When I (Greg) previously lived in the Amazon I loved going with the people to their roças – their farms. The day would start early in order to get work done before the sun got too hot. We put on our rubber boots, sharpened our machetes, and walked 30 or so minutes through the dense Amazon jungle before seeing a sunny clearing where the farm was.
The farms were full of banana trees, pineapple plants, sugar cane, and manioc – a root that is the primary food of the people of the Amazon, a bit like a potato. After an hour or two of uprooting the manioc, when it was really starting to warm up, we’d look for some shade and peel it. Some of my favorite memories were while talking and laughing peeling manioc together.
Since coming back to the Amazon, this has been missing. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to go to the farm with someone. One of the difficulties is that many of the people we work with have farms that are far upriver – that even they rarely go to. Well, I was finally able to go last month. We worked for a few hours uprooting and peeling manioc. We ate lots of banana and manioc, as well as some açaí and grilled chicken. It was a fun, exhausting, nostalgic day.
One of the reasons I share this with you is to explain a little bit about the culture of the people here and our ministry. For us, some of the best ministry can and will happen while sitting down and peeling manioc together. It is fantastic conversation time and a great opportunity to share God’s Word.
Another reason I share this with you is to ask for your prayers. As we have thought and prayed about how we can get to know more people, provide for some physical needs, do ministry as a family, and continue to progress in culture and language, we have returned time and again to the idea of having a family farm. We could invite a family or two to go with us. They could help us work the land and in return, they take everything they harvest back home to hopefully have at least 4-5 days’ worth of food. We are only in the beginning phases of looking into this. But we do ask that you would all pray for us as we begin researching and looking for a place to farm and do ministry.
Our Amazon Sojourn 
Oh Lord Most High! You are the unchangeable God, Yahweh and the great I Am! I join Greg and Savannah and their family in this request. We know that nothing is too difficult for you and You make Streams in the deserts. We lift these unreached people up to You oh Lord our Everlasting Father and we ask for wisdom to do this work. Download Your plans oh Mighty God, download Your ways that are higher than we can imagine. Oh stretch our faith to expect You to do what You want to do while we await like children anticipating Christmas morning. Oh precious and gracious merciful Father, humbly we ask to be part of Your great and mighty plans. We ask that every plot and plan if the enemy that would try to thwart or hinder Your would be null, void and without effect in the strong and mighty name of Jesus! The name above all names! The name that defeats the enemy and triumphs over death, demons and sickness. We call upon that name and the provision of that name and the power of that name and we shout it over the entire Amazon region and claim it for Your kingdom and Your Glory forever! Amen.
Whew that just flew out! Waiting with anticipation.
In His great love. Paula
Sent from my iPhone
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We will differently be praying for every available means to reach more of those people for Christ love you so much Greg and what you guys are doing 🙏🏻🙏🏻
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