JAMES - We have had many requests for an update on this little guy. Thank you all for your continued prayers on his behalf. Praise God he is doing so well. He now weighs in at 8lbs 2 oz and is eating like a champ! He does have a small hole in the roof of his mouth which will require a surgery at some point unless he experiences a miraculous healing first. He also has what appears to be a hernia. Please continue to pray for his growth and development and healing and wisdom as we navigate these minor health issues. Also pray for his protection against illness, especially chicken pox as another child here at the center recently had them. Finally, please lift his mother in prayer that she would view her son's life as a miracle and be open to the gospel when the Lord presents the opportunity for us to share with her. She has not yet returned to visit him.
LUZ MILAGROS - This little beauty just turned 2 years old. She has been here at the center since she was about 3 months old. Her mother died during child birth and she was brought here close to death herself as she hadn't received any milk in her community. She has recovered beautifully and is simply a joy. Her names translate as light and miracle and she lives up to both names. We praise God for her life and are praying for His wisdom as we approach her dad about either receiving her back into his home or placing her with a forever family. We pray that God would be glorified and His character and love revealed in all our interactions with him.
YOSE NANAMEN means GOD'S WORD - We were blessed to purchase 40 Bible in Shawi on our last trip to Lima. We incorrectly understood at that time that we could relatively easily get more. However, it seems there are no more in print at this time. Please pray for wisdom as we navigate the process of getting more printed as we have sold all we were able to purchase and have brothers in Christ who are requesting more. Josh and I are also feeling called to learn Shawi. Please pray for us as embark on this new adventure!
VISIT FROM FRIENDS - We were so blessed to have visitors this past week. The kids loved on Aunt Kristin and she cleaned lots of teeth. Sandra held James and then held him some more! She also cleaned and organized the kids play room for us. Berta held babies and helped kids with their English homework. Most of all we just enjoyed doing life together again, even if it was for only 5 days.
COMMUNITY VISITS - Josh will be leaving March 28 for his longest and furthest trip up river yet. He's planning to be gone 8 days - this is all he's taking with him. He'll leave Tuesday morning around 5am for a 5 hour truck ride. It is supposed to be a 2 1/2 hr drive but the road conditions are so bad right not that it is a 5 hr journey. He'll then get in a canoe and go another 2 hours up river before stopping for the night. He will be traveling with one of the men that works for the mission at the farm and a Shawi pastor.
On Wednesday they will then go 8 hours up river in canoe and visit a community. Depending on river conditions, they may then have to hike in 3 hours on Thursday to visit another community. They will travel even further up river over the weekend to visit a third community. They will then have 2 days of travel home. The purpose of this trip is to evaluate feeding & Sunday school programs in these communities. Please pray for his health and safety as he travels and perhaps more importantly, his ability to understand and communicate clearly that which God lays on his heart to share. ~ Jennifer
Along the Paranapura River there is a small church in the community of Nuevo Pachiza. A month ago I was talking with the pastor of the church and he told me that they have a Sunday School for the kids on Sunday mornings but that the teacher was discouraged and did not know what to teach. We decided to visit and have a weekend Vacation Bible School to help. The problem is that the community is only accessible by river. Although I have traveled by river, Jennifer and the children had not. I was worried how to find transportation, how to pack all our stuff and I was worried about the rain. As usual I committed to a date by faith and God worked out all the details. A believer from the community, who rarely comes to Yurimaguas, "just happened" to be in town a week ago and he is one of the few men from that community that have their own boat and motor. I "just happened" to run into him and mention our upcoming visit and he offered to transport us. Praise God. Thursday, my furgon was in the shop for some warranty work and when I went to pick it up it was in a thousand pieces on the floor. They told me it would not be ready until Monday, but we needed it to travel to the port the next morning. We called a couple of local drivers and transport companies but no one answered the phone so at last we called "Uncle" Ricky Hendon, a missionary and servant of God, and he quickly insisted on taking us. What a blessing! Despite all of God's provision I could not sleep Thursday night. I was worried about my family and the rain and the trip and... Well I was worried about everything. Friday morning I got up early and turned to Matthew 10. I am reading through Matthew right now and "just happened" to be in chapter 10 where in verses 29-31 it says:
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside of your Father's Care.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
How silly of me to worry.
