Amazon Explorer

2011-10-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING?

Yes, we are still very involved in the Amazon. We just haven't been writing on this blog. Instead we are sending out newsletters to those that are interested. We wish to protect our indigenous brothers and sisters and many times we share very sensitive information which would not be wise to publish publicly.

If you wish to be on our mailing list please drop us an email @ amazonmom@comcast.net

We look forward to hearing from you and sharing what God is doing in the Amazon jungle.

Colombia Indigenous Network Formed

2011-02-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

In September, 2007 an Indigenous gathering of Spiritual leaders throughout the Amazon Region took place in Iquitos, Peru. One of the goals of this gathering was to establish a Trans-Amazonian Network in which they could continue to communicate with one another in order to work side-by-side and encourage one another. Besides the establishment of an umbrella outreach, like the Trans-Amazonian net, each country was then challenged to start their own network within their borders. At that meeting, only Brazil had an existing net. Today, 3½ years later, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru have begun their own networks.

In January, 2011 Colombia joined the ranks after a meeting which took place in Villavicencio. One of the main challenges in Colombia is the inability to communicate in a rapid fashion. Due to many years of civil war in Colombia, short wave radios and satellite telephones have not been used in the tribal villages because it would lead to attacks by the opposing military factions. So, for many years, the only way to communicate with one another is by hand carried letter. Back in November, 2010 thirty tribal leaders were sent invitations to attend the network conference to be held in January, 2011. By faith, the conference was planned without a real good knowledge if the invited leaders either received the invitations or if they were even planning to attend. When January 18th arrived, the scheduled first day of the event, 95% of the leaders invited were in attendance!

This particular gathering was characterized by a tremendous spirit of unity among the indigenous brothers. At least 19 of the 80+ tribes in Colombia were represented and they were genuinely excited about creating their own entity. As has occurred in the other network initiatives in the Amazon Region, these leaders were encouraged by the fact that the network is headed up only by the Indigenous with the Foreigners and Nationals availing themselves as advisors only when asked to by the Tribal leadership.

One thing that seemingly is separating Colombia from the rest of the region is that the Indigenous have an open door to the National Government. Newly elected Colombian President, Juan Miguel Santos, is making the Tribal people in his country a priority. This is a radically different approach to what we have personally witnessed in both Peru and Brazil. Please pray that President Santos follows up on his promises and that the Gospel can make great strides in the next 4 years due to the open doors in Colombia.

Trans Am Meetings Go Well!

2010-12-11T22:28:00.000-05:00

Wow! What a week it has been. We met in Lima with the Trans Am Committee. This is comprised of indigenous leaders from the 6 countries of the Amazon Region. Many things were discussed. Meetings were long (aren’t they all), but with a wealth of information.

Dr. Dan Rickett spoke on Partnerships and explained what they are and what they aren’t especially in a Christian context. So many foreign missionaries enter into indigenous areas and impose their agenda on the indigenous without ever even consulting with them and asking what their needs are or what they would like to see in their futures. They control everything and the indigenous just politely say “yes” because that’s how they are, non confrontational. The foreigner teaches like they would in their own culture and think that contextualization is putting something into Spanish. Very enlightening information.

Empowerment centers were also a subject of discussion with Phil Goddard leading those discussions. We are getting closer and closer to make them a reality. So excited to see the possibilities and making this dream come true for our indigenous brothers. Many ideas of what to be taught and how to make them truly a partnership venture between the 3 waves of missions. Property possibilities are on the horizon as well.

A new team has been formed for South America Alteco. So far there are 6 of us: Irma Espinoza, Juan Carlos and Zulema Sanchez, Ken and I and Elmer Terrazas. There are so many things that will be accomplished by this team in the future. There is a list of things already in the works.

We also had the privilege of celebrating our anniversary (cake and all) with our indigenous brothers and the whole South American team. Thanks for making it memorable! One we'll never forget.

We are so excited to see how God has already answered so many prayers and is opening up so many doors. He is the one doing these great and amazing things for the Amazon Region!

Leaving is Bittersweet

2010-11-30T13:47:00.001-05:00

Today we left Yurimaguas. It was a bittersweet time. It’s always great to reconnect with friends, but it’s hard to hear of the struggles. Before we left we asked that you pray for some fallen leaders. The update on that request is a follows; one leader repented and was restored, one lost face and left the jungle altogether and is somewhere in Lima and the other left his wife and is now living with another younger woman somewhere out of the Shawi area. Please continue to pray for them even though we haven’t divulged their names. Also pray for the other leaders that remain faithful but could so easily be tempted by the enemy as is the case with anyone wanting to follow the will of God.

Pray also that rain will come before the annual conference in January or it will be very difficult for many to arrive. The river is quite low. Rainfall has been sparse. It seems to have gone all to Colombia where they are experiencing floods and the rain continues to fall and say it will through April.

Pray for us as we continue to travel back to Lima.

In Yurimaguas

2010-11-26T15:22:00.000-05:00

We arrived without incident in Yurimaguas. The highway over the mountain was unobstructed and the driver drove at a good speed. We however arrived to rain. It started out as sprinkles but within about 30 minutes we got downpours throughout the night. The good thing was that there wasn’t an air conditioned room so the rain at least help us stay cool.

We were able to visit Pancho and the family or at least the part that is left living here. Tarsila and her family (she now has a daughter) are living about 1 ½ hours from here. Bastiluz is now living with her uncle in Lima and has a job as a nanny. Well, kids everywhere grow up.

It feels very strange being in Yurimaguas. When we left in April our heartstrings were very attached and it was so hard to leave. Now it really doesn’t feel like we belong in so many ways. Our friendships remain intact, but it just feels totally different. God is helping us get some sort of closure to move on the the next step He has prepared for us. We really aren’t sure what He may require of us but we are ready.

Pray for us this week as we reconnect and say goodbye, too.

Finally warmth!!

2010-11-24T16:44:00.001-05:00

We spent the last couple of days in Lima getting some necessary things accomplished. Got to meet with Irma Espinoza and Joey and Suzanne Johnson (and of course meet Oakley).It great to be back in Lima. Alot of things have changed in just a short 6 months. They even put a traffic light right outside the hotel and they are cracking down on jaywalkers with a fine of around $30. Watch where ya step!

Today we finally made it to Tarapoto and it is 90+ degrees and absolutely feels wonderful. We LOVE the heat and the warm tropical breezes. It's been great reconnected with friends here. We only stay one night and head over to Yurimaguas. Not my favorite city, but some of my favorite people live there....the Chayahuita (Shawi). We are looking forward to catching up with leaders. Oscar Pua and Jesus Pua are coming to town so we can talk with them. We miss having face to face time with them, however, we faithfully keep in touch by phone. Nice that they have a phone in their village.

Please pray for safety as we head over the mountain in the morning. You all celebrate Thanksgiving and winter and we enjoy heat!! We will praying for you all as well as you spend time with family and friends.

Have ticket HOPE to travel

2010-11-21T14:57:00.001-05:00

Last night in Quito was quite the challenge. We arrived early enough to get through all the necessary rites of passage (getting boarding passes, checking in luggage, paying airport taxes, and security), however, once we got to our gate there was a loud protest at the neighboring gate. They were LOUD!! Screaming and yelling insued and then came security and police.

It appears that some 20 people were left stranded for at least the whole day (some say they had been there a week, but we were told since 3AM). However long they seemed to have been forgotten by the airlines and they wanted a resolution which is quite understandable. These people were actually threatening to hijack our plane, so the airline started asking people on our flight including us to wait until the morning to fly. We agreed to do so. Then at the very last minute they decided to give the people that had been waiting the vouchers and hotel accomodations instead.

We did make it into Lima although an hour or so late, but safely. Please continue to pray as we move forward this week to Yurimaguas. Thanks!!

Week in Quito

2010-11-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

Quito, Ecuador appears to be a beautiful city with its mixture of colonial and modern. It would have been much nicer if it had been sunny. 95% of our time touring various places with our guides, Carlos and Becki Pinto was spent dodging raindrops. There is so much rich history in the city. One of the highlights the second day was going to a local church. Carlos spoke and we were invited to stay and eat lunch with the church body as they celebrated their 29th year. It was great to be able to fellowship with other brothers and sisters. After that, we headed up to “la mitad del mundo” (the middle of the world. That is where the equator is. Of course we had our photo taken there as all good tourists would do.

On Monday, we took a bus (which was really quite nice) 5 hours to Shell. There is a lot of missionary history there. That of course is where the Saints used to live when Nate Saint and 4 other missionary men went in to make contact with the Waorani tribe. The Indigenous Conference started on Tuesday morning with worship and prayer. Again it’s always amazing to have this time with other believers and realizing that one day we will forever be able to be together and praise our Father. There were 60 participants (men and women). A speaker from each of the 3 waves of missions (foreigner, national and indigenous) had time to share. Subjects such as alliances, leadership roles and churches doing missions were presented. There was also a time for church reports and then evaluation on the progress or lack thereof spiritually. It was a time to be transparent so that solutions could truly be sought.

Becki and I were able to, along with local pastor’s wife, Sofia, to have time to share with the women in a relaxed setting. After introductions, the women began to share some of their struggles with us. Many spiritual questions were also asked. Praise God that all the answers come from His Word. We also were able to help out in the kitchen which was fun!

On the last day we had a cultural presentation night. It was fun watching groups sing, dance and show some different cultural things.

On our way out we stopped to take a tour of the Saint house which has been turned into a museum and see the airport where all the airplanes go into the jungle.

All in all it was a great week. Now onto Lima for the second leg of the trip.Thank you all for praying, please keep up the good work!

Quito Ecuador

2010-11-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

Friday night late we made it into Quito. Customs was fairly easy. PTL!! Saturday we spent walking in the rain and touring the colonial part of the city. Carlos and Becki Pinto have been wonderful hosts as well as the hosts at the GMU guesthouse. Quito is a beautiful city, but it would be nice to see it without rain. Sunday we went to a local church and worshipped there. They invited us to stay for lunch and the fellowship was wonderful. Just imagine how it will be in Heaven all together in worship and fellowship.

Sunday afternoon we were taken to the Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world) and stepped on the equator. Very cool!!

Today we leave for Shell and the indigenous conference. Please pray for safety in travel (mountain road) and for wisdom once we get there. We will give photos and details when we return.

Off to Where it is Warm

2010-11-11T19:34:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the day. Please pray for great flights and hopefully on time! A missionary family with HCJB will be meeting us in Quito tomorrow night as we land. We'll be able to spend a couple of days there and they we will all drive down to Shell for the Indigenous Conference.

Specific prayer requests:

Travel safety in the air and on the road
Wisdom in teaching at the conference
Travels back into Peru and to see the Chayahuita once again to talk about the projects that we are partnering with them on.

We will send photos and more information as we can. Thank you all for your support and prayers.

On The Go Again

2010-11-08T19:07:00.000-05:00

We have had a few months to concentrate on family and friends. More importantly we have had time to reflect and refocus on what God has planned for us. The future looks brighter than ever! There are many exciting things happening!

We will be in Quito, Ecuador starting this Friday, November 12 through November 19th. We will attend a meeting with various indigenous leaders there. It will be a time to encourage, listen and teach. Please keep this in prayer.

After this we head to Peru. We have some important meetings there, but we will head to Yurimaguas to see our Chayahuita friends there. There are several projects in the works with them at this time and we are hoping to go to the next level on some business endeavors.

God is GOOD!!

2010-08-19T15:11:00.000-05:00

God is so good!! This transition has not been an easy one, however, God has blessed us continuously. We are so thankful for all the great, loyal friends that we have both here and in the Amazon Region.

Recently we discovered that many of our native brothers have access to Skype of all things. So, almost on a daily basis we are able to see them and talk to them. Not quite as great as being with them, however, it sure is wonderful!

It's hard to believe that August is more than half over. We are preparing for the upcoming trips in the fall. We are truly looking forward to being in several places with our indigenous brothers and sisters. Some places will be new for us, but we will be going to see our Chayahuita friends and family, too. Yippee!! We talk with them very often by phone and email so we know things that are taking place to be able to pray for the constantly.

Please keep us in prayer as we continue to raise our support. God is faithful and He provides. Thank you all that have and are supporting us through you finances as well as prayer.

Chayahuita Praise

2010-05-28T20:57:00.001-05:00

Ken talked with Oscar Pua day before yesterday and he is very excited with all that is going on in the region. Nueva Vida just finished a 3 week long seminar training Sunday School Teachers. He said that many came from nearby villages to take advantage of this time. Oscar said this was a great encouragement to them all.

