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!!