-by Gary Crawford
Dear Ministry Partner,
It was 2002. I was on the Amazon River with my son, John, and long-time friend, Joe, to fish and then to visit some nearby villages. Both were a first for us. We were on our way to Boa Vista to confirm a three-year mission partnership. After enjoying fishing, we stopped at our first village where we met villagers that had NEVER HEARD THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. My son shared the gospel. Three men responded by placing their faith in Christ. That moment we prayed with them is still indelibly printed on my mind and heart.
Through our initial partnership in Boa Vista, hundreds came to Christ, 17 new churches planted, other churches revitalized, a pregnancy and youth rehab center was established, a Christian businessmen work group was formed, and a Christian school strengthened. God truly blessed!
After a discussion with IMB missionary Victor Nickerson who was working in Boa Vista at the time, regarding reaching the villages of the west Amazon basin, I began to pray. On the flight home, the Lord gave me a vision to reach the villages in the west basin with the gospel. It seemed overwhelming. I didn’t have a clue how this could be accomplished.
I shared the vision with my son and my now late friend, Joe. We prayed. We sought counsel. Joe and I moved forward as co-founders. Derek George joined us in operations. A strategy was developed, and the work began in earnest.
Since then, we have encountered almost every conceivable challenge: river storms, river flooding, legal storms, mission storms, government agency storms, organizational storms, financial storms, boat storms, Covid storms, corruption and more.
“BUT GOD” (2 Corinthians 7:5-7). But God in His faithfulness saw us through every challenge and storm and led us forward yet still. “But the people,” the courageous people of faith, including our Board of Directors, and men and women of faith, and families now from many states, like you, kept the gospel moving along the river. Village after village and mile after mile until we finally reached the west end as it connects to Columbia and Peru. Then further into more indigenous villages. Many times, we could say with the Psalmist, “I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me” (Psalm 118:13).
As it was said of the Apostle Paul, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,” (Acts 19:11), it is true that God has done (and is doing) extraordinary miracles through all the people of faith that have been a part of Amazon Vision Ministries’ mission. I feel so grateful and indebted to all of you who have blazed the way. It can also be said as it was of the people in Ephesus, “the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor” (Acts 19:17).
Over these years, 30,000 (plus) Ribeirinhos people have come to Christ, leaders trained, and churches planted. Over 100,000 villagers have been helped medically and dentally. Humanitarian work has also included providing food during floods and Covid, clothes, educational material and more including the first New Testament Bible in the Mates language (neighbors to the Mayorunan). We gave the Bible to the Mayorunan chief, his son, and his brother (who teaches some of the brightest students from 11 Mayorunan tribes). What a privilege!
As the Lord gave me the vision in 2002 to reach the people in the west Amazon basin, he gave me this verse of scripture, “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord” (Psalm 102:18). Now thousands “praise the Lord” as “Savior and Lord!” He kept his promise as we kept ours! These villagers will be present with us who will gather before the Lord: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10 NIV).
We have MUCH TO CELEBRATE at our 20th Anniversary, “Celebrating the Past- Anticipating the Future.” I ask you to do five things as we look toward our banquet:
PRAY for great attendance, a strong presence and movement of the Holy Spirit and a great celebration.
MAKE your reservation by clicking on the link below.
SPREAD the word and invite others who share the mission passion to join us.
THINK of your own “River Story” to share with your mission mates as we gather.
CHECK your email and Facebook for more information each week as we move toward this great event.
A special word to our PASTORS:
Thank you for leading your people not only to be mission minded but to “mission involved.” We will recognize all our Pastors who are present at the banquet to express our gratitude. Please invite other like-minded Pastors to join us as well. We have a team and a system to help birth mission ministries in churches or to strengthen and enlarge current mission work, locally and globally. And we can learn from one another and be encouraged.
Make your reservation now so we can prepare for your attendance.
https://www.amazonvisionministries.org/20years
I can’t wait to see you!
In Christ,
Pastor Gary Crawford