Jesus Pua has been in Pucallpa. He helped out his mother-in-law with care before, during and after the operation that she had to remove a tumor in her belly. Then he also attended CAMIT session 2 for cross cultural training. His desire is to go outside of Peru and reach other indigenous with the Gospel.

Please continue to pray for the spiritual leaders. The enemy is really on the prowl. Pray for spiritual strengthening and faithfulness.

Where in the World are we?

2010-05-15T22:59:00.000-05:00

Many of you may think we have fallen off the face of the earth. Rest assured that we have not. This month has been a very busy one. Since the Alteco meetings we have taken time to spend with family and catching up. We spent some time with Ken's brother and his family in Florida then headed to Georgia to see my son, Tom and his family.

We are now in Dallas with my family. My youngest niece recieved her master's degree today Tomorrow my sister and I will go to see my dad in the hospice care. Then Ken and I will finally head back to Colorado. Please pray for our safety.

Renewed!

2010-05-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

Alteco, as usual, was a blessing and a couple of weeks of being renewed. The first week was filled with time with indigenous sharing what has been happening in their necks of the woods. The are amazing men! There was plenty of time to fellowship and chat at meals.

The second week with the conference and sessions of learning were empowering. Our pastor, Rick Anderson and his wife, Becky came for the week and it was great to spend the time with them at night chatting. Many things are in the works for this coming year.

Please continue to pray for us as we travel and continue raising support that is needed to continue in this fantastic ministry God has called us to.

Please pray as we travel.

2010-04-14T22:28:00.000-05:00

We are so excited to see what God has for ALTECO this year. So many things are happening in the Amazon Basin and very quickly. It is wonderful to be where God is truly working and at mach speed.

Pray for safety as we travel to the conference, for the indigenous coming from many different countries of South America, for the speakers and attendees. We will keep you posted with all the great things God will show us all during this time.

Romans 15:20a But I have always tried to preach where people have never heard about Christ.

The Truth Be Told

2010-04-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

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Uploaded by ORE-MEDIA. - News videos hot off the press.

Elvis and Jesus Together again in the Amazon

2010-03-28T19:24:00.001-05:00

Thank you all for your prayers for the RELENAP meetings in Yurimaguas. There were 46 attendees. The following tribes were represented: Chayahuita, Achuar, Aguaruna, Quechua San Martin, Machiguenga, Ticuna, Shipibo and Ashaninka. This was a time to help all understand the differences between dependency and interdependency and empowerment. Not only were there times with speakers (Irma Espinoza, Elvis Shantiori, Jairo Sangama, and Ken) but times of learning with games and of course time to eat and have fellowship.

There was a great turnout by the Chayahuita leadership. Oscar and Jesus stayed for the meetings and Jesus will head to Pucallpa to help his mother in law get to the hospital for her operation and then go on to attend CAMIT.

Jesus and Elvis

Please Pray

2010-03-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

The last week we have been able to spend a lot of time with Jesus and his family. His mother-in-law, Dominga was brought here from Nueva Vida because she has a tumor in her abdomen. It took a week to do sonograms, blood work and get results. Fortunately it appears to not be cancerous but it is quite large and she looks about 6 months pregnant with the protrusion. She will be sent to Pucallpa to be operated on since they have better facilities there and she can recuperate at Swiss Mission. Dominga’s husband, Roque, also we have eye surgery.

This family is truly amazing. They shared with us that they lost their oldest son just days before he was due to go to Pucallpa to study at Swiss Mission in 2006. Day before yesterday one of their daughters lost her youngest son (3 mos. old) to sickness. Through all of this they are resting in the Lord. They are not complaining at all but are asking for us to pray for them. Please uphold them in prayer with us.

To the Chacra

2010-03-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I went to the Marta’s “chacra” with her. She has grown quite an assortment of plants. She has yucca (manioc), sweet potatoes, green beans, plantains, papaya, passion fruit and some watermelon. Fortunately it was not too hot. Even so working the garden always makes one sweat. She was gone from December until last week so there was a lot of growth to deal with, but at the end of a couple of hours more than half of the undesirable growth had been cleared. She pulled up the yucca she needed and replanted the branches. It will be another 8 ½ months before it will be ready for harvesting again. After pulling several yucca plants up, she left one for Habakuk, Guina and Clinger. The pulled and pulled to no avail. Even with all three of them pulling and pushing the root refused to give. Finally Habakuk found a spear and was able to loosen it up and up came some very big yucca. Marta got a kick out of it all since with one big tug she could have pulled it up.

Like a Roaring Lion

2010-03-12T09:28:00.004-05:00

While many in the US think that our enemy is Russia or some foreign power, the Chayahuita know full well who he is. The devil and his crew are scurrying about trying to throw all off guard. We had a conversation with a health worker from a village in the south. He said that his life and the life of his family have been threatened. He and his family regularly sing praises to God and the local witch doctors do not like it. There apparently are 2 that live very close to his village and one actually lives in the village and is also the appointed primary school teacher. Under the influence of ayahuasca (a hallucinogen) they “prophesy” and see visions. He was told by one of the witch doctors that he could shoot him and see if his God was real. The health worker said that he was not afraid to die because he would be in the presence of God. This witch doctor, infuriated by the praises that are sung, even cranks up his music to try to drown it out. Many won’t even talk about this subject because they are so afraid that the demons will overhear them and it will get back to the witch doctors and they will pay the price.

The health worker also shared with us how a Pentecostal group has come into the area and from his perspective all they do is jump and scream. There is no real praise going on. He and his wife have a daughter that has cerebral palsy and is 8 years old. She started having convulsions and one of the pastors from this church said she was sick because of the sins of the parents. He was flabbergasted that he would say this and offer no other answers. They then went to the hospital to see if something could be done. After a few months the only thing they could suggest was to put her on anti convulsion medicines. She has not had convulsions since and is even able to sit up and is developing.

Visits and Revelations

2010-03-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

It has been a very interesting few days. We continue to have many visitors which is such an encouragement to us. This weekend we had the pleasure of having Lucho, Aurora and family stop by. The last time we saw Aurora she looked as though she didn’t have much time left here on earth. She was quite sick. Even though she is confined to a wheelchair, that sweet smile and spirit from before shined through. Lucho started talking about how changed Soledad has become since the massacre in Bagua. Many in the community have believed and accepted the salvation Christ offers them. Even a nearby bedroom community of Naranjal has seen an increase from one family to 10. Where the church for the last few years has had only maybe 15 or show up now the church is filling up once again.

One the other hand the enemy is also working overtime. Lucho shared with us about a group with extreme doctrinal teachings congregating close by. They are teaching many falsehoods. They are saying that the men need to leave their wives and go to the hills to pray taking verses out of context. They are also ordaining young immature teens to be pastors. Their leaders are also “prophesying” that several community residents are going to die and when.

Please continue to pray for the village of Soledad. Pray for the pastors: Abelardo, Francisco, Luis and Simon.

Empowerment and Partnership

2010-03-08T09:56:00.000-05:00

Ken ran into Inocente from Soledad this weekend. He was in town to take another laboratory course at the hospital. He has taken many courses on his own and has now become a laboratory tech and is putting his microscope to great use. Ken asked him how many deaths there have been of malaria in Soledad. He said there have been no deaths in years since they are able to be treated quicker since they have a microscope.

He started out as a simple health worker in his village, but became increasingly concerned as case after case of malaria showed up in Soledad. It would take over a week to get results back from blood tests which meant the delay in treatment for those affected. He really wanted to find a way to acquire a microscope and learn how to use it. He approached us about it. He said the village was willing to come up with the money. We told him we would check around to see where the microscope could be bought at a reasonable price and how he could receive training. Other missionaries in Peru that we talked to for leads doubted that Soledad would come up with the money for this purchase and told us that we should at least provide half of the funds for them. We had faith that the money would be provided by Soledad alone. Sure enough they decided to sell a couple of bulls to raise the money to buy the microscope and receive training. When a Peruvian national heard about this funds were donated to provide transportation to and from Lima for his training. Since that time about 6 years ago, he has also taken it upon himself to train other Chayahuitas to use the microscope. Other villages have also bought microscopes so they too can have faster results.

Changes and Growing

2010-03-01T09:47:00.001-05:00

As things in our ministry change it is exciting to know that it is GOD that directs our paths. He allows the bumps in the road to cause us to remember to rely on Him and nobody else. We have been truly blessed with being able to see some of the results of our time with the Chayahuita here in Peru. They are realizing that they can make their own decisions and while the foreigner can offer many things they are not the ones that will control what they as a tribe do. They are responsible for the spiritual welfare of their own people.

There is a renewed sense of urgency of sharing the Gospel and they have been trained to share it in their own heart language and in a culturally relevant way which is causing many to understand for the first time. They are realizing that they have God given talents and gifts to use for His glory the same as the foreigner does and that we are all truly brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Many, with a renewed self esteem, are going ahead and studying past high school. Others are being trained in the business world to start businesses in their own area with their own people. There is for the first time a sense of hope for their future that doesn’t rely on the outside world of the foreigner.

We feel in many ways we have learned so much more than what we have taught. They have shared with us, from their own hearts, that they consider us as one of their own. This makes it more difficult to leave Yurimaguas, but we know they are in good hands. We will still be plenty of contact with the Chayahuita. There are several projects we will continue to be involved with in partnership with them. We will be back often.Ken will remain the Advisor to the tribe, at their request, as well as Advisor to the newly formed Peruvian Indigenous Network.

The hope for the future is that many other indigenous will be able to have this same hope both spiritually and financially. There is a new realization of the importance of the indigenous in the Amazon Basin; however, there is still racial inequality. Hopefully, as the indigenous networks throughout the countries of the Amazon Basin are formed, our indigenous brothers and sisters will be encouraged and realize they are not alone.

Are You Praying?

2010-02-22T15:59:00.003-05:00

I hope you are praying a lot for our Chayahuita brothers and sisters. There is a lot of spiritual opposition right now. The conference revived many spiritually and the enemy doesn’t like that at all.

We had heard in Palmiche about people being accused of being witches and then being killed. Elio Soliz was just at the house and was saying that is only getting worse. His former brother in law (from his deceased wife) was killed after being accused. Also there is a former pastor from Nueva Vida who had moved away and taken a second wife in another community that they are saying is a witch and even knows the chants, so there may be some truth in the accusation. Elio is also being accused of paying a witch for revenge for the death of his brother in law which is the furthest thing from the truth. He actually confronted the accuser recently. Pray for truth to prevail in all this chaos.

We also ask for you to pray for the Chayahuita pastors. They are going through some tough spiritual struggles. We have heard of at least 3 spiritual leaders that have fallen into a sinful behavior. One left the ministry altogether, one is being disciplined, and the other we just heard about and we are not sure what the future will hold for him.

On a more positive note, this year at the conference there were a few new villages that attended. One of the ones represented was Santa Maria. This was a catholic stronghold and they threatened evangelicals that stepped inside their community. A pastor, Dionisio Huazanga, felt that God was calling him to go there at any cost. He went and has led at least 5 people to the Lord. These attended and were baptized. He continues to visit and share the Gospel no matter what may happen to him.

Eternal summerland

2010-02-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

While most of you are still in winter mode and alot of you with unheard of snow storms, we are enduring, well, loving our eternal summer weather here. We have had a few rain storms but they definitely aren't as frequent as they need to be. It's great when it does rain since it drops the temps from the 100s to the 80s. Nice for sleeping.

Next year Peru will elect a new president and so this year is going to be a noisy political one. Please pray for wisdom for those that vote. (By the way voting is obligatory here. If you don't vote you get fined). There are some extremists that would love to be put in charge of the country.

Continue to pray for us as we tie up loose ends here and say our farewells to friends and family. It is hard even though we will still be working with the Chayahuita we won't be with them daily. They have taught us so much in the last years.

Strike a Bust

2010-02-15T09:38:00.000-05:00

Well, fortunately the strike turned into nothing more than a demonstration for 3 hours. There were probably about 500 people that turned up. Hopefully the government won't turn a deaf ear and cause another indefinite strike. We'll keep you posted. Pray, too, for all the indigenous in Peru. Rumor has it that the government may be taking away the bilingual education and make everyone learn in Spanish only. That is not a good thing for culture conservation for sure. This would mean eventually the written languages would die out.

Yurimaguas hasn’t changed much since we left in January. The rivers are up, which is a good thing.

It had been raining while we were gone, however since we returned it hasn’t. We had a 104 degree day yesterday and that was in the shade.

The grass is almost knee high in places with the rain and the fact that the lawnmower died. We had a mechanic look it over and bought the parts he said needed to be replaced. After replacing all the parts the engine just smokes and nothing more. That will need to be resolved as the yard looks like the house is abandoned which is not good around here with squatters just waiting to hop onto property.

