Monday, December 14, 2015

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

Monday, November 30, 2015

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 LilĂ­ 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

Friday, November 6, 2015

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

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

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

Thursday, October 8, 2015

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

Friday, October 2, 2015

Strike update

Dear Faithful Prayer Warriors,

I want to thank you so very much for standing in the gap for the strike situation.  The latest update is that as of  yesterday late afternoon there is no strike in the town that live in, Yurimaguas.  The decision was back and forth for a few days but apparently it was decided that there will be no strike.  For the team that is comin and me that is very good news because we will be able to move freely within the city and get to the river port to go to the village of Varadero with no problem.  Now the only challenge is the road to Tarapoto that is still blocked due to a strike there.  However, I did speak to the chief of police asking for his help in getting us through and he assured me that he will help us out.

I would ask if you would keep us in prayer for this so that I will be able to contact him on Sunday afternoon when the team and I will be arriving at the picket line to go through to Yurimaguas.  Aslo, would you keep us in prayer for the village outreach following the points below?

1)  Safety as we travel in and out of the village Oct. 6 to 13.
2)  That we complete all 25 water filters for each of the families and that they will be used correctly
3)  That the ministry of the Word and prayer for the people will be powerfully impacting resulting in a permanently changed life for the Lord.
4)  That the Lord will do a powerful work in each member of the team that will change them forever.
5)  Wisdom and discernment from the Lord for all of us so that we will know how to minister and hear the Holy Spirit as we minister to the people.

Thank you so much again for your faithful and powerful intercession.  The Lord is truly moving through what you are doing and I am so very honored and blessed to join with you in this.  God bless you in every way and I will keep you posted.
Faithfully Yours,
Sharon Malcolm

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Safe Passage Prayer update

Dear Prayer Warriors,

The latest development on the strike issue is that it now includes the town that I live in called Yurimaguas.  Orginially it only included the town of Pamper Hermosa who said they would block their part of the only road in or out of Yurimaguas.  This alone would have made travel a bit challenging since there is no other option to get to the airport, which is in Tarapoto about 2 1/2 hours from where I live.  Now however, since Yurimaguas decided to get involved not only is the road blocked but the whole town of Yurimaguas is shut down for an indefinite amount of time as well.  That means there are no businesses open and no cars running until further notice.

I was able to meet with the president of the strike a few days ago and then followed up with a call to him this morning and he assured me that he would help me get my team from Tarapoto to Yurimaguas.  Although he did not say he would meet us at the picket line to take us in he did say to call him when we got there and he would take care of it.  Since the strike starts at midnight on Oct. 1 he is very busy and my request is not on the top of his priority list although he was very kind and seemed like he would truly help me.  However, would you pray with me that he will keep his word and get us to Yurimaguas and then help us move all the equipment necessary for our outreach to the village through Yurimaguas via motorcars to the river port (which are not permitted to operate during the strike)?

I will have to leave my house 2 days earlier than planned in order to get to the airport in Tarapoto to go to Lima to meet the team.  This cuts my preparation time down quite a bit so would you please include this in your prayers as well?  The prayer points below will help with prayer focus.
  1. That the president of the strike, Segundo, will keep his word in helping us get all the way from Tarapoto to the village of Varadero with no delays or problems.
  2. That I will be able to make all the necessary preparations for the trip in the time I have.
  3. That the strike will end by the time we leave the village on Oct.13 so that we can get to Tarapoto with no problems.  This is also very difficult on the townspeople because they are not allowed to work during the strike and many of them have extremely tight budgets.  Therefore, to take their livelihood away from them for what could be weeks at a time is grossly unfair.
  4. For the village outreach in doing the water filters and ministering to the people with the Word of God.  That we are safe in all of the travle, complete all of the water filters and bring the Word of God through His Holy Spirit in a way that will deeply impact all who hear.
Our dates of travel are:
  • Oct. 4 Lima to Yurimaguas through the picket lines
  • Oct. 6 - 13 travel and ministry to the village of Varadero.
  • Oct. 15 Yurimaguas to Lima 
  • Oct. 17 morning flight to the USA from Lima
Thank you so very much for keeping us in prayer for this situation and I will keep you posted as things develop.  God bless each of you and thank you again.

