Sterling College

Sterling College students embark on mission trip to Brazil

The Amazon River was home for a week for 13 Sterling College students and SC Chaplain Dr. Hank Lederle when they traveled to Brazil July 22 – August 7, 2003. The mission trip was in conjunction with the Presbyterian Church in Brazil.

While in Brazil, the team helped renovate a chapel, conducted worship services, delivered medical supplies, spent a day with handicapped children and performed street ministry.

The team arrived in Rio de Janeiro and then traveled on to Manaus on the Amazon River. For one week, the team spent each day in a different village, working with natives on local improvement projects in the morning, conducting a Vacation Bible School session for village kids in the afternoon, and showing the Jesus film in the evening. The Jesus film is an evangelistic tool that seeks to give everyone in the world the chance to hear the gospel in their own language. The Sterling contingent also delivered medical supplies to these villages during their time on the river.

“We were excited about being able to take a large amount of clothing, shoes and medical supplies to the villages in the Amazon basin,” stated Dr. Hank Lederle, Sterling College Chaplain. “Each student carried an extra piece of luggage filled with gifts and supplies to leave with people in the villages.”

Following a week on the Amazon, the Sterling team flew to Iguaçu Falls, site of the largest waterfall in the world, and spent time at an institution for handicapped children where they assisted them with physical therapy and played with them. The final destination was Sao Paulo where the team engaged in street ministry through a local church using mime and music.

Those students who traveled to Brazil were Brandy Van Hees, Dustin Butler, Tonya Neville, Lisa Stenberg, Jack Dillard, Ken Beach, Stacy Zerr, Andrew Fellows, Heather Fuller, Martal Prewitt and Brent Fellows.