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

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!