Have You Seen This Bright Blue Vessel?!
If you happened to journey deep into the heart of the Brazilian jungle last week, you might have found a bright blue river boat gliding along the Amazon River! If you spotted this vessel, you also would have found 20 “willing vessels” on board, where they lived together for a week while working hard to build a church along the banks of this massive river.
Builders International missionary, Tom Moore, led this team and recounted their journey down the river:
“Our recent trip down the Amazon River in Brazil began with team members gathering at the departure gate in Miami to meet each other before our flight to Manaus, Brazil.
For some of the team members, this was their first construction missions trip. However, several had been on many construction missions trips throughout their lifetime!
Why would these team members give so much of their personal time and finances to make another trip like this? What motivates someone to make these kinds of sacrifices year after year?
Yes, it was on the Amazon River, but the work was hard. Most days it was very hot and several times we were all soaked by the tropical rain. There were no guided fishing trips with great photo ops. The food was adequate but nothing like a five-star restaurant.
Every person came for the same reason. To build a church for the purpose of spreading the gospel! The building we worked on will be a place where people can belong for years to come. Where hurting people can find hope. Men who are facing problems they cannot solve will find hope. Women who are struggling to deal with the hardships of daily life will find hope. Children trying to find their place in the world and deal with personal fears will find hope.
We did not build an ordinary structure. Yes, it is made of ordinary cement, block, steel, and roofing but it is so much more than that. We built a place where people can find hope, no matter what kind of problem they are facing.
When we said our goodbyes, boarded the boat for the last time, and headed up the river that we called home for a week…we all knew we were not only leaving behind a beautiful country called Brazil, but we were leaving behind a lasting legacy of life where hope can now be found!”