One Changed Life. A Growing Network of Churches.
At Amazon Vida, we often say, “We don’t just go, we stay.” For river-community missionary Rosifran Gonçalves, staying meant moving into Lico’s home for three months to help him learn to pray, read the Bible, and follow Jesus.
Lico had recently become a Christian, but the weekly journeys to bring him to church were becoming tiring and expensive. So Rosifran went to be alongside him, sharing everyday life and helping his faith grow. That commitment to stay would reach far beyond the friend he had come to help.
In the first part of this story, we shared how Rosifran went from hiding whenever Pastor Abimael visited to welcoming Jesus into his life. As he began sharing his faith, others responded, including Lico. During those three months, that circle began to grow.
A Church Begins in a Family Home
Marcelo, who had been more resistant to the Gospel, came to faith during Rosifran’s stay. Rosifran’s aunt and uncle soon followed, and the family began gathering to pray, read Scripture, and worship.
They knew little of the Bible, but they shared what they understood and learned together. As more family members turned to Jesus, others in the neighborhood began joining them. In less than a year, those gatherings had become the beginning of Shalom Church, which remains active today.
The care this family received soon extended beyond their home. Lico and Marcelo began visiting Tiane and Vanderley, a couple who had recently become Christians in Tracajá, helping them take their first steps in faith. Getting there meant walking through the forest and sometimes swimming across the river, but they continued making the journey to encourage them.
Just as someone had come alongside them, they were now coming alongside others.
Faith Reaches Other Communities
Over time, Lico and Marcelo became missionaries and church leaders. Lico now leads a church in Boa Vista on the Mamuru River, and Marcelo leads Peniel Church. Shalom Church, which began in their family’s home, continued, while their ministry reached people in other communities.
Tiane and Vanderley also became church leaders. Their congregation, Renovo do Senhor, later gave rise to Eloim Church on the Badajós River. More recently, they took responsibility for another church in Santo Antônio. Their son Lucas, a young Leadership Training Center student, is helping support that work.
Meanwhile, Rosifran’s younger brother, Félix, whose childhood conversion first brought Pastor Abimael to their family home, now leads the church at Elshadai, where Rosifran himself came to faith.
Equipping Leaders for the Work Ahead
The leaders in this story also share a connection to the Leadership Training Center ministry. They have received training through the CTL, continue studying, or serve as collaborators in the seminary ministry of First Baptist Church of Parintins and Amazon Vida.
Their experience shows why biblical training is an important part of lasting ministry. As believers begin teaching others and caring for congregations, they need a deeper understanding of God’s Word and preparation for the responsibilities of leadership.
Amazon Vida’s ministry model supports that growth by equipping local leaders to serve their own communities. These leaders already know the families, speak into daily life, and understand the challenges their neighbors face. Training helps prepare them to teach Scripture, disciple new believers, and lead churches through the years ahead.
The commitment to stay is already there. Through the Leadership Training Centers, we help strengthen these leaders for the work God has called them to do.
A Story That Continues Today
Rosifran now serves the community of Maranhão with his wife, Tainá, and their daughters. Beginning again was difficult, and the family faced criticism.
Today, however, he says they feel deeply loved by the community, and young people are coming to church, including some leaving drugs behind to learn God’s Word.
He continues sharing the faith that changed his own life, while people he once helped disciple are serving churches and reaching others themselves.
For the churches and donors who partner with Amazon Vida, this is the ongoing ministry your support helps sustain. Investing in a local leader helps prepare someone who will remain present to teach, encourage, and guide others. As those believers grow, they can pass on what they have received to another family, another generation, or another community.
We don’t just go, we stay. Through local leaders who live and serve in their communities, that commitment continues in daily discipleship and the life of the church—long after your boat leaves.
Partner with Amazon Vida to help equip local leaders for a lifetime of ministry in their communities.
Part two of a two-part story. Adapted from Rosifran Gonçalves’s testimony, recorded by Phelipe Reis, missionary and journalist.