Sunday June 18
Well, I have two weeks before I leave for the Amazon. Beyond all the logistics of what to pack, (like what I need to keep all the bugs away from me) I am extremely excited for what is ahead. With the entire preparation process I've taken on the motto 'out with the old and in with the new.' Along with getting needed supplies for the half a year I have been able to get rid of alot of 'stuff' that accumulates in a house over the years. Simplicity is certainly a lifestyle I see I will grow in. Overall it has been a great learning experience trying to figure out how to pack for six months on the Amazon River where I will be staying in the jungle for weeks at a time. The team of thirteen from First Assembly that is going for the first ten days is coming together quite well. Pastor Lastinger happens to be apart of this team and I think it will be great learning from a veteran missionary like him...he is like my spiritual grandfather. Until next time...
Saturday July 29
My first update on the field! Right after the team left I ventured on a trip to Tefe, Brazil where Ive spent the last two weeks (one of them traveling on a boat) so I have not been able to have much time to spend emailing. The time in Tefe was spent conducting a leadership conference for leaders across the region. Over 1,000 people attended the Explosion and as a result pastors that had never been united were united. Churches combined to put on the event and it was a huge success in uniting a community. So much so that the mayor of the community, who was known to be a really hard man, showed up at the event. Afterwards those who did not have Bibles were invited to the front to receive one. I dont think I have ever seen people so eager to receive a Bible...there was almost a riot when we ran out (just kidding).
But let me backtrack a bit to when the team from the States was here. While the team from First Assembly was here we quickly were immersed into Amazon life as we spent several nights in the indigenous communities.
Something that initially impressed me about the villages was their spiritual hunger. After we set up our tents in the most rural of conditions we had a service where the entire community showed up. At the end the tribe leader gave control of the community to the Lordship of Jesus. He prayed and asked God to be in charge. It was a beautiful sight to see.
Another night we were planning on showing the Passion of the Christ movie in one of the communities where there was a regional youth conference being held. About an hour into the movie it began pouring down some heavy Amazon rain in the darkness of the night. People fled and I thought it was over but the decision was made to continue the showing inside the church building next door. To my surprise everyone came inside (approximately 300) most standing for the rest of the movie and the preaching afterwards. After the preaching people responded with repentance and tears followed but a communal celebration that lasted until about midnight. They sang, danced, and the youth did something similar to a talent show...but it was all so joyful. I felt like I was witnessing something I've read about in the hightlights of missions stories and here I am writing it now. But that's not all. After I was finally able to get to sleep I was awaked at 5AM, not by the roosters, but by singing coming from the church building. As I made my way to the origin of the singing I found about 75 people singing and praying to God at 5:15 in the morning. It was great to see a group of people so open to God and to seeking Him like that , you should have been there:)
After the team left I felt the breaking away of an old way of life into a new one. Everything and everyone Ive ever known was left behind and I have had the opportunity to start over in many ways. A new people, a new structure of living (or lack of), a new leadership, and a new way of doing ministry. Of course learning a new language definitely is a huge part in the change as it makes you feel like a kid that is dependant upon everyone else for the most simplest of things. Overall things are great here. Honestry Ive probably grown more in learning about myself and others this past month than the past year. No time in my life have I sensed that God was actually as much my leader as now.
Tuesday August 1
Sunday I visited two churches in Leticia as I am in the process of finding a home church here. This was my first Sunday in Leticia. The next day I found out that the staff is in the process of planning for the next big conference in September. My assignment: Go down the Amazon River with Nelson and Elias for 15 days, visiting communities and informing them of the conference, also known as the Explosion. While on this adventure we will hold a mini-conference in one of the villages for the pastors and other leaders in the area. I will have the privilege of being one of the speakers along with Jaime (the director of the YWAM) at this three day event. The focus will be the power of the Gospel and the need to disciple the communities. Please pray for me during this time, especially Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I will let you know how everything went when I get back to Leticia.
