Bible Training – Missionary Ventures International

Because He Loved His Bible…

mvi — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:04:42 +0000

Because He Loved His Bible...

When Victor Neagu was around 7 years old growing up in the eastern European country of Moldova, he was gifted a Bible, a special full-color children’s Bible that he cherished. “I loved that Bible, and I read the same stories all the time,” he remembers.

Victor’s faith remained strong as he married and had two children, one with Downs Syndrome. The need for medical care took him to the United Kingdom, but it was also there that God multiplied his ministry in Moldova. He traveled with Missionary Ventures on teams back to Moldova and visited schools. They passed out clothing and other supplies where it was most needed, and God especially stirred Victor’s heart for the children. He began to pray for them regularly, and he remembered how much he loved his special Bible. “I felt like God was asking me, ‘would you do the same thing for other children?'” says Victor.

From there, Love4Moldova was born, as Victor was empowered through Missionary Ventures to return regularly and visit schools, handing out full-color Bibles to children ages 7-11. This year’s team will visit 27 schools. “It changed my life,” says Victor, “this simple children’s Bible, and if it changed my life, it could change many, many other children’s lives.”

This is just one example of what Missionary Ventures is doing around the world to impact nations for Christ. You can help us continue the work of empowering God’s people by supporting our Core Mission.

Monday in the Jungle

mvi — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 18:56:04 +0000

Monday in the Jungle

By Joshua Hire

It’s Monday morning in Peru. As I lay awake on the floor under my mosquito net, I think about what life would be like on Monday morning in the United States. People would be waking up, showering, drinking coffee, and getting ready for the new work week. My Monday morning is very different.

I crawl out from under my mosquito net and look around. It is still dark with just a hint of pink in the east. I do not know what time it is, as I never look at my watch. I am on the porch of a simple house, an elevated wood floor and no walls, where I slept with 10 other people. They are all awake, rolling up their mosquito nets and packing up their blankets. They are from different villages and walked here for a three-day discipleship training. It finished last night with a church service that ended around midnight.

I am in the village of Nuevo Lamas. It used to be called San Francisco but last year they were registered as an official indigenous community and changed their name.

I walk down to the river. It is a Shawi custom that when you wake up in the morning you go to the river and wash your hands and face and brush your teeth. I stand in the calf-deep crystal-clear water and take in my surroundings. The river winds off, lined by massive trees. In the distance, the mountains glow pink in the sunrise. Yes, this is definitely not a typical Monday morning.

After a light breakfast of chicken soup, boiled plantains, and a bowl of chicha (boiled corn drink), we are ready to head out. We have an 8-mile hike.

We arrived on Thursday by canoe. We were bringing food and supplies for the training and it was not possible to carry them in, so we had to use a canoe. But the river was very low, and we ended up pushing the canoe most of the way. At one point, one of the Shawi pastors I was traveling with looked at me and said, “Is the canoe bring us or are we bringing the canoe?” We had a good laugh. It didn’t rain while we were in the village and the river had dropped more. Now we are walking out.

As we settle into the hike and the sweat begins to pour, I begin to reflect on the past three days.

The three-day training was for new believers. Over 40 people attended. I, along with three Shawi pastors, taught the course. The truth is they taught most of it and I told Bible stories. We started at 8am and went till 5pm with a break for lunch. In the evening, we had church service from 7pm until 11 or 12pm.

The highlight of the weekend was the session we did on Biblical marriage. It was very culturally appropriate and included ideas like treating your wife with love and respecting your husband. They had never heard such teachings. Traditionally the husband orders his wife around and the wife yells at her husband and kids. Unfortunately, violence in marriage is commonplace. The idea of a peaceful, loving marriage was something they were all very excited about. When the topic turned to sex, it became very interesting. They all began to laugh with embarrassment as it is a topic they had never talked about. Sex education does not exist in the jungle. With lots of laughter, the pastor explained that there are biological and emotional differences between men and women. The conversation became more graphic than I will share here but one young, newly married man came up to me and whispered, “This is so good, I never knew any of this.”

Suddenly on the trail in front of me the pastor steps on a log and from underneath jumps out a four-foot snake. I am startled and jump back. The pastor looks at it and tells me not to worry, as it is not dangerous. We pass it and continue on. I have learned that when the Shawi say don’t worry then I shouldn’t worry, but if they are worried then there is a good reason. Like on Saturday night, after classes in the afternoon, we walked to a nearby village to visit with some new believers. We sat in their house and talked together as everyone was drinking chicha. It was a good visit as we talked about life and encouraged them in their new faith. But we got a little long winded and found ourselves walking back to our village after dark. It is Shawi custom that at sunset you walk to the river and take a bath. Since we had arrived late, we found ourselves bathing in the dark. It was the most beautiful bath ever. Standing in the dark, cool water, looking at the sliver of a new moon, watching the lightening flash in the distant mountains, it was breathtaking. But then on the walk back from the river, the pastor in front of me suddenly stopped in the trail and pointed his flashlight at a small red and black snake in the trail. “Be careful hermano,” he said, “It is poisonous.” He looked around for a stick to try and kill it. By the time he found one, it had already slithered off into the jungle.

