update and prayer letter

Dear Faithful Prayer Warriors,

I am so happy to report that the last trip to the Shishinahua River to visit our three villages of Santa Clara, Santa Rosa and Yarina was a huge success!  We had more people attend Bible studies and evening services than before, glory to God!  In fact in Santa Rosa the people were actually waiting for us to start!  Our meetings went very well as we had Pastor Roque (Rocky) translated into Shawi what I shared and then preach himself from the Word sharing his own personal experiences in growing as a Christian. 

The people were very attentive and are really becoming much more aware of their commitment to Christ.  This was evidenced by the response I got when I asked them, “How many here can say that you are a son or daughter of God?” In the past they could not answer this because of lack of confidence and/or understanding of what that meant.  Now however, several people raised their hands with confident assurance that they knew they were children of God!  This is an incredible leap forward in their relationship with the Lord and nothing short of the Holy Spirit working in their lives!  What is so glorious is that we all had a part in bringing this about through our combined intercession and commitment to the work of the Lord.

We will be continuing with discipleship classes through a three-day conference like we had in early November.  The dates will be 1, 2, 3 of March (a change from the original dates of 7, 8, 9) and our theme will be the Authority of the Believer.  Pastor Roque and Pastor Rufino who shared at the last conference will be joining us again for this one.  I have invited the families of the villages to come to the conference this time and not just the parents so that everyone will be taught the Word of God and grow in their relationship with Him.  Would you pray earnestly for this conference as there are many logistical issues that must be met in order for the conference to take place.  Our prayer points are as follows:

1)   Safety as Maria’s brothers travel to the villages to pick up the families and bring them back to their homes (it’s a 9-12 hour boat ride each way).

2)   That they arrive in Yurimaguas on time and the dirt road that we will travel on to the farm where the conference will take place will not be rained out.

3)   That every heart and mind will be open to the all that the Lord wants to teach and reveal to them so that they understand that they have authority in Christ over life’s situations.

4)   Pray for the four children’s ministry workers that the Lord will give them wisdom in teaching the Shawi children the Word of God with clarity so that they too can begin a life with Christ.

5)   Wisdom, discern and confidence for the speakers of the conference so that they will communicate each point of the teaching well so that both the men and the women will understand what is theirs in Christ.

Thank you so much for standing with me in prayer and intercession for this conference and for all that the Lord will do in these precious people.  God bless you mightily as we join together to see the Kingdom of God established in these hearts and lives.

With Much Appreciation,

Sharon Malcolm

2014 prayer/newsletter

Dear Prayer Warriors,

After about six weeks in the States to visit supporting churches and individual supporters I am back at home in semi-sunny but really warm Peru!  I was only too glad to leave the sub-zero temperatures and the piles and piles of snow that I was helping my sister shovel while staying at her house to visit my mom in the nursing home in New Jersey.

I wanted to share with you that we will be going on the river again to visit our three villages of Santa Clara, Santa Rosa and Yarina to see how they’ve been since we saw them last in December.  Our goal is to train and encourage them to carry on what they’ve learned from us on their own when we’re not there and praise God it’s coming step by step.

On this trip we will have two Shawi pastors traveling with us to minister:  Pastor Roque (Rocky), who ministered at the conference in November, and Maria’s brother Antonio who pastors the church where she attends.  Our focus this time will be to  present the dates of the next 3-day conference, which will be March 7, 8, 9 and will focus on the authority of the believer.   We will also be addressing some of the superstitions of the villagers that have kept them bound in fear and intimidation all of their lives.  By understanding where these beliefs come from and what is now available to them in Christ they can begin to experience freedom like they have never known and live as the overcomer that they are.

Would you stand with us in intercessory prayer for this very pivotal time of teaching so that the strongholds of generations will be broken through the knowledge of the Truth?  Our heart is to reveal and teach the villagers the power and authority of the Word of God and who they are in Christ so that they can take back all that the enemy has stolen from them.

Our dates of travel will be Friday, February 14 to Friday, February 21.  Below are our prayer points and as the Lord shows you anything else please include that as well.

1)   Safety on the river as we travel.

2)   The villages will be open and receptive to the messages that they hear and that everyone will attend the meetings.

3)   That everything that they learned and experienced at the November conference is still working in their hearts so that they can advance quickly in their walk of faith.

4)   As a result of the teachings there will be significant life-style changes so that the life of Christ is clearly evident.

5)   Anything else that the Lord puts on your heart.

I am also attaching the latest newsletter to update you on the river trip right before coming to the States in December.  I trust that you will read this and be blessed as you see what the Lord is doing through all of us.  God bless you in every way and thank you so much for your love, prayers and participation in this work.

With Much Gratitude,

Sharon