Wisdom for a new year!

 Asking for God’s wisdom and discernment has been our daily prayer as we begin 2021. Many needs and challenges lie before us! We imagine you may be feeling the same. 😊
 
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5, ESV) Now that’s a wonderful promise as we face our annual planning for the new year!
 
Having just finished teaching through the life of Jesus (going through the book of Matthew), I am teaching a few lessons from a little book called “God’s Servant Satan,” by Gordon Wohlgemut. The demonic world is a topic that is pertinent to the Awa and the context they live in.  Although I’ve been planning to teach these lessons for some time now, recently two situations have arisen that have prompted many perplexing questions among the Awa church family.
 
José, Paulino’s elderly father and one of the believers, was chopping firewood one day with his wife Senovia carrying the wood pieces in a basket back to their kitchen to use for their cooking fire. As she had just filled her basket, she left to carry it to their house. While she was gone, José saw two small black big-headed creatures coming rapidly at him. As he tells the story, these demon-creatures hit him, knocking him to the ground, one grabbing his leg just above the knee in an attempt to drag him into the jungle to eat him. But they were unsuccessful, and minutes later Senovia returned, only to find José lying unconscious on the ground. She and grandson Jeison were able to get José up and into the house. On his leg where José said the demon had grabbed him, he has a big painful burn mark that blistered up and is taking quite a few weeks to heal.

 

José’s testimony has been that God protected him from the demons, because they were not able to drag him away as they wanted. He has been quite anxious to return to church, and seems to appreciate the moments when we can visit and pray with him.

 

Another Awa family, Joseph and Mary, have been experiencing a time of suffering as well. Mary gave birth to their 11^th child in March, and has been sick off and on since then. During the summer, Joseph approached us, asking if we would teach them God’s word, as one of the believers had told them that listening to God’s word can really help in a time of sickness. We were able to teach them on a few occasions, and loaned them an audio New Testament. When we started church services in their community I hiked to their home and was able to invite them to come on Sundays. In September and October several of the family’s teens joined us for church services and seemed to listen intently to the lessons about Jesus. Daughter Jovanna told us that her mom was listening every evening to the audio Bible and that she was doing much better. Then the family seemed to disappear for two months. Recently we heard that Mary is quite sick again and that she has seen the beautiful demon man calling her into the jungle. The family recently held a demon-curing ceremony, inviting many families from the Palmira community for a day and night of drinking and dancing that accompany these ceremonies.
 
As a result of these events, we’ve been asked many questions. This is the life and the reality the Awa live in. And yes, we need much wisdom from God to walk beside this people and faithfully teach them God’s truth. As situations such as these arise, and as questions are asked, we thank God for His faithful guidance and direction in knowing how to respond. (Write and ask if you’d like to know more.) Yes, we greatly appreciate your prayers!
 
In HIS grip,
Kevin & Kathy

Out for morning exercise during our recent trip to Ibarra