Prayer update - sorry, lot's to tell

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I am so excited to share with you about this last river trip to the Shishinahua River.  We went with the purpose of inviting the three villages that we've been working with, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa and Yarina to the 5-day Bible training we will be having in March and also to minister to them in the Word of God. Several things happened while we were there that were a direct answer to all of our prayers:

First, I did not have any attacks of pre-trip stress or anxiety, which often occurs at some level before going and lasts at least through the beginning part of the trip. It is distinctly a spiritual assault on all the preparations that need to be made in order to minister well to the communities. Also, the trip to and from the villages went very smoothly and only took 9 hours each way.

Second, while we were in the first village of Santa Clara four people came to the Lord, two men and two women! The two men are husbands of women whom we have led to the Lord and baptized in the past but the men never wanted to do the same--until now that is, Glory to God! After we led all of them to the Lord I encouraged them to be water baptized right away to solidify their commitment to making Jesus Lord of their lives but they were not ready to take this step. The next day however, one of the men told me that all during the night he "was tormented" about not being willing to follow the Lord through baptism and that he was now he was ready to be water baptized and live for the Lord alone. He is choosing to do this during our 5-day training in March where we will have others baptized as well. Praise God for His mercy, love and incredible patience with all of us.

The other man did not come back to any more of our meetings but I trust that the Lord is dealing with him as well since he at least prayed to make Jesus Lord of his life. The two women are a mother and an adult daughter. The daughter is also making plans to be baptized with us during the 5-day training while the mother is not able to join us for that event and did not come back to our meetings. I believe the Lord is dealing with her as well as He is patiently dealing with all of us through our many struggles in bringing us to a saving knowledge of Him.

Third, in our next village of Santa Rosa, 4 women and a young man prayed to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Even though all of the women who prayed with us had prayed to accept the Lord before, this time there seemed to be much more clarity and understanding of what it meant (even though we've explained it several times in different ways in the past it seemed to click this time).

The oldest woman in the group, the mother of one of the younger women, was very sure of what she wanted and so after leading them all in prayer to make Jesus Lord of their lives we offered to baptize them. Unfortunately, all but the oldest woman, named Sabina, declined indicating that they were not ready to make that level of commitment yet. However, we did have the privilege of baptizing Sabina. This was a huge step for this family since Sabina's husband is the chief leader of the community and so far has not responded at all to any of our invitations to come to our meetings and receive prayer. He was not there when we were in his village this time and so did not have the opportunity to see his wife get baptized. I am praying that Sabina will be strong enough to openly bear her cross in front of her family by encouraging them to receive and walk closely with the Lord and that her husband will not hinder her from her commitment to Him. It is very difficult in these communities because there are no pastors or church leaders to help them live out their faith and so we have been trying over the years to raise up people within the villages that will facilitate in meeting this need. Please pray with us for Sabina and all the other people who have accepted Christ in their hearts that they will continue to follow Him in all their ways and that leaders will emerge from these villages.

We did not get to our last village of Yarina because one of the people that travel with us named Florentina stepped on a stingray while she and I were washing a large plastic tarp in the river. These bottom-dwellers burrow in the sand of the riverbed and cause excruciating pain for several hours if stepped on. Fortunately, the venom does not cause damage to any other part of the body just severe pain. In order to alleviate her discomfort we took Florentina to the nearest health post, which was an hour and half up river, where she and Maria, the YWAM Shawi missionary that's been traveling with me for 6 years, stayed overnight to receive treatment. When we got back to them the next day Florentina was much better and pain free!

We were able to pass by the village of Yarina however, and invite those we saw to the 5-day training and briefly visit and pray with a dear family that has become close friends of ours who will also be attending the training as well.

I want to thank you all so very much for your intercession and consciousness to pray for us while on the river. These souls that have come to the Lord are the direct fruit of our labor in prayer and persistence and I believe that we will see their growth in the Lord and be with them for all eternity in heaven. Never take your persistence in prayer for granted, these souls are proof that God is using all of us to reach the lost and complete the Great Commission. May God mightily bless you in all that you are doing to serve the Shawi people through your intercession.