Saturday August 19
I returned to Leticia a few days ago and I was very exhausted. El sol es muy fuerte! Plans changed, as they always do here, and a larger group went out on the River to minister in the communities. The initial team consisted of three people from the base; Monica, Valeria, and Nelson; two missionaries visiting from Orlando; Orchadie and Magie; and a pastor from Leticia. We took our journey down the river in the YWAM boat (not the rapido but the pecky pecky). The water level is the lowest it has been for years so we could not go down one of the tributaries that we needed to. We had to stop in a village and carry all of our supplies through a path that would lead us to the tributary on the other side. This was intense to say the least. As we were waiting for another boat to pick us up I saw a few macaws or wacamayas flying above which was the first time I saw some exotic wildlife in nature here.
We arrive in the first village, Cauides, where we would stay for three days teaching leaders during the day...and I mean ALL day, while simultaneously having childrens ministry with the kids of the village. Breakfast was at 7 or 8AM. Immediately afterwards the day started. Teach until lunch, of course a little ciesta afterwards, teaching for a few more hours, and then a night service with everyone involved. It was hard to stay awake in the heat of the day but the people were there for exactly what was being offered. I taught one day about discipleship; what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus. We looked at Jesusteachings and model for what He meant and the strategy He used to do it. I had a great time and more than that I really sensed Gods favor. Man is it good.
Jaime arrived halfway through the conference in the afternoon and was able to preach the night service. Many committed their lives over to God. If they had not been baptized they got baptized the next day. A total of eight people got baptized. Some of us may be used to spontaneous baptisms when people give their live to Jesus, it is the Biblical example we have, and we see it at First Assembly quite often. But what about spontaneous weddings! Those who were in sexual immorality were challenged to get married if they were serious. The next day we were able to witness three couples commit their lives to God and to each other in marriage. 
The last night was more of a celebration night but more was to be celebrated when the most evil man in the community gave his life to Jesus. The village was very excited to see this, especially the Christians since this man had been persecuting them.
After leaving Cauides we journeyed for another village, Doce Octubre, to start helping another part of the YWAM team (and two other visiting American) build water filters for the communities. About 2 hours in a rapido (a fast boat) and 2 hours in a pecky pecky (a small slow boat) we arrived just after dusk. We ate dinner, I played with a small monkey that Gregorio bought in a nearby village, set up our tents in the living roomof our hostshouse, and fell asleep. The next morning I woke up early and took a nice walk. We were deep into the jungle and it was so serence and peaceful to hear the exotic bird calls, the tropical fruit trees, the river, the huts...it was beautiful. It was an easy access to God that morning and to His guiding voice. He gave me specific direction in a way that will change the rest of my time here. I went back to the house and ate breakfast. I had the most delicious bananas I have ever had in my life in that village. They were small but muy rico. Since the team had already finished working on the filters we packed our things and traveled to the next village, Andrea, where we stayed for two days and one night.
At first the people in Andrea did not seem very receptive. The tribe leader, or curaka, was not there. We had to carry all of the supplies and tools up a huge hill in the sweltering sun. After being exhausted from carrying supplies we then built the water filters, which consisted of three large tanks of water built on stilts. In the evening we had a service. Many children as usual, but few adults. After the service we discovered that people in the village were scared of us because they thought we were there to cut their heads off. WOW!! This rumor started because about a year ago there was a village in Peru that was visited by some white people and they cut their heads off and threw the bodies into the river. The authorities never found who did it and since there were a number of white people on the team they thought we were there to cut off there heads. They also thought we were going to put the number 666 on their heads but I never found out how they thought that. After Pastor Jaime spoke with the person in authority next to the curaka, things went well and we were able to teach to a more receptive crowd. Afterwards they were so glad we had come there to teach them the Word of God they wanted us to come back. No one had taught them about God, they didnt have a church presence, and there were no believers according to my knowledge. By the time we left there were a number who decided to follow Jesus and wanted a church in their community.
