Happy Winter Solstice

FYI, this year's winter solstice happened on December 22 at 6:08am.


The Spirit's touch: (essentials for the skimmers)

WWLMD? shirts are still selling. Getcha some of them apples!
Christmas was nice. I ate a lot.


My human words: (extras for the non-skimmers)

Dear brethren,
I wish there were words to describe how refreshing it was to spend a few hours with Bobby Lane. He passed through Pucallpa on his was to Lima and home to Pto. Maldonado. We didn't sleep that night. If you know my sleep habits, you know that is a miracle. I turn into a pumpkin about 9-9:30pm and there's no stopping it. The ball is over. But not that night, thanks to God.
Christmas was spent with fellow missionaries here in Pucallpa. We exchanged regalos (gifts) and even ate a big ol' turkey.

I want to personally thanks all of you who have given or pledged to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering which sends missionaries like myself overseas. May God bless those who support overseas Great-Commission-minded missions, no matter what mission organization!

I'll let you know that the Spring '08 Xtreme Training is just around the corner. Thank yall, who wrote letters of encouragement and sent training supplies to your brothers and sisters. Once again we're planning on having the biggest Xtreme Training ever. We expect no less than 25 students, mostly Latins or indigenous! The first wave will arrive with the new year. Please keep them in your prayers. Please don't hesitate to encourage them through letter writing. Please send supplies, if you can (see attached document for a list). I want to encourage yall to encourage these missionaries-in-training through you family, small group, Sunday school class, or entire church. A list of names is coming soon.


PrayeRequests:
Lisa Taylor, a fellow IMB missionary in Peru from my home church, Mt. Vernon, was abducted at gunpoint for several hours and robbed. Here is the story that appeared in the Watauga Democrat. Pray that she and her team would seek the Lord in handling their mission in the wake of this incident.
The quickly approching Xtreme Training.
The direction of the rest of my life is likely about to change at the Lord's command. I'm seeking His Will. May God be glorified. Time to pray.


Quotes of the Weeks:

I saw a sign beside the oil base that said "128 DAYS WITHOUT ACCIDENTS," and i thought about my current bowel complaint and told Jeff, "I wish i could say that."

"Go go eat something before you get too skinny and fall through your butt hole and hang yourself." -my sister, who else?


"No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
'Til He returns and calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ i'll stand."


Amor, 'ahab, amour, liebe, حالة حبّ, amore, влюбленность, liefde, φιλέω, kuyay, love,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

In the beginning God created awama and allpa…

...awama (Quichua for "heaven") and allpa (Quichua for "earth")

The Spirit's touch: (essentials for the skimmers)

• Pictures posted! Sadly, about half were lost when my card reader fried my camera's card. grrrrr.
• Travel was very slow going into the community.
• We stayed a month in the Tigre Quichua community of Paiche Playa sharing stories.
• We had 6 baptisms*!
• We flew back, courtesy of Plus Petrol.

My human words: (extras for the non-skimmers)

Dear brethren,
There is so stinkin' much i want to share. Bare with me.

Upon setting foot in the Tigre River i was quickly reminded why i broke my 7 year no-insect-replent streak the last time i was there. The gnats are vicious!
While on the Tigre, my 1-year-milestone of being out of the States passed. I realized it has been a year since i've donned a kilt, had a cross in the back of my head, savoured Lexington BBQ, tasted Marble Slab ice cream, heard the sound of a race car, sat listening to the wisdom of a grandparent face-to-face, seen an American football game, or fought someone just for fun.
I miss it.

Upon returning to Intuto i was thinking about how people act so weird around us just because we have less melanin in our skin. It's really frustrating. What if people acted this way to minorities in the States? People would greet strangers in broken ebonics all the time, offer to sell them fried chicken, chitlins, and malt liquor while calling them "negro" or "brutha" and for the sake of their eternal souls the minority would have the task convincing them he isn't some kind of legendary monster or assassin, but rather, a non-aggressive regular guy.

Sometimes i write "Remember-the-time" letters to friends in the States to reminece about the good ol' days. Even though none of you were there, it seems fitting to say...

REMEMBER THE TIME...
...we attended a wedding in Intuto and "The Wedding March" finished playing before the bride got to walk, and therefore she walked to "The Blue Danube?"
...Jeff gave me 7 stitches when i slice my hand open with my own machete?

...Jeff was bathing alone in the creek one night and a panther walked by about 15 ft. from him?!
...a puppy came in the house while Jeff was teaching a story and the little boy peed on it?
...i told a few people in Paiche Playa that Jeff and i are virgins and the looked at me in wonder as if i were singing like David Hasselhoff?
*...Jeff taught the story of the baptism of Jesus and, to demonstrate, Jeff baptized me in the creek each time he retold the story? I got dunked 6 times! PTL!

...the oil companies (while trying to keep good PR with the indigenous as they destroy their rainforest and rivers in exchange for new clothes) gave us a free ride in a Boeing 737 to Lima from the jungle 'cause we made friends with some Quichua chiefs?

...i lost 20 lbs.? Time to eat some beef again!

In summary, we stayed in the community of Paiche Playa, where there is no church, yet (When i say "church" that means a group of believers seeking the Lord together. It has nothing to do with bricks and wood.). We were able to teach about 6 stories from the Bible with the Quichuas. Sadly, acoholism is severe in this area and prevented several of them from coming to hear the stories. I can't blame them, or rather, i can't expect anything better. They are lost. They act like they're lost. I read in a book this morning, "Don't blame the darkness for being dark. Blame the light for not shining in the darkness." We hope to go back to the same community in the future, hopefully next month.

We are now taking a break 'til the first week in January, enjoying the town of Pucallpa and Xmas presents folks send via mail.

PrayeRequests:

• Carlos and Giovani (our man of peace) showed the most interest in learning the stories. Pray the Spirit would increase their desire for His Word.
• Pray heaven would come down to Paiche Playa.
• Pray for an elderly new believer (so we were told), Frederico, in the town of Doce de Octubre. Even though some of you won't understand this, he's under a spell from a socerer and is sick on the brink of death. Frederico was a socerer himself and knows that there is real power there (however satanic it may be) and is tempted to seek healing through the same magic that has inslaved him. True healing will not come to him 'til his full trust is in Christ.