Together With You in the Harvest,
Sharon Malcolm

Prayer Letter

Dear Faithful Prayer Warriors,

We will be traveling again on the river starting this Saturday, February 13 and returning the following Wednesday, February 17. The purpose of the trip is to coordinate with our three villages on the Shishinahua River, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa and Yarina, to come to Yurimaguas. This is where I live and is in order to attend the 5- day training we will be having the first week of March. I sponsor them by providing food and housing during their stay and gas to go back and forth so that they can get the most out of what the Lord wants to share with them during the classes.

We've been having an abundance of rain since I've been back to Peru, which has caused the rivers to rise quite a bit making river travel much easier. However, I would ask your prayers to cover us with the Lord's protection as we travel and minister to these villages so that there are no hindrances to the work of the Lord. Would you stand in agreement with me for the following points?

1. Complete protection over us as we travel on the river with wisdom and keen eyesight for the boat drivers to be able to see any obstacles in the water in order to quickly avoid them.
2. Anointing of the Holy Spirit as we share the Word of God and renew the passion in the people to follow Him with all their hearts.
3. That the Lord would give the villagers a strong desire to come to the Bible training and receive from Him all that He has for them.
4. Anything else that the Lord lays on your heart.

I want to thank you so much for your faithful and loving prayers for this work. As we stand together in agreement all of heaven is in agreement with us. Therefore let's take this land for the Kingdom! Be blessed!

Serving With You in the Harvest,
Sharon Malcolm

Newsletter Update

 

Sharon and mom Christmas, 2014

I want to share with you a very special event that occurred on Thursday, December 10th at 10:45 pm. My precious mom Maria Malcolm, who was a general in the Lord’s army and a pillar in the Body of Christ went home to be with her Lord and Savior. After a very long four years of suffering from a massive stroke that caused the left side of her body to be paralyzed she is finally in the presence of her Lord forever.

She served Him well throughout her life and demonstrated to us, as her children, a life spent devoted to the living God. She will be greatly missed but I am truly rejoicing over where she is now and how she is fulfilling all that the Lord has created her to be. I had a wonderful life with my mom and have a host of memories to treasure and praise God for. She will always be an example to me of a dedicated vessel of love and compassion for the things of God.

Water Filters in San Fernando

I want to thank all of you for praying for our last outreach to the village of San Fernando to do 17 water filters. This is a neighboring village of Varadero who contacted us while we were doing a water filter project there in October. Therefore we arranged to do their filters on December 5 but due to my mom’s homegoing I was not able to participate. However, Maria, who’s been working with me for 5½ years and her brothers completed the project. According to our plan, they distributed Bibles, discipleship booklets, crayons and coloring books to the families while holding services each night to present the Word of God. The result was that four people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!

Left to right: Maria, Florentina, Camilo (sitting), Roger

Maria and her team completed the filters in three days and I was told that the village authorities were very satisfied with all that was done for them. Our goal is to continue with them by inviting them to our 3, 5, or 7-day discipleship training we will have in the New Year. It is an intense time of studying and practicing the Word of God in order to grow in their faith but also to be able to share what they’ve learned with others.

I want to thank you all so very much for your intercession and encouragement for this work. It is because we all are doing our part that the Kingdom of God is advancing in these villages. May the Lord richly bless you for your commitment to this ministry through the many ways you support it. I pray you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas.

Yours In Christ,
Sharon Malcolm

November Newsletter

5-DAY TRAINING COMPLETED!

Pastor Rufino, a Shawi pastor teaching the attendees in the Shawi language

Our discipleship training went very well as a total of 21 villagers from two different rivers attended a five-day intensive study on the Word of God through Bible-storying, Scripture reading, discipleship, prayer and videos of people living out their faith, some to the point of death. The purpose of the training is to not only equip the attendees with the knowledge of the Word of God in order to apply it to their own lives but also to share what they’ve learned with others in their community.

We had practical classes on how to pray through the laying on of hands, brief opportunities on leading a meeting (we will do this more as they get used to it), small group discussions to answer questions on a video story and even nutritional classes on how to balance their diet. With each class there was more and more fruit and evidence that the Holy Spirit was opening them up to new things. I was also blessed to see that a firmer bonding was taking place between all of us and a level of trust on their part that was seen by a much more relaxed and open demeanor, even from the most tentative.

