Around 2:55 p.m., five boats, with around 250 people, leave for Costa do Marimba, Igarapé dos Reis, and Aliança, Brazil. On October 12, 2023, the port of Manaus Moderna welcomed missionaries from various states in Brazil as well as other countries such as the United States.

The Negro River, the starting point for the missionary journey, is below normal levels for this time of year due to the historic drought affecting the state of Amazonas. After all the participants had boarded and settled in, the mission headed to the communities located on the banks of the Amazon River.

The first I Will Go Amazônia Experience was organized by the Northwest Missions Institute and Adventist Voluntary Service (AVS) for Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia, and Roraima. The initiative is part of a larger strategy to make AVS even better known to church members and young people.

Serving

Açaí, Tucumã, Buriti, and Cupuaçu—the boats named after typical fruits of the region contextualize the participants in Amazonian culture. The journey to the first community took about three hours. The sun sets, and the sound of the boat sailing across the water sets the scene for the service on the boat, inviting participants to reflect.

"God has a plan for each of us. We are here to serve others, but also to have a personal experience with God and discover what He wants for our lives," said Bradley Mills, one of the official speakers at the event, during the service that took place at the stern of the boat.

Recalling the story of Jessie and Leo Halliwell, missionary pioneers in Amazonas, Mills drew parallels between the beginning of the mission in the state and the challenges faced at that time, as well as the current possibilities of using technology and mobility to spread the Gospel.

Linda Amazonas is Venezuelan and has been living in Brazil since 2015. This was her first time on a mission. Living in Manaus, the dentistry student became very interested in the history of the first missionaries in the state.

The Halliwells’ example motivated Linda to take part in the mission and choose her future profession to help people in need. For her, taking part in the I Will Go Amazônia Experience was already a preparation for what she wants to accomplish after graduation. "I'm not in my home, I'm not in my language, and I'm not in my nation, but where I am, God places me to serve," she said.

Mission

The communities benefited from medical and dental care, house painting, games for the children, the distribution of more than 200 food baskets, missionary visits, and a solidarity bazaar, among other activities. Housewife Daniela Rodrigues has three young children. She lives in Costa do Marimba and took part in the solidarity bazaar, bringing clothes for the whole family. The more than 500 items available were donated by the missionaries themselves.

Jacqueline Perini came from Cacoal, Rondônia, to take part in the I Will Go Amazônia Experience as a volunteer. With a degree in dentistry, she had her mother, who took part in a mission in Africa, as an example, so the dentist also decided to live the missionary experience. "We see the need, the needs, and I feel grateful to be able to help with my training, to do my part in the mission with what I can," Jacqueline concluded.

Between visits, Jacqueline shared the office set-up in a classroom with her colleague Stevenson Auber. In 2018, he took part in a mission in Africa, and this year he came as a volunteer for the I Will Go Amazônia Experience. Also with a degree in dentistry, Stevenson says that a few years ago, he had no idea he would be on such a mission. "I feel grateful to be here and to be able to help people."

Purpose

During the three days of the I Will Go Amazônia Experience, participants were involved in social and missionary activities, as well as general meetings with talks and devotionals in the morning and evening.

I Will Go is a worldwide project of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The idea was to provide mission in practice for the participants in Amazonas. Pastor Dieter Bruns, AVS director for South America, was present to share inspiring messages from his work in Asia, among other topics covered.

"When you have this immersion with volunteers who are from other regions and come to Amazonas to live this experience of volunteering, service, and mission, it brings a greater sense of responsibility; it shows that they can be useful," said Bruns.

Janaína Shayne came from Acre, facing a journey of around 32 hours along the BR-319 highway, to take part in the missionary experience for the first time. In order to be present from the start of the mission, planning was necessary, as the volunteers began their journey three days before the mission began. For Janaína, all the effort was worth it. "Every time I see the testimonies of other missionaries, I think about what I can do more for God," she said.

The event brought testimonies from missionaries and the opportunity for each participant to experience mission in practice. "As a result, in addition to inspiring and empowering young people and adults, the I Will Go Amazônia Experience also served three riverside communities, bringing love and strengthening the evangelistic initiatives of the Adventist churches in these communities," said Pastor Tiago Ferreira, the AVS director in the northwest region.

At the end, the participants had the opportunity to renew their commitment to God through the Lord's Supper ceremony.

The second edition of the I Will Go Amazônia Experience is scheduled to take place after the I Will Go event promoted by the Adventist Church in South America, which will take place in Chile in 2025. The mission trips in the interior of Amazonas continue to take place through the Salva Vidas Amazônia project, promoted by the Northwest Missions Institute. Around 30 missions have already been scheduled for 2024. Find out how you can take part by sending a message to (92) 98119-8616.

Over the next few days, you will be able to follow special content about the I Will Go Amazônia Experience through the programs Revista Novo Tempo, Missão 360, and Identidade e Vida e Saúde, available on the ntplay.com platform.

The original version of this story was posted on the [South American] Division [Portuguese]-language news site.