Update from the Amazon

Right now I'm on my mission aviation internship with Asas de Socorro. I figured instead of spending hours writing back emails, you can read this post on your own free time! Here's some info in case you want to come down here yourself:

Brazil so far has actually surprised me in how many things are similar to the US. As far as what Brazilians wear, they dress like Americans in the summer. Usually the guys wear shorts (BTW - board shorts or some type of swim trunks will probably come in handy) during the day and pants at night. Body language is almost the exact same too, which helps with the sometimes crippling feeling of not knowing the language. Of course, there's a lot different here, and I'm getting used to some of it, so I might be forgetting a lot that I've observed, but here are some things that might help:

Water - most people I've talked to here said not to drink it from the tap. At restaurants that means if you ask for water (agua) they'll bring a bottle and charge you. The hangar has filtered water in big water coolers. O Ninho (the guest house I'm staying at here, but Ninho means nest) has a deep well, so the tap water here is fine to drink. You'll want to drink a lot here to keep yourself sweating and cooled off.

Food - There are two grocery stores within walking distance: one is two blocks away and the other is about five. Peanut butter is expensive here for some reason. There's plenty of really good Brazilian foods to try, along with some crazy fruits that are really hard to find in the US. The bigger market here in Manaus is about 20-30 minutes by car from here, and I was only driven past it.

The hangar - Right now we're waiting on a big importation of aircraft parts from the U.S. That means in the meantime I've been doing things like getting an overhead hoist ready to be welded, sanding and painting a cabinet, and helping here and there with a 100-hour aircraft inspection. We have work to do at the hangar, but I've remained pretty flexible about what I'm working on. That's one thing I'm really learning from the Brazilian aircraft mechanics... being tranquilo. I've seen my American tendency to get frustrated when I don't know what work to do. This past week I've been chilling out a little enough to enjoy the view while I'm waiting for my next project.

Weather - It's hot (80 - 105 F) and humid here every day, and it hasn't gotten cold at night yet. I've slept every night with the A/C on (no, Brazilians in the city don't live in grass huts). During the evening it cools down enough to eat outside comfortably, especially if there's a breeze. When it rains here, it pours, but so far it's only rained 1 or 2x a week (dry season). If you visit, bring stuff that dries fast.

As far as stories go, I got to copilot for two days of flight a couple of weekends ago. One day we flew some Brazilian congressmen and senators commercially (tent making to subsidize the cost of fuel for the missionaries). I felt super embarrassed as I threw out ropes from the Caravan's floats, only for them to wad up and fall in the water five feet short of the guys waiting for them on shore. The next day we flew some pastors from Sao Paulo into the Indian village of Mapuera. 990 people live there, and we shook hands with about 900 of them for the welcome ceremony. The Indians in Mapuera have the full Bible in their native tongue, and now they want other tribes to know about the good news of God's love!

Jet-Lagged

Somewhere between Chicago and Miami.

Just thought I'd post something before I make my first official stop in São Paulo, Brazil. At this post I was safe and in one piece in Miami International Airport, and I haven´t lost any luggage! I should be arriving in Manaus on Monday, June 23rd, and for the time I´m there this number should work to get ahold of me: (92)3646-0882. I love you all!

Serving on the Amazon this Summer!

Above: A Cessna Caravan used by Asas de Socorro to fly missionaries along the Amazon. (Photo courtesy Darrel Carver.)

To my friends and family,

I’m very excited to show you an opportunity God has opened in Brazil! From mid-June to mid-August, I plan on serving as a short-term missionary—cleverly disguised as an aircraft mechanic on the Amazon River.

God has been preparing me for service while I study to be a missionary pilot/mechanic at Moody Aviation in Spokane, WA. Although I won’t graduate from Moody until 2011, I can still serve as a missionary and a mechanic now.

The organization I’ll be helping this summer is called Asas de Socorro (Portuguese for “Wings of Help”). It was founded by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and now it’s run by believers within Brazil itself. Asas flies doctors, nurses, dentists, church planters, and other missionaries into the Amazon interior, extending the reach of the gospel to some of the most inaccessible areas of the globe.

Basically, I would be helping keep Asas’s planes—and, more importantly, the people on board—flying this summer. Additionally, I can be a helping hand in whatever outreaches Asas is doing in their immediate community.

On top of the opportunity to serve, this will also be my first missions trip! I hope to take lots of pictures and bring you back plenty of stories from the field!

In His Hands,

Jonathan

Top 3 Ways You Can Help

3. Financially — As of right now, I have about half of my support raised to cover my plane tickets, passport, visa, and immunizations… about enough to actually enter the country. I still need support for rent, transportation, and food while I’m there.

2. Communication — I’d love to hear how you’re doing while I’m gone! Shoot me an email, or if you’re really feeling old school, buy an international stamp and send me a letter while I’m there (June 19 to Aug 21):

Jonathan Schultz

Rua dos Japoneses, 320A

Shangri-La 2, Pq 10 Manaus

1. Prayer — More than anything else, please ask God to use me for His kingdom’s work!