Tupac Amaru

When we arrived in Tupac Amaru we found that people had come from all the surrounding villages to hear us preach. As I talked with the crowds it was evident that they think I’m a prophet.  The last time I was in this village it was just before Covid hit and I happened to preach on Revelation 6 where it speaks of coming pandemics…. Covid arrived in their village about a week later…I told them that Covid was little kid stuff compared to what happens during the great tribulation and that I’m not a prophet… just an electrician that preaches the Bible..... 

That night I preached in the open air to a riveted crowd. The Lord really seemed to work on the hearts of many. The sense of urgency was palpable and the hunger was real. The next day we spent several hours in teaching and in prayer. There were many tears as we worked through some tough issues in the church but Jesus did great things. Praise the Lord!  

Ricardo Palma

The next day we arrived in Ricardo Palma to a torrential downpour. The dark storm clouds were indicative of the spiritual reality here. Wolves in sheep’s clothing had recently tried to creep into the church. These false teachers had promised miraculous gifts to those who would follow them and they were attempting to divide the brethren, steal some of the sheep and appropriate our church building (newly built by a missionary team just a few months ago). 

As soon as I found out about the problem I spent most of my time teaching from the scriptures and counseling the believers on how to stand firm in the truth and stay unified in the gospel. I was very encouraged by the two leaders, Etson and Bernabe, who had many questions but were not swayed by the false teachers.

That night I went through the town calling out an invitation for anyone and everyone to come to the open air gospel meeting….. Most of the villagers came out to listen. I was too exhausted to preach after having taught all day on the dangers of heresy so Josh and Javen gave the messages on this night. That did an excellent job! 

The next day, after praying together and saying our goodbyes, we headed up the river, just after we left I realized the offering that I set aside for the church was still in my pocket. I’d completely forgotten. Instead of turning around, I resisted the urging of the Holy Spirit.... only when I realized I’d forgotten my Bible too did I really feel the pang of disobedience. Even though it added two hours to the trip I turned the boat around. God would have me get that gift to them one way or another! 

Achinamisa

When we walked into Achinamisa we were met with the excited squeals of little kids who started running at us from all directions. As we walked by house after house, people greeted us and then  anxiously asked if I was gonna preach….. After lots of handshakes and hugs and cordial greetings I went straight to the village loudspeaker and preached for about a half an hour. The whole village listened intently. 

When I had finished preaching I went to the school and I was able to convince the director of education to let us into the grade school for an “Horita Feliz”. Soon we got the kids meeting going and Elizabet, Grety, Mya and Autumn were working hard with a big group of energetic kids. 

That night the main square was full of people as we got our open air meeting going. Pool and Josue gave the first two sermons and then I wrapped things up with a longer message from Luke 16….  The Lord seemed to use it. There was a kind of stunned silence afterward…. No repentance or professions of faith though (God knows).  

Hot and humid night.  By 2 am my sheet and pillow were drenched with sweat. Did not sleep well at all. Morning devotional at 6….. Jave gave a great message on Job 28. He’s been a big help on all these river trips! 

After breakfast we had a very productive and LONG (3 hrs) “question and answer” time with the brethren  …..  The brothers had about 20 theological questions that they were eager to find answers for. These are always very helpful times of good discussion and reflection around open bibles. These were probably the most important hours of the whole trip. Praise the Lord for faithful, available, teachable brothers in this village! 

Yarina

Our next stop was Yarina. This is a village I haven't visited for a while. It just hasn’t been at the top of my list because the church here is a bigger and healthier church that doesn’t need a lot of visits like the others do …. BUT they were begging me to preach there so I finally gave in. 

The brothers and sisters really treated us first class. They gave us a $50 ofrenda to help with travel costs! (No one does that).  Lots of food. Lots of hot coa coa. They even put us up in a “hotel”… no electricity and no water, but they brought in buckets of semi-clean water to flush and shower with.

That afternoon a supposedly demon possessed lady was brought to me. They said a witch-doctor had put a curse on her 12 years ago and ever since then she’s been mute….. Well, I don’t seem to have the gift of exorcism and the girl is still mute but her family was extremely encouraged by the time we spent with them and for the prayers on her behalf.

There were a lot of people at the evening open air. Preached from Genesis 19. Good conversations afterward. The whole church gathered in the church building at 11pm wanting a second meeting (about 70 people in this church…. One of our biggest)….. Finally got to sleep at 1 am and then woke up at 5 am for the devotional at 6 am with the whole church. 

While Rut Raquel held a women’s meeting I (like the day before) went and convinced the director of education to let us into the grade school for an “Horita feliz”.  Thank the Lord for permission! The sisters on our team preached to 200 kids for about 2 hours! 

