Christmas with family

Decorating with family

Snow sports with family

Presenting the ministry as a family.

Hiking as a family (mostly off frame).

Pictures with family

Music with family

Holding the family.

Although we sometimes lament the digital age—the times when social media gets out of hand or when everyone at the dinner table is eating in silence, bent over their phones—truth be told, it’s nice to be so connected. Most of us can’t remember the last time we were out of contact without a phone, a computer, or even a GPS-enabled car to get us out of trouble. Everyone, everywhere on the planet seems accessible, but that’s not the case. There are still remote, uncontacted places in the world—many the Enemy considers his territory.

Some of those places are in the Amazon Basin, a massive area larger than the continental United States that includes portions of six countries: Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela. This dense jungle expanse hosts many of the remaining people groups on the planet who live uncontacted by the outside world. Estimates vary, but there may be as many as fifty remote groups scattered across the Amazon.

To reach these isolated groups, we must give up three things our Western culture highly values: control, safety, and time.

These hunter-gatherers fled war and disease decades ago to the relative safety of the river headwaters, out of reach from people such as rubber barons, lumber workers, drug-runners, and gold miners who sought to exploit them. These uncontacted groups may have once been part of a larger, now-contacted tribe, but the groups likely broke away before encountering outsiders. Due to language drift and cultural differences, they now exist as separate peoples. They venture out only to steal machetes and other indispensable tools, and when they do, they can be violent and murderous. If they are seen, frightened villagers usually greet them with shotgun blasts.

Based on what we’ve learned from recently emerged groups, the general Amazonian tribal culture, and photos shot with telephoto lenses, we believe the remaining uncontacted groups are rife with disease and spiritual warfare. As animists, they believe that everything in the physical world has a more powerful spiritual counterpart. The wind has a spirit, as do certain trees, animals, and people. The spirits are often malicious and cause sickness, confusion, and death, so these tribes perform rituals with animal sacrifices, libations, and chants to appease or control the spirits. The color red is thought to shield them from evil, so they paint themselves with red dye or wear red-beaded bracelets. They are completely unaware of the power of the gospel. If you or I had been born in one of these groups, we would live and die without hearing the name of our Savior even once, apart from the intervention of Christ’s church on mission.

How to Contact People Who Don’t Want to be Contacted

So how do we even begin to bring the gospel to these peoples? I’ve had the privilege of working with an indigenous missionary named Wilson* who has been called to reach his uncontacted “cousins,” the Iropi.* The Iropi tribe speaks a similar dialect to Wilson’s native tongue, so it’s likely that they broke off from his tribe more than a hundred years ago. Watching Wilson live out his Great Commission calling to the Iropi has taught me that in order to reach these isolated groups, we must give up three things our Western culture highly values: control, safety, and time.

Reaching Them is Out of Our Control

Many of us have jobs, take vacations, and plan our schedules well in advance. Work with the uncontacted can’t be scheduled. For years, Wilson simply waited. As he and his team waited, they worked hard to prepare for contact with the Iropi. They built dwellings for themselves so they could stay nearby, planted fields, cut trails, and left gifts the Iropi might find useful, such as machetes or cooking pots, in order to initiate peaceful contact. But they did all this back-breaking work while acknowledging that if God did not extend his hand to bring the tribe out, then there was nothing more they could do except “wait for the Lord, be strong and courageous” (Ps. 27:14), and trust that God’s plan was better than theirs.

If God did not extend his hand to bring the tribe out, then there was nothing more they could do except “wait for the Lord, be strong and courageous” (Ps. 27:14), and trust that God’s plan was better than theirs.

Reaching Them is Unspeakably Dangerous

Years later, when Wilson finally saw the Iropi, he nearly lost his life. The band that greeted him from the deep jungle was divided. Some treated him as a long-lost brother while others snuck around to his blind side to shoot him with six-foot-long arrows. Wilson described to me how he dodged their lethal missiles while he sang the first songs to our Savior the Iropi had ever heard. “I was prepared to die, and if it was my day for God to call me, then so be it,” he said. “But instead, he gave this old man the strength to dodge arrows!” As King David wrote when the Philistines attacked him, “In God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Ps. 56:4) For Wilson, the danger was incidental to the work, and nothing compared to the blessing of working for his Lord.

Reaching Them Takes Time 

Wilson waited seventeen years for first contact with the Iropi, and only then did his mission finally progress to “hello.” He’s still waiting to learn the language and culture, share the gospel, make disciples, and plant churches.

In many Western cultures, a “career” may now last only six to eight years before a person moves on to something else. Wilson lived a life of sacrifice for nearly two decades before completing the first steps of his ministry. It may be another seventeen years before the work is complete. But at the end of his work, Wilson—and hopefully all of us—will be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7).”

