My Toto Moment- Day 5 in the Jungle-Part 2

In the evening, we went to hve services at Los Palmas. Robert had taken a group to a town called Indiana, so we had one boat for too many people and stuff. The sky was overcast and it was raining slightly. It's REAL(I use "real" instead of "really" on purpose. I now know what dark is) dark in the jungle, but when there is not ambient light from the moon due to clouds, it is extra dark. It's the only time I ever felt in danger.

At one point, because we could not see well(the dark just sucks up a flashlight) and we could not turn well (because of the weight on the boat) we almost ran aground. I was on the front bench and had a clear view of it all. "Why is this so scary?" you ask.

One week before we arrived, a river bus made for 150 people had 250 people on it. They ran aground in a night storm. 120 died. 20 were never found. That was 2 miles from our lodge. It was a reminder that we were far from home or help. It brings to my mind the song "Send the Light". "Let us not grow weary in the work of love, send the light." There are people here who live in darkness. Send the Light.

We made it to Los Palmas and had a great service with the strongest group of believers here. We went home in the rain. Jess and I rode back in a "pecky-pecky".

Since the "misunderstanding" about the new church building was cleared up, the services were extra sweet. Fellowship is sweet when it is in the Lord.

Day 5 in the Jungle- Part 1

VBS today was at La PrimeraZona. There were so many! One class had over 30, 2 classes had over 20, and the tiny tots had 17. It all went well and we have new friends. We will do services there tomorrow night. We returned home in the rain (30 minute boat ride).

In the afternoon, we returned to our dear friends at Yanayacu Timicuro to give glasses and toothbrushes. I got to watch Frank talk with my friend Alfredo. Alfredo just has too many questions. He is a thinker. I take solace in knowing that when a stubborn person finally is saved, they become stubborn for the Lord.

It is so hot in the afternoons that we can't stay long, so we left. Norwi walked me and Jess to the end of the long bridge and we said our "chiaos". We rode back in the rain.

{Funny Story: One of the boats had gone for supplies, so some of us had to wait for it to return. The only one left was the uncovered boat. A whole crew (HEATHER included) got into it thinking "We don't have to wait, so ha!". As soon as they got out into the river, the boat died. As soon as the boat died, they bottom dropped out!!! It was hilarious!}

Day 4 in the Jungle- Part 3

In the evening, we went back to Yanayacu Timicuro for a service. Norwi met us at the bridge. She's cool (I'm just saying). The worship was great.

I didn't get to hear the sermon tonight. I was outside talking to Alfredo. He and I made friends the day before when he fed me and Mike Yoho some homemade empanadas. They were good. I was talking to Alfredo about being saved, but he had some hang-ups. He noticed hypocrisy among believers in the village. He knows now that salvation is between him and God and no one else. He also noticed how many people teach works for salvation. He now knows scripture that says its a gift. He knows clearly how to be saved, but wanted to read more about it. He and his wife Carmen are lost. I told him that I would pray for him I said I wanted to have a new brother and sister in Christ before I leave for home. Pray for Alfredo and Carmen. {The next day, Frank had the opportunity to talk with Alfredo. We learned that he was not from this village. He has 2 brothers who are preachers. One is a good man, the other left his wife and started drinking. He is caught in between their examples. When the Lord saves Alfredo, he will do great things. he still wouldn't accept Christ. Man I want him to be saved!!!}

After services, 3 (I think) were saved! One of them was Edith. Edith is Norwi's mom. Praise God!!! I pray that their family tree just changed!!

Day 4 in the Jungle- Part 2

In the afternoon, most of the group went to a new village called PrimeraZona with supplies. A few of us, while they did that, got to go back to Los Palmas in order to investigate this new church(building).

We went to the house of the leader named Anderson. The house was full! At first, we thought it should be a private conversation, but Anderson brought up the building immediately. This was where Robert was planning to do the most, until he saw the church building.

