Epic jungle discipleship adventure
This particular discipleship event was physically demanding, it was hard, it was exhausting, it was humbling, it was heart-breaking, it was bonding and it was perspective shifting. The disciples saw a totally different culture, a different way of life and a whole new poverty level. It gave them opportunities to suffer well and to share the gospel with neglected and needy people. We did open air preaching, children's meetings and hut to hut evangelism while using skits, songs and testimonies. We struggled through lots of blisters and chaffing. We battled with chiggers, ticks and mosquitos. Many of the team members experienced vomiting, nauseas, fevers and diarrhea. Some ended up urinating blood and two of the team were even taken into emergency when we got back to Tarapoto... In the end everyone survived.... and it was definitely an unforgettable experience! The following are my journal entries for each day in the villages.

Wednesday August 8th:
The journey begins! This morning we drove from the bible institute in Tarapoto to Chazuta (one hour). Been traveling with the whole Tuttle-Tribe and twelve BLAZE disciples. After arriving at the launch we jumped into our boat and headed down the muddy and turbulent waters of the Huallaga river. The boat ride gave us three hours of spectacular jungle scenery, fragrant smells and suffocating humidity before finally navigating into the port of Huimbayoc (the foremost village in the whole district). There was quite a commotion in town as the villagers began to notice the crowd of gringos with heavy packs making their way down the main drag. After meeting with the town mayor and getting his help to locate a 4x4 truck we headed to the town of Leche. Half the team walked the 22 kilometers and the other half crammed into the back of the already half full pick-up (think 20 people in the back of a Toyota). Half way down the atrocious dirt road the truck ended up getting a flat tire and we all had to walk a large portion of the way. Finally, we arrived at about 8:30 pm and were greeted by a hand-full of eager saints. Being famished, we scarfed down the plantains and chicken soup that had been prepared for us and then it was off to the church meeting. Nothing better than worshiping the Lord together with His people deep in the jungle!


Thursday August 9th:
We have our first sick disciple! He's a tough one though... He powered through. Today we hiked about about 25 kilometers and the terrain was much more difficult than yesterday's. We had to do three river crossings, the deepest of which was only about chest high, so it wasn't too difficult, just time-consuming (drying off takes time but it's the key to avoiding blisters and chaffing). We decided to stick together on the trail, so we all went at the pace of the slowest team member. Four year-old Ellia switched from one persons shoulders to another all day long and 10 year-old Mya trudged on and on for the longest and hardest hike of her life. In all, the trek took us 11 hours! When we finally limped into Santa Rosillo we were received with hardy handshakes, back-slapping and hugs. After much conversation and story-telling and plantain feasting we went down to the river to freshen up before heading to our tents for the night. The stars! Incredible! Genesis 1:16!


Friday August 10th:
A few more sick members today.... the jungle is really hard on gringos! Woke up at 5 a.m and read few chapters of Revelation out-loud to the groggy disciples who slowly emerged from their tents that we had set up in Santa Rosillo's communal building. Soon we were off to the morning devotional with the village believers. We had a great time of prayer and worship and short thoughts from the scriptures by three different team members. The rest of the day was a whirlwind of hut to hut evangelism, children's meetings and unforgettable meals. We ate jungle rat... I even got to eat the brains! There was deer meat, fermented corn drink, yuca root, rice, chicken, plenty of cao-cao, and of course, plantains. Finished the day with an open air meeting. Many villagers crowded around to listen and even more listened from afar. The teams skit really drew people in and then they listened intently as one disciple gave his testimony and another thundered out the gospel. Great evening!


Saturday August 11th:
Our camera guy and fellow leader Sean Macdonald is in bad shape today... I think the river water and jungle rat are upsetting a few stomachs here... After attending to the sick we went to the morning devotional, ate breakfast and then had another amazing children's meeting. About 50 kids have been coming out and several of the disciples are incredible at connecting with them in spite of the language barrier. After lunch we gathered on the banks of the river, prayed with the brothers and sisters, said our goodbyes, put the sick and weary into two canoe's and then those of us that could still walk headed down the trail to the next village. As we hiked each disciple repeated, one after another, phrase by phrase the whole book of Ephesians. It was great to let the scripture wash over us and it also took our minds off the pain of each step. This time we made a really good pace on the trail and covered about 20 kilometers in five hours. Thankfully, those that travelled by canoe made it to San Jose about an hour before we did and were feeling well enough to begin setting up camp in a brothers home. After a scrumptious meal of Yuca and rice we headed out to do an open air meeting. San Jose is a tough village and we had a rather small attendance, nevertheless we preached our hearts out. Many people listened from afar as one disciple gave his testimony, others sang and two gave short gospel messages.