I was able to escape for those two hours and go downriver in a canoe with brother Isaias (the main elder in Yarina).  We checked his trip-wire shot guns along the shore…. But found nothing. Then we went to his chacra and brought back all kinds of fruit. Good time catching up with him about the state of the work…. He is doing a great job with the church in Yarina and with missions to the surrounding villages! He’s a really key guy in these parts! 

After a scrumptious lunch of wild boar meat and hot chocolate we prayed with the brethren and had a time of emotional parting words. Then it was hugs and handshakes and goodbyes. Finally we loaded up in the boat and headed for the next village. Thankful for what the Lord did in this village! 

Pelejo

From the moment that we arrived in Pelejo it seemed that the whole village was ripe for harvest. There was "mucha expectativa" everywhere I went as I did house to house evangelism. At one point I was walking down the street and an entire family was gathered and hoping I would come by.  There were about 20 people present and they quickly persuaded me to come into the front room and share from Gods word.  They were all ears as I shared about righteousness, the judgment to come and forgiveness in Jesus. A woman named Georgina made a profession of faith right then and there while the rest of the family was visibly moved.... Talk about a divine appointment! 

For many years the church in this town had been divided and feuding.  As a result their testimony was completely lost and the gospel was held in ridicule by the rest of the villagers. Then about a year ago I was able to have several meetings with the men involved in the division and the Lord ended up bringing a tremendous amount of repentance and humility to both sides. It was SO ENCOURAGING to walk into this village and immediately see the results of a unified church.  The believers are doing awesome and the new-found unity has made the whole village sensitive to the gospel.  Recently the church has seen seventeen new converts!  Where there is unity there is salvation!     

Missions quote for the day by John Wesley: "Untold millions are still untold." 

Micah for the Tuttle's

Last week Amy and I headed down river with five of our kids, four american girls and seven Peruvians. As we navigated the muddy waters of the Huallaga river we cruised through a torrential downpour and then into a furnace of thick humidity. Our river cuts through one of the eastern ranges of the Andes mountains and then flows into the lower Amazon basin. The scenery is breathtaking!  Along the way it was as if God was unfolding a stunning canvas of His art-work with rainbow’s, waterfalls and vibrantly green foliage covering mountains that were shrouded in fog. All of creation screams of our God’s greatness! 

That afternoon we finally arrived in the port of one of my favorite villages: “Callanayacu”. Immediately we were greeted by a small crowd of excited brothers and sisters. They had not received the message that we were coming and yet there was plenty of joyful backslapping, vigorous handshakes and bone crushing hugs.  Before we knew it, one of the brothers was leading us down a beautiful jungle path so we could see an epic waterfall and enjoy a nice swim in one of the many hidden lakes in that area.  It all looked like a stunning scene from the garden of Eden.  

After an unforgettable afternoon in paradise we hiked back to the village square where there was a town meeting in process.  The whole village was assembled and after they were done making some decisions about buying paint for the communal house I stood up and congratulated everyone on their village unity and work ethic….. from there I opened up the scriptures and I pointed to Christ as the only One that can give true and lasting unity.  It was a really unique open door that the Lord provided.  Many people were there that would never have come to our planned open air preaching (which we did a few hours later) nevertheless, everyone was “all-ears” for about 30 minutes and it resulted in several good one on one conversations.    

After we had eaten dinner (coconuts and chicken and rice) everyone gathered, once again, in the main square and I preached on Malachi 3:16. Just as I began the electricity went out and it was immediately really dark, and really quiet…. No microphone, no lights, no moon, just a billion stars that were looking down on us from the heavens.  As I preached into the darkness it seemed that my voice echoed out of the village and off into the jungle.  You could see the faint silhouettes of men, women and children listening. Some were near, some were far, some were in the doorways of their houses and some stood on the edge of town.  But all seemed to be listening intently and looking into the heavens as they considered the spiritual state of their soul. 

We had a rather uncomfortable night of sleep in our tents which we set up on the boarded floor of the church building.  Nevertheless, we were up early and began our new day with personal prayer and bible.  Stephany, Gretty and Cesia are awesome with the village kids. Our young men, Javen, Eber and Fernando, are leading music and helping me preach. Jorge and Yuri are tending to the boat and do all the heavy lifting while Amy and Bria are translating for the american girls who are eager to help with evangelism and really anything they can do.   

On this trip I preached three to five times a day and as a result I shredded my vocal chords. I need to always be careful to not lose my voice but it’s hard to hold back when you see lost and desperate souls sitting all around the main square hanging on every word of the message being preached. Most of the open air meetings on this trip left the listeners kinda stunned and contemplating their spiritual state.  Praise the Lord for His work of conviction!    

On the way the way to the next village we stopped at our favorite thermal hot springs for a scalding hot shower! Boiling water comes right out of the ground and then splits into two waterfalls. It’s a great place to rest, and refocus.... and get burned if you're not careful :/  Everyone loved the experience and the recharge it brought. 