Sharon

Friday, September 25, 2015

Safe Passage Prayer letter

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I am writing again to ask you to stand with me for an upcoming issue that could temporarily thwart the work of the Lord.  A team from the States is coming to Peru on October 3 to make bio-sand water filters with me in the village of Varadero.  This is where we just got back from and where 20 people accepted the Lord.  Just recently though the state that I live in, Loreto, started feuding with a neighboring state called San Martin over a city that is part of Loreto.

San Martin wants this city to be part of their state and Loreto wants the city to stay with them. The city itself, called Pamper Hermosa, also wants to stay with Loreto and so to force the authorities to settle the issue Pamper Hermosa is going on strike.  The way they do this is to close part of the only road that goes to Tarapoto, which has the closest airport to where I live. This affects me and the team because I need to fly to Lima from this airport in order to meet the team when they arrive in Peru and then bring them back through this airport in order to get to the village to do the water filter project.

I will be talking to the chief of police and the president of the strike to ask for safe passage for us through the picket lines so that we can get in and out without any problems.  Usually these strikes are not dangerous but quite bothersome and could cause a lot of time to be wasted for our team.  Would you pray with me for enormous favor from both of them and an escort from the police or a strike representative through the check points.  Unfortunately, just their word is not good enough for the strikers.  We would need a physical presence of one of them in order to pass through.

I would also ask you to keep us in prayer during our time in the village since we want to complete 25 water filters and greatly minister to the people with the Word of God and prayer.  We will be working in three locations in this village to complete the project and hold church services in the evening as well as daytime activities as time permits.  Would you join with me in these prayer points?

  1. Safe travel to and from the village.
  2. Good health among the team from stomach issues or any other sickness that would hinder the work.
  3. Strong bonding with the team and the people as we work with them and minister.
  4. Wisdom and discernment on how to effectively present the Word of the Lord and pray with the mind of Christ.
  5. That the people will be as open and receptive as they were on our first trip to the Gospel and receive all that the Lord has for them on this trip as well.

Thank you all so very much for your intercession and I will surely keep you posted on the outcome of our concerted prayer.  God bless you mightily in every way.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

September Newletter

Maria’s sister’s-in-law mother with her grandchild

I want to thank everyone who stood in prayer for us as we completed this last river trip. I am happy to report that we were able to get in and out of the village with no problem even though the water was very low. The purpose of the trip was to deliver the water filter materials for the 25 recipients in the village of Varadero.

In meeting with each group of 10 families I was able to explain why we were doing the project and what both our parts would be in completing the filters. I also shared that the purpose of the project was not just to meet a physical need but a spiritual need as well.  This led to the opportunity to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all three groups which resulted in 20 salvations!  The woman pictured above is one of our new sisters in Christ.

Our safe travel, completion of delivering the material and, especially, the salvation of souls came as a result of our combined faith and intercession for the people of this village. I can’t thank you enough for taking this part of the ministry so seriously and faithfully. The outcome of our prayer far outweighs any sacrifice that we had to make in bringing this about. Our precious Heavenly Father had long ago prepared and planned for each one of these precious souls to be part of His eternal Kingdom and we had the privilege of being instruments in His hands as He brought that about. God bless each one of you for joining together with me in seeing this realized!

When we return to Varadero on October 6 with a team from the States to do the filters we will also have evening meetings to teach the Word and pray for everyone who like prayer. I am expecting great things to happen during this time together so I would ask you to please join with me again in seeing the full measure of the Holy Spirit poured out on the villagers and on the US team as we minister. Thank you so much again for all that you do for this work and may God continue to bless you mightily.

Faithfully Yours in Christ,
Sharon Malcolm

Maria’s brother Camilo, driving our fully loaded boat past a river port on the way to Varadero.

Maria in the front as the point person to help guide the boat
with her mother in the center with the yellow blouse.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

