The End

Last Friday we got back from our last jungle trip, and it was a good one.  We had the privilege of working with a great team from Brookwood Church in South Carolina.  Three weeks ago we went on a scouting trip to an unknown community called Cerro.  Everything went well so last week we returned to Cerro with the team from Brookwood.  In Cerro we held a VBS, did a soccer camp for kids, and also dug two wells.  The first well was dificult because the soil was so hard.  It took three days to finish the first well and only one day on the second.  It was really cool to be able to do this for this community because they don't have any believers.  We were able to hold a well dedication ceremony where we were able to present the gospel and we are hoping to one day be able to plant a church in this community.  Everything went really smoothly and we really had a lot of fun. Unfortunatley it was our last trip with Julio and Yola and we will deeply miss them when we leave here.  They have been very good to us and we are so thankful for everything they have done for us.  They are amazing people and we know that God is going to continue to bless their ministry. 

Tuesday of this week was also a great day because the rest of our team returned from outreach.  It was great to get to see Annie and the rest of our friends and so far this week has been a blast.  Our graduation is on Friday night and then we will begin the three day trip home on Saturday.  Please pray for safety as we travel.  We love you all and we will see you soon. 

Jungle Adventures

It's hard for us to believe, but we only have a month left in Peru. Tomorrow we are heading back to the jungle and we are both excited and apprehensive at the same time. Tomorrow Julio, Lee, Mindy, and myself will be going on a four day scouting trip to several communities we have never visited. We are fairly certain that none of these communities have ever been exposed to the gospel, which makes this trip exciting. We are not taking any food on this trip so we will be eating whatever the people of the communities offer us. Pray for our safety throughout this time.

Update from Peru

Hey everybody!  A lot has happened here since our last update.  Our outreach has begun and is now in full swing.  We have already experienced some great moments as well as some harder ones.  As I said in our previous blog we spent the first leg of our trip in the jungle.  It started with a little port town called Nauta.  We had a good time there doing mini evangelical events in different neighborhoods and communities.  We also had the opportunity to bless the pastor that received us by helping him with some manual labor.  We built a small bridge over a ditch that leads into the church.  This was important because to enter the church required walking through a large wet and muddy section of ground which was not fun.  We also helped him machete a field which was both fun and difficult.  For those of you who have never mowed a lawn with a machete it is hard to explain.  There are several locals on our team and they had troubling working with us because they spent most of the time laughing at how poor gringos are with a machete.  It was a good experience though. 

After Nauta we spent 8 days on the river in a small community called Nueva York.  This was a great experience in many ways, but it was also extremely difficult at times.  It is hard to explain just how hot and uncomfortable the jungle can be, but nonetheless, it was an experience.  Our primary objective here was to dig a well so that the community would have clean drinking water.  This community, like many others, drinks straight from the river.  They also bathe in the river, wash clothes in the river, and use the river as a bathroom.  For obvious reasons the river is not a suitable source of drinking water.  It took three days to finish this project and in the end we had a fully funcioning well.  The rest of the time in this community was spent in evangelism.  We held several programs at differnt public events, did dramas for the two chruches in the community, and held a soccer tournament that we used to draw in people. One day while we were bathing in the river a bunch of us guys found a fun place to jump into the river.  We turned it into a competition and quickly we had thirty children standing there watching us.  They were shocked that adults were jumping into the river and playing the way that they do.  The first day they just stood there and watched but every other day the joined in with us and it was truly an amazing time.

A couple of days later while fishing one of our teammates caught a stingray.  Another one of our teammates saw an alligator come out of the water the day after that.  After returning to Iquitos Mindy and I were given an opportunity to finish the rest of our outreach with the river ministry team.  This team is lead by Julio and Yola Sinarhua, an amazing couple from Colombia.  After praying over this opportunity we decided to take this offer and we are now officialy part of the river ministry.  So far we have been on one river trip with this team and it went really well.  We took a group of nursing students from Casper Community College in Wyoming to six different villages on the river where we held medical clinics.  I got to translate for the team which really challenged my Spanish.  I was nervous to translate for a medical team but once I got the hang of it, it was very enjoyable.  This was not a Christian group that went with us but at the end of the trip three of the nursing students ended up accepting Christ.  It was really cool to be a part of this and we are really thankful for the situation God has put us in.  We are currently in Leticia, Columbia.  We have been here with Julio and Yola.  We are heading back to Iquitos tomorrow night in a three day boat ride on the Amazon River.  Please keep us in your prayers as we finish out the last 48 days of our school!