Most of us will never find ourselves in the Amazon jungle, dodging arrows while singing praises to God. That particular blessing may be limited to Wilson and others on his team. However, whatever your ministry context, my prayer for you is that you “lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us,” and “run with endurance the race that lies before us” (Heb. 12:1). Wait on the Lord, do not let fear drive you, and stay the course to completion.

 

Written by ROY MCCORMICK | FEBRUARY 24 2017

Originally published here: https://www.imb.org/2017/02/24/reaching-missions-amazon-jungle/

Peru was the center of the ancient Inca empire until Spanish conquest in 1533. Peru declared independence in 1821. Lima is the capital.

Peru lies on the west coast of South America and is bordered by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia (with whom they share control of Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lace in the world) and Chile.

Peru lies along the Ring of Fire, which means it is susceptible to earthquakes and volcanoes.

Peru’s Nevado Mismi is the ultimate source of the mighty Amazon River.

Peru ranks 21st in the world in area and is about twice the size of Texas (or slightly smaller than Alaska).

The highest point is Nevada Huascaran at 22,133 feet (6746 meters).

Peru is rich in natural resources which include copper, silver, and gold.

Population is 31 million (43rd in the world).

Ethnic backgrounds in Peru include: Mestizo or mixed (60%), Amerindian (26%), and others.

Spanish and Quechua are both official languages of Peru, with other native languages spoken in remote areas (like ours!).

Catholicism dominates the religious culture with a “Christian” presence as well. Over 20% are “unspecified” which may include tribal religions

Life expectancy: 74 years

Literacy rate: over 94%

Hi friends

Sometimes people ask what kinds of things would be useful for us as we minister in Peru, so we’ve compiled a list, which we will try to keep up to date. 

3 tourniquets for stopping bleeding in an emergency situation $13 each:

https://www.amazon.com/SWAT-T-Tourniquet-Orange/dp/B00MYG9YA0

Hy-fin chest seal for emergency chest trauma $15

https://www.amazon.com/North-American-Rescue-Hyfin-Chest/dp/B00KQS2NGK 

Supplied! – A wireless presenter remote (for teaching) $18:

3 clotting sponges to stop bleeding in an emergency situation $20 each:

https://www.amazon.com/QuikClot-Advanced-Clotting-Kaolin-Strips/dp/B00HJTH5L2

Supplied! – a bluetooth microphone for preaching (like this) $31:

Supplied! – tactical backpack for medical trauma kit $29

A rechargeable vacuum (we have a lot of visitors) $50: https://www.amazon.com/Swiffer-Vacuum-Cleaner-Sweeper-Starter/dp/B00YBP7CTW

A keypad deadbolt for our front door (We have a lot of visitors) $66: https://www.amazon.com/Kwikset-SmartCode-Electronic-Deadbolt-featuring/dp/B00NT1OX5K

Supplied! – Ion explorer (for outdoor preaching)$173: 

Supplied! – laptop for kid’s schooling $$

Supplied! – Jungle navigation system (laptop) $$$

Funds for a ministry truck: $1 to $10,000

Please call Baptist World Mission: 256-353-2221

 

Funds for an auto-refractor for measuring vision $1 to $8,000

Please call Baptist World Mission: 256-353-2221

 

Funds for a church property: $1 to $240,000

Please call Baptist World Mission: 256-353-2221

 

Thank you for reading through the list, praying with us, and giving as possible.

Furlough began with us landing in Orlando, FL. Pastor Travis Smith, along with his wife Sheila, had already coordinated a van for us. They met us and showed us much tangible love from Hillsdale Baptist Church. 

During our first month here we’ve been able to:

Refresh Spiritually at The Wilds.

Share what God is doing in Peru in these places

Sunday, Aug. 12  Fbc Sunday School and Tabernaculo testimony in the evening

Grace Baptist, Wilmington, NC – Aug. 19

Community Baptist, South Bend IN – Aug. 26 

Gibson family in WI- Aug 27-29

Pruitt family in IA – Aug 29-31

First Baptist Brainerd and Deerwood, MN – Sept. 2

William’s family in MO – Sept 4-6  

Reconnect with family and friends

 

Meet new friends

witness God’s work and ministry here

do some labor

see God’s protection first hand

Get some resources for ministry

Do plenty of school as we drive thousands of miles

and have a lot of fun as a family!

Thank you for your prayers, friendship, and support!

