Back to main magazine page now!!

Chajuraña, Venezuela
not just a slogan; it is a command to preach
the Gospel to eight billion individuals. Paul
knew he could not do it himself, although he
really, really tried! He told Timothy to pick
some faithful men, pour his life into them,
and send them out. What a joy it is when
God does the picking and keeping and we
see them bear fruit for the church!
In 2005 after 10 years in the jungle village
of Chajuraña, we were forced to leave the
church there, the people who had become
family, and the home we loved. Politics—
governments—what did the future hold for
these men, their wives, and families? Pastor
14 BIMI
Number 1, 2024
Victor said during the final service before
we left on the flight out of the village “The
government can take the missionaries out
of our village, but they cannot take the Holy
Spirit out of our hearts.”
This is the verse of Scripture he was teaching
in Ye’kwana. Tameedä tödööjai wa ñäädä
jäädu´tänei Quidiito ni´wa´tädö que
(Jidiipense 4:13).

I know most people cannot read that
language but maybe can guess the passage—
Philippians 4:13. I wanted to share it with you
for a very specific reason. Many things have
changed in our world since 2005
when we were ordered, along
with most all of the missionaries
in the jungle of Venezuela, to
leave our ministries and villages.

Communication was only
through short wave radio and if
one had the set-up and technical
support from Mission Aviation
Fellowship, he could have packet
radio for email (no pictures of
kittens, just short letters). It was
VERY slow. Now, more than
15 years later, some villages in
the jungle have cell towers (not
many) but those who live in the
ßVictor teaching during our
seminar in Puerto Carreño,
Colombia