A Church’s Journey Along the Amazon

Mary Beth Sallee

Managing Editor

Hart Co. News-Herald

 

As the holiday season approaches and communities turn their thoughts toward generosity and reflection, members of Horse Cave Baptist Church (HCBC) enter the season with a renewed sense of hope shaped by a summer spent along the Amazon River. What began as a mission trip into unfamiliar territory soon became a journey that strengthened their faith and their understanding of what it means to answer a higher calling.

For Women’s Ministry and Bible Study Leader Debbie Harlan, that sense of calling began long before the first village came into view.

“God called us to go and share the good news,” Harlan said.

There was a total of 12 members from Horse Cave Baptist Church who attended the mission trip: Tebbie Carver, Debbie and Brian Harlan, Sheldon and Faith Ballou, Debbie Pennington, Julio Alonso, Maddie Franklin, Lori Blumenburg, Katherine Wilson, Lauren Houk, and Michael Peterson. The church partnered with Amazon Hope, an organization based in Boaz, Alabama, that is devoted to reaching isolated communities along the Amazon River.

“Our church has seen a rejuvenation with the start of our Next Gen Kids Ministry, and the focus of our lessons was missions centered. With the arrival of our new Pastor and his wife (Casey and Tebbie Carver), talks were had about creating a team to start international missions and it took off quickly,” said Lauren Houk, who works with the NG3 Children’s Program at HCBC. “Everyone was so supportive of the idea, and this partnership with Amazon Hope was made.”

For Houk, saying yes to the trip was not an easy decision.

“I originally said no,” Houk said. “I have small children, it was going to be about the same time as school starting (I’m a teacher), I’ve never done any kind of missions or evangelism, and honestly, it sounded terrifying living on a boat going down the Amazon River. I had all the excuses, but God had another plan and made the trip and sharing the gospel heavy on my heart until I gave in. From that point of obedience and acceptance, I had an indescribable peace.”

That same peace followed her and her team members as they arrived on their riverboat at four in the morning, exhausted from travel. After resting, the next moments felt surreal.

“Waking up to the scenery as we traveled down the Amazon was incredible and breathtaking,” Houk said. “River dolphins jumping beside us made it real that we were actually there.”

For Harlan, that first morning brought a sign of reassurance she would carry throughout the week.

“I woke up and looked out the window to see a rainbow and knew God was giving a message, a promise He was with us,” Harlan shared.

Each day on the river brought new faces, new needs, and new opportunities to serve.

“Our team did a variety of ministries to support both the indigenous villages we visited and the area of Foz do Canumã,” Houk said. “We had a dental team (the Ballous), an eyeglass team, medicines, a family photo ministry, and ministries for each age group. I specifically worked with the children.”

Lauren Houk shared a joyful moment with two children in Foz do Canumã during Horse Cave Baptist Church’s mission trip to the Amazon River. Photo submitted.

Among the women Harlan met, many shared stories marked with heartbreak.

“(There were) so many of the women who spoke of their men in terms of addiction and violence,” Harlan said.

Yet even amidst the painful stories, the team found a hunger for hope among the indigenous people of the Amazon.

Houk discovered that the children they encountered were among the most eager learners she had ever worked with.

“Having the opportunity to share and disciple in these villages not only pushed me out of my comfort zone – I had never done this before and never worked with a translator in this capacity – but the overall experience was wonderful.,” Houk said.

“The people were so welcoming and interested in what we had to share,” Houk said. “The children wanted to learn…just showing them attention and love seemed to override [the language barrier].”

From the planning stages of the mission trip up to actually stepping foot along the Amazon, the group witnessed obstacles transform into blessings. Missed flights became ministry opportunities, illnesses healed, and supplies stretched farther than expected. Doors opened – literally and spiritually – as the team became the first missionaries ever welcomed into one of the indigenous villages they visited. They were not only received but invited back for future visits.

“We really felt surrounded by prayer and were able to witness God at work every step of the way,” Houk said. “…It was all orchestrated by God and we felt it mightily in the peace we had while in the mission field.”

For Harlan, the most powerful evidence of that work came in the spiritual transformations they witnessed firsthand.

“Salvations, re-dedications, people so open to hear our message of God’s love and grace, welcoming and open about their lives,” Harlan said of how she saw God work during the mission trip.

Now, as decorations go up in homes and across communities for the Christmas season here in Hart County, the mission team at HCBC finds themselves carrying the same spirit they felt along the Amazon River months ago – a spirit of generosity and obeying God’s will – into this holiday season.

When asked if she could share an encouraging word with everyone reading this story, Harlan said, “Strengthen bonds and relationships with one another. Obey God’s call. He will make a way. God works in us and through us for His glory.”

Houk expressed a message she hopes others in the community will embrace during this season of giving.

“God can use anyone, anywhere,” Houk said. “Several members of our team questioned how helpful we would be without set skills or knowledge, but we all easily found a niche and purpose while there. Whether it means traveling thousands of miles to a remote location in the Amazon, supporting people in our communities at home, or being a prayer warrior for those on the front lines, everyone can be used. There are so many opportunities to share God’s love and message of hope. It simply takes a step of faith and some obedience.”

Horse Cave Baptist Church plans to continue building its partnership with Amazon Hope and the communities along the river, as well as continuing an ongoing connection with a church in Foz do Canumã.

“We hope to continue our international mission’s ministry in the years to come,” Houk said. “We have appreciated and felt the love and support from our small community and can’t wait to see what else can be accomplished and what people can be reached with this partnership.”

This holiday season, as the Horse Cave Baptist Church mission team reflects upon the miracle of Jesus’ birth, they also reflect upon their days along the Amazon River. What the team carried home from those distant waters shows that faith and hope – shaped by courage and obedience – can begin anywhere: in a small Kentucky church, on a boat in the Amazon, or in a heart willing to be used for a greater purpose. And that doesn’t fade with the seasons. It stays, ready to guide the days ahead.