Where will we go?
We fly to Manaus, Brazil, where a commercial bus will take the team from the airport to the mission boat (30 minutes). The team will sleep overnight as the boat travels toward our first village. Our Brazilian church partners select the villages we serve.
Who will we serve?
We first serve the hard-working indigenous pastors and missionaries serving in the Amazon River Basin. In partnership with them, we serve the Ribeirinhos (river people) and Indigenous tribes on the Amazon River.
What will we do?
We tailor each trip's design based on the team's abilities. It can include medical, dental, eyeglasses, VBS, youth ministry, evangelism, water well drilling, and construction projects. We often play soccer as a way to connect. We also creatively utilize skills like hair cutting, fingernail polishing, hair braiding, photography, and journalism. Our last day typically includes some tourism and souvenir shopping.
How many people can go?
Trips require a minimum of 20 people and a maximum of 35 per boat. This can include middle school age to senior adults. There will be 20-30 Brazilians serving alongside the team: missionaries, pastors, translators, sailors, cooks, and laundry.
Where will we eat, sleep, etc.?
The Boat! Our beautiful triple-decker mission boats serve as our transportation, hotel, restaurant, and mission base. We sleep in open-air hammocks but have a few air-conditioned cabins as sick bays. There are plenty of electrical outlets for CPAP machines and charging phones. All meals are served buffet-style on the boat by naval-certified cooks. Our cooks can accommodate most special dietary restrictions or food allergies. The boats have five spotless single bathrooms with flushing toilets and 7 individual showers with locking doors. Our daily laundry service allows you to pack lightly. We provide these amenities so the team can focus on the mission work.
What does a typical week on the river look like?
Every trip can greatly vary, but most follow a pattern based on a 10-day trip.
- Day 1: Travel to Manaus and arrive at the boat, set up hammocks, and sleep overnight as the ship travels
- Day 2: Arrive at the first village and start the ministry
- Day 3-8 Village ministry
- Day 9 Return to Manaus (souvenir, explore)
- Day 10 Arrive home
What does a typical day in a village look like?
Once again, every trip is different, but here’s the most common pattern...
- 6 am Sunrise (personal devotions encouraged)
- 7 am Breakfast
- 8 am Devotion/Team Assignments
- 9 am-12 Village Ministry (medical, dental, eyeglass, VBS, door-to-door evangelism)
- 12-2 pm Lunch
- 2-4 pm Village Ministry (same as morning plus Men's and Women's ministries)
- 4 pm Worship Service, 5 pm Soccer, 6 pm Dinner (sunset)
- 7 pm Debrief/Worship (sometimes worship service in the village, if not held earlier)
- 8 pm Free
- 10 pm Lights Out
When can we go?
You can join an existing trip or schedule a trip for any week of the year when our boats are available (20 person minimun). Check our trip schedule to join a trip.
What is the cost?
Your trip price will vary based on airfare cost. The typical range is $3170-3570. Your trip leader will have the details for your trip. This price covers airfare, food, lodging, transportation, medical/life travel insurance, and laundry. It does not cover personal items such as passports, vaccines, airport meals, or tips. We provide team training and a personal fundraising link for tax-deductible online fundraising.
Is it safe?
There is an inherent risk with all international travel. However, over the past 25 years, we've mobilized over 7200 people on over 350 trips, and everyone has safely returned. We have a seasoned Brazilian staff, and each trip is navigated by naval-certified captains, sailors, and cooks. For the latest travel advisories, check out the State Department at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Brazil.html
Is the COVID vaccine required?
No!
What additional vaccinations/prescriptions are recommended?
No vaccinations are required to enter Brazil, but several are recommended by the CDS, such as COVID-19, Hep A & B, Tetanus, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, and a Malaria prescription.
What is the AO refund policy?
Amazon Outreach (AO) is a 501c3 tax-exempt non-profit organization. Tax-deductible donations given in support of a trip fee are non-refundable donations to AO and are not contingent on a team member's participation in a trip. If a team member has to drop or a trip is canceled, donations toward their trip will be held as a trip credit (minus potential airline penalties and credits) no less than two years after the original trip date. Expired AO trip credits will be used by AO to further its charitable purposes.
What is the airline's canceled ticket policy?
If an airline ticket has been purchased, the original value of the ticket will be deducted from the team member’s AO trip credit. The airline will own the credit (not AO) and must be redeemed through HighPoint Travel agency for any flight within a year of the original purchase date (not original travel date). Anticipate airline credit will be less than the original ticket value due to airline cancellation penalties. Sometimes, AO can use a team member’s airfare credits with an additional name change fee. If AO can redeem a team member's airline credit, the value of that credit (minus additional name change fees) will be applied to the team member's AO trip credit. This will allow team members an extra year to redeem the value of the airline credit.
What happens after we leave?
Our Brazilian church partner will continue to follow up with disciple-making, leadership development, and church planting. Our main partners (Central Presbyterian of Manaus and First Baptist Parintins) have jungle pastor seminars that train lay pastors in theology, hygiene, and other valuable courses. However, we seek churches willing to commit long-term with our Brazilian partner by adopting a tributary and investing in the developing infrastructure. A few examples are yearly trips, participating in jungle seminary training, supporting a river missionary, or building a church in a village.
What are the next steps?
- Pick a date by either joining an open existing trip or creating your own
- Contact AO’s Church Relations Director, Brenda Holmes, to confirm availability: or 972-931-5565
- Set an interest meeting at least 6 months before departure
- Start promoting the trip and interest meeting 6 weeks before the meeting. We have promotional materials available.