They were very defensive to start with. The believed, because we did not return after the first day(while that was our plan all along), that we were mad about the church. They were angry, but not at us. The group that built this church claimed to know Robert and others from the November trip. They lied! The people were so anxious to serve God that the devil(that jerk) pulled the old "bait and switch". These people built the building and came back only once to dedicate it. They baptized all the people, called Anderson the pastor, and left!!!! That's one style of church planting (I guess).

We assured them that there was no animosity between us and fellowship/friendship was restored. It is truly amazing how spiritual fellowship is apparent no matter the language or the culture.

As Robert explained that we didn't want to cause friction between them and the other group and that we would use the school for services, Anderson's wife was "chompin' at the bit". She said, "When you left in November, I prayed for God to supply us a house and He did. That is the House of God. It doesn't belong to them or us. Let's use it". She's in fire for God.

She also said something that made it all worthwhile. She told Robert, "You were the one who loved us enough to come and give us the gospel. You were the one who loved us enough to come back. We are with you".

A big thank you to Robert for letting me report at dinner. After all this, I was ready to pop!

Amen.

Day 4 in the Jungle- Part 1

We went back to Yanayaacu Timicuro for VBS today. It was a great experience. This village was smaller and more organized than Timicuro Grande. We also waited today to give the gifts until the end of the day. In Timicuro Grande, we started giving small gifts to the children too soon and started a munchkin riot!!! I never knew I was a magician, but I opened a bag of candy and it disappeared!!! When you have/give stuff, it can become about stuff. That's just human nature.

We met one of the friendliest little girls today. Her name is Norwi. I'll mention her more later.

As I said, VBS went well. Everyone seems to have, somewhat, cozied into their niches. I'm the music man, so that's what I know about. I think it went well. Each day my Spanish is improving. I can lead people; not just sing but lead. When I came here, I was trying to be easy and only sing songs they knew. It it me that that is not me. I'm the smiling jerky music leader who sings NEW songs. :) Today we learned "How Great is Our God" (Cuan Grande es Dios). I believe it is now one of their heart-songs.

After VBS, most of us played with kids while others witnessed. Norwi took Jess and me and gave us about 50 (it felt like) different flowers! She put them in our pockets and in our hair. She calls us her amigita and amigito. SHe is awesome. Remind me to tell you more about her tonight.

In order to get to and leave Yanayacu Timicuro, we had to walk a long bridge with about 1,000 tarantulas. We only saw two though.

Day 3 in the Jungle

I am sitting outside this morning listening. This isn't really a report of our work here, but it needs to be said.

On my left, a man is listening to music and is sobbing in worship to God. On my right, a group of seminary students is playing guitars and singing praises to God. All around me people are studying the Bible or talking in that special way that is saturates with spiritual fellowship. The amazing thing is that it is not even time for breakfast!!!!

Praise God for His ability to grab and hold the hearts of so many different kinds of people. When we are united in one purpose, not seeking to glorify anyone or anything but God, the Holy Spirit makes life so sweet.

Day 2 in the Jungle

Today was more of a down day. We were going to go to the Indian Village but couldn't due to rain. It's ok. It was just touristy stuff anyway. Instead, we went to another village called Yanayacu Timicuro. We walked along a long bridge and saw a small tarantula.







At the first house we came to, the owners had a pet anaconda. It was only about a meter long. God must have brought me here, because I never even lost my breath! I touched it! If you know me, you will see this as an act of God. We went to a man's house who brought crafts from all the other villagers. Jess and I bought a blowgun.

We returned to the lodge for a special treat. In the jungle, no one is married. They say it is only for the rich in Iquitos. But, they want to be married. So, for Julio and Malita (the couple who ran the lodge who have been together for years and have 4 children ages 22-16), we had a wedding. Lisa brought news clothes for Julio and Malita. I had the privilege of tying his tie. She decorated the patio area with beautiful fresh-picked flowers. Joe and I sang "Cuan Grande es Dios" as a special. It was fun. Somehow, as he played the guitar, I played drums on an old drum and a small glass while singing in spanish. God truly empowers, even in the smallest ways.





