reaching the unreached
DID YOU KNOW???
- There are an estimated over 100 groups totaling over 100 million people that are recorded as ‘unreached’ in
- 50 of those groups are on our
- I got to go with local missionaries to one of these tribes last week!
I just got home yesterday. So I still feel exhausted and my body is still sore and bruised. It was the experience of a lifetime! Although there are many unreached tribes to chose from we chose the “Suku Pindah†(Moving Tribe). They are mostly animists who have never heard of the gospel. They are rejected by most of society because they live very primatively out in the jungle. Barely clothed, if not completely naked, and living under little shelters, not homes. They rarely bathe. They move from place to place, never settling, because they live off of the wildlife and fruits of the jungle. Because of the nakedness of the tribe, and others misusing this, there is no cameras allowed in. So I’m sorry.. there’s not many pictures to help describe this to you.
To visit this tribe is extra special (difficult) because of the way they live. When arriving in the area we met a missionary who has dedicated his life to reaching this tribe! It was absolutely amazing! He had already reached many small groups within this tribe in the past 5 years! There is only 4 people working towards reaching this whole tribe! Everyday they sacrifice their lives, trekking into the jungle. Listening to their stories was absolutely incredible! One of the chiefs of the tribe in the very primitive area had tried to chop off on these men’s head because he wouldn’t stop preaching the gospel! The Chief tried to kill him 3times! But each time the axe stopped inches away from his neck! But it did not cause the man to stop reaching this tribe.. he continues to go into the jungle and minister to the people each week!! We were among history makers!! The great martyars of this generation!
These missionaries took us to many different places were we could find the tribe. Each time we would usually get on the motorcycle for a few hours! And on trails that were so ruined it was hard just to stay on the bike.. to make it even more interesting it was raining a lot so the clay trails turned into pure slipperyness! We became pretty good at bailing off the back of a falling bike without getting hurt! Haha.. one time my bike almost wiped out.. not because of the mud or the horrible road conditions.. but because a large poisonous snake hurled itself at us to bite us!
One day we had been on the motorcycle on these jungle trails for about 6 hours. Taking every thought and strength to keep our bodies on the bike. But when we got to the final stage the trail was the absolute epitimy of slippery. So we had to walk. It was already dark. In the midst of the jungle this turns into pitch black. And then a huge thunderstorm and rain started! It was such an adventure as we slid/fell/walked down this treacherous, slippery mountain in the dark of the jungle night! Only the gospel is a good enough motivation to do this!! Haha..
And of course I did many embarrassing things during this trip. I’ll just share one. The last day there we were riding motorcycles into an area. But it had rained too much so we started hiking on foot to go through the water. We started out on a bunch of planks that was supposed to be a bridge. I was leading the way. And when I got to the last planks I started walking down them.. but they weren’t attached to anything and flipped over! I did something like the splitz and landed on them and in the water! I didn’t even realize what had happened to me.. I just knew I felt wet and was confused.. but…the boys laughing their heads off behind me brought me back to reality pretty quick! haha.
But all the hiking, riding, falling down, sleeping in the jungle, all of it was worth it. I learned so much about reaching the unreached! It was an unforgettable week. Just to be able to sit and talk with these beautiful people who now believed in Jesus.. just to hear all the stories.. ..just to be able to pray with them and show them love. .. just to take a walk along the path of those changing history.. incredible!! One moment that was so touching to me was when we were visiting one of the groups of this tribe. A little boy was sick.. so I was praying for him. I was kneeling beside him and had my arm around his mother. She was barely clothed and obviously hadn’t bathed in a very long time. After I finished praying she turned to me.. she spoke out of lips oozing with something black and barely any teeth… “thank you for coming to bless my sonâ€, She said and hugged me. It was true genuine gratitude. And it made my heart melt with compassion for them.
Please continue to pray for the ‘Suku Pindah’ and for Pak Ronald, Pak Tarigan and their wives that continue to live there to reach them. I truly desire to reach more of these groups.. bring the gospel to those who have never heard it.. how beautiful! But it is not easy.. so please continue to pray for us to have wisdom and boldness to know how to enter these areas!
There’s so much more that happened this month.. but I don’t want to write too much more..
Oh.. and before I forget… merry Christmas!!!!
I hope you have an absolutely fantastic time celebrating our Jesus!!
And …a happy new year too!!
I am soooooooo excited for all that 2008 holds for us!
I just finished a meeting tonight with my local team and band.. praying together for our plans and visions for the next year.. it’s going to be awesome!!
Thank you for making 2007 such an amazing year!!
It has been 12 full months in
Remember what the angels said… “Bring you good tidings of great joyâ€.. Jesus came to save us!! How amazing! And now we can spread that good news.. that great joy to others!!
Celebrating Jesus with You,
Susan Joy
There are a few pictures: (enjoy!)
With the local team!
In one of the communities are more civilized (where we were allowed to take pictures) and actually live in little ‘houses’. This is us in front of one of these houses with this family who lived there.
Catching the kids in the village laughing..
Having more fun with the kids there..
The kids when they realized they could see themselves in the screen on the camera…
Another example of the houses in the ‘civilized area’.
Steve shows how it’s not fun to have to walk after your motorcycle in the mud…
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