A few days before Christmas, Micah returned from the wild; that is, the bi-annual convention of the churches from along the upper Huallaga River. The conference was held in Yarina, a village of perhaps 1000 inhabitants. The aforementioned village being basically overrun for three days by more than 300 church goers from other villages around the area. Micah reports that his talks went really well. He says, “I started out by offending the fathers, exhorting them to love their wives more. I went on to offend the mothers, reminding them of their duty to respect their husbands. Last but not least, I offended the children by speaking to the parents of the urgent need to consistently discipline their children.” Quite despite this, they seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the topic!

Micah traveled with nine of the believers from the church here on Thursday, all of whom slept together in one room; Micah inside his little tent. Sure it's hot, but at least you can zip everyone out for a few moments here and there for some sermon preparation or momentary relief of constant curious onlookers! One afternoon, Micah jumped into the river and was bitten by a flesh eating fish! And he, of course, PROUD of this! I'm just glad he arrived home alive and in one piece. If you care to read some unsettling information about these fish – follow these links:

http://fishindex.blogspot.com/2008/06/candiru.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru
http://animal.discovery.com/fish/river-monsters/candiru-catfish/

At the end of the conference, there was a meeting of church leaders in which one of the official points of discussion was none other than our very own Micah Tuttle. Yikes. That's enough to make one squirm a little. One's mind tends to run with that kind of information. Even as Micah was recounting the story to me, I was on pins and needles to hear how the topic fleshed out. But, surprised and humbled, he told me that the leaders wanted to purposely acknowledge and publicly recognize our family's sacrifice and dedication to the Lord's work in this area. They expressed their deeply felt gratitude for us having moved here to work with and encourage the churches in this region. Wow. Praise the LORD. It was definitely He who brought us here. What more can we say, it seriously is not of ourselves... Life here is less than convenient, it's not comfortable most of the time, and we certainly have had some down days. But His mercies are new EVERY morning. Great is YOUR faithfulness, O God. How to express the awesomeness of a God so faithful, so true? He will never fail us.

Please continue to pray for the work here. We SO need Him to continue to equip us, weak as we are in many areas, so that His body will be fed and nurtured. Pray that He would knit us together in love, together with all the saints and foster in us a willingness to be poured out on His behalf. Pray that we would cling to Him, keeping our gaze fixed on Himself, for we cannot bear the burden alone.

Thank you for your faithful intercession, your loving thoughts and kind notes. Thank you to each of you who have sent gifts this past year, and specifically those for the building project. We are looking forward to seeing much new growth in the coming year!

Amy for the Tuttles

PS. Unfortunately, something has cracked inside our less-than-a-year-old point and shoot camera, and so Micah was unable to take pictures of this event! We're so very sorry! We know you love the pictures!

If you are like us, you too may have just found yourself on the brink of another Christmas season asking just how this year could possibly have gone by so quickly. Last year at this time, we were living in Trujillo, having recently made a trip to the jungle; still only contemplating work in this part of the country. Now, here we are. Sitting around our easy-to-assemble Christmas tree adorned with lights, and we're sweating. The tendency is languish in such temperatures of 95* during the day, yet things do seem to liven up as temps sink to luxurious lows of 86 degrees at night... quite without air conditioning. One's body does acclimate after all and we've decided that sweating IS healthy :)

After two very full weeks in Trujillo, we are back to work here in the jungle. Not that we stopped for a moment in Trujillo! Thankfully all travel was relatively uneventful, unmarked by car problems or major delays. During the first week Micah taught 1&2 Peter, loading the students up with LOTS of valuable info and helpful tools to use in their own further studies of the books (he has the reputation of giving many assignments, hehe). Each day as a family we ate lunch with the students, hopefully in some small way making up for lost time as we were unable to be away from Tarapoto for the majority of this latest module. On the weekend, Micah led a mission trip to nearby Cuidad de Dios, and although nothing went as originally planned, a sovereign design was evident. Another highlight, IBEM graduated its second group of students this module, which brings the total to seven graduates. We are encouraged by the brothers and sisters who have worked so hard to finish this phase of studies with the aim to increase effectiveness in their respective ministries. Our second week in Trujillo was equally full, with car-work, meeting with people to whom we continue to minister, the year end IBEM evaluation/planning meetings, and touching base with most co-workers and friends. We even squeezed in a late but very DELICIOUS Thanksgiving dinner with the Elliots and Pam Zarek. We had a great time.

