Jerry & Joyce McDaniels opening God's Word through literacy
It’s the annual Kuna leadership conference!
November is the month that we will again see our Kuna friends in Panama. This year’s conference will be held on one of the islands. That means sleeping in hammocks, drinking “madun” (a warm, cooking banana beverage), and enjoying close fellowship with the leadership of the Kuna churches and their wives! (more…)
A recent phone call from Panama gave us an update on the new Kuna believers as they make sacrifices to obey God’s Word. They still face great opposition as they take stands for their faith, but God is encouraging their hearts in His Word and giving them wisdom as they deal with the community. If anything, their faith and witness is growing! (more…)
As the new believers in one Kuna village take stands according to God’s Book, they face persecution and ridicule.
Some new believers in one of the villages that just recently heard the Gospel for the first time have begun their spiritual life with hardship. They decided to take God’s Book at face value and committed themselves to obedience. But this meant they have had to refrain from some of the normal practices in the community that contradict with the Word. (more…)
Over the last ten years, the Kuna church of the village where we lived for many years has been very purposeful in reaching out to neighboring Kuna villages that have previously been closed to any Bible teaching.
Literacy classes opened doors and remember the miracle when last September two villages requested to hear “God’s Book?” Kuna missionaries were sent into these two villages and they have been carefully, chronologically teaching through God’s Word, laying a foundation so the people will understand their need of the Savior. (more…)
God has continued to orchestrate some awesome things among the Kuna villages. A little Kuna church in the jungle has been purposefully building relationships with neighboring villages with the goal of one day sharing the Gospel with them.
Ten years ago the villages were very adamant that they wanted nothing to do with “God’s Book.” But the love and patience of the church was used by God to break down walls and literacy programs became an entrance into the people’s hearts. (more…)
In July, 1989, a ginormous event occurred in a Kuna village in Panama.
Ginormous is a new adjective combining “gigantic” & “enormous.” It certainly describes what God did as we, along with our missionary partners Joe & Sharon Goodman, were able to present “God’s trail through Jesus Christ” for the first time to the Kuna village in which we were living. On that day, you gained Kuna brothers and sisters in the Lord. A church was born! And since that time, this ginormous event has led the believers down a path of both persecution and great joy. (more…)
The Kuna churches are experiencing growth in their desire to dig into God’s Book.
Edelfonso and Eneida have people in and out of their house all day, asking for teaching on different passages of the Bible. Edelfonso is excited about this, but said, “We are busier than ever before in teaching and explaining God’s Book. I’m learning how much more I have to learn to be a faithful leader of God’s people!” (more…)
The Kuna church leaders were able to meet with the chiefs from the villages requesting Bible teachers. After a lot of heated discussion, permission was granted for Kuna missionaries to live in the villages without the tax or drinking ceremony requirements! Land was designated for a “meeting house” and adjoining jungle hut for the Kuna Bible teacher.
The larger of the two villages has 16 chiefs. Only 8 of these were in agreement with Bible teachers coming into their village. But this was enough to sway the decision in favor of the Gospel.
So rejoice with the Kuna churches but don’t forget to keep praying as there those who are still very much opposed to the Bible being taught in their villages!
“Nothing is too big for God, but we sure need His wisdom in this situation,” wrote a Kuna believer. “Only God could have opened these doors for His true trail and only He can keep them open.”
The chiefs of the two villages are still inviting Kuna missionaries, but they are insisting that they would participate in the village drunken ceremonies and also pay a $25 tax each month to live in their villages. (more…)
On August 13, three Kuna church leaders would appreciate your prayers as they will be going to talk with the chiefs of two unevangelized villages who have invited Kuna missionaries into their villages.
The village leaders are requiring that the Kuna missionaries would participate in the drinking ceremonies (see attached news article) and also pay a monthly tax to the village.
Pray that these men will have great wisdom and be wonderful witnesses of our Lord before the village leaders. Pray for open doors for the Gospel among the Kunas.