As many know, we just had a mission trip to a village called Manchuila. We have been working in this place for a year ago or so with my hard-working and close friend and disciple, Bernabe. Manchuila is a place 5-6 hiking hours from where we leave the truck; the coordinates are N 08º33.931'W 081º45.021. Manchuila is one of the significant villages for the Mamatata religion; they have a church building that holds around 250 people. We are working hard, but people have started to listen and be interested in the Bible.
A year ago, we started the water filter project in that village to try to break the ice and find ways to talk about the Gospel and see the Holy Spirit convert them, I usually go with Bernabe to this places like Manchuila, and we don't take teams to this kind of places because the danger the trail presents and the complications to host a group. Two years ago, we took a team of 5 Latinos, and it wasn't very easy. Now the relationship we have been developing in Manchuila has grown this past year. They started looking at us as friends and not as enemies.
So we opened an opportunity for a team of 11 people Americans to travel because a family gave them a hut so a more extensive team could stay. This is the first time we have taken a team that deep into the mountains, on an aggressive trail with no place to sleep, and sharing the hut with local Indians, no news or contact from outside for a week. This kind of trip is tough to do, but God touched people's hearts to say that they wanted to serve Jesus, and if there is a place where they need to hear the Gospel, then we go.
It is important to remember that we are targeting one of the Mamatata religion's hearts. Imagine that you are an Indian, your knowledge of Jesus is limited, and you don't understand how to follow Jesus. Then this team came with a different language and other culture and talked about the same God that Bernabe and my person have spoken a lot of times. How is this possible? And these people came to serve us? To share this love of Jesus? Who is this Jesus that can unite these people together?
This is powerful; the purpose of the trip is to share the Gospel, share the love of Jesus with kids, and install the water filter project. The water filter is essential because it is an excellent way to serve them. The purpose of this is that people can see that we have come to serve them; when we filter the sand, clean the sand, and carry the rocks to their house, they can see how we prepare the water filter in front of them and talk about the Bible and developed realianstionship
In this village, 5 or 6 people are Christians; no one accepted Jesus on this trip. Still, something different we saw this time is that people are more open to hearing. On the nights, many more people came to the service, and more than that, we met a Christian Church around 2 hours hike from Manchuila. Still, they have yet to come to Manchuila because the leaders from Manchuila that are Mamatata, would not let them come to talk about Jesus. Now that we are going and see that after one year, things are changing because God has given us favor before the village, they came to talk with me. We met with this Church and discussed the possibility of combining forces to reach Manchuila for Jesus, they felt to go and have a service every Friday, and our ministry will support and help them. If this comes true and happens, I can't imagine what can happen in Manchuila.
Bernabe is doing an outstanding job. You can see that people trust him a lot, and he has earned the village's favor.
The last night four young guys came. They are between 16 and 18 years old and asked for Bibles. It's amazing how they started to be interested in knowing more about Jesus, the only Savior and the true God.
Prayer request:
God gives Bernabe strength to keep going to Manchuila and wisdom to disciple them.
God touches this Church's heart for Manchuila and convictions to conquer Manchuila for Jesus.
That God bless our ministry so we can bless others.
Pictures CLICK HERE
Gospel presentations: 100 people
Profession of faith: 0 people
The water filter installed: 5
God bless you.
The mission starts with you.
Thank you for praying.