M&T Updates: Two Prayer Requests

Daniel 2:21
He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.

What in the world is going on??

Many of you have been writing me to ask what is going on in our former host country. Well I’m sure you’ve heard the news. Our illegitimate president is now in jail in New York and awaiting trial. And wow, we’ve been getting lots of mail from our friends down there who are truly thrilled with what has happened. They are rejoicing and very, very relieved and thankful. Why? Because they have lived a very difficult life for almost three decades now. We remember it well as we watched it all happen in real time.! We were still living among the P people at that time, but it was big news when Hugo Chavez was elected. (Four years later we fled P-land due to the Government’s open door policy to the communist insurgents from a neighboring country who began flooding the state where we lived. And now the drug cartels are there as well making ministry difficult for our national coworkers). Chavez promised to clean up all the corruption in the country. Well, he did something very different and took us on a wild and dangerous roller coaster ride into the abyss of communism. But hey, due to our continued work in that country in multiple people groups, I can’t give you all the details I would like to but know that the people are cautiously optimistic and hoping that this is the beginning of a new country where freedom reigns, where human rights are protected and respected, and where legitimate elections will take place with leaders chosen by the people.

Please be praying for our beloved host country, and for the wonderful people there. They have been languishing for many years and long for change, freedom, and the privilege of making a decent buck. And yes, even the indigenous populations have felt it as Government aid for them has ceased. So your prayers are much appreciated for continued freedom to preach the Gospel in the country, for freedom for our many missionaries there to be able to continue their work, and for God to be glorified in all this. Our confidence is not in any politician but rather in the Most High God! Truly He puts down one king and raises up another as the verse in Daniel 2:21 states above. So yes, thanks much for your prayers for all this.

And Check this out!!

Very soon now during this month, there will be a large conference held by another people group in another country. They are a very large group, numbering over ten times the population of the P people, with approximately 200 mature churches that are increasingly zealous to move into world missions. Some of them have already graduated from our National Missionary Center and are working in other language groups. Yes, God is working mightily in their midst. And now during this next conference, I will be presenting about a 3-hour presentation, telling them all about the P people, and challenging some of them to join us. So you may be asking: “Why would we ask some of them to join our team?” Well, there are several factors in play here.

1. There is a lot of work yet to be done to help our P churches grow and be firmly established in the Lord. Our national coworkers are getting older and feel overwhelmed with all that is on their plates. They are very excited about the possibility of having some help.
2. With the heavy presence of those who threaten our national missionaries, the indigenous missionaries would fit into the environment much more easily.
3. They could be a huge help in teaching the people better gardening skills. As you know, the P people are semi-nomadic and aren’t the best gardeners. They diet is still often poor, hurting their health. Discipleship in the area of gardening would be a great boost to their quality of life.
4. They have technological know-how. This particular people group is very skilled when it comes to on-line stuff, including connecting to Star Link and other things. This could foreseeably lead to us having regular conversations with the P pastors and others, as well as teaching the church there via online streaming. Yes, there is lots of potential in this area. They would also be a huge help in guiding the people to better maintain their solar-powered radios.
5. They would also be a tremendous help in literacy and discipleship.
6. They are perfectly bilingual, speaking both Spanish and their tribal language, and so could help the P people learn to speak Spanish. This would be a huge help for them and would better prepare them for life in a Spanish-speaking country.

Jesus, beginning with the beginning words, shared with them in a big way regarding the message that God caused to be written down, right from what Moses wrote straight on through to what the prophets wrote. And all that which was written regarding himself he taught in an opening up sort of way, so that they would really get the stuff about him.
Luke 24:27