The next couple of weeks will be spent visiting and preparing for the RELENAP (Peruvian Indigenous Network). We still aren’t sure how many groups will be represented nor how many people will show up. Looks like I (Terri) will be the cook for however many show up. Pray that the word gets around to many so the network can grow.

Strike Called for the 13th

2010-02-09T14:34:00.003-05:00

Well, we hope this isn't a repeat of last year's strike. We don't have all the details yet. Pancho called from Yuri to tell us a strike will start on the 13th and wasn't sure if it was indefinite or not. He just wanted to make sure we got there before it started. Guess the first thing we'll do is buy lots of food to store just in case. Pancho didn't tell us what the strike is even about.

On a more positive note, Ken and I went to Lamas today to visit with the manager and trainers at Oro Verde. The next phase of the cacao production will start soon. There are so many possibilities open to the Chayahuita in this venture. One of the trainers told us that one of the Chayahuita has been staying there and working to learn all about the production of cacao from planting to harvest. Exciting times!!

Tarapoto We Are Here!

2010-02-08T20:23:00.005-05:00

We are finally in Tarapoto. One more leg of the trip to get home. They have had some good rains and that sure adds up quickly. You can see the evidence in the photo above with the river spilling out of its banks.

Tomorrow we are off to Oro Verde to chat with the men that are training the Chayahuita. We will get all the info we need to let the guys know when the next training will be and when they can get seeds to plant in their now prepared land. We will also see if the new company is open that buys "Sacha Inchi" which is a jungle peanut with lots of good omega 3 oils.

Then we hope to arrive in Yurimaguas on Wednesday. Please pray for a safe trip across the mountains. We will be glad to get out of suitcases at least for 7 weeks.

Sacha Inchi Seeds

Blessings Abound!

2010-02-06T16:14:00.006-05:00

First, thank you all for praying for our trip. The Brazilian Consulate gave us visas for 5 years! That is a true blessing.

After we got our visas we made reservations on a "speed boat" When I heard that I automatically thought of a ski type boat but maybe bigger. It was a wonderful surprise when we arrived at the port and saw that it was very much like a bus but for the water. There were padded reclining seats, windows with curtains and a dvd player (which we could've done just fine without). At breakfast we were given a roll with avocado on it and at lunch rice and chicken. It was fairly comfortable alot more so than a peque peque for sure!

Inside of boat Golfinho

We arrived in Santa Rosa, Peru (end of the line) and were met back a member of a church in Brasil who helped us across the Amazon to the Brazilian side. There we were met by the lead pastor and taken to the associate pastor's house. Leonidas and Edmeia were wonderful hosts. From the very beginning they felt like family. They have 2 sons: Samuel and Israel. We were shown around Tabatinga, Brazil and then we toured Leticia, Colombia. We had a great time with them.

We even got to go to youth night at their church. That was an experience! Lights and music Brazilian style praising God!

On Sunday, we took a boat into another town on the river and walked to an indian village. A conference was held by 20 chiefs of 5 different tribes. Many were invited to listen to their cries for help. They need medical help and training in many areas. Many are dying from Malaria and Hepatitis and yet the government has not provided any help to them. Without help soon their tribes could be extinguished. Please pray for the indigenous in this area that the government will listen and let help come in with humanitarian aide.

In Iquitos

2010-01-25T11:30:00.003-05:00

We are in Iquitos. It was very muggy when we arrived yesterday! Today it is raining and hopefully will refresh the air a bit.

We applied for our Brasilian visas today. Please continue to pray that all will be in order. We hope to leave by boat on the 29th and return to Iquitos on the 4th. Pray for safety. We will write more on the 5th. Internet here is extremely slow.

Please Pray!

2010-01-22T08:56:00.003-05:00

Sorry that I can't give you many details at the moment. We just ask that you will keep us in prayer as we travel to Brasil. Pray that the "enemy" will the thwarted and not allowed to interfere and for safety. Thank you very much!

Palmiche Revisited

2010-01-19T15:32:00.006-05:00

Celina in the front

I will probably never forget the words of the Palmiche pastor's wife, Celina, in 2004. As we were in a gathering of women she said to me, " Don't let this be the first and only time you visit us." That promise was finally fulfilled in 2010. Palmiche has changed considerably since then. They even have electricity for 3-4 hours a night. While Ken and I walked to the church the first night, we even happened to look into a house and saw a flat screen tv. Boy, the times they are a changin'.

This year was quite different that the first time and far more people attended the conference. I'm not sure the exact number of attendess at this point, but the church was so packed out that there was overflow into the outside. The men's session was very well attended with at least 100 men each session. There were 200+ women and 150+ kids plus a new believers' class of 120 young men. Ken, along with 3 other men (2 from Grace Church and 1 from Swiss Mission) taught the men. There were 5 sessions a day for them as they rotatd the teaching between them. There were 3 of us teaching the women (me, 1 from Grace and 1 from Swiss Mission). We only had 2 sessions of 2 hours each day. Luz taught all the morning sessions since she had more to cover. We took the afternoon sessions. It was great hearing that many women sing and watching them learn from Scripture and of course, do some handcrafts.

During the conference, I was able to train Jesus Pua from Nueva Vida to be an optometrist of sorts. We donated the I-See kit from I-Tec to him. This will serve as a source of income for him as he travels as the tribe's evangelist and it will also help open doors to villages that have not been open before. He caught on quite easily. By the end of the 2 session training he looked like a pro. He was able to sell 20 pairs of glasses in him spare time at the conference.

We really enjoyed just reconnnecting with our Shawi family. It was hard this time around trying to explain to them that we won't be living in Yurimaguas. Our new "task" is helping out ALTECO and working with all the tribes of the Amazon Basin. Many have nobody to encourage them or help them learn to dream. Ken has been named one of the advisors to the newly formed Peruvian Indigenous Network and he is still the advisor to the Shawi. There are many exciting things in the future. We won't be deserting our Shawi brothers and sisters just not with them as often. It is time to let them put into practice all the leadership skills they have learned over these last 7 years. They have grown and great things are just around the corner for them as they take more and more responsibility for their own future spiritually and physically. Please continue to pray for them during this growing and transitional time.

We have arrived!

2009-12-29T16:09:00.002-05:00

Well, you know what I mean! We have arrived in Lima. LOL

We had a delay in Miami. At least they found the maintenance problem before we took off that's always a good thing. We had to wait for a plane from LA to come in and use it.

We arrived around midnight as the majority of the flights. So, we had a line in immigration that corresponded to that! We finally arrived at 2 AM at Hotel Santa Cruz. We got a good night's rest and are ready to go.

Today is an unusual day in Lima. It's SUNNY!! We are gradually thawing out from the snow and ice in Denver. It sure feels wonderful. We will be in Lima until the 4th at which time we head for Tarapoto. We will be there a couple of days and head on to Yurimaguas. Dorcas, one of Pancho's daughters, has already emailed me excited and wondering when we'll ever get there! It won't be long now!

On Our Way

2009-12-26T12:06:00.004-05:00

As we continue to see the snow fall here in Colorado, dreams of the heat in the Amazon get a step closer to becoming a reality. We hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas remembering the birth of our Savior.

December 28th we will be heading, once again, to Peru. We are looking forward to being with our Chayahuita brothers and sisters for their annual Bible conference. This year it is in Palmiche. Please pray that everyone arrives safely and that nobody gets sick! This is a very buggy village and very hot usually.

Continue to keep us in prayer for our travels. We aren't sure at this point where all God will lead us this year, but we know that no moss will be growing under our feet. Time is running short and we all need to do our part to reach the unreached. Please pray for our indigenous brothers and sisters as they have alot of responsibility in reaching those that only they are able to reach.

We should be able to give you some updates most of January, however, from the 10th - 19th we will be out of touch while in the village. When we get out we will let you know how the conference went.

We appreciate your partnership with us whether it is by prayer, financially or both. Thank you so much.

Muslim Missionaries in Venezuela

2009-12-10T11:31:00.002-05:00

For all our praying partners, we just wanted you to have another glimpse into the type of battle going on with the Indigenous in the Amazon. We really need to pray diligently for them. We realize this article is from 2007 but this continues to the present. This is from the Citizens in Defense of Defense blog:
http://defendingdefense.blogspot.com/2007/09/hezbollah-muslim-missionaries-and-south.html

Thursday, September 20, 2007
Hezbollah, Muslim missionaries and South America.

These are disturbing developments that Jose Brechner writes about in From Illych Ramirez to Osama bin Laden (English and Spanish versions):

In a nearer and more dangerous scenario which also has Venezuela as a starting point, Hezbollah in Latin America, also called Hezbollah Venezuela, converts to Islam any indigenous Chavista it can, because they are the ones that least understand what is going on. Evangelical missionaries have disappeared from the jungle because according to Chavez they are genocidal spies. Evo Morales in Bolivia repeats Chavez's same words.

Chavez has invited Iranian Shiite "missionaries" to convert the Guajiros and other indigenous peoples in Amazonia. The entire Wayuu tribe is now Muslim, women wear veils while men go to Kalashnikov shooting practice. Some have themselves photographed wearing suicide vests loaded with bombs, and the Venezuelan government distributes the photos, publicizing its friendship with Ahmadinejad and Middle East terrorist groups.

Hezbollah Venezuela refers to Jose Miguel Rojas Espinosa - the mastermind of the terrorist attack against the American Embassy in Caracas - as "the first mujeheddin, an example of strength and dignity in Allah's cause, the first prisoner of war of the Revolutionary Islamic Movement in Venezuela." The group is linked to Argentinian socialist-terrorist Norberto Rafael Ceresole, who is allegedly linked to the AMIA (Argentine Israelite Mutual Association) attack in 1994, and who is the acting ideologue for Chavez and Morales's regimes of Socialism for the 21st Century.

Network in Peru

2009-12-09T17:40:00.004-05:00

Ken just returned from his 10 day whirlwind trip to Pucallpa, Peru. Indigenous leaders from many tribes met to discuss how they can better network within the country along with mestizos and foreigners. This will allow them to progress in many ways. This is just the beginning of many wonderful things as the help each other.

Please pray for the newly chosen board as they seek ways to be more effective. Pray for their spiritual as well as physical health. The enemy doesn't want them to succeed.

Training and Traveling

2009-11-30T10:39:00.004-05:00

A group of Chayahuita have finished the first phase of their training with Oro Verde and now on their way back to put it all into practice. Pray for them as they start on this new venture.

Pray for Ken as he travels to Peru for 10 days. He is attending a gathering of about 30 tribes as they set up the Peru Amazonian Network. This is a very important "meeting of the minds." This network is key to the well being of the tribal peoples of the Amazon (this one in Peru) and the propogation of the Gospel.

Ken returns on the 8th and then we pack up and leave for Peru on the 28th for the annual Chayahutia Conference. There are many things that will happen this year. As our ministry expands so will the travel. Please continue to pray for us as we walk through doors that God opens to us.

Starbucks Watch Out!

2009-11-06T10:26:00.004-05:00

As many of you know, for quite a while we have been trying to help the Chayahuita get the coffee and cacao industry going in their territory. It has been a process for sure, but one that they have desired for years. After many meetings with those willing to help and the Chayahuita leadership, it is coming together. On November 23 several leaders in Chayahuita communities will be going to Lamas (close to Tarapoto) to be trained by one of the top coffee and chocolate companies in Peru. They will be taught:

How to determine what land is appropriate for planting the crop (altitude for coffee and conditions of soil)

How to prepare the land for planting

Where to plant

This is just phase 1. This company will work side by side with them over the next few years helping them have the best crops they can and help them join a co-op for selling this product. It is truly exciting to see this come to pass. It couldn't have happened without those of you who invested money and prayer for them. Thank you so much for partnering with the Chayahuita and believing in them!

Ministry Expansion

2009-10-19T13:45:00.002-05:00

We are very enthusiastic to see what God is doing in our lives as we wait on His direction. We are in the process of gathering forces. With the increasing needs in the Amazon we are expanding and reaching out to other possible partners. In the near future we are praying for like minded churches to come alongside us as well as the Chayahuita Indians to form a consortium. There are many people interested in providing resources in this endeavor; some short term and others more long range.

If you are interested in partnering with us please email us. These are very exciting times!

The Enemy God

2009-10-11T14:58:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share this event with you all, If you are in the Denver area, this is a great movie touching on spiritual battle. It is a great movie about a Shaman that came to know the true God of the universe. Please go if at all possible, You will be glad you did. Here is a short synopsis of the movie below.

