FACES OF WÁJARO

January 3, 2023 |
Faces of Wajáro
“We live in the midst of an armed conflict and illicit drug cultivation. The majority choose the easy job and the good money of marijuana and coca. My crop has always been coffee, corn, and bananas. Now we are working on a laying hens project with Wájaro. We thank God for Wájaro and how together, we have been able to advance!”
Victor Hurtado, Nasa Community, Sustainable Economic Development, Income Generation, Agriculture
 
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Victor is a Nasa Indigenous Christian who lives in Toribio, Colombia. He and his family have witnessed a lifetime of violence. Today, when you mention Toribio, the common Colombian will shutter, not only because of its bloody past, but because the fertile soil of this region continues to fuel the illicit drug trade where armed groups continue to be the boss of the land.
 
The last time our team visited this community, our educational workshops were interrupted with the sound of automatic rifles and the classroom shook from a bomb in the nearby “vereda” (neighboring settlement). For our students, this was nearly background noise, a familiar beat on the soundtrack of their lives.
 
The darkness of night is interrupted by thousands of white lights; beautiful as they may seem on the surface, these lights illuminate illicit marijuana crops, kept lit through the night for warmth. To fight against this difficult reality, the Coopahobelén Cooperative was founded, with hope to provide alternative economic resources for the community. However, this small community has decided that, although much harder, they will follow the ethical path.
 
They grow coffee on their land and with your generous donations, Wájaro began a chicken/egg shed project with the cooperative, with the hopes of becoming the largest provider in the region. The chickens had just arrived the week prior to our trip. Wájaro and Coopahobelén also have dreams of working together with their coffee in the future, if we have the resources to do so.
 
Join us as we continue to work with communities like the Nasa and create projects for peace in 2023.
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FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN for 2023 ends on January 5
Goal: $130,000
$100,000 For 2023 Projects
$30,000 For Casa Wájaro Remodel
 
Your Donation Will
Support projects in 2023
• Community Organizing Support
• Cooperative/Association Development
• Literacy, Education & Spiritual Formation
• Sustainable Economic Development & Income Generation
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Women & Youth Leadership Development
• Cultural Preservation
• Peace & Reconciliation Initiatives
 
Support Casa Wájaro
• Provide Crucial Funding For Casa Wájaro Remodel
 
DONATE:

January 2023 Prayer Focus

January 2, 2023 |

First of All, Pray

The phrase, “First of All, Pray!”, inspired by 1 Timothy 2:1, is the name of our prayer ministry. It reflects the prominence of prayer within our community. It’s been a mark of our Mission for more than 100 years. The mark remains. First of all, pray—deliberately, intentionally, and in faith, with praise and thanksgiving.

As we serve On Mission Together, please join us in praying for these requests in January 2023:

1. Pray for the Peru Field. As we begin 2023, pray God’s blessing over the Peru field. Pray for ministries, relationships, partnerships, and planning for the year ahead. Our team includes Mike and Kelli Anderson, David and Stephanie Boogard, Mike and Marcy Brown, Bill and Joy Carrera, Alex Chiang, Julio and Olga Chiang, Ryan and Jenny Dawson, Matthias and Rosemary Drochner, Todd and Stephanie Edgar, Sam Fiala, Craig and Heather Gahagan, Tom and Rita Hough, Ally Lee, John and Minori Lucas, Mike and Nancy Mahon, Seth and Jessica Malec, Rick and Donna Martin, Amanda McKinney, Larry and Bonnie Secrest, Dave and Marilyn Simmons, Jason and Sarah Sheets, Phillip and Brooke Sneed, David and Lisa Speyers, and Kyle and Cristina Thomas.

2. Pray for the Brazil Field. As we begin 2023, pray God’s blessing over the Brazil field. Pray for ministries, relationships, partnerships, and planning for the year ahead. Our team includes Don and Vera Bergson, Todd and Erika Carroll, Tracey Culley, and Craig and Mary DeLille. 

3. Pray for the Colombia Field. As we begin 2023, pray God’s blessing over the Colombia field. Pray for ministries, relationships, partnerships, and planning for the year ahead. Our team includes Julian and Serina Arias, Joel and Angel Ballew, Jorge and Ginny Enciso, Kat Guild, Chris and Cristi Haylett, Jake and Lauren Jones, and Frank and Luz Zajicek.

4. Pray for the Bolivia Field. As we begin 2023, pray God’s blessing over the Bolivia field. Pray for ministries, relationships, partnerships, and planning for the year ahead. Our team includes Micah and Haley Bittner, Greg Dahl, Jeff HAuse, Daniel and Rebekah Miller, Daniel and Alejandra Netzlaff, Dalmiro and Laura Ortiz, Eric and Zola Ryan, Mike and Marina Shank, Dave and Katrina Smith, Natalie Suff, Jason and Jenna Weigner, and Dana Wilson-Pinto.

