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