Team Miller

What an amazing time we had! Blessed by team Miller - Joe, Danny and Ryan came down from Maple City Chapel to pour into the people of Peru. We saw sweat, tears, and miracles in just a couple of days. Here is a quick idea of what it looked like:

Monday:

Team Miller arrived in Tarapoto after 30 hours of travel. We boarded a van and headed over the mountains to Yurimaguas. Along the way we stopped and hiked to a waterfall to stretch our legs. Once in Yurimaguas we went to the afternoon market for a snack of grubs, ants, and exotic fruits. After dinner the team went back to the hotel but in typical Yurimaguas fashion the power went out, rendering the AC useless.

Tuesday:

Everyone got up early to head upriver. After breakfast we loaded everything into the boat and began the journey. We arrived in the village by noon and the Shawi brothers had been working all morning hauling sand from the river to the church. In the afternoon, we prepared the floor for concrete by leveling it out then tamping it with an old log. Then we mixed and poured five bags of cement. The sweat poured and we did not finish until well after dark. We all jumped in the river for a moonlight bath before crawling into our hammocks for the night.

Wednesday:

Ten Shawi men showed up to help with the concrete floor. Some of them are not believers in Christ but just wanted to pitch in and help. We worked all day mixing and pouring 30 bags of cement, a monumental task. We ate chicken soup for breakfast and rice and eggs for lunch. The new concrete floor looked great but we calculated that we are going to 5-6 bags short of completing the church. In the evening we had church service and Joe preached.

Thursday:

After a breakfast of sardines and a devotional led by Ryan we were back to work. We poured 24 bags of cement. It is so much work hauling sand, hand mixing the sand with the cement, and then hauling water to mix it again before pouring it into place and finishing it. Everyone worked hard. As the men poured concrete, the women cooked all day over an open fire. At the end of the day we calculated again and thought we might have enough cement to finish the church, a miracle from God as we should have been 5 bags short.

Friday:

We finished the floor and had four bags of cement left over! This leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind that God did a miracle, providing what we needed and more. The floor looks great despite having to go back and fix footprints from chickens, dogs, cows, and small children. Team Miller was tired but full of joy. In the afternoon we went to the nearby village to visit with some people and we visited the pastor’s house and fields. We were planning on having church service in the evening but the rain moved in making it difficult for the believers to walk in the mud and rain. Instead we shared a meal with a couple of families living near the church and just spent some time talking and praising God for what He did the last few days. It was a beautiful time gathered around the campfire with my friends.

Saturday:

We were up early once again to begin the trip back to Yurimaguas. We stopped in Munichis to visit the mission owned farm. Once back in Yurimaguas, we were all glad to have a shower and clean up before heading out for a late lunch. We ate at the Rio Huallaga Hotel where we can overlook the Huallaga River and watch the boats come and go and enjoy the breeze. Afterward we walked to the port and ate ice cream.

Sunday:

It was another hot and sweaty day in the jungle. Joe gave the morning message. The pastor invited us back to share at the evening service as well. In the evening Danny, Ryan and Joe all shared. The believers were greatly encouraged.

Monday:

On the way back to Tarapoto we stopped at another waterfall. This one was a long, tough hike but worth it as Team Miller took turns jumping off the 30-foot waterfall into the fresh mountain water. After a nice lunch and some tourist shopping in Tarapoto the team began their long and difficult journey back home.

What an awesome week! We were so encouraged by the team’s visit. They selflessly poured into the Shawi believers, the Yurimaguas church, and our family. They endured long days, hot nights, loud roosters, bug bites, flooded rivers, mud and back pain, all with a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts never once complaining. They were an example of what it means to “Go and Be the Church.” Thank you Maple City Chapel and thank you team Miller.

Por Algo Será

Por algo será, which loosely translates there must be a reason, is one of my new favorite phrases. It is one that is necessary when traveling here in Peru. There are always difficulties and problems and it is easy to become frustrated. But when when we remember God’s sovereignty, we know there must be a reason and we can find peace.