We went to one more village called San Francisco,though it was nothing like the San Francisco in the States. It was similar in that the curaka was not present so we were not welcomed at first, due in part to a lack of communication from the curaka to the leader left in charge. We had to once again carry a large amount of supplies, not higher but longer, to where we would set up the tanks and where we would be sleeping. This village was much larger, cleaner, and a little more modernized (though I use that word very loosely). The routine was the same:set up the water tanks and then have a service in the evening. During the day I had to rest a little because the sun had drained all of my energy though I met a college student from Leticia doing her fieldwork in the indigenous communities. I learned about the recent history between the government of Colombia and the indigenous peoples. About 20 years ago the government told the indigenous people if they settle along the river to where they are easily accessible rather than migrating within in the jungle, and register themselves, the government would provide a number of resources to them such as free health care, social security, a water tank per house, education, buildings, and other funds. This sounded really nice but when I spoke with Jaime he said it doesnt always happen, especially with the smaller communities. We finished our work in this community and made our way back to Leticia. Right now we are working on preparing for the next Explosion Crusade; promotion, logistics, and meeting with pastors to bring unity (alot of reconciliation is occuring right now especially with pastors who have been jealous of other pastors). Ill keep you posted on what is going on here. In the meantime love Jesus with everything. He is worth it all and then more. For His cause and His cause alone shall we invest our lives.
Saturday August 26- Gratitude and Daily Life
In between going out into the communities I work at the missions base in Leticia. Right now I am getting used to life in another culture although the adjustment can be difficult at times and somtimes frustrating when you want to get things done and you are limited because of language or some other kind of restriction. The other night my roommate, Nelson, and I found a broken fan at the base and after about an hour we were able to fix it. Having a fan in a hot room made me feel more excited than a kid at Christmas. Small things like a fan, a cold drink of Coke, a dessert at dinner, etc. are big things here. One thing I have grown in is appreciation for many of the thingsI have in the states, whether possessions or other priveleges.
Since I am not very fluent in Spanish, my involvement in the preparation for the Explosion crusade is very limited. My job at the base is to assist the maintenance man, Pastor Alvero. Painting, raking, fixing roofs, and using a machete for more than chopping snakes in half. I actually cut the entire lawn with a machete, quite a time consuming task indeed. Washing clothes is also a time consuming task. Of couse you have to wash them by hand unless you want to pay about $5 a load. Every piece of clothing you have to scrub by hand which makes you appreciate being able to throw clothes into a machine and walk away. Here it takes about an hour to wash a normal load of clothes and if you go to the river for awhile you have alot of clothes to wash when you come back. Having your own stove, refridgerator with food, blender to make juice, bathroom, bedroom, etc. are all luxuries here (at least at the base where things are more communal). When I moved here I limited myself to about two suitcases worth of stuff. From a house of stuff to about two suitcases seems drastic. Yet I still have more than almost everyone else I live among at the mission base. As you could imagine simplicity is set at a much different standard here than in the States.
The daily structure: We have breakfast at 7AM followed by a devotional and staff meeting which could go until about 10:30. Work is until lunch which is at noon and then followed by a ciesta until about 2PM. At 2PM you go back to work until 5:30 leaving 30 minutes until dinner. After dinner you are free unless there is something urgent that needs to be done (like set up for a leadership breakfast promoting the conference). Saturday you have work (consisting of cleaning the houses and offices) from 8AM to 10AM, a short time for a meal, and then finish the work until about 12:30 when you have the rest of the day off to clean clothes, shop, practice Spanish, rest, pray, read, or whatever. Sundays are free which are great.
GIVE THANKS TO GOD ALWAYS.
