September 27, 2024
The Black River, or Rio Negro, is one of the driving forces behind transportation and trade in the Northwest Amazon. However, when a drought reduced water levels to historic lows in October of 2023, barges carrying food, goods, and fuel could no longer make their way up the river, leaving parts of the Amazon without access to vital resources.
One area greatly affected by this shortage was São Gabriel da Cachoeira, which sits on the northern shore of the river and holds the title of Brazil’s most indigenous municipality. The population includes a large community of Tukano people, one of Brazil’s many indigenous people groups. Because of the drought, this community wasn’t receiving many goods they needed, and the ones that did come were often spoiled because of delayed travel times. Panic and fear set in as people felt unsure about being able to feed themselves and their families.
This is where gifts to Send Relief’s Global Hunger Relief Fund went to work. A team from the International Mission Board was able to purchase food in bulk from Manaus, the capital city of Amazonas state, and distribute it to 250 families, feeding 1,000 individuals.
Providing meals for these families opened many doors for reaching people with the gospel. As they distributed food, the team from IMB had the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with many people, and local churches made significant inroads in the community as they served.
For five years, the team had been working with one particular Tukano family, but both parents had remained resistant to the gospel. The father is an alcoholic, leading the mother to struggle with anger and resentment. While they would sometimes allow their children to participate in church events, they would never attend themselves.
However, after this project, the mother felt her heart begin to soften. Seeing how God was providing for her family helped her understand how much He cared for her. Finally, after years of hearing about Jesus, she accepted Him as her Savior. Now, she and her children consistently attend the local church. She is even one of their primary volunteers, helping with cleaning, set up, childcare, and whatever else she can to serve. Soon, she plans to be baptized, publicly declaring her faith to her entire community.
Isaiah 58:10 says, “And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” When you give to Global Hunger Relief, you are shining a light into the darkness. Meeting needs like those of the Tukano people in Brazil help entire communities tangibly experience the love of Jesus.
If you want to help Send Relief meet needs in Jesus’s name, visit globalhungerrelief.org/donate.