I just got back from six days upriver. I went with a Shawi pastor and good friend of mine, Aru. We decided to go in canoe as the place we were going was near the end of the river and the water is shallow and rocky. So for two full days we traveled in his dugout canoe, under the hot jungle sun. As we neared the village the river became less of a river and more of a small stream. The last three hours of the trip was mostly pushing the canoe through shallow rocky water. And this was not your typical fiberglass canoe, this canoe was a 36 foot-long, hardwood, dugout canoe. It was not light. We finally arrived, tired and sunburned, just in time to change our clothes and start church service.

We had travel to the village for a church inauguration. Pastor Aru had been visiting the village for a year and a half preaching and having service outside on the beach in the rain and sun. His efforts were not in vain as many in the village have come to faith in Christ. Now they had constructed a simple building and had invited all the nearby villages for the inauguration.

The New Church

When service began there were nearly 200 people cramped in and around the building. They came from all around, some walking 6-8 hours just to attended and hear the word of God.

It was a wonderful weekend. We had church service 6 times in three days. Ten people came to faith in Christ and were baptized in the cold river.

Baptism in the river

For the closing service, each village present was given the opportunity to share a song. This lasted for hours as there were people from more then ten other villages and each special lasted 20-minutes or more. When the special songs were over it was midnight and they announced we would take a 10-minute break before beginning again. I was exhausted but stuck it out until the service finally ended at 1:30am. 

Some of the new believers

We were up at 5am the next morning to start our journey home. Once again we pushed the canoe through the rocky river and it was slow going. At 1:00pm, 8 hours into our trip, we came to a different river and it was flooded. This was a blessing as with more water we could travel faster. We stopped to fuel up and I had an idea. With the high water I could make it to the Aru’s village by 3:00 and someone could take me to Balsapuerto by 4:00pm. In Balsapuerto there is a road that connects to Yurimaguas and I could catch a truck and be home by 8:00pm. I was missing my family and suddenly became excited about the idea of returning home a day early. I discussed the idea with Aru and he was in agreement, so off we went again. But we had not traveled 10 minutes when the motor began to spit and sputter. We had a problem. We pulled off under a shade tree and began to tinker with the motor. For the next 2 plus hours we changed spark plugs and fiddled with the carburetor. Each passing minute my heart sank more and more as I realized that the timing of my plan was falling apart. Finally, we got the motor running again and we arrived at the village at 5:00pm, too late to continue on to Balsapuerto and arrive before dark. I was tired, sunburned and heart broke. Aru just looked at me and said, “por algo será,” there must be reason. These three little words lifted my spirit.

The next morning, we left early. The strangest thing happened when we arrived in Balsapuerto. Normally the trucks sit in the town plaza until they are full with passengers or cargo and then they leave. We usually have to walk up from the river into the town and find a truck to take us. But when we arrived there was a man standing on the beach. He asked, “Do you want to go to Yurimaguas?” “Sure,” I replied. So we loaded up our stuff and got into the truck. I asked if he was going to wait for other passengers and he said no. How strange, I thought, the trucks never leave empty. There were only three of us, me, Aru and his wife. But we got into the truck and took off.

The driver began to ask us questions. Who we were and what we were doing. We told him we were Christians and he told us that he went to church we he was young but no longer was walking with the Lord. For the next two hours we shared the gospel with him. He asked us questions and we explained the love of God and the forgiveness of sins. He never slowed down to pick up other passengers and he even brought us directly to my house in Yurimaguas.

Over lunch Aru reminded me of the motor breaking down. He said that it was God’s plan. That man was waiting for us by the river, sent by God to bless us with a ride while we shared the gospel with him. It was God's plan. There was a reason. Por algo será.

In their hearts humans plan their course,

But the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

A life transformed

Vinituh was a drunk. He did not believe in God. He lived to drink masato, a heavily fermented yucca drink. He thought life was only about his personal enjoyment and happiness was found in eating and drinking. Then one day his father came to know Jesus Christ. Vinituh told his dad he was crazy and had been tricked by the Christians because he did not even know how to read or write. For two years his dad evangelized him and prayed for him but Vinituh did not want anything to do with Christianity.

Then Vinituh got sick and had to go to live in another village for six months to receive treatment. He went to the witch doctor for healing but just got worse and worse. He almost died. During that time his first son was born and had a hole in his skull. Vinituh prayed to God and asked for God’s healing in his life and the life of his son. A month later they were both home and completely healed. Vinituh knew he was healed by the living God and he wanted to give his life to serve Him.