Maria and Sharon teaching the women as Maria translated into Shawi

Lidia and Lilí worked tirelessly by going to the market everyday to buy food for lunch to prepare and serve it and then clean up afterwards. Truly, servants of the Lord!

 

Janne teaching on nutrition

  

Pastor Rufino translating during a class

On the third day of the training we had a teaching on idols and the One true God. We explained how certain practices and beliefs are actually idol worship and are contrary to what the Bible says.  One very common practice, even among Christians, is going to the witchdoctors for healing! We explained that when they go to these men they are opening themselves up to whatever spirit is operating in order to bring the healing and that is totally against God. Since all of them were Christians they knew that this practice was wrong and so it was an easy thing to lead them in a prayer to renounce and repent of it. Gloriously, everyone was very willing to do so and as a result I sensed something broke over them.

The next day we prayed for an infilling of the Holy Spirit for boldness and power to be His witnesses and again the Lord moved mightily among them. There were no strong manifestations but a deep, penetrating presence that seemed to go right to the core of the people. When we were finished no one moved but stayed in their places for quite a while basking in the presence of the Lord. I truly believe something significant happened during these times of prayer and will be evident as time goes on.

I want to thank all of you who stood in the gap in prayer for us during these very important days of training. Without your intercession I’m not sure people would have been touched as they were and so your part in this work is so very vital to what the Lord is doing. Please continue to pray for those who have attended the trainings and all those who will attend in the future.

Prayer Request

We completed a water filter project in three areas of a village called Varadero in October and while we were there a neighboring village, named San Fernando, heard that we were doing this and asked us to do filters for their village as well. We gladly agreed and so we will be doing this starting on Saturday. This is a new village and they are not Christian so this will be a wonderful opportunity to present the Gospel and pray with them each night that we are there. Our dates of travel are Saturday, December 5 to Wednesday, December 9. Would you agree with me in prayer for the following points?

• Safety as we travel back and forth to the village of San Fernando.
• Strong discernment and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as we share the Word of God and pray for the people in the nightly meetings.
• That the Lord will do everything that He desires to do in the people with no interruptions or hindrances in any way.
• That we complete the filters within the time allotted and that everyone use them correctly and for a long time.
• Anything else that the Lord lays on your heart to pray.

Thank you so much again for all that you’ve done and are continuing to do for this work. May the Lord richly bless you as you follow Him with all your heart.

Together in Bringing in the Harvest,
Sharon Malcolm

November Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Our combined intercession has caused so much to happen in work of the Kingdom, I continue to be amazed. I am still in awe of how the Lord opened doors that no man could shut during last month's strike. God's provisions of planes, boats and motorcars at just the right time and just the right place assured us that our work in the village would be completed and sure enough it was.

Gloriously, while we were there a member from another village approached us to ask if they too could have water filters done in their community. Maria and I are now in the process of coordinating with them to do this and will take full advantage of the opportunity to share the Gospel with them as well since this is a village that does not know the Lord.

In the meantime I would like to share with you that there is yet another occasion to come before the Lord in behalf of the Shawi people and that will be from November 14 to 18 during our 5-day discipleship training. We have been doing 3-day discipleship trainings once a quarter to help new and growing Christians walk out their faith in an educated and practical way. Now, however, at their request we are extending the training to five days to include more themes. I am very excited about the desire from them to have more training and so am asking you to stand with me during this time to pray that the people will receive everything from the Lord that is possible. Please include these prayer points as you intercede for this event.

1) That everyone will come and that their travel will be safe and easy.
2) That everyone will understand the material and be able to implement it in their daily lives.
3) That the facilitators will explain the lessons very clearly so that the children and the adults will be able to live by what they are taught.
4) That there be a powerful move of the Holy Spirit over everyone as we have the opportunity to pray for each person.
5) That everything that the Lord wants to do will be done without any hindrance.

I want to thank you all so very much for your role in this work and all that the Lord is doing through you to reach the Shawi people. The Lord is doing great things through us and I am honored to be partnered with you. God bless you mightily.

Forever For the Kingdom,
Sharon Malcolm

Prayer and Praise update of the strike

I have such excitement as I write to you because I can tell you that we did get to the villages, completed the water filter project, ministered to the people and the team and I got back to our homes safely and soundly! Let me tell you how it happened.

