To live Christ

Security patrolling in Yurimaguas.

Philippians 1:21

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

This is a well know verse. Many people have it on their walls or on a coffee cup. But how many people believe it? How many people live it out?

We are today on day 90 of our quarantine and it has not been easy. The city has been on military enforced shutdown and curfews. Most people here live day to day, and not working for 90 days has taken its toll. Many people are struggling to meet basic needs. If a family is in need they can hang a flag on their house indicating the need for help. 

Flag demonstrating need.  (Photo credit: Ryan Rivetto)

We have started working with local pastors and believers to reach these people. To date, with the help of our teammates Ryan and Rebecca Rivetto, many generous donors and the kids at the children's home, we have assembled and handed out over 400 bags of food.

Packing food bags

One of the pastors living out Philippians 1:21 is our friend and neighbor. We buy our propane from him and one day he told me of the needs he'd encountered while delivering propane during quarantine (he has a special pass since his services are considered essential).  He began using the proceeds from the propane sales to help needy families. I told him we wanted to help also and since that time we have been working together. He has worked tirelessly visiting the sick and elderly and helping with food and medicine. He contracted COVID-19 and he and his entire family became sick. During his self-quarantine, he came down with dengue fever.  After five days of high fevers, he had to be admitted to a local clinic for re-hydration. He also had his motorcar impounded by the police while trying to help an elderly neighbor get to the bank (his special pass did not allow for such assistance, only deliveries). Yet he hasn’t stopped. The best part is his desire to share the gospel. As a result of his efforts 40 people have come to Christ!  He is continuing to follow up with and walk through difficult times with these new believers.

While delivering food bags, he has come across additional needs. This is the story of a man with COVID-19 and his crippled wife. Upon delivering the food, he learned of their needs.  Since becoming ill, the husband hasn't been able to work and buy diapers for his wife.  She is also confined to a bed which consists of wooden boards on a bed frame. Learning of the need for a wheelchair and hoping to receive financial assistance from local believers, the pastor posted a picture of the woman and her need on Facebook.  Many people shared the post but he received little response in terms of financial assistance.  The response he did receive though was surprising and beautiful. He began to receive phone calls from around the country of people who were willing to donate wheelchairs they were no longer using, some having belonged to family who passed away due to the virus.  Two chairs were shipped from the next closest city, one was delivered to her, the other will be delivered Monday to a young man crippled in a motorcycle accident.  A woman from Yurimaguas also reached out after having seen the picture, not with a wheelchair though.  She was touched that this woman didn't have a mattress on which to lay and donated one. She invited the pastor to come to her store and pick one out to deliver to the family.   She donated bedding and other good as well. 

Praying over the blessing of food.

This pastor inspires me. I know Christians here in Yurimaguas that are hiding in their houses in this time. Scared to go out, afraid of contracting the virus. Yet perfect love casts out fear. We can choose to hide in our houses in fear protecting ourselves and our families or we can choose to love our neighbors even if it brings a personal risk. But if we really believe that to die is gain then we have nothing to lose. 

Quarantine Life

I am leaving to buy fruit. It is much harder these days to buy fruit then it used to be. The market is closed and surrounded by police barricades to keep people out. It is impossible to get within two blocks. And so to buy food you have to go hunting. I put on my face mask to drive. It is illegal to be outside of your house without a face mask. It has been interesting since most people do not own masks and do not have the money to buy them so they have resorted to making their own. Some are just simply an old shirt tied around their head and others have taken cloth and sowed their own, complete with ear loops. They are quit pretty, made with flower patterns. I even saw a sewing shop selling them for 4 soles.

Not two block from my house I pass the bank. The line to get in is two blocks long. It is only 6:50am and it does not open for another hour and ten minutes. The people are in line to receive their emergency relief money from the government. Most Peruvians live day to day. Making just enough money today to buy food tomorrow. Most have been two weeks without work and things are getting tough. The government is stepping in and giving 380 soles to families living in poverty. It is about $110. Not much, but an average family can eat for a month on that so it is a huge help.

