Amy Cummings
Peachtree Hills Members Serve in the Amazon
Thirty years ago, a young Denny Grady traveled to an indigenous region of the Amazon to build a church where evangelism had taken root. In March of 2024, Grady and a group of 12 adventurous people connected to the Peachtree Hills Church in Newnan, Ga., joined with friends, family, and future friends from around the country to return to the village.
“When God calls … listen,” said Harold Richards, Peachtree Hills member, on why he decided to join the group.
God had been blessing the community of Araticum, but their old church was ready for repairs and they needed a new building for Sabbath School.
On the morning of his departure to the Miami, Fla., airport, Grady got word that his wife miraculously survived a terrible, life-changing accident, throwing the mission into uncertainty. The team was heartbroken and dismayed, but ultimately resolved to continue following where God had clearly been leading.
“Don’t let anxiety of the unknowns keep you from experiencing amazing adventures with God,” recalls Tracy Glass, one of the volunteers from Peachtree Hills.
Everyone adjusted, did a quick hand-off of supplies from Grady, and the team proceeded to travel together to Manaus, Brazil, the rendezvous point with the Brazilian boat and supply crew.
The entire mission team, about 30 people in all, situated luggage and hammocks on the river boat, and embarked on a 30-hour trip down the Amazon River to Araticum. For six days, the crew worked through heat, rain, and a wave of illness to not only complete the construction tasks at hand, but also serve the local communities with dental and medical help, and conduct a lively Vacation Bible School program for the children. Still, there were moments to enjoy great food, dips in the river (even with pink river dolphins), play time with the children, musical worships, and forming lifelong bonds.
God showed up in so many ways during the trip, and enabled the team of missionaries to plan and pull together with a unity that rivaled the first century Christian church.
Georgia-Cumberland | December 2024
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