Saturday September 23
A month later and here I am. Things have been extremely busy and I havent written anything because everything has been focused on preparing for the Explosion; preparing the houses for company, publicity (alot of publicity), and other maintenance related work. Not very interesting but through it all God has been developing alot of maintenance work in my heart which is good, to say the least.
Leading up to the event I worked on remodeling a bathroom that was going to be used by some of the visiting guests. When Latin people want to express hospitality, they express hospitality in more ways than I have ever known...to the point of completely renovating a bathroom to making it more pleasant for guests. That took a few weeks to do in itself. Although I have never considered myself very hopitable, looking back, this was a good lesson for me in becoming hospitable. Another task I helped with was distributing publicity. We would walk the streets and post flyers up in as many storefront windows and house doors as we could. This was a good opportunity to meet new people, get to know Leticia a little more, and of course feel the hot Amazon sun. It helped me fall more in love with this city, especially since I had been missing going out to the River.
When the time for the Explosion came so did all the people. People, with there pecky pecky boats, came from several indigenous communties along the Amazon River, people flew in from Bogota, and even several people from the States came for this event.
Nothing was really spectacular about the messages I heard but what followed the preaching was the confirmation of Gods Word with power. God really takes pleasure in honoring His Word and He did that after one of the night services. Before my eyes I saw people who had all types of sickness and physical problems made well. There were about three people who couldnt see well or who had not spoken in a very long time who regained their sight and began to speak. People who had not been able to walk well were able to run and jump around without any pain. Fevers were gone, tumors the size of melons disappeared, and various pains healed. God loves showing His Word is true by backing it up with His power. It was a beautiful sight to see the joy people had. There was one usher I saw who fell down some of the stairs and really hurt her ankle and wrist. She was in some pretty horrible pain but by the end of the prayer time she was able to walk on her ankle and move her wrist.
These miracles are so easy for God. I see that more than ever now. The most glorious thing is when a human heart gets changed. To me, to hear a woman who was depressed, on the verge of suicide, and had nothing to live for say, "I have peace and joy because Jesus is my Lord now," was just as amazing if not more. Also the opportunity I had to help and disciple Wil, a 13 year old visiting from the States, on his first missions trip, was another great excitement for me as well.
The Explosion has come and gone. There was a great down time afterwards where Ive been able to spend a good time relaxing with God and enjoying Leticia while developing relationships with the people here. I found a great nature trail with a 3 story lookout over the jungle and Leticia. This will be my new spot. I have developed very good relationships with outsiders which has brought great opportunities to learn about the culture and to really share my life more. Two of my best friends so far are a military pilot named Adrean and a business owner named Serapis.
The next mission for me is to go to Iquitos, Peru for about a week. I am leaving tomorrow with Pastor Jaime and Anthony. I will be staying with Anthonys family and he says I will have a chance to preach a few times in his church. Along with an opportunity to minister there will be a great opportunity to see how people live on a daily basis apart from a structured ministry routine. Please pray that God would give me the wisdom in leading me on what to speak about. Also that I would have the eyes to see everything He is wanting to show me at this stage of my stay here.
Overall this has been an extremely intense month, in every aspect; physically, mentally, and spiritually. Though things are difficult at times in communication (Ive had almost no time to study Spanish this month) and miscommunications occur even when I dont know they do, I dont think I would trade anything for this experience. I know I am exactly where God wants me. This is all I really need to know.
I will write you when I get back from Iquitos. And if I can get my computer fixed from crashing, I can post some pictures.
I also want to thank all of you who have sent encouraging emails. They remind me of all the people who are special in my life. There was one special email sent from the kids in childrens church at First Assembly with drawings and so many kind words. Thank you all. All of the letters were so special. One of them God used to speak to me prophetically and direct me to certain Scriptures. I think God is pleased with that and it certainly makes me feel special. Thanks. I can share more stories when I come back.
Monday September 25
Well plans changed like they typically do down here and I wont be going to Iquitos. Possibly I will go in a week from now but everything is on an 'If the Lord wills' basis.