In the months ahead, we plan to forge forward with activity focused on the establishment of the work here in Tarapoto. Our main needs are: co-workers, leaders, and the finished meeting place. The LORD knows that each is significant, which are most urgent and we trust Him to provide for every one. Please pray with us to that end. Pray also that we would faithfully look to Him in everything.

It has been encouraging to be able to look at the work in 3 month segments and to set tangible goals for those periods. Over the next several months, the plan is to work with two men giving them charge of teaching Sunday mornings, and Micah taking the teaching on Sunday evenings himself. This is a welcome change from the last three months when there was no choice but for Micah to lead all the meetings. The mid-week Bible study will be going through a basic discipleship course. With the coming year, Lord willing, we will start monthly meetings for women. We also hope to make a serious advance on the building project. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.

Honestly, we consider the last months an intense trial period, and we continue to learn from the memory of the experience, as well as all we are currently facing, this being our motto: “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.” God. Who delivered and doth deliver, He will yet deliver. Woohoo! It just does NOT get any better! Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ and makes manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ. Glory!

Our sincere thanks to all who prayed for us during these recent months. Please continue to intercede with and for us, for the work here, that His body would be nourished, and that His church will be firmly established in this region.

We hope and pray that this season will be marked by remembrance of the only and precious Savior Jesus.

With much love,

the Tuttle family

Today (not yesterday...) we are leaving to complete another long journey over to the coast. So, do please remember us in your prayers, specifically for safety and sanity. :)

This first weekend (11/21-22) will be spent in a big evangelistic/mini-mission trip put on by IBEM and students. Next week, Micah will be teaching through 1 & 2 Peter for IBEM. The 29th, Micah and I celebrate 13 years of marriage! Yay! The second week in Trujillo we will be resting... hah! Resting IS relative :) We are so THANKFUL for all the Lord has blessed us with to do.

We sincerely thank you for your love and prayers,
Micah and Amy Tuttle and family

With temperatures in the mid to upper 90's all week, Micah decided to put the thermometer out in the car! With no air conditioning, most people here ride motorcycles or the famous moto-kar with the wind blowing them cool. But, we gringos go around in our red hot oven on wheels with just the windows down...

First off, we want to thank you all sincerely for praying for us. We have never been more keenly aware of our desperate need of prayer than in these last weeks. Yet, all the time God has been, is and will be faithful. We are so thankful.

So, let's see... Last we talked, we'd told you how we've moved to the jungle. We mentioned our building project (which is going well, by the way... still lacking a roof and floor, but we'll get there). We mentioned that we live near where the Elliots worked for many years and that we're close to some rivers... But perhaps some of you are wondering more specifically where in the jungle we live?

So where in the world IS Tarapoto?

You'll have to get out your atlas to find Peru. Next, try to imagine yourself on the coast of Peru with your back to the Pacific ocean. From there you can actually see shadows of the foothills to the Andes Mountains. If you were to get into your car (and believe me, it is MUCH better than taking a bus), you'd want to try to find the highway heading out of Chiclayo toward Motupe and afterwards Bagua Grande (do those names help some? heheh. To see a cool interactive map go HERE ). Being the nicest road we've found in Peru, it will take you over the first range of mountains then the second and finally down towards the jungle. After driving for about 15 hours in a easterly direction, over mountains, around precarious curves, through streams, dodging landslides and various construction vehicles; after making various potty breaks (don't forget you have 5 small children with you :), Lord willing, you will arrive in Tarapoto. .





