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Prayer Letter – July/August 2015
E-mail sent with Prayer Letter
Here are four ways to keep up with the Tylers…
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PRESENT SITUATION
Very quickly I would like to catch you up to date on what is going on with us over the next few days so that you all can continue to pray for us. I have not sent out a prayer letter this month. Things have been busy, so I decided just to post on the blog which would simplify things for this month. Everything has worked out very well so far.
– Our belongings have been split up. We allowed some friends to use some of our furniture over the next few months while we are in the US. The remainder of our belongings have been stored in a safe location.
– We have turned in the keys to the house, cared for the final repairs to be made, and are working on shutting off the internet, water and electric.
– Tomorrow we begin our journey! We catch a bus and begin about a 52 hour trip. We will be with Amanda’s parents by Thursday evening if all works out as planned. Please pray things go smoothly. Our last attempt at international travel from this area was not great, so we are praying things go smoothly this time.
PAST ANSWERS TO PRAYER
In my last post I asked you to pray for two specific things. First, a friend who was to testify about the work in the Indian tribes. Thank you for praying. Those who had accused him went in and removed their accusations. The case has now been filed and set to rest. Praise the Lord!
The second prayer request was for our trip to an Indian tribe a few weeks ago. The Lord closed the doors for us and we were not able to go into the tribe. Please pray that these doors will be opened for us in the near future. Several missionaries have recently left the area. We are not sure what all is going on, but we believe the Lord has directed us to this region. Please keep praying!
Would it be possible for you to take a minute and pray for our work here in Brazil? We have many open doors here in our state to reach the unreached with the Gospel. There is a serious meeting coming up on the 20th of this month.
A friend of mine will be standing before a branch of the state government this week to testify to state prosecuters about the work being done in the Indian tribes here in our state. This is a matter of great conscern to us. Though it does not directly involve us, it very well could in the near future. This meeting could help open doors or shut doors for the Gospel to the unreached here in our state.
Luke 12:11-12 “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.”
Acts 16:20-22 “And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.”
Just changing a few people groups in these verses and reading the rest of the story, we can see what we are dealing with. Though we do not expect this to be quite as serious, your intercession is needed.
We are constantly getting more involved in this work and the Lord has already opened many doors for us. This Saturday, we plan to visit another tribe which we have never been to before. Pray for God to open doors for a long relationship with these people!
God is at work! Please continue to pray for laborers and for open doors!
About a week ago I had the privilege of participating in a celebration conference in a nearby tribe. The tribe was celebrating 50 years since the arrival of the Gospel in their tribe. On January 25, 1965 a German missionary from New Tribes brought the Gospel to their village.
During the conference the first man of the tribe to be saved gave testimony of the day he met this missionary. He asked the missionary if he was after gold or diamonds. The response was negative. He asked him if he was tapping rubber trees. Once again, the response was negative. Then the Indian man said, “What are you doing here?” Though the language barrier prohibited a clear understanding at the time, the missionary said, “I am here to tell you about Jesus Christ and how he died on the cross to save you.” What a wonderful thing to hear a testimony from this man who was the first of the tribe to receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
Many others gave testimony of what God has done in their lives and how their lives have changed for the good. They compared the wars of years past to the peace that now abides in their hearts. Separation has been changed to joyous reunion and forgiveness.
There were people from at least five different tribes around our state and the neighboring state. These were all enemies fifty years ago. Today they join to give testimony and to praise the Lord for what He has done in their lives. Though the conference technically did not start until Friday evening, they had a service on Thursday and stayed up singing and praising the Lord until about 6am!
The most memorable moment for me was when all the missionaries were called up front. First, those missionaries sent to Brazil from a foreign country were called. Then the Brazilian missionaries came to join us. Finally, the Indian men and women who are pastors and missionaries were called up front. What a site! There were missionaries from 25-85 years of age. Each one fulfilling their call and passing that burden on to others.
The young man pictured above fits into this third group. He and his wife just graduated from Bible school and are seeking opportunities to work for the Lord. They will spend the next year in the tribe working in the church, then will pursue further training to better equip them to reach other Indians with the Gospel.
Sometimes we wonder if the time and money we have invested in mission work around the world has been worth it. This conference was proof that the great commission given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ is worth every second we have to invest in it or in prayer for those involved. It is worth every cent we choose to give. May God’s work move forward as we fulfill His command.
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On my most recent trip into the jungle, I had the opportunity to eat two kinds of meat that are not readily available in other parts of the country. The first was deer meat that we ate. The dear was killed by an anaconda! The neighbors were chasing the dear but before they could get to it, an anaconda got a hold on it. They killed the anaconda to get the dear.
The second kind of meat was tapir. It is similar to a large pig, but the meat is much stronger. The particular meat we ate came from some neighbors, but we did catch a good look of a tapir being butchered, quickly dunked in the river (so the fish would not get it), washed off, and then carried off to be stored.