I have been reading the book of Job lately and am so impressed with how nothing would shake his integrity. He lost everything he had and even those closest to him eventually despised him, but Job never waivered, his integrity stood the test. And what a test it was; his family was killed, his possessions were taken, his body inflicted, his status lost, and his best friends betrayed him. Wow. Like Peter, Satan wanted to sift him like wheat, and seemed like he did at points, but God would not allow his life to be taken. Jobs integrity stood strong. When the weak flee people like Job are still standing. I want integrity to stand and through testings avoid complaints. Good lessons to learn from Job. Just some random thoughts to add to this quick post.
Wednesday October 4
Well I have found out that tomorrow I will be going to Buenaventura in preparation for the next Explosion which will be October 19-22. I dont know exactly what I will be doing but I am working with a team of three others that will be there leading up to the event and I think it will be a nice time to have a change of routine while gaining a different ministry experience in a different place. One thing I want to mention about the preparation for this event is how God's provision really came through. There was a guy from the States that had committed to pay for all the expenses of the Explosion, which is about $12,000 dollars. But something fell through and he was unable to provide anything. This was found out on Monday. After bringing this situation to God the team prayed and fasted for direction. The next day all the needed money was provided through people who were willing to contribute to see leaders trained, people turn to Jesus, and the Kingom of God advanced. Really money and physical things like this are no problem for God...all things are possible for Him and all things are possible for him who believes. I think this is only one of the many lessons I am seeing played out here. Another update is that immediately after the conference Pastor Mike and Ron are visiting for about a week!! Wohoo, I am really excited about that. We are going to be able to minister alot in the indigenous communities and also to the YWAM team here. I am extremely excited about this and look forward to being able to share some really great stories in the next update.
If you would like to know here is a little information about Buenaventura:
Buenaventura is located in the department of Valle del Cauca of Colombia. It is on the Pacific Coast and is the main Pacific port for Colombia. It is a city with a population of 370,000 and it is the size of Los Angels' metropolitan area [which is alot bigger than Leticia]. The majority of the city's land is rural with scattered small villages. It is located a few miles from the western Andes' mountain range and the major city of Cali [which I might try to visit for a few days and meet with some of the people who were involved with the revival they experienced there in the 90's].
Wednesday October 8
After about a month of heavy traveling and ministering I am finally settled back down in Leticia. By far this has been the best month since I have been here in Colombia. Peopleslives have been deeply impacted and the Kingdom of God has been advanced. It has been so great to see this happen before my eyes. The adventure first began in Buenaventura:
BUENAVENTURA:
I left Leticia for Buenaventura, which meansgood adventure, on Thursday October, 5. One thing I immediately realized was how small of a town Leticia actually is. You can see the entire city from the air in about one minute. From Leticia Jaime and I traveled to Bogota,where we caught the next flight to Cali. Cali was like New York City compared to Leticia but what was more impressing were some of the stories about the revival they experienced in the 90s. One of special interest was when tens of thousands of people would fill the local stadium once a month for all night prayer meetings!! Talk about a prayer meeting. The next morning we rented a taxi for the 2.5 hour trip to Buenaventura. This was the most beautiful scenery I have seen since Ive been in Colombia; mountains, waterfalls, and rivers. I even saw someone with leopard tied to a post. If it was a pet or that nights dinner I dont know. Along with the beauty there was also high military security over this area due to guerrila presence. Out of the few dozen security posts we got stopped a couple of times and patted down. Despite the inconvenience it made us feel safe that the military was actually securing the area the best they could. Then finally, after the 2.5 hours, we arrived in Buenaventura.