First, let me apologize for not contacting you sooner with an update but things fell into place very quickly and we had to move when the opening was available. I was able to get to Tarapoto, the closest airport to me, in order to fly to Lima to meet the team, but on our way back we found that a strike, which was very strong, had also started in Yurimaguas. This is where we had to leave from in order to get to the villages.

The chief of police, who assured me that he could help me, texted me that day to tell me that he was in a meeting with the strikers and that absolutely nothing was passing through the picket lines for any reason and therefore could not help us get through. His recommendation was to wait out the strike for a couple of days in Tarapoto and try to get in to Yurimaguas then. This was not an option for us because our time to complete the project was quite limited so together with your prayers we sought the Lord and trusted Him to provide while we spent the night in Tarapoto.

In the meantime I had contacted the company that ran small engine planes to put our names on the list should there be anything coming in to Tarapoto. At that time there was only one person that wanted to come from Yurimaguas to Tarapoto so it didn't look too promising but we trusted in the Lord anyway. The next day I called because I didn't hear anything and praise God there were two planes coming in from Yurimaguas to Tarapoto that could accommodate all of us, and our gear so now we could get to Yurimagaus!

When we got there however, I saw that the strike was in full force and only a very few cars were moving. That meant the extra challenge of moving 10 duffle bags plus our backpacks to a river port that was about 15 minutes away by motorcar. Again, we joined with your prayers and trusted in the Lord and once again He came through. I got up early the next day, which was the day we intended to leave, and searched for a boat instead of a motorcar that was big enough to fit all of us, our cargo and was ready and willing to leave right away in order to drive us to the port that was 15 minutes away. It just so happened that a boat driver was sitting on the stairs when I got there and he said he could completely accommodate us! Another answered prayer.

Then I found a motorcar willing to take the first round of cargo to the boat and just then a dear friend pulled up with his motorcar and offered to help us. He was an angel sent from God because he was very helpful and made 2 or 3 trips to get all of us, and our gear to the boat. Once we got to the port, we loaded everything onto the two boats that would take us to the villages and we were on our way in spite of so many obstacles!

I tell you this so that you know how much the Lord is using your intercession and persistence in prayer to open doors that no man can shut. It's just one more demonstration of what the Body of Christ can do when we all join together in prayer under the power of the Holy Spirit. May God bless you richly and thank you again so much.

Yours Forever in the Fight,
Sharon Malcolm

Strike update2

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I want to share with you the triumphs that we experienced as a result of your intercession.  The strike that closed the only road in or out of Yurimaguas to the nearest airport in Tarapoto got quite rigid over the weekend not allowing anyone to pass through the picket lines for any reason.  Even the chief of police and the president of the strike said it was impossible to get through for several days.  That meant that the team and I would have to wait in Tarapoto until the strike lifted.  There would be no danger from the picketers but it would cause precious time to be lost in ministering to the villages.  The team and I prayed along with you for a solution and once again the Lord came through with the option of taking a 2 small engine planes to Yurimaguas from Tarapoto which we were able to do and arrived in Yurimaguas around 11:30 this morning.  The planes do not fly from one side to the other unless they have passengers and fortunately for us there were several people that wanted to come from Yurimaguas to Tarapoto in order for us to leave Tarapoto to come to Yurimaguas.

When we arrive however, I noticed that there weren't many vehicles on the road and almost everything was closed.  This was not a good sign because it meant that there is now a strike in Yurimaguas, which turned out to be the case.  We are now in the middle of a double strike for an indefinite amount of time making travel within Yurimaguas quite challenging.  Again, there is no danger from the strikers it just hinders us from getting to the villages.  Our plan is still to leave at dawn tomorrow morning and the challenge is to get some kind of vehicle to move all of our gear from my house to the river port in order for us to leave.  There is a man from my church who has a motorcar (the 3-wheeled vehicles they use here as taxis) that said he and his son could help us but that was before the strike started so I'm not sure what they could do now.  I will be contacting him and praying for other options if it is not possible for him to help.  Please continue to keep us in prayer since the Lord is continuing to answer our prayers and is providing for ways of escape.  God bless you and thank you all so much for your continued prayer support.  I will do my best to keep you posted as things develop.

Sharon Malcolm