5. Pray for Guatemala. As we begin 2023, pray God’s blessing over SAM’s partnerships in Guatemala. Pray for ministries, relationships, and planning for the year ahead. Our team includes Nilton and Kaylee Solier and TEAM partners Justin and Jenny Burkholder.

6. Pray for Mexico. As we begin 2023, pray God’s blessing over SAM’s partnerships in Mexico. Pray for ministries, relationships, and planning for the year ahead. Our team includes Drew Warrick and TEAM partners Pete and Emily Johnson.

7. Pray for SAM’s Home Office. As we begin 2023, pray God’s blessing over the SAM home office staff. Pray for wisdom, unity, and planning for the year ahead. Our team includes Ellen Adkins, Serina Arias, Katherine Buehler, Stephanie Hardy, Brad and Jennie Hopper, Carolyn Mullen, Bill and Lennie Ogden, Kirk and Emily Ogden, Mark Powers, Craig and Sue Querfeld, Eric and Kymm Schultz, Paige Thompson, Stephanie Tinker, and Leah Wallace.

8. Pray for Ammi Training Center. The Ammi Training Center in Brazil celebrated graduation last month. Please pray for these seven graduates, who represent five different ethnic groups, as they return to minister in their villages.

9. Pray for Bible translation in Bolivia. Daniel and Alejandra Netzlaff are facilitating the translation of the New Testament into the Araona dialect in Bolivia. They are working with several Araona families. Please pray for accuracy as they work toward a table read in March. 

10. Pray for Craig and Heather Gahagan. Craig and Heather Gahagan have served many years in Pucallpa, Peru in partnership with SAM and Mission to the World. They have a passion for disciple men and women to follow Christ. They are both leaders in their local church, Mil Palmeras, and Craig is the director of SAMAIR Peru. Pray for the ministry of the Gahagans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Pray for Nilton and Kaylee Solier. Nilton and Kaylee Solier serve kids and teenagers through a tutoring and after-school program in Bethania, a neighborhood of Guatemala City. In the past few months, they have hosted science, art, and music workshops, as well as a trip to a local farm. Please pray for wisdom as they seek to holistically serve this community. 

12. Pray for Ammi Training Center. The students at Ammi in Brazil enjoy playing soccer and volleyball, but the court has been in great need of repair. After months of planning, Ammi received donations for the materials from Brazilian supporters, and a church in Cuiaba offered to come and work alongside the students and staff to rebuild the court. Praise God for the partnership with the Brazilian church and supporters. Pray that this new court would be a blessing to the fellowship at Ammi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 2022 Prayer Focus

November 4, 2022 |

Praise and Thanksgiving

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:

Do most of our devotional times consist of asking and receiving? Are we mostly thinking of our wants, and rarely of the benefits we receive? Are we the recipients of His mercies, but rarely praise for what He has done for us? Do we even stop to praise God because He’s God?

Yes, we need to build the habit of saying “thank you” to God in response to all his gifts. Yes, we should also remember to praise God for everything He has done. Above all, we should praise God for who He is. He is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory.

This month, we are trying to focus more on praising God for how He is working in South America and our mission organization. Our praise for God grows out of our love for Him. In all these praises, we are not just showing gratitude and offering thanksgiving, but praising Him because He is faithful, merciful, righteous, and just in all things.

 

1. Pray for the Netzlaffs. New SAM appointees Daniel and Alejandra Netzlaff participated in a missions conference with Steele Creek Church in Charlotte, NC recently. Praise God for opportunities to share the vision for their ministry in Bolivia with the Araona tribe.

 

2. Pray for SAM Board Meetings. Praise God for the faithful women and men who serve on the SAM Board of Directors. They are gathering this week to discern God’s vision and direction for the mission. Pray for a fruitful time of celebration, reflection, and planning. 

3. Pray for Amanda McKinney. Praise God for the ministry to the Deaf community in Pucallpa, Peru. SAM missionary Amanda McKinney serves alongside Pastor Carlos. Carlos, beloved by his students and church, has been serving the Deaf for many years, teaching and pastoring the community at Refugio. Pray that God would bring someone to work alongside Carlos as he nears retirement.

4. Pray for Serina and Julian Arias. Julian and Serina serve at a church in Caldas, Colombia twice a month. Julián encourages the children in the congregation by giving them a worksheet each Sunday where they can draw what they hear in the sermon. At the end of the service, the children are invited to share their drawings. What a joy to see what they learned and to give them the opportunity to encourage the adults as they all grow from the preaching of God’s Word. Praise God for the gift of children!

