PERU TRIP RECAP VIDEO

Here is the Peru Trip Recap video.  I hope the video footage helps you understand the trip and our desires for Peru.  Enjoy!

Bible Amulets - Peru Trip Part 2

Quechua woman in the highlands

In my two previous posts, I recounted our time in Iquitos, Peru.  To read about our time in Iquitos, click here.  I also posted a set of interesting pictures of Amazon life here. And, if you are wondering why we went to Peru, click here. 

Huanuco, Peru

If there is one thing that is certain about Peru, it's that Peru is a diverse country.  Within the same country there are enormous and beautiful jungles of dense rainforest, stifling humidity, and bugs the size of small pets.  Then there are the high mountains of the Andes.  Cold, steep, and windy, this area takes your breath away with its picture perfect views and it's 22,000'+ peaks.  These are the two dominating geographies with everything in between. 

The varying topography is matched only by Peru's diverse people.  Just as the Andes are uniquely distinct from the Amazon jungle, so too are the people that live in these areas of Peru.  As we left Iquitos with its distinctly Amazonian culture, we came to Huanuco, a city located at an elevation of about 6,000' that seems to be growing in population as fast as our elevation gain from Iquitos.  

Walking in Huanuco

Huanuco claims it has the best climate in Peru with highs between 79-81 degrees fahrenheit and lows between 48-55 year round.  In 8 years, this city has swollen from 72,000 to 175,000 people.  This is due to the influx of Quechua people from the surrounding villages.  There is a need for workers to come into Huanuco and teach, train, and give their lives.  

Left to Right (Anibal our translator with Dustin, Trevor and I)

Felix-(on the righ)

We met up with a national worker in Huanuco named Felix.  He, along with his wife, travel from Huanuco to Quechua villages that are between 1 and 12 hours away.  Felix primarily works with kids in 5 Huallaga groups (dialects of Quechua) along with his wife who teaches literacy in the villages. 
According to Felix,  within two years Wycliffe Bible Translators will have the Old Testament translated into three of the 5 different dialects that he is working in.

View looking back toward Huanuco

Felix was excited to take us to one of the villages he works in 2 hours away from Huanuco.  As we sped away in two small taxis and saw the city fade into the distance, I was struck by the looming mountains all around us.  It seemed like being in the Bear Trap canyon back in Montana, except for the various cactus and aloe plants flourishing on the hillside.  These mountains have never tasted the sweet waters of snow.  I wondered if they have tasted the Living Water?

We turned off the highway and began making our ascent up the dirt road as it wound its way up to our destination.  It felt like we were making our way up one of the logging roads I am used to in the States, with steep switchbacks, rutted roads, and muddy springs.  The only difference was that instead of a pickup truck, we were in a bald tired taxi the size of a Toyota Corolla.  

Our Taxi to the mountain village!

A spring crossing our path 45 minutes later came in handy for a much needed radiator fill up as we overheated the engine going up the mountain.  I was constantly amazed at the skill of our drivers.  In all our travels in Huanuco or Iquitos, we were expertly transported to our destinations despite the lack of such luxuries as tire traction or working dashboard gauges.  

Felix in the radio station 

We made it to the village in a little over 2 1/2 hours and  as we were ushered in, it was evident Felix had a great relationship with the people there.  He started the tour by showing us a little radio station that plays various dialects of Huallaga Bible reading, teaching and music.  This great ministry has gotten the message out to thousands of people in the surrounding highlands.  It was clear that the predominant need in this area is the need for teaching and training pastors and leaders.  They've heard the gospel, but they haven't had any training on how to read, study, or teach the Bible.  

Some of the people from the village who met us

As we left the small radio building, we were amazed to see dozens of people outside waiting for us.  We were told later that we were the first "gringos" or white people, to come to the village.  As we were being introduced to the village by Felix, he made it known we were exploring Peru with the intention to be long-term missionaries.  

Talking with some of the men in the village

A few of the leading men started speaking very fast, and we caught some words like "here" and "house".  We heard through our translator that the village believes we should come to their village and teach.  They then offered to build us a house so we could live with them for a year while we teach them from the Bible.  It was amazing to see that even though they have some idea of the gospel, the leaders want to be able to know how to study the Word of God for themselves, so they can help others know the Bible and the "Who" of the Bible.  We didn't inform the leaders that our three families have thirteen kids between us and would spike the population of this little village 20-40%!