A small group of men left today for another group of villages. They are planning for future ministry. Thinking about them sleeping on the ground for 4 days makes my rock-hard bed seem comfortable.
For the last activity of the evening we had a testimony service. It is so obvious when the Holy Spirit anoints a group of individuals. I was on Nyquil, so whatever I said, I hope it was ok!!!!


Oh yeah.....The Devil is a Jerk!!!!

Day 1 in the Jungle Part 3

That evening we returned to Timicuro Grande for a church service. All the people came and were excited to hear the Word. We sang a few songs in English as a special and then we sang a few songs in Spanish.

Frank Moreno preached as one anointed by God. He preached on the Fruits of the Spirit. In total, 4 were saved on the night. One was Roger. Roger is a blind teenager. He now says he wants to be a preacher!

My friend Mike Roberts had a great experience. He lead someone to the Lord who did not speak his language. God is so good! After service, we passed out glowsticks to the children. We gave them toys, but they took them as lanterns for the walk home. Chris also lead a boy named Rafael to the Lord. More to come about Rafael.

We are finding that many are already saved. We expected to find this. Frank's preaching has strong evangelical tones, but it is centered more on teaching. Our mission is this trip is to help them grow roots.

I spent most of my evening taking to Kevin and Silver. They both are save, so I tried to build relationships and encourage them. I have acquired a summer cold with a nasty cough. Silver took me to a nearby tree and gave a toronja. It is like a lime the size of an orange, but 10 times more acidic. He said it would help my throat, and it did.

As we left in the pitch black, we saw families in canoes pulling reeds along the river with no lights to get home. What a desire to hear the Word of God!!!

Day 1 in the Jungle Part 2

Los Palmas is where we intended to have our Sunday Morning service. The first thing we saw when we arrived was a building that read "Evangelical Church". As this was to become the center of our work here, we were worried. The pastor was not there to question.

I and a small group of men went up river to a close village. Robert knew of a church and he wanted to know there thoughts in this new church house. We went into a meeting house with the pastor and elders but had to leave in a hurry due to the swarm of black bees!!! Robert ran out like a scalded monkey! So we walked to the church house.

We walked through their banana grove. They were all 25 feet high and full of bananas. In the church, we and all the people sat. Robert quickly questioned the pastor about basic doctrines and we soon found that we had brothers and sisters in Christ in that place. They knew little about the new group in Los Palmas. When we finished, as we sat on wood plank pews, the pastor prayed over us. When he said "amen", all the people rejoiced, clapped, and shouted, "Gloria a Dios"(Praise God).

On the trip home, the sky was painted with a complete rainbow. As we rounded the corner, we saw an Amazon sunset. To top it all off, up river we saw 3 pink dolphins. They are elusive, but not that day. God truly smiled on our excursion.

There is still more to this day, but bite-sized pieces go down easier.

Day 1 in the Jungle

The first full day in the Jungle was amazing!! We have a small hut with 2 rock-hard beds. It was cool waking up to the sounds of the jungle (and Julio's stinking rooster..lol). We had breakfast and quickly went to a village called Timicuro Grande. In each village there is a school house. It is like a meeting hall. The best way I think to describe it is like "Little House in the Prairie" in the jungle. No electricity. Town built around a schoolhouse. One teacher teaching all the grades.

We held a one day VBS. The children flocked to us like little moths to light. The good nature of these people is refreshing. Others taught classes and I lead music. Because of my job, I had the opportunity to move around and visit.


****When we decided to come on this trip, I told God that I wanted to speak for myself. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit, my spanish is firing on all cylinders. My vocabulary needs to improve, but I find myself being used as a translator at times. God is Power****

In the afternoon we went to Los Palmas. We met with the people and gave reading glasses to the people. If all you have is candle light, your reading eyes go quickly. It is such a blessing to give many of these people their first opportunity to see a Bible's words in years! We gave them eyes to see the Word of God, God will give them ears to hear!!! Jessica also had the opportunity to give all the people toothbrushes. She gave a short speech on proper techniques. A toothache with no care can ruin a life. I'm so glad God used her and her desire to fill this need.

I have more to day about this day, but I'll try to keep it in readable snip-its.