Quotes of the Weeks:

"Peru: South America's Alabama with Bolivia as it's Mississippi." -Jeff

"I need my blanket." -Jeff, a day within his 25th birthday

"There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For i am His and He is mine
Brought with the precious blood of Christ"

i love you, Church; i miss you,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

A Phone Call From Koriwawa

Dear Friends,

I got to talk with Corey Reid last night and tonight. It was a blessing to be able to talk with him! I ask for your prayers on behalf of him in the following ways:

-->Traveling: It seems that Corey and his partner have several options for their voyage from 12 de Octobre, Peru (the town they are in now) to Pulcallpo, Peru (the city that they are based out of). They will be leaving tomorrow. Pray that they are protected during their voyage back to Pulcallpo.
-->Health: Corey and Jeff have lost weight. Pray that their bodies would hold up well.
-->The Tigre Quichua: Corey and Jeff got to share memorized Bible stories with them. Pray that God would stir the hearts of these Tigre and that they would be drawn to the Person of Jesus Christ.
-->Pray for the Church in 12 de Octobre to have unity, and that it would be the fragrance of Christ. Pray that, also, for our local churches.
-->Pray for God to continue to encourage Corey and Jeff, teach them and give them wisdom as the Lord continues to reveal His love to them
-->Pray that God would grant them the grace to proclaim the most beautiful & precious story ever told, the Gospel!

Depending on how Corey and Jeff get back to Pulcallpo, you may hear from him again, soon.

Praise God for y'all!

Love,
Lena
www.teote.com

Knock, Knock, Knockin on Heaven’s Door…

...Anybody else having trouble getting Guns N' Roses out of their head?...Didn't think so.

Clean Undies: (essentials for the skimmers)

• New photos on flickr! ( Puerto --> Pucallpa, Saman and the Well, Shave and a Haircut, Knots Tied in Spanish, Tigre Quichuas second trip)
  
• While passing through Saman, we encouraged the brothers and dug a well for this old lady.
• Jeff and i are preparing to head to the Tigre River!! Quichua land!
  
• PrayeRequests below.

Crotch Rot: (extras for the non-skimmers)

Dear fellow hypocrites for Jesus,

The joys of Pucallpa were short lived. Now it's back to work... We were able to leave Pucallpa on a barge headed north, downstream on Saturday, the 7th.

What a blessing it was to be back in Saman! We stayed in the church's building and were invited to share with the congregation on Tuesday night. The Lord had been telling me all day to wash their feet, but you know how you try to reason out of stuff with the Lord. When i sat down, painted in big letters behind the pulpit read (in Spanish) "HUMILIATION 2007." I took it as a confirmation, so i slipped out and prepared the water, soap, and towel, returned and read the story from Scripture. As i washed i told them how it feels a little awkward to have your fee washed. In the same way we feel weird and ashamed to bring our filth to the wash basin of Christ. Nevertheless, it is a pleasure for me to wash these feet, just as it is for Christ to forgive us of our daily filth. What an honor to bring a basin to each foot in the room and clean it! To humble myself like our Christ is something i need to experience more. Obedience to humiliation... hmmm. Think about it.

While in Saman, we were surprised to find a missionary named Joseph Shunskis and his assistant, Jeff McClain, digging and maintaining wells. He invited us to help and we were blessed to do so. I think it was a divinely planned encounter as i learned a skill that could really help down the road in whatever country the Lord leads me to in the future. As Mr. Shunskis says, "Everyone needs clean water." You can make some spiritual application to that without thinking too hard.

Once back on another barge, i found my hammock neighbor to be a long haired, long bearded, Chilean traveler named Patricio (In English, Patrick). He knew a lot about the Bible and we instantly dove into Scripture together. I was having an excellent philosophical discussion with him until he told me that the " sign of Jonah" was actually talking about God Himself. He told me God's name was Jonah, that the Bible wasn't true, and that Jesus was merely the salvation of 144,000 souls. Turns out he is in a cult called the Israelites and wears a shirt he painted himself that says in Spanish, "JONAH, JUSTICE, DEATH," and "YES, JONAH IS MY GOD." Weird stuff, to say the least. Sadly, Patricio and i reached an impasse and walked away from it.

Jeff and i reached Iquitos at the head of the Amazon River on Sunday, the 14th. We've been here ever since trying to leave on a boat headed to the Tigre. Looks like one will push off tomorrow night, but we won't know for sure 'til she leaves. You see, for the last three days now, we checked the boat staff to see when it planned on leaving and every time they said, "Tomorrow night." We will for sure leave the moment the Lord ordains.

Ah, it's back to the end of the earth for Jeff and i. We've already seen some freshwater river dolphins. The stars, once you get 2 days out of a small city, seem to overcome the dark spaces of the sky between them. However the Tigre River is not all stars and dolphins, i'm afraid. I'm sure the Quichuas haven't forgotten all those faces Drew and i peeled last time. They will no doubt be suspicious of us. They will probably get drunk a lot and annoy horse manure out of me. They will most definitely call me "Meestair!"

I prolly won't be able to tell yall when the time comes so i'll go ahead and wish a happy Halloween and Thanksgiving. We plan to return to Pucallpa just before Christmas.

PrayeRequests:

• Pray for God's son of peace (aka. "man of peace") to be getting ready.
• Pray for dreams and visions from God among the people to help them be more accepting of us and, more importantly, the Gospel.
• Patricio (see above story)
  
• We'll be starting to learn the Quichua language again.
• We've got many stories from the Bible we're going to memorize in Spanish and lace Quichua nouns into.
• The students are still in training in Pto. Maldonado.
  

Quote of the Week:

We were on the river barge and met an old Peruvian man with a cane who knew a few phrases in English like "Hello," "How are you?," and...
"Are you married, or are you still a happy man?"

"In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ i stand"

heart,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

Adios, Puerto Maldonado. Hola, Pucallpa.

What: (essentials for the skimmers)

• I got the results from my MRI on my knee and the results say...(drum role, please)...SOMETHING IN SPANISH! Muah ha ha ha!
  
• All my photos are on my new flickr.com account! Come, see, enjoy. Here's the photos from the Chayahuita trip.
  
• Jeff and i are moving (photos) to the city of Pucallpa. NEW MAILING ADDRESS BELOW!
• Jeff and i are preparing to head to the Tigre River!! Quichua land!
  
• Let me know if you are a Skype user so we can call for free.
  
• PrayeRequests below.

