Meeting the waters

S.S. Proclamor Das Boas Novas IV

Renato rowed up on a small white boat.  As we stood on the makeshift dock the sight seemed familiar. With new found boating experience from the weekend Cynthia and I confidently got in making sure the boat was balanced for Edgar and Renata to board.  We pulled up to a larger boat that resembled a wooden tug boat  with navy blue letters that stamped the boat “Proclamor Das Boas Novas IV”.  As we stepped aboard we realized we interrupted lunch.  Still Renato, the special pioneer that has lived on the preaching boat for 3 years, gave us a tour.  He and 2 others live on the boat that goes down the Amazon River preaching to the tribes.  One of the brothers has been in this special full time service for 10 years.  When the tour was over Renato insisted we stay on for lunch so we agreed.  As the “servant of the day” he showered us with Brazilian hospitality serving us rice, beans and a variety of meats.  The rest of the afternoon was occupied by stories about 4 m snakes that eat colts and Bible students conducting meetings that seemed more fitting for a yearbook or convention than my memory.

Renata, Edgar, Cynthia and I getting taken to the preaching boat

Preaching boats have been an part of special full time service for 20 years and this brother has been doing it for 10.


 

1 of 5 preaching boats in Brazil, this singles preaching boat has its own library, kitchen/dinning room/kingdom hall, laundry room and can accommodate 5.

Obrigatório o uso de capacete no canteiro de obras

When Otilia isn’t working at the family business, running her own clinic, opening/maintaining her apartment for need greaters she volunteers with 1 of the 2 assembly hall construction crews that tour Brazil.  She was kind enough to invite us to spend the day with her there.  We sorta made a girls day of it with Tamara and Juliany, sisters from the Manaus English group.  On the way home we listened to the local radio station that plays Lykee Li remixed on what can only be described as a loop and let the thick air from all our car windows down dry our sweat.

Temporary apartments are built for the construction group.  There are apartments for couples and for singles.  Each couple gets their own apartment or 3 single brothers or 3 sisters per apartment. When the build is completed these get demolished.  

Laundry department

Commissary 

The dinning room doubles as a Kingdom Hall

Regina and her husband are accomplished retired biologists that serve in the Creole congregation of Manaus.  Their job is to grow and maintain local plant life that will be used in the landscape of the assembly hall.  The brothers have put a special effort in not only using native plants in the planning but clearing as few coconut trees as possible.

Stephanie, Tamara, Cynt, me.
Behind us the open air assembly hall that will seat close to 2,000

The plans only include one partial wall in the stage area.

Arturo, Fabio, Edison, Me, Bob the Builder

There are only 2 ways in and out of Manaus, by plane or boat.  All building materials had to be shipped on the Amazon river.  Because of this fact many projects that are usually outsourced had to be done by the construction crew.  This water tower is the first to be constructed by a construction crew. The crew also travels with its own concrete mixer, VW Bus fleet, tools and machinery.

Assembly Hall Construction Group

Ringo

From left to right or from up to down depending how it loaded: Juliany, me, Tamara and Cynt

After a long day Otilia made an appearance and took us to our first round of Bob's which everyone describes as Brazilian McDonalds. 

Better safe than malaria

I guess it’s hard to put into words moments that you know would make the cut if by some strike of luck your life became a movie.  8:30 a.m. sharp Eduardo knocked at our black iron door with the purple wall on Rua Amapa.  After getting a 3 minute head start at opening the 7 locks we reside behind, Cynthia and I appeared with our 1 backpack and tote where we stuffed only the essentials.  Eduardo’s eyes swelled up at our presence.  “How sweet” I thought only long enough to catch him comment on the layers of peppermint oil we lathered on before our exit, fan his face and cough.  So we jumped in his truck and headed for breakfast.  Under a hut we enjoyed fresh brewed Brazilian cafe com leite, tapioca com queijo, and tucuma com queijo.   With full belies we hit the road about 45 minutes outside of Manaus and parked.  Taking advantage of the last moment before stepping outside we fumigated our pores with a cocktail of bug repellent and sun block, looked at each other, shrugged and said: “Better safe than malaria.”  Moments later Domingos pulled up in his single engine 9-seater boat.  30 minutes down Rio Tarumá the trees parted to a large wooden house nestled in the jungle.  It was beautiful.  The wraparound porch equipped with hammocks and outdoor kitchen was perfect to enjoy the Amazon jungle backdrop.  However the pride of Igarape Agola is the Kingdom Hall.  Six posts, seating for 30 and a roof by the river accommodates grupo Agola that tends the needs of the surrounding tribes of the Amazon.  Saturday and Sunday mornings many indigenous families arrive to the meeting in small boats.  Only Domingos and his wife Fatima live there and when they aren't fishing Matrixa or making fresh noni, açai or cupuaçu juice they tend to 20 Bible studies.  The 2 closest congregations travel to this group to help with the preaching work and carry out their meetings.  The attendance for Saturday meeting was about 30 and as we left another group of brothers were arriving to support their Sunday meeting.  As I sat in the car that day bouncing with the road I thought to myself “That was way too cool for me.”

Matrixa fish Domingo caught earlier in the day.

A few minutes before rain...

To get fresh water Domingos travels about 10 minutes down river to get it from a spring.

Domingos also sets traps and checks them for the next days meal.

Locals arriving for meeting.

Grupo Argola

Me, Fatima and Cynt

Clap in the name of love

Turns out the friends weren't clapping for our attempts at Portuguese that inevitably came out as Espa-guese.  The Manaus English group is responsible for finding every foreigner amongst the 2 million Manauaras.  But behind high walls and without doorbells, clapping at the door is the best way to let the householder know you’re there.  After a short presentation explaining our volunteer work, most Manauaras are eager to give away their foreign neighbors.  In only a year the group has an impressive 500 contacts.  Maybe Angelino householders would be more willing to come out if they too were greeted by a round of applause.

Centro Historico de Manaus

Manaus English Group

from left to right: Eduardo, Cynthia, William, Grazie, Me

Tamara, Cynthia, Me

Welcome to the Jungle

The indistinguishable smell of jungle welcomed Cynthia and I midnight local time at Manaus airport.  Humidity replaced the Los Angeles brewed smog in my lungs and filled my hair with disproportionate volume.  The old familiar sense of excitement overcame the way only a new adventure could.  I felt it was like seeing an old friend again.  Read.  Laugh.  Comment. Share.  Enjoy.