West Amazon Adventist Academy

West Amazon Adventist Academy (Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental, or IAAmO) is a boarding school that offers elementary and high school education. It belongs to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is part of the Adventist world education network. It operates in the mission field of Northwest Brazil Union Mission (União Noroeste Brasileira, or UNoB). It is located at Line 60, km 7, Rural Area, Zip Code 76926-000, in the city of Mirante da Serra, state of Rondônia, Brazil.

The academy covers an area of 536 hectares. The institution has a church, a school, an administrative building, male and female dormitories, classrooms, houses and flats for employees, computer lab, gym, cafeteria, laundry room, grocery store, indoor court, swimming pool, and community center with a small square. The school serves approximately 276 students, through a team of 75 employees, including 14 teachers, three workers, three pastors, and others. In addition, 143 people meet regularly at the campus church.¹

Developments that Led to the Establishment of the Academy

In 1965 the brothers Guilherme and Joaquim Nunes arrived in Vila de Rondônia (now city of Ji-Paraná) to evangelize the region. The first Adventist services took place in a rice store at the home of Joaquim Nunes. Two years later additional families joined the brothers to support the missionary work they had started. Due to the increase in membership as a result of the preaching of the gospel and the large number of Adventists who had moved from other regions of Brazil, land was acquired to build an Adventist church in the city. After the church was built, the group’s status was changed to organized church on August 11, 1973, in a ceremony attended by representatives of North Brazil Union Mission (União Norte Brasileira, or UNB) and Missão Central Amazonas (Central Amazon Mission), now Central Amazon Conference (Associação Central Amazonas, or ACeAm). Currently, this congregation is known as the Ji-Paraná Central Church.²

During the 1970s many cities in the region were reached by the Adventist message. With the growth of the church throughout southern Rondônia, the work came under the leadership of West Amazon Mission (Missão Amazônia Ocidental, or MAO), now West Amazon Conference (Associação Amazônia Ocidental), headquartered in Porto Velho.³ The work progressed on several fronts, including in the area of education. At the beginning of the 1980s there were five elementary schools in the mission’s territory, which operated with a total of 545 students and 17 teachers. During that time Brazil National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária do Brasil, or Incra) offered to donate 2,009 hectares to the mission in the region of Ouro Preto do Oeste. The offer was made with the purpose of building an Adventist boarding school.⁴ However, for the land transfer to be carried out, the church would need to prepare a proposal detailing the construction plans and the institutional operation plans.⁵

On July 22, 1980, church administration sent the project to the Brazilian government with the necessary documentation to proceed with the donation of the area for the academy. With the help of the South American Division (SAD) and the education department of the North Brazil Union Mission, all requirements were met and the land was given to the church. In addition to the administrators of SAD, North Union Mission, and the Brazilian government, Manoel Ramos, an agricultural technician, and five other people, all members of the Adventist Church, actively cooperated in these negotiations and were the first to see the property. Upon inspection of the donated land, they discovered that the soil was productive and would meet the needs the college would have for farming.⁶

Establishment of the Academy

On June 8, 1981, a commission was formed to guide in the establishment of the new academy. On the recommendation of the South American Division, it was voted to approve the name and acronym of the new school that would be located in the territory of the West Amazon Mission and would be supervised by the North Brazil Union Mission. At first, the school was given the name of Rondônia Adventist Academy (Instituto Adventista Agro-Industrial de Rondônia), but then, on August 13, 1981, it was called West Amazon Adventist Academy (Instituto Adventista Agro-Industrial da Amazônia Ocidental).⁷

Initially the academy headquarters was located at Line 56 (road 429) and covered an area of 2,009 hectares, which still belonged to the city of Ouro Preto do Oeste. Later the headquarters moved to the present address.⁸ To start the work, the school received a subsidy from the South American Division and the North Brazil Union Mission. Later it received contributions from the entrepreneur Milton Afonso, owner of Golden Cross International Health Assistance and supporter of Adventist education, who also cooperated by donating a sum for the purchase of sawmill equipment and a traction engine.⁹

On April 21, 1982, the West Amazon Adventist Academy was officially inaugurated, “offering only elementary school education, with 25 students enrolled and two teachers, Laurindo Fernandes de Oliveira and Carlos Moraes.”¹⁰ Since its establishment, the academy’s mission has been: “To promote, through Christian education, the student’s full development, forming autonomous citizens, committed to God and to the well-being of the community and the country.”¹¹