 

5. Pray for Lima Initiative. Lima Initiative, in partnership with City to City Latin America, promotes gospel movements (Ecosystems) that bring social, cultural, and spiritual transformation to the cities of Peru. In the city of Lima, local leaders identified, recruited, and formed the team that will be leading the movement. Praise God for these women and men who have a vision to see churches and local organizations partner together to build the Kingdom of God. Pray for the members of this team: Francis Castañeda, Vincent Cross, Sander Verduijin, Giselle Bellido, Julio Chiang and Olga Chiang.

6. Pray for the Van Oostens in Pucallpa, Peru. We are thankful that Erik and Cristy Van Oosten and their two boys have joined the SAM team in Pucallpa, Peru. Erik serves with SAMAIR providing for our logistics needs. Cristy teaches 1st and 2nd grade at SAM Academy. Pray for their transition and team dynamics. 

7. Pray for Drew Warrick. Praise God for Drew’s work at Rancho El Camino (a ministry of TEAM) in Mexico. For the first half of 2022, the area surrounding the ranch was in a drought. Drew and the team prayed for a hurricane with lots of water but minimal wind damage, which was delivered! The dry riverbed behind Rancho El Camino was filled with rushing streams of water. Pete Johnson, the Ranch’s director, commented that he didn’t remember the water ever being that high in his decade there. Drew shared this insight and photo recently: “To me, it gives a whole new meaning to Isaiah’s imagery of God making rivers in the desert.”

 

8. Pray for SAM Mobilization. Praise God for the missions conference at Moody Bible Institute and Columbia International University. It was a wonderful time to interact with students who are discerning God’s call on their life. We praise God that many students are specifically considering missionary service in South America.

9. Pray for SAM Center Team in Recife, Brazil. Praise God that we have completed initial renovations on the SAM Center in Recife, Brazil. We are currently using the facility for ministry activities such as youth retreats, ministry retreats, and discipleship training. Pray for opportunities to rent the facility to local churches for their activities and to generate income to sustain the Center.

10. Pray for Viva Youth. In Bogota, Colombia many young adults aging out of state foster care institutions encounter the Kingdom of God while attending training provided by the ministry of Viva Youth. Thank God for Aula who is a newly adopted member of God’s family. Praise God for baptisms and the growing family of faith in Colombia. 

 

11. Pray for Kaylee and Nilton Solier. We praise God for Kaylee and Nilton’s work in Bethania, a red zone of Guatemala City. Many children there are considered “social orphans” because of the lack of adult involvement in their lives, and they have few opportunities for the future. The Soliers serve in an after-school program where kids and teens receive tutoring and learn new skills that should create more opportunities for them.

September 2022 Prayer Focus

September 2, 2022 |
100 Years in Bolivia

Remember and Celebrate

REMEMBER…A simple concept with powerful potential. Remembrance is a key concept throughout the Bible. God’s people are called to remember His promises, His commands, and His mighty works. The Psalmist declares in Psalm 77:1, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” We see the power of remembering in Lamentations chapter 3. In verse 18 he writes, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.”  Yet in verse 21 his attitude changes completely when he chooses to remember the goodness of the Lord in the past. He says, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Just like the Psalmist and the writer of Lamentations, we can choose to remember and meditate on difficulties, obstacles, and afflictions that will cause our hearts to become cast down and can even lead to depression. Or, we can choose to remember and meditate on the goodness and faithfulness of our Lord in the past which has the power to fill us with hope and faith for the present and the future.  

This month we are remembering and celebrating 100 years of God’s faithfulness and mighty works since the first SAM missionaries entered Bolivia in 1922. Those first missionaries faced many trials and some were even persecuted.  Others made first contact with certain tribal groups in Bolivia. They preached the Gospel and established churches and schools, and God was faithful. Now 100 years later, as Field Director of SAM Bolivia, in the midst of political unrest and other challenges, I am choosing to remember and concentrate on God’s mighty works in Bolivia over the last century, and I’m trusting Him to continue to do amazing things in and through South America Mission in Bolivia in the coming years. I am excited that our SAM Bolivia team is now working alongside an indigenous church association made up of believers from those same tribal groups that SAM missionaries made first contact with decades ago. It fills me with joy to see our team helping Bolivian churches planted by SAM missionaries decades ago, to train and send their own people as missionaries to take the message of salvation around the world to some places that have never heard, just like those first SAM missionaries brought the Gospel to Bolivia when many in that nation had never heard. These are only a few of the areas where we are seeing fruit from 100 years of service and God’s faithfulness, and we are expecting to see much more as we move forward in His power and for His glory. 

As we pray together this month for the needs of our missionaries and ministries, let God’s faithfulness motivate us and renew our hope and faith for tomorrow.