It is the rainy season here. The locals call it winter which cracks me up and the rains have been relentless. I have been in a canoe in the rain and it is not fun but once again God provided. On Friday we traveled up river and it was one of the few sunny days we have had here over the last couple of months. Then Friday night the rain came and it rained all weekend. Monday morning when it was time to leave the rain quit again and we had a warm dry ride back. Gracias a Dios. It was an amazing weekend. We shared Bible stories, played games, sang songs and made crafts. Twenty plus kids came including some that walked 30 minutes in the pouring rain from a neighboring village. Both Saturday and Sunday we started at 9:00am and quit at 4:00pm with a small break for lunch. Once again we left exhausted but with full hearts as it was such a blessing to be there with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We were blessed to have my mom and Beverly here with us to visit last week. We enjoyed seeing them and all the treasures they brought. I'm enjoying a Reece's peanut butter cup as I type! The kids said they most enjoyed snuggling and reading books with Grandma!
On the banks of the Paranapura River
Lucy wearing a dress Grandma Peery made for her.
We miss good chocolate!
Maggie
While we traveled to Lima to pick them up we did some shopping as well and were blessed to find a source for Bibles in Shawi. The Bible has not been completely translated but it contains the entire New Testament and portions of the Old Testament. It has a nice vinyl cover, maps, and cost less than $2! God is good!
A case of Shawi Bibles
We also finally had the opportunity to buy some quality toys for the kids at the center with funds given last summer from Burr Oak Church VBS. Quality toys do not exist in Yurimaguas and this was our first trip back to Lima since arriving. The kids are really enjoying them - Thank you!
Train and road set is a hit with the boys.
Dollhouse fun for the girls.
While we were there we visited the doctor and orthodontist and had some fun as well. Maggie played on a playground for the first time - she loves to slide - and we enjoyed things like Papa John's pizza, tortilla chips, and hot showers!
Sisters sliding
While we were in Lima the closet in our bedroom was finished and as of yesterday for the first time in 6+ months, we are no longer living out of suitcases. Feeling settled is a wonderful thing!
A whole new meaning to living out of a suitcase.
Upon returning from Lima we also found that baby James has passed the 5
lb. mark. He continues to gain slowly and is just precious!
Sweet James
Feeling settled only lasted about 3 hours before we began packing! Friday morning early we're headed on our first family boat trip to a community where we'll host a 2 day Bible school for the children and encourage and train the Sunday School teachers. Since we're traveling on the 24th (which is Henry's 5th birthday) we're celebrating a day early! He loves nature and would prefer to live in a community so he's excited to celebrate here and then again with his first boat trip. It will be the the furthest adventure into the jungle thus far for Jennifer and the kids and we're excited!
James came to our center not quite 2 weeks ago. His mother was in the local street market right outside our doors when a woman who asked to see her baby sent her our way for help.
James when he arrived at 3.3 lbs and 6 weeks old.
James' mother was preparing to leave and take him back to her community. To get there, you take a boat to the head of the river and then walk a good 4 hours in. The journey takes several days. She had been brought to Yurimaguas by plane because of medical issues she was facing during pregnancy due to malnutrition. Her skin was deteriorating and her hair falling out. They were unable to help her with injections at the health outpost closest to her community so she was sent here. She was 7 months pregnant. While being treated inpatient for her medical issues, she began to hemorrhage and an emergency c-section was performed. His mother was sick, scared, and alone. While she had been accompanied into town by a relative, she was basically left alone at the hospital. She does not speak Spanish and the hospital staff do not speak Shawi. Shefrom so far in, it's likely she's rarely, if ever, been to Yurimaguas before. She was in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar food and little family support and she wanted out. At just 2 weeks postpartum, she took James - born at 7 months gestation and weighing just 4 lbs - from the hospital against medical advice. She never thought he would live - and it's a miracle he did. In her malnourished state, she was not producing much if any maternal milk for James. The only drink she knows is masato, a drink made from yucca, and that is what she gave him. Four weeks later, she arrived on our doorstep because a stranger told her she needed to bring him here and we could help. We immediately bought formula and tried to feed him but without much success. We also bundled him in warm clothes and blankets as he came with barely any and was so cold. Premature babies have a difficult time regulating their body temperature and again this speaks to the miraculousness of his still being alive. The next morning when we couldn't get him into the doctor, we took he and his mom to the emergency room. In spite of our staff spending most of the first day there with them, she again left the hospital with him against medical advice after being there less than 48 hours. She again was extremely uncomfortable and alone at the hospital and still didn't think he was going to make it and she was determined to go home. Fortunately she had left some of her personal belongings here at the center and stopped by to get them on her way out of town. With the help of another guest translating, I tried to explain to her that if she left with him, he would most certainly die. She has no access to formula in her community and no way to pay for it even if she did. It was a difficult conversation and finally I simply told her that if she was unwilling to stay, she should leave the baby - and thus, we now have James.