The first impression was not so good. The weather was downcast and rainy the first five days or so. Not sight of the sun for almost a week. The weather with the view of dab concrete buildings
all around was almost depressing. But despite the initial shock to the surroundings I soon realized the people I met were some of friendliest people I have met. I cannot express how awesome the host family was. I stayed at their house the entire time and they cooked the best food, gave the best hospitality, and we joked around until late at night. Pastor Humberto, his wife, and three kids made the whole time so enjoyable and without them the ministry, my stay, and the experience would have been completely different. A true family of God can make a big difference. It was great to see this guy have family devotions and also wake up early in the morning to seek God.
My assignment for the Explosion was to stamp the Bibles that were going to be given out during the conference. So I faithfully took on the task and I eventually maxed out at stamping 1,600 Bibles in one day!! That was the record. The time preparing for the Explosion flew by as I was having a great time with the family, a lot time to study, and good time exploring the city. The Explosion soon came and I could tell from the start this one was going to be different. This was the first time the city was having an event of this magnitute, which caused the majority of the local pastors to unite together by meeting together, eating together, working together, and praying together in expectation for city transformation.
The first practical issue was that it had been raining constantly and the night evangelistic meetings were to be held outside. Nothing but prayer could be offered to change this situation. The day before the Explosion, guess what? The rain stopped and the sun came out for the first time in my being there. Rain and clouds surrounded the city but the city of Buenaventura had nothing but sunshine!! What a difference the sun (Son) makes! To me the city even looked beautiful now as before I thought it was the most ugly city I have seen. The conference began and immediately I saw a drastic difference with the improved quality of the speakers at this Explosion. The first night meeting (evangelistic) had a turn out of about 2,000 people. The second night about 4,000 and by the third night it had reached over 8,000 in attendance. Each night hundreds of people came up to the altar to commit their lives to following Jesus' commands. Dozens of people were healed at this Explosion, a significant increase than the one in Leticia or Tefe. About three or four people who couldn't walk threw their wheel chairs or crutches down and began to walk (some ran) on stage. There were too many people healed to bring on stage and share. It was a wonderful display of God's love and power.
On the third night I was asked to share a little from my life and the Word so before about 8,000 people I spoke about the Jesus revolution and how it has radically transformed my life. I gave my testimony and talked about forsaking all to follow Jesus and how He wants everything...nothing less. While I was on stage I could hear the 200 intercessors fervently praying behind me and it fueled every moment. Following this Jaime preached and gave the call for people to respond. Immediately over 500 people came forward to give Jesus everything and then a few hundred came to receive prayer for healing. Unknown to me there were three guerilla that had brought bombs in their hands. They were planning to throw them into the crowds near the stage. But when they arrived they decided to wait and listen to the music, the testimony, and the preaching. By the end they walked forward to begin the Jesus 
revolution, threw down their bombs, and went home with Bibles in their hand. Wow!! Amazing huh? To see people come with bombs in their hands and leave with Bibles in their hands. They experienced a different explosion than they were expecting.
During the Explosion event the city experienced noticable changes. No one went to the hospital, no one was arrested, and no one died. The citizens and the leaders of Buenaventura certainly noticed this and someone actually said if we kept praying the city would have to shut down the hospitals and close the jails. What an amazing testimony to the power of prayer. And really these people prayed. I already mentioned how there were about 200 intercessors behind and around the stage during the night events, there was also a designated room, during the day conference, where fervent prayers could always be heard. Prayer can in fact influence a city and this is significant evidence to prove it.
PASTOR MIKE AND RON'S TRIP HERE:
Following the Explosion I caught a taxi with the regional director of YWAM. So for about 2 hours I was able to learn about leadership structures/strategies and hear many stories from a guy who had been right in the middle of the revivals in South America during the 80's and 90's. I heard how meetings were held where hundreds were giving their lives to God, then thousands, and then tens of thousands of people. I heard stories about everything from church planting to discipleship. I felt privileged to be able to hear about these things from someone who experienced it first hand. Although things are different in the countries where alot of these awakenings occured there are still churches in places like Bogota that are seeing 4,000 people committing their lives to God every 8 days!!
