Missionaries in the Amazon risk their lives forging a path through dangerous waterways to communities where rebel groups roam.
But just as God’s goodness has caused some rebels to respect Christians, his provision is making those very rivers a safer means of travel for his missionaries and indigenous communities.
James*, who works in missions construction/safety in South America, is partnering with JAARS to bring crucial water safety training to these waterways. He and his wife, Andrea*, a Bible translator, use the Amazon’s rivers to create relationships with indigenous communities and translate Bibles into their languages.
Missionaries like James and Andrea board wooden canoes often filled past capacity. Up to thirty people looking to travel to a community or a church might board one canoe.
As James and Andrea row, they’ll hear their guide point out places where passengers have drowned. There’s no one to call or signal in an emergency. Still, with the untamed terrain of the rainforest, these rivers are often the safest way to travel.
A missions worker tending to a large canoe. These boats are precious, so maintenance is key.
James and Andrea recently spent a week at the JAARS Base in crisis simulations during their water safety training. They learned to unflip canoes and be the rescuer or the rescuee.
Now, they plan to share that knowledge with missionaries and indigenous groups.
“Communities that still need Bible translations are very remote,” said James. “JAARS knows all about that. What would you do if something happened where you had to survive? I think all of that training is very relevant. You can save someone’s life.”
One of James’ friends has lived in the Amazon for twenty years with his wife and children. There, he plants churches and transports teams of missionaries for construction projects. He travels on a long, wooden canoe often overflowing with people with only an outboard motor on the back.
Having the equipment and training to rescue an overboard passenger could mean the difference between life and death for one of God’s children.
For many indigenous groups in the Amazon, water safety gear is new, making water safety an unfamiliar concept.
While safety equipment is a rare sight, areas in the river where people have died are not.
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Tim McIntosh, the director of Sea Ops, shows a team of translators how to capsize a boat in Madang, Papua New Guinea.
Providing these communities with foreign life jackets isn’t enough. Asking them to trust a vest to keep them afloat is like inviting someone into a trust fall with strangers.
“They’ve never experienced wearing one and how it makes them feel in the water,” said James. “In reality, it’s a life preserver, a floatation device, and it could help them tremendously if something happened.”
To trust life jackets and foreign advice, these communities need trainers willing and able to show these tools’ value.
God has already used JAARS to provide this training in Papua New Guinea for Bible translators and indigenous communities. James and Andrea hope to do the same in South America.
James and Andrea know God led them to JAARS for a reason.
“I think it’s wonderful to be able to use these things that many of us look at as hobbies… [like] playing around with four-wheel drive vehicles, motorcycles, boats [for God’s kingdom],” said James. “I gave up all those things to follow the call of God, and now the Lord is saying, ‘Well, the reason why you liked those things is because I want you to use them to continue the Great Commission.’”
We need many technical skills to cover the last mile of missions in these remote places dominated by rainforests or mountains. Discover how your skill sets can fit into God’s mission here.
*Names changed or unspecified for security reasons