Day 6- Macchu Picchu Leg--To the Jungle

We arrived in Lima. It was a day of relaxation, for the most part. We met the Michigan group. They traveled in Lima while we were in Cuzco. They passed out bibles and ate some cow heart!! We checked out the plaza and had the opportunity to experience a Burger King/Pizza Hut. While at lunch, a girl named Sarah from London looked at us and asked, "Do you believe in God?". Heather and Jessica had the opportunity to witness to her. She head a gospel presentation and told them they made her day better. Pray for Sarah.

With the group, we had a "meet and greet" of sorts. The fellowship was great. While there are some strong personalities on this trip, the Holy Spirit is working wonders at keeping us in one accord. I know God is amazing in the jungle, but it is when He works in ways like that that I truly experience His love. He wants us to be one unit.

We are flying to Iquitos in the morning. We had a good tourist leg of the journey. Now we are ready for the reason we came!

Also, pray for Ivan. He was the Michigan group's guide. They made sure he knew of the love of God and the way to receive it.

Day 5- Macchu Picchu Leg

All day in Cuzco. Flat on my back with altitude sickness. So much for this day!!! It feels like a week's worth of flu in a day!!!

Day 4- Macchu Piccu Leg

Words cannot describe the beauty of Macchu Picchu. That sentence also seems to inadequate.

It is a city built on a peak called "Old Moutain" (Macchu Piichu) under another peak called "Great Mountain (Huayna Picchu). I've seen some things that I thought were beautiful, but on Macchu Picchu I found that my eyes could not look away while my heart would not rise from its humbled state. the urge to pray or sing unsettled y soul the entire day. That is a great unsettling!!

Robert took pictures last year, got home, and erased them. He said they did it so little justice he couldn't stand it. I understand, but here are some of my pics.



While in town, I had the pleasure of eating Alpaca. It was not bad (but there is a reason we eat beef!!!). As we finished eating, a parade came down the street. There were little girls dressed beautifully and boys dressed as terrible demons. They were carrying a "saint" on a litter through the streets. I asked our waiter Jorge what was happening. He said, "those Catholics do this". "Those Catholics", I thought...hmmmm. I asked him what he believed. He lived a time in New York, so he saw Jews, Christians, and Muslims. He told me how they all agreed on one thing...God. So, he just believed in God. We quickly discussed John 14:6.

He told me he wanted to believe in Jesus but couldn't be sure. He is now the proud owner of a Santa Biblia with any verse I could think of underlined and earmarked. He genuinely seemed willing to consider it. Pray for Jorge.


At the end of the day, we took an hour and half train ride and a three hour bus ride back to Cuzco. It was late so all we could order was (you guessed it) pizza. I think it was the best pizza ever, but I was starving. Alpaca doesn't really stick to the ribs!!!

Day 3- Macchi Picchu Leg

I am in my room with Jessica on a balcony overlooking the Urubamba River. It only took a 2 hour plane ride to Cuzco, 3 hours of rest (for the altitude---Cuzco 3rd highest city in the world), an hour and half bus ride to Oyantaytambo, an hour long bus ride to the train station, and an hour and a half train ride (to cover 17 miles). We met the DC group for the first time.

Funny Story: The roads are made for one car at a time ( who am I kidding, they're made for llamas). Our driver to the train station met another car. Someone had to give way and back up to the nearest wide place. So, for 30 minutes we sat as the 2 drivers argued, neither willing to move. God is in Control!!!!

When we finally arrived at Aguas Calientes, it was dark. We were waling along the river to our hotel. I stopped, truly in awe of the this beautiful river with giant boulders that God alone must have paced there by hand. Ross says, "Cory, look up". I look up and, literally, 100 yards in front of me is a mountain a mile high!!! There were peaks all around us! God spoke to my heart, "Do you see how easy it is to miss a mountain?". So many things take our focus; some good, some not so good. It could be delayed travel or a beautiful river. Regardless of what take our attention, I never want it to distract me from the Awe-Inspiring!!! It is always there, just look up!

