What does our name mean?
"River"…
…is taken from Revelation 22, “the river of the water of life…flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”, the tree of life growing along its banks with leaves for the healing of the nations, reflecting God’s covenant with Abraham to be the father of a people who would be a blessing to all the nations. It also reflects where we work with indigenous and least-reached peoples along Peru’s Ucayali River, one of the world’s major rivers, threading its way through the Amazon until it becomes the Amazon River.
"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 22:1-5)
"Wind"…
…comes from the Hebrew and Greek words for ‘wind’, ‘breath’ and ‘spirit’. In John 20 we see Jesus breathing on his disciples, inviting them to “receive the Holy Spirit." In the first two chapters of Acts, we read of the outpouring of the Spirit of God as a loud and strong wind, filling the disciples with his presence and power for their work of witnessing to the resurrected Jesus as Lord and King.
"…Jesus said, 'wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth'…"(Acts 1:4b-8)
"When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…" (Acts 2:1-4a)
