“Lord I can’t but you can” became one of my prayers as we took a 3 day trip to an unreached tribe up a mountain. The name of the tribe is Kuare. This tribe was discovered by a pastor in Culiacan whose name is Antonio. He is the pastor of Calvary Aguaruto. He has been going to them for 5 years. This tribe has no church, no bible and they do not know about Jesus. The drive to get to them is about 10 hours. You can imagine the anticipation I had of wanting to get to the location as we were on the road. I was eager to know what it was all going to look like. Once we arrived at the location the chief allowed the team to stay in the school, which was honestly a blessing. The woman stayed in the class room, some men stayed with chief, others set up tents.
What The Lord Showed Me
Here are a few things that were out of my comfort zone:
Bathroom- Even though their was toilets I am used to the toilets back in the states
No shower
Sleeping in a crowded classroom
Bugs
I am sure there was more but these were the main ones. What the Lord showed me was that when He did ministry, the times He lived in, there was no toilets. He used the outdoors. He didn’t have a shower. I am sure He used rivers to wash himself. He didn’t have a house to sleep in. And bugs, I am sure he learned to ignore them and let them be. I began to consider all these things that made me uncomfortable as things to be grateful for. I had a roof over my head as I slept in the classroom. I had a toilet to go to the restroom. Bugs are just bugs, instead of screaming I learned to be calm and brush them off. Not showering was only going to be for a few days. The Lord began to show me in this short term missions trip that through more experiences like these He is going to prepare me for wherever He is going to call me and it will be uncomfortable. But you want to know what I love? I love looking at the example of Jesus because He did not grow up having these blessings that I can take for granted and that encourages me. If He did it? What is stopping me from doing it? Nothing except myself. But with Him I can do all things! I am grateful that my Heavenly Father is so patient with me when it comes to these things that are honestly not a big deal.
A Personal Connection
The girls in the picture below are Araceli (which was cool to know she has the same name as me) and Estella. I met them when we split into groups to go house to house. I was able to share about who God is and what Jesus did for us. As I shared with them I felt like it wasn’t doing anything because when I evangelize I am used to people having a dialogue with me and debating religion perspectives. What the Lord showed me was that I was planting the seed and He would do the rest. I then told the girls I wish I had a bible to give to them because I wanted them to know who their Creator was. Later, I came to find out that they came back to our team and asked for a bible and they were given one. Please be praying for these girls that God would meet them in a radical way as they begin to read about Him.
Another connection I made was with Rogelia and her daughter Otilia. I sat with these ladies and we were able to discuss how they get married in their culture. They told me that they don’t go looking for a man that they wait for the man to look for them and once the man is interested in them they get married but not married like what we are accustomed to. Once the man is interested in her they are officially married. They then asked me how I did it and I said, “well, if a man came to me and told me he was interested in me I’d tell him I needed to get to know him and if I wasn’t interested I could say no to him.” They laughed at that concept. I then asked them, what would happen if their husband died, if they had to wait for another man to be interested in them and they said yes. They then asked me what I would do, I told them that I would pray to God and ask him if He would want me to get married again and if their was a man, than I would pray and ask Him if He wanted me to marry him. They laughed again and said “yeah we don’t do that.” I wish I would have asked them what they thought about love because if they have no choice to say no to the man then how do they love their husband. It is interesting to discover new customs and cultures where the gospel hasn’t been preached. Below is a picture of Otilia, I told her she was beautiful and she allowed me to take a picture of her. She told me next time I come she would have a skirt prepared for me.
In the classroom we were staying at we would have kids looking at us through the window which reminded me of what Pastor Rob, who was a missionary for over 20 years has shared. When he was in Africa he would wake up to kids watching him through the windows of his house, a bunch of little eyes staring at him. He would have zero privacy. The thought that this could be my life blew my mind. Even though I was only here for a few days frustration and irritation began arising and again my prayer was “Lord I can’t but you can”. Below is a picture of Maria and her son as she looked through the window. Macey and I ended up having a good conversation with her.
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Matthew 9:36 NKJV
On our last day the Lord gave me this verse as I looked at this crowd of woman lined up to receive food and blankets. You and I have been privileged to have grown up in an area where the gospel has been reached, where we are surrounded by many church buildings but these people don’t have that, along with many areas around the world that haven’t been reached with the gospel. Those are the places I want to go to. Those are the places we should all go to. Just as Paul has said in Romans 15:20 “And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation.”
I will end with this last story. The woman in the photo below, I was able to go in her home and pray over her. She has the desire to know who God is. As I looked at her there was a desperation in her eyes and I prayed that God would send someone who can tell her more about God, who can teach her the word of God. In that moment there was this impatience that came over me; what if its too late, what if no one comes to these people, what if she never knows who God is. But the Lord reminded me that He has a perfect plan, that He is working all things, behind the scenes that I can’t see. I so desperately want everyone to know who God is and that should be the cry of our hearts. God has a plan and a purpose for the unreached and may we be a part of His work.
UPDATE ON ISRAEL
I leave to Israel August 28. I cannot thank you enough for your continued partnership in the call God has for my life. I was able to buy the plane ticket. I am 50% away from the goal and I know God will provide the rest. I love you all so much! I am grateful for each one of you. You are in my prayers.
Praise Reports:
- Praise God for allowing me the opportunity to be amongst the unreached
- Praise God for Pastor Antonio who continues to work with the Kuare tribe despite obstacles
- Praise God for the open hearts who were willing to hear us as we spoke to them about God
Prayer Request:
- Pray that God would raise up a couple who can plant a church amongst the Kuare tribe
- Pray that God would provide the funds for Antonio so that he can continue to go to them
- Pray for the Kuare tribe, that they may come into relationship with the True and Living God
