3rd Menstruation

In case you were wondering, it's Racheal's and my third menstruation. We've been married for 3 months.
Some of you may say, "Corey, don't you mean 3-month anniversary?" No, for that would be an oxymoron since "anniversary" comes from the Latin "ano," meaning "year." You can't have a third month-year. That makes no sense.
You could however say we're having our first "quad anniversary," or quarter year. Perhaps that would sound more kosher than a "menstruation."
Nevertheless, we're excited for many more menstruations and anniversaries to come!
Love yall,
corey

'Tis the Season to Be Jolly

FALL, la, la, la...

(I think this song isn't really about Christmas. Think about it...)

Pad Thai: (essentials for the skimmers)

• Racheal and i have some new photos. Enjoy.
• The ACL is recuperating.
• TEOTE.COM has moved to TEOTE.ORG and has a new makeover as the homepage for Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters International (SMOi, formerly known as TEOTE Missions). Please check it out.
• We got jobs. Thanks for the prayers!
  
• Buy WWLMD shirts. They're now on sale for $10!! Oooooo!
• Wrestling season has started and i'm the new assistant coach at Reagan High School.
• PrayeRequests below.

Chopsticks: (extras for the readers)

To whom it may concern,
Racheal and i have been busy exploring the happenings of the Forsyth, Stokes, and Yadkin Counties' boarder triangle. Hanging Rock State Park is gorgeous and makes for a fun Sunday afternoon date. We've also discovered a local Spanish-speaking church in King, NC. Perhaps it will be an avenue for ministry to the Latino community in the near future.

I've been working on SMOi's website like crazy these last few weeks of unemployment. I hope you can check it out.
Also during the last few weeks, as you know, Racheal and i have been jobless (and therefore moneyless (which Gmail's spell checker says "moneyless" is a legit word, which is funny to me)). However those days are over. Racheal was applying as the local YMCA's aquatics director, which was supposed to be a shoe-in, but alas the Lord shut that door. The next day she stepped into a nearby coffee shop and chatted with the owner (who is a believer) for a couple hours and he gives her a job. We believe God worked this out so that she can have more time to minister to those around her in the coffee shop.
On the other hand, my search for job was very grueling. Alltel, Dick's Sporting Goods, Rosario (hospital translators), Pizza Hut, Auto Zone, People Helping People (working with people with special needs), Burger King, Metro Nursing (more translation), Yadkin County Schools (ESL teacher), Baptist Hospital (chaplin), and Advance Auto Parts have no use of a guy with a bum hind leg, lots of experience in the jungle, and a degree in Philosophy and Religion. Yeah, i know; that's bizarre. It seems God shut the door for me too...a lot. In spite of my desire to be an independent man with a respectable job (Notice a trace of pride?), i crawled back to my dad to ask for a job as...a plumber (Perish the thought!). He hired me, and i actually enjoyed it, despite my foolish pride. Today i was supposed to have 2 job interviews (as a Spanish tutor and a front desk guy at the hospital), but i was talking with God this morning and the conversation went something like this:

Corey: God, who should i work for?
God: Pendergrass and Holder Plumbing.
Corey: Really? [since i wanted to be independent from dad]
God: Yes.
Corey: I must be talking to myself. God, You wouldn't have said that. I'll ask Racheal.
...later this morning...
Corey: Racheal, who do you think i should work for?
Racheal: Your dad.
Corey: Really?
Racheal: Yes.
Corey: God told me the same thing.

See how that works? Looks like i'm working for Butch.

If you buy a What Would Lottie Moon Do shirt, i'll be your friend forever. Okay, so my friendship is not quite so conditional, but you should still buy some shirts. Available sizes: Youth S-L and Adult S-XL. If you want one/some please tell me your color and size preference. $10/shirt + $2 domestic shipping.