Eventually I made it to the airport in Bogota and met with Mike and Ron. I cannot express how excited I was to see them. After months of anticipation they were finally here and after a brief five minute catch-up we boarded the plane and were off for Leticia. The ministry load was going to be busy. We were going to minister to the YWAM team and in an indigenous community on the Amazon. The first day set the pace for the rest of the week when we were hanging out at the missions base and prayed for a girl who was about to go to the hospital because of a migrane headache. After prayer she was better!
To minister to the team we started out by following Jesus' example of being a servant and washing the disciples feet. We did that and then Ron and Mike ministered inner healing. This was powerful to say the least and would continue throughout the week with the team. To bless the team we celebrated the great success of the Explosion by going to the best restaurant around, called Tres Fronteras located in Tabatinga. Shortly after we set out for the River where we were going to conduct a wedding in a Jagua community. The pastor was setting the precedent by being the first person in the village to have a wedding ceremony. The ceremony was more like a discipleship weekend where we watched 'The Passion of Christ' movie the first night and had leadership training the next day. Pastor Mike, Ron, and Jaime taught these sessions throughout the day and in the afternoon Mike and Jaime baptized 8 people in the Amazon River. That night we conducted the wedding ceremony. When the leader, the one who dedicated his village to the Lordship of Jesus the first month I was here, heard about the wedding, he decided to get married as well, so it ended up being a double wedding!! I had a great time in the community with Mike and Ron. We even played soccer with all the women of the community while wearing our waterproof rubber boots. That was quite a site to see; especially when I fell down off the court and tumbled down a hill while chasing the ball as fast as I could in rubber boots. This gave the whole community something to laugh at and thank God I wasn't hurt. It reminded me of the time when I fell through the floor of one of the churches in a community during the praise and worship. I broke the wooden floor and stopped the whole service. I couldn't do anything but wave my hands in the air and say, "I'm okay." I did feel bad I put a hole in their floor but I got over it when the pastor came and put a board over it.
After the community we went back to Leticia. Mike preached one night in a local church and one of my friends, Adrean the pilot, came for the first time and brought three people with him. Following the service we went out to eat with him and his girlfriend. During the dinner he talked about how much he liked church and could see there was somthing different with the people when they were singing to God. He felt something different. He didn't know what it was but he really liked it and said he was definitely going back to church. Man this guy is close.
During their stay here Mike and Ron encouraged everyone they came across and of all people I especially felt it. After the week was over Jaime made the comment that this was the best week the team has had all year. Now that is quite a statement. They expressed Jesus by loving, serving, and encouraging. Words are so powerful, God's words and our words. I saw that displayed during the week. It was such an encouragement to have them here I wanted to sneak in their suitcase and go back to Gainesville but knew I still had more time here. But it was a temptation. Mike and Ron, thanks for coming here. The team is doing better because of it.
INDIGENOUS PASTORS' CONFERENCE:
Immediately after Mike and Ron left there was a sectional pastors conference for all the pastors of the indigenous communities. About thirty people came traveling hours on the River in their pecky peckies. This was a two day conference which basically consisted of equipping them to be leaders in their communities through intstruction all day long. Never will I complain about another long class again. These pastors will sit for hours on end receiving training and instruction because it is such a scarce thing here. It is scarce and yet so desperately needed. I got to give a session on being an Acts 2 church. I spoke about the Church and about leadership. I gave everything I had in this because I saw the extreme importance of equipping local church leaders. This was one of the greatest moments in my time here; being able to pour out my life and a God given Word in leaders. They were receptive to the very last session and when it was time to leave they didn't want to. They wanted to hear us speak more!
