TAME Trip
Amazon
January 3-12, 2018

Tiger Athletic Missions Experience Blog

The ETBU Bass team traveled to the Amazon River for the fourth trip as a part of the East Texas Baptist University Tiger Athletic Mission Experience (TAME) January 3-12. ETBU partnered with Amazon Outreach, an organization that works directly with Brazilian missionaries to serve and spread the Gospel to the people of the Amazon River region. 
 
The group arrived in Manaus, Brazil, after a 20-hour day of travel, and headed to the river to board their boat, the Linda Esperanca (meaning Beautiful Hope).  The boat served as the home for the team, where they ate, slept in hammocks, and traveled up and down the Rio Negro and the Amazon River, ministering to numerous villages along the rivers. 
 
The Bass team traveled six hours northwest of Manaus where they would spend their time ministering to the indigenous families along the Rio Negro. 
 
On Thursday morning the team transported water well equipment from the river banks to the center of the village, which was a quarter of a mile hike up a steep, muddy hill in the rain.  It was quite the challenge and a workout, but it was well worth it to see the joy of the villagers faces when the team traveled back to Santa Maria on Wednesday morning for a dedication of the water well. They were very appreciative of the team's help, as they have been praying for a well with clean water for the past four years. 
 
The team began each day of their trip, Friday through Wednesday, with worship on the boat with the translators and crew as well as some early morning fishing, before ministering in nine different villages throughout the week. Ministry included conducting door-to-door evangelism, helping in the medical and dental clinic, assisting with the eye glass ministry, and running vacation Bible school in the villages of Santa Maria, Monte Moria', Igarape' Acu, Terra Preta, Camara', Saraca', Ingles, Bela Vista', and Baixote. 
 
The group also spent two days assisting with a construction project, which consisted of making concrete mortar and plastering it to a brick structure in the village of Monte Moria'.
 
On Tuesday morning, the team was given the opportunity to swim with the dolphins in the Rio Negro, as well as feed and catch pirarucu, a large fish that is native to Brazil before more ministry in the afternoon. 
 
After ministry each day the team enjoyed a little free time which included fishing, swimming in the river, and soccer games with the Brazilians. 
 
Every night the team attended the village's church service and took part in the Lord's Supper. Graduate student Zach Ervin (Mt. Pleasant, Texas) lead worship in English and many members of the group from ETBU shared their testimonies with the different congregations. 
 
The team will tour downtown Manaus and visit the market, opera house, and fish market on Thursday before attending the Presbyterian Church in Manaus, which is the main church that has the relationship with the local villages the team ministered to throughout the week, before heading back to the US at midnight. 
 
"I cannot put into words the experiences these guys and I shared this week while on the Amazon. I am beyond proud of every one of them for giving up part of their winter break, their willingness to grow and share their faith, and working to use their God-given talents and abilities to transform the lives of the people they encountered during their time in Brazil," Vice President for Athletics Ryan Erwin said. 
 
"The members of the Bass team that traveled with us to Brazil have exceeded my expectations throughout the entire trip. Removing technology from our day-to-day lives allowed us to focus on the people of the Amazon and grow spiritually," head bass fishing coach Cameron Burger said. "Each member stepped outside of their comfort zone whether that was handing out eyeglasses, working in the pharmacy, sharing the gospel with someone, or giving their testimony."
 
"This trip was a very eye opening experience from experiencing another culture to spreading the love of God. It was awesome to see all the different ways in which God was working through the team and the villages," junior Jared Penton (Sanger, Texas) said. 
 
"I'm extremely proud of the example they set for the translators and more so the members of each village we visited. I look forward to how the Lord is going to continue to change the guy's lives once we return to campus," Burger added. 
 
"This trip has been amazing. The way God moves in the people and in the missionaries is something special. This has been a humbling experience for me and one that I will never forget," sophomore Brett Clark (Center, Texas) said. 
 
"Whether it was not having air conditioning, WiFi, or cell service, or battling the bugs and humidity, or even sleeping in a hammock each night, these guys never complained and their faith never wavered as they truly lived out team mission 'to be fishers of men,'" Erwin added. 
 
"This trip has been amazing, and extremely eye opening. I've been able to see two cultures overcome a language barrier, and unite through Jesus Christ which is something incredible to witness. The challenge to speak through a translator, and still have people hear the Gospel through us has been amazing. The Amazon River is a special place, that is in desperate need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it's been an honor to serve and minister here over the past week," Ervin said.