PrayeRequests:

• Please pray for my relationships with my co-workers at Pendergrass & Holder Plumbing. I've already had the chance for a good conversation with Steven.
• Pray that Racheal would have many opportunities as well at the coffee shop.
• Pray that i would be able to build relationships with the wrestlers at Reagan and God would use me to disciple them.
• I suppose it's time for us Christians to stop whining about the election results and start praying for our new president. Please join me in asking God's guidance on Obama's future decisions for the US.
  

Quotes of the Week:

"Imitation crab meat: the string cheese of the upper class." -me

"It's the shekhinah light of the Lord! ...Oh wait, that's just the sun behind frost on the windshield." -Lorne James

†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

Young Mans Christian Association

Young man..
theres no need to feel down
I said, Young man...
Get your self off the ground

Young Mans Christian Association. YMCA. Who knew? Not me.

For the Lazy ones...
Racheal might have a great job that will fix all her school debt and put some in savings.
Racheal graduates in a month!!! AMEN

For the ones who have time to spare and care...
Last month i went into the stokes county YMCA to start using the facilities and looking into membership possibilities and found out they were looking to hire an Aquatics Director. This person would be in charge of 25 lifeguards and Instructors and would have an Aquatics Coordinator to assist under them. Well, I spoke with the current Aquatics director, then came for an interview with the Executive director, then was asked to come for a third interview from 10:30am- 3pm. During that time i met with the Aquatics director once again, then met with two regional board members of the Y, who drilled me with some very good questions and i them as well. I presented a lot of ideas and they seemed to be intrigued. I then had to do a water aerobics class and meet one last time with the executive director. There are four people total inline for this position, we find out Friday who takes home the cake. Prayerfully it will be me, and i can once again do what i love to do and what I am good at. Water Activities! All the while learning how to do a major budget and lead a fairly large team of adults that are all twice my age with the exception of a few. This position pays 30k per year (more than i have made total in my 22 years of life) and comes with great benefits to boot. I will be surprised if God does not give me this job, because He gave me the op

Save Now

portunity in the first place. We'll see what happens. If not He has reminded me of the desire i have to be around people and the body, which has been extremely encouraging. God will recieve His glory either way. I'll let y'all not que paso.

Love and Marriage

...go together like a horse and carriage.

An ACL Surgery: (essentials for the skimmers)

• I'm married to Racheal and love it! Be jealous.
• I've posted a ton of new photos! Looky, looky. (Sorry, i'm behind on the wedding photos.)
• Had my ACL surgery last Wednesday.
• We are unemployed but hopeful in the search for work.
• WWLMD? shirts are back! Order now and sport yours at this year's SBC Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
• The new house is done. Racheal and i live in the basement apartment at 6805 Martin Ferry Rd in Tobaccoville, NC.
• PrayeRequests below.
  

A Lottie Shirt: (extras for the readers)

Dear εκκλησία (ekklisia = church),

Honestly there's so much to go over 'cause i haven't written in days. Just know that Racheal and i are doing great and living well in the metropolis of Tobaccoville, NC (population: 2607). My second ACL surgery was fine and i'm in the rehab process for the next few months. Racheal is taking online classes and looking into a job as the aquatics director at the local YMCA. I'm currently on the hunt for a job that uses my bilingual skills as we prepare to go overseas in a yearish. We're looking at South America. We're considering going with IMB again.
We are opening our home for weekly church gatherings. For now, we're targeting the local Hispanic population, so they'll be in Español. No one has come so far, so we might aim for our English-speaking friends.
In order to support ourselves between now and then and get out of debt we are also doing things like selling the WWLMD? shirts. I have attached a photo of the colors: maroon, navy, kelly green (black or white print), and yellow. Available sizes: Youth S-L and Adult S-XL. If you want one/some please tell me your color and size preference. $12/shirt + $2 domestic shipping.

PrayeRequests:

• The local church. We're opening our home to start one.
• The search for work. I just want to be where God would use me the most.
• Ernesto and Angela. A local couple have asked to know more about salvation. The soil looks fertile, if you know what i mean.

