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In preparation for traveling to Bolivia, I have been blessed with many opportunities to hear stories from friends and family who have traveled for cross-cultural missions. One conversation with my cousin, Ryan, this week was especially impactful for me. He shared stories of his time in Mexico and Costa Rica and the ways that the Lord has come through for him and his family in their travels.

One thing he reminded me of was the fact that missions work isn’t only traveling outside the country. Many people are called to leave their native country so that they can share the gospel with other cultures. Praise God for the people who do work like this full-time or for certain seasons of their life. The pressures and demands of living in and with suffering communities are huge and heavy and I am thankful for the people who stick it out and trust God with their big problems. The stories they tell bolster my faith in our God who is bigger than any catastrophe or pain or need.

Traveling (or moving) overseas is not the only way to be a part of missions work in our world, though, as Ryan reminded me. The people whose calling it is to travel can only fulfill their calling with support from others. Ryan’s family has been looking for ways to invest in relationship with the missionaries in their community when they come home to the U.S. Hosting bonfires and making space for missionaries to talk and share their stories. Emailing with friends overseas to keep a pulse on what is needed and how the church can be praying. Making time to pray and seek the Lord.  

I have been able to see, in my own small way, the impact that support like this makes for people traveling. I am beyond blessed to be able to go to Bolivia with the MCC team this year. I am so excited to see the Lord’s work in a new culture and to make new friends who are worshipping Jesus on the other side of the equator.

In full transparency, I am also incredibly scared as the travel date approaches. The thought of all the unknowns is daunting to me. I feel unqualified to be a missionary, even in this tiny way. I still have so many questions of my own, so many things still to learn! This anxiety has given me a new gratitude for my church, family, and friends. Y’all have prayed with me and for me, shared your stories with me, listened to my excitement and my nerves, planned with me, and encouraged me to trust the Lord with all of my fear and all of my questions.

I have the gift of stepping into Bolivia physically, but in some special way I feel like all of you are coming with me. This is the gift of ministry oftentimes. Lord willing, as Jesus pours His love out into our lives, we are then able to pour into each other (broken vessels though we are) and somehow, wonder of wonders, there’s always enough to go around. Our God never runs out of love, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, mercy, or strength. I trust that He will continue to be faithful in the coming days as He has proven to be so far.

Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus to me and the whole Bolivia team. May the Lord bless and keep each of you and may He continue to open doors for each of us to share His good news near and far.  

Working in ministry I find that more often than not we overcomplicate the things that God and the Bible have laid out for us as simple. Every day my CRU team is sent questions from all over the world. No matter how deep, twisted, or emotional each question is, it always starts with one simple answer: Jesus. When we are doing ministry in our own day to day lives it can be hard to get outside of ourselves to reach others because we have complicated what we think we need to be to share the gospel.

A few years ago, I felt a calling to declutter my character. After two years of working on it I can tell you it’s still a choice every day to live by that. What does decluttering our character mean? It means knowing the simple ways God describes you and calls you and choosing those as your priority. If someone were to describe you, they would use those characteristics. Colossians 3:12-14 has a few of the key characteristics I think can be helpful to start with. 

Patience: Patience is a lost art and something our society actually strives to move away from. Everything is faster, everything is more “efficient”. Romans 12:9-13 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Patience is wrapped here in two beautiful ways to make it happen.  Hope allows us to rest in his joy and prayer draws us to lean on him in the waiting. Instead of rushing through everything and trying to figure it out all on our own, we get to grow in our relationship with God, sitting in the hallway with him as we wait for the door to open. Being a patient person makes us slow to anger and clears space in our hearts and mind to notice and love those around us well. 

Humility: 1 Peter 5:5-7 This is not one that comes easy but until recently reading this passage I did not understand the depth of it. God favors the humble and he opposes the proud. What are the practices of a humble person? If we were to declutter our character and live as humble people how would that look? 

1. We would be people who pray, humbling ourselves before Him knowing there is nothing we can do without Him. 
2. Humble people celebrate others - creating space for the success of others. They don’t play the game of comparison. 
3. Humble people are teachable. They are willing to learn and ask questions, never afraid to admit they might not know something. 
4. Humble people are grateful. They find contentment with what God has given them. And practice a thankful heart.

Love: John 13:34-35 reads, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  Because you are so deeply loved by the creator of the world you get to love others deeply. This love touches others and changes lives because it stands out like a light in the dark spaces around us. 