Vinituh wanted to go to church and learn more, but he was scared. All the people knew him and that he was a drunk. The nearest church was an hour walk away. The first Sunday back home Vinituh got dressed up in his finest clothes and started walking to church. Halfway there he chickened out and returned home. “What would the people say?” he thought. He was ashamed. The next week he tried again. He got dressed in his finest clothes and walked almost all the way to the church before giving up once more. Finally, the third week he had the nerve and made it to the church. The people welcomed him with open arms. He could not believe it. He felt a wind blow through his spirit, the Holy Spirit, and his life was changed forever.

The pastor said that the following week there was a week long conference in another village six hours away. Vinituh, full of joy, walked six hours through thick jungle to attend. He wanted to hear more about God. At the conference one pastor told him that he would be a leader in the church one day. The conference greatly strengthened his faith. A month later there was another conference and he again walked many hours through the jungle to attend.

Back in the village he and his father were the only believers and he felt a burden to share his faith with the other people. Every Sunday he walked to church in the other village but since it was too far away to attend Wednesday and Friday evening services he decided to use that time in his own village. Every Wednesday and Friday evening he would go house to house sharing his faith with the people of his village. As more people came to Christ, he began leading small services in the evenings. Eventually, every family in the village came to faith in Christ.

Vinituh continued attending the conferences and was chosen to go to Pucallpa for 4 months to be trained as a pastor. While he was gone, the Holy Spirit moved the people of his village to build a church. When he returned from Pucallpa he was a pastor with a church building. And he has been a pastor ever since.

Today, 20 years later, Vinituh continues to work tirelessly for the advancement of the gospel. He is also trained in health care by the government and visits those who are sick. He travels to distant villages to preach all while raising eight children. He is a man that serves the living God and an example of a life transformed.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Sunday Best

I noticed Jayson because he was different then the other children of the village. While most of the children come into our house and play he would stand at a distance and watch. He was shy and quiet while most of the children were loud and boisterous. He was obviously undernourished with his skinny arms and legs and large stomach. I wanted to know about him.

In the village it has taken some time for us to figure out which family is which. Women do not sit with men in church so we do not know whom is married to whom. Also many families have 5-8 children and it is difficult to figure out which kids belong to which family.  We sometimes feel like detectives, asking in broken Shawi where the kids live and watching them walk home from school. When I asked Jayson where he lived he would just point to a trail and say, “trupa,” which means, over there.

After some more digging, we found out he belongs to a family of five children. His mother died about 6 months ago leaving the children including a set of two-year-old twins. The dad has disappeared and some say he is living in Lima.  We have helped them when we can, giving them food and anti-parasite medicine. His brother, one of the twins, could not walk and his hair was falling out. We helped him get to Yurimaguas, where he stayed at the Hogar for a month with his grandma. He has recovered some and is now walking. The other twin is living in another village with his aunt as it was too much for the grandma to care for both of them.

Jayson always wears the same dirty shirt and shorts. I figured it was his only clothes. One day in church I noticed he had a large hole in the shoulder of the shirt. All through church he kept his hand on it to cover it up, obviously embarrassed by the hole. After church Jennifer found two of Henry’s old shirts. I asked Jayson if that was his only shirt and he said yes. So we had him try on Henry’s and seeing that they fit we gave them to him. The shirts were well used and stained but at least they did not have holes. He just shyly ran away shirts in hand and a smile on his face.

The next week or so we kept looking for Jayson to be wearing the shirts, but he did not. He kept wearing the old one with the hole. We speculated that maybe he was embarrassed of the charity, or the other boys would hassle him for wearing the gringo clothes. Finally, we asked him why he did not wear the shirts. He responded that he was saving them for the big, upcoming church anniversary. My heart broke. Henry’s throw away stained clothes was this kid’s Sunday best.

Well we instantly went digging into Henry’s clothes and we found a nice white dress shirt and black pants that we'd brought for Henry to wear to the anniversary to give him. I told Jayson to come to our house after school to try them on and see if they fit. But as Jayson walked away I saw Henry in the corner crying. He did not want to give the clothes away.

