Director Transition

January 1st, 2025

By Michael Allen 

Dear AVM Family,

It has been a blessing, privilege, and honor to serve as AVM’s Director of Operations for the last six years. This past Fall, I notified the Board of my intentions to step down and that I would assist in a smooth transition of leadership. I want to thank each one of you for your continued support as I served in our shared ministry, especially in the last year as my family suddenly and unexpectedly lost our son, Max. Your prayer and support have meant a great deal to myself, my wife, and children. In knowing me, you can be assured that this move was guided through prayer and discernment. The ministry is primed for growth, and the incoming Director, Richard Jennings, will be able to make an immediate impact.

During the last six years, we have navigated some difficult and uncharted waters. Not only did we survive - but through the grace of God - AVM thrived. Look at what we have overcome:

COVID-19

Amid a worldwide pandemic and travel lockdown, it was thought that this ministry could not survive without teams on the river. God had different plans and we thrived with a new ministry named Supply the River in which AVM would supply food and the gospel message to families along the river. Fueled by your generous giving and with the help of our dedicated Brazilian staff, we fed over 5,000 families and shared the gospel with over 25,000 souls! Praise God!

Passing of our Co-Founder

Joe Fincher, an AVM founder and friend to many, had a tremendous impact on all aspects of our operations, well beyond his formal roles as Board Member and treasurer. In the wake of his passing in 2020, AVM mourned our great loss, while also needing to transition Joe’s many responsibilities. At the onset, it was overwhelming because we knew that no one could replace Joe. However, we were highly motivated to keep his legacy alive and well. Through persistent prayer and diligent work, the ministry experienced supernatural continuity and we praise God for celebrating our 20th Anniversary.

Eli’s health

When Eli was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, we questioned if the ministry could survive since most of the in-country operations rested upon his shoulders. At this time, we were able to onboard new in-country coordinators and a full-time assistant so that ministry could continue as Eli courageously battled cancer. As a result of this setback, the future of AVM Brazilian operations is now in place. Not only that, but through the miraculous healing hand of Jesus, Eli is currently cancer free. Praise God!

As we look back, I am even more excited what AVM will do in the future. Our pastoral training conferences have begun, new doors have opened to work with the Hagekai, and many teams are committed to return to the River in 2025. Also, thank you for making our Christmas Supply the River project a success! Because of your generous contributions we raised $14,875! This supplied over 500 families with a week’s worth of food, over 500 children with toy bags, and the gospel was preached to all of them. Click here to see a video from this trip.

In closing, I am excited that Richard will be transitioning into the Director role. Richard and his wife, Christi, are long-time Board members who have a deep love for Jesus, the Great Commission, and the people of Brazil - especially the unreached. They boldly go where most will not go to share the hope of Jesus Christ. I ask that you pray for them and the vision that God has for AVM, now and in the future.

God bless you and may God continue to bless Amazon Vision Ministries!

“I will give thanks to you Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” -Psalm 9:1

In His Name,

Michael Allen

Former Director of Operations

Amazon Vision Ministries

Giving Tuesday 2023: Ministry Update

By Michael Allen

Dear AVM Family,

As you consider and plan your giving for today and the next year, please review the upcoming projects, open doors, and ministry opportunities that AVM has the privilege of being a part of. Some of these are new doors being opened and others have been years in prayer and planning just to get to this point.

Supply the River (2023 year-end)

What started in 2020 as a one-time mission to bring much needed food, supplies, and the gospel message to the Amazon River has turned into a dozen completed trips. Thanks to your support these trips have fed over 3,500 families and allowed over 20,000 people to hear the gospel message! Praise the Lord!

On December 15th our in-country staff, led by Pastor Eli, will embark on our 13th trip and we are seeking to supply the largest amount of food to date: enough to feed 500 families for a week. That would also be around 3,000 gospel conversations! In addition, we will be giving 900 children a gift bag with toys and the gospel message.

Click here to see a video from our Christmas trip in 2023.


Our goal is to raise $15,000 for this project. You can donate to this project now by visiting www.amazonvisionministries.org ​​​​​​and using the designated fund “Supply the River-Christmas ​​​​”, or by texting the word “give” to (352)677-2286.

Supply the Pastor: Pastoral Training Conferences (2024)

Earlier this year a door opened for Amazon Vision Ministries to assist a local indigenous group with pastoral training conferences to supply river pastors with much needed love, care, and theological training. During these 5-day trainings pastors and their wives from remote locations will be able to strengthen their Biblical foundation and be encouraged in their ministries. Click on this link to hear from our team leaders about this project:


Our goal is to raise $30,000 for this project. This will cover the expenses for a January site visit and allow us to conduct two conferences in 2024. You can donate to this project now by visiting www.amazonvisionministries.org and using the designated fund “Pastoral Training Conferences”, or by texting the word “give” to (352)677-2286.

