August Update
Dear Praying Friends, Greetings from the jungle. By this time, we had thought we would be in Bogota waiting for our flight to the USA, but instead of picking us up on Saturday like we had planned, the flight was pushed to Sunday, where it also never showed up. Then, we were informed late Sunday evening, the plane that was supposed to pick us up had had an “incident” up near Caracas and would be out of service for a bit. How long is a “bit?” We are still trying to find out. We think, rather rumor has it, that we will be picked up on Friday. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. We have already canceled tickets we had for the 10th to Bogota, and then, tickets to the USA on the 11th. We are rescheduled at this point for the 15th and 16th respectively.
As most of you all know, we normally never mention needs or funds in any correspondence unless someone specifically asks, but since this is not personal, please pray with us about these issues.
1. We have finished the translation of a Bible Chronological lesson book call King of Glory. The author has given us the rights to have this book published using all the pictures and layout of the original book. We are excited about getting this in the hands of the people as it will be a perfect book to use in our outreach program to leave with the believers to keep them on track as they seek to teach their own people. There is also a video with the book which we are hoping to get translated as well. If this project might be something you would be interested in partnering in, please let us know.
2. Another project we are looking for partners for is, 5 of our Yanomamö guys from here have been invited to participate in a Venezuelan Pastor’s Conference. The pastors who sent the invitation have offered to pay for their way out of the jungle and bus fare to the event in Maturin, Venezuela. They are asking us to pick up their return flight, which we are happy to do, if we can. Flights in and out of the jungle are $3,600 each way, so it is a chunk of change. Then, to make this entire trip even more exciting, some missionaries in Brazil that are working with the Yanomamö have asked us if there was any way we could try and get some of our stronger believers to cross the border and spend a week with their believers over there as they are having real problems with their people trying to synchronize the gospel with their old way of life and are living defeated Christian lives. We decided the best solution was to combine the trip. They could go to the Pastor’s Conference, then, from there, get a bus to the border of Venezuela and Brazil where the mission over there will work out the logistics to get them to Boa Vista and from there, via MAF into the jungle. After a week in their Yanomamö village, the mission will get them back to the border and we will take over the expenses of getting them back to Puerto Ayacucho and on into the jungle. We are excited to have our guys partnering with the missionaries in Brazil and are praying it even helps to strengthen and encourage them, especially when it comes to outreach.
The missionaries in Brazil have extended the invitation to my brother in law, Bobby Jank and myself. Bobby had already planned on joining the guys in Maturin anyway, but since this entire trip to Brazil is being put on and planned as I am typing, I had other plans made to be in the USA. This is important enough that we feel it justifies the expense for me to fly from the USA to Boa Vista Brazil and fly into the jungle with the guys. We have been trying to get over there for the last few years but schedules, then, covid made it impossible until now. Pray with us about this. I am fairly confident I can cover my own expenses, but where we are looking for partners is to help cover the guy’s expenses to get to Brazil and then, back from the border to the jungle. Also, Bobby is going to need some help with the additional unexpected travel, if he goes on to brazil as well.
Lastly, let me thank everyone again for praying with us about our latest Torch placement trips. We are excited to see what the Lord is going to do with these tools. All but 12 of them have now been placed and Lanzo and his team our heading out on Monday up the Jölöta River to place them in the two villages located way up on the headwaters of this river. Pray for them. It is a hard trip.
Also, Joshua and Nando are heading out on an outreach trip to the upper Mavaca River, not to place torches, we already did, but there were some villages up there that asked us to come and show them the Jesus, and God’s Story movies. They are also going to be asking the different villages where we placed Torches how they are understanding the content? What are their thoughts on the Gospel. So also pray for them.
Thanks for praying with us about these needs. We serve an awesome God and know that if these plans are of HIM, He will make a way. We are honored to be your partners in this ministry.
Michael and Keila