After his brief stay in the hospital, the IV fluids he'd received gave him enough strength to suck on his bottle and he is now gaining weight, albeit slowely. Mom said she'd be back for him but she didn't say when and the journey is long and difficult. She left assuming he would die. She did not show any emotion about leaving him. Perhaps she had never allowed herself to bond because she believed he would die. Perhaps it's cultural as it is uncommon to show emotion - especially pain or sadness. Perhaps her life is filled with other greater pain. I do not know, I do not know his mother. I do know that God has a plan for James, if not, he wouldn't still be alive. He has defied the odds. While he's here, we're blessed to love on him and see him grow. At first I assumed God's plans for him were for his future as an adult. However, after talking with one of our staff today, it occurred to me that God may have a plan for him even as an infant. You see, James' mother and father are from 2 different communities very far into the jungle. There are no Christians in their communities. No one knows the Lord. No one has come to our center from their communities before. They have not known of our services and the love of the Lord we're here to share. The physical needs are great there. You see, once James recovers, if his mother returns, his life will be a testimony of God's faithfulness and provision and we can share His love with her. Perhaps others in physical need will learn to trust us and come with physical needs so we may minister to their spiritual needs. If she hasn't returnedonce he's recovered, this opens a door for us to go into their community and share the love of Christ. So, I realized that while I was correct that his life is a miracle and God has a plan for it - it is not just a plan for the distant future, but a plan for the immediate future. Please join us in praying for James' physical recovery and for doors to open for spiritual healing in the lives of his parents and their remote villages. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 ~ Jennifer
We like to think we are in control of our lives. We like
security and certainty. We work our whole lives to obtain these things but are
they really obtainable? Our lives are like a boat headed down the river of
life. We think we are driving and in control. If we see an obstacle we can
steer around it. But there are unseen obstacles in this river of life and we
never know what trouble they bring. Life is fragile and it could come to an end
at any moment. The question is who is driving your boat?
I was planning to head to a church anniversary in a remote community
called Nuevo Jerusalen. Traveling can be difficult to plan here and I had planned to
travel to Balsapurto to meet a Shawi pastor, Alberto, at 8:00am Tuesday morning
at the bridge. I was coming by road and he was coming by canoe to pick me up.
But at 1:00am it started raining, and not the gentle Indiana type of rain but
the jungle pouring buckets type of rain. At 4:30 I finally got out of bed and
the rain had not let up one bit. The road I was supposed to travel is dirt so
rain makes it very difficult to travel. Jennifer called the transportation
company that travels the road to see if they were traveling in spite of the
rain. They said they were going that morning but would not leave until they had
a full vehicle which might be awhile as no one goes out in the rain. Jennifer
gave them our number and said to call when they were full. They finally called
at 6:30am, and we got out of town at 7:00am, two hours late. I had no way of
contacting Alberto to tell him I was late as there is no cell phone service in
his community so I had no idea if he would be there or not. But I did not worry
because I am not driving this boat, God is. The road was bad but we got through. The
driver would stop and wade through the standing water in the road to check the
depth before passing through and the worst spot was only knee deep. We finally
arrived at the bridge at 10:30am and there sat Alberto in his canoe in the rain
with a smile on his face. He told me that he had waited since 8:00am and not a
single car had passed through so he figured the road was closed due to rain. He
had just turned the canoe around to leave when he heard the sound of a vehicle coming
and waited. It was me. I am glad I am not driving the boat.
The church at Nuevo Jerusalen.
We headed to his community to pick up his family and another
pastor that was traveling with us. When we got there the rain came again and we
decided to wait it out. He said that we needed to get going by 2:00 to travel the
four hours to Nuevo Jerusalen before dark and that if the rain did not quit we would
just wait until morning. At 1:00 the rain quit and we took off in the canoe. We
were about two hours into our journey when we saw an approaching dark cloud.
Thunder and lightning and driving rain followed and we were helpless in the
little canoe. We could do nothing but continue on through the storm. It was so
cold that my teeth chattered and I shivered and I thought it would be ironic if
I died from hypothermia in the jungle. But finally the rain passed.
As we neared our destination Alberto looked at me and said, “the
river is rising.” “How do you know?” I asked. “Look at it,” he replied. I
looked but it just looked like the same old river I had been staring at for
hours. “He doesn’t know what he is talking about,” I thought. Well I was wrong
because about 20 minutes later I began to notice a change in the river. It
began churning and frothing, the current picked up speed and the water began
coming at us in waves. Soon I watched the banks begin to erode right before my
eyes. He was correct, the water was rising.