Imagine a true story that addresses the deep issuesof life; does the spiritual world exist? How can I know the truth about it? How do we deal with ideas that threaten and change who we are as a community? The Enemy God is a film that tells that story. Would you help us tell it as long as possible? We have a lot of tasks, but the primary one is to fill seats at the Starz FilmCenter screenings. If we fill the theaters, it will encourage the Film Society to extend the screenings to make the story available to more viewers. It will also give us a model to take the film into other communities. Please join us for one of the screenings and help us pack the house! Come and bring your family and friends - we can't do this with out all of you. Thank you again for your continued support.Check out the link below for ticket information!http://www.denverfilm.org/filmcenter/index.aspx?date=10/24/2009&year=2009&month=10

Imagine a true story that addresses the deep issues of life; does the spiritual world exist? How can I know the truth about it? How do we deal with ideas that threaten and change who we are as a community? The Enemy God is a film that tells that story. Would you help us tell it as long as possible? We have a lot of tasks, but the primary one is to fill seats at the Starz FilmCenter screenings. If we fill the theaters, it will encourage the Film Society to extend the screenings to make the story available to more viewers. It will also give us a model to take the film into other communities. Please join us for one of the screenings and help us pack the house! Come and bring your family and friends - we can't do this with out all of you. Thank you again for your continued support.

Check out the link below for ticket information!

http://www.denverfilm.org/filmcenter/index.aspx?date=10/24/2009&year=2009&month=10

Growing and glowing!

2009-09-20T11:41:00.007-05:00

God is constantly "growing" us. There are so many things that are happening right now. There have been blessings and reconciliatons, hardships and trials. God will use them all for us to become more like Him.

We pray for each of you, too, according to Colossians 1:9-10.

1. You will know God's will for you life

2. You will have widsom and understanding in spiritual things

3. You will live a "God-honoring" life

4. Will produce spiritual fruit

5. Grow in the knowledge of God.

Ken is in Peru right now. He has several objectives:

Get roof of house repaired
Do some translation work
Talk to the Chayahuita leadership about the conference in January to see what they would like our part to be.
Please keep him in prayer as he travels that he will be safe. Pray for the Chayahuita leadership as they continue arranging for the January conference.
Pray also for the tensions between the government and the indigenous in Peru.

I'd share this video with you. This is our prayer as we seek what God wants for the future. I have translated the words below in English since the majority of you don't speak Spanish. May we ALL grow in God's grace.

Give me your eyes, I want to see,
Give me your Word, I want to speak
Make me like you,

Give me your feet I want to go
Give me your desire to feel
Make me like you

Give me what I need to be like You.

Chorus
Give me your voice, give me your breath. Take my time it's for you.
Give me your way that I should follow.
Give me your dreams, your longing, your thoughts, your feeling
Give me your life to live.

Let me see what you see.
Give me your grace, your power
Give me your heart.

Let me see how you are inside to be changed by your love
Give me your heart
give me what I need to be like you

Chorus

Give me your eyes I want to see
Give me what I need to be like You.

Yes, we are still alive!

2009-08-28T19:46:00.005-05:00

We have been trying to get into the flow of the US. That's not as easy as one would think.

We drove to Texas to see family and reconnect with some special friends. It was not an easy trip. Parents are failing in health as they get older. That is never fun to see. We did get a couple of days to relax and sightsee. We took advantage and also ate one of our favorites in the Lone Star State....Texas Barbecue!

We will be driving to Missouri on the 10th of September for a few days. Please keep us in prayer as we travel.

There are many exciting things happening in our life. Pray as we wait on God as He opens doors. Pray also for the indigenous of the Amazon Basin as they decide whether or not to go back on strike.

Back in Colorado

2009-08-06T18:21:00.003-05:00

We arrived in Colorado to a very warm welcome from Jim and Lou Huff. When we arrived at the house we were welcomed by some recently done landscaping by Don Nelson and crew, flowers in pots planted by Lou and flowers in a vase with a welcome home card from Don, Trish and boys. It was wonderful to know we have such good friends!

While we were in Peru there were some torrential rainstorms. Water entered through the basement windows and caused damage to the carpet and drywall. Jim and Lou had removed the carpet and dried it out. They had punched holes in the drywall (which they later repaird) to make sure mold didn't grow in the wall. We are so very thankful that they care about us so much that they took time out of their busy schedules to do all of this for us. Thank you!!!!

Kim Carroll also took the time to constantly bring in our mail for us in our absence. Thank you Kim for all that you did.

All of this is just a reminder of how special a family we have in Christ.

Nueva Vida and Back

2009-07-26T15:59:00.006-05:00

It is so hard to believe that the college group has come and gone. So many months of planning and fundraising to get here.

This group of young adults impacted Nueva Vida in a very positive way from the moment they arrived. They will have many stories to tell those that are willing to take the time and listen and many things to ponder for their futures.

The ladies took time with the children each day teaching VBS and playing games in the 115-120 degree heat. The even played a futbol game with the Chayahuita señoritas.

The guys spent time with the youth playing sports and teaching computer. There was a great connect there.

Tarapoto Day 2

2009-07-15T16:41:00.004-05:00

Everyone had fun today as we hit the Ahuashiyacu Waterfalls. It's only about a 30 minute drive from Tarapoto. So after lunch we all headed there for some fun time before we head off to the village tomorrow. All but one of the guys (you'll have to ask them which one, I won't tell) jumped off from under the waterfall into the pond below. They all had a great time even though we only had a couple of hours there.

Now it is time to get all the bags weighed (again) for the trip in the cessna. That's always a task but it always gets done. Please pray that we all get into the village tomorrow. We need a fogless morning to do that.

Tarapoto

2009-07-14T22:20:00.003-05:00

We are in Tarapoto. Yay! Finally the warmth of the Amazonian jungle. Tomorrow we spend here, too and then on Thursday we head off to Nueva Vida.

Please pray for great flying weather (cessna pilots fly by sight not instrumentation) and safety as we travel.

Indigenous Representatives

2009-07-10T16:39:00.004-05:00

3 Indigenous Representatives

(Candoshi, Cocama-Cocamilla and Chayahuita)

Today we, Ken, Irma and I, were able to meet with 3 of the Indigenous representatives that presented before the government yesterday. We spent several hours listening to them and hearing what they had presented for debate before the Peruvian Congress.

They have so many days to collect and present all the facts to the government and this leads to discussion. Since I really don't understand how this all works in the Peruvian government I won't even try to tell you when each step has to be done by. I do know that we all need to really pray for God to intervene between the two groups (Indigenous and government) and for real understanding on both sides to take place. Otherwise, there will be civil war eventually which won't be good for either side nor for the country. So, will you please, please keep them in prayer?!

Thank you.

Lima

2009-07-09T09:15:00.004-05:00

We are now in Lima. It is, of course, overcast, but the temperature isn't bad at all in the high 70s. We have plenty to accomplish before the teams come in. Yesterday we were able to get our resident cards back from the lawyer and we're good until the first of the year when the government requires our next "donation". Today will be spent looking for parts for the lawnmower back in Yurimaguas and with Irma as we see what needs to be accomplished on this next phase of her apartment remodel. The team working on that arrives tomorrow from SC. We are praying they will be able to get her apartment completed enough for her to start living in it. The last team did a really great job getting the roof on. A large task for sure.

We are also trying to get ready for a college team coming from Colorado. It should be a great adventure for them as we head to Tarapoto on Tuesday and then on to the jungle for about 5 days. Pray for travel safety for us all. Pray for great times of true communication between us and the Chayahuita in Nueva Vida.

Off Again!

2009-07-09T09:05:00.004-05:00

Well one thing for sure we have no time for moss to grow under our feet! We are off again. We arrived in Tarapoto on Monday. We brought Pancho and Martha and the two youngest kids with us. Pancho and Ken went to Oro Verde (a company specializing in coffee and cacao) to speak to the ones in charge to get the Chayahuita started in the production of these 2 products. They will be helped with soil evaluation ( to know what if anything they will need to do to it for good growth), training (from how and where to plant to harvesting) and mentoring. It will be a process of about 4-5 years but this will provide them with some very good cash crops. We received a donation to start them in the first phase. Very exciting! Total it will require them to pay out about $4000-$5000 but the return will be great.

Martha & I spent some time with the kids up at a lookout overlooking the mountains in Lamas. It was a fun time just being together. We all ate lunch together and off they went returning to Yurimaguas.

In Yurimaguas

2009-07-01T15:58:00.001-05:00

Nice and sunny! Nice and warm! Yes, we do love the jungle! It was nice to be able to be with Pancho and family last night. We had saved the articles about the strike for them. They poured over them all.

Then to keep the kids occupied I blew up some balloons for them. Many of them exploded before they could be totally filled with air which caused some excitement. The boys finally started a “sword” fight with Ken and just laughed their heads off. Tonight it will be cake a Pancho’s house. I’m making a pineapple upside down cake to take and share. Good to be home!

Peace in small doses

2009-06-21T20:29:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's been 2 weeks since we have written. Many, many things have happened. I'm sure most of you will hear the stories from those that will be returning from their trip here. But for those that won't I'll try to share some for you.

We were able to fly everyone (31 people) into San Antonio but it took 2 days to do so. I (Terri) got to go in on the first flight which was a first for me going in first. When I arrived the women grabbed me and started hugging and kissing me (which is not a normal reaction for the Chayahuita). Then they had me sit down with them for about an hour just to talk and it was evident that they were sad and hurting over the events that had happened in Bagua recently. They were also scared that it could happen to them. The whole village really wasn't as social as usual either. Those on the team were able to do some fun things even though we were there only a couple of nights. Some went to a place where they could jump off a rock into the water from about 15 feet up and then went swimming. Others took a hike to a wonderful waterfall. Then unfortunately things changed very quickly. People starting getting sick. Shelley, Jared and I flew out that night on the cessna as well as 4 others that were not feeling well. It turned out to be a blessing because it would take quite a while to get everyone out the next day.

Some of the group remaining had to walk 3-4 hours to Soledad to be flown out of there. All the luggage was sent on a canoe downstream to meet up with them. It would take most of the day to get everyone into Yurimaguas plus the luggage. Thank you Craig! By the time everyone got in it was evident that a good portion of the group had gotten whatever it was that was being passed around. By around 3PM even I was not well. All I remember was Shelley continued to keep up with all the sick passing out meds and water and I thought that if I could just get a few minutes rest I'd feel better. Then I woke up around 7PM to Shelley knocking on the door. Yep, the bug got me, too. By next morning the majority of us were feeling much better. However, there were a few still kinda not quite up to par.

We had been told the night before that we would be able to travel as the roadblock would be over. We received a phone call saying that it wouldn't be over until around 10AM. The bus company also wanted security that there would be no problem with the indigenous at the block. Ken was able to get permission from the Chayahuita (Shawi) in charge to pass through so we were on the road by 8:30 AM. It was not easy getting through but we did. Arriving in Tarapoto was a blessing since it gave those not feeling well a few hours to lie down and sleep.

There are many other stories to be told, but you'll have to ask those on the trip. They need a chance to share their experiences with you. Just ask! Thanks for your prayers.

Update!

2009-06-14T22:08:00.002-05:00

I promised not to keep giving strike updates, so what are we doing now? Well, a week ago Rick's small group made it to Peru. Originally we had planned to head to the jungle on that Tuesday. However, there had been utter chaos in the area and some killings. The Indigenous were in mourning over the deaths. Then an indefinite strike was called which really had us all doubting about the trip into any part of the jungle. We all decided to wait that out in Lima and the group got to take in some of the sights. On Thursday we rented a tour bus to take everyone downtown Lima. We rode around almost 2 hours just trying to find an open route to that part of town. When we finally got close to the Presidential Palace we got off the bus to start walking and there was a wonderful aroma of tear gas. The police told us to get back on the bus since there had been some riots. So basically we spent 3 hours seeing Lima from the bus window. Many took advantage and just napped. :)

The good news is that on Saturday evening we were able to fly into Tarapoto to start the jungle part of this journey. The SAM pilot is spending the night so that we can get as early a start as possible. It will take 7 flights to get everyone into San Antonio. Everyone is excited. The road to Yurimaguas is still blocked. Ken had planned on going to Yurimaguas by road today but wasn't able to do so. He will be dropped off there on the first flight, get our things and then come back to Tarapoto until the last flight to help everyone.

Please pray for safety and an enjoyable time.

Friday Strike Update

2009-05-29T21:14:00.004-05:00

Where are we? Still in Tarapoto. Ken called Yurimaguas today and talked with Pancho. He said that the talks between the Congress and the Indigenous delegation had been going well and then a comment was made that started a fight. So, now the talks are postponed until next Wednesday. So, to tell you the truth we don't have a clue as to when the strike will be over.