Why : (extras for the non-skimmers)

Dear The Who's Who,

That's right, i got my results back and my medical vocab in Spanish is low so i really can't say for sure what has happened to my knee. I've tried to get them translated several times and can't seem to get Peru to work with me. Torn ACL or not, i feel fine to travel by bus, boat, piggy-back, etc. on the next voyage. My knee feels okay and pops and aches like the rest of this earthen vessel. Time to suck it up and share the Word.

For those of you who have long been waiting for all the pictures, they are up and running on my Flickr account. If you want to see the Brewsters' kids (which you do), you'll have to get a Flickr account yourself and become my Flickr friend. Those photos are protected from strangers.
Coming back from Yurimguas, i landed in the metropolis of Lima. I was welcomed by Joe and Megan Brewster, my new bosses. That's right. I'm leaving the Pto. Maldonado team and moving to Pucallpa. We've actually been planning this move for a long time but are making it now as Joe and his family of four are returning from their State-side furlough. I'm really excited about being on the Pucallpa team!

That means my address is changing. Please, don't mail me anymore in Pto. Maldonado. Here's my new address:

corey reid pendergrass *
Apartado 89
Pucallpa
Peru

*If sending a package, please add "(or Joe Brewster)" in case i'm out of town and someone has to show their ID to receive it. Thanks!
Also, if you are still trying to send mail or packages to the trainees, send them to the old address:

Jeremy Taliaferro
Apartado 111
Pto. Maldonado
Peru

Speaking of which, i want to thank those of you who have sent gifts for the trainees. We have been so blessed by the giving of these needed items by numerous ministries and families that it has become impossible for us to keep up with all the sources, praise God! The draw back is that we have been unable to send out thank-you cards. Please forgive us! Also thanks for writing them! What a blessing. Those who have received letters really appreciated them. Several trainees have not received letters yet. There names are:

• Isaac
• Fausto
• Eno
• Amparo
• Tatiana
• José
• Eliaser
• Fernando
• (Sorry, Sixto was unable to continue the training.)

Some stories for your reading pleasure:

In the last update, as you remember, i had just sent away the prostitute-intruder from my room. When i finally made it to Pucallpa, i was preparing my new home. I thought it a good idea to install a porch light to be able to hold late night chats. Knowing that a white light would attract the skeeters, i negated buying one. However, i recently had heard that red lights don't attract bugs. Now, i know what you're thinking. No, i did not put up a red light! Instead i opted for a more culturally-sensitive green one thinking it might have the same affect…on the bugs, of course. Soon after, a local friend and pastor informed me that in Peru the green lights have the same meaning as the red. Sure 'nough! Soon after I started taking notice of all the motels in town with their green light bulbs shining the way to skanky establishments. I suppose that you could say that in just a week I went from naively inviting prostitutes in my room to going into business for myself. (That was a joke, for the frozen chosen who weren't aware.)

Jeff and i were traveling via bus from Pto. Maldonado to Cuzco. It's not uncommon to see someone in the isle demonstrate a product to sell or give a speech in order to incite donations in order to make money. On this particular voyage a man told us he had nothing to sell, just some information on where to buy some books. He demonstrated 5 books about the history of the universe and world, highlighting the evolution of man and the Big Bang theory. He informed us we humans actually descended from bacteria. He wrapped up his shpeel giving us a few God blesses and a reminder to pray for God to guide our bus driver safely. He then proceeded to pass out his books and collect a fee from buyers. The Lord stirred in me. I knew exactly what He wanted me to do. The man took his seat. I left mine. I faced the passengers from the front of the bus and told them the Lord has given me a Word for them. "I am a messenger of God. I am hurt that i have heard two lies this morning. The first is that this man told us he didn't want to sell us anything. But, how many books did he sell?! How many?! The second lie is he spoke of god blessing us like it had meaning. Then he rejected the Word of God and told us we came from bacteria! We did not come from bacteria! We are children of God, the Lord! Listen to the Word of God!" I then recited the story of the creation. The people locked eyes with me. They nodded in agreement when i told them that God formed the man from the dust and breathed life in them.

PrayeRequests:

• We gave Wadee, a Thai lady in Pto. Maldonado, her first Bible. She had never heard of Jesus. Pray this Buddhist woman and her culturally Protestant German husband (who should be getting a Bible soon also) will find Christ through His Word.
• We're dealing with some minor health issues (infected toe, sore throat, diarrhea, etc.) that need to be cleared up before we leave for the Tigre River. Pray those clear up in the Lord's timing.
• We'll be starting to learn the Quichua language again. Eeep!
• We've got about 20-30 stories from the Bible we're going to memorize in Spanish. Eeep! Eeep!
• The students are still in the heat of training in Pto. Maldonado.
  

Quote of the Weeks:

"Hey Jeff, why don't you get up and share the creation story with 'em or something." -me as i unsuccessfully tried to ignore the direction of the Lord to prophecy on the bus. How often do we do that?

les amo,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

"More Cowbell"

