Ashéninka Team Vision

A New Year / Anticipated Blessings

We are now well into 2011 and for us, like for most people, the end of one year and the beginning of another has brought occasion to reflect on the past and to look toward the future. When we came to Peru in 1999 we could never have even begun to guess how life would be and over what path the Lord would lead us. Others on our team came and left and we stayed, praying God would send help, but knowing He had called us to the task of reaching the Ashéninka people. It has been summarily hard, but the richness of the blessing of being where God has called us kept us afloat during many times of stress and doubt. Most was pleasantly adventurous and we saw God do many amazing things, transforming lives, and planting His church.

Now as we look ahead into 2011 we have a better idea of what's in store, but we never really know what's around the next turn in the river. I guess it wouldn't be as fun if we did! We are very thankful that after seven years of laboring in the jungle without another career family alongside, God saw fit to send the Gayheart family to be our coworkers and friends. They are a precious family who are deeply committed to finding and fulfilling God's plan for their lives. They have already cultivated a deep love for the Ashéninka people. This is precious to us as we know that they will love, serve, and labor in this hot, humid, bug-infested vinyard with the same or greater passion. 2011 is going to be sweet; we can't wait to see what our Master will unfold.

We have been amazed in the last year to see how many of the things we have prayed for and worked for are coming to fruit. Ashéninka leaders are "getting it" now and applying themselves to the task of reaching their people. I can't express how gratifying this is and we thank God that He gave the strength to keep our hands to the plow in working this field. Yet we can take no credit. He promised in Galations 6:9 that in due time we would reap if we do not grow weary. We have tried to take Him up on that and now we are seeing the harvest.

So we have launched into another year anticipating more fruit, looking to parts of the vinyard as yet uncultivated, a huge work before our team with lots of work to be done. May God keep us healthy and strong to keep going, proclaiming, loving, and leading until the Savior comes.