 

1. Pray for the Bittners. Micah and Haley serve in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Micah is a mechanic with the SAMAIR team. They worship and serve at their local church, Iglesia Antioquia, joining a couples small group and serving the youth group. They are transitioning from short-term (1-2.5 years) to long-term (3+ years) service with SAM. Please pray for an upcoming support-raising trip from October to December. 

2. Pray for Proclama. Proclama desires to see churches in Bolivia contribute toward the completion of the Great Commission by being a strong gospel witness in their communities and beyond. The Proclama team works to mobilize and equip the Bolivian Church to send Bolivian missionaries to the unreached around the world. Please pray for Proclama to become registered as a legal Bolivian entity and for finances to sustain this ministry, either through donations or through new potential “business as mission” ventures.

 

3. Pray for Jeff HAuse and ReFocus. ReFocus, a ministry aimed at helping churches discover the vision and niche God has for them in their community, first came to Bolivia in February 2020. At that time COVID restrictions and distancing were just gearing up in Bolivia so the first conference had only a limited live attendance. Jeff HAuse was able to translate for pastor Scott Foshie, who continued meeting monthly with the local pastors via Zoom. Jeff translated those follow-up sessions throughout the year. In September a team will travel from the U.S. to Bolivia to host the ReFocus seminar. It will again be held for a wider audience. The team will also be doing an evangelistic outreach. Please pray that God will use ReFocus ministry to help churches focus on the ministries that would prove most helpful in the areas God has placed them.

4. Pray for Natalie Suff. Member care for missionaries involves walking alongside fellow servants offering encouragement, friendship, and guidance. The goal is building and supporting spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and physically healthy missionaries. In Bolivia, Natalie is cultivating the ministry of member care. As she develops and expands member care, please pray for opportunities to encourage and disciple local Bolivian friends as well. Please pray for wisdom and guidance for Natalie and that the Lord uses these relationships for His glory.

 

5. Pray for Greg Dahl and SAMAIR. SAMAIR Bolivia partners with local churches and ministries to serve the spiritual and physical needs of isolated communities in the northern and eastern lowlands. Providing air transportation and other logistical support, they help with a wide variety of needs, from medical support to Bible training. Greg, a pilot and mechanic, leads the ministry of SAMAIR in Bolivia. Pray for Greg, his family, and the ministry of SAMAIR Bolivia.

6. Pray for the Millers. The Miller family is preparing to serve in Bolivia with the SAMAIR team. Please pray for them to have clear minds as they study Spanish and open hearts as they study the Latino culture at Rio Grande Bible Institute in Texas. Pray for their three children who are attending bi-lingual preschool and daycare on-site.

 

7. Pray for the Shanks. Mike and Marina arrived on the Bolivia field this past spring. They are still in a process of discernment and orientation to the ministry areas and culture. Please pray for wisdom and resilience as they explore their new community. Pray also for good health and patience as they continue to adjust to a new climate.

8. Pray for the Weigners. Jason and Jenna serve in eastern Bolivia with the Indigenous Rural Outreach team. Jenna is a midwife to the surrounding communities, and Jason is an agronomist collaborating with the Torre Fuerte Indigenous Discipleship Center leadership team. Their four growing boys attend a local school and also homeschool. Please pray for the upcoming indigenous women’s conferences this fall at Torre Fuerte. This year, they will host three smaller conferences for three different indigenous groups: the Ayore, the Chiquitano, and the Cavineño. 

9. Pray for the Ryans. Eric and Zola are preparing to serve in eastern Bolivia with the Torre Fuerte Indigenous Discipleship Center. They have hearts for discipleship and look forward to participating with students and staff in economic and agricultural development initiatives. Please pray for their support raising efforts and to receive full funding soon. Pray also that their house will sell in a timely manner so they can get to the field as soon as possible.  

 

10. Pray for the Ortiz family. Dalmiro and Laura serve in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. They are currently on Home Ministry Assignment in the U.S. During this time, they are visiting supporters, friends, family, and churches. Their kids are adjusting to a new school. In Bolivia, some needed renovations are underway on their home. Pray for the Ortiz family during this time of travel and transition. 

11. Pray for the Netzlaffs. The Netzlaff family has served alongside SAMAIR Bolivia and Bolivian missionaries since 2018 making contact and building relationships with the Araona tribe. They currently have various projects to reach the Araona people in rural northern Bolivia,  including a radio station and finishing the translation of the Bible in the Araona language. They recently joined SAM as missionaries. Pray for the Netzlaff family as they raise support and work to reach indigenous people for Christ. 

 

12. Pray for the Smiths. The Smiths are preparing to serve with SAMAIR in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. They are currently in Spanish language school in Costa Rica. When not in class, they are hoping to serve with the ministry of Young Life. Please pray that, in both class and ministry, God will give them language proficiency, sweet fellowship, and a great love for Latin America. Pray for their three girls who are attending bi-lingual preschool and childcare on campus.

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