Hagekai Project (2024)

Hagekai or, Radical, is a program where Brazilian missionary couples are in-bedded in villages along the River for two years with the goal of establishing a church in that village. AVM is seeking to identify several of these Hagekai couples to support their ministry needs. This would give US teams an opportunity to partner with these couples, support their ministry, and ensure that evangelism and discipleship continue long after an AVM team leaves.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 for this project. This will cover the expenses for a vision trip to meet with several Hagekai couples and establish a relationship with them. You can donate to this project now by visiting www.amazonvisionminstries.org and using the designated fund “Hagekai Project”, or by texting the word “give” to (352)677-2286.

Ministry expenses (2024)

Our ministry is expanding and we are bringing on additional in-country staff to assist with the projects that are planned for 2024. To help off-set this we are seeking to raise $50,000 for operational expenses and for any new ministry doors that the Lord may open for AVM in the coming year. You can contribute to this now by visiting www.amazonvisionminstries.org and using the designated fund “General Operating Fund”, or by texting the word “give” to (352)677-2286.

In total, AVM’s fundraising goal for the next year is $100,000. Today, on Giving Tuesday, we are prayerfully seeking your continued financial support. Will you partner with our ministry through a one-time gift or a monthly pledge? You don’t have to be on the River to be a part of AVM. Every dollar works to bring the hope of Christ to the lost.

God bless you as you consider your future role in missions and our shared ministry, today and beyond!
​​​​​
“A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

The Hallelujah Man!

The below article was originally published in the Citrus County Chronicle on June 16th, 2023.

By Nancy Kennedy

Last November, when the opportunity to go on a medical missions trip to Brazil came up, Ken Hinkle felt God was telling him to go.

However, as Hinkle explained, he had been taking care of his wife, Martha, who had been going through cancer treatment for more than four years.

“I didn’t want to leave her,” Hinkle said. “Plus, I’m 73 and diabetic, I have a defibrillator and chronic kidney disease. But I knew God was saying, ‘I’ve got this.’ So, I stepped out in faith, put my trust in his hands that he would take care of Martha and signed up.”

Hinkle, the former Inverness city councilman and also a career sonographer, and a group from his church, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Inverness, recently returned from a nine-day trip to provide medical care to people in villages along the Amazon River.

They went as part of the Gainesville-based Amazon Vision Ministries, going to conduct a medical clinic for nearby villagers and do VBS (Vacation Bible School) for the kids.

“We went from Orlando to Panama City, Panama, then to Manaus, Brazil, then took a two-hour bus ride to Manicapura and then an eight-hour boat ride on the Amazon River just to get to where we were going,” Hinkle said.

Six weeks before the trip, his wife finished her chemotherapy and the following week a PET scan showed the cancer was gone.

“That was God’s answer to me that he was taking care of her,” Hinkle said.

So, at 73, the oldest person in the group, Hinkle took what he called a trip of a lifetime, providing medical care to some of the poorest people on earth.

The team had brought 10 50-pound bags of medical supplies, 500 pairs of reading glasses and a bunch of soccer balls.

“We did 40 or 50 ultrasounds, found some gallstones and an ovarian cancer, which was sad,” he said. “We did ultrasounds on three pregnant women and got to tell one that she was having a little boy, and she was thrilled.

“One woman, this was her 10th baby and she had never seen an ultrasound before, and she was ecstatic about seeing the baby before it was born. We saw more than 400 people in the clinic in six days.”

He said a lot of ministry took place, too.

“A young woman came in, depressed, wouldn’t lift up her head,” he said. “We learned that her 1-year-old son had drowned three months before.”

Hinkle said a nurse on their team had lost her own young son to a drowning accident years ago and was able to talk to the woman.

“She came all the way across the world because God knew this young woman would be there,” Hinkle said. “They talked for over an hour and the woman left with her head up and a smile.”

He said a few things surprised him. As poor as the people were, everyone had electricity and cellphones – and he saw push-button pay phones in the middle of the forest.

He said he also saw concrete roads in the middle of the jungle, but no cars.

“Everyone travels by boat,” he said, “long, skinny boats. The school ‘bus’ was a boat that goes up and down the river, stopping to pick up kids for school.”

Hinkle said while there he got a nickname.

One night he told his story about meeting and marrying his wife and about her cancer and how God has healed her.

“I’m a Baptist, and I’m pretty quiet in church,” he said, “but that night I raised my hands and shouted, ‘HALLELUJAH!’ After that they called me the Hallelujah Man.

“I’ve been a Christian for 53 years, and I’ve been on other mission trips in the U.S., but this one was different. This trip showed me what it means to totally rely on God. I’d been praying for Martha for years, many people have been praying for her, and I didn’t think I could leave her.