The house where 12 of us stayed.
It was then we reached our destination and I was glad to be
off the river. They showed us to our house for the week, which somehow they had
forgot to build with walls. Then they invited us
into a kitchen to warm up by the fire. This was very unusual as the kitchen is
a separate hut from the house and guests are almost never invited into the
kitchen. I was very thankful.
A typical Shawi house on the right and kitchen on the left.
The men said they were going to kill a cow for the anniversary
and invited me to come. Silly me I said yes thinking the cow would be near by but I was
wrong. We walked, (they walked, I ran to keep up) 45 minutes through thick jungle
to reach the cow pasture but the cows were missing. The pasture is just a clear
cut area in jungle. There is no fence as the jungle is thick enough that the
cows usually don’t wonder off. We searched till dark and found three cows but
never found the forth which we had intended to slaughter. I think he knew we
were coming and hid. We then returned to the village back down the path in the
dark without flashlights. The path had been cut for the average Shawi man which
is about five-foot-tall so about every three steps I got a branch in my face. Not
to mention the fact that due to the heavy rains the entire path was mud and
standing water. Needless to say it was a tough hike back in the dark and a
fruitless adventure.
The church decorated for the anniversary.
After a change of clothes, they fired up the generator and the
evening church service began. We worshiped until about 11:00pm. Exhausted, I was
glad to finally climb into my hammock for the night. But the night was only beginning
as the winds picked up and the rain returned. In our little house without walls
the wind and rain whipped right through and I froze. I climbed out of the
hammock and curled up in a ball on the floor to try to escape the wind and
rain. I laid there freezing and thinking, “why didn’t we wait until tomorrow to
come?” We wouldn’t have froze in the boat and could have slept in a house with
walls. Eventually morning came and as I looked toward the river I received my
answer. The river had risen 12+ feet overnight and was extremely dangerous.
There were full size trees, roots and all, swiftly washing down from the
nearby mountains. If we wouldn’t have come the day before we may have not made
it. Praise God I am not driving the boat.
Photos of the Yaniyacu River taken during flood and 18 hours later.
The next day was full of church services. We had service
from 9:00am till 2:00pm then had a break for lunch and soccer. At dark the
services began again and they announced it would be a vigil or all night
service. For these long extended services, we had worship, then preaching,
prayer and more worship. Then we had a 20-minute break for chicha before
repeating the process again. I was able to preach twice and was blessed by their
enthusiasm for worship and the word of God. I made it till 2:00am before I just
could not stay awake any longer. You know your tired when you fall asleep
standing up during worship. At 5:30am they quit, the last two hours they abandoned
preaching and just worshiped to stay awake. Then we all packed up, said good byes, climbed
into our canoes and left. The waters of the river had dropped significantly since the day before and were now safe to travel. As we headed down the river I realized that the driver
of our canoe had not slept all night. Yet I was not worried because obviously I
was not driving the boat.
Me and my new friend.
Nine hours later I made it home. It rained the whole way. The
last three hours I spent in the back of a pick up truck with 10 other people in
the pouring rain. I got home cold, wet and covered in mud from pushing the
truck. But in spite of the difficulties my heart was full because I know who
directs my paths, I know who is driving my boat. My prayer is that this story
is encouraging to you. My prayer is that we all can place our trust fully in
the One who drives the boat.
Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your
paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
After three failed attempts we finally made it to Segundo
Jerusalem. We tried to go on Christmas but Jennifer was sick. Then we
tried on New Years Day but due to heavy rains we couldn’t get there. Then last
weekend we were planning on going but the rains kept coming and the road
flooded. It was chest deep. Then this weekend, even though the road was bad and
we had to rent a van, we finally made it.
Our van
We went with one prayer. That we may be a blessing to them.
Segundo Jerusalem is a small group of families living together in community. It
is too small to be called an offical community so it is actually a barrio or
neighborhood. We have visited them before and they are always amazing to us. They
are open, warm and inviting and we always leave with loads of plantains and
papaya. They teach us Shawi words and ask lots of questions. Every time we
visit, we leave encouraged and blessed. For this reason, we just wanted to bless
them.
Eating some lunch on our porch.
Resting during the rain in our house.
