Sunday, June 20, 2021

Happy 4th Anniversary to the San Francisco Church!

 

 Evening service to celebrate the anniversary of the church

     June 14, 2021 marked the fourth anniversary of the church of San Francisco and an occasion to be celebrated! During this time the church has gone through trials and even persecutions but has remained faithful to the Lord and, of course, He to them in continuing in their faith. They have been threatened with disassociation from their non-Christian extended family members, judged, and slandered on more than one occasion but the conviction of the Holy Spirit in their lives was too strong to succumb to the pressure. Instead they have taken it upon themselves to go out to the neighboring villages to share their faith, win converts, and even start churches. 

Sharon with some of the attendees of the anniversary celebration

Richar, one of the church leaders and Nilton's brother,
sharing the Word on the last day of the anniversary

Nilton,who feels called to evangelize the neighboring villages,
sharing the Word in an evening service
     
     One of the churches we have co-labored with them to start is called New Jerusalem. This also is a small community of seven families, all related to each other but they are a bit more challenged than San Francisco. There is only one person who can read well in the community and although he has accepted Christ is battling with staying committed to Him. This means that sometimes he's really good and can preach the Word and other times he is drinking and not following the Lord. The other families also struggle with temptations of the world and the father of the families was a Shaman making the pull of the enemy quite strong in this community. 

     Another village called New Hope has accepted the Lord several times over the years but when it came time to be discipled the interest quickly waned. This is a tactic of the enemy as well as of the flesh but I believe there is a very clear spiritual component working against these communities from coming into the fullness of Christ. In New Hope there are two Shamans, one stronger than the other, that are still quite active. One of them is actually the father-in-law of Nilton. Fairly recently Paula, Nilton's wife, had a dream from the Lord that she was to go to her family in this village and tell them about the love of Christ  and so she and Nilton started doing that. It resulted in several people desiring to come to the Lord and be water baptized, which we did for them on the Easter outreach in their village. Paula's father, however, has not accepted the Lord yet but seems to be softer about hearing the gospel.

    I am sharing all of this with you because I feel the time has come to unite in prayer for these struggling wanna-be believers to break the powers of darkness over their lives and over their villages. Shamanism is very common in the villages and have been such an integral part of the culture for so long that it is not something that can be eradicated easily. Therefore I have asked the men that are preparing to be church leaders in San Francisco if we could meet next weekend, June 25-27, to pray and fast specifically for the village of New Hope and also for New Jerusalem since there seems to be a strong presence working against all of them. Lastly for the two families that are ardently against Christianity in San Francisco. The father was also a Shaman but I'm not sure if he's still practicing. 

Would you stand with us during this weekend to pray:

1) Against every spiritual force working against these precious people that want to be committed Christians.

2) For discernment and the heart of God as we meet together so that we pray very specifically against all that is hindering the work of the Lord.

3) That everything that each of these people have ever heard, felt from God, or seen as an example in any of our lives will be brought to mind so that the Lord can use it to make them aware of His truth, power and presence among them.

4) Wisdom to share the right words with New Hope and New Jerusalem that will convey clearly the heart of God for them.

Thank you so very much for all that you've done to make this work possible through your prayers, love, and support. I pray God's richest blessings will be upon you in all you do for the Kingdom in every way in every day!

Sharon Malcolm

Missionary with Go To Nations since 1998


Sunday, April 11, 2021


A Glorious Easter Season!

     This past Saturday we got back from the Shishinahua River after completing our time in Nueva Esperanza (New Hope) to do an Easter outreach. We had with us a worship leader from one of the local churches in Yurimaguas (where I live) to minister in song and the Word of God. He brought with him his keyboard and amplifier, which was such a blessing because music always draws the people out. He preached at each of the morning and evening services and effectively brought the light of truth to the people. 

Segundo, a worship leader from Yurimaguas, ministering in worship
to the church in San Francisco. Take note of the people engaging in worship 
with dancing and lifted hands. Four years ago that didn't happen.