Located on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains, in something of a valley, Tarapoto is an hour away from the Huallaga River. Also, we are just a little over two hours from the end of the road. Yep. That's right. The end. After us, with exception to the area immediate to the city of Iquitos, there's just river. And lots of those, I might add. No roads. If you look at the smaller map above, you'll see how huge of a section of Peru is traversed only by rivers. You could even bend the southern arrow quite a ways to include pretty much all the southern parts east of the mountains, but we'll save the rest for another lesson ;)





Thank you so much for your partnership with us in the work here in this little corner of the world.


Eagerly awaiting His return,
Amy
(on behalf of the whole Tuttle tribe)




A link with info on Tarapoto, and a cool interactive map:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/peru/northern-highlands/tarapoto

An Introduction of sorts to the Work in Tarapoto

Senior missionaries, Bert and Colleen Elliot worked for nearly 40 years in the jungle town of Yurimaguas. During those years, they planted several assemblies in that town (a few of which are healthy and carrying on mission work among the river churches) and then nearly 40 more assemblies along the banks of the Huallaga river. I (Micah) have had opportunity to visit many of these churches and speak with various believers in these areas and I cannot begin to explain how great of an impact the Elliot's have left on this seemingly forgotten corner of the world.

Presently, there is tremendous need for follow-up work. Twenty years have come and gone since the Elliot's left this region and now many of those original assemblies are in great need of spiritual encouragement, biblical training and a renewed passion for evangelism.

About a year ago, as a family, we were able to make a visit to Yurimaguas in order to `spy out the land' and to begin to intelligently pray about the possibility of God using us in this region. On that trip we stopped over in the town of Tarapoto (only a 2 hour drive from Yurimaguas) and found that it would be a very a strategic town for a church plant, with relatively close access to the river, while at the same time being a suitable place for our family to call "home".

After a three month trial, much prayer, and much advice-seeking, we decided to make the move. So here we are, living and working in the jungle town of Tarapoto. Six months ago, we began meeting with about 10 believers, and now have grown to about 35 who come to services currently being held in our house, Wednesdays and Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this new church would become a mission-minded assembly that would reach out to the river villages and be characterized by a genuine faith, evangelism and love for the brethren.

We have been in desperate need of a building practically from the beginning. None of our homes are quite adequate for hosting Sunday school classes and we've found it rather imposing on healthy family life for one house to have all 5 weekly meetings.

The latest developments

God's provision has bought us a small piece of land (measuring 24' x 60') as well as materials for the first rough stage of building (a one-room meeting place with columns, thatched roof, half-height walls and a concrete floor). This building will serve a provisional purpose over the next few years, while we save for a future meeting place that would be bigger and better situated. The believers here over the last several years have been saving to come up with more than half of the money needed to get us to where we are now, which would really excite anyone able to understand their true poverty. We have recently started the excavation work, and will pour the cement for the columns in the next several days. Everyone is eager to work and brothers and sisters alike, all are contributing to the construction project.

For those of you who may be interested, we are now going to share a few of the grisly financial details. :) So far, including the purchase of the lot, expenses have totaled about $5,000. To complete the project as planned, we are praying for about $8,000 more. That would provide a finished meeting room to seat 85, three Sunday school rooms, kitchen, bathroom & office. Yes, that's a church building for $13,000! We'd be thrilled if the Lord would provide all or part of this amount very soon so that we can grow out of our living room and into the next stage of mission-minded church development.

By His Grace,

Micah and Amy Tuttle

a picture of the property last week before the columns

We are writing from HOT Tarapoto in an internet cafe, because we don't
have access to internet in our house yet. We apologize for not sending
more updates and pictures. Hopefully, the phone company tells the
truth, when they say that we will have internet October 15th! We are
saving up pictures and videos to share with you when that day comes :)

Thank you for your prayers, we are in desperate need of them lately. We
are so thankful for the opportunity to be here.

Please read the letter that we'll be sending shortly for some more
details about some exciting new things happening.