On behalf of Mr. and Mrs. corey reid pendergrass,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

PS. A Job Offer: (for handymen without torn ACLs)

• Teams of 3 disaster relief roofers, no experience necessary
• Available work for the next 6 weeks in Houston, TX
• It pays really well while ministering to the hurricane-hit community.
• If interested, call the contractor (and former Xtreme Team member) Quinten Williams - 601.543.4884
  

Carolina Again

Tater Tots: (essentials for the skimmers)
If you want to receive updates from Racheal and i in the future as we seek the Lord in serving the nations together, please reply by August 9th.
Our new photos!
After meeting me my future in-laws have not disowned me.
Racheal and i hung out in Winston for a week.
Now we're at Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters working the Missions camp.
Don't forget yall are invited to the wedding. August 9th at SWO, Andrews, NC. Mo' info soon.

PrayeRequests below.

Mustard: (extras for the readers)
Dear Beloved,
That's about it.

PrayeRequests:
Keep Levi, Efrain, Lorne, Katie, Linzi, the Joneses, Graham, Jesus Pua, Nadia, Jeff, Christy, Jose, the Brewster, and anyone else down there working in your prayers.
Pray for Racheal and i as we prepare for marriage and serve God through serving the community around us.

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

“Come and take me to the airport…”

"Come and take me to the airportCome and board me on that plane,'Cause i've got no expectationsTo ever pass this way again." -Johnny Cash, "No Expectations" - the song stuck in my head

Downshift: (essentials for the skimmers)
Feast your eyes! The new Xtreme Team website!
Feast some more! My new photos!
Levi and i are back from the Tigre River. *sigh*
As you know, the last Xtreme Training ended.
I will be in Peru for a couple more weeks wrapping up loose ends.
PrayeRequests below.

Mash the gas: (extras for the readers)
Dear Church,
And so it ends. Levi and i have wrapped up my final trip to the Tigre Quichuas, for now. From Iquitos we were able to purchase flights to Lima. At the moment i'm back in Pucallpa for a few days and Levi joined José Chillambo to renew their visas on the Ecuadorian boarder. As for my plans for the near future, i should be back in Lima this weekend and will be there finalizing some paperwork 'til i arrive in the States on the 30th of May.Now for the juicy details from the Tigre: All together, we stayed in the Quichua community of Paiche Playa for a little better than 7 weeks. We had many worthwhile conversations and taught only a few Bible stories as the people showed little interest, and their common drunkenness often betrayed the people's spoken desire to hear the Word of God. In other words, several told us they really wanted to learn the Word, but none came when the bottle was offered next door. It's sad, for obvious reasons, that these people are still on the path to hell without our Jesus. I also feel the human (or should i saw "prideful" or "fleshly") frustration and disappointment of not having any quantitative or qualitative data to show my "successfulness" as a missionary. That's of infinitely smaller consequence compared to the prior tragedy, the fact that they are still lost. That is out of my hands, but may every soul praise God that salvation doesn't lay in the hands of corey, who would screw it up, for sure. To anyone who has ever said, "All your sacrifice and hard work are worth it if just one life is changed," i have news for you. I have failed your standard of worth, but not my God's. "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22) All the sacrifice and hard work are worth it if and only if our Lord is obeyed. He was obeyed. Therefore, it has been more than worth it.
As of right now, the Conoco-Phillips oilers are starting a 6-month work in the virgin jungles surrounding Paiche Playa. Thus, all able-bodied males will be away from the community working for the oil company. We don't know what the future looks like regarding the Xtreme Team's work in Paiche Playa and other parts of the Tigre River, but please join us in prayer for where the Lord directs.
As for the upper Tigre, we met several people you should know about. Here's some of the key players:
"Lapiz," whose nickname means "Pencil" in Spanish, is an alcoholic claiming to be an Evangelical Christian in Paiche. I feel like he has a correct idea of Who God is, but in practice, he is very backslidden. God gave me a Word to share with him and he took it all in. Pray that Lapiz would return to Christ in spite of his lack of Christian community and be an example to his lost neighbors. If not, i told him, he needs to stop telling people he's a Christain because he gives Christ a bad name.
Mario Rios is a brother based out of Iquitos that makes missionary trips fairly often with his 20+ -year-old sons. They have a heart for their lost indigenous countrymen have helped plant a number of churches on the upper Tigre River and others places. Pray for Mario to use wisdom in order to plant biblical churches. At least one of his sons, Israel, wants to enroll in an Xtreme Team training ASAP, but our communication is often hindered.
Alipse Valera has worked for some years now on the Tigre and has pastored the church in the Tigre Quichua community of Marsella. He shared with us that he'd be leaving his flock soon, because it's time to see if they can stand on their own. I tip my hat to this sweet brother as i feel that allowing a baby to walk on her own is an opportunity that every church deserves but so few ever have. Pray for Alipse to continue to seek God's guidance in where to go next. Pray for the Quichua church of Marsella to remain faithful and not only learn to walk on her own, but to run for Jesus!
Ronaldo Calderón, a new believer in Christ, thanks to an evangelical visit by Alipse a couple months ago, found us when the river launch we were riding stopped in his home of Lamas Tapishka. He shared his testimony with Levi and so Levi shared the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. Recognizing that he was lacking in the baptism department, Ronaldo asked Levi to baptize him, and so Levi did just that in the Tigre River as his family and neighbors looked on. Pray for Ronaldo to grow spiritually and his faithfulness in Lamas Tapishka, where he has no church yet, would multiply and flourish.
Filipe Carejano is the pastor of the church in the indigenous community of 12 de Octubre on the Tigre. We'd heard rumors that he had a drinking problem, but we refused to listen to gossip. However, when we arrived in 12 de Octubre we found out first-hand as he was passed out on the floor in his house and too drunk to carry on an intelligent conversation. Some of the faithful few from his congregation have decided to leave that spiritual empty building and start another church in town. Please pray that Filipe would be convicted, repent, and reunite with the Christ's faithful church in 12 de Octubre. Thank God for sound-minded sheep that can pick up their cross and press on, even when their human shepherd falls behind.