The clothes where given to him by his grandmother for pictures last January and he had rarely worn them since. Truth is, he did not like wearing them as they were a little stuffy and preferred going to church in his comfy, stained clothes. So I did not understand, at first, what was the problem. 

We talked about it while Jayson was at school and told Henry he did not have to give his clothes away.  We explained to him that God loves a cheerful giver.  He doesn't want you to give out of obligation but to give out of love.  Henry himself needed to decide in his own heart if he desired to give them to Jayson, and if he did, he needed to do so gladly.  If not, he was not obligated by us or God to give them.  After thinking it over awhile he decided he did want to give them to Jayson.  He said he was giving them gladly.  Then we talked about how when we give in love we too feel blessed and how seeing Jayson wear them with a smile on his face would bring him more joy than if Henry himself was wearing them. Henry and I both learned something that day. I learned it easy to give away someone else’s clothes, but when I put myself in his shoes I also like my clothes and am reluctant to give them away. In the end Henry had a change of heart and gave his clothes away. When I asked him how that made him feel, he responded that he was happy and giving away the clothes gave him joy in his heart.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

-2 Corinthians 9:7

Jayson with his new clothes

Passing Through the Waters

God is sovereign, but do we believe it? We say He is in control but do we live that way? We say we trust in God but what happens when the bumps and bruises of life come our way? How do we respond? On our most recent trip upriver we had the opportunity to experience some of those bumps and bruises and to see God’s sovereign hand at work.

We left Yurimaguas at 9:00am for a 5-hour trip upriver to Santa Clara to stay for another month. It was mid August, the peak of the dry season and the rivers were very low. The boat was loaded with supplies to live for the month and as usual a few extra passengers. I knew we were in trouble when we hit the first sand bar. As we struggled to get off the sand, I looked back and could still see the port from where we had embarked. I knew then we were in for a long day. The river then makes a big curve and comes back to Yurimaguas before heading north to the town of Munichis and hour away. Because of our overloaded boat and the conditions of the river, we were moving along at a snail’s pace. When we came back into view of Yurimaguas after that first turn Henry asked, “Are we in Munichis?” You can imagine his disappointment when I told him it was still Yurimaguas.  Three hours later we arrived in Munichis. I did the math and figured we had gone only one quarter of the distance we needed to travel. With the deepest water behind us, we headed further upriver where other streams and rivers split off and the river gets smaller and shallower. We struggled on, hitting sand bars and sunken trees.

Lucy tends to be the anxious one in our family, so every sand bar and tree we hit she would jump and cower in fear. Her fear hit a maximum when we had some motor problems.

We brought two motors with us, an outboard 40 horse, and a 13 horse pecky-pecky for shallow water. We planned on using the outboard until we got to the mouth of the Cachiyacu river, where we split off of the main river, and then switch to the pecky-pecky. The water was so low that switched motors a couple of hours early. But quickly we broke two propellers and had an oil leak. As we floated helplessly down the river, trying to change the prop for the second time, Lucy’s fear hit the breaking point. Jennifer and I took a minute to encourage her. We talked about how everything was going to be fine but more importantly we need to trust God. He guards our coming and going. As we pass through the waters he is with us.

He has a plan and He is sovereign. I told her that God has a purpose for this and we need to trust him.

Just at dark we arrived in the town of Varadero. It is normally three hours to Varadero but it had taken us over nine hours. We pulled off for the night. Varadero is a town with electricity, running water, little stores and even cell coverage (but no internet). We got the last two available rooms for rent in the whole town. It cost us $4 per room so you can imagine the conditions. Yet we were thankful for a roof over our heads as we could see lightening in the distance. Then we went to look for food.

We went to the restaurant where we know the owner. The restaurant is nothing more then two picnic tables in a wooden room with three walls and lots of mosquitos. The owner is the wife of a pastor in town. She was not at the restaurant but her daughter was serving the food and as we were eating she told us that her mother was very sick and could use a visit.

After supper we went to her house. She is struggling with gall stones and needs surgery. As we visited, her husband shared that they had just been praying for God to send someone to help. They were really discouraged and struggling because of the sickness. After visiting and praying with them he told us how we were an answer to pray.