Unless there is a major development there will be no more blogs on this subject. It's getting old and am sure you are tired of it, too. :)

Day 46 of Indigenous Strike

2009-05-25T23:12:00.003-05:00

Good news! Tarapoto has received gasoline for the generator from another source. We have electricity still. We are very thankful.

The other news is that the strike continues. Ken talked to Pancho today and he says that there are so many indigenous participants that they spread from kilometer 4 to kilometer 24 of the highway between Yurimaguas and Tarapoto. That is 15.5 miles. That's alot of people. Wish we could see from the air and take a photo. He also said that the strike continues. They will be sending a delegation to Lima for dialog on Wednesday. We are hopeful for some news of the end soon. We did assure him that we are in support of their strike and are in our prayers.

Please continue to uphold these men and women in prayer. It is a hard battle for them and a sacrifice, but they are standing up for their rights.

STRIKE Update

2009-05-23T13:30:00.002-05:00

The strike continues. There is much division in Yurimaguas. A leftist political group and the Indigenous can't seem to come to an agreement in ending the strike. Truthfully, we don't know if there is even dialog going on between them and the government. Today the market was allowed to open for a few hours for people to buy food then everything closed again. Looks like they are in for the long haul.

The threat now is that they are not replenishing the gasoline supply to the generators of the cities which will mean sometime between now and Monday we will be in blackout conditions unless the strike is resolved. We are readying flashlights and batteries and water.

Please pray for this to be over. It's only inconvenient for us but this is a major issue for our indigenous brothers. Pray for the government to finally listen and act!

Psa 35:10 Every bone in my body will shout: "No one is like the LORD!" You protect the helpless from those in power; you save the poor and needy from those who hurt them.

What's this Strike Really About

2009-05-21T16:16:00.007-05:00

We are still waiting for the word from Yurimaguas to tell us that the strike is over, however, this may still take awhile. We are in contact with Pancho and the family on a at least daily basis and sometimes twice a day in the hopes of finding out that we can go home. We are still waiting and praying here in Tarapoto. I have found a couple of articles that are very interesting and would like to share them with you here to help you better understand the plight of the Indians and why this strike is so monumentally important to their future. Please continue to uphold them in prayer.

“These actions are a reply to being treated as if we did not exist.”

Carlos Ramirez Sanchez writes in his post David against Goliath [es]:

The drop that made the glass overflow was the enactment of the law 1090, which modifies important aspects of the Forestry Law. Thus, they are excluded from any decision, with a central government that turned a deaf ear to their demands, giving priority to private investment of the rights of those who have millennial possessions, things have reached a dangerous threshold.

In the blog RIDEI [es] (International Network of Intercultural Studies), Marco Huaco writes about what these protests mean for the protestors themselves:

Since April 09, for the second time a protest of significant magnitude was declared by the Amazonian indigenous communities. It is very likely that we do not perceive the strong meaning and intensity of the protest, nor the strength of their decision because we do not know the enormous effort and sacrifice that brings to the Amazonian indigenous to mobilize to defend their rights, unlike the urban protests in which participants mobilize and then go home, the Amazon mobilization may involve transfer of large human contingents that are transported by rivers and then take part in long hours of hiking to reach population centers from where they show their presence and voice of protest.

It is difficult for them to stay away drastically from their communities, sleep in the streets and plazas, feed themselves from their own resources or with support and solidarity from the townspeople and spend a lot of money - which they do not have - during this endeavor, all of this under a solid organization and collective discipline. All this sacrifice is not in vain. To experience this reality motivates their laughter, mockery and sarcasm when they hear that the Government and its servant journalists say that the protestors have been organized, financed and manipulated by NGOs …

From De La Selva Su Web On [es] writes about a piece of news that appeared on the website of Radio La Voz de la Selva 93.9 fm about a naval ship that attacked the Napo indigenous community

I hope that they respect human rights, then later when they get carried away they say that it wasn't them and that justice is unjust. When it comes time to show force with the weak, then they are good, but when it comes time to defend the border, they always lose, on top of it all, they are caught up in cases of corruption, theft, and bad actions of all kinds. On the other hand, if the indigenous are protesting it is because they are tired of so much indifference and injustice at the hands of the supposed civilized. Hopefully the authorities will reflect on the matter and that the Iquiteños will support the indigenous struggle.

More on Strike

2009-05-18T09:43:00.005-05:00

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Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent guardian.co.uk, Monday 18 May 2009 12.54 BST

.Peru army moves into Amazon after tribes blockade rivers and roads
Ecology and culture at stake say environmentalists, as government plans to exploit rainforest for oil, gas and timber. Peru's army is poised to deploy in the Amazon rainforest to lift blockades across rivers and roads by indigenous people opposed to oil, gas, logging and mining projects.
The government has authorised the military to move into remote provinces where a state of emergency has been declared in the wake of a month-long stand-off between indigenous people and police.

President Alan Garcia said the state had the right and responsibility to develop mineral and hydrocarbon wealth to benefit all Peruvians. "We have to understand that when there are resources like oil, gas and timber, they don't belong only to the people who had the fortune to be born there because that would mean more than half of Peru's territory belongs to a few thousand people."

In the past two years the centre-right government has signed deals with multinationals to open swaths of rainforest, including a £1.3bn agreement last month with the Anglo-French oil company Perenco.

Indigenous groups, backed by environmentalists and Catholic bishops, have protested that the developments will devastate the area's ecology and their culture. About 65 tribes have mobilised 30,000 people to disrupt roads, waterways and pipelines, leading to skirmishes with police. Up to 41 vessels serving energy companies are stuck along jungle rivers, paralysed by the protests, one private sector source told Reuters.

One of the most tense areas is along the Napo river in northern Peru, said Survival International, a London-based rights advocacy group. "After local indigenous people blockaded the river with a nylon cable, a naval gunboat and three boats belonging to Perenco broke through the blockade, sinking some of the protesters' canoes in the process."

The National Organisation of the Amazon Indigenous people of Peru said last week's declaration of a state of emergency, which suspended some constitutional rights in four jungle provinces, amounted to a declaration of war by the government.

The group responded by calling for an "insurgency" but retracted the term on Saturday after being threatened with 10 years in jail for sedition. Protests will continue but within the rule of law, it said. The Peruvian rainforest is the largest swath of Amazon outside Brazil. According to one study oil, gas and timber deals would cover an estimated 70% of the forest.

The government says such developments are needed to boost economic growth and state revenues in one of South America's poorest countries. The projects, which could turn Peru into a net oil exporter, are in line with a free trade deal with the United States.

Alberto Pizango, an indigenous leader, said the tribes – who claim the forest as ancestral land – were not seeking a blanket ban on projects. "What we want is development from our perspective."

Each side has blamed the other for breakdown in negotiations

Peru Declares State of Emergency, Deploys Special Forces to Break Up Indigenous Protests

2009-05-14T08:31:00.003-05:00

Peru Declares State of Emergency, Deploys Special Forces to Break Up Indigenous Protests

LIMA, Peru, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In Peru, indigenous protests against recent government decrees affecting their land and resource rights continue to spread throughout the country. Amazon Watch has received several alarming reports of violent crackdowns against peaceful demonstrators by Special Forces after PresidentAlan Garcia declared a state of emergency in the Cusco, Ucayali, Loreto and Amazonas regions over the weekend.

For the past month, indigenous peoples have blockaded roads and rivers throughout the Amazon to protest new decrees which make it easier to transfer indigenous peoples' land and resource rights to oil, mining, logging and agricultural companies to the detriment of local inhabitants. The decrees have also set the stage for the privatization of water resources.

In the town of Bagua in the Amazonas region near the border with Ecuador, there have been reports that on Sunday armed forces cracked down on peaceful Awajun and Huambis demonstrators on the Corral Quemado Bridge resulting in several serious injuries. Two people are reported missing.

Elsewhere, several thousand Shawi and Cocama Cocamillas have blockaded the road between Yurimaguas and Tarapoto, a major transport route.

Yesterday in Lima, Peru's Prime Minister, Yehude Simon met with leaders of AIDESEP, Peru's leading indigenous rights organization.

Last Friday 42 indigenous leaders staged a hunger strike in the Peruvian Congress to demand that the full legislature debate the repeal of the decrees and eight Peruvian Catholic bishops issued a statement saying the decrees were a "twisted concept of development" that "threaten to increase regional poverty" in the Amazon.

The Peruvian government has auctioned off huge swaths of indigenous lands to mining and energy concessions. During the month-long protest, the Garcia administration has signed contracts for another 15 oil concessions - the majority of them in the Amazon.

"The government has not defended us against the oil, mining and logging companies that continue to pollute our communities after they illegally entered our lands," said Alberto Pizango, the president of AIDESEP. "The government is not abiding by international treaties signed by Peru as well as our own Constitution."

"We urge the Garcia administration to refrain from using force and instead enter into meaningful talks with indigenous peoples to resolve their legitimate concerns," said Atossa Soltani, Executive Director of Amazon Watch.

SOURCE Amazon Watch

Good News!

2009-05-13T23:03:00.002-05:00

Great news actually. The strike in Tarapoto is over so we didn't have to walk from the airport to the hotel. Praise God for that!

The not so good news is that Yurimaguas declared an indefinite strike. Ya know the who knows when it will end kind. The roads on either side of Tarapoto are blocked by the natives. Nothing is getting in or out by road. They are protesting the "law of the jungle" and within their rights, but in my opinion (which doesn't count for much) they should take it to Lima where the powers that be are. It is causing chaos here. Food is scarce and prices have doubled and tripled (price gougers here, too).

The good news is that we are in a comfortable hotel with hot water showers, free continental breakfast (bread and coffee), and air conditioning. What more do we need, right?

Please pray for this to be over quickly. There is still alot of planning to be done for the team coming in just 3 weeks. We haven't even been able to get to the house to pack yet. God is in control thankfully and He is not taken by surprise by any of this.

Thank you for all your prayers for the teams coming this summer.

Striking Again

2009-05-12T14:17:00.003-05:00

Yes, that is right. There are strikes everywhere. In Tarapoto it's a motocar strike which means nobody can go anywhere. If a car is caught riding around they just slash the tires. Many are stranded at the airport. The planes are running, but walking is the only way to and/or from the airport.

In Yurimaguas there is an indefinite strike again. We aren't sure when it will end, but we'd sure like to get back to the house. We've been in Lima taking care of all the logistical things for the teams and legal matters for nets, talking with Wycliffe etc. We leave Lima in the morning to go to Tarapoto and hopefully can get home. Please pray for solutions to all of these strikes and that there won't be any during the times the teams will be here.

On top of this, believe it or not, it is still raining in Yurimaguas. At least the river will be good for travel. Praise the Lord.

Access Once Again

2009-05-10T10:02:00.003-05:00

Yes, we are in Peru. No, we didn't drop off the face of the earth. We have not had internet access until Friday. But all is back to normal (whatever normal is, huh?). The weather in Peru is at a transition point and very hard to forecast each day.

We are busy getting things ready for teams coming down this summer. Please pray for them all:

Long's Small Group (29) June 7th-June 21st

NY Group (Irma's Apt) June 19th-June 27th

Puerto Rico (Candoshi) July 3rd- ?

SC Group (Irma's Apt) July 10th - ?

College Group (10) July 12-July 25th.

As you can see there are many activities going on in our area. The 2 groups working on Irma's apartment need prayer for safety in building and for acquiring necessary supplies to complete the job in a timely manner. The Puerto Rico group will be making their annual trip to the Candoshi and need prayer for travel safety on the rivers. The other groups need travel prayers as well.

Right now the jungle areas are in a 60 day state of emergency. Please pray that this will not affect the trips and that this won't turn into anything violent. It is better than a total shut down of the area but this also means probable curfews which could affect us.

Looking forward to seeing all those traveling our way.

Off We Go Again!

2009-04-26T15:54:00.003-05:00

In someways it seems like we've been back in the US forever and in other ways it feels like we just got here. I think that's the hardest part of what we do. We don't know if we're coming or going! Whew. It's been great getting to see you all in this whirlwind of a visit.

On Friday night we were able to cook for some of the small group liaisons. It was wonderful to reconnect with them and have a chance to share what God is doing in the Amazon Basin of Peru.

Thanks for all you are doing as small groups to keep the Chayahuita Pastors encouraged. Please continue to uphold them in prayer.

We return to Peru this Thursday, please keep us in prayer as we travel. We understand that the strike in Yurimaguas is finally over. We will continue to keep you up to date as life happens in the jungle.

Finally in Colorado

2009-04-10T08:19:00.003-05:00

It has been an exciting couple of weeks since we returned to the US. The week and a half spent in Florida was great. We were able to connect with many working inside and outside of Peru and some great things are happening and will happen soon. We were finally able to meet a representative from the Xtreme Team and hope to partner even more in the future with them as they relocate to Iquitos. Another contact we have made has actually bought property outside of Iquitos and hopes to partner with them also.

