It was a few
days before the lease agreement was to be signed. We were praying that God
would continue to open doors and that his will be done. Our good friend Keny
randomly showed up for a visit and I started telling Keny about the possibility
of renting the building and our ideas of a youth center there. I told him we weren’t quite sure where God was
leading with the use of the building but we were positive God wanted us to
pursue renting it. Keny then proceeded to tell me about two churches that he
works with in Iquitos; he knew they would be excited about partnering with us
in this. His idea was that they could send youth from their churches for
overnight “short term missions” to put on events and help get the youth of
Nauta excited about this. I told him I thought this was a great idea but lets
not say anything to anybody until I have the lease agreement signed and in my
hands. Well Keny got a little excited about all this and went back to Iquitos
and started talking to the pastors. The next day I received this message from
him “I Just talked with Pastor Alcides my friend
from Manantial de Bendiciones, a church in front of The University UCP next to
San Juan Municipality, he likes the idea to go with his youth ministry and do
programs in your place. He would like to go every week ... Si, I will try to
connect another 3 churches, we will have
many teams to Help you!”
This morning I was drinking my morning coffee
and just spending some quiet time with God, when I heard his quiet voice. This
fits perfectly with the vision of Junglemaster (to train up leaders and pastors
so that they can take the Word deep into the jungle to reach the lost). I had
missed this part when I was envisioning a youth center. Let’s stop and think
about this for a minute; the church of Iquitos sending young missionaries to
Nauta to reach the lost youth of Nauta. The youth of Nauta getting trained to
be leaders and missionaries and sending mission teams to the villages on the
river to reach the kids there. Then those youth taking what they have learned
even deeper in the jungle.
We feel that training current leaders and
pastors is extremely important so that correct doctrine can be taught. We are
also starting to see that if we want the cultural cycles to stop we need to be
focused on empowering and training the youth. Teaching them the Bible and why
it’s not ok to continue the cycle of sex, drugs and violence. Teach them that
through Christ there are ways to be released of this bondage that a lot of them
are trapped in. Show them the peace that they can have through the love and
grace only Christ can give us.
God Bless you, your missionaries in the jungles
of Peru.
