NTM

CAMPING TO TRAIN FUTURE
MISSIONARIES
March 2009

Everything was ready for the missionary candidates’ trip to an Ayoré  community a couple hours away. They were going to build a shed a missionary to use during his visits there. I was chauffer and “director of affairs” but heavy rains made the road impassable.

So plan ‘B’ was enacted. Flexibility is a big part of missionary life. Tents were set up here on the back lot of the training center for an overnight camp out. A plastic shower stall was “built” and a cooking area arranged. A large tarp served as the “all purpose meeting place” with stumps and bricks for chairs. We had a colorful little campground. To add to the experience – it rained off and on all day .

Several students had never been in a tent much less camped out. I taught them some basic knots. Then showed them how to read a compass. Later I divided them into two groups; gave them some instructions and sent them out on a short hike. Both groups ended up with a bit of adventure.

The big crisis came cooking lunch. They’d forgotten the salt! (The plan was to act as if we were far from home out in the jungle, the students couldn’t come back to their apartments if something was forgotten.) As they worked through the fact that they’d have a couple salt-less meals, someone started making lemonade and realized another very vital item was missing…the sugar!! Now this was serious for all of them. That would mean no sugar for coffee either! I let them work through the “trauma” for a while then called Dee to bring salt and sugar to us. This was the issue that really impacted all of them. What would they have done if they were out where they couldn’t get salt or sugar—for a number of days?

Later they shared their experiences, feelings and thoughts. Their cultural differences quickly were noticed along with varying views on how to do things—even to preparing the food. All of the students said they were thankful that they had a “dry run”. They’d be better prepared for a real trip.

The Lord gave us the opportunity to visit with many old Ayore friends, coworkers, and speak at the church in their village. We had great fellowship, food and fun.  We were so thrilled to hear the testimony of a Chamacoco man who was saved through the ministry of two single ladies many years ago on a ranch far from here. His family came to help with the Ayore people some 30 years ago now and has been such a huge blessing. We got to watch the believers gather and several of the church leaders share and teach.  What a thrill to see what God is doing there. Please continue to pray for the part of the body of Christ that is among the Ayore.

One of the most exciting things to see among the Manjui people is the literacy classes being held and to see the women and children enjoying learning how to read.  This is exciting because as the bible is being translated it’s not much good if the people aren’t taught and excited about reading it.  So not only is the bible being translated but the people are learning and growing in their abilities and desires to read it and use it.

It was so good to see old friends that we worked with for years here in Paraguay.  Their diligence and love for the tribal people here just encourages and motivates us to press on as well.  Their example to us is something we want to copy and learn from.  And the food and fellowship was so so sweet as well.

Sitting around with the folks drinking terere and listening to new hunting stories as well as rehearsing old hunting stories is all part of the fun of being with the Manjui again.  They made it a point to express their sorrow that Ken had lost all of his hair.

This is Isnei doing his bible teaching by flashlight.  We thought it was interesting that they waited till dark to have their meeting but we were just so thankful to be there.  We were told this man teaches his children at home how to read and from the Word of God.

We got to meet a little Manjui boy who was named after Ken.  His grandpa seemed so happy to bring him and introduce him to us.  And we were very happy to meet him.  Pray for him and his family that God would use His word to change their lives.

One of our co-workers among the Manjui people in Paraguay wrote this today…

“This week we will be in town for a missions conference on animism. As the tribal people we serve all come from a belief system that is rooted in spirits and spirit worship, this is something that will help us as we share the truth with our friends. Later this month we will be going to the northern part of Paraguay with two Manjui believers. Our purpose is to see if this group of people whom we have heard of, speak the Manjui language. We would love your prayers for this group, as well as, for the Manjui church as they are part of the outreach to these people. ”

The response to the animism seminar was great.  One of the missionary teams responded like this…

“All people have a starting point, an ultimate frame of reference through which they view and relate to all of life. Quite simply it is either ‘the fear of the LORD’, as revealed in the testimony of Scripture, or someone else and their testimony that will serve as the ultimate frame of reference.” –Worldview Resource Group

Our hearts and thinking were constantly challenged this past week as we attended a World View/Animism seminar in Asuncion. We learned the importance of understanding the frame of reference through which the Sanapaná view and interpret everything in life. Understanding their frame of reference (worldview) helps us to understand what they value as being important in life, and how that results in the outward behavior that we observe. Understanding people at this deepest level of their being takes time and patience. But it is a must in order to be able to teach God’s Word in a way that helps them to clearly see God’s truth as opposed to what they have always believed to be true. The seminar has given us much food for thought. We along with our co-workers, the Holm family, ask for your prayers as we look to the Lord for the wisdom and patience we need in strategically and effectively bringing the truth of God’s Word to the Sanapaná people.