We arrived Saturday morning and the first thing they did was
offer us a house to stay in for the weekend. What a blessing to have a place to
rest and get shelter from the rain. Then the men went to work. They are working
to build a new church building. First they needed lumber so they went deep into the
jungle, cut down a tree and milled the boards with a chainsaw. They are very talented
with a chain saw. All the wood is cut so the men were working on hauling it out
to the build site. I volunteered to go with them. After 45 minutes of walking
through mud and standing water we finally came to a pile of boards 42 feet
long. Then it started raining and it
took five of us an hour to carry one board back to the build site. I miss my
local lumber yard.
One of the women preparing lunch.
After lunch of dried fish and rice the real work began, a
Bible school for the kids. The rest of the afternoon was filled with Bible
stories, games, songs, and crafts. At first the kids were scared to death of
us. They wouldn’t respond to our questions or participate. The pastor told me
the kids are not accustom to strangers and they were scared. But little by
little they warmed up to us. Sunday morning, we continued with more stories and
songs and by Sunday afternoon the kids were singing all the songs with motions,
saying the memory verse, and participating in the games.
The kids really touch my heart this weekend. We provided
lunch both days for them and I am glad we did. I asked Sunday morning if any of
them had breakfast and not a single one had eaten. We quickly tapped into our
stash of granola bars and gave the kids a least a little something to eat. They
had never jumped rope or played with a Frisbee. They had never heard of Abraham
and Isaac. And they had never experienced a Bible school. I pray that we were a
blessing to them but in reality they completely blessed us. To see the joy on
their faces as they learned the stories, to watch them spend hours on a craft
with complete patience to make it perfect, to hear them recite a Bible verse
and sing songs, I can not describe how full my heart is today.
Our kids also had a blast this weekend. We asked them what was their favorite part of the weekend and they responded, "everything!"
Henry loved playing in the dirt with the other boys.
Maggie climbed on everything.
Lucy was a leader of songs and games.
Our new friend Daili with her craft.
Jennifer working hard to prepare.
My new friend John Kennedy.
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Recently someone asked me what is the hardest thing about being here in Yurimaguas. After some thought I realized it is so difficult to find our place here. There are so many needs and we can not even begin to meet them all. The most difficult thing is finding our direction when we want to run everywhere at once. As a result we have spent the beginning of this new year in prayer for God's direction and He is responding.
Traveling on the Cachiyacu River in canoe
Last weekend I visited the community of Santa Clara which is just off the Cachiyacu River in the heart of the district of Balsapuerto. It is a large community with around 30 Shawi families. It is three hours on the road and two hours in a canoe to get there. The reason for the visit was to visit a feeding program that our mission has there as well as check on some agriculture projects. Our mission has five feeding programs in communities that struggle with malnutrition among children. We provide a meal for the children after church on Sunday. One meal a week is not a lot but for some of the children it is the only meal they get on Sundays. For them it is a lot.
The boys Sunday School class
In Santa Clara there are between 60 and 70 children on an average Sunday. During the sermon at church the kids have a separate Sunday school time. There are two classes, one for the boys and one for the girls. I spent some time visiting each class to observe what was taught. There are no children's materials or crafts or snacks. The teachers have one of the blue pocket Bibles with Psalms, Proverbs and the New Testament in Spanish. They read a verse, talk about it and the kids memorize it. I am not sure how much they understand because a lot of the younger kids do not speak Spanish. Spanish is taught in the schools in the community so the older kids do speak it. After half an hour the kids return to the church to recite the verse together in front of everyone. As I reflect on my childhood I remember growing up in the church and what a privilege it was to have Sunday School. We learned songs, did crafts and learned the stories of the Bible. The children of Santa Clara do not know these stories and it really touched my heart. What an opportunity and responsibility we have to teach our children!
After church the kids received their meal of noodles and sardines
As we were traveling back we stopped at the village of Nuevo Junin. I was not able to visit their feeding program but I was able to talk with the pastor in charge of it. He told me they have 120+ children every Sunday but I also learned they have no Sunday school program. They did have one but the teacher quit because it was to difficult. They told me they thought the program was important and they want to restart it. God has put in our hearts to help the churches with their children's programing. This weekend I am planning to take the whole family for three days to a community for a Vacation Bible School. It is a small community with only 30 children but we are nervous as this will be our first overnight adventure as a family in the jungle. We are also nervous about running a VBS for 30 kids while taking care of our three at the same time. Additionally, it is currently the rainy season here and we just learned this afternoon that the road is flooded and impassible. The only other way to get there is the river - but since it is flooded, it is extremely dangerous right now so that isn't really an option either. Please pray that the water subsides and we are able to reach the village and these children with the Word of the Lord.You can also pray for us as we are seeing more needs for children's ministry and we
are seeing God open doors for us to help in this area.