September prayer letter

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I want to thank you so very much for keeping our travel and ministry to the villages in prayer all this time, I so appreciate it.  As a result the Lord has truly kept us and protected us while on the river and has opened many doors of evangelism in order to share the love of God with those who have never heard.
This Saturday we will have another opportunity to share God's love with those who do not know Him as we travel to three sub-communities in the greater community of Baradero.  These are smaller villages that we have never worked in before and are the families of Maria's cousin and sister-in-law as well as the families of five of her brothers.  Maria is the Shawi YWAM missionary that has been traveling with me to minister to the Shawi Indians for the last five years.
Our goal is that Maria's cousin Jonnie and sister-in-law Antonia will become the initiators of the follow up and discipleship of these communities so that they can grow in their new found faith as they accept Christ.  Would you stand with us for the following prayer points as you and I go forward to advance the Kingdom of God in this area?
1)   Safety on the river as we travel to and from the villages.
2)   That Maria's cousin Jonnie and Maria's sister-in-law Antonia will be burdened to work with their extended families in these villages in leading them to a strong walk with the Lord.
3)   That the villages will be very open and receptive to the Holy Spirit as He reveals the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them.
4)   That we be extremely sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in knowing how and what to share about the love of God so that it is very clear to everyone.
5)   That each person will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Thank you again so very much for keeping us in prayer and for joining with us to reach the lost for Christ.  It is truly my greatest privilege and joy to be able to stand in agreement with each of you as the Body of Christ to bring in a great harvest of souls!  God be with you and keep you in all that you do.
May Blessings Beyond Containment Be Yours!
Sharon Malcolm

Monday, August 3, 2015

August newsletter


Training Session for the men

Maria, Rufino and I rotated through each of the 5 sessions per day of the 3-day training teaching the men who could read, those that couldn't and the women so that each group received all that God had for them.

I want to thank you all so much for praying for us for our three day training this past weekend. It went very well and I am pleased to say that everyone seemed "full" by the time they left.

These trainings have proven to be very effective because when the villagers come they are completely relieved of all of their daily responsibilities of farm work, child care, food gathering and preparation and water collection. Since all of their meals are provided for and there is child care the only thing they have to concentrate on is the Word of God and all that God wants to do in them.

The goal of this training is to prepare and equip the believers with a firm foundation and how it applies to them so that they can share it with others. I have been encouraging them that they are the best ones to tell the people in their villages about the saving love and grace of Jesus Christ since they live right there and the people already know and trust them.

It is still quite intimidating for them to share their faith but little by little they are becoming more comfortable with it. In fact one man wants to build a church in his village,  so that we have a meeting place when we come and also to accommodate a neighboring village who does not have a church either. Already they are thinking outside of themselves and toward others, praise God!
Eloisa teaching 5, 6, and 7 year olds


Carola teaching 8 to 15 year olds

At the end of our time together I asked if everyone would like to have the training last for five days instead of three and they were in hearty agreement. We also planned to have a three week training in February when the children are on summer vacation so this was very encouraging. We want to do all that we can to give them all that we have so that they can be strong, viable Christians that will stand in the midst of any trial. I want to thank all of you that stood in the gap for this training and for every other activity that we have been engaged with in this ministry. It is because of this that the people have risen to this level of commitment and interest in the things of God. May the Lord richly bless each of you for your very vital part in this ministry.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Prayer for 3-day training

I want to thank you so very much for your faithfulness to intercede for this ministry. The Lord has moved mightily through our combined intercession in reaching the lost with the Gospel and discipling the new believers in the Word.
I would like to invite you again to stand with me in prayer for the upcoming event starting this Saturday. It is our quarterly 3-day training in the Word of God for the Shawi Indians that we work with
We will be bringing them in from their villages to participate in the classes for three days starting Saturday, August 1 and ending on Monday, August 3.  It will be an intense time of learning for them but one that is desperately needed to be able to stand against sin and compromise and grow in their faith and understanding of Who God is and what He's done for us. Therefore if you would please pray for us during this time so that:
  1.  the Lord will open the minds and hearts of all who come so that they will make a decision to follow Him with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength.
  2.  We, as the facilitators, will communicate clearly the content of the lessons and that everyone be able to grasp the meaning and application of what we are teaching.
  3.  Everyone will be safe as they travel to and from their villages. We have people coming from two other rivers as well so we ask the Lord's blessing of protection on them as they travel.
  4.  The child-care workers will be creative and articulate in presenting the Word of God so that all the children, no matter how young, will receive from the Lord.
  5. Everyone will walk away satisfied with what they gained at the training so that they will come back when it is offered again.
Thank you again for your ministry of intercession for the Shawi Indians and may the Lord richly bless and keep you in all that you do.

Standing With You for God's People,
Sharon Malcolm

Friday, July 17, 2015

July Newsletter


Traveling the rivers to minister to the Shawi Indian communities

I want to thank all of you so very much who prayed for us during this last river trip. I am very happy to report that there were no mishaps, near accidents or low water that would have made travel more difficult. This was actually quite a relaxing 10 hour trip going up and an 8 hour trip coming back. Praise be to our God!  Although this river, called the Yanuyacu, has many curves and can be very difficult to navigate a 2-ton boat that is more than 30 feet long the boat drivers did an excellent job of getting us there and back safely and soundly.