When we have Jesus, we get to have character defined by Him. A reflection of his character. We are a people who are patient in circumstances and with those around us. We are a people who are humble, who pray and celebrate others living with thankful hearts, always teachable, and we live with love poured out from our father so we can live like Him. We can do ministry better when we declutter and allow room for Jesus and share the simple but powerful message of the gospel. 

Recently my CRU team received a message from someone named Ahmed. He initially found us while doing an internet search about the very basics of Christianity. We were able to start the conversation by directing him to a resource on our website titled, "What is Christianity?" After he read it, he then asked about the Trinity. The team was able to explain the core concept, that there is one God who exists as three distinct persons. He asked, “Why is a Christian country at peace and a Muslim country in war?” That is a heavy, complex question, and to be honest, one we don't pretend to have the full answer for. The team acknowledged that we live in a broken world where conflict exists everywhere, regardless of country or professed faith. We moved past the political analysis to talk about God's promise of hope and shared an article highlighting God’s plan and promise in Revelation 21:4, where God promises to wipe away every tear. It was a chance to share the ultimate truth: that Jesus died and was resurrected again to save us and usher in an eternal peace that the current world can't offer.

These basics of Christianity changed Ahmed’s life. Can they change yours?

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convince that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.  2 Timothy 1:8-12

Paul wrote these words of encouragement to the young pastor Timothy, recognizing the challenges and pressures that he was experiencing. These words ring true for the young pastors serving in the jungles of Peru.

Life in the jungle is difficult. The Indigenous Peoples who inhabit the jungle live largely off the land. Their diet consists of fruit from the forest, an occasional monkey or fish, and yuca taken from their small gardens. Most are undernourished largely because of the limited variety of food. They live in thatch huts built off the ground to keep snakes out, but this doesn’t preclude the rats. And, nothing protects from the heat and bugs, which are absolutely relentless. Transportation is exclusively by river, dependent on canoes carved from tree trunks. These communities are sorely lacking when it comes to access to clean water, sanitation, education and quality health care. Even worse, the communities are isolated with no internet or cell coverage. All together this lifestyle brings a sense of worthlessness and hopelessness. To cope many turn to alcohol (produced by chewing yucca, spitting it in a vat of water and allowing it to ferment).

Fortunately, there are those who have found hope in Jesus Christ. It has been our pleasure to champion and equip churches in these remote and otherwise forgotten communities. We provide this support first in the form of biblical training. We identify community members with a deep commitment and calling of Christ. We fully cover their training and travel expenses. This comes with a significant commitment on the part of the student and their family. The whole family must put their lives on hold and travel to the “big city” (Pucallpa or Iquitos). There the whole family is immersed in intensive Bible study and training for three months. They return home for three months to put into practice what they have learned. This cycle continues for three years. To date we have graduated two new pastors, Edgar and Fernando. Additionally, five new students have made the commitment and started their training—Ukama (38 and father of five), Shamichi (42, married and no children), along with three high school graduates who feel called to ministry: Isabel, Pegui, and Elmer.

We also support these remote churches by meeting basic physical needs. An important way we help is by providing a place to worship. While many materials can be sourced from the jungle, assistance is needed with roofing materials and cement. We have also supplied a boat and motor so Pastor Fernando can minister to villages beyond his own. At last count he was ministering to 10 different communities.  Also supported is the most basic of needs, the Bible. Supplied are Bibles recorded in the native language of the communities that are solar powered and can be played so that 50-100 people can listen at a time.

We are also equipping these remote churches by breaking down the walls of isolation. This is accomplished primarily by the work of Pastor Victor. He makes monthly trips into the jungle to meet with the churches and pastors. His primary function is to mentor the pastors, encourage the churches and help create a sense of unity throughout the jungle. The effectiveness of Victor’s work is evidenced by the constant invitations to preside over weddings and funerals and pray over ailing church members.

The Gospel is penetrating and thriving in the most remote areas of the Peruvian jungles thanks to the exceptional commitment of these ministers of Christ. Please be in prayer for them.

“I told her that you were my mentor when I was younger and that you saved my life!”  These were the surprising words that Tasha shared with me at lunch. We had “accidentally” run into each other after more than 20 years in the Wal-Mart where she works. She was telling me how she explained my presence in her life to her supervisor at work. I was shocked to hear Tasha’s description of our relationship – especially since we had lost touch so long ago. At the same time, this encounter further encouraged me to keep pursuing our vision for mentoring at Juntos. 