Over the years the Chayahuita have asked over and over for more training in the area of health. One of the areas they really want more materials, training and tools is for their sight. We have taken many reading glasses down and done what we could however many need glasses for distance which we were unable to provide. This year at ALTECO a new "kit" developed by Steve Saint's company I-TEC was presented. It is called I-See. It contains everything needed to "prescribe" glasses both for near and far. Terri was able to go to Ocala and get the training necessary to be able to train the Chayahuita in this and bought the kit to take back to them. Please pray for wisdom as we seek out a few men to train. This will not only be a help to those that are visually challenged, but a business for those that are trained.

http://itecusa.org/ If you would like info on this and other projects by I-TEC go here.

Taking Off!

2009-03-27T21:29:00.002-05:00

By the time you read this we should be in Orlando or at least Miami. Our flight leaves at 5:30 Am March 28th. Which means we leave the hotel at way to early. Please pray for our safety in our flights.

Next week we will be attending the ALTECO conference in Orlando. Pray for all that will occur there.

While here in Lima alot of things were accomplished. We were able to talk to some of the staff at Wycliffe and ask about the Chayahuita translation and its progress. It was great to meet the people so involved with getting these translations in print and funded. Please keep them in prayer as they continue to work on not just the Chayahuita Bible but others. They have an awesome responsibility.

We hope to see you all soon (in Colorado). We will be there for the weekend service on the 12th.

Photos of Road Damage

2009-03-14T23:26:00.001-05:00

People crossing over the rockslide

Gera River where the bridge fell Main Highway Lima to Tarapoto

Another Prayer Request

2009-03-13T20:54:00.003-05:00

We asked for prayer for rain a few months back. Those prayers have been abundantly answered. The major roads in Peru are falling apart under the extreme amounts of rain that we have had. The road between Lima and Tarapoto has reported a minimum of 5 landslides with boulders bigger than cars blocking the highway. There are more than 2000 vehicles stuck on the road. You can imagine how that must feel; no food, no facilities, no 7-11. Pray for thos that are stuck.

Then this afternoon a bridge crossing the Gera River near Moyobamba (just outside of Tarapoto) collapsed. The river is running extremely high and flooding the area with flash floods. We are not sure yet about the road from Tarapoto to Yurimaguas. We will find out tomorrow. The strike has been called off there and we'd like to return home,but if there is a possibility that we'd get stuck because of a slide it might be better just to stay put. Please pray for discernment for us.

Jesus Safely Arrives in Pucallpa

2009-03-10T13:47:00.002-05:00

Thanks for you prayers for Jesus. We did have to put him on a bus. There were no seats on the plane. Ken wired his money to him so he wouldn't have to carry it on him. He was relieved. Pray for the Xtreme team as they now travel to Lima for a conference. After that Enoc travels south to the Ashanenka and Jesus returns to Nueva Vida. Pray for their safety.

Video From Xtreme Team Wtih Chayahuita Team Singing

2009-03-10T11:07:00.001-05:00

Video of Jesus Pua

2009-03-10T11:05:00.000-05:00

Prayers Answered

2009-03-08T12:43:00.002-05:00

Thank you so much for your prayers! We have arrived in Tarapoto safely. There was a landslide but it happened before we got there and they were already in process of cleaning it up. We were delayed an hour. That hour was spent sharing the Gospel with the taxi driver. God always has a purpose! We still don't know what the strike will bring in Yurimaguas. We'd like to be able to go back instead of having to stay in a hotel for a couple of weeks, but that may not be God's plan. We'll wait on Him to show us what to do next.

Jesus is with us until tomorrow. We are trying to get him on a flight instead of going over the road. There is a flight out tomorrow, but there are only 12 seats. We are praying that there will be space for him. If not he will leave on bus. There have been daily assaults on that road, so please, please keep him in prayer. He will meet the rest of the Xtreme Team in Pucallpa and then they head to Lima for a conference. Enoc will go to the conference and then head down south by boat to the Ashaninka.

Pray for Jesus Pua

2009-03-08T10:54:00.002-05:00

The more we hear from Jesus Pua the more we are impressed with him and his love for our Lord. He made it into town yesterday and will be traveling with us tomorrow (Sunday probably today by the time this gets sent). He has had a month to recuperate from his travels well, actually no rest since he and his wife have spent the last month planting their farm.

Last year he put more miles on his feet than we put on our cars while in the US. He is an amazing man. He was telling us stories about people asking him why he is doing what he does as a missionary. Even some of the older pastors have said they never worked as hard as he does. Jesus responded by telling them that God has called him to do this and it may be hard at times especially when it has rained so much, but God will allow him to walk where he needs to walk and to share with those that need to hear. His son, after a long, wet trip, also asked him why they do this and what they were going to eat along the way since their farm was a long way from where they were. Jesus responded that it is a privilege to be able to walk and share God’s word with others and that God would provide for all their needs. Alex, Jesus’ son, is only 3 but is learning how God provides and how important God’s message is first hand. Many times Jesus’ family arrives without food and very wet from walking in the rain and muck. God always provides what they need as they come into a village. Many have come to know the Lord as Savior through this family’s faithful testimony. His desire is to reach his people (Chayahuita) first then go into other tribes (which he is already doing with the Chivaros) to share with them.

Speaking of providing, Jesus has an uncle that is a high school teacher and this year has been assigned to of all places, Bellavista. It will be a blessing for Jesus and his family to have family in Bellavista when they arrive on their trips. His uncle has also taught in the church in Nueva Vida for years and is a solid believer. Isn’t God wonderful!?

Jesus is now on the way to Pucallpa taking the same road that Enoc took when he was assaulted. Please pray for him for safety and for his family as they stay behind this time.

Pray for Marco Lancha

2009-03-08T10:46:00.002-05:00

Marco Lancha, the vice secretary of the Chayahuita Association of Evangelcal Churches, came on Thursday and knocked at the gate. He is usually a very upbeat guy, so when he looked liked he had lost his best friend I was concerned. He could barely speak. He told me that he has had a pain in his stomach and side and a headache for about 1 ½ months. He thought it would go away and so he just kept on going. The pain had gotten so bad on Wednesday that he hitched a ride downriver to Yurimaguas.

On Friday, Ken went with him to the hospital to be checked out. Poor guy was not only in pain but was scared to death about going to see a doctor. It turns out he had never been before this. They spent all morning running tests on him.

Today they ran more tests and took an xray of his chest. Ken and I are suspecting TB. He won’t get the results until Monday after we are gone, but hopefully we can call Pancho and find out. Please keep him in your prayers. It is hard just not knowing what he has for him.

ASSAULTED

2009-03-06T08:47:00.001-05:00

We can never stress enough about praying for travel mercies. On Monday, Pancho, Gonzalo (the Achuar pastor) and Enoc took off on their journey to Tarapoto. Pancho and Gonzalo headed from there to Lima and Enoc to Pucallpa. Pancho and Gonzalo, as far as we know (since we haven’t heard from them), made it ok to Lima for their meeting.

Enoc called us this morning saying that he had been assaulted on the road from Tarapoto to Pucallpa. They took everything he had but the clothes on his back. This is the area where the Shining Path works to protect the drug growers. As US citizens we’ve been told never to be on this road. Please pray for him. He is pretty shook up and since they took all of his money now he will probably have to return here instead of going to the south to be with the Ashaninka Indians. His family is sending him some money. Jesus will be traveling that same road this week. Please pray for him that he won’t be assaulted and that he can make it before the strike starts.

Visit from a Achuar pastor.

2009-03-04T08:32:00.002-05:00

On Friday we heard a knock at the gate. We saw that one of the Achuar pastors had come for a visit. He is part of FAIENAP (an indigenous organization) as the vice treasurer. He was on his way to Lima for an annual meeting along with Pancho. We invited him to stay with us until he left on Monday. We had some really wonderful conversations about the Lord. He truly blessed us with the stories of what God is doing amongst the Achuar. They face problems very similar to what the Chayahuita face. They are much more isolated though. Please pray for Gonzalo Maurish as he leads his people in the northern Amazon Basin of Peru.

Answer to Prayer for Raul!

2009-03-04T08:28:00.001-05:00

After weeks of searching for a wheelchair for Raul, a man from the city office found him one. It isn’t new by any means, but it works and is so much better than the one he was using with no tires and broken bar in front. He can now get around town which has put a smile on the face of all of the family. Thank you for your prayers. Continue to lift him up in prayer for God to show him what purpose he has in life.

It is Official....STRIKE

2009-03-03T08:26:00.000-05:00

Are you praying?
We just got word today that the strikes are on for sure. The first begins on the 9th and the other begins on the 13th. They are both indefinite which means they could go on for quite some time. During these type of strikes there is no travel in or out of the city, no market (no food to buy etc). For these reasons we are leaving Yurimaguas on the 8th and will have to stay in a hotel in Tarapoto until the date of our tickets (25th). It won’t be cheap but we really have no choice. This way we will be able, Lord willing, to make it to Lima for our international flight on the 28th. We would fly to Lima right away except we have tickets and they are not changeable. We would have to buy new ones which would not be cheap buying them now at the last minute.
Please pray for our safety as we cross over the mountains. We have had lots of rain. There have been numerous landslides. Pray, too, for those people stuck in Yurimaguas that this strike will not last too long nor will there be any violence.

Enough Already

2009-02-27T08:57:00.002-05:00

Just when you think everything in Yurimaguas has finally settled down another announcement of yet another, no another 2 strikes. School should be starting in the first week of March, but of course, we couldn't have the kids start on time!

Today we found out there are 2 new strikes planned. The first (March 9th) is a strike by the "indigenous" whatever and whoever that may be. We will have to ask around and find out. The other is by the people that always call strikes and usually for no real reason. This will be on the 13th of March and they say it will be indefinite which means it could last a month if they so choose. We are supposed to leave Yurimaguas on the 22nd to head back to US for ALTECO conference. During this time too we have scheduled a computer class from the 15th-19th.

We need wisdom and prayer for knowing what steps to take. If we stay we could get stuck since these indefinite strikes shut down EVERYTHING including transportation. I'm very tempted to go the the tv channel and as to talk to the President of this group calling the strike. They complain about no money coming into the area, yet tourists don't want to come here for this very reason. This needs to stop and the city politics need to not affect those that don't live here. These also shut down the market and everything else, so no food either.

Please pray!

What a Week!

2009-02-18T08:39:00.002-05:00

This week has been very interesting to say the least. There has been a stream of visitors which has been fun. It has rained hard most of the week. That is good for the river traveler, but not so much for the road traveler. There have been many sink holes caused and flooding and of course the usual landslides. Please pray for travel mercies for those of us who travel a lot.

Ken has been trying for the last couple of weeks to get the latest census data from the area. The word here is that there are 16,000 Chayahuita now and we’d like to see how they are divided up. We did manage to get a list of communities in each district, unfortunately it doesn’t say what tribe lives where and there are many with the same name. Hopefully we can get some better data than what the city has given us.

Also, for the last month Ken has been trying to get a wheelchair for a man named Raul from Nueva Vida. When we first met him a couple of years ago he already had both of his arms amputated due to diabetes or at least that is what he was told the reason was. He was trying desperately to get prosthesis or at least a hook for one arm to be able to function better. After many consultations he was turned down. Evidently if it is diabetes that is plaguing him, it is not being treated. Now he has had to have a leg amputated. He is “getting around” (and I use that term very loosely) in a wheelchair that has wheels but no tires and one of the bars at the bottom is missing. There had been a campaign giving away wheelchairs but the hospital said they had none left. Then Ken went to the mayor’s office to see what they could do and got the same response. Finally after all this time Raul has been put on a waiting list to receive a chair when the next delivery arrives. Praise God. Please pray for him as he has also been told by some people from a different doctrine that he lost his limbs because of his sin. Ken and Pancho have been counseling him on this issue.

Update

2009-02-11T08:55:00.001-05:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to catch up on the blog. It’s hard sometimes since we have to use the internet café here. I did discover that they have a lan line that I can connect my laptop up to. That will help a lot. I can write at the house then plug in there. Praise the Lord.
Anyway, we have had some more visitors since last writing. Jose Yume was here from Sachavaca. His daughter has hepatitis B and was suffering some of the symptoms. They had to drain about 5 liters of liquid from her. Not fun. Jose was able to spend some time with us just chatting and catching up on his life and ministry.
Elio Solis also showed up in town on his way to Lima. He had hurt his leg and couldn’t make it to the conference this year. He is doing well and is excited to see that the Bible will be printed next year. We still aren’t sure if all the funds have been collected to do so and are trying to find this out.
Please pray for Jesus Pua and Enoc as they travel once again to the Jeberos area. They will be there a few weeks evangelizing and following up on the new believers and encouraging the others. Enoc will then travel to another tribe up north. Pray for safety and provision as they travel. There has been a lot of rain lately which will make for a difficult, at best, walking experience.