Our 3-day training on the Authority of the Believer went very well also. The village where we ministered is called Nueva Papaplaya and it is mostly a Spanish village. It has a strong church and the pastor is a friend of mine and so we’ve done several projects of water filters and wood burning chimney stoves for his people. However, in this village there are also seven Shawi Indian families that we wanted to target along with ministering to the village church since not all of them speak Spanish and so cannot take advantage of the preaching of the Word. I asked Marcos, who is the leader of these families, to teach the material in the Shawi language which he was very glad to do so.

Marcos is a key person in working with these families because he not only speaks and reads Spanish and Shawi very well but also has a strong burden to see his people grow in their faith and understanding of the Word. I have been praying for more people like him that can lead their people into a strong, viable relationship with the Lord and so I am doing everything possible to train him, give him material to share with his families and opportunities to share in our trainings. The village church also allows them to have their own service each week on Wednesday nights where Marcos shares and of course the families are very welcomed to join in the rest of the services the church has during the week as well.

Marcos teaching on the Authority of the Believer to his people

We will be having another 3-day training in August for the villages that we work with on the Shishinahua River and, as before, I have invited Marcos and the other Shawi families to join us. He will be sharing the same material he did with his people but now he will also share it with all those who attend our training as well.

While I was with Shawis during this trip I had the chance to talk at length to Marcos and the rest about our call to fulfill the Great Commission and how they can do this starting from right where they are. I was encouraged to see Marcos’ interest and the others at least sincerely thinking about it. It is a new concept for most of them and so the how, when and where needs to be worked out but I believe we can do this very well and very soon. We also want to concentrate on the villages where Maria lives (she is the Shawi YWAM missionary that has been traveling with me for about 5 years) so that more and more people are mobilized to share the Gospel. When Maria is not traveling with me she helps pastor a church in her village. Her people have had much more exposure to the things of God and are very accustomed to “church”  therefore it should be much easier to explain the call of evangelism and help set up a strategy to reach out to those who have not yet heard.

We are continuing to work diligently to train and encourage our villages on the Shishinahua River to become advocates for the Gospel as well. This is a bit more challenging because most of them did not have any previous point of reference for the things of God and so do not yet understand the need to share about it. However, I have seen the Lord move so mightily in these villages to bring to clear light His Truth that in no time they will be evangelizing their neighboring villages as well.

I will be sharing more about this endeavor soon but in the meantime as the Lord lays these plans on your heart would you pray in agreement with us? I am becoming so very aware of urgency of the times and so it is vital that all of us move forward aggressively to complete what the Lord has given us to do on the earth. God bless you all and thank you so very much for joining with us in prayer by standing in the gap for our Shawi brothers and sisters.

Together With you in Christ,
Sharon Malcolm

Monday, July 6, 2015

July prayer letter

Dear Prayer Warriors,
I want to thank you so much again for your faithfulness in prayer for us as we travel the rivers to disciple and encourage the new believers.  It is because each of us are doing our part in this great work that the Holy Spirit is moving so mightily to bring people into a saving knowledge of Jesus and those that know Him into a deeper, richer relationship.

I am writing again to inform you that we will be traveling to minister to a village named Nuevo Papaplaya on the Yanuyacu River.  This is a village that is mostly Mestizo (Spanish decent) and has a strong church.  The pastor is a friend of mine and we have done several projects in his community in the past with the purpose of evangelizing and discipling his village.  We are going again, this time to do a 3-day teaching on the Authority of the Believer for his congregation.  We will be having 3 meetings a day; one in the morning for the Shawi Indians that do not speak Spanish or speak it well, one in the afternoon for the children although everyone is invited and one in the evening for everyone.  We will be praying for people as well at the end of the services for any needs that people may have.
Would you join with us in prayer so that these meetings will be powerfully effective in bringing down strongholds of ignorance and unbelief in the people?  As we present the material we are praying that everyone will understand the spiritual battle that we are engaged in and how to use the Word, prayer and praise to defeat the enemy at every turn.  The more we are educated in what is available to us the less the enemy has to work with to blind us from the Truth.
Our dates of travel are Thursday, July 9 to Monday, July 13.  Please agree with us in prayer for:
1)   Safety as we travel.  The river is low due to lack of rain and so there will be many fallen trees, branches and tree stumps in the water, some exposed and some underneath.  This river also has many curves so please keep us in prayer for wisdom for the boat drivers as they take these curves (we've already have two collisions in the past, one of which resulted in severe injury to a passenger in the oncoming boat) and so that they have clear vision to see the obstacles in the water to avoid them.
2)   The people to receive everything that the Lord wants to give them in every way.  Our goal is to equip them so that they can take the initiative and defeat the enemy on their own as well as join with others in prayer to see powerful victories in every areas of their lives.
3)   Each of us as we deliver the material so that it is strongly anointed and very clear to everyone who hears us so that it can be applied to their daily lives.
Thank you so much again for standing with us in prayer, I so appreciate your faith and commitment to all that the Lord is doing in these communities.  God bless you richly and in every way!