The Outreach Phase

Only 7 days and we will be in the Amazon jungle for the start of our outreach phase.  We are feeling excited and yet a little apprehensive at this point.  We are excited for our outreach phase to begin, but we are going to be spending two weeks in the jungle to start.  We think the jungle is an amazing adventure, but it is also hard because it is the polar opposite of everything we are used to in Montana.  The heat in the jungle coupled with the billions of mosquitoes make it tough at times, but we think it is going to be an amazing expreience none the less.  Today we found out who is going to be on our outreach team, (since there are 30 of us we had to break into 3 teams of 10), and we are excited because we have a good team.  Please be praying for us throughout these next several of weeks, both for our spiritual and physical well-being.  We suspect that another person on our team may be in the begining stages of dengue and many others have been fighting sickness as well.  We really want to be at full strength when we go into the outreach and we could really use all of your prayers.  Also pray for me because I am going to be the primary translator for our team.  I am nervous about this but I know god is going to use it to grow me in many ways.  Luckily, there are two other individuals that are going to be doing some translating as well. 

Here is a schedule of where we are going to be heading over the next 2 1/2 months:

Two weeks in the Amazon Jungle (Peru)
One week in Iquitos (Peru)
One week in Chiclayo (Peru)
One week in Arequipa (Peru)
One week in Cochabamba (Bolivia)
One week in Santa Cruz (Bolivia)
One week in La Paz (Bolivia)
One week in Cuzco (Peru)
One week in Lima (Peru)
Back to Iquitos for graduation

We are excited about our schedule and for what God is going to do in and through us during this time.  Pray that we would be growing in our faith daily and that we would be able to share the love of Christ with everyone we come into contact with.  We love you all.

2nd Mini Outreach

Hey everybody!  We just finished our second mini outreach in Iquitos this last weekend and everything went really well.  We are really tired right now but we are doing pretty well.  So this last weekend our team of thirty broke up into two teams of 15 with three leaders each.  It started Friday at around noon and ended Sunday night at about 11:30.  It was a bit of a grueling schedule but I really think it was a good experience.  Throughout the weekend we held various dramatic arts programs in parks, streets, a church that was hosting us, and even a women´s prison.  For each of these programs we did coreographies to draw in crowds and then we were able to share the gospel through different dramas and gospel presentations at the end.  I especially enjoyed our time in the women´s prison because we got a chance to play volleybal with the inmates which was really amazing.   I got the chance to preach a short sermon to a group of sawmill workers and overall it was warmly received.  Afterwards I was able to talk to a middle aged man named Dernel and encourage him to to start going to church.  He was familiar with the church we were working with so he came Sunday night to one of the services.  I was also able to procure a bible for him and when  I  gave it to him, it was amazing to see just how much it meant to him.  If you could keep him in your prayers I would appreciate it.  Pray that Christ is able to get a hold of his life so that he can lead his family and also be a leader in his work and community.  Mindy also got a chance to preach a small message this weekend and she did quite well.  She thought she was going to preach to a group of teenagers and adults but it ended up being a group of 40 children and almost no adults.  She was a bit stressed as she had to make some adjustments at the last minute but she did a great job.   God was really amazing throughout this time and He really got us through when we were tired and worn out.  Thanks to all of you who were praying for us for this time. 

Mindy has not been feeling well these last couple of days with a head cold and joint pain so please pray for her. Also pray that the Lord would continue to sustain us as we are feeling tired and many in are group are sick including one leader with dengue. Pray also for next week as our base is hosting the national conference for YWAM Peru next week.  We love you all and we miss you greatly.

Fun in the sun

We are now at the half way point in the lecture phase of our DTS, and we can´t wait for our outreach.  We have been learning a lot any while not everything has been easy, we are doing pretty well.  Last weekend we went to the a small river village for a mini outreach, and it went really well.  We got there mid afternoon on Friday and stayed to Sunday afternoon.  We held several services in cooperation with the local church, and everything went really well.  For both services we put on dramas to help share the message of the redemptive power of Christ Jesus.  I acted in the second drama which is called Champion.  It is a drama about the spiritual battle between heaven and hell.  It is a powerful drama with a powerful message and we believe it was well received.  On Saturday we also held a childrens event that included singing, dancing, playing games, and clowns.  Unfortunately, both Mindy and I were among the lucky ones selected to be clowns.  We did it with good attitudes but it was difficult.  I personally cannot stand clowns but it was a good experience because it pulled us out of our comfoft zone.  The kids really seemed to enjoy it and we had a lot of fun as well.  Later that night we got to play a friendly game of soccer against the young men in the village and to our astonishment, the gringos actually won.  We had a lot of fun but it is difficult being in the Amazon jungle.  It is extremely hot and the mosquitoes are horrendous.  Luckily, we were smart enough to bring a tent instead of jungle hammocks like some of our school mates.  They did not fare so well at night.  Many people had their hammocks break during the night and other just simply could not sleep because it is so uncomfortable.  All in all it was a good weekend but we were sure excited to get back to the base on Sunday and take a shower. 

We are still in the process of deciding exactly where each team will be going for the outreach phase.   We face many logistical difficulties given the fact that we are a large group so most likely, we will be splitting into three smaller outreach teams.  We know it has to happen but we are sad that we most likely will not be on the same team as our other married friends.  Over this time we have grown close with the other two couples.  They are both great and we really enjoy spending time with them. 