“But God said, ‘I got this,’ and I trusted him and he healed her. That doesn’t mean it (cancer) might not come back in the future, but for this point in time, he healed her.”

Nancy Kennedy can be reached at 352-564-2927 or by email at nkennedy@chronicleonline.com.

https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/local/local-man-ken-hinkle-steps-out-on-faith-for-missions-trip-to-the-amazon/article_98369dd9-bee9-5dae-9c86-7e6c277b6d1c.html. Accessed July 31st, 2023.

Supply the River: Tabatinga Edition!

by Michael Allen

Earlier this month Team One Chapel returned to the far west basin of the Amazon River in Tabatinga. Rich and Christi, led by the Lord, were able to bring the Supply the River food ministry to this part of Brazil. In addition to the food distributions they also had medical clinics, VBS, Bible studies, and 8 church services! In total they visited 5 different villages, supplied 200 families with food kits, and saw 120 patients in the medical clinics.

Pastor Eli, Rich, and Christi also taught discipleship lessons in Nova Ciudad which has become a training area to equip believers and send them out to more remote areas. The leaders in this training center have invited the team and AVM to be more involved in the training and equipping that is happening there. Please be in prayer over this as God may be opening more doors of ministry.

Team One Chapel will be returning to the River in September and has already started their process to build a team for the summer of 2024!

“…because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”

(1 Corinthians 16:9)

Team Cultivate Nashville

-By Michael Allen

In March Team Cultivate Nashville, led by Mike Taylor and Mark Jones, joined Pastor Eli on one of our Supply the River trips (see trip video here). During their trip along the Amazon River they were able to minister to and bring the hope of Christ to 7 villages. This included preaching the gospel message, discipleship, praying with and encouraging local missionaries, and supplying 300 families with food for a week. Overall, they were able to minister to nearly 500 people with many receiving Christ as Saviour!

Mike has expressed that they very much felt the Lord’s leadership during their time on the River. In one of the villages there was no church and no pastor, yet 50 people showed up to greet them and 35 attended a worship service! In that same village they were also able to lead a woman to Christ during a visit in her home! Praise the Lord! Mike also feels that God may be calling Cultivate to return and continue to work in 3 of the villages.

Please continue to pray for Cultivate Church and their leaders as they continue to look for opportunities to share the Hope of Christ in the West Amazon Basin of Brazil.

If you would like more information on how you can be a part of the Great Commission on the Amazon River please visit www.amazonvisionministries.org.

2022 Year in Review

-by Michael Allen
 

Dear AVM Family and Friends,
 
I pray that all of you experienced a Merry Christmas and are praying for a Happy New Year! With so much uncertainty coming out of 2020 and 2021, God was again at work in and through our ministry in 2022. The author of Hebrews writes, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (10:24,25) That “Day approaching” is the Day of the Lord. We do not know when that day is, but we can be certain that we are another year closer to it coming to pass. The writer says to encourage each other more as we “see” that day coming. With the state of the world today, we can clearly “see” that Jesus is coming soon. And should He tarry, that gives us more time and opportunity to share the Good News of salvation with those who are perishing. I encourage and invite you to pray for, give to, and go on the River. We do not know what obstacles and challenges 2023 will bring, but we do know that our God is bigger than anything that comes our way.
 
Here are some of the highlights of what God has accomplished in and through our ministry over the last 12 months:

Pastor Eli & Silvana

• Pastor Eli was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in early May of this year. We thank God for a successful surgery and His healing hand on Eli. At the same time Silvana was experiencing severe eye issues that were painful and required treatments. We also thank you for your prayers and financial support for Eli and Silvana during this time. Pastor Eli has returned to the River and led 3 trips since his surgery! Praise the Lord!

 
Supply the River

• In response to food scarcity caused by lockdowns, AVM’s in-country staff and partners completed three Supply the River trips this year funded by our generous donors.

• Each trip provided a week’s worth of food for 300 families and, most importantly, the gospel message was presented to all.

• The 1st trip was at Easter time and included over 600 bags of candy.

• The 3rd trip was a special Christmas edition and we distributed 1200 toy bags for children! Click here to watch a brand-new video of the Christmas trip.

• In total, AVM brought the love of Christ through Supply the River in 2022 to nearly 6000 people! Praise the Lord!

Teams on the River

• One Chapel. They were the first U.S. based team to return to the River in 2021 and they were the first team to return again in 2022! Led by Richard and Christi Jennings, this team also had a Brazilian dentist join and over 100 patients were treated through their dental clinic! The team also participated in 5 church services, discipleship training, and conducted VBS every day with an average attendance of 40 children. We pray that God will continue to open new doors to reach indigenous tribes with the gospel and that this team’s efforts in 2023 are blessed.

