Last week, I returned from the Amazon. Together with friends from Germany, we visited indigenous tribes and river dwellers on the Purus River. The work in Crispim, the largest indigenous settlement, is progressing particularly well. Over the past few years, we have trained several leaders there who now lead the ministry, visit other small settlements, and spread the Gospel. They regularly send us photos and reports of their work.
The work among the river dwellers continues. Brother Pita, who lives upstream, started with a small group in his home, which now includes indigenous people from another tribe. The people are very open to the Gospel. Unfortunately, very often they cannot read, but with the ability to listen to the Bible via an app, this barrier is overcome. Thus, they gather to listen to the Bible together.
We visited the Apurina tribe on Puma Island. There we met a very remote group in the Nova Bandeira settlement upstream. The former chief of the tribe asked us to find someone who would agree to move there for a month and teach them the Bible daily. They are already converted but do not know the Scriptures. So, we notice that there is still a shortage of workers.
After the service, another woman approached me and asked to talk. She is often attacked by occult forces. Demons come to her and physically torment her. Before her conversion, she worshipped Satan and actively served among the indigenous people with her occult gifts. Now she is converted but still suffers from the consequences of her previous sinful life.
Please continue to pray for our ministry among the lost people of the Amazon!
In the last week of January 2024, I was in Bolivia at a summer camp for teenagers and youth of our Mennonite community. All services were conducted in the German dialect “Plattdeutsch,” and the theme was “In the Embrace of the Father.” I managed to deliver 6 sermons and two prayers in Plattdeutsch, which was no easy task. The most challenging part is reading the Bible in this language and praying. Many young people brought their lives into order before God. Although many of them did not have a good father at home, they were able to see God as the perfect Father based on the Scriptures.
As I wrote earlier, for April 2024, we are planning a trip along the Amazon! There will be a team from Germany, but English speakers can also join! Departure from Germany is on the 2nd of April, and departure from Brazil is on the 12th of April. I will be accompanying the group. We plan to visit the Paumari Indian tribe and other small settlements along the banks of the Purus River. If you want to be part of the team, please contact me, preferably via WhatsApp. We wish you God’s blessings this year and would like to thank all the donors who make our work here possible.
Please pray for successful ministry in the villages along the banks of the Purus River!
Have you ever dreamed of visiting the Amazon jungle? Travel along the world’s windiest river, sleep in a boat in the jungle surrounded by wild animals? Get to know representatives of different cultures and indigenous people of the Purus, Rio Negro, and Juruá rivers, spreading the Gospel? You will see the work of God among people living in the forest, far from civilization. You will have an unusual adventure during a boat trip, sleeping in a hammock, a multi-hour trip, listening only to the boat engine and occasional wild animals. You will also go fishing in a place where exotic fish live. So, are you ready to embark on an unforgettable adventure, traveling on a Mennonite church missionary ship in Brazil, learning a bit about the work done by missionaries, immersing yourself in the Amazonian culture, and experiencing a time of renewal of your relationship with God?
Our requirements: If you are a Christian, have medical insurance, are at least 18 years old, and are willing to testify and help with any challenges that arise. You are not spoiled and can sleep in a hammock, where there are many mosquitoes, unusual food, bathing in river water, heat, limited electricity and internet, then this trip is for you!
Your expenses:
A ticket from the US to Brazil! Plus $725 per person, including a boat, food, bus rides, and fishing gear!
We offer: A boat with a crew and a team that accompanies and translates, unforgettable adventures, jungle hikes, fishing, visiting remote villages, and conducting day camps with children!
Please contact us at info (at) newfields.org if interested.
On October 19, I went to the Amazon along with three other brothers from our ministry. For 16 days, we visited village communities along various rivers, missionary homes, jointly planned, and experienced much. The first settlement was an indigenous village. On the way to the village, we were overtaken by a police boat, and when we arrived, it was already leaving. The day before, a young man had taken his own life by suicide after an argument with his girlfriend. We entered into the grieving community and were able to share the Gospel. Another couple took the opportunity to reconcile and found peace in Christ.
In another village, we preached the Gospel for two days. When, in the afternoon, we prepared the ship for departure, an elderly woman arrived with her granddaughter. The girl’s mother had left the family for a drug dealer, and now the grandmother, who is over 70, has to look after three grandchildren (there are no stores, they must catch fish every day, and everything else must be bought in the city, a day’s journey by boat). The girl wanted to accept Jesus. We were able to pray together, and then went to the riverbank to baptize her. As we stood in the water, a man approached. The day before, he had declined the offer to accept Christ, saying he was not ready. Now he came and said he was ready to follow Christ, with all the consequences for him. So, we decided to baptize both of them by faith in Jesus Christ. Praise God for His work in this tribe! Ministry in Brazil
The day after lunch we continued our journey straight to the border of Uruguay. I have a bus driver’s license, so I was allowed to take turns driving our bus with students all night along with another missionary. We arrived safely and were able to hold a missionary conference over the weekend.
Giuseppe also attended the conference. I talked about his story in lectures in Germany. He is an Indian from the Paumari tribe. Together with some of our colleagues, he was in the south to help eliminate the damage caused by the hurricane and flooding. He stayed with a family who, he was told, had been praying for some time for God to encourage them. They asked him many questions and were very interested in his story. When he told them everything that happened in his tribe, they suddenly said that it was not strange to them. They knew a missionary who worked in the Amazon among the Indians. Her name is Maike. They arranged a meeting, and something wonderful happened.
Giuseppe and Maike were able to get to know each other personally. This was the same Maike who then gave them medicine, who preached the Gospel to them, and translated the Bible for them. It was a touching meeting. She even chose the name Giuseppe for him when he was a baby. He is the only Indian with that name. They immediately made contact with the tribe and were able to organize a wonderful fellowship.
As you can see, this story is not yet over. Only when I returned from the trip did God add another chapter to this story. How wonderful it is to belong to our God. Thank you for your faithful help!
After completing our pastoral ministry at the Vitmarsum church, we accepted an invitation from a missionary organization to join their team on a permanent basis. We will continue to live in Vitmarsum, but our work will be in Curitiba, which is about 60 kilometers away from us. My responsibilities include teaching (discipleship school and training pastors and missionaries) and assisting in establishing churches. Approximately 40 students are enrolled in the Missionary School! We teach a 3-month intensive leadership seminar, a 6-month seminar for pastors, and a 1-year discipleship school. Students come from all over Brazil. There are social workers from the Amazon working with indigenous people, as well as people from the South living in German colonies.
My wife Luciana continues to work with expectant mothers throughout Palmeira. Since the work has grown significantly, it is necessary to better coordinate support. Currently, she and three medical clinic staff members accompany women. Mothers who have already given birth have come and requested further support. This prompted Luciana to connect with women’s groups from different churches and direct these young mothers there. This way, this work brings the entire family into contact with churches and allows for much more intensive evangelism and ministry.
Our children are now teenagers and have grown up well. They are still attending school. We are all healthy, and everything is going well for us. Thank you for your prayers and financial support, as well as for all the messages through WhatsApp. We are very grateful to you for thinking of us.