Missions quote for the day by George Whitefield: "I believe that I was never more acceptable to my Master than when I was standing to teach those hearers in the open field. I now preach to ten times more people than I would if I had been confined to the churches."  

Going through some difficult times.... 

After a recent trip, I returned home with quite the stomachache.  At times it feels like I'm on my death bed. When I finally went in for a check-up at the clinic here it was confirmed that I have two intestinal parasites..... Don't worry, I'm on meds now and the parasites should be gone soon :)    

On a different front, we've been going through a very painful case of discipline for fornication in our local assembly here in Tarapoto. A brother that is very dear to our family and to the whole assembly fell hard and it has really shaken everyone.  Moral failures like this always serve as a massive warning that any of us are capable of the worst of sins and we must keep our eyes on Jesus and our steps in conformity with the Spirit.  

On yet a different level, and even more difficult, a separate brother that I led to the Lord years ago and who then went on to plant several churches has now apostatized. He's left the faith, left the church, left his wife, left his son and has completely embraced a lifestyle of wickedness. He refuses to be reasoned with…. HEARTBREAKING! 

But, there's always incredible hope in Christ. There's an indomitable joy in the midst of suffering and sorrow. There really is so much to be encouraged about! Oh the joy in Christ even.... (especially)... in the midst of difficulties!  "As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing everything" (2Cor 6:10). 

The spiritual battle can be felt on every side.  "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the full armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day." 

-After preaching in the market last week, several interested visitors showed up at church on Sunday morning... That was encouraging. 

-About 100 indigenous natives came to a conference I was preaching at.  Most of them traveled 2 or 3 days by foot. I taught for 6 hours a day, 10 days straight.  Their hunger for God's word was incredible!  That was encouraging. 

-I’ve been trying to meet with a few guys most mornings at 5:30am to read and pray and work out together. The whole morning routine takes about two and a half hours.  It's pretty cool to see a growing passion for the Lord in these guys! ......That's encouraging.  

Bible verse for the day:   "As sorrowful yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor 6:10)

Micah for the Tuttle's

BACK IN PERU!

Three weeks ago we arrived in our beloved Tarapoto Peru.  It's so good to be back!  We left Dubuque IA right in between two big snow storms and -10F temperatures..... When we arrived in Tarapoto it was +90F and super humid. I guess you could call us "snow-birds" :)  The reality is that here in Peru school is out and these are the summer vacation months when most of the youth are available for camps and capacitation courses and missions trips.  It's a strategic time to be here!  We are pretty much settled in now and we've started to kick things into high gear.  Please pray for us and the many opportunities we will have here during the next several months.                                                                            

INTERNSHIP

Our oldest son Javen and his wife Autumn have accompanied us and they will be here for the duration of this trip (until early May).  Autumn has been focusing on the intercultural studies major at Emmaus Bible College and to wrap up her four year degree she is required to do a missions internship outside of the USA.  What better place to do it than in Peru?! She has been commended through CMML for the next four months and will be getting a first hand over-seas missions experience. Autumn is studying spanish, getting acquainted with the culture, accompanying Javen and I on pastoral visits, going on river trips and trying to employ her gifts in every way she can.  We are so glad that Javen and Autumn are here with us! Please pray for them as they adapt to all the changes :)

OUR TARAPOTO CHURCH

Our church here in town is doing well!  It used to be that whenever we left Tarapoto for a few months the church would really struggle.  Happily, that is no longer the case!  There are about eighty saints that are led by three elders who are doing a good job of preaching and teaching and shepherding the flock.  We also have several older women who are discipling the younger women, while at the same time are carrying on a solid children's ministry. In addition to all of this, many of the youth have really stepped up and are eagerly taking on many ministry responsibilities. About half of the church is made up of young people (18-30 year-olds) for which we are praising the Lord!

EVANGELISM 

Souls! Souls! While walking through the streets and markets and plazas and observing precious souls on every side it is hard to resist the urge to publicly proclaim the hope that is offered in Christ. Jesus said he saw the people "like sheep without a shepherd" Isn't it like that today... Isn't it like that everywhere? Open air preaching, one on one evangelism, house to house gospel work... just do something!  There's nothing like jumping up on a table and preaching your heart out.  Please pray for my vocal cords :)  .... Every time I do this it produces amazing one on one conversations with interested individuals.  You basically find three groups of people: Some mock, some want to hear more and some believe (see Acts 17:32-34).  Oh how we long to see more in the "some believed" category!    

MISSIONS QUOTE FOR THE DAY BY FRANCIS XAVIER: 

"Tell the students to give up their small ambitions and come eastward to preach the gospel of Christ." 

Micah for the Tuttle's