• Westside Baptist Church. Trip leader, James Nichols, and long-time AVM supporter, Allison Crepeau, joined AVM’s in-country staff and traveled to the West Amazon Basin to support the Christmas Supply the River Trip. The team was able to visit 9 villages and it was a special time, indeed. See a short clip of them here​​​​​.​​​

Conferences

• AVM was invited to the 2nd annual missions conference at Cultivate Church in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a blessing to see this event grow since last year and we look forward to seeing what God will accomplish during Cultivate’s first trip with AVM in Spring 2023.

• Our ministry was also represented at the Baptist College of Florida’s 3-day mission conference.

New Partnerships

• We rejoice that Flemington Baptist Church has become a new ministry partner. The congregation’s heart for missions is evident and AVM is grateful for their on-going financial commitment for 2023!  

 As we look toward the future of our ministry, AVM trusts that God will supply our every need.

• Financial: Our fundraising goal for 2023 is $100,000. These funds will support (1) seven Supply the River Trips, (2) expansion of our staff in Brazil, (3) improvements to infrastructure and communications, (4) new programming for ministry opportunities and (5) on-going operational expenses. Please consider a one-time gift to support this campaign or becoming a monthly giving partner in the New Year. No amount is too small or insignificant to Kingdom work. Please click here ​​​​​​​​​​to give now or visit our website: ​​​​​https://www.amazonvisionministries.org​​​​​​.

• Prayer: As we continue to build teams for 2023, please pray that God would call strong leaders to serve on the River and that teams are formed, solidified, and sent! We look forward to seeing how God blesses our efforts as more teams return to the River. Please also pray for the Board as we seek God’s continued direction for the future.There is much work to do!

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and a willingness to “go and make disciples”. In 2020 and 2021, lockdowns and closures were replaced with mandates and restrictions, however, in 2022, mandates and travel restrictions were lifted! Praise the Lord! In all seasons, God’s call to “go” and make disciples still stands. It is in this Commission that we experience the power of the Holy Spirit. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
 
If you would like more information on how to get involved, please contact me, or visit our website at https://www.amazonvisionministries.org.

May God bless you as we enter the New Year!

In His service,

Michael Allen 

Director of Operations

Michael@amazonvisionministries.org

352.219.5348

Giving Tuesday 2022

-by Michael Allen

Click here for an important message from the director. Director’s_message

Dear AVM Family,

On Giving Tuesday 2021 your generous gifts were able to supply 300 families with food for a week, 900 toy bags to children, and the gospel message! This year our goal is to double those efforts (or more) and we need your continued support to do so. The cost to supply these is less than $35 per family. Also included in these bags is the most important message of all, the gospel. The gospel message will be given out to each family that receives a gift. Our goal is to raise $26,000 to fill the boat!

Help us fill the boat! Donate now by visiting www.amazonvisionministries.org and using the designated fund "Supply the River-Christmas" or by texting the word “give” to (352)677-2286.

Christmas_trip_2021_video

Supply the River Christmas 2022

-by Michael Allen

Dear AVM Family,

We are currently in the planning stages of our 2nd annual Supply the River Christmas trip. Last year, because of your generous gifts, we were able to supply 300 families with food for a week, 900 toy bags to children, and the gospel message! This year our goal is to double those efforts (or more) and we need your continued support to do so. The cost to supply these is less than $35 per family. Also included in these bags is the most important message of all, the gospel. The gospel message will be given out to each family that receives a gift. Our goal is to raise $26,000 to fill the boat!

Help us fill the boat and donate now by visiting www.amazonvisionministries.org and using the designated fund "Supply the River-Christmas" or by texting the word “give” to (352)677-2286.

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

Christmas_trip_2021_video

Return to the River!

-by Michael Allen

Greetings AVM Family,

In October of 2021 Team One Chapel (Texas) returned to the River as the first AVM team in nearly 18 months! It was this same core group, the Jennings and the Stones, that led the last AVM team to travel to the West Amazon Basin in December of 2019.

The team ministered in Nova Porta Lima with the members of a Tikuna tribe. During their visit they conducted 6 church services, a marriage Bible study, vacation Bible school (with over 85 children!), break-out sessions with the youth, and evangelized through bracelets, evangecubes, and a soccer ball! Many relationships were built and Team One Chapel has been invited back for Indigenous Day in August of this year. Several days after the team left the village there were 9 marriage ceremonies performed as a testimony to their belief in Christ and willingness to walk in accordance with God’s Law. This included the pastor of the church, his father, and all of the deacons! Wow! Praise the Lord!

Richard, Christi, Harold, and Jan are already planning their return to the River again in 2022 with trips slated for June and August.