On Project Amazon 1998, Hans and Kim led this group together. Our group built the first building for Fundacao Agape Amazonas (Agape Amazonas Foundation in English) in Novo Airao, Brazil. The directors of Fundacao Agape Amazonas are Gerald and Iris Gessner.
A little history of how we started helping Fundacao Agape Amazonas. Hans had never been to Brazil and wanted to know what it was like before leading a group in 1998. So we made a pre-mission trip to Manaus, Brazil in the fall of 1997. Our first day in Manaus, we met this young man with a baby at one of the houses I had lived in. As we talked with him, we found out that Hans and Gerald went to the same church back in Germany 20 years prior to this time. Gerald was telling us about his wife and their project. When she arrived home from town, I immediately recognized her. I knew Iris from my first mission trip to Brazil back in 1993. She was the nurse who lived there at the time and had joined the mission trip in 1993. It never ceases to amaze me how God brings people together! So as we were talking, they shared with us their plans to start a project to help children. Iris jokingly said that we could build their first Home for Orphans. Our original plan was to build a church in 1998. But long story short, God made it clear through much prayer and circumstances that we were to help Iris and Gerald with their project instead. (If you'd like to hear how God led, ask and I'll share the story with you. : ) So our group in 1998 built their first building, which was to be a Home for Orphans. But because of Government politics, it is now used as a Kindergarten. Now they help many young children learn a better way of life through Education, Agriculture, Health and of course learning about Jesus. To learn more about Iris and Gerald Gessner and their life long project, click on the tab 'About Agape Amazonas' at the top of this page.
On Project Amazon 1999, the group built a Seventh-Day Adventist Church in that same town of Novo Airao. Hans led the group that year while I stayed home with our 3 1/2 month old precious little boy. As much as I love Brazil, there was no way I was going to take him down at that young age and absolutely no way I was leaving him home with anyone but myself. I never understood God's great love for us until I had my own children.
On Project Amazon 2005, the small group I led got to do cement work around the very first building we built in 1998 (the Kindergarten) and a building (more class rooms) another group built in 2003. Hans stayed home that year with our two precious children. It was hard leaving them but I knew they were in good hands with their daddy. God blessed us with one of each, a boy and a girl. : )
On Project Amazon 2012, our two children were old enough to go on a mission trip with us. We traveled again to Novo Airao to help fulfill the answer to a prayer for Iris and Gerald Gessner and built a Home for Missionaries. Now long term Missionaries can come and live in their own place for a year or two at a time and help with Fundacao Agape Amazonas with teaching the children.
Praise our Lord for His provisions! We rely heavily upon God to impress upon who goes and who gives for these Mission Trips. I'm so thankful for all the Missionaries who have gone on our previous trips. They worked hard to get the buildings up in the short amount of time we had there. Now I am looking forward to see who He impresses to go with us this time.
Project Amazon 2015 is now in the makings. This time we will be building Sabbath School Classrooms for one of the local Adventist churches in Novo Airao. Evangelist Herb Montgomery, with Renewed Heart Ministries, will be going with us to hold two Evangelistic Series. One will be in the little town of Novo Airao and the other in the big city of Manaus. His Series will be taken from his Jesus Dialogue Series. You can listen to his Jesus Dialogue Series on his website - Renewed Heart Ministries. www.renewedheartministries.com .
We appreciate your Prayers. Please pray for God's direction, guidance and provisions for Project Amazon 2015. Thank you!
A little history of how we started helping Fundacao Agape Amazonas. Hans had never been to Brazil and wanted to know what it was like before leading a group in 1998. So we made a pre-mission trip to Manaus, Brazil in the fall of 1997. Our first day in Manaus, we met this young man with a baby at one of the houses I had lived in. As we talked with him, we found out that Hans and Gerald went to the same church back in Germany 20 years prior to this time. Gerald was telling us about his wife and their project. When she arrived home from town, I immediately recognized her. I knew Iris from my first mission trip to Brazil back in 1993. She was the nurse who lived there at the time and had joined the mission trip in 1993. It never ceases to amaze me how God brings people together! So as we were talking, they shared with us their plans to start a project to help children. Iris jokingly said that we could build their first Home for Orphans. Our original plan was to build a church in 1998. But long story short, God made it clear through much prayer and circumstances that we were to help Iris and Gerald with their project instead. (If you'd like to hear how God led, ask and I'll share the story with you. : ) So our group in 1998 built their first building, which was to be a Home for Orphans. But because of Government politics, it is now used as a Kindergarten. Now they help many young children learn a better way of life through Education, Agriculture, Health and of course learning about Jesus. To learn more about Iris and Gerald Gessner and their life long project, click on the tab 'About Agape Amazonas' at the top of this page.
On Project Amazon 1999, the group built a Seventh-Day Adventist Church in that same town of Novo Airao. Hans led the group that year while I stayed home with our 3 1/2 month old precious little boy. As much as I love Brazil, there was no way I was going to take him down at that young age and absolutely no way I was leaving him home with anyone but myself. I never understood God's great love for us until I had my own children.
On Project Amazon 2005, the small group I led got to do cement work around the very first building we built in 1998 (the Kindergarten) and a building (more class rooms) another group built in 2003. Hans stayed home that year with our two precious children. It was hard leaving them but I knew they were in good hands with their daddy. God blessed us with one of each, a boy and a girl. : )
On Project Amazon 2012, our two children were old enough to go on a mission trip with us. We traveled again to Novo Airao to help fulfill the answer to a prayer for Iris and Gerald Gessner and built a Home for Missionaries. Now long term Missionaries can come and live in their own place for a year or two at a time and help with Fundacao Agape Amazonas with teaching the children.
Praise our Lord for His provisions! We rely heavily upon God to impress upon who goes and who gives for these Mission Trips. I'm so thankful for all the Missionaries who have gone on our previous trips. They worked hard to get the buildings up in the short amount of time we had there. Now I am looking forward to see who He impresses to go with us this time.
Project Amazon 2015 is now in the makings. This time we will be building Sabbath School Classrooms for one of the local Adventist churches in Novo Airao. Evangelist Herb Montgomery, with Renewed Heart Ministries, will be going with us to hold two Evangelistic Series. One will be in the little town of Novo Airao and the other in the big city of Manaus. His Series will be taken from his Jesus Dialogue Series. You can listen to his Jesus Dialogue Series on his website - Renewed Heart Ministries. www.renewedheartministries.com .
We appreciate your Prayers. Please pray for God's direction, guidance and provisions for Project Amazon 2015. Thank you!