Please Pray

2009-01-31T09:27:00.002-05:00

Thank you all for continuing to pray for the Chayahuita pastors. We have heard some great news from some and some discouraging news from others. We recently were visited by Pastor Dionisio from Inchiyacu. He and his family are here to collect some money from the Mayor. They walked 4 days to get here. Wow. That’s a lot of walking. This is the first time for his kids to be in Yurimaguas. Inchiyacu is quite a ways into Cahaupanas district and basically at the end of it.

One of the pastors that was living in a totally catholic community and had been persecuted a lot has fallen and left his wife. Please pray for Fabian that God will convict him and will return and be even a bigger light in the darkness surrounding him and his family. Unfortunately this is not one of the pastors that was given to a small group to partner with.

Almost

2009-01-26T10:02:00.001-05:00

Finally just one more room to clean. It smells so much better now!
Today Dorcas, Tarsila and Luanith came over to chat and look at some photos. As we were going through some photos of days past, we ran into some of them about 5 yrs ago. They chuckled for a long time and made jokes about each other. It was great to reconnect. They have also been practicing English using a CD and book that had been given to them. They spoke some and took turns laughing.
After awhile, it seemed that they wanted to ask for something. They are always so shy when it comes to asking. Finally one of them spoke up and asked if we could make some cookies together. That was an activity we always shared in the past. It’s great to be a grandma.

Yurimaguas Finally

2009-01-26T09:55:00.002-05:00

Wow! We are finally back in Yurimaguas. Things have not changed around town. It will take a few days to clean the cobwebs off the walls and ceiling and bleach down the cabinets but things will be back in order soon.
Dorcas, Pancho’s oldest daughter, will be starting college on Monday. She will be studying tourism so she can eventually help out her village of San Antonio and others that want to have a piece of the ecotourism pie. Guillermo, who is studying to become a nurse, is on the coast right now doing one of his practicums. He will return to Yurimaguas in May and work in the hospital to finish his practicum here.
We hope that in these couple of months we can get everything arranged for the trips coming this summer. There will be some challenges ahead as we do, so please keep us in prayer. Pray for the following: boats to rent for each of the trips (3 in all), water in the river to be able to get to the villages, and a good pilot for each boat. We usually use Pancho, however, he may not be available this summer.
We thank you all for your continued support of us and the Chayahuita as we continue on this empowerment venture together.

Observations about the Conference

2009-01-19T22:32:00.002-05:00

As we reflect on the Chayahuita conference, so many things come to mind. There is such evidence in the growth of these brothers and sisters. Let me share a few things that happened this year.

In April we were asked to buy some rice and beans to plant. The crops were harvested and all the participants ate 3 meals a day. This is significant because usually they don't have enough and we (team) gets asked to help. Not this year!!

We usually help set up the hours of classes and other areas of the conference. This year they not only did that, but we were told what we were doing back in April and had plenty of preparation time.

The women had a whole week of teaching without being in the men's classes. They have been asking for years. This year it happened.

New believers have had a hard time understanding in the main classes, this year they were discipled in their own class.

God is definitely maturing these leaders and we are being blessed by it. Please continue to pray for wisdom for them and safety as they travel. Pray that many will be encouraged as we are just seeing their walk with the Lord.

Tarapoto

2009-01-18T10:02:00.004-05:00

Normally on Monday after the conference we pack up our things and the plane arrives to take us all out. This time that didn’t happen. We had rain, low clouds and fog. It was an all day event. We all had a time to just play with the kids and talk with the adults. Really a blessing. Also we found out later that 2 of the leaders on the board had fevers and were sick. God had a reason for the down day.

On Tuesday even though we got off to a late start the team was able to fly out. We had to leave the Chayahuita leaders behind until the next day. We regrouped Tuesday as a team in Tarapoto. Paul Johnson, Jay Jackson and Shawn W. and Irma Espinoza were already waiting at the hotel when we arrived. At least the team got to meet them all.

After the team flew out, we met with the Chayahuita leadership and Paul, Jay, Shawn and Irma. A couple of days were spent with the men answering questions about their past, present and future. We learned many things about the Chayahuita in general. They told stories about many things from where the Gospel first entered to what their thoughts and dreams are for the future. Some of their frustrations were also shared. This is a great team of leaders. They are doing a wonderful job and growing rapidly.

Please continue to pray for the Chayahuita leadership, the pastors and us in the venture that we share as God guides us step by step. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

Balsapuerto Continued

2009-01-17T09:56:00.005-05:00

Brent, Ron and Ken taught on different themes. Each took an hour a day to speak. It was very exciting to see the responses from the men. There were several roundtable question and answer periods and from what the guys said some of the questions showed incredible spiritual growth.

On Saturday those that had brought handmade articles set up right outside our “home” and we were able to buy things from their “market”. We look forward to showing the things to you. Actually some of the things we will be auctioning off this year, so be sure to keep your ears tuned and your eyes on the look out for exhibitions of the artisan things. You may be interested in making a bid on these one of a kind things from the jungle of Peru made by the Chayahuita Indians.

Of course one of the highlights of this time was to share the letters and photos sent by the small groups. The pastors were very encouraged when they received them. Unfortunately not all of them were there. Those that were there wrote letters. We were also able to get some video from those that wanted to share. Those of you in small groups that sent packets really blessed these men (and their families) immensely. Thank you.

Conference in Balsapuerto

2009-01-15T13:41:00.004-05:00

We arrived in Yurimaguas and got everything organized to be able to leave on Monday for Balsapuerto. Unfortunatley it rained on Monday and the plane was unable to get to us. Tuesday we hoped for a better chance. We woke up on Tuesday to the same type of weather; rain and low clouds. When all seemed that we would have repeat of Monday the clouds started lifting and the rain stopped. Even though we got off to a later start than usual we all made it into Balsapuerto safely.

The week was one of many challenges and yet as usual God met every one of them. We do have a great God. The women were given their own classroom with their own studies. There was a classroom for the children, one for the new believers (which was the biggest one as far as attendees) and the pastors and older believers met in the church. At night we all were able to come together and sing and worship.

There were 3 other people that came and helped teach. They are all from the Swiss Mission in Pucallpa. Luz and Agusto are interested in teaching on the physical life: hygiene and animal husbandry and farming. Luz is a nurse. She taught the women everyday about hygiene and health. Agusto taught the men a couple of times. The other woman from Swiss Mission, Doris, taught spiritual lessons to the women everyday. Liz and I also had a time for Bible lessons as well as teaching handcrafts.

Suzi had a great time helping teach the kids. There were anywhere from 40 to 75. There were taught Bible stories as well as played games. The kids seemed very content to have had the time and a place for them to learn.

Counting the Many Blessings

2009-01-14T10:02:00.002-05:00

How quickly time flies! It seems just like a day or two ago we were talking about leaving Tarapoto to go into the jungle village of Balsapuerto. Thank you all for praying.

For the trip over the mountain the weather was great. No rain, no landslides, no mud! Praise God. However, as we got closer to Yurimaguas there were two incidents. We were only an hour or so out of town when we were approached by several men in the street with rifles. It was unnerving as they approached. Fortunately they were not assaulters, but vigilantes. Somebody had just been assaulted and they wanted our driver to help them find the suspects. They were told no and thankfully accepted that answer. About 10 minutes later we were stopped in the street with an accident between a van and a motorcar (those motorized “rickshaws”). There was blood and glass all over the street. After a few minutes of talking to some of the people in the street we left, however our driver decided to turn around and go back. He had been on the phone with his company and it turns out that the man on the motorcar was killed.

N ow to back up a bit. You see God had all of this in control so obviously. Brent had been sick and was vomiting from the beginning of the trip. We had had to stop a couple of times for him to get out of the van to do just that. If we hadn’t had that issue we could have been smack dab in the middle of all this above mentioned commotion . We could have been the assaulted or the van that hit the motorcar. God knew we needed the delay. AMAZING!

(to be continued)

Off to the Jungle, the mighty Jungle

2009-01-03T19:48:00.003-05:00

Church in Balsapuerto where the conference will be.

We are in Tarapoto and in the morning we head over the mountains to Yurimaguas. We ask that you pray for our safety. Also pray for the safety of all the Chayahuita that will be traveling by foot and by boat! They all sacrifice alot to arrive at the annual conference.

We spend the day tomorrow in Yurimaguas and get picked up by Samair on Monday morning weather permitting. Weather is always iffy this time of year. We know that in God's time we will arrive.

We will be out of the jungle on the 12th or the 13th. We will catch you up on all the blessings of that time. Can't wait to pass out the packets from the small groups to the pastors. It will be fun.

Everyone is doing well and acclimating back to the heat. Thank God for heat.....finally!

We're Here!!

2008-12-29T08:27:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to catch you up on our travel status. We stayed in Miami overnight (courtesy of American). Our new flight was scheduled for 11:30 PM Sunday night. God had a reason for us being delayed. We were sitting in the terminal when a man asked if he could sit in the chair next to us. We started talking to him and it turns out he is a "completed Jew". He had been having a very rough walk with the Lord lately. He was filled with guilt. We were able to encourage him and talked about 1 or so. To hear him talk about his Messiah was so uplifting for us too.

We boarded the plane on time and even left the gate on time, however, as we readied to take off the pilot came on and said we were going to have to return to the gate and add more fuel because we might have to land at an alternative airport in Peru. We finally got off 1 1/2 hours late. We arrived around 7 AM in Lima w/o incident. When we got to customs there was virtually no wait and our luggage (Praise God) was sitting waiting for us. We even got a green light and by 745 we are in the hotel and now I'm taking a nap. So thank you all for praying!

Have Ticket WON'T Travel

2008-12-28T12:10:00.002-05:00

Saturday we were picked up at 5 AM by Barry Gammel (Bless his heart). He was a great chauffer and we arrived at DIA early and got checked in without incident. We arrived in Dallas with a 5 hour layover. It went downhill from there. Just an hour before our flight was due to leave there was a gate change. We had to move from C concourse to D which is on the complete opposite side of the airport. We were told that the airplane was already at the gate so there (in our minds) should be no problem proceeding. However, at 5 PM (when we were due to leave) that maintenance hadn't released the plane to fly yet (obviously not a good sign). We were told that at 5:40 there would be an update on the situation. To fill in the spaces here, we had a scheduled 3 hour layover at Miami, so we figured that even if we left an hour or so late we'd still have plenty of time to make the flight. How naive we were. There were no available replacement planes until one in route from LA arrived and that would be at 8PM. Well, there went our 3 hours. We thought that maybe the plane would wait for us (there were 30 of us trying to catch that plane), but when we finally arrived at Miami at 1AM it had already left.

So, writing this update, we are "stuck" at Miami until 11:30 tonight. American Airlines did put us up in a hotel and provide vouchers for lunch and dinner (that's a whole story in itself). We hope to be in Lima tomorrow morning and get life back on track. Please pray for everything to go as planned tonight and that our luggage will arrive with us since we have nothing but the clothes on our backs.

Finally!

2008-12-25T00:03:00.003-05:00

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

We also thank you for your continued partnership with us and the Chayahuita. You are all very vital to this ministry. Without you we would not be able to do what we do.

Please keep us in prayer as we finally head back to Peru on December 27th. While you enjoy the snow of winter we will once again be thawing out in the Amazon jungle. The Chayahuita annual conference will be held January 5th to the 12th. Pray for safety for all that will be attending.

We will update you once we get out of the jungle and into Tarapoto. May you have a blessed New Year!

Counting down the days

2008-12-03T23:54:00.003-05:00

We apologize for not posting anything in over a month. We are still alive!

The date is fast approaching to return back to the jungle that we love so much. The Chayahuita annual conference is scheduled for January 5-13, so we leave on December 27. This time is one of our favorites since people from many villages converge on the host one allowing us to see lots of people without having to travel so much.

Please pray for the Chayahuita leadership as they prepare all the details of the teaching time coordinating with all the teachers involved. This year things will be done a bit differently. The decision was made to have the women have their own time all week for teaching as well as the new believers and of course the kids will have their own teaching as well. These are very exciting times and there is so much growth happening; both spiritually and in business development. (more on that at a later date)

Pray for the team from Grace that will be teaching:Ron Dalton, Brent Ward, Liz Hanson and Suzi Herbka as well as us. There will also be a couple from the Swiss Mission attending.

Thank you for your constant prayers and care for us and for the Chayahuita. Your partnership is crucial!

