Palmiche Revisited

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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:

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


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  How to prepare the land for planting


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  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!