"I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell." Perhaps these words have meaning to some of yall. For those who are in the dark, feel free to take a few minutes to watch some pointless SNL humor. Jeff and i quoted these words to one another at one point on this last trip as we laid in adjacent beds, sick with various infirmities, apparently including dementia. But, before i share that tale, let's go back to the beginning... Antibiotics: (essentials for the skimmers) * Jesús Púa, Maximo, Jeff, and i were blessed to visit and speak to the churches of Nueva Vida, Samaria, Sachavaca, Mira Flor, and Palmiche, sharing Bible stories with them and encouraging them to reach out to the Chayahuita (formerly misspelled as "Chaiauita") communities where the Gospel has not yet taken root. * As most of you have heard, i have unofficially torn my ACL. That means i haven't been to the doc yet, but i know what one feels like. * Jesús and Jeff are still continuing the work we were doing among the Chayahuitas until September 15, when they will come to Puerto Maldonado. * I just got back from the Paranapura River and am in route to Puerto Maldonado, warding of prostitutes and the like. * I attached a photo of the folks in the Xtreme Training in Puerto Maldonado. Their names are listed below. * Also attached are a letter, a flyer, and a brochure for this years Valley River Road Race, hosted by SWO. Please consider getting involved. You won't regret it. * PrayeRequests below. Pain Killers : (extras for the non-skimmers) Dear world-wide Temple (the House of God), in whose hearts God dwells, The last time you heard from me i'd just bid farewell to the fam and was about to head up the Paranapura River, bound for Nueva Vida (S 053°29.778' W 076°.45.605', for the Google Earth junkies) and the Chayahuita people. It took much longer than expected. The boat from Yurimaguas (S 053°53.096' W 076°.06.924') to Panan (S 053°38.701' W 076°.32.232') lasted three days. It was supposed to take 1 day, but the owner of the over sized, underpowered canoe thought it'd be a great time to make some extra cash by taking more people than it could hold. Much to his (and our) chagrin, it's dry season in Peru and the river was shallow, causing our heavy craft to get stuck about every 100 yards. When this would happen, all the men got out to push. He also wanted to save gas money, so instead of helping us push by revving up the motor, he'd shut 'er down. We finally made it to Panan and would have to walk the rest of the way to Nueva Vida due to the ever-shallowing river. Alas, Jeff became ill with malaria-like symptoms, giving me a scare (since several malaria victims have died in the area recently). We opted to go back down stream to Varadero, the next town, where there is a better health post and a hostel. There, i fell sick with some violent diarrhea (at which time we discussed the above SNL skit). He tested negative for malaria and so we caught the next canoe up to Panan again. Feeling better, we set out for a two-day hike to Nueva Vida (which is suppose to last only a day if your guides don't leave you and you don't get lost, like what happened to us). There, we were welcomed with the generous hospitality of a home to stay in and the best of what little food they had from the Chayahuita believers. What a blessing! The Chayahuitas i encountered are so different from the Tigre Quichuas. The children stare with curiosity and rarely run away in fear. I even met one boy named Cory, which is evidently an ordinary Chayahuita name! Everyone addressed me as "hermano" (brother) instead of "mister," face peeler, or "gringo." Jesús (who you should remember from my training), Maximo (his cousin), Jeff, and i made a week-long hike through Chayahuita country, staying in the villages of Samaria (S 053°24.035' W 076°.49.747'), Sachavaca (S 053°20.925' W 076°.47.183'), Mira Flor (S 053°19.248' W 076°.47.083'), and Palmiche (S 053°14.729' W 076°47.040'). We shared some Bible stories with the churches in those places and stayed in their homes. It was truly a blessing to listen to these believers and encourage them to reach out. Some are already looking for ways to get to the unreached towns cheaply, as money is an issue. Others were discouraged that they didn't have a professional, educated pastor or a church building. I explained to them that they are more like the original churches of the New Testament because of that fact. In all, we walked some 57 miles (according to the GPS' straight lines. You could easily ad a half to that number as the trail curved along.). Something went wrong on the way back from Palmiche. I simply stepped down off a log that was about waist high and my knee buckled and bent inward. I heard that all too familiar "snap," and that's all she wrote. I had about 8 miles left which it hurt along the way. What frustrates me more than anything (well, it's second to the fact that i've had 4 surgeries in the last 5 years and i live between operating tables) is that i wasn't doing anything that was out of the ordinary or stupid. I wasn't picking up a pickup truck (no pun intended). I wasn't playing full contact soccer. I just stepped down from a log old Chayahuita women scale every stinkin' day. After discussing our options with our leader, Jesús, we decided it would best for me to come back early since more longs hikes would be very difficult and completely unnecessary. Well the Devil surely hasn't wasted anytime in trying to tempt me while i am partnerless. Last night he decided he would trap ol' corey in a predicament where a male traveling partner would have been a big help. At 9:00pm i got a knock on my hostel room door. I opened the door to find a mild attractive Peruvian girl dressed... how can i put this delicately?... in "special" street attire. She quickly asked to use my bathroom and appeared in great haste, so i stepped aside as she ran past me. I thought it wise to not be alone with a girl so i waited in the hallway with the door open so i could keep an eye on my things. She finished her first order of business and then proceeded to lie down on my bed and invite me back in. I assured her i would be fine in the hall. "What are you afraid of?" she asked, "Come in and talk with me. Don't worry. I'm single." My tired, stressed mind was thinking what-the-donkeys is going on and what can i do. I asked her to leave and she changed the subject to what i was doing. Noticing my Bible still open on the bed beside her, i pointed to it and confidently replied, "Studying the Bible." I thought that would deter her, but not so much. I would have ran downstairs for help from the management, but my ipod, camera, GPS, cash, and Gold Bond were all sitting on the table next to her. Thinking she would surely rob me, i stayed in the hallway keeping an eye on my belongings. After a mirage of pleas to leave and stern looks, she finally gave up and left. Pray for Jessica... and me. I really want to thank organizations like SWO and the IMB who have given me rules in the past against being alone with the opposite sex in a room. By now, it's second nature to question such situations. When the danger was there, the red light blinked on in my head and said, "This is not right. Get out now!" It's humbling to think that a couple of years ago a less mature, more naive corey would have sat down with her innocently thinking, "This girl needs Jesus and i can share the Gospel with her." The wisdom handed down to me from those organizations has taught me that there is a time and place and a person that Jessica needs to hear the Gospel, but last night in my room was not it! Praise God! PrayeRequests: * Pray for the trainees in Puerto Maldonado. DON'T FORGET TO WRITE THEM! There names are (according to the attached photo, left to right)... Top row: Amanda Brock, Sixto, Graham "gush-gush" Michael, Isaac, Fausto, Eno, Trent Jones Middle row: Zacharias, Hagler, Amparo, Tatiana, Mariela, Esrom, Jose, Kay Jones, Eliaser Bottom row: Fernando, OZ * Of course, my knee situation. Things are up in the air right now as to what all this means for the future. Pray for us as we decide where to go from here. And for you baptists, don't be afraid to get a little charismatic and pray for some supernatural healing. * Jeff and Jesús while they're out in other towns and their return trip to Puerto Maldonado. * God is doing some amazing stuff through Bobby and Efraín. Pray the Spirit would continue to accelerate among the Yaminauas! * We met some Swiss missionaries who have been doing a lot of work among the Chayahuitas and were able to see the fruits of their labor. Even though i disagree with some of their traditional strategies and misiology, they are preaching the Good News and we should thank the Lord for the Swiss! Quotes of the Weeks: "Here's to eating what's put in front of you... and dysentery." -Jeff, as a Panan family offered us some river water to drink (See Luke 10:7) "That stuff pours through the turns of my intestines like Mario Andreti!" -Jeff, in reference to his diarrhea xoxo, †il the whole world hears, corey reid pendergrass

In my mind i’m goin’ to Carolina…

"...Can't you just see the sunshine?"