Did you know? Seventy-five percent of American adults who had a mentor growing up say that this relationship was a major contributor to their success in life. Sixty-seven percent of young people say that they remember a time when they didn’t have a mentor and they needed one.  The statistics go on and on – we all need mentors to walk alongside us! (mentoring.org)

At Juntos we regularly have opportunities to mentor on all levels. High school kids mentor younger kids in their small groups at our regular Rally Nights by sharing and memorizing scripture, praying together and helping them navigate relationships and hard (or exciting!) situations. College kids and young adults mentor middle school and high school youth as they volunteer side by side, attend their sports or school events, read the Bible together and encourage and build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Adults mentor all ages of young people as they share not only their experiences, but all of the ways that the Lord has worked in their own lives.

Juntos is intentionally designed for these mentoring relationships to form, but we are seeing the importance and potential impact of a much more intentional mentoring program. Our goal is for our Juntos students to be rooted, built up and established in their faith (Colossians 2:6-7), especially in a world that is rapidly changing and presenting many challenges and opportunities. This next year we will be looking for more ways in which our young leaders can mentor the children from their own families and neighborhoods. Additionally, we are developing an official community-based mentoring program in partnership with an existing ministry from Denver. We will be asking Jesus-following adults from outside of Juntos to invest significant time into some of our children and young people. We trust that through these efforts children will be more deeply rooted in their relationship with the Lord, parents and family members will see the truth of the Gospel, and the Lord will be praised and glorified by many!

Laura Jenkins has been involved with Juntos since 2005 and currently serves as the director. Juntos offers weekly meetings, summer programs, leader training, small group Bible studies, tutoring, and mentoring for kids in the International District of Albuquerque. If you’d like more information about serving with Juntos, call the Mountain Christian Church office.

I recently traveled to South Asia to join Genesis of Hope for a day camp and women’s events. We visited three children’s centers serving some of the poorest communities in a large city. It was a great time to build relationships with our GOH partners and encourage believers in the community. 

Our first stop was Shahabhad, where MCC provides annual support for daily operations—paying teachers, maintaining the building, and serving nutritious meals for up to 80 students. Two years ago, MCC also gave a gift to repair a leaking ceiling and add a new upstairs room. This larger space now allows all the children to gather comfortably for programs.

We spent the morning singing songs the children had learned during summer camp (VBS). One song, written by staff, reminded them that being like Jesus is better than being a cricket or Bollywood star. We then shared a story about a king who lacked self-control, destroyed his city’s walls, and later sought wisdom and forgiveness from the King of Kings. The children made pop-up books to remember key points before we served lunch. GOH has also hired a music teacher at Shahabhad, which has greatly improved the atmosphere and attitudes of the children. Continue to pray for the staff and the children in each of the GOH centers. 

That evening we visited a church led by a GOH staff member. The women gathered for a Bible study on Romans 12. Many face deep challenges, including abuse for attending church. In South Asia, abuse of all kinds against women is widespread, underreported, and rarely prosecuted. Women often work tirelessly at home with few freedoms and many obstacles. It was a blessing to encourage and pray with these believers. Some have since begun meeting regularly together for prayer. Until now, women in this church have not met to lead other women to study the Bible or pray. Pray that they would continue to meet together and they would study the word of God. 

For three days we repeated this pattern—visiting children’s centers and women’s groups. One center works with Afghani refugees who face added challenges as outsiders. Women there live under strict cultural limits, often unable to work outside the home and required to wear burkas. At GOH they are learning tailoring skills and finding creative ways to help their families. Pray they come to know the love and freedom found in Christ.

At the end of our trip, we made tacos for a group of university students. Before the meal, Ravi (our partner with GOH) led a study on James 3. We met a young woman named Shambhavi, who joined us for sightseeing on our last day. We spent the day sharing the gospel and answering her many questions about the Bible. We left feeling as though we had known her much longer than two days. Pray she comes to believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father.

It is a privilege to support workers in South Asia and an even greater privilege to visit and work alongside of them. Please pray for Ravi and Caitlin, Ramesh and Gloria, and the entire staff of GOH. They are faithful workers serving in a country that is not amiable to the gospel. Pray for the believers in South Asia to continue in boldness; pray for their safety and for a deep understanding of the Lord and the word of God. I am encouraged and challenged every time I have been able to go serve alongside GOH. Pray that we would live with the same urgency to share our hope and faith with those in our circles.