Sharon Malcolm

Monday, June 15, 2015

June Newsletter

Why Your Prayers Mean So Much To Us

Rainy day in the village of Santa Rosa,
viewed from the house where we stayed.

Our last 5-day river trip was completed on June 9 and, as usual we did our dicipleship classes with the believers and then coordinated with them when our next 3-day Bible training would take place. We were very pleased to hear that there is strong interest among the villages for the training and so we planned it for August after they would have prepared their fields and planted their crops during the months of June and July.

This trip, like every other, was very important in bringing the Word of God and prayer to people who would otherwise not receive it. Every time we go out it is with the intention of planting more viable seeds of the Word into their hearts so that the harvest is 100 percent not just 30 or 60. We are looking for full growth and bountiful return on these souls so that they can be the advocates of the Gospel in their area. Our goal is to bring the people to a clear understanding of how much God loves them by what He did for them, who they are in Christ and how much they can do for Him when they are yeilded to His will.

The cost of completing this work however, is not without it’s challenges and dangers which is why I would like to share with you what happened on this trip so that you may know what you are praying for more specifically when I ask for protection as we travel.

The gas tank of our 13 horse-power motor holds one and half gallons of gas and allows us to travel about two hours before filling up again. Our two boat drivers, Tedy, who is Maria’s nephew (Maria is the Shawi YWAM missionary that has been working with me for about 5 years) and Edinson, who is a new believer that Maria led to the Lord filled the tank as usual by stopping the motor, filling up the tank and then starting the motor again. However, when we were about three hours from Yurimaguas, the town that I live in, they decided not to stop the motor this time and filled the tank while it was still running. I had seen them do this a couple of times before on prior trips but didn’t say anything thinking they knew better (I know, I know…big mistake!) so when I happened to glance back at them doing it again I thought I should say something this time but before I could a spark in the motor ignited the gas and in a second the whole tank burst into flames! It quickly spread to the rest of the motor engulfing the whole thing in a ball of fire. As the plastic parts of the motor burned it only fed the fire making it bigger and stronger. Instantly Maria and I jumped in the river on either side of the boat and prayed ernestly that the gas wouldn’t explode. Florentina, who has been traveling with us for about three years, stayed in the boat but moved toward the front farther away from danger.

The impact of the fire burst caused Tedy and Edinson to jump back and I was yelling to them from the water to jump in the river fearing the worst that the motor would explode. Maria urged them to move the tank reserve used to fill the motor out of the way so that it wouldn’t ignite as well. The men did as she said and when they could see that the flames were getting higher and bigger until it reached the plastic roof covering of the boat, which was now on fire, they moved closer to the motor to try to put the fire out. The whole boat is wood and everything in the boat was highly flamable so time was of the essence in controlling the fire.

By God’s incredible providence there just “happened” to be two or three other boats nearby that saw the whole thing and instantly rushed over to us to help put the fire out. We also just “happened” to be fairly close to shore when the fire started so that the men were able to get the boat to the river bank in order to unload the cargo.

Then, with four or five men working feverishly to put water and mud on the motor the fire was brought under control and finally put out. Just then a big passenger boat who also saw what happened slowly approached us and as they did the boat driver called out to me. “Sister Sharon, Sister Sharon...!” I couldn’t imagine who would possibly know me on this big river. I’ve traveled so many times on this river over the last eight years and I don’t ever remember anyone knowing me by name but sure enough this man did. He continued to call out to me until I could respond to him and he said, “You could use my motor to get back to Yurimaguas and I’ll pick it up from there when I get back!” Really?! I could not believe what I was hearing! For the life of me I could not remember who this man was but I was so incredibly grateful to him for his offer. Maria later reminded me that three or four years earlier we rented this man’s motor to do a river trip (it died on the way but that’s beside the point). Now here he was driving a big passenger boat traveling on same the river at the same time as we were to arrive at this exact moment to see what happened. More than that, he “just happened” to have this same motor with him in his boat so that he could lend it us (it didn’t die on the way this time)! Oh the mercy and providence of God.

