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History
Amazon Outreach began shortly after the summer of 1997. Previous to this, numerous Christians from all walks of life spent their summers on the Amazon River, donating time, talent, and love as surgeons, doctors, nurses, carpenters, business people, teachers, and homemakers. The trips were facilitated by an organization called AMOR led by a man named Richard Walker. In the summer of 1997 Richard had a serious heart attack and was not able to take short term trips. |
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With God’s prompting a core group of short term missionaries in Dallas were praying that God would help them continue working in the Amazon by making a contact with someone in Brazil that could partner with them. In the fall of 1997, one of the members of the group, Chad Sikes, decided to quit his job as an engineer and begin attending the Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth. In the spring semester of Chad’s first year at Southwestern he met a man named Elmer Lessa. Elmer had been raised in Brazil on the Amazon River and was just finishing his last year at the seminary. He had been diligently praying for 3 years for God to introduce him to a group that could partner with his church in Parintins. |
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Praising God the group in Dallas began an organization and formed a board of directors. The connection was made and in the summer of 1998 Amazon Outreach began its operations in the region by using rented boats and volunteers from both North and South America. We explored the area around Parintins under Elmer ’s guidance and planned ways to help him in his ministry. By the end of that year, plans were underway to obtain a boat that would be both owned and operated by Amazon Outreach. The journey was on, and the results were nothing short of miraculous! |
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After much searching, planning and designing the maiden voyage of the Linda Esperanca took place in June of 1999. The first mission and medical trip followed in July of the same year. In September of 1999, the boat was loaned to Richard Walker, who had totally recovered from his heart attack, for a training facility for Biblical studies for pastors of local villages along the river. What started out as a dream ended up as reality, proving that sometimes what is impossible with man, is possible with faith in the power of the One True Maker of Miracles! |
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Since our first voyage God has continued to guide and direct our path. We have taken numerous trips and partnered with different churches and pastors in different areas of the Amazon. We still work in the Parintins area with Pastor Elmer Lessa and Chad Sikes who is now a full time missionary there. We are humbled by God ’s abiding grace and blessings that are too numerous to list. Our prayer is to always be Spirit led and have a servant’s heart as this organization continues to grow. |
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