I pick my way downtown. The police and military are everywhere. They are letting people drive around because it is legal to leave your house and buy food before 10am. Curfew is 4:00pm. If you are outside of your house after that you can be arrested. So far 4000 people have been arrested in Peru for breaking quarantine laws.

Downtown I meet Elvis. He works for the mission. Our motorcycle has broke down and he is looking for parts. This is difficult because all the part stores are closed. The only option is to knock on the doors of the part stores looking for one where the owner lives there as well. With luck he will open the door and sell you parts, although it is a risk as it is illegal.

I finally make it to the fruit stand. It is disappointing. He has some fruit but it is all the same as was there two days ago. It looks old and rotten and there are flies all over. I buy the last mandarins and he promises that more fruit will arrive today. That is what he said two days ago.

Life is hard in quarantine but I do not want to complain. As of this writing there are only around 1000 cases in Peru. The quarantine seems to be working at stopping the spread. The government is doing a good job controlling it and helping the poor. Still life is different, very different. But I am thankful that we have food to eat and we are safe. I trust that God has a plan for this too. What else it there to do but trust?  

Jungle Technology

A couple of years ago I began recording Shawi worship on my phone.  There were new church plants at the time and they were asking for help. When these new churches would meet they were unsure what to do. Can you imagine a group of new believers meeting together? Most do not know how to read or own a Bible and no one knows hymns or worship songs.  So one evening Lucy and I recorded a Shawi pastor and his wife singing a handful of worship songs and then the pastor gave a short message encouraging the new believers. We combined the content with some Spanish songs I had and began distributing it on USBs and SD cards. Here in the jungle most of the people own battery powered radios and all the radios play USBs or SD cards so it made it easy to distribute the music. The new churches could now meet, listen to the pastor’s message and worship along with the music. And they loved it.

From there it began to pick up steam. I continued recording music and messages in Shawi and they continued to ask for more. Many of the believers sit around after dark or early in the morning and listen to worship music on their phone. I often have people give me the SD card out of their phone so I can take it back to Yurimaguas and load it with worship music from my computer.

Yes the Shawi have phones. That is the world we live in now. There are more people in the world who have mobile phones than there are people with access to a flushing toilet. Technology is cheap. Toilets are expensive.

Thanks to Maple City Chapel we were able to purchase an awesome tool while back in the states, a pocket WIFI device. It is essentially wireless internet but you control the content. Now instead of swapping SD cards they can log onto the device and stream or download content directly from it. It is full of worship music, the Jesus Film, messages, and the Bible both in text and audio. The content is in Shawi and in Spanish.  Right now one of the devices is in a remote village two days up river where new believers gathered together to celebrate New Year’s. It is cool to think about all these new believers that are getting access for the first time to the Bible, or sitting around late at night watching the Jesus Film.

Anyway, I just learned the neatest part of the story this past week. About a year and half ago I was in a village for a church inauguration. A pastor from a remote village who rarely comes to town was there. He speaks very little Spanish and since my Shawi is not very good, I did not have much of a relationship with him. But he is faithful to visit other churches for events such as the inauguration and he always walks. He began to sing that night and it was really good. I had never heard him sing before so I recorded the song he was singing. The song was over 20 minutes long but sounded great so I added it to the content that I distribute. Since that time I have passed the song on to more than 50 people, have shared it with others, and listened to it in church gatherings. Hundreds of people have heard the song.

Last week, one of the guys at the discipleship center was listening to it over and over. I asked him to translate it and he began to tell me the meaning. Most of the songs are taken from an old Shawi hymn book and so I now recognize many of them and even understand some of them but when he began to translate it, I realized it was not from the hymn book. I asked him where the song came from.

He told me that the pastor singing the song had a dream one night. In the dream he could see himself in front of the church singing this song. Then God told him to write down the song and sing it to the churches where he visits. So the pastor woke up at 4:00am and wrote the song. It is a powerful song about God’s love for us. It has a message for men, women and children. It talks about a wide range of things and quotes scripture. It is a 20 minute sermon, put to song, given by God.