The story ends with us getting back to Yurimaguas and everyone save and sound. Edinson suffered three burns on his leg that were much better by the time we got in. I treated it with antibiotic cream and then put a cold, wet cloth on top them to stop the burning. The rest of us recovered from the shock of what happened and were much calmer by the time we reached Yurimaguas.

I tell you this so that you know the power of your prayers. If we had been in the middle of the river when this happened I honestly don’t know if we would have made it through this. This is a very wide river and so it is not unusal to travel for quite a long time without ever seeing another boat near you and so for us to have been near the river bank when this happened and then to have other boats within reach of us was clearly the hand of God. Not to mention the incredible meeting of the man who lent us his motor.

The last great thing that happened was that when we got back to Yurimaguas Maria and the guys brought the motor to the store where we bought it (Maria and I went in on it) and it was covered under the warranty! How incredible is that? We only had to pay a small portion for parts and labor but the majority was covered.

This is only one example of God’s protection through your prayers. Others include protection from being severly injured or crushed by fallen trees or branches of low lying limbs when the water is low or by the boat itself as we had to manouver it to dislodge it from the sand bottom on the Shishinahua river, which is where our villages live. Snakes, small stingrays and other water animals are also an issue as we travel since we are in the water quite a bit to move the boat when the water is low.

I have learned that I cannot take any trip for granted and that each time we go out I must ask for prayer. I did not send out a prayer letter for this trip but after what happened I will not fail to do so in the future.

I know that there are many of you that committed to pray on a regular basis for this work and I am so very grateful to you. Please don’t stop! My sister, Sue Malcolm, who has served in ministry in various ways for over 25 years, five of which as a missionary with YWAM, has offered to coorindate specific times of prayer focuses for this ministry. If you would like to be a part of this intercession you can email her at hadassahsong1@yahoo.com. I will however, continue to send prayer letters to you in the same way I have in the past so that you will be receiving the prayer notices as before but now you have the option of joining with others in collective prayer. If you would like to be on the prayer list please email me at reaper4him@yahoo.com and I will gladly include you.

I want to thank you all so very much for your strength and commitment in prayer as we join together in this work to bring the Gospel to those who are learning and to those who have yet to hear. May God richly bless and keep you in all that you are doing for the Kingdom.

Together With You in the Harvest,
Sharon Malcolm

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Three-Day Training, a Huge Success!

The three-day training that we just completed over a week ago was a glorious success! We had a total of 48 attendees including children who participated from six communities. Eight of the 48 people were there because they heard my radio announcement reminding the three villages that we work with when to meet so that they could be picked up and brought to the training. Oddly, I never mentioned the village of these eight people in my announcement because I've never met them before or knew of their village but praise God they took my announcement as an open invitation and joined us!

Our training included classes on the authority of the Bible, the authority of the believer, Scripture reading and comprehension, Bible storying (for those who couldn't read), literacy, discipleship and how to share their faith.  We had five sessions a day with an evening activity in Word where three of the students shared one night, we attended a service at my local church on the second night (some have never been to a church service before) and at the closing meeting on the last night we gave out gifts and certificates.
The reason that we are investing so much time, energy and money into these trainings is so that each person who attends will be adequately instructed in what they believe and why so that they can grow firm in their faith with clear understanding.  While the teachings were new to some of them everyone walked away with so much more understanding of who God is and what He did for them than what they came with.
These are the seeds that will cause growth and maturity for a life time of transformation in the Spirit and I want to thank all of you who stood in the gap for this very important event.  It is so important that our Shawi brothers and sisters get trained in the Word so that they can not only continue strong in their faith when we are not able to get to their villages but also so that they can share their faith to their people with clarity and understanding.
Besides the training classes once a quarter we will be resuming our radio broadcast of our Bible studies in the Shawi language as well.  The purpose is so that not only our villages can continue to learn but also a host of other Shawi villages within the listening range of the broadcast can partake of the Word of God and understand His incredible love for them and His purpose for their lives.
None of this could be done without each of us linking arms through our various callings to realize the will of God for these people.  We are seeing the fruit of our labor together and watching our "children" take their first steps of faith as they rise to their feet and begin to walk.  This is so exciting and I pray that you will be as encouraged and blessed as I am in being a part of what God is doing in this part of the world.  Thank you so very much for all that you have done and are continuing to do as the Lord leads you.  I pray you are richly and abundantly blessed in every area of your lives for your faithfulness.
Bringing in the Harvest Together,
Sharon Malcolm