We arrived in Asuncion on the 14th of July and headed out to the Chaco to spend time with the missionaries out there and visit the tribal villages they work in.  What a privilege to hear what God is doing here.  We got to sit and drink terere with the missionaries who are translating the Manjui bible and with one of the leaders of the Ayore church.  Those are just two highlights so far.  We will fill you in more as our time progresses.

One of the things we will do while here is take part in a seminar on “worldviews”.  The following will help in understanding what it’s all about and it’s importance to tribal church planting.

Religions /Animism

This course introduces the pervasive religion of animism. This worldview forms the main underpinning of most folk religions. The module teaches the basic premises of animism and compares them to Christian Theism. Since animism permeates indigenous cultures, it is imperative that the church planter be aware of it in every stage of missionary work – from the initial contact all the way through the church planting process. Upon completion of this module, the church planter will be able to recognize animism in a variety of contexts, and will be equipped to properly address this worldview.

Worldviews

This course discusses what worldviews are, how they develop, how they function, and how worldview assumptions can be analyzed. The Gospel both accommodates (through contextualization) and confronts the cultural assumptions in any people group. The church planter will learn why it is essential to minister at a worldview level if one is to have an effective, ongoing church plant.

Today is Corpus Cristi Day and we went to the fruit market and ate lots of fruit.  No one seems to be able to tell us why but this is just what we do in Bolivia on this holiday.  So off we went for our “culture study” and enjoyed lots of fruit, sugar cane, and coconut milk.

“The beginning of February here in Bolivia is Carnival (Mardi Gras in the States) Many people believe that for 2 days God turns away and doesn’t notice all the “mischief” that they are up to. So for the days of Carnival they drink and party, play pranks on each other and have water balloon fights.

There are many parades and dancing in the streets, they even select a queen to reign over it all. All the festivities are infectious and since it is one of the hottest times of the year a parade that turns into a street-wide water fight sounds like a bunch of fun.

However, we know that one of the reasons they are splashing all that water around is to show their gratefulness to “Pacha Mama” (the mother earth) and to show her that they indeed have received enough rain for the year.

The traditional culture so easily has been mixed with the teachings of the dominant foreign religion which allows them this time of sin which can be atoned for during the lent season which fol­lows.

Please pray for us as we seek to understand these deep worldview issues that affect those around us.”

We were so encouraged to hear what the Lord is doing in and through local churches and his servants all around Latin America. We heard from tribal church planters, pastors and elders, tribal church leaders, and missionaries from many different countries.We were encouraged to let the name of the Lord be lifted up in our work, to focus on the goodness of God as we remember the history of Latin America and all God has done in the past. The importance of the diversity of the body of Christ and its potential, as we have open transparent hearts with one another as we work toward the future. We listened and shared prayer requests and then spent lots of time in prayer for each other.  We talked about a changing world and some of the challenges of living in unstable situations.  Yet the great privilege of working together to see tribal people reached with the gospel as we watch God work through cultural and language barriers.  We sang together and took part in the Lord’s Supper at the end of our time together.

Here in Bolivia is a place for discipleship that was started for helping the local church be equipped to complete the Great Commission. They invite believers to come and live and learn about tribal people and how to reach them with the gospel. There is a staff of about half “foreign missionaries” and half Bolivian missionaries. There is great hope that one day there will be many more of our Bolivian brothers and sisters involved in this task of reaching the unreached with the the Gospel? Pray to that end with us.  Here’s an excerpt from one of the couples who recently took a group to visit the center…

“Dwayne and I took a group of 12 people to the missionary training school. It’s is a place to train the Bolivians to be missionaries to their own people or other ethnic groups in Bolivia. What a trill for Dwayne and I to see these people with the desire in there hearts to serve God. Their biggest worry is that their churches wont get behind them and support them. Dwayne and I will be going around to their churches and explaining exactly what the training is about and how they can help. Please pray for each one of these people as they get ready to enter the training next year. They have a year to wait and lots can happen in a year.  Dwayne and I watched 8 children while the parents participated in classes. What fun it was to see them come out of the classes going, “WOW the classes are sooooo good!!!!” And then they would tell us what the class was about and then fun off to the next class so exited. I did not know that about languages. Or God showed the differences between Abraham and Lot in that story.”

Please pray for Javier and Lidia, Nancy, Efraim and Marillia, Carlos and Emilla, Juan Carlos, Rene, Jose, Jorge, Henry, and a teacher from the training schoon, David