As we walked away from the house I looked at Lucy and she just smiled. “God has a plan,” she said. “God wanted us to stay the night here to answer that man’s prayer.” She understood and so did I that God is sovereign and sometimes He throws road blocks at us in order to complete His plan for our lives. Sometimes He needs us to answer someone else’s prayer.

That night it poured. We took off early but when we reached the mouth of the Cachiyacu river we saw quite a sight. The rains had flooded the river and three-foot-tall waves were screaming out of the mouth. Logs and trees floated down the river disappearing and reappearing as they rolled in and out of the waves. We pulled over on a beach and decided it would be best to wait a while as it was too dangerous to continue on. At the beach we could literally see the river rising as it climbed the beach like a tide coming in fast forward. How ironic to go from struggling in too little to waiting because of too much water in just a few hours.  Once again Lucy turned to worry. I just looked at her and said, “Did you learn anything yesterday?”

On the beach another boat had pulled over to wait. I started talking to the man and found out he was a pastor from a distant community. He knew of us and we talked about some mutual friends we have. To get to his community was another complete day by river plus a six hour walk. He invited us to visit and I told him I would love to but maybe we will fly in.

After two hours the river rose even more but the strangest thing happened. As the river rose the waves actually got smaller. We took off again and for three more hours fought the raging current and dodged trees. Finally, we arrived. The 5-hour trip took us a day and half, but God was with us the whole time and He had a plan.

What do we do when life gives us bumps and bruises? How do we respond? Maybe we just need to realize that God is in control. That He is all-powerful. This changes our outlook from frustration to anticipation. Today, lets anticipate. Expect God to move. Expect Him to do something, even if it wrecks our day, even if a 5-hour trip takes 27 hours.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

And when you pass through rivers,

They will not sweep over you.

Isaiah 43:2

Herbert Family Visit

We recently had the Scott and Roberta Herbert family visit us here in Peru. We are thankful for their visit and wonderful encouragement. They are great friends and it was so much fun to do ministry along side them again.  Scott wrote the following blog post:

My family of six decided to go on an adventure this summer and visit our friends, the Hire family.  We enjoyed the Peruvian culture and the hospitality the Hire’s showed us.  From the beginning I have had a great respect for them for following God’s call but since our visit the respect has grown. 

We spent some time with them in one of their homes.  I say one of the homes because after 2+ years of traveling I think their view of home has changed.  While we were with them I remember Josh filling out some paper work and when it came to writing an address he asked Jennifer which address he should write.  I also noted that their youngest calls wherever they are stationed at the moment, “home.” It reminds me that our true home is not of this world and as we fully surrender ourselves to God each day one day our street address in heaven could be 777 Crystal Lake Avenue. 

Our families made some memories together.  We traveled and ate Peruvian food at local restaurants but one evening I won’t forget is an evening at the market.  We walked around taking in the sights of people selling dried fish, jungle flowers, fruit and many other interesting things.  It’s not your typical Walmart store.  One thing we came across was a big clay pot.  When I looked inside it was full of big white grubs fully alive and crawling around.   I heard Josh, half joking and half serious, ask if anyone would like to eat one and to my surprise my oldest daughter agreed.  Not the live ones but the fully cooked on the grill ones.  Her act of courage spread and many in the group also tried their first taste of grilled grub. There were however those 2 adult females who didn’t accept the challenge…

God is doing amazing things in the jungle of Peru. It was refreshing and humbling to see God reaching and moving in the most remote places.  We helped Josh and Jennifer lead a VBS for one of the Shawi communities.  Forty kids showed up at the church and some learned bible stories for the first time.  Another ministry time Josh took me on a 45 minute truck drive and 2 hour hike to a Shawi church inauguration.  There was no church and no believers there one year ago.  People from other communities showed up for the celebration and support.  A woman welcomed us warmly offering us a Shawi drink called chicha.  It’s ground corn made into a drink.  She was dressed in traditional Shawi clothing and painted face.  We were led to sit down out of the sun under a thatched roof house to watch a soccer game and then served dinner.  The leader of the church gave Josh and I bowls of monkey meat in broth.  Josh was done eating in about five minutes while it took me a bit to chew it up.  It wasn’t too bad but as I looked around no one else was eating the same meal.  Why were Josh and I the only ones eating this?  I talked with Josh about it and to put it simply, we were the guests of honor.  I wouldn’t say honor but more like humbled.  I didn’t deserve their best.  Who knows how long it took to hunt down this monkey and prepare it.  They didn’t know me.  They continued to say how they appreciated a person coming all this way to be with them.  During the two nights visit we attended three church services.  The service mainly consisted of 30-45 min worship, preaching ,and another 30-45 min worship.  The morning service had a response time at the end and around 10-12 young men came forward.  These men just wanted to know Jesus more and want more of the Holy Spirit to move and teach them.  It was fun to watch and be apart of what God is doing. 

