Tomorrow marks one week since Micah left to teach in a Bible capacitation program in the jungle (Yurimaguas). We talked briefly on the phone tonight as he's got quite a pile of papers and tests to grade, but he's happy to be finished with the teaching part. He's had a grueling week teaching 6-8 hours each day, and then sleeping in a tent in the same room as the students, who stayed up 'til the wee hours every night studying for his classes :)
Micah has been looking forward to traveling to Tarapoto tomorrow (where we've been for the last 2yrs). He'll spend two days with the church there before heading out of town for a week long river trip. I honestly can't remember which of the villages he'll be visiting, but then again, I'd venture that most of you wouldn't recognize them even if I did mention names, so I suppose it'll all be alright either way. :) Thankfully, the Lord is far more informed than we are, going before, working presently as well as following up afterward. Please pray that He would work mightily in hearts and that He would find Micah a useful instrument.
Please also specifically keep Micah and all the brothers who are still gathered there in Yurimaguas for another week of classes in your prayers as there has been an outbreak of dengue fever in the area. River trips always carry their own special risks as well, so please do pray for health and safety for the trip. Micah is excited because a friend/fellow missionary/adventurer will be joining him. You can also pray that the Lord would grant sweet fellowship and genuine encouragement for them both.
The kids and I are enjoying the time we've been in Trujillo, where we've had ample opportunity to catch up with friends and missionary family. What a neat blessing it's been to have some time here before we travel back to the States in mid-March.
Speaking of travel to the US... we do have a few dates set, but we'll be working feverishly on our itinerary plans just as soon as Micah gets back. We'll do our best to let you know where we'll be and when just as soon as we can. :)
Please accept my humble apologies for the lack of communication, as I had to leave the apartment for an internet connection until earlier this week, which for a multitude of reasons isn't as easy as it may seem at first glance:) Thank you all for continuing to pray regardless!
In Him,
Amy, on behalf of the rest of the Tuttle tribe
Tarapoto, February 2010Pray with us that this building will long be used to His glory!!
The picture below is a picture taken during the Sunday morning Lord's Supper. Less people come in the mornings, but we are content that all the core group of believers are able to fellowship during this meeting. The kids meet for Sunday School in the back during this first service, the Bible Hour. The Breaking of Bread service follows with everyone present. Though every week there are a few glitches, we are enjoying working them out one by one.
The women have been really anxious to start meeting, as they haven't officially met for almost a year now. Here's a picture of our group this last Thursday. For the next few months, Amy will be co-teaching through 'Encuentros con Jesucristo', Moments with Jesus Christ. Pray for us as this is admittedly not the season for Amy to be involved in ministry outside the home, but the Lord is stretching us both in many different areas.January through February has definitely been termed the season of visitors. Though it is rather disruptive to the regularity of life, we hope it will be this way EVERY year! :) It is summertime on this part of the globe, so classes are out, and most take advantage of their vacation time. Also, due to the fact that Bible Capacitation courses [Capacitacion Biblica] take place in Yurimaguas during February, and because Tarapoto is on the way to Yurimaguas, we've had LOTS of guests. We have enjoyed having all of them (14) as well as short-termers (2). All the kids especially enjoy the visitors despite the fact the boys have had to forfeit their room since the middle of January. Our house is not really adequate for guests, so we are thinking to look for another rental house when our contract comes up in August, with at least a couple of guest rooms! This picture was one of the more recent fun guest-filled days...
Thank you for praying for us, we can use every ounce of grace granted! These months have not been without trial, and we thank the Lord that His grace is sufficient and that His power is made perfect in weakness. We are so grateful for all your love and support.
In Him,
the tuttles
Some photos of the conflict in Bagua Grande:
My blog post on how this affects our family HERE.
From what we've heard the numbers in the following article are based on the injured or killed that have arrived in the hospital. But, the news here is that the natives have been carrying off their killed comrades and burning their bodies... the report we've heard (we have no idea of the reliability of the source) has said there are possibly hundreds of casualties. This is all happening in the town we always stay in on our way between Tarapoto and Trujillo. It feels just a little too close to home.
Here are some links to news stories on the situation here in Peru, in Bagua Grande:
Click Here for article in English
Click Here for articles in Spanish
(This one is the only one I've seen that actually talks about the severe rise in prices and increasing lack of basic necessities... our reality)
Also, there is now NO gasoline in the city... all the gas stations are out.