In the beginning, things were very difficult for the institution, since the pioneers had to clear the land for agriculture, cut down dense forests, and build wooden sheds. In those early years the school faced many difficulties in implementing full-time education, due to lack of infrastructure and teaching staff.¹² However, in the midst of adversity, on April 19, 1983, the builders started by using rustic wood boards which had been sawn at the school. It took 44 days to build the dorms, the cafeteria, the classrooms, and homes for the principal and teachers. The rooms were small and divided into five compartments. The other shed was intended for the kitchen and cafeteria. A room for eight girls and the director’s house were also built. Finally, an 8-meter by 17-meter shed was built and divided into two dwellings, each with a bedroom, a kitchen, and a living and dining room, intended as a residence for employees of the school.¹³

The administrations of UNB and MAO collaborated to pay for the construction, and the director of the college led in making the necessary improvements on campus.¹⁴ From the beginning, the institute offered full-time education, so students worked during the day and had classes at night.¹⁵

The Academy’s History

The first course offered by IAAmO was elementary education, grades one through four.¹⁶ In 1984, grade five was also offered. The number of students enrolled reached 247 that year, a considerable increase from the 25 initial students in 1982. The first class graduated in 1987 and 18 students were baptized. This was the first baptism performed as a direct result of missionary work carried out at IAAmO.¹⁷ On November 9, 1988, the Rondônia State Council of Education formally authorized the operation of the school.¹⁸ Until the early 1990s, the school operated with four teachers and two other employees.¹⁹

In 1991 high school education was added, and in 1992 the school started to offer a technical course in accounting.²⁰ In 1996 the technical course in teaching was implemented with 29 students.²¹ At first the technical courses lasted around one and a half years. At the time, technical courses in Brazil were aimed at the rapid integration of students into the job market. With the inclusion of these courses, in 1996 IAAmO had 286 students. This was the largest number of students in the school’s history.²² Evangelistic activities were also prominent that year. During the first semester, students and teachers conducted Bible studies and evangelistic meetings in the community around the school, in an effort coordinated by the school’s chaplaincy. As a result, in the second half of 1996 nine people were baptized.²³

At the end of 1996, new legislation enacted by the government called for the implementation of a new educational structure in Brazil. Technical courses were discontinued and new guidelines were established which favored the expansion of Brazilian university education. Until then, technical education consisted of courses at the high school level which were oriented towards the rapid integration of the student in the job market. For this reason, the main characteristic was the short period of training of a professional workforce. With the changes, this type of course was discontinued, which impacted the courses offered at IAAmO. Soon, the name of the institution was changed from Instituto Agroindustrial da Amazônia Ocidental (West Amazon Adventist Academy) to Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental. In English, it remained West Amazon Adventist Academy.

Even though it no longer offered technical courses, the academy continued to provide elementary and high school education, according to the new government directives, and the academy continued to demonstrate its missionary vocation. In 1997, for example, the school’s chaplaincy held a series of Bible studies aimed at the institution’s non-Adventist students. The Bible class was held on Sabbath and, by August 1997, five students had been baptized. Another 42 students were being prepared for baptism at the Batismo da Primavera (Spring Baptism),²⁴ which happened in September of that year.²⁵

During the 2000s, the school’s infrastructure was expanded to better serve the academic community. On September 15, 2002, the school and administrative building were inaugurated, along with the male and female dorms. In 2003, IAAmO started a partnership with the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Brazilian Agricultural Research Agency, or Embrapa), considering that the soil where the school is located is quite fertile. Embrapa donated 150 kilos of soybean seeds for planting. The cultivation system for these seeds was completely organic. The harvest of soybeans reached 30 bags per hectare.²⁶

Some improvements were needed at the school so it could better meet the needs of those who studied and worked there. On July 30, 2006, a new cafeteria was opened. In November 2007 the laundry room, grocery store, and some apartments for employees were finished. In 2009 the academy inaugurated its indoor court. In addition to structural advances, IAAmO also underwent an administrative change during that period. In 2007 the AAmO mission territory was restructured, enabling the creation of the Associação Sul de Rondônia (South Rondônia Conference, or ASuR), the administrative unit which would manage the school. With the new administration, there was an increase in the number of employees and teachers at the academy. The number of students also increased, reaching 185 in 2008. By 2009 the school had 33 employees, nine of whom were teachers.²⁷