Sunday August 12th:
Tough night last night. Four team members were suffering with vomiting, diarrhea and fevers. Praying for them. Woke up reading the scriptures out-loud from my tent so that everyone could hear. When the team was awake, we headed over to the chapel building for a meeting with the brethren. Not many showed up. This church, that was once flourishing, is now divided and almost dead. Lots of problems, sin, false doctrine, rivalries and coldness. I'm so discouraged!.... Feels like all the work I did over the years was in vain. I had several difficult conversations with church leaders and all I could do was put a band-aid on the wounds. They need a lot of help here but I can't do much on this whirlwind visit. I feel pulled in different directions... Family, Blaze team, Village brethren. I feel like I'm not attending to any of them very well.....


After some of those difficult conversations and not a few tears we had to leave the brothers and the problems in the Lords hands. When the goodbye's were over, we were able to find a 4x4 truck for our sick and wounded which is now at a grand total of 15. The 25 kilometers between San Jose and Huimbayoc is drivable... sort of.... But the only truck in the whole region is usually out of service. I'm so thankful that God provided that rare transportation for the majority of the team. For lack of room in the pick-up, Amy and I walked this section with three other valiant evangelists and about six hours later we arrived in Huimba. The 15 Blaze members that went ahead on the truck got here about three hours before us and were well fed, rested and, for the most part, feeling much better. They had organized a children's meeting which was going strong when the five of us hikers limped into the village. After dinner I went through the streets calling out at the top of my lungs that everyone was invited to an open air evangelistic meeting.... There was an eager expectation. People crowded around to listen. The Lord really seemed to use it as we sang and preached our hearts out! There were many great individual conversations afterward. I'm praying that the Lord would use what happened here for real and lasting spiritual growth!


Monday August 13th:
Jonny is pretty sick... He's lost about 20 lbs... We are going to have to cut the trip short... Need to take him to the hospital when we get to Tarapoto... After the normal early morning, out-loud bible reading from our tents, we packed up and said our goodbyes to the precious saints of Huimba and then went down to the river port. Our boat was waiting for us and after cramming into the "Chasqui" we motored up river. Along the way we stopped at my favorite thermal hot-springs waterfall and had a very therapeutic hour of R&R. It was healing, rejuvenating and much-needed! From there we continued on to the village of Achinamisa where we were greeted by several saints that were waiting for us on the shore. Ten different sisters had prepared lunch for us in their respective homes so we split up and feasted in different places around the village. After the meal we canvassed the town inviting all the kids to come out to a VBS meeting.... and come they did! I even managed to empty out the grade school that was in session. I asked the director if I could take the kids to a bible meeting and before I knew it all the kids were marching in single file behind me all the way to the church :) After a wildly successful meeting we piled back in the boat and headed toward Chazuta. Along the way we witnessed an incredible sunset over the jungle as we cruised along the Huallaga river and into the darkness of the night. Navigating a large jungle river in the dark is no easy task! Our driver (Brother Roberto) has the route memorized and he did a fantastic job dodging submerged logs and rock outcroppings and sandbars. It was quite exciting! When we finally arrived at the port we loaded everyone into our two vehicles that were waiting for us and we drove toward civilization and the hospital.


Tuesday August 14th:
Just got back from open air preaching with the disciples in the main square of Tarapoto. It went well. Brought back lots of memories of doing this every week in this same place for many years..... We arrived last night and today was hospital day. Only two out of a team of twenty ended up in emergency.... That's pretty good :) And they are both doing much better now. No Dengue, no Malaria, no Meningitis and no Yellow Fever so we can take a breath of relief.... In the course of this trip we hiked about 90 kilometers in all while crossing 5 rivers and visiting 5 different villages. We traveled by truck, motor-boat, canoe, horse and on foot. We trudged through the mud, thick jungle and open fields as we weathered extreme humidity with sweltering heat. We slept in tents, bathed in the river, ate strange things and experienced a whole different world. We preached, prayed, studied, served and evangelized our hearts out. It was hard, but it was good. It was exhausting but it was rewarding. It was an unforgettable and growing experience for everyone and we thank the Lord for every minute!



MISSIONS QUOTE FOR THE DAY BY DEITRICH BONHOEFFER: "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."

WILLIAM CAREY: "There are grave difficulties on every hand, and more are looming ahead - therefore we must go forward.”

Micah for the Tuttle