Monday, May 11, 2015

May 11th prayer letter

My Dear Prayer Warriors,

About a year and a half ago we started three-day trainings once a quarter to bring in the Shawi Indians from the villages where we've been working to the town that I live in.  We wanted it to be a concentrated time in Word through discipleship and practical lessons on how to pray, praise and repent along with some other topics and it has proven to be very effective.

We will be continuing with these trainings throughout the year and our next one will be this weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Would you stand with us in prayer for this very important time with our Shawi brothers and sisters?  Our goal for these trainings and for the Bible school that we just started in March is to train and equip the villagers to become the messengers, leaders and trainers that God will use to bring in and disciple a huge harvest of souls in their area.

Therefore, would you pray with us so that:
  1. Every person will be open and receptive to all that the Lord wants to teach them with clarity and understanding of the Scriptures so that it will have a life-changing effect on them.
  2.  They develop a passion for the Word and the things of God and will walk faithfully before Him forsaking every temptation to do otherwise.
  3. Everyone who is supposed to attend will come without any hindrances whatsoever.
  4. They will have safety on the river as they travel to and from Yurimaguas.
  5. God will bless them mightily for their commitment to come and for their desire to know Him more.
I want to thank you so very much for your intercession for this very important event.  I am believing God for great things to happen during our time together and that people's lives will be dramatically impacted.  God bless you for your prayers.

Joined Together for the Harvest,
Sharon Malcolm

Friday, April 24, 2015

April prayer letter

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I want to thank you so much for keeping us in prayer for our recent trip to a new village called Nueva Nauta. The trip was quite challenging from the start and ended with a 10-hour walk through the jungle in order to get to the nearest village where we could get a car back to town.

In our time in the village we learned that there were several houses that were built but not always occupied.  It seems that the owners only stay there when they are hunting or fishing but the rest of the time they are away. Also, there are no churches or Christians in this village but witchdoctors have a very strong presence.

We spent our time with one family in particular who is the mother of a young woman named Florentina who's been traveling with us for the last three years or so. Florentina and her mother Saturdina lived in one of the villages that we minister in, Santa Clara, which is where I met them both originally. I had the privilege of leading them and the father to the Lord several years ago and then baptizing Saturdina and Florentina some time later. Unfortunately, the father passed away of a sickness about a year after he accepted the Lord. Since then Saturdina went to live with her son in Nueva Nauto, which is why we wanted to visit her.  She said it has been very difficult for her to maintain her relationship with the Lord since there is no Christian influence and her son and daughter-in-law both drink. Since the village is very difficult to get to we will be praying on how to proceed from here in order to minister to them.

We will be traveling to the three villages of Santa Clara, Santa Rosa and Yarina from this Saturday to Wednesday and Saturdina will be traveling with us. Would you keep us in prayer for our safety as we travel, guidance as we minister and sensitivity as we prayer for people? We will be doing a follow-up visit with the participants of last month's 3-week cycle of the Bible school and so we want to encourage and give them the opportunity to be used by the Lord to minister with us. Please pray that all that they learned will be used in working with their people in their community.

After we get back from this 5-day trip we will be leaving the next day at 6 am to take Saturdina back to her village, Nueva Nauta. Please keep us in prayer for this trip as well for strong protection from the Lord, wisdom and a quick return without any undue challenges. The dates for both trips are as follows:

April 25-29:  Shishinahua River to do a follow-up visit
April 30-May 1:  Nueva Nauta to take Saturdina back

I want to thank you so very much again for your prayers, love and encouragement in standing with us in this amazing work. God bless you all as you serve the Lord in this way.

Taking Ground Together,
Sharon Malcolm

Saturday, April 11, 2015

April 2015 Newsletter

I am so pleased to be able to share with you the completion of our first 3-week cycle of our new Bible school for Shawis. It went incredibly well and I am praising God for all His wisdom, strength and guidance in putting this together. We started out with 14 students from 4 different villages and ended up with 11 completing the course since 3 had to leave for various reasons. God was so good in meeting everyone where they were and allowing them to learn as much as possible of the Word of God to share with others. We will be doing our second cycle in late June and we are expecting great things with this one too. 