Here is a picture and a video of what took place.
Though much could be said, I will keep this entry simple and to the point. I learned much that would be impossible to share in a blog. The Lord is teaching and I am doing my best to learn. The pictures tell more of the story, so to get a more detailed glimpse at the area and the trip, please look at the pictures for MAY 2014 on our PICTURES PAGE.
– I headed out from my house just before midnight on Sunday night. John Kokenzie gave me a ride to the bus stop where my trip began. I traveled all night arriving in Porto Velho at 5am.
– From the bus station in Porto Velho I took a taxi to the airport where I would catch my plane around noon to Rio Branco in a neighboring state.
– I arrived in Rio Branco about an hour later where Bro. Stephen Doolittle picked me up and took me to his house. Once there, we ate lunch, freshened up and got in the car for another 135 miles or so. When we reached our destination, Pr. André was there waiting for us. It was already dark. We went to get a quick bite to eat, then hit the hay.
– By 5am we were all up and gathering our belongings to take to the boat. By 7:00 we were in the boat and heading up the river. Unfortunately one member of our crew received a phone call and had to return because his father suffered a heart attack. He was able to get back just a few hours before his father passed away.
– Our boat ride lasted for about 9 hours and took us around 120 miles up river where we arrived at Pr. André and Marlete’s house.
– Pr. André is the Brazilian missionary we visited. He has been working in this region for nearly four years now. He has given up many conveniences of modern day life to build a house out in the jungle in order to reach the local Indian tribe.
– Marlete is Pr. André’s wife and was awaiting us at their home up the river. She cooked and washed clothes for us.
– Ester is their daughter and a very talkative girl. She is seven years old and enjoys when someone from the city comes to visit. We had a good time playing a few games and putting together a puzzle with her.
– João is a layman who had some vacation time saved up for this trip. Unfortunately he was not able to make the trip after receiving the call about his father.
– Bro. Stephen Doolittle had already been up to visit Pr. André once before, but wanted to help on a few projects, so he had decided to go back.
– Several other men had planned to go on the trip but due to court hearings, finances, or other issues, they were not able to go.
Though they have not established a church in the tribe yet, they are building friendships with the Indians, learning the language and culture, and praying that the Lord would help them witness and win this tribe.
Thank you again for your prayers!
— Jeremy
Though our time together was brief, we talked about the work among the Indians. We spoke of his ministry, the needs, the people, and many other topics. The meeting, though brief, was very informative. I was able to speak of specific groups by name knowing where they were located, who was working with them, and learn more about other groups in the area.
Every opportunity I have to spend with these native Indians increases the intensity and desire in my heart to reach them with the Gospel.
It is amazing how God has worked out the details of the past few months. I remember, about a year ago, the desire I had to take several trips. Yet, the doors were not opening quickly. I did not know what God would do, but I began praying about several different possibilities. I wanted to learn more about this work with the Indians.
The past six months have been filled with experiences that I will never forget. What once was just a dream is becoming a reality. What once were just tribal names, now are faces and friends!!!
On deputation, I acquired pictures from the internet to make our video presentation. We used pictures of many different ethnic groups that were taken in Brazil. I never really expected to run into those people. Yet, looking back through our video with a friend, he said, “That is the guy I was telling you about yesterday. He is the one that I talked to about…” WOW! My first thought was, “You mean that man is a real person?”
In all reality, it is one thing to talk about reaching the unreached and a totally different thing to actually have personal contact with them. God is teaching me that every person alive is a part of His eternal plan. They were each created in His image and likeness. He loves every single one of them. Therefore, we must reach them!
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Please keep praying for this work!
— Jeremy
This week was a great reminder of who God is and what He can do in the lives of people who believe in Him. I have seen both extremes. From extremely poor and remote people groups who have no idea what the Gospel message is, to the wealthy civilized people who have the Gospel and do not care to give it to those who need it, God is interested in every single person alive. He cares about the lost, but God also cares about how much we care about the lost.
Though I can rejoice about what God is doing in several tribes, it breaks my heart to see what is happening in the other tribes where there is no Gospel presentation. We are putting a plan in motion to help reach some of these tribes, but what about the others. Just this week we spoke with missionaries about at least 20 different tribes. About half of them have a missionary working with them. The others are “up for grabs”. Who will go? A “mission trip” will not solve this problem. We need missionaries, Bible translators, smiling faces, or anyone who is willing to give a portion of their life to reach the unreached. The main reason they are not reached is because no one is extending their arm.
I believe that reaching these Indians who are more civilized is the key to reaching the isolated Indians. We already know of accounts where one of these tribes sent missionaries to another tribe. The second tribe now has a church and many Christians in it. It is possible, but laborers are needed.
THE FIRST VILLAGE
THE SECOND VILLAGE
THE THIRD VILLAGE
THE FOURTH VILLAGE
THE FIFTH VILLAGE
— Jeremy