The institution’s structural progress continued over the years. On September 15, 2011, new offices were added to the administrative building, in addition to a swimming pool, community center, and a small square. In 2015 a new entry was built, and the access roads were paved from the entrance, to the school buildings and to the dorms. Two years later, on November 17, 2017, the gym was inaugurated as a part of the sports complex. Several improvements were also made to the dorms, such as construction of bathrooms in all rooms and installation of air-conditioning in the schoolrooms and in the administrative offices. In addition, the dorms were internally and externally rewired, enabling the construction of more spacious rooms.²⁸

During the decade beginning in 2010 more than 200 students were enrolled, and in 2018 the number increased to 283. Beginning in 2015, there were 15 teachers. The total number of employees in 2014 was 67, more than twice the number recorded in 2009. In recent years IAAmO has been served by about 75 employees and 14 teachers. These numbers reveal the institution’s growth over the past few years and how it has adapted to the needs of students.²⁹

The school also maintains several institutional partnerships to better serve its boarding students. Since 2017, IAAmO has had an agreement with health professionals to provide medical and dental services to students on a monthly basis. Brazil Adventist University (Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo), Engenheiro Coelho campus, or UNASP-EC, and Bahia Adventist College (Faculdade Adventista da Bahia, or FADBA) are also IAAmO’s partners. These institutions send a marketing professional and a psychologist to the school to assist in its diverse needs. These professionals work through the project “Um Ano em Missão”³⁰ (One Year in Mission), fostered by the South American Divsion. The institution is also starting a partnership in which the government of the state of Rondônia will make 50 scholarships available to needy day students. The school also plans to offer a technical course in music to students and employees.³¹

As an institution that offers secondary education, special attention is given to students in their junior year of high school through preparatory classes for the High School National Exam (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio, or ENEM).³² Vocational guidance is also offered to these students, in order to help them identify their professional interests so that they can better develop their skills. In order to assist the students’ progress, IAAmO invested in an IT laboratory with 25 computers³³ so students can be better prepared for the challenges they will face in the future.

The Academy’s Historical Role

Residents of the city of Mirante da Serra, Rondônia, show respect and admiration for the education offered at IAAmO. This is largely because the school promotes the full development of its students and is also concerned with forming citizens who are useful to the community and to God.³⁴ Projects promoted by the academy and the church include: Impacto Esperança (Hope Impact),³⁵ Quebrando o Silêncio (Breaking the Silence),³⁶ Desbravadores (Pathfinders), and health fairs.³⁷ These projects especially serve the cities of Nova União and Mirante da Serra and the district of Tarilândia by distributing literature to the inhabitants. The relevance of the institution is also shown by its impact on the lives of students. Many former students currently serve the Adventist Church in various places. Some have gone overseas and serve at Loma Linda University Medical Center in the United States, or in various European countries.³⁸

What Remains to Be Done to Fulfill the Academy’s Mission

The institution’s mission is to educate young people to be useful to the community, the country, and to God. Its purpose is to prepare people to meet Jesus when He returns and to prepare leaders to do God’s work. In order for such a mission and purpose to be accomplished, in addition to serving those who share the Adventist faith, the school has sought to reach out and also serve those with other religious beliefs, either students or teachers. Good coexistence and a friendly and interested personal witness have been important ways of living the gospel at IAAmO.³⁹

As a relatively new academy, IAAmO still faces several challenges, including the need for structural improvements to better meet the growing demands of students, in addition to the need to build a larger church. Another on-going challenge is to maintain quality care for the physical, mental, and moral development of teachers and students. To succeed in these and other challenges, the school’s leadership and employees stand firm on the Bible principles which have guided the institution’s missionary journey thus far. They are committed to continue fulfilling its mission of educating for eternity.⁴⁰

Chronology of Directors

West Amazon Adventist Academy (Instituto Adventista Agroindustrial da Amazônia Ocidental)

Laurindo Fernandes de Oliveira (1981-1982); Carlos Moraes (1982-1983); Joel Fernandes (1983-1985); Perci Alves da Silva (1985-1986); Manoel Messias Lula (1986-1987); Perci Alves da Silva (1987-1988); James Everett Craik (1988-1989); José Maria de Moura (1989-1990); Erasmo dos Santos (1990-1993); Carlos F. A. Thober (1994-1997).

West Amazon Adventist Academy (Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental)

Carlos F. A. Thober (1994-1997); João Idalino (Ivo) Rostirolla (1998-1999); Sergio Silva Rodrigues (2000); Carlos Pacheco (2000-2006); Enock Uchoa (2006-2011); José Wellington (2012-2013); Enock Uchoa (2013-present).⁴¹

Sources

“AAmO destaca concílio e campori” [AAmO highlights council and camporee]. Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 9, year 92, September 1996.

