Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 – “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” (CEV). Jesus was referring to welcoming the strangers, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry and thirsty, and taking care of the sick. All of these were acts of mercy and generosity that we should mimic in our lives here on the earth, as if doing it to Jesus. I am no stranger to mission trips, but I must say that this is probably my best one yet!! My other trips were done by land, and this one was by sea. I was a “stowaway” with the Belmont church from Virginia. We all flew in to Manaus ready to spread the Gospel through serving. The boat was comfortable, the food was DELICIOUS, and the boat staff was friendly and welcoming. We served the communities of Paraiso, Sao Sebastiao and Santo Antonio providing care for hundreds of God´s children-women, men, and many kids of all ages. Our team worked like a well -oiled machine together, from receiving the families on the boat, doing vital signs, seeing the doctor, seeing the dentist and going to the pharmacy for meds, receiving vitamins and worm meds, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and other goodies for the kids, to getting a prayer over the family at the end, and receiving hugs and smiles along the way, (as well as broken Portuguese from our team). While sailing along the Amazon, we also saw birds, pink dolphins, and the merging of the waters of the Amazon and Rio Negro!! My advice to anyone is to first sign up to go as a volunteer on one of the many trips offered throughout the year. Secondly, come ready to bless and be blessed! Also, pack very lightly because they have laundry services so save your luggage space for needed medicines. And thirdly, come with a heart to express the Gospel through love and service, and to see a beautiful country that God has created. Love has NO language barriers. I GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME😀