<-----The Mountain I Missed

Pray for our guides Roger and Eloisa. They are now the proud owners of a copy of John and Romans. Eloisa is Catholic and Roger didn't seem to know what I meant when I said "Bible". I showed him Romans 10:9. I pray it will break his heart.

God, be Thyself. Amen

Fligt to Cuzco

As I sit on an incredibly turbulent plane looking out at a beautiul view of the Andes, my minds really wants to go to some obscure Bible verse. You know? The kind that shows how well I know the Bible? Thankfully, my heart is humbled even when my mind is not.

In my heart, all I can hear is , "God created the heavens and the earth". How, with only the power of His voice, He brought this forth...I can't begin to imagine. It makes all the conversations I've had about creation, the Gap Theory, or even the Big Bang Theory seem so foolish.

To think, not just God, but of the Savior part of the Godhead it is said that He, "made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His Father's glory and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power..." is truly awe-inspiring. He not only created this view, He holds it even now.

Check out Job 38-41. It will help you experience my heart at this moment.

Day 2- Macchu Picchu Leg

I am sitting in a small hotel room looking out at Lima Peru!!! It took another entire day of travel, but God brought is here in His time. The day was a mixture of relaxation, annoyance, and exhaustion.

I have decided to give this trip to God. I saw a man sitting across my aisle and decided to witness to him. Apparently I am a wuss subconsciously, because everyone else in my group saw signs that he was a believer!!! His name is Billy and he was on his way to Iquitos for a medical mission trip.

While on the flight, I sat between to elderly Peruvians. The man was the same age as my Pappaw would be. It was such a blessing to help him. He was feeble and traveling alone. He cared little that I couldn't understand him. He asked me questions(although he couldn't hear the answers...lol).

I can feel the devil in Lima. God bless Jeremiah Carson (m missionary friend) as he works here.

Day 1-Macchu Picchu Leg

Well, we managed to make it to Miami from Dallas. Our flight was over 2 hours late resulting in a missed connection to Lima. We got bedded down around 3 AM and our next flight is at 7:15 PM. So........ Miami it is.
So far it has been kind of fun. We were able to meet a youth group from Kansas going to Bolivia to build day cares for impoverished mothers who need to work to survive. We also ate at a place called Miami Subs. Interesting, to say the least. Our food ranged from hot dogs to pitas to Philly Cheesesteaks to pizza. It was about 2 AM and the place was filling fast with what looked like thugs. I'm not just being a country mouse, they really looked the part(even more so at 2 AM!!!). As I formed my stereotypes (and being the eldest man in the group at the time, my caution flags were going up more easily than normal), they were shattered when this group of thugs got together and prayed over their food. In spite of the stress and annoyance of travel, God keeps showing that He is still there.

The Playbill

I recently went on a trip with Youth Frameworks to the Peruvian Amazon. God did some great things there and showed ways that He desires to do an even greater work. For the next few days I will be putting my journal on this blog. After that, who knows???!!! Before I started with the first day, I wanted to give a little back story about the parts and players.

We began the trip with a side trip to Macchu Picchu.(That is why it will sound like a mini-vacation at first).



These are the people who went.
Texas
Cory- Me
Jessica- My Amazing Wife
Heather- My Amazing Friend
Candice- My Other Amazing Friend
Robert- The Founder and Leader of Youth Frameworks
Dakota- Recent HS Graduate and Niece to Robert
Mike Roberts- Pastor of Sunset MBC in Marshall
Josh- Mike's Son and my Friend

Oklahoma
Ross- College Student/Latin American Studies

DC Area
Mike and Debbie Yoho- Pastor and wife of FBCGV
Frank and Vivian Moreno- Both are native speakers and Frank did the Preaching for the Week
Andrew- HS Senior

Yankees- Michigan Illinois
Chris
Ryan
Joe
John---All are seminary students and pastors or preachers
Lisa Gee- Brains of the VBS Operation

California
Jungle Man Ron

So, if you have a lifetime to give, take it reading this blog and feel the heat from the fire that is burning in Peru.