Ministry Update December 2010
Dear Ministry Friends,
We want to wish you a joyful Christmas and ask you remember the true reason for Christmas is the birth of Jesus. This is a short update to tell you 2 bits of great news.
#1.) Our boat is approved for use !!!. This has taken 11 months. There is one condition, they are requiring that we also have 2 life rafts. The cost is unexpected but manageable with the generosity of some friends at our Brazilian church here.
#2.) A little context first … We have been renting a ministry house for the past 2 years at a cost of $685 a month ( not bad for 5 bedroom and 6 bath), but the property we now live on has been sold and we must move by April. There are a few options but we feel God leading us in a specific direction. Our parent ministry, Youth With a Mission (YWAM), has owned a large property near here for 30 years. They have offered to let us finish a building that was started 2 years ago. Long term this would create a very stable place of operation for the ministry of Amazon Reach. The existing ministry infrastructure on the YWAM base provides housing for teams ( up to 60), on site volunteers, cafeteria facilities for meals ( we will not need to prepare our own). There are other logistical and relational aspects that will give our ministry long term stability. The challenge would be funding. But that appears to be more than half solved already.
Out of the $12,000 needed to finish the project, Half is offset by the local YWAM base giving us free rent while we finish the building project. (After we will only pay $150 each for meals and shared internet) The remaining $6000 has been cut in half by the offer of a matching grant to the ministry. $3000 is the balance left. The matching grant will stay in effect until February 28th. I was not going to announce this until 2011 but then some may want to make a donation for their 2010 tax deduction.
To qualify for the matching grant just give a one time gift or any amount above your normal support with a note that says “Matching Grant”. Mail to 4000 Bailey Rd, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33319 and make check to Amazon Reach.
The picture below shows the half completed construction , red brick 2 story. When completed it will be a 2 story, 2 kitchen, 6 bedroom facility ! The construction will take a few months so the sooner we start the better. Please consider how you would like to be involved.
Keep up the GOD work
Joe and Jill in Brazil