Agrolink. “Embrapa lança em Rondônia semente de soja adaptada ao sistema orgânico de cultivo” [Embrapa launches soybean seed adapted to the organic cultivation system in Rondônia]. Agrolink (Online), March 26, 2003.

“Amazônia Ocidental: Crescimento e Desafios” [West Amazon: growth and challenges]. Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 11, year 76, November 1981.

Centro Nacional da Memória Adventista [Brazil National Center of Adventist History]. https://bit.ly/3e4eIjW.

“Colégio Faz Reforma Agrária” [School implements Agrarian Reform]. Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 8, year 83, August 1987.

“Colégio investe em evangelismo” [School invests in evangelism]. Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 10, year 93, October 1997.

Educação Adventista [Adventist Education]. https://www.educacaoadventista.org.br/.

“Educação Floresce no Amazonas” [Education Flourishes in the Amazon]. Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 4, year 84, April 1988.

“IAAmO ganha novo impulso” [IAAmO gains new momentum]. Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 9, year 78, September 1983, 34.

Nunes, Leonardo (ASuR Executive Secretary). Interviewed by Yonara Taiane Torres (Assistant of ASuR’s Executive Secretary), Ji-Paraná, Rondônia, 2017.

Portal da Educação [Adventist Education Website]. http://portal.mec.gov.br/.

Sampaio, R. L. “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy]. Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015.

Sella, Luiz Fernando and Daniela Tiemi Kanno. Manual da Feira de Saúde [Health Fair Manual]. South American Division, 2015.

Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website. http://www.adventistas.org/pt/.  

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1987.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2019.

“Uniões e instituições” [Unions and institutions]. Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 1, year 69, January 1974.

Notes

1. R. L. Sampaio, “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy] (Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015), 23, 28.↩

2. Leonardo Nunes (ASuR Executive Secretary), interviewed by Yonara Taiane Torres (Assistant of ASuR’s Executive Secretary), Ji-Paraná, Rondônia, 2017.↩

3. “Uniões e instituições” [Unions and institutions], Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 1, year 69, January 1974, 24-25.↩

4. R. L. Sampaio, “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy] (Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015), 23, 28.↩

5. “Amazônia Ocidental: Crescimento e Desafios” [West Amazon: growth and challenges], Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 11, year 76, November 1981, 18.↩

6. Ibid.↩

7. Centro Nacional da Memória Adventista [Brazil National Center of Adventist History], “Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental (IAAmO)” [West Amazon Adventist Academy (IAAmO)], accessed on November 27, 2017, https://bit.ly/3e4eIjW; R. L. Sampaio, “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy] (Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015), 24, 67.↩

8. Enock M. Uchôa (Director at IAAmO), interviewed by Athila Negreiros (Teacher at IAAmO), November 23, 2017; “Colégio Faz Reforma Agrária” [School implements Agrarian Reform], Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 8, year 83, August 1987, 30.↩

9. R. L. Sampaio, “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy] (Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015), 67, 72.↩

10. Centro Nacional da Memória Adventista [Brazil National Center of Adventist History], “Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental (IAAmO)” [West Amazon Adventist Academy (IAAmO)], accessed on November 27, 2017, https://bit.ly/3e4eIjW.↩

11. Educação Adventista [Adventist Education], “Quem somos” [Who we are], accessed on February 3, 2020, https://bit.ly/2SdUc7g.↩

12. R. L. Sampaio, “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy] (Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015), 24.↩

13. Ibid., 36, 67.↩

14. R. L. Sampaio, “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy] (Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015), 25; “IAAmO ganha novo impulso” [IAAmO gains new momentum], Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 9, year 78, September 1983, 34.↩

15. Operation authorization by Resolution no. 074/CEE/RO.↩

16. R. L. Sampaio, “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy] (Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015), 35.↩

17. “Educação Floresce no Amazonas” [Education Flourishes in the Amazon], Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 4, year 84, April 1988, 26.↩

18. Centro Nacional da Memória Adventista [National Center of Adventist History], “Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental (IAAmO)” [West Amazon Adventist Academy (IAAmO)], accessed on November 27, 2017, https://bit.ly/3e4eIjW.↩

19. Luana Gomes (Assistant of IAAmO’s Executive Secretary), interviewed by the author, November 23, 2017.↩

20. Centro Nacional da Memória Adventista [National Center of Adventist History], “Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental (IAAmO)” [West Amazon Adventist Academy (IAAmO)], accessed on November 27, 2017, https://bit.ly/3e4eIjW.↩