Our group could use prayer in several areas:
-Pray that we would maintain unity as it can be difficult at times to live in community.
-Pray that God would reveal to our team where exactly He wants us to go for outreach. 
-Pray for our friend Ally who recently contracted Denge fever.  She is having a rough time and could use prayer. 
-Pray for the general health of the team as many people are feeling tired and sick.
-Pray that we would be effective in sharing the gospel and blessing the city of Iquitos in our upcoming mini outreach.

We love you all and miss you very much. 

Charlie and Mindy Jackson

DTS in Iquitos

Hey everybody!

We are finally in Peru!  We have been here for about two weeks and we already have many stories to tell.  We will start with Machu Picchu.  It has been a dream of mine to one day see Machu Picchu and about a week ago we made it happen.  Some of you already know, but it was not easy to get there.  We flew into Lima on the 21st with plans to immediately hop on a bus that would take us to Cuzco.  It did not work as smoothly as we would have liked so we ended up spending a night in Lima and leaving for Cuzco on the 22nd.  Luckily we decided to fly back or we might not have made it to our DTS on time.  Our bus ride was supposed to be an overnight trip that would take roughly 22 hours, but it turned into a grueling 28 hour affair.  On the road were numerous mudslides and river floodings that slowed us down.  At one point our bus got stuck during a river crossing for which we all had to exit the bus to try and get in unstuck.  We ended up spending an hour and a half trying to get the bus out of the mud.  Despite the many trucks lining both sides of the road, no one would help pull us out. (we realized we are not in Montana any more) Finally it came down to myself and about 20 other men pulling the bus out of the water and mud with a tow rope.  It was quite an adventure but we are glad it is over.  We finally got to Cuzco from which we left the next morning for Aguas Calientes.  Little did we know we were coming at the perfect time.  We woke up at 3:45 a.m. on the 25th so that we could hike up to Machu Picchu before all the buses of tourists arrive.  The first 400 tourists are given the opportunity to hike Waynapicchu, the lonely mountain that overlooks the city of Machu Picchu.  We did the hike but at the top you could only see clouds.  It was still well worth because we had an amazing time, Machu Picchu was everything we ever dreamed.  We returned to Cuzco that night and we found out from the radio that they were closing Machu Picchu for at least a week due to flooding the day after we went there.  What a gift from God that we were able to do it before they closed it down.

We are in Iquitos now and we are having an amazing time.  There are 29 students from 6 different countries and so far it has been amazing hearing everyones stories.  There are two other married couple that Mindy and I have been spending a lot of time with, one from Holand and the other is from Canada and Fiji. This was an answer to prayer for me because both couples are amazing people and they are close to us in age.  Last week we went through orientation which was difficult at time because of the heat. (Iquitos is in the jungle and it is extremely hot and humid) We got to know everyone on our team in a much more personal way last weekend.  On Thursday morning  they broke us up into three different groups, Mindy and I were not in the same group, and then they gave us each a plastic sack that was a little smaller than a Walmart sack.  They told us that we could bring anything we could fit in the sack, along with our sleeping bag, and nothing else.  This was a big shock to must of us but we did what we could with the 5 minutes of packing time they gave us.  They then put us on a bus and shipped us into the Amazon jungle.  When we arrived they gave us our provisions for the next three days:  a pile of wood planks, 3 2x4s, 6 shorts posts, a machete, a shovel, one hammer and nails, 4 bug nets, two cooking pans, plates, cups, and a variety of dry good including rice, noodles, two cans of milk, onions, and plantanes. They then lead us to three seperate locations and told us that we had to survive for the next two and a half days.  Our groups each built a shelter, bathroom, and then cooked meals using river water for the remainder of the weekend.  It was an extremely difficult weekend because of the intense heat, downpours of rain, and the billion upon billions of mosquitoes.  We all survived and had to work together, but I can honestly say I have never been dirtier in all of my life.  It was quite the adventure. 

This week we are starting the first week of actual classes.  To give you an idea of our daily schedule, everyday we have several lectures on different topics ranging from the voice of God to Intercession for the Nations.  We have a different guest speak each week and this week our speaker is from Argentina.  We also have work duties, dramatic arts practice, prayer and personal devotion time, and study time each day.  Sprinkled throughout the week we have Spanish lessons, small group times, group devotions, and various social events.  It has been amazing to see all that God is doing in each of our lives each and every day. 

There are several areas in which we could use prayer.  Mindy and I are really praying right now that God would reveal to us what He has in store for us after the DTS.  At this point we are not sure if He is calling us into full-time ministry or if we are supposed to return to the States to finish Mindys school.  We also ask that you would pray for our school as we are praying about what cities we will be doing our outreaches in.  Right now it is looking like we will be doing it somewhere in the Amazon, a large city in Peru, and a large city in Bolivia.  We also ask that you would pray for our health and the safety of our group.  Pray that God would prepare the hearts of the people in Peru and that we would be bold in sharing in the good news.