God bless you as you read how the Lord moved.
Taking the Villages for the Kingdom,

Bible School Students Completed Their 1st Three Week Cycle!


11 Students from four different villages completed the first cycle of Bible School


All of us who participated in teaching the classes were so very proud of our students as they displayed their certificates for completing a very intense three week cycle of the new Bible school called Living for Christ Bible Institute.  Each participant left with a much clearer understanding of their faith and much a firmer foundation of their relationship with Christ.  They had so many opportunities to practice what they learned throughout our time together that it gave them several “first time” experiences.


     
New believers taking communion for the first time on one occasion and helping to baptize their fellow students on another.
in small groups for each other for the first time


Edinson (blue shirt) preaching for the first time


     
Adults reading and writing for the first time


 
Students participating in evangelistic outreach for the first time.

The Lord truly brought about so many changes in the lives of each person but not just in the students.  Each one of us who facilitated the classes were deeply moved as well as we were stretched, proved and used by the Lord in new ways to train His people in the Truth.  This was truly an awesome, unforgettable experience.  God bless each of you who stood with us in prayer, encouragement and love through this time to bring all this about.


We will be doing a follow-up visit to the villages later this month and a visit to a new village called Nueva Nauta this Monday and returning this Wednesday.  Would you keep us in prayer for this new village?
  1. For safety as we travel and that we will be able to get in and out without too many challenges.  It will require a 45 minute car ride, a six hour boat ride and a one hour walk (hopefully not longer) through the jungle with all of our gear.
  2. That the people receive the Gospel with open minds and hearts.
  3. That the Lord give us discernment on how to minister to this community in the most effective way.

Thank you so very much for your faith in standing with us in prayer and for joining with us in reaching the lost for Christ.  Look what we are accomplishing together!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Breakthroughs, Breakthroughs, Breakthroughs!!

We have just completed our first week of the three week Bible school and so much has happened already. After such a short time our non-reading adults can now tell you how God created the world through the Bible story reading class, how Jesus was born through the Scripture reading class, what repentance is through the discipleship class and so much more. We are teaching literacy as well and so our non-readers are learning their alphabet and how to sound out the letters in order to read words for the first time! Our reading adults are excelling in their classes as well on how to study the Bible, Christian growth, scripture reading and several other classes.

I must admit that the schedule is a bit intense with six classes a day, 6 days a week but the results are amazing and the Lord is richly blessing all that we are doing. This could not have been done, my precious brothers and sisters without your faith and continued prayer support for this work. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your faithfulness and all that the Lord is doing as a result of it.

I also have the privilege of working with a team from Colorado to facilitate the classes and they have been absolutely incredible!  Through our combined effort our people are praying in public for the first time, memorizing Scripture, retaining the material taught and gaining more and more confidence in their relationship with the Lord.

Austin teaching the women

JJ teaching the non-reading men


Sharon teaching the women

Lisa teaching the reading men

We have a total of 14 students and they are divided into four groups:  reading and non-reading men, non-reading women and children. This provides enough camaraderie in each group to encourage stronger participation from everyone. Because the groups are smaller and on the same level our people are learning things they never thought they could and are showing much more assertiveness in their desire to know about the Lord. All of us that are teaching the classes are so impressed by how well the students are doing and it is truly a praise to God!

The last and very memorable event that took place this week was a water baptism for 12 of our students, including the hired mini truck driver who brought us to the river to hold the baptisms!  He apparently was so moved by the Lord that he also came down to the river to be baptized as a public expression of his re-dedication to the Lord!
JJ and Austin baptizing the driver who rededicated his life to the Lord at that moment.

(L) JJ and one of our new converts, Linser, helping to baptize a fellow student.
(R) Austin and Sharon baptizing the daughter of one of our students who was visiting that day.

I want to thank you so very much for your love, encouragement and prayer for this work and for all that the Lord is doing in the lives of our Shawi brothers and sisters. It is truly miraculous and we all have a wonderful part in it!  Would you please continue to keep us in prayer for the next two weeks that our lesson planning and delivery will go really well so that our people will continue to learn quickly and grow their faith and understanding of the Lord. Our classes finish on March 28. God bless you for standing with us and thank you so much again.

With Much Appreciation,
Sharon Malcolm