Prices on staples have been climbing again, and no doubt tomorrow will double because of the mania.
on how the natives are REALLY getting restless...
1 comments Posted by the tuttle tribe at 6/05/2009Dear Brothers and Sisters,
PS. When we say `natives', we do not use the term insensitively as, we as the American missionaries are the civilized and the Peruvians are the uncivilized! The term `natives' is a term the Peruvians themselves use for this people group, who are living as their ancestors have historically lived in their villages and/or nomadically living off the land. This is in contrast to the approximate other half of Peruvians who are part of a mestizo group who are of mixed Spanish and native Peruvian descent.
Dear friends and family,
Javen, Cullen and I have just arrived back from a trip to the jungle where I was teaching at a Bible conference. I also preached in several churches, evangelized in the markets and tried to encourage believers in some of the villages along the river. The boys had lots of fun searching for giant boa skins, swinging on palm tree branches, playing soccer, eating ice-cream, chasing rats and swimming in the river.
Several of the men who studied at the conference traveled for 3 days to get the Bible teaching. Two of the men who live up river cut down some trees, lashed them together, piled the raft high with bananas, jumped on and just let the current take them down towards town. After 24 hours of floating on the mighty Huallaga they arrived at the towns port, sold the bananas and with their earnings paid for the classes.
The area of the jungle we were in is where Bert and Colleen Elliot worked for many, many years. There are lots of small assemblies in the region. Now (20 years after the Elliot's left the area) there is a real need to train a new generation of leaders, elders, pastors, and national missionaries. The students, the churches, and the villages were hungry for God's word so there were plenty of opportunities. I love to preach and teach the bible and that's what I did last week ….. about 45 times. Now I'm quite tired and ready for a rest.
Micah Tuttle
Editor's note: We've been waiting on a youtube video to upload to attach a link to this e-mail, but it is taking forEVER (13hrs so far), so we'll send that along as soon as it is ready :)
Oh yeah, this is cool. Just a little nervous about tipping...
It's finally finished!
You too, can be on the river with Micah Tuttle! Here you go, click the link or copy and paste the following address into your browser bar:
Thank you for all your prayers for us over this last extraordinarily busy month. It will all be over after this weekend... until next month, that is :) heheheh.
Amy for all
Dear friends and family,
As we walked through the market (the closest thing that the jungle town of Yurimaguas has to a Walmart) we had to negotiate around piles of bananas, oranges and dried fish. A friend from Houston Texas, 6 Peruvians and myself were on our way to a prime open air preaching spot, but when we arrived we found that a Shamán had already beat us to the "pulpit". This "witch-doctor" was quite an interesting fellow as he had set up his table with skulls, medicines and different spiritist trinkets. As he preached his message of lies to about 8 people we set up right next to him and began to preach God's message of truth to a crowd that reached about 200 people almost instantly.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph 6:12)
That night there were about 30 new people at the church where I once again preached the gospel. Many stayed after the meeting with broken hearts and wanting to be dealt with personally before God. Only time will tell how many genuine conversions there were but until then I seek to glorify God by preaching the gospel of His Son (Rom 1:9).
-Micah for the Tuttle´s
Video of Open Air in Yurimaguas or copy and paste the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4yFw3rK55w
Pictures of the trip with short-termer Daniel Belcher or copy and paste the following link:
http://tuttlekids.com/Gallery/Yuri_with_DanielDear friends and family,
As we walked through the market (the closest thing that the jungle town of Yurimaguas has to a Walmart) we had to negotiate around piles of bananas, oranges and dried fish. A friend from Houston Texas, 6 Peruvians and myself were on our way to a prime open air preaching spot, but when we arrived we found that a Shamán had already beat us to the "pulpit". This "witch-doctor" was quite an interesting fellow as he had set up his table with skulls, medicines and different spiritist trinkets. As he preached his message of lies to about 8 people we set up right next to him and began to preach God's message of truth to a crowd that reached about 200 people almost instantly.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph 6:12)
That night there were about 30 new people at the church where I once again preached the gospel. Many stayed after the meeting with broken hearts and wanting to be dealt with personally before God. Only time will tell how many genuine conversions there were but until then I seek to glorify God by preaching the gospel of His Son (Rom 1:9).
-Micah for the Tuttle´s
Video of Open Air in Yurimaguas or copy and paste the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4yFw3rK55w
Pictures of the trip with short-termer Daniel Belcher or copy and paste the following link:
http://tuttlekids.com/Gallery/Yuri_with_Daniel