The Will of God: (essentials for the skimmers)

• I'm off again on another venture to the Paranapura River. Never heard of it? See the attached map.
  
• We'll be there 'til late September and won't have outside contact. Well, maybe the town's phone, which i haven't found cards for it yet.
• I updated an old blog entry if you're interested.
  

...In My Life : (extras for the non-skimmers)

Dear Rope Holders,
And just like that they were gone once again. My family got to step out of and back into the "real world" these past 2 weeks. Now it's back work...for all of us, i suppose. I really don't think i could begin to do such a visit justice by describing it in a quick email. We did make a less than legal run across the boarder of a large South American country. I don't think i should name the country involved over the internet, but i'll hint to you that there are a lot of Brazilians that live there. If you want a good laugh, i suggest calling my dad to get the "Butch Pendergrass version." We even paid the federal police a visit that night.
Okay, time for a call out! It's that time again: time to pray for and write your brothers and sisters in Christ in the Southern Hemisphere in training to become missionaries. Being that i won't have access to the internet, i wanted to go ahead give you this list. Though not complete, this a list of some of the trainees for the Xtreme Training that starts August 20.

• Esrom
• Zacharias
• Hagler
• Mariela
• Graham Michaels (from AL)
• Amanda Brock (from TX)
• Trent and Kay Jones (from TX)

Write them encouraging letters! Tell them how much you're praying for them. Share what the Lord is teaching you these days. Ask them about their lives. The thing is, for some reason, the families and churches of these South American missionaries-in-training usually don't write them to encourage them. You all have an opportunity to fill that niche and love on your extended family. If you do know Spanish or someone who can translate for you, it would help us save time if you sent the letters in Spanish. Please write even if you don't know Spanish because we can translate if need be.
This week Jeff Hill and i will be headed to the Paranapura River. There we'll hookup with Jesus (the guy who was in our training last Spring) in Nueva Vida and will hopefully train some of the other Chaiuita believers there to reach out to the other groups in the area. We hope to also do some research on a couple of other people groups. We should come back out in late September. Talk to you then.

PrayeRequests:

• Pray that the Lord would use us to train and encourage the Chaiauitas to reach out to surrounding communities who don't know Christ.
• Pray that the Lord would glorify Himself through Jeff and i on this next trip.
• Pray for the hearts of these new Xtreme trainees to be ready to learn and cope with a new environment. Pray for the instructors to have wisdom.
  

Quote of the Week:

"I'm taking the family to Topsail Island on Monday. There was a shark attack there a couple of weeks ago." -Brody Holloway, phone conversation

love yuns,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

A Sabbath (period of rest)

The Love of My Family: (essentials for the skimmers)

• Butch (Pop), Jennifer (Momma), Lena (Sister), and Bobby "Rupert" Lane are in town! What a blessing!
• Jeff Hill and i are heading out next week to go to Nueva Vida, a community in northern Peru.
• We are asking individuals and churches to support your brothers and sisters in training that are native South Americans. Please, see the letter below. Please let me know if you or your church decide to participate or would like more information.

The Ability to See It: (extras for the non-skimmers)

Last Saturday, my wonderful family rolled (or rather flew) in to Puerto Maldonado where tears of joy flowed. It was a blessed reunion. My sister was the first out of the door and as she leaped into my arms and we kissed and hugged one another with inhibition, the many taxi drivers encircled around us began wolf whistling, assuming we were lovers or what have you. They have been staying about 50 yards from my house at the Anaconda Lodge. We've been thoroughly enjoying the past week buzzing around Pto. Maldonado. They been discovering new foods, customs, places, and people. What a blessing to see them again!

Jeff Hill, who i trained with in the Spring, and i just found out we'll be heading out together on our next trip. Since Levi has not returned, i won't go back to the Tigre River right away but on the following trip, Lord willing. Jeff and i will go into the northern Peru jungle to a community of Chiauita (CHAI-AH-WEET-AH) indians called Nueva Vida and will possibly be discipling some of the believers there and in surrounding areas, encouraging them to reach out to the lost. I will leave Pto. Maldonado next Wednesday to go.

As in the last Xtreme Training, which i participated in, several South Americans will be attending in order to be trained as missionaries. I want to ask you to pray for those still making final decisions and preparations to come. We already have two indigenous guys that came in yesterday from the Marañon River. Sorry, i forgot their names. Soon, i'll have yall a list of names for people in this training so that yall can be praying for them and writing them letters by name. Yes, i want to ask yall to write letters to them this time. Very few of the trainees last time received letters from their loved ones. I want to invite all of yall to reach out to your brothers and sisters here in Peru and write them encouraging letters (¡ESPECIALMENTE SÍ TÚ HABLAS ESPAÑOL!). Please see the letter below for more information on supplies they need.

PrayeRequests:

• Pray that my family and i would well spend some precious quality time together until they return to good ol' NC.
• Pray that the Lord would glorify Himself through Jeff and i on this next trip.
• Pray for the hearts of these new trainees to be ready to learn and cope with a new environment.

Quote of the Week:

"I can't believe i flew 3800 miles to wash your dishes!" -Butch Pendergrass

love yuns,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

Dear Church,
We are about to begin our next 3-month Xteme Taining session August 20. During this time the participants will learn how to share the Word of God through storying and how to plant reproducing, Biblical churches. Most, however, come from indigenous communities and cannot afford certain items necessary to complete the training.

The items they need are:

• Nalgene bottles: 1 liter, wide mouth, hard
• Headlamps: uses AA batteries, small and durable
• Good cotton socks
• Pocket knives

If you would like to help these future missionaries by sending the above items, please address the packages to:

Taliaferro
Apartado 111
Pto. Maldonado
Peru

The packages must be less than 2 pounds and placed in 8.5x11 envelopes with or without bubble wrap. Thank you for your support.

Xtreme Team

Ummm...

Equipo: (essentials for the skimmers)

• We are finally home in Pto. Maldonado, resting for a few weeks.
• The teachers are still holding demonstrations and are on strike all over Peru, but i haven't heard news of violence this week.
• The Pendergrass clan will reunite in the 27th of July, here in Pto. Maldonado! I can't wait!