We just returned from Peru a few weeks ago. With the myriad details to be taken care of and multitude of things to remember, one thing I was glad to know was that I had a suit waiting for me upon arrival. We don’t wear suits in. At least, we hardly ever wear suits, so I just left mine in the US.

However, shortly after arriving, I saw my suit hanging nicely in the closet where I left it. One less thing to worry about!

But then, I noticed a hole. Not very large, but still, a real hole.

Upon further inspection I noticed a number of holes in different places left all over the coat.

This was a nice Stafford suit, and I was not happy about tossing it in the trash, but it definitely served as a good reminder:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: Matthew 6:19-20

Notice that Jesus doesn’t argue here that it’s sinful to have treasures on earth. That is another topic. Here He reminds us that it’s just not smart!

Why?

Your treasures on earth will be

1. spoiled (like my suit) or
2. stolen (like a lot of other things in Peru)

However, your treasures in heaven are

1. secure,
2. safe, and
3. sound

Where are your treasures!?

We started with lots of work and packing, and then picked up Brother Randy Chovan on the way. He traveled all night on the bus, and then we took him directly to preach!

The car was just a little full.

We had a great time singing!

We had a fantastic chef and help in the kitchen.

Exciting (and funny) games

A walk in the woods and a short dip in the creek,

An interactive kids time

And of course, great worship and preaching

We didn’t get a picture with everyone, but here is most of the group.

Thank you for your prayers for us and our 6th annual church camp!

 

We are so thankful for the folks who worked so hard during our six days of medical campaign. God brought a tremendous team together!

Dr. Thom Williams – Medical doctor

Dr. Harry Gibson – Dentist

Miss Kristina Matson – nurse

Mr. Daryn Propp (far left) – crowd-control and general help

Mr. Segundo Sebastian (far left) – evangelist

Mrs Matilde Flores de Correa (far left) – registration

and Ms. Mercedes Cueva Rojas (far right) – evangelism

Mr. Sattler George – triage

Mr. Joseph Lenz – triage and translation

Miss Rebekah Lenz – dental assistant and translation

Of course, Loren translated and learned lots about medicine

I fitted reading glasses and supervised.

Special mention must be made of Miss Tari George (left of center), who watched our kids so that we could be out serving.

Also, Mr. Jared Gonsalez (far left) helped some days as well.

We could not have been happier with the way God worked!

We were able to see over 500 patients and had about 70 professions of faith.

Now comes the real work: discipling these new believers. Please pray that they would show true spiritual fruit and produce 30, 60, or even 100 times more!

We’ve all done it… at least I know that I have…and way too often. 

Without planning on it, and seemingly without any forethought at all, I’ve allowed critical speech to slip out of my mouth.

Sometimes its downright pernicious, ugly, cutting, and biting.

At others it appears to be innocuous, normal, and nearly innocent.

But the fact that words which tear down someone else in order to feel yourself built up are normal and common, even among Christians, does not mean that they are actually ok.

 

I recently had the opportunity to visit a large ministry with a number of people from different backgrounds and with varying abilities. 

It was amazing to see how they all worked together, and I’m not just talking about efficiency.

I’m referring specifically to their unity.

Any time a negative comment was made about a team member in any way, another missionary turned it around for good. 

At one point a disparaging comment was made about one missionary’s language ability, and another immediately jumped in with “but he has lots of other gifts”. 

This type of thing happened repeatedly during my short stay there. 

Boy, was I rebuked. Because edifying speech is not always the first thing to come out of my mouth. Nor is it common.

I continue to be thankful for God’s gentle correction in my life.

The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. – James 2:5-6

For some, the question might seem redundant, and the answer obvious: We practice medical missions to help people!

However, if you were to look around online, you would find a number of objections to medical missions.

Some object to the religious or philosophical grounds.

Others argue that it creates dependency.

Others reason that there cannot be sufficient post-visit care.

Some say that those giving the care are not always qualified.

A few might denigrate the motives of those offering their services.

 

I can definitely say that we have seen positive and practical answers to these and other questions during our years of medical mission clinics.

Here is a short video sharing a bit about medical missions:

We are very excited about the opportunities through our mini-medical campaign the last week of April.

Would you pray with us:

1. That God would prepare hearts to hear and receive His Word.
2. That God would give smoothness, safety, and health during the campaign.
3. That God would provide the approx. $2000 for travel and to purchase the medicines. (Giving can now be done online here!)
4. That God would save souls and they would be added to the churches.

Would you praise with us:

1. God has provided a doctor, a dentist, a nurse, and the possibility of others coming to help as well.
2. God has given us favor with the local health offices who are working on our permission and paperwork now.
3. God has given us many contacts where we can hold the clinics and then continue to make disciples of Jesus Christ.