I was floored by the message. It was powerful and moved me. But then I thought about how God had orchestrated everything. He gave the pastor the song, he had me record it and now it has gone out and hundreds have heard it. And thanks to the pocket WIFI devices, hundreds more will hear it.

Only God can orchestrate such a beautiful thing. Only God can take a pastor of a small church in the middle of the jungle and use his voice to impact hundreds of people. Only God can give me the tools to distribute His message without me even knowing! He is sovereign and He has an amazing plan.

As Job said:

I know that you can do all things;

No purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Job 42:2

The Box

I was headed back to San Francisco, for very exciting reasons. Four of the new believers in San Francisco have been coming to the discipleship center for training. One of the things we teach is that the training they receive is not just for them, but they need to return home and share it with their neighbors. So I was excited the day they called and said that they had been sharing Jesus with a nearby village and some of the people have come to Christ. Then they asked if I would visit for the baptisms. What a great reason to head back.

The journey starts with a two-hour pickup truck ride. So I went to the truck stop to get a ride. I arrived at 11:30 because the road is under construction and only open from 12:00-12:45 during the day. I found a seat and waited as the truck filled up with passengers and cargo. I waited and waited and started to get frustrated and nervous. I had a plan to meet a pastor at 2:00 and we were going to walk two more hours together to San Francisco. It was now 12:30 and the truck driver was still loading the truck. Someone had bought rebar, which comes in 30-foot-long bars, and was trying to tie it to the pickup bed. If we did not make it onto the road by 12:45 it would be closed until 8:00pm, effectively canceling my trip.

Many times we are delayed for a purpose. Our plan is not necessarily God’s plan. And this was the case for me as I saw a hearse pull up to the truck stop. They pulled a simple wood coffin out of the back and loaded it in a truck. And then out of the front climbed Jose, a friend of mine. Jose is one of the disciples that regularly attends trainings at the discipleship center. He lives in a distant village and is new in the Lord. I jumped out of the truck and asked him what was happening. He could only respond that his uncle had passed away.  We only had a moment as now both trucks were running and the drivers were waiting. So instead of asking him details, we prayed. When we finished tears were streaming down Jose’s face. It is a rare thing to see a Shawi show such emotion. I knew his heart was broken.

Then we climbed in and took off. Jose’s truck in front of mine. When we got to the road it was 12:47 and it was closed, but after some negotiating with the guard, he saw the coffin and let us through. For the next two hours we followed that truck down the bumpy dirt road. The coffin did not fit in the truck bed so it was hanging out the back, tied down with some rope. As we drove I prayed for Jose and the people in his village. And I began to think about the coffin, a simple wood box. It’s destination: three hours in a truck followed by four hours in a dugout canoe. Then carried to a cemetery out in the jungle where it will be buried and marked with a wooden cross. Ten years from now the wood will rot away and the wood box will be forgotten. But that is the same for you and me. We will die. Our bodies are destined for the wood box. And although it might be marked with stone instead of wood, it will still be forgotten. It all seems so permanent.

It was with those thoughts that I finally got out of the truck. I was late but the pastor was waiting for me with a pleasant surprise. He had brought a boat and said we could go half way by boat before walking. The river was too low to go all the way. So we jumped in the boat and 30 minutes later arrived at the village of Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa is a very exciting place as a year ago there were only 5 believers in the village, but today there are over 30 and they have appointed leaders and are building a church. The leaders have been coming to the discipleship center for training. One of the new believers invited us to his house for lunch before we continued walking. There I was able to visit and get to know him and his family over a bowl of fish soup.

Then an amazing thing happened! After lunch we walked out of his house to see that the river had risen two feet during the 30 minutes we had spent eating. Although it was sunny where we were it must have rained up in the mountains. Praise the Lord! He provided water and we continued on in the boat. Many of the believers in Santa Rosa decided to join us and climbed in the boat, with 15 people we were riding low. The old boat was full of cracks and holes and was taking on water as fast as we could bail, but we made it to San Francisco safely.