Segundo ministering in song and later in the Word to the people of New Hope


     During the day I had material for the adults and children to do an art project (none of them get to use glitter, sequence, markers, colored paper, etc.), which gave them a chance to express themselves artistically and they seemed quite satisfied with their masterpieces. We also provided lunch for the whole community (about 50 people) for two days that some women who came from San Francisco prepared for them.
Adults and children doing art project

Women serving lunch to the community

     The whole event was one of celebration and fellowship seasoned with the love of God. I was so impressed with the people of San Francisco (our first church plant) because so many of them came to help in different ways. That is exactly what should happen, men and women from the parent church helping to guide their spiritual children in the ways of the Lord by demonstrating what love looks like. This is "church" in action!
     Gloriously, by the end of our time together we had a baptismal service and 15 people were baptized! This is huge since we've been coming to this village for a few years and no one wanted to commit to the Lord at that level before. Now, they not only wanted to be baptized but they also want to start a church! I had spoken to them about this before and there was some interest but not enough to do anything about it until now.

Nilton teaching boys in New Hope

     Nilton, who is one of the leaders in the San Francisco church, and his wife Paula have been talking to some of the people of New Hope about the Lord because Paula has extended family there and as a result many responded favorably to them to the point where they were ready to make a firmer commitment to the Lord. During their visits to New Hope Nilton brought up again the idea of starting a church in their community and even coordinated with them to construct a building to house them to which they were in full agreement.
     We will be continuing with them by immediately starting discipleship classes and eventually leadership classes to raise up leaders to guide the church in the ways of God while being supervised by San Francisco.
       I want to thank you all so very much for praying with us for this outreach. As a result of our combined efforts people have brought into the Kingdom and are being established in their faith. God bless you in every way for your part in this amazing work! I really mean that, blessings to you and thank you again!

With Much Appreciation,
Sharon Malcolm
Missionary with 
Go To Nations since 1998


Friday, January 1, 2021

Christmas Outreach to the Villages

      I want to thank you so much for standing in prayer with me for this Christmas outreach on the Shishinahua River. We ministered in three villages making hot chocolate and serving panetoni (Spanish Christmas fruitcake), which is very traditional for a Spanish Christmas. Then we did a Christmas art project for children and adults and ended the evening with the movie, The Nativity Story. I was so thrilled to see that most of the adults participated in the adult art project in each of the communities and seemed very happy to do so.

Adult Christmas art project in Tapishica

     

Children's Christmas art project in Tapishica

     The villages that we ministered in were New Hope, Tapishica, and San Francisco (our first church plant). I had hoped to minister in Santa Rosa and Yarina, where both villages that were once very open to us are now less open, as is Santa Rosa or not open at all as is Yarina. Nilton, who is taking the lead in coordinating contacts with the villages, did not recommend going to these communities since they would not receive us well. Instead he urged us to concentrate on New Hope and Tapishica since these two villages are open to us and Tapishica would be a new work since we had not ministered there before.

Manuela mixing the cacao for the hot chocolate in Tapishica

Manuela (left) and Doli (right) making the hot chocolate in Tapishca


     There are only six families in Tapishica, which is an extension of the larger community of San Pablo, and were very happy to participate in all that we were doing with them. After the hot chocolate, panetonis, and Christmas projects I took the opportunity to explain the movie they were about to see of the birth of Jesus since most did not know it or know it well. As I was explaining it I also highlighted why Jesus was born and what that meant for all of us. Afterwards I offered to lead them in a prayer to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior if they were ready and understood that all of us are sinners and need His salvation. Without hesitation they all immediately agreed and wanted to pray! That is nothing short of the results of our combined intercession for this outreach and I can't tell you how grateful I am to those of you who stood with me in prayer. That is why we do what we do. It's all about bringing people to the Kingdom of God and having them experience a life-changing relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords.
     We are planning to start discipleship classes with these new believers on my next trip, January 11. This is very encouraging and between Nilton, the two young men from the parent Assembly of God church that San Francisco is a part of, and me we will strengthened and train these brothers and sisters as well as in New Hope while continuing to build up the believers in San Francisco and New Jerusalem.


Sharon helping with the adult art project in San Francisco
(Sharon's white mosquito net is in the background)

     Thank you so very much again for all that so many of you do to support this incredible work. God is moving and is bringing more workers in to shoulder the load and it is truly an answer to prayer. God bless each one of you in every way for this New Year and always for participating in what God is doing in this part of the world. Let's charge forward to seize what God has set before us in this New Year to glorify His name!

In Him Always,
Sharon Malcolm
Missionary with
Go To Nations since 1998