The Tuttles

Hello Friends,

This is just a quick note to let you all know that Micah made it to
Tarapoto! He met the moving truck there and has been working hard to
get the house in order. What a guy! While we were away, rainwater had
flooded the house multiple times, and the plants were all way overgrown
as the young guys who were supposed to stay there while we were gone
lost their keys at some point :S However, Micah got the phone hooked
back up and has everything pretty much under control now. Yay, Micah!

The girls and I are scheduled to fly back to Peru tomorrow, Wednesday
morning at 5:30am and will be traveling/layovering until Friday 9:30pm.
That's 63 hours LONG! But all is not sorrow and sadness as my mom is
traveling back with me :) Please pray that all the details of the trip
will fall together and that we would actually be able to enjoy our time
together.

I will mention a big sadness that our family is experiencing. We just
lost a good friend. On the way to Tarapoto, our family dog Sam died.
He was having trouble breathing for several hours and then died in the
night. He was a very sweet dog and we all love him very much. Please
pray for our family (especially the kids) as this was a difficult blow
in the midst of such big life change.

Please keep holding us and our new ministry endeavor up in prayer. We
have exciting yet difficult days ahead.

Thank you for praying,
In Him,
Amy for all

Dear Praying Friends,

Happy Son-day* to you! Thank you all for praying for us over these last months in spite of a serious lack of updates. We trust that the Holy Spirit has brought us to mind for prayer just at the right moments.** We could do nothing apart from the never-failing grace of God, in this wild and crazy life we are honored to share.

So, no one has heard from us over the last month+, so we thought we'd better give you all an update before you think the worst :)

Summary:
June - In Tarapoto (since April), we were involved in all kinds of ministry & enjoying the heat. Micah made a river trip the last week.
July - The first week, we traveled back from Tarapoto (the jungle) to translate/teach/etc. at IBEM (Bible Institute) in Trujillo. Here, we had a very full month, with a week of conference for full-time workers; then two weeks of classes, ministry opportunities, shared meals and some just fun stuff with the students.
August - During this month so far, we finished up IBEM and packed up everything we own (perhaps slightly more complicated than it sounds :) and are distributing it between two places.

What does this mean? ...well, we are moving to Tarapoto!*** There is a big pile of furniture/belongings in the front room of the lovely house we've rented for the last two years. It is waiting for the moving truck to take it to the jungle. Some of our things that won't stand the heat and humidity, we've moved to a small apartment that a lady from Centro Biblico is renting us for a very reasonable amount. We decided, that for now, for the sake of the family, we will maintain a small cheap apartment in Trujillo. That way, when we come back every couple of months for IBEM, we'll have a home to come to; thus easing some of the difficulty of re-adjustment between places.

Very soon, we'd like to send out some informational e-mails detailing some of the ministries we are privileged to be a part of. We regret not making time to keep you all informed over this insanely busy month. If we have a hard time keeping up with ourselves, we are sure that it must be that much harder for all of you far away to keep up as well! We'll try to do a little better as we have the time. These last months have been AMAZING.

GOD is good.

Thank you for participating in this exciting life of ministry, through your prayers and gifts. We are constantly amazed by the Lord's rich blessings.****

Looking to His return,

the Tuttle tribe - Micah & Amy
Javen, Cullen, Bria, Siah, Aleya Mya

PS. Amy is in Portland 8/22 - 9/2 in order to gather/take back clothes and homeschooling materials for the younger tribe members.

I've changed the address of our blog from tuttlesintarapoto.blogspot.com (which is no longer being updated) to this address (you are here now):

Here's a little peek at the presentation I gave at Centro Biblico wmn's mtg this week:

Six hours in an all-terrain vehicle, four hours in an overly loaded canoe and six more hours on foot got us to the remote jungle village of Santa Marta. The on-foot part involved lots of mud, extreme heat, suffocating humidity, torrential downpours, mosquitoes, spiders and lots of spectacular scenery. What a paradise! Each village we went through the Christians came out to greet us with fish, chicha, turtle eggs and bananas. After reading a passage in the Bible and praying together we continued on deeper and deeper into the jungle. After wading through a waste deep creek, swimming across a stingray infested river and tripping into a thorn tree I finally arrived at our destination point.