Partnering with Chayahuita Pastors

2008-10-31T12:10:00.003-05:00

WOW! We have been blown away with the response to the "Parnering with A Chayahuita Pastor" success. The small groups at Grace Church have been such an encouragement as we have met with and explained the program. We thank you all for opening your homes and your hearts to be the encouragement to our brothers in the Amazon Basin.

For those who have not had the opportunity to hear what we are doing here is a synopsis of what we are presenting to the groups.

11 years ago, 3 pastors from Grace Church went to Peru with Paul Johnson, president of Amazon Focus, to visit the Chayahuita Indians. When it became evident that God was leading our pastors to develop a partnership with the Chayahuita Church, they sat down with the Spiritual leaders of the tribe. As Paul led the discussions, he asked the leadership of Grace Church, “What could they do for the Chayahuita?”
They responded:
We will faithfully pray for you.
We will be involved in projects which benefit the tribe.
We will provide education for the pastors.
And each one of us will personally visit you again.

Paul then turned to the Indian leadership and asked them, “What could they do for Grace Church?”

There was silence for a few minutes, and then one of the Indians asked our pastors, “What do you need?” The answer: We need prayer. We spend most of our time counseling. We need wisdom in how to effectively counsel in a variety of difficulties. The Chayahuita promised to pray for Grace Church daily. And they have.

Church to Church is a partnership, an interdependence, between churches. So, what is empowerment? It is defined as “giving someone the authority to do something.”

Many times, we as North Americans, when we go to 3rd World Nations, we are deeply moved when we see the impoverished situations of others. We can easily lose sight of the spiritual needs, because of the overwhelming dire physical & economic conditions. I don’t have words to adequately describe the physical poverty that exists among the Chayahuita and other tribes in the Amazon Basin. At times, it is indescribable. And so quite naturally missionaries and non-profit organizations have looked for ways to ease the pains of the tribal people by giving money, medicine, equipment – you name it. We have given the Indians everything but, “… the authority to do something.”

Listen, I don’t question the compassion and motivation of these people who have given so generously & graciously, but what has been the long term affect? What happens over the course of time when giving is only a one way street? In a nutshell, it creates dependency.
We have had the advantage of looking back and seeing the effect of this type of charity based missions endeavor on the Chayahuita, over a 30-40 year time span.

2 Things have occurred in the case of the Chayahuita.

1. They have come to expect handouts. Instead of trying to look for ways that they can resolve their issues, they quite naturally look to the outside world for solutions. They have become dependent on the foreigner. When giving is a one way street, there is never a sense of equality, partnership, or even ownership. The giver, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is creating a dependency that the recipient cannot get out of. They become trapped like a caged animal.

That leads to a 2nd problem.

2. The natural conclusion of the recipient is that he/she must be inferior to the giver, because after all they believe that they cannot provide for themselves or for their families, neither can they think through their problems in order to resolve them on their own.

Empowerment for us began by treating the Chayahuita as our equals. We started teaching them how to take care of their own needs. And, we believed in them, that they are capable of learning and doing. The final element of empowerment was not to cave in to their constant financial requests.

Because of empowerment, there is a goal on the horizon that we believe is fully attainable in our lifetime – that every Chayahuita has the opportunity to hear the Gospel in their own heart language. That goal has been the dream of every missionary, but it hasn’t been accomplished, in part, because the missionaries have been doing the work, not the Indians. 3 young men have been trained by the Extreme Team. Jesus, Enoc & Maximo are taking the Gospel to remote areas where no Gringo missionary has ever ventured. I’m no prophet, but I don’t have any doubt in my mind that God is going to raise up more young men like these 3, to go and take the Gospel to every village, so that everyone will hear the Good News and many Chayahuita will become believers and followers of Jesus Christ.

However, at this moment there are approximately 60 Chayahuita pastors, many who are discouraged because they live in isolation and very few people care that they exist. As Terri and I became aware of the plight of these Indigenous pastors, we became concerned and started to think of ways that we could encourage them. We brought Church to Church into the equation. We have approximately 60 small groups at Grace Church & approximately 60 Chayahuita pastors. What would it take to team up these 2 entities? What would be the prospect of getting each to pray for one another? How could there be communication between the 2? After prayer and brainstorming, the idea of Partner with a Pastor was conceived. PWP is not going to be a steady stream of dollars going down to the jungle. We don’t want you sending a lot of money, nor do we want the pastors thinking that they are going to be getting money from you. That would be creating dependency all over again.

PWP is simply exchanging photos, letters of encouragement, & prayer requests. Please don’t get the idea that Small Group involvement is insignificant or trivial. On the contrary, y’all are crucial, extremely vital to the success of the Chayahuita pastors and God’s moving in the Amazon Jungle.

As I’ve said at other times, this is a team effort.
Some of us are the hands, who give generously.
Some of are the knees, who pray diligently.
And some of us are the feet, who go obediently.
All these components are of equal value to God.
All 3 are essential in empowering the Chayahuita nation.

Interviews with Chayahuita Leaders in Maranatha

2008-10-20T21:31:00.003-05:00

These are interviews (in Chayahuita language) from July 2008 of four Chayahuita leaders: Pancho Tangoa, who has been a pastor, president of the Chayahuita Association and boat pilot; Juan Lancha, pastor in Maranatha; Augosto Tello, pastor in Maranatha and Jesus Pua, a missionary that goes into the most isolated region of Chayahuita villages and has now had contact with another tribe that doesn't have the Gospel. They have invited him to come share with them. Please keep all of these leaders in prayer.

The subtitles didn't turn out very well so here is a synopsis of what was said.

Pancho thanked us for coming and visiting Maranatha and that the visit was a very big encouragement to them. He sends greetings to families, friends and our churches and asking God to continue blessing us all.

Juan thanked us for coming to visit and that he really enjoyed fellowshipping with us. He invited us all to return for another visit.

Augosto thanked us all for taking the time to come and was thankful that we arrived safely. He asked that we continue to uphold the church in prayer. They want to rebuild a building that fell down. He sends greetings to those in the US

Jesus said that he hoped that our time together had been fruitful and been a mutual blessing. He shared that he travels to Jeberos which is very remote and asked prayer for those there as well as for all of his tribe as the Gospel continues to advance. He asked that God keep us safe in our journey and bless us.

Get Involved

2008-08-11T09:58:00.010-05:00

Since we have been in the US many have asked "How can we be involved?" There are some very simple things that you can do. Here are some examples.

1. Partner with a Chayahuita pastor (Steve Martinez has info on how to do this)

2. Have your small group collect medicines to send down to the Chayahuita health workers. (tylenol, ibuprofen, benadryl, pepto bismol, cold meds)

3. Are you skilled in a trade? Teachers are needed to train the Chayahuita.

4. Do you love teaching the Word of God? The Chayahuita pastors are hungry for more teaching. 5. Are you an encourager? There are many opportunities to go to a Chayahuita village and help them with tourism.

6. If nothing else you can always pray for them and for us as we partner with the Chayahuita and Grace Church.

You may even have other ideas that you'd like to share with us. Please send us an email.

In The USA

2008-08-06T09:17:00.005-05:00

We are back in Colorado now until the end of the year. We will be traveling back for the annual conference in Balsapuerto. Please pray as God directs those that should be involved. The Chayahuita leadership has given specific subjects to be taught. This year they are also having classes for the women apart from the men as well as new believers discipling. It is exciting to see them grow and lead!

Church in Balsapuerto

Pray for the pastor in Balsapuerto and his congregation as they prepare to welcome this group of people (usually anywhere from 400-1000). Pray also for the Chayahuita leadership board for wisdom and protection. Pray that the hearts of those that will be attending will be prepared not only to listen but to apply what they learn.

Trip to San Antonio

2008-07-27T19:45:00.008-05:00

Boat to San Antonio

Praise the Lord! We did finally get to go upriver to San Antonio with Key Zu and Carly. Carly had been there 5 years ago and wanted to reconnect with the people and introduce them to Key Zu. The river ride was not overly easy, there were times the boat had to be pushed over sand or rocks, but we made it without too many problems. The first night we stopped at Maranatha and slept. On day 2 we headed up the Yanayacu River. Once we reached the rapids on the approach to San Antonio we had to get out and walk. It was just too dangerous for us to be in the boat over the rocks.

During these days, Ken and I were invited to go meet the authorities of a nearby village, San Lorenzo. It is only about a 20 minute walk from San Antonio (if it's not muddy). We were able to spend time with them and then we were taken to a cascading waterfall nearby by dugout canoe and walking. It was really beautiful. They are interested in taking tourists there. Well worth the trip.

People from San Lorenzo (above) Waterfall (below)

We got back to Yurimaguas tired, but happy to have been in the jungle as always.

Strike is Over

2008-07-11T10:53:00.003-05:00

Sandra, Bastiluz, Tarsila, and Dorcas (bottom) (top) Key Zu and Carly in Tarapoto

It has been an interesting week. After seeing the Grace team off, we returned to Yurimaguas with the 2 women from New Tribes and started working on getting on the river to one of the Chayahuita villages. We then found out that Pancho (our boat pilot) had to help drill a well in a nearby community and that Yurimaguas would have a 3 day strike. Not a whole lot we could do until both of those were resolved. We have had a good time getting to know Carly and her friend Key Zu. Even though the plan was to be in a village longer the interlude has given them time to get to know and play with Pancho’s kids and others that are in town. They wouldn’t have had this time otherwise. God has His plans and of course always has a way a reminding us to be FLEXIBLE and that He is in control.

The strike is over and Pancho should be on his way back. We hope to be able to leave on Monday, Lord willing. Pray that the river will have enough water so we won’t have issues on our way. Pray for safety on the river and in San Antonio. We hope to be in Maranatha on Monday night and San Antonio on Tuesday. We plan on staying gone a week and then we return to get packed to return to the US.

Balsapuerto Continued

2008-07-02T15:57:00.011-05:00

Playing "Ni'ni ni'ni mayo" (Duck, Duck, Goose)

This team was an amazing one. Even with the language barrier they made themselves understood. Everyone understands the language of love. Not only was there love shown to the many Chayahuita all around, but also to each other. I'd like to share some of the many experiences of the week with you.

See how the Chayahuita live to know better how to minister to them and experience the everyday obstacles (boat travel, hiking in mud) etc. to know how to pray for them.

The team saw first hand how the people in the village lived. Even though Balsapuerto is different than most villages, they saw their reality. One of the coolest things we got to do was go house to house to visit and see the different crafts the women make step by step. This had been prepared ahead of time to have, for example, the pottery in various stages of completion so we could see the whole process without waiting for 4 days. It gave opportunity to see what they make, visit many people in a short time and it let them see the value of their crafts.

Weaving a skirt

There were many things that we got to experience apart from everyday life. The boat ride was an eye opener, even though it was a big boat, it was comfortable to sit for hours on end. They also so the concern they men have for the level of the river, the dangers of rocks and fallen trees.

We all went on a hike together with the intention of reaching archeological find. We were told it would take 3 hours to get there. Ken and I knew that they had told us what it takes them to arrive so we figured 4 hours or so. We had walked for 3 hours and we were nowhere close to where we were headed, so I asked how much longer should it take and we were told 2 more hours. In a 1 1/2 hours I asked how much farther and we were told 1 1/2 hours.

At this point we decided to stop only at a waterfall close by and eat lunch and rest. The whole problem was that there was so much mud on the path that it was difficult at best to walk, the bridges (usually logs) were also badly decayed and the terrain was hilly and rocky. We still had to return back to the village and that would take the same amount of time. Most of us are not seasoned hikers and by the end of the trip of walking 10 hours we were exhausted and our feet were sore.

After the walk we talked about how this is the main source of transportation for the Chayahuita. They walk for hours and days to get to their destinations. During the annual conference in January many walk for several days just to hear the Word of God and to have fellowship. Their feet and legs are incredibly strong!

And the most important: Get to know the Chayahuita and form friendships to be an encouragement

Pastor Rosendo and family

All of the members of the team: Scott Fischle, Liz Hanson, Suzi Herbka, Pete Malouff, Pam and Ariane McQuain, Mike Russell, Kim Schweitzer and Jeremy Simpson had no problems in forming friendships. From day one they enjoyed getting to know the Chayahuita. They were all a very big encouragement to them. Men and women smiled as they saw them playing games with their children. They encouraged them in the time of worship together, by asking about their culture but most importantly just by being willing to spend the time and effort to be with them. They also took time to share Bible stories and the Gospel with them.

This is a remarkable and diverse group and each will be remembered by these people for many years to come. Take time to ask each of them about the experience. I know they would love to share with you! See the slides below. There are many funny moments, but you'll have to ask about them to hear them!