Church Service in San Francisco

After dark service began. They asked me to speak so I told the story of David being anointed by Samuel. I told them that just as God had chosen David for the task of king, God has also chosen them for the task of sharing his gospel. The service went until midnight. We sat around and talked and drank chicha until 1:00am. Then we all fell asleep on the porch of a house. At 4:00am one of the guys woke up and grabbed a guitar and for an hour they all sang hymns and prayed together. What an amazing way to start the day.

After chicken soup for breakfast, service began again. They asked how many were planning to be baptized and 4 people raised their hands. Praise God! These 4 people were trusting in God because the believers in San Francisco were sharing their faith. Then they asked me to speak again. I told the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.  I explained that as followers of Christ their job is to be as Philip, obedient to the Lord and sharing the good news. Then I gave a simple invitation and 6 people received Christ. Afterwards we all walked down to the river and 10 people were baptized.

Baptism in the river

After service I started the long trip home. The river had dropped overnight and we spent more time out of the boat pushing then we did in the boat. It was so slow that some of the people walked and actually arrived before the boat. Then I jumped in the back of a pickup.

All wet and squished between plantains and boxes of papaya for two hours, my thoughts returned to the box. Our bodies are destined for the box, but our souls have a different destiny. That destiny is also permanent. And this weekend the destiny of 6 people changed.  God changed their eternity.

I returned home at 7:00pm, tired but full of joy. Praising God for what He is doing in, around, and through San Francisco. Praising Him that He is calling the people and through His mercy, changing destinies.

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off- for all whom the Lord our God will call.  

-Acts 2:39

The new believers coming forward to declare their faith.

Rethinking Discipleship

Discipleship is hard. It is not easy to take on the challenge of walking beside younger believers and guiding them. And I am the problem. I am North American. I want to institutionalize discipleship. I want a program with a curriculum and when someone completes the program, boom, they have been discipled!  But life does not work like that. Discipleship does not look the same for all people.

We currently have 2 groups going through discipleship.  After having such a great response from the first group and their desire to invite more people, we decided to start a second group for 2 reasons.  First, we don’t want the newcomers to miss out on any of the material.  Secondly, our first group bonded really well: sharing, encouraging one another, and studying together after class.  We desire for the disciples to have this comradery and support amongst each other and felt it would be good to keep the groups small, so last week we had the first session with our new group, 10 men and 5 women.

The main part of what we do is tell Bible stories, beginning in Genesis, and let them respond to the stories. We ask questions to engage them and get them to think critically. It is supposed to be like a small group where everyone is invited to participate. But last week did not work out that way. I would tell a story and ask the questions and everyone would just stare at me. No response. I pushed and prodded and begged but nothing.

Then one of the men asked if we had a guitar. We do not but we borrowed one from a believer that lives nearby and as soon as the guitar showed up, they started playing and never put it down. We would hear them singing and playing at 11:00pm and then again at 4:00am. We also found access to a Shawi hymnal and had copies made. So each of them asked for a copy of the hymnal and they loved it.

I began to look at the hymns and realized something. They are awesome, each one has a beautiful message.

One of my favorites reads:

Come let us rejoice

We will work for God

All glory to Him

For Him we will live

For Him we will die

I was learning something. Maybe my idea of a cut and dried curriculum is wrong. Maybe we need to be more adaptable with discipleship. To some people the stories are powerful, to others the worship, to others the fellowship. Jesus’ command in Mathew 28 is to: “teach

them to obey everything I have commanded you.” But he never said how. Maybe I should take a fresh look at how we do discipleship.

The point really hit home for me on the last night. During that evening’s church service, I asked each person to share for 3-5 minutes about something they had learned during the week. I was expecting a Bible verse or some thoughts about the stories but instead many shared a song.

Those who did share a verse said it was their first time ever sharing something publicly and admitted that they were very nervous. Most of them were between the age of 17-23 and so this was a completely new experience. One them even admitted that he had never opened a Bible before this week.