Heading back to city

As we made our way down the mountain towards Huanuco, I thought of the little village that is desperate to be taught!  It made me think of the pastor in one of the other villages Felix works in, that can't read, so his grandson reads the Bible and then interprets what he read.  This pastor can't study the Scripture himself, he can't look at the structure of the writing, or the context of the passage.  How can you see what was meant by the author if you only read a few sentences?  Imagine turning to the middle of Moby Dick and trying to interpret what is going on by having someone read a few sentences! 

THE BIBLE AS AN AMULET
Felix also shared with us how evangelical work done in the past has created syncretism- the combining of two opposed religions.  Well meaning Christians came to various areas of the highlands and handed out Bibles to Quechua people.   These workers were telling them the power of the Bible and giving the gospel too.  But since these Quechua people were not taught how to read or to study the Bible in order to understand what God says, they treasured the Bible as a powerful book in and of itself.  

On the way to the Quechua village

They began to integrate the Bible into their daily life, not as a book to know and by it's words understand the salvation and freedom Jesus gives, but as an amulet of great power to ward off evil spirits.  Felix continued to relate how they attach Bibles to their backs as they work in the fields or wherever they travel.  This idea fit with their understanding that all things have a spirit, and if this is indeed a powerful book, it would protect and save them.  What they had not been taught was that it isn't the Bible itself that protects, leads, and saves, but the God who has revealed Himself through the books of the Bible in the person of Jesus!

View from our hotel roof

As we returned to Huanuco and thanked Felix for helping us see the need in the villages surrounding Huanuco, I felt a great sense of thankfulness.  Here is a man that is faithfully working with no fanfare, no accolades, no website, or blog.  He is just doing the work God has entrusted to him.  He is one worker, virtually unknown to everyone except the One who knows all things.  My heart rises with anticipation when I think that one day every believer will join together and worship Jesus and will be amazed at the perfect plan of God to use jars of clay to accomplish this ministry by the mercy of God!  But the need seems almost overwhelming.  Felix is just one man in a sea of villages.  Who is sufficient for these things?  Not Felix.  Certainly not me, my family, or our team.  But our sufficiency comes from Christ.  So we do not lose heart!  Please take a moment and pray for the needs in Huanuco and Iquitos!  Thank you!! 

       

Fun in Iquitos- Part 1 1/2

Boats ready to go up and down the Amazon River

The last post I did was about the amazing need in the Amazon jungle area of Iquitos.  Click here if you want to read that post.  But as I prepare Part 2 of of our trip in Huanuco, Peru, I thought it would be great to add the lighter parts of Iquitos and the Amazon River area.

So here is a summary of the funny, strange, or random things that we saw and did in Iquitos and the surrounding area! Enjoy!

This was an old ship at the edge of Iquitos.  I think it was TITANIC VI

Then we saw TITANIC VII

Definitely the weirdest nativity scenes I ever saw!

This was Dustin and I battling in futbol with some pastors.

This is my highlight reel.  The truth is the ball stopped in the water and I did nothing!

Theses are actual piranhas from the river.  Didn't make me want to swim in the river.  

Looks like a nice place to have a date with Brita. No toes in the water.  See picture above.

This is the local Amazonian market on the river.

And this is well.... "suri"

Yep, beetle larva.

And if you don't believe me that they are eaten right off the stick...

Yep, I was fully satisfied with others enjoying this great delicacy.

A Caymen.  Like a small alligator.  And other stuff..

I've had escargot before, but these are huge!

Sweet and sour Suri if you don't like your food on a stick :)

Next up is Part 2.... Huanuco.

Also be looking for our video recap this week!

Peru Trip - Part 1

Nueve de Octubre

A summary of 24 intense days in Peru seems a bit overwhelming!  How can I capture the sights, sounds, feel, taste and smell of the trip?  

Well maybe not the smells, but I want to lay out for you in the next couple of blog posts, the work being done in Peru, the great need there, and what we (Trevor, Dustin and I) were able to accomplish in these 24 days.
 

The two overarching themes of this trip were:

• Syncretism (the blending of two religions to make a third distinct religion)  
• Answered prayer.  

Everywhere we went we saw these two themes.
 

The first leg of our trip

We started the trip with an uneventful flight from Lima to Iquitos. Iquitos is in the Amazon River Basin and is the largest city in the world that can't be accessed by vehicles.  The only way to get there is by boat or flying. So the major highways of this area are not asphalt roads but mighty rivers.  

The taxi of the Amazon!

The "low water" of the Rio Marañon

 We connected with Brandon Carroll in Iquitos.  He is a missionary in Iquitos who is training men who will be leaders, pastors, and missionaries in Iquitos.  The amount of syncretism in this area is staggering!

