Amazon River Health Care Trip
Information Page

Our Amazon River Health Care Trips are an opportunity for teams to join us in Brazil for a trip of a lifetime.  We will be using medicine as a means for ministry to remote river communities to various tributaries.  We are looking for medical professionals and others interested in joining us as support roles to help with the various functions of the clinics.  We will typically have two clinics per day in different villages.  We will travel and sleep on the Word of Life house boat while visiting these remote river communities with health care and ministry.  Watch these videos from past trips to get an idea of what will happen on these adventurous health care trips.

Location of the mission trip:  Itacoatiara, Brazil (About three hours drive east of Manaus - Click here to see on Google Maps) – Itacoatiara is a Brazilian municipality. It's the third most populous town in the Brazilian state of Amazonas and it is located on the metropolitan area of Manaus, on the borders of Amazonas river. Its population was 90,889 (2009) and its area is 8,600 km. The town is part of the Amazonas central region and is also known as "Cidade da Pedra Pintada" - which is, actually, its name translated from Tupi. Itacoatiara has an important port, which is responsible for a considerable amount of cargo transportation in Amazonas.  Word of Life's base camp property is located near Itacoatiara where our trip will originate from.  We will travel from Itacoatiara to many remote river communities to care for the physical and spiritual needs of these precious people.

The map below shows the villages our River Ministry Team is ministering in.  We will conduct our mission on various rivers and in multiple river communities.  The map below will show you the villages we are currently ministering in.  Our clinics will be setup in some of these villages.



John's Story
Watch this heart touching story of how the death of a young boy (John - Age 8) led to the salvation of an entire village.

This is raw video that was shot as Rick tells the story while the boat is backing away from the village.  Near the end of the video you will need to listen closely to pay attention over the boat/water noise.





Here are are some pictures from past trips:

What you will need: (Trip Check List)  Download a Printable copy of this check list.
  • A great attitude ready and willing to have fun
  • Complete the Trip Registration Form.  Click Here  (2-3 Minutes)
  • Complete the Short Term Mission Policies Agreement.  Click Here (5-7 Minutes)
  • Complete the Participant Detailed Information Form.  Click Here (10-15 Minutes)
  • Get/have a Passport that is good for 6 months from the trip dates
  • Vaccinations/Shots:  We recommend that everyone follow the guidelines for travel from the Center for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/).
  • A Brazil Visa (Click Here for Details http://brazil.travisa.com)
  • International Flight Arrangements:  We will give you guidance and recommendations as you make your flight reservations so you will arrive to Manaus/Brazil with the other trip participants. 
  • Prepare your payment for the trip costs.  We will have you bring your trip monies to Brazil when you come in US cash.
  • Consider Trip Insurance for your trip.  You may want to look at trip insurance on your airline and travel insurance for you personally.  Our Word of Life corporate office offers Emergency Medical Insurance.  (see below at the bottom of this web page)
  • NOTE:  Pack Light!  You won't need as much as you think you will.
  • Clothes & Gear Packing List (Download Packing List - Click Here) 
  • Download the Brazil Emergency Contact and Address Information Sheet. (Click Here)
  • Satellite Phone - Optional (These can be rented if you want to be able to contact home.  We have used Preferred Communications in the past:  http://www.satstar.com/)
  • Our ministry team will have a SAT phone for emergency contact.  See our Sat Phone web page for details:  (http://www.jarrellfamily.com/satphone)

Medical Supplies and Equipment

Trip Price:  Around $635 + Airfare/Visa.  Please contact us for exact pricing.  The trip price is effected by the exchange rate, number of participants, gasoline costs, etc.  The base trip price does not include international airfare or the Visa for Brazil you will need.
 
You will need to make your international airfare arrangements flying into Manaus.
Manaus Eduardo Gomes International Airport, Code - MAO
We will work with you about making flight arrangements so the team will arrive together.  We have a travel agent that can get some groups a 3rd bag of free luggage for mission work.

(NOTE:  trip cost could change or vary depending on fluctuating fuel and currency exchange rates/costs).

Medical Emergency Insurance should be purchased through our Word of Life International Headquarters office for each individual going on a trip.  You can purchase this insurance through Word of Life International Headquarters Office online at:  https://give.wol.org/fees/insurance.  Contact our Word of Life International office at:  imservices@wol.org with any questions about this medical emergency insurance.
This medical emergency insurance is not travel insurance for your plane fare.  You will need to work through the travel agent to purchase travel insurance for your ticket if you desire.
We do not require travel insurance for your ticket but we do require that each participant purchase medical emergency insurance through Brotherhood Mutual which has a special rider policy for all Short Term Mission Participants traveling to a Word of Life location around the world.

LEGAL DEFENSE REIMBURSEMENT COVERAGE FOR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAWSUITS Endorsement is available for any Health Care Professional that desires to purchase it.  At the time of this writing, this insurance cost is $45 per trip for each Health Care Professional per trip.  If you desire this coverage, you can contact our Word of Life International Ministries office at:  imservices@wol.org for updated pricing and policy details.

Here are some travel agencies we have been in contact with and used.  You or your team can use these as a reference to work on your airline tickets.  Please contact me (pauljarrell@wol.org) and we will help advise for grouping reservations for participants from various locations.
This is a limited space trip and budget is based on 10 trip participants.  If there are less than 10 trip participants, then the cost per person may need to increase accordingly.

The trip price includes your
  • In-country transportation costs to/from Manaus to Itacoatiara
  • Boat fuel 
  • Food
We will work with each participant (and teams)
SEARA Ministry Boat (SEARA means "Harvest" in Portuguese)
to coordinate your airfare so the individuals and teams will arrive and depart together to/from Manaus.  In years past, some teams have used direct flights from Miami to Manaus.  This has helped eliminate problems when luggage does not arrive with team members arriving in Brazil/Manaus.  Teams would typically fly into Miami the night before the the international leg, spend a night in a hotel in Miami and then fly out on a direct flight from Miami to Manaus. 

Because of the extreme nature of this trip, we want to insure this trip is right for you and to alleviate any surprises.  We will be living
on the houseboat and sleeping in hammocks.  Air-mattresses are also an option.  If you have a need/desire for an air mattress, we may be able to supply it or you might bring one.  This trip will be a Short Term Mission Adventure where the temperature and humidity may be extremely hot tropical conditions.  The food will be healthy and we may ask for the team members to bring some food supplies that are not available in Brazil.  The remote river communities are underdeveloped with travel times via boat to each community.  These trips and conditions are safe and may not be best suited for families with smaller children.  Contact us if you have questions or concerns.


Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions:  (PaulJarrell@wol.org)

March 16-25, 2018
Contact us to schedule a trip for your group or Church.

Register for a trip in Brazil with the Amazon River Ministry Team
After giving a precious elderly lady a pair of glasses, she get's excited when she says, "I can see the boat; I can see people on the boat . . . "