Extremo: (extras for the non-skimmers)

I want to send a big thanks to all of you who sent mail while i was out. I've replied to the letters (and packages) i got, so some of you can look forward to that. It was a real blessing!

There's not a whole lot going on in Puerto Maldonado these days. They closed down the amazing Brazilian restaurant (best food in town) since we left. I'm still in shock. I'm may get sporadic in my updates unless something interesting happens.

Bobby Lane and his partner, Efrain, are on his way back to Puerto Maldonado and should get here about July 26, so i hear.

PrayeRequests:

• Pray as i study the Quichua language.
• Levi is having personal issuses that i feel that i shouldn't go into at this time. He may not come back to Peru. I can't go out again without a partner. Pray God would work it out to His glory.

Quote of the Week:

Sorry, no one said anything funny this week. (That's not true, but i'm pretty sure many of you would be offended if i said it. Haha!)

love yuns,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

As the Road Moves Underfoot…

Modes of Travel: (essentials for the skimmers)

• We made it to Lima, thus far, halfway home.
• There are strikes all over Peru. A number of people were killed in the violence. Travel is restricted and frustrating.
• My photos are not longer at Yahoo! Photos because Yahoo! Photos is closing. Find my photos, old and new, at my Photobucket.

Strikes: (extras for the non-skimmers)

Dear apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, (see Eph 4:11)

I wanted to take a second to explain what the purpose of this trip was. I imagine some of you might be wondering, "Aren't they going to witness to people and share the Gospel?" The answer is "YES!," but we want to make sure we take care of some things first. This trip was to study the culture and language so that we can present the Gospel in a relevant and understandable way. For instance, even though many Tigre Quichuas speak Spanish as a second language, they are more likely to miss understand the teaching in that language and develope a bad understanding of the Gospel and doctrines. That's why we didn't share with the people so much this time.

I'll stay politically nuetral on what's going on and stick to the facts surround the strikes. There are union-organized strikes and demonstrations of teachers demanding higher salaries all over the country. Long story short, some of the demonstrations escalated to violence in some of the cities including rioters throwing rocks at police, people trampled in the rush, a bus being forced off a mountain road (killing 16, injuring 6, so i hear), and the train to Machu Picchu (one of the New 7 Wonders of the World) being over taken and stranding thousands of tourists. All that being said, we haven't been able to travel via land since Iquitos. We secured a flight to Puerto Maldonado that leave Lima on Monday. Just have to wait now.

Instead of paying for our transport from Intuto to Iquitos, we opted to work as cargo movers on the boat in order to get free passage. We bore large bundles of fruit and other goods for about 20 hours, loading them on the boat by hand at every village we stopped at. Poor Drew had his wallet and about $70 stolen from his bag on the boat coming from Intuto last week. When we got to Iquitos, he found an email saying he'd lost his job at VA Tech and possibly his on-campus housing. Since he's a volunteer, most of this trips expenses, expected and unexpected, come out of his pocket. Not a good day.

I can't wait 'til the 23rd when my folks and sister are coming to visit me in Puerto Maldonado. We are going to have such a time!

PrayeRequests:

• Pray that we would form a functional and relevant Bible story track for the Tigre Quichuas now that we have lots of info on their culture.
• Pray as i study the Quichua language.
• I hear Levi should come back from Ecuador on July 31st!! Praise God he was able to gather enough funds. He even found 3 or 4 other young people who speak Quichua who might be coming!
• Drew and i will leave, Lord willing, this Monday morning around 9am via air. Pray for opportunities to share with other travelers and decision making as we choose our path.
• Pray for the people involved in the strikes and riots on both sides to have wisdom to do what they need to do and not turn to violence, if possible, at the same time.

Quote of the Week:

Upon reflecting how the indigenous communities act toward our presence... "I feel like a black person visiting my church." -me

love yuns,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

Biblical Missionary Support

Ok, i just wanted to share with yall some things that have been running through my mind, so please take the time to read, pray, comment, and apply what the Lord leads you to do in your own ministry.

Matt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

In these two stories, Jesus instructs the disciple specifically how to do missions. I try to follow this pattern, staying with men of peace in communities i stay in, not going door-to-door, and working with them in order to eat. I have struggled with the first part though, about not taking my money, bag, and knapsack. I take my backpack, changes of clothes, and shoes wherever i go. I tell myself, “That was then. This is now. I need shoes!” But, is this a right attitude? And, why shouldn’t i greet those on the road, on the way to the community? What does that mean?
Now, perhaps i can confide in the fact that "bag" can be translated "beggar's bag," which makes me think that in light of the statement, "A laborer deserves his wages," that Jesus was telling them, "Don’t use your own money and don’t beg for money, but work for your food and privilege to stay." I noticed during this recent trip, as we stayed with a family using this model of staying in a home and working with them to receive food that they were getting slack on the meals. They'd eat in secret and not invite us to eat when the food was not plentiful. We'd worked with them all that they desired and still were not being fed. We were close to the town of Intuto, so i started just walking to town and buying meals at restaurants. The family new what i was doing and for the last couple of weeks, this was normal. I realized they were expecting me to buy my own dinner and use my own money so they just quit trying to provide food all together. I was convicted for not following this model Jesus gave. Drew and i committed to go the last few days without buying our own food and the Lord provided for us each time with food from this family and others who wanted us to eat their food. Amazing what happens when you trust God! So should we follow this model to a T in missions if we really want to be Biblical?

Luke 22:35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Here Jesus turns the tables, and i don't know why. What the heck do yall think? Perhaps Jesus is making an exception to the guidelines He’s already laid down.

On to some other examples of missions support in Scripture…

1 Thes 2:9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
2 Thes 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
1 Cor 4:12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

1 Cor 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Acts 20:33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

These are a few examples of Paul's of ministry support (which he commends the church of Thessalonica to follow) where he works with his own hands to provide for his own needs on the field. I forget where, but i recalled reading he was a tent maker in Scripture. He works night and day so that he will not be a burden to the churches. In 1 Cor he was giving a description of "apostles" (ie. sent out ones, perhaps the Biblical term for "missionaries") and said they work with their hands. He goes on in the letter to describe his right to the support from the churches he's planted, but doesn't take advantage of it so that others may know he is not in this for the money. Should we then in return follow the instructions of Christ and the example of Paul by working for our own support while we are on the mission field? Is a mission trip where i receive a pay check, therefore, unbiblical?

