"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