Brandon recounted to us that he recently struck up a conversation with a lady in the city.  They started talking about Jesus and who he was.  It turned to the supreme power and authority of Jesus and the evil of witchcraft.  This woman laughed at him.  She said that she was a tarot card reader and almost half of her business comes from "pastors" who want to know the future.    
  
He also shared that last year a group of "pastors" brought a prophetess in to Iquitos who did some incantations with blood and animal sacrifices to bring more people into the churches!  He said this blending of animism (all created things are gods and we need to appease them) and Christianity is rampant.  Brandon pleaded with us, "there needs to be training and discipling in this city!"   

A picture perfect scene as we depart to see the start of the Amazon River! 

We also met with some of the missionaries that are going into the villages along the Amazon River and its tributaries.  They are spreading the gospel in these remote areas.  The cost to travel up and down these rivers makes it difficult to travel and really isolates these villages from the gospel and discipleship.
        

Me, Dustin, David, Pedro,Saelo, Brandon, and Trevor

Pedro (pictured above center right) was a wealth of information on the work that he does in this area and the great need for missionaries to train and go with him into the villages along the Amazon and it's tributaries.  


He recounted a story of being deep in the jungle with his brother. He didn't like the jungle work because it was so hard (and 

The massive headwaters of the Amazon River!

Pedro was no wimp; he had been in the Peruvian marines and a fisherman on the Amazon most of his life).   Getting there, he said, is difficult.  It takes many boats, canoes and days of hiking to get to these remote villages that want to hear about Jesus.  In fact, Pedro almost gave up going into the jungle at all because of this.  But his brother persuaded him to continue the work with him.  Pedro remembers his brother reminding him that this work is critical!  These villages have no access to the message or any way to be taught about who Jesus is and what it means to be a follower of Christ.  Who is going there?  So they continued the work.   

A girl looks out at us as we step into the village Nueve de Octubre

As they were sharing the gospel in one village deep in the Amazon, Pedro's brother was stung by something and became very sick.  Pedro then set off with his brother on his back to get to a hospital.  He marched with his brother on his back for 17 days to get to a speedboat!  His brother died three days later in a hospital.  As Pedro was telling this he paused at this point, we could all see that he was remembering his brother as if it were yesterday.  Just before his brother died he pleaded with Pedro to continue the work in the jungle.  They need the message of Jesus, and they need to be taught.  Feed them!

One of the kids of Nueve de Octubre

He paused, then said it has been a joy to continue this work.  "Even when I was in the jungle and my daughter was very sick and died at 22, I was confident in the sure hope of the gospel.  My daughter always encouraged me to go!  

We then asked him if there is a need for missionaries like us to come?  "Yes!"  There is a great need for people to come and labor with us!  No one is going into the jungles, no one.  He pleaded for us to come and train missionaries and go with him into these villages.  

A Peke-Peke.  Most common way to travel along the river

So Pedro continues the work along with Brandon, to reach and teach the people along the Amazon River!  I'm humbled to see men like this, men who you will never hear about in a book or on tv, but who are faithfully doing the work God called them to.  This was a direct answer to our prayers- to see the need in Peru and the work being done by those laborers who love Jesus. 

We were also able to go to a village with Brandon that he is building to train others to go with Pedro.  The village is named after the day it was founded; Nueve de Octubre (which is common along the Amazon).  Click here to see its location on google maps.

Neuve de Octubre

This village is about 30-40 minutes from Nauta and is getting more modernized every year.  It is a strategic point between the city and the unengaged tribes along these rivers.  The village is begging for this training facility and Brandon is also begging for missionaries to come and train these men who want to go into the heart of the Amazon, but have no training.

Some of our entourage in the village :) 

Last fall, Brandon and Pedro went up river towards the border of Ecuador.  It took 2 days of travel with two huge outboard motors running constantly to get to the start of a set of villages that are completely unengaged.  There is no way to fly there effectively and the cost for that trip was over $4,000 to get there and back.  It was fruitful but again the barriers of the hard-to-reach are unengaged for a reason!

The reality is that there is so much to do!  Please pray with me that the Lord of the harvest would indeed send laborers into this field! Pray that God would move hearts to pray, go, and give for those who have little to no access to the truth and want to know and be taught! 

There is so much more I could say!  Hopefully we can tell you more of this work face to face.  We would love to do that!

The next post will be on the second leg of our trip, Huanuco, Peru! 

My "classic missionary" picture :)