The point is this: Do not get caught up in traditional methods. Disciples are not made in a classroom. We are all commanded to make disciples and I believe discipleship needs to be centered in God’s word but let us also remember that discipleship is life, eating together, living together, working together, mourning together, celebrating together and worshiping together. We all have a role in completing the great commission.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Carry Your Cross

Last week 14 men and 2 women traveled to the discipleship center to learn more about God. They came from 9 different communities in all corners of the jungle. They came by boat, motorcar, walking and in the back of pickup trucks. They came in through the rain and the sun to hear God’s word. It was a great week. We ate and fellowshipped together, played soccer, and spent many hours together in the word of God.

Eating Together

Watching the Jesus Film together

They were so hungry for knowledge of God. We would study all day together and then have church service in the evening until 9:00pm. Afterwards they would ask to leave the generator on until 11 or 12 at night to continue reading and studying. Then they were up at 5:00am singing hymns to start the day before digging back into the word. It was exciting to see their desire for God.

One afternoon we were studying together when someone read to Luke 14:27: And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

The question was posed to the group: What does this verse mean? What does it mean to take up your cross?

The room went silent for a few awkward moments as the men pondered the statement. Finally, someone spoke up and said, “I think that means as disciples we may have to suffer to follow Christ.”

Again the room went silent as that statement began to sink in to each of the new believers in Christ. Then finally someone spoke again, “We have come here to be disciples. We have come on long boat rides in the rain. We have walked through mud and rode in the back of pickup trucks in the hot sun. We have left our village, homes, families and fields to come here and be prepared for the work God has for us. We are carrying our crosses and following Christ.”

I was amazed by the statement.  Such deep understanding can only come from the Holy Spirit. These new believers understand what it means to carry the cross. They understand that a life devoted to Christ is not necessarily an easy life. They understand the cost of discipleship. 

Lucy helping prepare chicha

Jennifer helping clean fish

Henry with his pet birds

Thank you for all your prayers. Please continue to pray as we have scheduled the next discipleship course for May. Before then there is a lot of work to do to continue improving the facilities and preparing and translating materials.

Shawi Discipleship Center Update

Things have been moving along at the Shawi Discipleship Center. Next week we begin our first discipleship course and we are almost ready. New Shawi believers will come from all over the district to be taught God’s word in their native language. We do not know how many will come but it could be as many as 40 people. We have been working around the clock for a month to get ready.

First we had an old house with a thatch roof in bad need of repair. We took off the roof and removed all the interior walls that were full of termites and other jungle creatures. Then we built a new metal roof with a small porch. After fumigating and cleaning we now have a house for people to stay.

Next we had a kitchen and dinning room area that needed repairs. We sanded and refinished all the wood windows and rescreened the entire room. Having screens makes it a nice place to eat and hang out and not get attacked by mosquitos.

Then we needed water. This is one of the biggest problems at the center as there is no well. There was a water collection system that stored rain water in large tanks but all the pipes were broken and all the gutters were clogged and falling down. It took a few days to redo the entire system but we got it up and running again. Then we hooked it up to the old showers and rehabbed the showers. The tanks were full and everything seemed to working great when Thursday a cow got loose and somehow went into the water tank room and destroyed all the new plumbing. To make things worse we did not realize it until almost all of the 10,000 litters of water drained out of the tanks. We repaired the plumbing but suddenly had no water. We talked through back up plans that included bringing water from the river a mile and a half away. Then Friday it rained all day filling the tanks. God provides. But we still have an urgent need for a well.

Then there was the issue of power. There is no electricity at the center but there used to be power lines connecting a generator to each of the buildings. All the wiring in all the buildings was unsafe so we had to rewire lights and outlets in all the buildings. Then we had to install new poles and reinstall the power lines. After buying a small generator we have power for the facility.

It has been a lot of work but the work has just begun. Next week Shawi brothers and sisters will travel from remote villages to the center and the important work begins. Please join us in praying for this time. Prayer for safe travels of the brothers and sisters. Pray for the facilities. Pray for the provision of food and for the cooks. But most importantly pray that these new believers understand God’s love for them and would be equipped to return to their villages to share this new knowledge with their neighbors and friends.