We weren’t the only ones that came from far away, there were believers from all over the surrounding region that were coming with great eagerness to this Bible conference. It was amazing to see how the people wanted to take advantage of every moment and soak up all the Bible teaching they could. We had meetings for 8 hours every day. If I wasn’t teaching, I was counseling or evangelizing. There was hardly time to eat meals. And when I did eat meals it was a real feast! Generally the meals consisted of: chewed up and spit out yucca juice, monkey meat, fried bananas, rice and beans.


Our time was not without opposition as a small group in town prayed to their god that our efforts would be frustrated, that there would be no conversions and that the whole conference would be ruined. Exactly the opposite happened. God worked mightily and the conference was a huge blessing.


One night, several people made professions of faith and for the next four hours I sat with them and tried to point them in the right direction for spiritual growth. The next day, I preached in the river to a multitude of people on the bank, several of whom came down to be baptized. It was extremely exciting to see God working in so many hearts.


On the last morning the mist was rising off the river as first light dawned. About 200 believers gathered on the bank to sing a hymn together and then we all set out in different ways to our homes. We prayed together and said our goodbyes. Many of the brothers were begging to be visited in their respective villages so that the gospel might be preached there also. Please pray for these people and that God would continue to work in their lives and ministries.


Micah Tuttle

I am officially a high school teacher! About two months ago a friend and I walked into the local public High School and asked the principal if I could teach a class on Christian values. At first they didn't know what to do with me and told me to come back the following week. When I came back on the appointed day the Principal - a catholic, and the Vice Principal - an atheist, told me they didn't think I would fit well in their school system. Upon further questioning, they convinced themselves that they not only needed the class, they wanted it! It went thus:
I began by questioning whether there were any morality problems or any lack of values among the students. At once they began to sheepishly share story after story of students involved in drug and alcohol abuse, even rape, abortion, and suicide. After describing all of the numerous problems in their school, they themselves asked me when I could begin. :) So, for the past month, I have been teaching a Bible class to forty 'heathen' sixteen year-olds... and they like it! Instead of kicking me out they are asking for me to pick up more classes! Please pray that the Lord will make an impact through this ministry in the lives of some of these kids.

As to what else we've been up to:
We have been "spying out the land" here in the northern jungles of Peru for about three months now. Where ministry is concerned, there have been many great opportunities! On the other hand, health-wise, life in the jungle has really taken a toll on our family. Please pray for us as we continue to seek the Lord regarding the prospect of long-term work here.

Exciting events over the last three months include the following: Open air preaching in the main square every Sunday. Treating our kids with weekly anti-lice treatment. Seeing our house church grow to about 40 people. Having what felt like a "near death experience" with Dengue. Getting permission to teach "Christian Values" in the local public high school. Struggling with constant sickness in the family. Cullen becoming the marble champion of the neighborhood. Being pick-pocketed of $400, drivers license, credit cards, etc. Preaching six times every week. Having a drunk driver plow into the back of our car. Discipling several of the believers. Having our city cut off from all outside access by thousands of angry natives. Dealing with extreme heat and humidity. Cooling off in our kiddy pool with the whole family. Frequently killing bats that get into our house... and many more adrenalin pumping activities that perhaps someday we'll have to write a book about :).

Please pray that God would be exalted and magnified in our family and ministry.

Micah for the Tuttle's

PS. A few more prayer requests:

• Please pray as preparations are being made even as I write, for the River Convention (where several of the churches on the river gather for teaching and mutual encouragement) ... Micah leaves tomorrow morning (with a group from the church here) and will be there until Monday. Pray for protection from malaria, that the Lord would guide in the teaching, and that there would be much blessing experienced by all.
• Preparations are also taking place for IBEM this upcoming month in Trujillo. All kinds of details go into this as each part of the team does their part to set things in place. Our part involves planning/organizing the practical hands-on mission projects, translation of materials, and of course all the travel entailed just in getting there for this module! Please pray that all would go smoothly.