As I have processed our trip I’m very humbled and see many needs in the jungle of Peru.  Sometimes man can get in the way of what God is doing but seeing the sensitive hearts of Josh and other missionaries in their area makes me excited.  God is raising up leaders and pastors that are Shawi.  They need more training, but as people continue to pray, God will provide.  With financial support Josh has helped provide metal roofs for churches.  He has shown the Jesus film and he and Jennifer lead VBS for many Shawi communities.  Josh and Jennifer know it’s not just them that are going but with everyone that is supporting the goal for the unreached people to be reached and discipled.  It makes me excited because it really is the body of Christ working together.  Thanks Josh and Jennifer for a great experience!

We love you guys!

The Herberts

Security Worship

We are blessed to have a house to live in while in the jungle. The owners are a sweet older couple.  The woman we call Asacha, which means aunt in Shawi and is often used as a sign of respect for elderly women. When we arrived back in Santa Clara after a two-week hiatus, Asacha was sitting in her house.  I have never seen her sit in her house during the day. She is a non-stop, hard working woman of many talents.  She is four foot six, weights 80 pounds and could work me into the ground everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. She works in the fields cultivating and planting, spins cotton into yarn and makes clay bowls by hand and that is when she is not cooking or doing laundry or taking care of the chickens or watching grandkids or… You get the idea. So when I saw here sitting in the house I asked what was wrong and he husband told me she had malaria.

Malaria is a common enough occurrence that unlike my bout with malaria she knew right away what it was and started receiving treatment. Within a couple of days, she was back on her feet and as good as new.

Another day Jennifer was talking with Asacha. Sort of. Asacha does not speak Spanish so we speak to her in broken Shawi or through her daughter as a translator. Jennifer asked how old she was and she said 48. Truth is that 48 is an estimate. Asacha has a younger sister and when we asked how old she was they told us 24, then when Jennifer asked her directly she said 39. That is a big discrepancy so we asked more about it only to find out no one knows her real age. Her ID says she is 24 but she is probably mid 30’s.  It is common among the Shawi to not know a person's actual age.

So Asacha is around 48 years old and for our culture that is young but in the Shawi culture 48 is old. She is one of the older women in the community. She has 5 children and 11 grandchildren.  That is why when Jennifer said that her mom was 63 they were shocked. “Can she still walk?” they asked. They could not believe that she was still alive. Then Jennifer really blew their minds when she said that her grandmother is still alive and almost 90.

It made me think. We live in a culture that values longevity of life. We put a high priority on safety. We want the best healthcare and a fat retirement account. Those things are not in and of themselves bad things. In fact, they are good things. The problem comes when we over-value those things.

We tend to worship security. We look for safe jobs, schools, cars and houses. Usually it is the first thing we evaluate when making a decision. Is it safe? We want our children to be safe. We need good insurance. It is necessary to have a reserve in the bank. Security is our idol.

In the Shawi culture there is no such thing as security. Especially food security. If they have food they eat it all. If someone has a good day fishing and has more fish then he needs, he invites all his friends over and everyone enjoys the feast. Then the next day they go hungry. I don’t understand this part of the culture. But what if friends are more important than food and people are more important than security?

And can anyone really guard their life? I am suddenly reminded of the parable of the rich fool from Luke 12:15-21.  
"Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Please read it here.

Some people call me crazy for taking my family to live in the jungle because it is dangerous. It is contrary to our protective priority. But what if there is more to life than security? What if storing up earthly treasures is a waste of time? What if taking my family to the jungle is the best thing I can do for them? I have learned a lot from living with the Shawi. Probably the most important thing I have learned is that life is fragile so make the most of it. I would rather live 50 years full of generosity and love then 100 years full of fear and greed.

