Greetings from the Amazonas East West team! Yesterday afternoon the hearts of our students were ignited with compassion for the people we met. One group of three met an elderly woman who was grieving the loss of her husband and couldn’t get up off the ground because she hadn’t eaten in so long. The guide shared that in the past, this lady refused to listen to the gospel, but she allowed our students to pray with her. One student was especially convicted to buy her rice and returned later to give it to her. The woman thanked her for both the food and the prayers. What a privilege to see our students loving in word AND deed!
We left today under much prayer, expecting this to be the most intense day yet. We had heard of San Martín’s spiritual darkness and knew the resistance to the gospel that previous missionaries had encountered in this village. But we were so blessed with what God is doing in the Tikuna people here! The current missionary shared that he is seeing God’s perfect timing in the way that formerly barren ground is becoming ripe for harvest. One of our guides shared how, in the last year, she and all seven of her siblings have become believers and gotten baptized. Her youngest brother, who is 16, used to leave in disgust when anyone mentioned the gospel. Now, he’s training to be a missionary and already taking regular trips to bring the good news to Peru! Where there were once closed doors, living rooms and hearts are being opened to the gospel, including for our team. Pray for us as we gather with villagers in their communal maloka (traditional group living space) to worship, encourage, and offer Bible study tools to support the growing body of believers in San Martín. Our students are growing in their passion for the gospel and desire to see the global church becoming more invested in the need for long-term discipleship!