This is not to say that we should not receive some donated finances from the rest of the Church. Here are some other examples of Paul’s support in Scripture…

Rom 15:24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.

2 Cor 11:7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.

Phil 4: 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

Paul is certainly willing to except financial support from the churches of Roman (possibly not financial), Macedonia, and Philippi. We should as well from our churches. The fact remains that he worked to support himself and on occasion, received support from the churches. He even requested it from the Romans.
I've been thinking recently that a local church collectively giving to a need is much better (and perhaps more Biblical) than an individual giving to a need, because when the church gives, Christ is accredited, but when an individual gives, the individual is often accredited. Plus, it's what we’ve seen in these Verses. Should individuals give to missions? Should we only accept money that is given from a church and not from an individual?
Perhaps Phoebe is an example of Biblical individual giving, but the following verse is inconclusive whether it is about finances or encouragement or prayers whatever the "patron" act is.

Rom 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

I would love to hear yall's Biblical feedback (meaning not so much your personal opinion, but rather what you read in Scriptue) on some of these things. Are there other passages in Scripture that point to a Biblical outline for the support of missions?

Happy John the Baptist Day!

Juanes: (essentials for the skimmers)

• 2 weekends ago Latin America celebrated John the Baptist Day. It's kind of a 36 hour party. Also, happy US Independence Day! 231 years ain't too bad.
• Futbol, known as "soccer" to the untraveled people of the States, made for good laughs for us and the Tigre Quichuas.
• We left 28 de Julio and are back in Alfonso Ugarte, staying next to Brother Mario.
• We learned of 6 evangelical churches among the Tigre Quichua!
• I got robbed again. Like $35 this time.
• We are leaving the Tigre River this Saturday and headed back to base camp.

More masato: (extras for the non-skimmers)

Dear Church,

Caution: The faint at heart should skip to the next paragraph. Ever heard of a píque? Me neither 'til i got to Peru. It's a small white worm, about the size of a BB pellet, that digs into the pads of your feet and live. I had one on the boat ride here. Drew had two. But two weeks ago, we found two more in the same hole along with a nest of teeny tiny eggs in Drew's pinkie toe! I did the honors of removing all remaining uninvited animals from Drew's feet last week with a sterilized sewing needle. Drew whined in pain. I marveled at the size of the worms and puss that came out. If you come to the jungle, don't walk around barefoot, for crying out loud!

OK, gross part over.

This past weekend we celebrated John the Baptist's birthday (according to Roman Catholic tradition). I hate to say it, but i think it's just another excuse to get passed-out-drunk as the nationals didn't seem to have a lot of accurate information on John the Baptist (aka. Saint John the Baptist the Apostle... as some explained), but they knew they were supposed to celebrate his life by making and eating Juanes ("Johns"), yellow rice, a scrap of some random chicken part, and olives packed together in a sphere shape, wrapped in leaves into a package, and boiled. They look kind of like a decapitated head, hence the name. I ate many. The weekend kind of feels like St. Patrick's Day in the States. On that day people celebrate Christendom coming to the island of Ireland by...getting crazy drunk and wearing green in order not to be pinched by others under the influence. Thanks, Patrick. Props, John.

Last update, i forgot to tell yall a funny story. It happened again two weeks ago in 28 de Julio, so i felt obliged to include it now. A few weeks ago we rode up to Yarinal, a Quichua town on the Tigre via canoe to their town's anniversary festival. A futbol tournament and hundreds of gallons of masato were the main attractions. We were staying in the community Alfonso Ugarte and, therefore, were eligible players for their team. Drew, having played much more organized soccer than i, did much better. The people were rolling, laughing. If we did well, the people laughed in surprise. If we screwed up, they laughed 'cause...it was just funny. Someone kicked me the ball and like an idiot, i went to kick it out of it's air-born path. I barely nicked the ball, and the momentum of my leg made me come off my feet and fall on my side in the mud. The people roared in laughter, especially as i quickly threw up my hands in victory and gave out high fives to my teammates. We sure made a lot of friends that day. People were talking about it all through Intuto and the surrounding areas for days.

Now something very unexpected happened during our study of the culture of the Tigre Quichua people. We thought there had been very little evangelism on the river and in the Spanish language instead of Quichua, making it hard to understand, but we've been informed that all 13 communities in the upper Tigre have heard the Gospel in Quichua by Peruvians! What more, there are 6 churches in the 13 communities boasting just under 200 believers! Granted, these numbers of believers can be off, but it is the best we can estimate without looking at the Lamb's Book of Life, itself. This puts the evangelized percentage of the Tigre Quichua at over 10%! Whoa! Praise God! I must apologize for informing yall before that they were unevangelized and unreached. Thanks for praying, anywho.

I found my wallet a couple nights ago short some money. It's always discouraging. I have a good idea who did it. When asked about it he told me he didn't, but today when i caught him in an unrelated lie, he told me he could trick anyone... just a boy too. [sigh] Please pray for Roy.

PrayeRequests:

• Pray the many weak believers among the Tigre Quichua would be discipled.
• As we study the culture and worldview we will be forming a Bible story track that will be relevant to their culture. As we can't share every story from the Bible, pray we would select the stories God wants to use to reach this people to help them understand His Message.
• Pray as i study the Quichua language.
• Levi is still in Ecuador trying to gather funds and support from friends and his church to be able to come back ASAP.
• Drew and i will leave, Lord willing, this Saturday morning for a two day journey to Iquitos. From there we will continue the path we traveled when we came here unless we can't go through Pucallpa. Pucallpa is closed right now with riots and protests in the streets due to a political controversy. Pray for opportunities to share with other travelers and decision making as we choose our path.

Quote of the Week(s):

After we learned of the high numbers of Tigre Quichua believers... "Eat your heart out, Satan, and while you're at it, PEEL YOUR FACE OFF!" -Drew Grumbles

love yuns,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

Legends of the "Face-Peelers"

Mosquito nets: (essentials for the skimmers)

• I'm including GPS coordinates so those of you with Google Earth or a similar program may see satellite photos of these places. Let me know what yall find!
• I'm finally on the Tigre River! I've been waiting to get to this people group for over 4 years. PTL!
• Avast, we were robbed and have endured several other trials. Like i said, Satan isn't going to let us come without a fight.
• Language is going slow but we're in the best place in the world to study Tigre Quichua with the best resources.
• We're in to 28 de Julio (S 03°28.503', W 074°48245'), a Quichua village, just upriver, since Monday and should stay a couple weeks.