21. R. L. Sampaio, “Desenvolvimento do programa de visitação no crescimento espiritual dos estudantes do Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental” [Development of a visitation program in the spiritual growth of students at the West Amazon Adventist Academy] (Monography, UNASP-EC, 2015), 38.↩

22. Luana Gomes (Assistant of IAAmO’s Executive Secretary), interviewed by the author, November 23, 2017.↩

23. “AAmO destaca concílio e campori” [AAmO highlights council and camporee], Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 9, year 92, September 1996, 23.↩

24. Spring Baptism was initiated by Pastor Ademar Quint in Rio de Janeiro. This annual church event aims to encourage young people to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. By 2013, when this event celebrated its 50th anniversary, more than one million people have been baptized through this special event (Seventh-Day Adventist Church [Brazil] website, “Batismo da Primavera” [Spring Baptism], accessed on June 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/37SuTPr).↩

25. “Colégio investe em evangelismo” [School invests in evangelism], Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 10, year 93, October 1997, 37.↩

26. Agrolink, “Embrapa lança em Rondônia semente de soja adaptada ao sistema orgânico de cultivo” [Embrapa launches soybean seed adapted to the organic cultivation system in Rondônia], Agrolink, March 26, 2003, accessed on August 11, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Fa3i1P.↩

27. Enock M. Uchôa (Director at IAAmO), interviewed by Athila Negreiros (Teacher at IAAmO), November 23, 2017.↩

28. Ibid.↩

29. Luana Gomes (Assistant of IAAmO’s Executive Secretary), interviewed by the author, November 23, 2017.↩

30. “The project Um Ano em Missão [One Year in Mission] (OYiM) promotes the participation of young Adventists in the mission to evangelize urban centers in eight South American countries, uniting their talents, resources and professional knowledge with the needs of the community.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Um Ano Em Missão” [One Year in Mission], accessed on February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/2sCFyNL.↩

31. Luana Gomes (Assistant of IAAmO’s Executive Secretary), interviewed by the author, November 23, 2017.↩

32. The Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio [National High School Exam] was created in 1998 and aims to assess student performance at the end of their high school education. Portal do Ministério da Educação [Ministry of Education (Brazil) Website], “ENEM - Apresentação” [ENEM - Presentation], accessed on February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/35XZGb7. ↩

33. Adilson Lacerda (IAAmO IT Manager), interviewed by the author, Mirante da Serra, Rondônia, November 23, 2017.↩

34. Health Fair is a free public event that lasts one or more days. It is usually organized in public places such as sports auditoriums, schools, parks, squares, and malls. The community is invited to participate and receive free basic medical check ups (Luiz Fernando Sella and Daniela Tiemi Kanno, Manual da Feira de Saúde [Health Fair Manual] [South American Division, 2015], 15).↩

35. The project “Impacto Esperança [Hope Impact] is a program that encourages the practice of reading and provides a mass annual distribution of books on the part of Seventh-day Adventists in the South American territory.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Impacto Esperança” [Hope Impact], accessed on February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/34dZROO.↩

36. “Quebrando o Silêncio [Breaking the Silence] is an annual project developed in 2002 by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in eight South American countries (Argentina, Bolívia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay), which aims to educate people about prevention of domestic abuse and violence.” Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Quebrando o Silêncio” [Breaking the Silence], accessed on February 4, 2020, https://bit.ly/2WoDfIW.↩

37. The Pathfinders Club is for children aged 10 to 15. They usually meet once a week to develop their talents and learn new skills and appreciation for nature. They go camping, hiking, climbing, exploring the woods and caves. They learn how to cook outdoors and make fire without matches. They also fight against the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Seventh-day Adventist Church (Brazil) Website, “Quem somos” [Who we are], accessed on February 4, 2020, http://bit.ly/2FDRqTh.↩

38. Enock M. Uchôa (Director at IAAmO), interviewed by Athila Negreiros (Teacher at IAAmO), November 23, 2017.↩

39. Ibid.↩

40. Ibid.↩

41. Centro Nacional da Memória Adventista [Brazil National Center of Adventist History], “Instituto Adventista da Amazônia Ocidental (IAAmO)” [West Amazon Adventist Academy (IAAmO)], accessed on November 27, 2017, https://bit.ly/3e4eIjW; “West Amazon Adventist Academy,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1987), 468; “Western Amazon Adventist Academy,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2019), 588. For a more detailed check on all administrative leaders of IAAmO, see yearbooks from 1987 to 2019. For more information about IAAmO, access the website: https://iaamo.educacaoadventista.org.br/ and the social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter on @iaamooficial.↩