Boys’ Bible Club
We were pleased with how things went for this first time, and it seemed that those who came really enjoyed it. We are hoping that they will come back and bring others with them next month.
–Amanda
We were pleased with how things went for this first time, and it seemed that those who came really enjoyed it. We are hoping that they will come back and bring others with them next month.
–Amanda
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

Most days I am tempted to get in a routine of answering emails and sending off messages to people that I don’t think of the effect they could have. Recently the Lord has made me more aware of the impact that an email can have. Let me share with you a few instances of emails that I have received in the last week.
1. Just a few days ago I received an email that basically said, “Please pray for me, I am not saved, but I need to be saved so that I can have eternal life.” Though the email said more than this, this was the most important part of it.
2. I also received an email this past week that said, “I really like the content on your website. Do you have any correspondence courses that I could take to study the Bible? I want to learn more about the Bible.”
3. Another man asked for prayer. He lost everything including his family and compared his life to Job. He confessed he was a sinner and wanted to know how to have peace again in his life.
It is not always easy knowing what to write and how to write it, but I thank God for the opportunities to give out the Gospel message. Email can be much like a tract. What difference could we make if we included more of the Gospel in our email messages? Maybe you could include a link to a Gospel tract at the bottom of you eamils. God has given us tools in our hands to be used for Him. What are you doing with the tools you have been given?
Please continue to pray as we reach out to people all over the world through the internet.
–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
Next month I will traveling to Porto Velho. I will be catching a plane to Rio Branco. The stretch of highway between Porto Velho and Rio Branco is flooded for miles. This is the only access road from this part of the country. Below are some pictures that show what is going on. These pictures were taken around the 21st of February. The water has risen another 4 feet since then!
Please pray for the churches in Porto Velho! Though we are not aware of any directly in the flooded area, there are definitely families and lives affected by the problems caused from the flooding.
— 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
Thank you again for praying,
— Jeremy
The Rio Madeira is at a record high and there is much flooding. Other rivers are also flooding and causing trouble in different areas around the state. Though we are not experiencing flooding right where we are, we will be traveling south on this road for 8 hours today. Please continue to pray.
–Jeremy