I hope no one reads this as a criticism of other people. It is more for myself. I would like to be more like the Shawi. I do not want to idolize security. But I fail. I still sleep better knowing we have some canned meat and rice for tomorrow. I still worry that my family gets enough to eat before giving away the extra. I still want a retirement account and good healthcare. I would love to live to the age of 80. But I am praying for God to change me. Relationships are more important than my security. Love is more important than a longevity.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. Matthew 16:25

Village Life

Update Note:  This was written when we arrived back in town a week and a half ago but we didn't post because we were waiting to add another video.  Our internet is not the fastest and we have not been able to upload it.  After our time in Yuri of rest and rejuvination, we are headed back out the the village today for another 2 weeks.  Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.

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We are back in Yurimaguas after a three-week stint in a village. We are here for about ten days before we return for another month; ten days to restock, recuperate and rethink.

Honestly, it was a tough three weeks. I (Josh) have visited villages over 50 times since moving here, but was still not prepared for the culture shock. Everything is different. Language, culture, way of thinking, worldview, social activities and the food are all so different that most days Jennifer and I just looked at each other and said, “What just happened?”

The challenges are too many to list. There is no internet, cell phone or electricity. As a result, we go to bed at 7:00pm most nights. There is no refrigerator so we eat rice and beans everyday. The bathroom is a hole in the ground that is difficult to use so Maggie decided to un-potty train. Henry struggled with the change and got shot in the eye with a slingshot. Jennifer had to wash clothes in the river daily. We all had to walk a half mile to the river to bathe every evening along side other people. The bugs are relentless. It is always muddy.

But those are the physical challenges and we can get over those but even harder is the cultural challenge. Most of the time I don’t understand what is happening. When someone kills a monkey or jungle rat they invite all their neighbors over to enjoy the feast. They sit around one pot and eat with their hands while the successful hunter tells the story of the kill. Whenever you go somewhere you announce it to everyone you pass. For example, when going to bathe I walk past 8-10 houses and each one I say, “I am going to bathe.” After the bath on the way home I then say, “I already took a bath and I am going home.”

Also in communal living there is no privacy. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. There are always children just sitting in our house. Food is almost always shared. They love to laugh at other people’s misfortune. It is not offensive to make fun of someone for falling in the mud or getting hurt.

Despite the challenges, it was a successful few weeks. Our goal going in was to learn language and culture; and that is what we are doing.  There were things we really enjoyed. We ate monkey, wild boar and jungle rat. There are some small monkeys that we often saw in the trees near our house. We found a boa constrictor. At night we could see the southern cross and the big dipper at the same time, although the big dipper is upside down. Lucy made some new friends. Henry loved climbing trees and swimming in the river. Maggie loved the boiled corn drink. I got to help the men work in their fields. Jennifer enjoyed homeschool al fresco.

Jennifer also brought some basic medical supplies and I am glad she did. She was able to help a malnourished baby get to Yurimaguas for recovery. She helped a man with boils on his legs. Another man fell out of his boat while driving and the propeller cut his leg in five places. At the local heath outpost, 25 minutes away, they stitched up two of the cuts without any pain meds and sent him home. Jennifer was able to help him clean and bandage his cuts as well as give him some pain meds. After a couple of days, he was back up walking and working in his fields again. 

While there, we took four days and went farther upriver to visit another community, San Juan de Paranapura. There we did vacation Bible school for the children. They told us there would be 60-70 children and over 100 showed up. It was just Jennifer and I and a translator. It was very difficult but worth the effort as there are only a handful of believers in the community. We had to stretch supplies for the crafts and stretch the food but it worked. We also showed the Jesus film twice, one time to over 50 adults.

We praise God for his provisions and protection during our time. We thank you for your continued prayers and support.  Please pray for us as next week we plan to head back out for another month.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

-Ephesians 3:20-21

Attached are some videos of our time in the village or you can check out our You Tube channel by clicking here. 

The Secret

It is difficult to understand poverty. Everyday I see friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ that struggle to find their next meal. Yet they are content, even joyful. It is strange that many of my impoverished friends live content while some of my rich friends live discontent. Those content Christians living in extreme poverty must have some secret.