Wednesday November 22
This past week I made my last trip to the communities before I leave the Amazon. It was bitter sweet because I knew I had completed what I was to do in the River communities but I know I will miss the experience and the people I have come to know. We spent quite a number of days constructing a church building in a community near Cauides. The sun was hot, really hot. However the situation was not as hot as expected. No one in the community really was involved in helping construct the building which caused an initial question in my mind. Involving local people in any kind of community project is the means of creating sustainability and creating ownership. We came to find out the pastor was not on good terms with the community. He was known to drink alot of beer and had been growing coca plants (for cocaine) in his chakra (gardin) and selling it to support his family. Wow!! This was not good but I had found this out after the fact so there wasnt much I could do other than pray in this desperate need for strong spiritual leadership. Overall there is a huge need for discipleship and training for pastors in the communities. They should be the ones setting the example of Jesus and how to live a righteouss life, full of integrity and character. But all too often pastors are not setting this standard. This week I heard of another pastor who was found to be a pedophile. He left the community and now the Church has not been meeting for three months. On the positive note I was able to enxhort the brothers I knew from the community to step up and continue meeting; reading the Word of God together, praying togeter, and discussing how to live out what they read. I think they were receptive to this, especially after one of the guys got healed after prayer.
Right now I am writing from Iquitos, Peru. This week I will be visiting several cities of this country: Iquitos, Lima, Cuzco, and then Machu Picchu. My dad was desiring that I go to Machu Picchu, the greatest archaeological site in South America, before I leave the Amazons and so to honor him I have embarked on this little adventure, which I am actually excited about with an anthropological background and all. But I am even more excited to see what spontaneous things come up along the way. It is a solo trip so cover me in prayer and pray God opens some doors up for ministry. I have already met this one guy, Juan, who has been very open. Ill keep you posted on things along the way if I can have access to the internet.
Tuesday December 12
Well here I am a few weeks after my Peruvian adventure. I was trying to rush back to Leticia by the first of December in order to make a conference in north Colombia, so this made my travels in Peru rapid yet enjoyable. I saw the most beautiful scenery in my entire stay in Latin America. Peru is definitely a spectacular country for its natural landscape and historic cities. I could write alot about the sites of mountains, llamas, rivers, Machu Picchu, 22 hr bus rides, and 12 hr. boat rides but the best thing was all the people I was able to meet. Being on a tourist route I encountered people from Israel, Germany, France, the States, and of course the locals. This was an excellent opportunity to speak to people in English, which has been a kind of rare thing in my life the past months. Everytime someone asked what I was doing in South America I was able to share how God brought me here and of the amazing power He has to redeem lives (of course explaining how He completely revolutionized my life and purpose for living). It was a great opportunity and looking back I see a large portion of ministry happened during these two weeks simply by living life and sharing it with people.
Im currently in Bogota with only three days left before my departure to the States. Man am I excited to finally see all of you again, my friends and family. I am also looking forward to coming back to First Assembly. During the past six months I have experienced some great fulfillment but also some great difficulties. All of it God uses to develop us and I think He often uses the difficulties and challenges we face to form us more than the easy times. Ive seen alot since Ive been here. Ive had the opportunity to preach before thousands but felt the most fulfillment equipping 20 indigenous pastors to lead their churches and pursue an Acts 2 Church. Ive seen dozens of people healed; from the crippled walking, blind seeing, and mute speaking but saw the deepest impact in discipleship when someones emotions were healed. Ive met pastors who have been apart of some of the greatest spiritual awakenings in South America but have also met pastors who were selling cocaine from their personal gardens and battling problems with alcohol and molesting children. Ive seen more needs than I could even count. Everything from people that can not lead to people who can not eat. This world is full of them and all God is looking for is people who are open to do whatever it takes and whatever they can.
Thank you all for walking with me through this with your support both prayfully and financially. This has not been my work but it has been OUR work in Gods Kingdom. Everyone has taken part in this. Every prayer was heard by God and every dollar was appreciated. Thank you all so much. I look forward to seeing you and thanking you all in person and sharing more of what God has done as these updates are only a piece of all the things that have occured. See you soon!!