live on a boat for a week. Our week was spent venturing into small communities along the river. We helped provide healthcare and medicine, evangelized to others, prayed over everyone we encountered, and had the amazing opportunity to show Christ’s love to others. We spent a week on a boat, serving two communities with all these wonderous things. 

Going into the Amazon, I had no idea what to expect. I wasn’t sure how the Lord would use me or how the Lord would work during my time in the Amazon. After arriving, I was put in some new and uncomfortable environments where I would need to completely trust and rely on Christ and remind myself that everything I do here in the Amazon is all for His glory and His kingdom.  

As we went into the communities along the river, the more people I talked to, the more I saw the Lord active and working in many people’s lives. So many people joyfully claimed the name of Christ, and it was so apparent in their lives. They had such joy and love when speaking to us about God, and they would tell us all the amazing, wonderful things He is doing in their lives and communities.  

The communities were so welcoming to us and the work we were doing. From all the healthcare work to running small day camps for the kids, every moment and every interaction was filled with such a love I had truly never felt before. These people had such a passion for the work being done and a huge heart for God’s Kingdom. So many of those we talked to brought up God’s Kingdom and how we need to evangelize and tell everyone about God and His love. They had such passion in their hearts for what the Lord was doing and what He will continue to do. 

Last night, we held a church service in one of the communities for the natives, and it was truly one of the most moving experiences I had ever had. From the way they welcomed and loved us to the way you could see the light of Christ in those I talked to, I was truly astonished by how the Lord was truly the center of their lives. They had such a passion for growing the Church and God’s Kingdom—it was truly inspiring. 

Much Love from Brazil,
Paige Bausman
Class XIX Fellow