PrayeRequests:
Besides the above listed requests, please pray for Levi. At the moment we don't know where exactly he will go, how he will be funded, or who his partner will be.
Pray for Robert, Lorne, and Efraín as they are finishing Robert's last trip to the Yaminahuas.

At rest,
†il the whole world hears,
corey reid pendergrass

An Update from Momma Jenn

Hello everyone,

I was able to speak with corey reid yesterday via satellite phone and he advised he and Levi are doing allright health wise, etc. He said he and Levi could really use your prayers regarding the following:
Pray the people in Paicha Playa would come to hear the Bible stories shared and have hearts open to God's movement.
Pray corey and Levi would have discernment and wisdom regarding what to do in light of the currrent state of what seems to be lack of interest in hearing the Bible.
Pray for corey and Levi to reflect the light of Jesus and glorify God in their actions.
Pray for God's will to be known and done.

One fun story from corey:
He had purchased a shotgun a while back and so far, has shot 3 shots. He considers that he has "3 out of 3" kills, although one of them is indirect. He said 2 of the shots resulted in his killing 2 Shanshu birds. The third shot, towards a monkey in a tree, did not seem to hit the monkey; however, the monkey got so excited that it started moving rapidly through the trees and actually fell into the path of some dogs below. They killed the monkey. So, the monkey indirectly went down as the result of the 3rd shot. For any PITA folks out there, don't stress too much...all this killing is a part of survival in the jungle and resulted in a couple of meals...one meal; unfortunately, went to a cat who stole one of the birds.

I thank all of you for your prayers and hope you will consider joining us as we welcome corey home. We are planning to have a little 'welcome home' celebration Sunday afteroon, June 1st. We would love for any of you that would like to come. If you plan to do so, please email me and let me know so that I'll have an idea of how much food we need. Thanks.
Momma Jenn