It hit me full on in the face the other night when I was walking down the street after dark carrying home some food for my family. We had just returned home from a six-day trip upriver. It was long and grueling but also amazing. We went to a distant river system that is difficult to access, and as a result the people struggle. Physical and spiritual needs abound. We, my family and Jennifer’s cousin Rachel Peery, went to encourage and bless the believers.  

Our trip began with a four and a half hours on the boat ride.  Once we reached the mouth of the river, we found the water very low. It had been raining in Yurimaguas off and on for a week and the rivers were all flooded so I was surprised to find it so low. We started heading up the river only to get stuck immediately. Rachel got out and pushed the boat while I drove, and after about 10 minutes we had made it only a few hundred yards. I decided we were in trouble; so we turned around and went back to the nearest community.  As we sat there trying to decide what to do, I spoke to a man and explained our situation. He said he owned a peque-peque, which is a motor designed for shallow water, and that he could put it on our boat and take us for a small fee. Soon we were back in business!

Lucy with some of her friends.

As we arrived at the community of Nuevo Jerusalen, we were greeted by 40 children. Some of them were on the beach a half mile from the village waiting for us. They ran along the river chasing the boat. To say they were excited is an understatement.

In the next two days, we taught Sunday school three times, held church service, showed the Jesus film twice, and had a medical clinic. At the clinic, Rachel, an ER nurse by trade, attended everyone in the community with problems. Most had parasite and fungal problems, but one man had boils on his leg and could not walk. It was a continual problem for him causing him to lay in bed for a week or more at a time. Rachel was able to treat him giving him some much needed relief. Another night we were woken late, as a nearby child had an extremely high fever, and Rachel was again able to help. We are thankful for her service.

Maggie taking a nap with a Shawi mother.

After two days, and some rain to fill the river, we left to head to the next village. Pastor Santos, pastor of the church in Nuevo Jerusalen, said he would go with us to help guide us as I did not know the river well. I was extremely thankful for his help, especially when I realized he had to walk two and a half hours the next day to get back home.

When we arrived at Nuevo Moyabamba, we were again warmly greeted. It was also very busy as we did Sunday school for 60 children twice, another medical clinic, and showed the Jesus film twice more.

The pastor of the church in Nuevo Moyobamba was not there, and when I asked they said he was in a distant community because his three-year-old son was sick. He had been gone for over a month. Yet on the day we arrived, he did as well. Walking 7 hours back home, he had come to get a pig. He had visited the local health outpost, and they said his son needed to go to Yurimaguas for medical treatment. He did not have the money to take his wife and kids to Yurimaguas for an extended stay, so he came to get one of his pigs to sell. We offered to help pay his passage and told him his son and wife could stay at the Hogar were we live in Yurimaguas. He said he would bring them to town as soon as he was able. The next day he left for the 7 hour walk back, this time with a pig in tow. Please pray for Pastor Juan and his family.

Rainbow in Nuevo Moyobamba.

After our time in Nuevo Moyobamba, we returned to Nuevo Jerusalen to check on the sick children. They were 100 percent better and running and playing like normal. Pastor Santos asked us to give him a ride back to Yurimaguas. I said sure as we were headed that way anyway. He said his son needed a uniform for school, and so he wanted to come to Yurimaguas with a few plantains to sell and buy a new uniform.  He was soon in the boat with his wife and three youngest kids.

Late in the afternoon, we arrived exhausted. It was a grueling trip. We were so glad for a cold shower and fresh clothes. But then hunger set in, and I went looking for food. And so that is why I was walking home in the dark, after our long six-day trip, with food in hand. Then I ran into Pastor Santos. He, along with his family, was scrounging the streets looking for scraps of wood. He explained that he had bought a couple of fish for his family for supper but that they needed firewood to cook. They were not upset, not sad, in fact they were all smiling, as they always are. They were thankful for what they had. What was the secret to their contentment and joy?

Rachel handing out medicine.

In the words of Paul:

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and being hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

-Philippians 4:12-13

There is the secret.

My strength does not come from possessions, not from comfort, not from security.

My strength comes from Christ. 

Henry with one of is new friends.