Masato: (extras for the non-skimmers)

Dear "Rosie the Riveters,"

I use that title as most of you who get this are the behind-the-scenes support that keeps soldiers of Christ fighting on the front-lines through your prayer, encouragement, and donations.

Let's see if i can remember all gut-checks so far (My wonderful mother has already posted some of this info from our phone conversation one Friday night on the blog.): Leaving from Iquitos via the the mighty Cuco, a rusty 2-story barge, traveling up the Marañon River and on to the winding Tigre River, 3 days, 2 nights. The first night, as we slumbered in our hammocks like most people, someone decided to make my compression sack, complete with my sleeping bag and mosquito net, and a bag of cookies theirs. I saw some cookie wrappers laying around and thus questioned several of the crew and travelers if they'd seen anyone eating them and got nowhere. As we neared Intuto on the last night, about "dark:30" (as my dad says), i decided to walk back to my hammock in the dark. On the cargo level i was feeling around in the dark when i fell down into the hull of the boat, a good 8-foot plunge, headfirst. Don't worry, i landed on crates of glass beer and coke bottles. My foot only bled a little bit.

When i first set foot on Tigre soil in Intuto (S 03°29.313', W 074°46.802'), the satisfaction was incredible. The sorrows of my gear and blood loss faded in the night. I've been waiting for over 4 years to get to these people that the Lord has sent me to, even though i've only known their name since February. I was worshipping on the inside. A man invited us into his home, where we stayed one night. The following morning he introduced us to Mario Tapui, fluent in Quichua dialect and blood, president of the people group, and down-to-earth, kindhearted, senile, old man.

Mario has been and should continue to be a valuable help in reaching his people group. He organized for us to stay in the school in Alfonso Ugarte (S 03°29.157', W 074°47.371') for the week. He kindly offered me his extra mosquito net, though it's shaped for a bed and is useless with my hammock and is made with coarse netting which allows all the smaller blood sucking insects in. No worries, i found another in town and modified it to fit my hammock. Before then, i used a Thermarest (inflatable mattress) that Drew brought, but it has 3 holes that the best glue in Intuto won't fix. Nevertheless, it beats the concrete floor.

Mario's wife is not a believer. I've come to affectionately call her (behind her back) the Masato Nazi. Masato is a extremely common drink in these parts, made from yuca roots. The locals chew the roots and spit them out, making a concoction and allowing it to ferment! Though most of the drinking is for "strength" (as many have sold their food in order to buy more masato), drunkenness is a horrible problem in every place we've been to on the river. It seems we are constantly offered masato by Mario's wife and many other homes, and it's hard not to be rude when they are so insistent. Even the Tigre Quichua church goers of 28 de Julio were intoxicated to the point they forgot to feed us supper last night.

As i said before, the Tigre Quichua are very suspicious of outsiders of lighter shades of skin. Evidently at some point in "conquistador" history some natives had their faces peeled off by white people. Rumors hundreds of years old still linger. Evidently all white people are out to peel the indigenous' faces off! Who knew? Last week, one evening we purchased new machetes in a corner store in Intuto to be able to work with the people in their fields. We were see walking around with machetes and were reported to be "dangerous" to the town officials. The town had a meeting about us which very few people attended because of the rain, including us (the accusers failed to show), and cleared up misunderstandings with town officials. We have made influential friends like Mario and are thankful. Last night police came from Intuto to 28 de Julio because there was a report from a civilian in Intuto that us "gringos" (white people) had murdered a man in 28 de Julio, peeling his face off with our machetes! Our "man of peace," Samuel, with who we are living in 28 de Julio vouched for us and nothing has come of it...yet. My greatest fear is that rumors like these will quickly travel up river via radio and the people of the upper Tigre will reject our requests for us to stay in with them in their towns to share the Word of God with them. Rumors like these can be reversed, but trust is hard earned and can be lost in a moment. These things can cost valuable time and money.

There seems to be few people in the middle ground. Either they are scared to death of us or are happy to see us. Many of the latter try to accommodate us by using their "English." The problem is there are several English words for the Spanish word señor: sir, mister, lord, senor, etc. They call to us in their Peruvian accents, "Mee-stair! Mee-stair! Gude mornink!" I check the time: 2pm. I explain to them it's the afternoon in Spanish and they reply, "Ah! Gude eevenink!" I give them the thumbs-up. There's no point in correcting them, "Sorry, but we don't call each other 'mister' in English. It's 'sir'" I just wish they'd treat us like people that have come to work with them instead of rich tourists or face-peelers.

PrayeRequests:

• PTL! We have had a surprising blessing of NO BOWEL COMPLAINTS. Coming into a new area with different bugs, we were almost certain to get diarrhea and have not had a bit!
• Drew and i are entering a region that has belonged to Satan for thousands of years. He's secured those souls for Hell and doesn't plan on giving up the present and future Tigre Quichua people without a fight. We expect much more spiritual warfare.
• As we study the culture and worldview we will be forming a Bible story track that will be relevant to their culture. As we can't share every story from the Bible, pray we would select the stories God wants to use to reach this people to help them understand His Message.
• Quichua studies
• Levi is still in Ecuador trying to gather funds and support from friends and his church to be able to come back ASAP.

"I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no powers, no wisdom
But i will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death, and resurrection!"

love yuns,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

Update from corey

I was able to speak with corey today by phone. He has arrived in Intuto, the destination he referred to earlier. He has had several struggles. He had his misquito net and sleeping bag stolen while he was traveling on the river boat between Iquito and Intuto. He is covered in bites from what sound like some kind of turbo charged misquitos, having to sleep in a hammock without an effective net. (Someone did give him a net that has holes so big most of the misquitos fly through them.) He specifically said he needed prayer that he would not "get down" in the midst of these struggles. He also requested we remember to pray for the ability to speak the language of the Quichea people clearly enough to share the gospel. We know this: God's plan will be accomplished. He will see it through, regardless of our weaknesses or struggles. He is allowing us opportunities to serve Him and serve others wherever He has placed us. I truly appreciate those of you who have prayed for corey thus far. ......momma jenn