From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3

The small boat bobs up and down on the river as the crew sleep on mattresses laid out on the deck. It’s a new day and the sun is slowly rising, casting beams of light into the jungle which dominates the river banks. It is a beautiful scene and in the serenity of it one may think that this place of beauty provides a paradise for the many small river bank communities.

This paradise is not as lovely as it first seems. The communities here exist in isolation, going without food for months at a time, struggling without clean water and with high levels of disease. Medical care is scarce, and housing and school buildings mostly comprise sticks and tarpaulins in the shade of a tree.

But this small boat and its team are bringing change to these communities, despite the physical dangers of the Paraguayan river. They bring the light of God’s grace and love to the people, and a new day dawns with renewed hope and faith in the one who creates the beauty of the sunrise.

‘El Amanecer’  / ‘The Dawn’

That’s the name of the boat operated by the Paraguayan Bible Society for fifteen years now. Captained by Patrocinio Veláquez and crewed by courageous men and women, this boat has been bringing food, clothes and medical care. The team have helped to build schools and churches, and have placed thousands of Scripture items into the hands of the riverside communities.

It has been wonderful for the team to witness churches emerging along the river, and to see people within the local communities stand up and take responsibility for leadership within these churches. These new pastors have such a strong passion to share the Word of God with their people but have little training in how to do it.

The ‘El Amanecer’ continues to provide essentials to the people but it now also brings training for new pastors in the form of Bible Studies and study material. By supporting the leaders of the villages, the churches will have the potential to become stronger in faith and in number.

The crew of ‘El Amanecer’ needs help to continue with this mission. The Bible Society in Northern Ireland want to cover the cost of the Scripture that is being distributed by the crew, including the new study edition of the New Testament, ‘Choose Life’, and a special book for children. You could help us do this! It takes just £10 to put New Testaments into the hands of four people, and £16.00 to provide 10 Children’s storybooks. Please prayerfully consider how you could help with this mission and click the donate button!

Supporting the church family in this way, not only physically but spiritually, we hope to see the Paraguayan river environment change from one of dangerous isolation to a place that demonstrates both the physical beauty of God’s creation and the tangible joy of His presence.