Jerry & Joyce McDaniels opening God's Word through literacy
Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
There is great value in taking time to be sharpened, equipped, and refocused for the tasks God has called us to do. This guards us from becoming dull and ineffective. The annual Kuna leadership conference in Panama, held early in November is a “sharpening” time for the church leaders and their wives. (more…)
Anelio & Silverixia
We have such a great respect for so many of our Kuna brothers and sisters in Panama! Anelio & Silverixia are a young couple that were sent out as missionaries by their church to a village upriver. You may remember that in 2009, while returning to the village where they minister, they lost their 3 year old son in the flooded river. God has used their faithfulness in spite of many hardships to win many to Christ.
A church has been established in the village. Every Saturday Anelio has also been traveling upriver with some of the new believers to the next Kuna village to teach “God’s Book.” (more…)
the understatement of the day - dangerous curves ahead
Thank you so much for standing with us in prayer while we were in Bolivia! We had a wonderful time getting to know the missionary candidates who are preparing for service. They learned about literacy’s importance in church planting and discipleship and practiced writing primers and teaching them.
look Mom - no railing
After class was done we traveled to the other side of Bolivia to the Simba work to encourage the team with their literacy ministry. (For pictures of our harrowing trip along winding mountain roads, click on the Photos tab and then on: our last trip). (more…)
Simba-Guarani lady, Bolivia
We are very excited for the opportunity to train 22 Bolivian missionary candidates, begin equipping a new literacy consultant, and make some trips into tribal areas to evaluate and move literacy forward.
Most of us haven’t heard much about the country, but Bolivia is quite the fascinating place! The landlocked country could be summarized by the word “diversity.” Besides Spanish, Aymara and Quechua languages, there are 34 other officially recognized indigenous languages spoken! That’s quite a challenge for missionaries seeking to clearly communicate the most important Message of all time! (more…)
What does writing have to do with the Church?
Did you know that there are over 6,000 spoken languages in the world today, and only about half exist in written form? That means there are over 450 million people who still do not have a way to write their own language. This impacts the work of the Church because without writing, these groups do not have access to Bible translation in their own language! (more…)
for another adventure!This time we are returning to the lovely country of Colombia with its dramatic rainforests, mountains, and colorful cultures. We will need to pack warm clothes because temperatures in Bogotá will be cooler than most of the places we travel (44 – 65 F). But the delicious hot chocolate and Colombian coffee will warm us up! (more…)
enjoying new friends, Arimtap
We had such an awesome time in Indonesia! We were able to work with 18 different language groups, encouraging tribal church leaders and missionary teams of the importance of literacy skills so that people can read the Bibles in their own languages. A great Bible translation will not have the life-changing effect that God desires, if no one can read It!
We traveled through quite a bit of the country with 28 airplane or helicopter rides. Thank you so much for your prayers! Each tribal group we were with had their own unique situations, and we sure were leaning hard on the Lord for His wisdom to give practical help. God gave us great health and safety as we traveled (even as we ate all sorts of new and “interesting” things). (more…)
So where in the world are we off to next? Well, it’s a country of 17,508 islands with a hot, tropical climate all year round. It is the world’s fourth most populous country, with over 850 different languages and dialects spoken among the various people groups. The country has at least 150 active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. As a matter of fact, every day this country experiences three vibrations and at least one small earthquake, with one volcanic eruption each year.
It is a location known for amazing diversity in wildlife, plants and scenery. There you will find the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo Dragon; the world’s largest snake, the Reticulated Python; the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia; and the world’s largest bee, the Chalocodoma Pluto.
So…did you guess Indonesia? (more…)
Anelio, Silverixia & family
About two years ago a young Kuna couple were sent out by their church to work as missionaries in an unreached village upriver. This was a complete miracle as God opened doors that were previously completely closed to the Gospel.
In these first years of ministry in the village, Anelio & Silverixia have faced opposition and hardship. At first people didn’t want to hear God’s Book. They ridiculed, humiliated, and opposed Anelio & Silverixia in every way. But eventually the children of the village began showing interest in hearing God’s Book and began listening to the chronological Bible lessons. Little by little adults asked for Bible teaching until there were about 80 adults hearing God’s Word and over a hundred children.
Now there is a small group of new believers in the village who are taking stands in obedience to Christ, refusing to participate in the village drinking ceremonies. This puts them under intense pressure from the village and their families. They have to pay monetary fines. They are accused, questioned and threatened. Most of us cannot even imagine the pressure they live with each day. And yet this little group of believers stands tall for Christ, “counting it ALL joy!”
Would you pray for Anelio and Silverixia as they lead this little, hurting flock? Pray that they will have God’s wisdom, peace and strength. We will be meeting together in November for the annual Kuna leadership conference. Pray that they and other Kunas ministering in difficult locations will be encouraged and prepared for their ministries.
When people think of key activities involved in tribal church planting the list often covers things like Bible translation, evangelism, Bible curriculum, discipleship, and leadership development. We would like literacy to be added to the list because…
1. Of all the possible methods to record the most life-changing Message of all time, God chose the written form to preserve His Word. We believe everyone should have access to His Written Word in their language!
2. When people can read God’s Word for themselves, they are not dependant on others to hear it. Just think of how many times God has reached down and encouraged you by the exact verse you needed while reading the Word!
3. The truth of the Word is protected. No matter what teaching comes into the area, people can go back to the Written Word and check it out.
4. Important truths of the Bible are not forgotten or overlooked. People can remember a lot, but it’s unrealistic to expect that everything will be remembered and passed on to others.
5. Personal spiritual growth is accelerated. People can study the Bible all through the week and don’t need to wait for the next scheduled public meeting.
6. Literacy invests in the potential of the Church! Reading and writing skills equip everyone to serve in broader ways. They can work on the Bible translation team, develop Bible studies, share words to songs or prayer requests.
7. In many locations where there has been little or no interest in Bible teaching, literacy teachers found open doors to provide classes. God has used the relationships built during this to open doors to the Gospel!
8. Printed materials can go places and reach people in ways that individuals may never be able to. Books have been called the “tireless teachers” and are an amazing tool God has given for the growth and expansion of His Church!
So why are Joyce & I so excited about literacy? Because we believe in the power of God’s written Word to change lives! We are thrilled to be serving in the area of literacy, that God’s Word might be opened to every tongue, tribe and nation!