Back on the trail, we arrive at the village of Santa Rosa. As we walk through the village, I look at the new church building and think of how God is moving throughout this whole area. Four years ago there were no believers in this entire area. A pastor had been visiting Nuevo Lamas (San Francisco) and was so excited to share with me when two families had come to faith in Christ in that village. A small church was planted and we began discipling the new believers. They began to share their new faith with neighbors and friends and family. The good news spread slowly at first but then, this past year, it picked up steam. Today there are five new church plants within an hour walk of Nuevo Lamas.

Passing through Santa Rosa we come to my favorite part of the hike. A long stretch of trail that is on a cliff overlooking the river. Here the trail is wide and dry and lined on each side with massive virgin growth trees. The towering trees shade the trail, making the hike very enjoyable.

I reflect again on the past few days and I remember the church service Friday night. We invited those who needed prayer to come forward and an 11-year-old girl came forward holding a baby. Through an interpreter she asked for prayer for the baby, stating he was abandoned and sick. After the service ended, I asked more questions about the baby. The mother of the baby was a single mother of three. She “found a man” and they decided to live in another village, leaving the children behind. Unfortunately, this story is common in the culture. It is a big sacrifice to care for a child and a man that marries a single mom will often tell her to leave the children behind. The children often end up with a grandmother but others are left to die. The next morning I took a closer look at the baby in the daylight. He was around one-year old and had some kind of skin problem as there were sores all over his body. He was malnourished and his arms and legs were skin and bones. He was lethargic in his movements and I was worried. The 11-year old girl was feeding him handfuls of rice. I asked who was taking care of the children and they said that the other kids were with the grandmother but she was too old to take care of a baby so the 11-year old, his aunt, was taking care of him. They also said the grandmother was trying to give the baby away to anyone who would take him, so they encouraged me to just take him. I informed them that I could not just take a random baby and walk out with him. But I promised to look for a solution. As I walk along the trail I pray for the baby and I pray for a solution. As I pray I examine my heart and find that I have become desensitized to situations like this. The truth is, I have seen other children like this. We have been able to help some, others we have not. I pray for God’s help to not be desensitized to the pain and suffering all around me. Renew my passion for the hurt. Give me your heart.

We come to my least favorite part of the trail, fording the Porotuyacu River. Everyone waits for me take off my shoes and socks as everyone else is barefoot and then we wade out into the dark and murky water. The water is ladened with sticks and sunken logs, making the crossing slow. The worst part is that the trail is not straight on the other side of the river and we have to cross and then walk through the water about 200 yards downstream to pick up the trail again. Fortunately the water is low today and only comes up to my thighs.

On the other side of the river we cross paths with Abram, a new believer. He asks where we are coming from and we explain we are returning from the training. He is visibly disappointed as he normally comes to the discipleship but said he did know about it. I explain that we put an announcement on the radio for all to hear. He tells me he doesn’t own a radio. Communication is hard in the jungle.

We finally arrive to Nueva Arica, where I parked my truck. I still have a two hour drive on a dirt and mud road back to Yurimaguas. Some of the believers climb into the back of the truck. I will drop them off in their villages on the way back to town. I start the truck and the clock says 9:07am. Yes, this is definitely not a typical Monday morning, but I praise God that this is where He has called me to be. What an honor it is to see His mighty works first hand!

All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Psalm 145:10-12

This is just one example of what Missionary Ventures is doing around the world to impact nations for Christ. You can help us continue that work with your support of our Core Mission to empower more people in God’s kingdom.

Pastor Jose and the Restoration Rooms

mvi — Mon, 11 May 2020 15:11:29 +0000

When missionary Don Wolfram connected with Pastor José and his wife, Sofy, in Colombia, he knew they were exactly the kind of leaders Missionary Ventures is seeking to empower. He equipped Pastor José with training and encouragement, and helped acquire a plot of land and a roof for a church. Even with just a dirt floor, people began coming to the church for services and Bible training classes. “The students poured in!” Don says. They built some basic lodging rooms and the vision began to grow. “The real passion and need was to be able to host anyone in need at any time,” says Don. “Call ‘em: Restoration Rooms! Or ‘Always Ready Rooms’ for walking out one-on-one discipleship.” “Pastor José thrives in this area,” he adds. “José is caring, patient, determined and sets a wonderful example. He is a man of prayer and fasting. He will walk alongside anyone, through whatever for as long as it takes. Be it moral or integrity failures, drug or alcohol addiction, depression, broken marriages, anything. Christ offers liberty, but sometimes we just need someone to walk alongside us through the restoration process. With a place to stay, food, a warm reception and love, people started getting the healing that they needed.” Then the vision expanded even more, to have more rooms to cater to abused women and girls. “Sofy has come to a launching point where she is now helping ladies with tragic pasts just as she had as a child,” Don explains. “She is kind and tender and wise and has so much depth of heart for this. She is very shy, but very bold when it comes to speaking life into hurt people.” When people like Pastor José and Sofy are empowered, things begin to multiply. Don has seen this first hand in Colombia. “Everything we do gets tied into the Great Commission, then the seminary, the students, their communities, their practical application, their going out and sharing and teaching and preaching as they learn and are mentored in how to apply and practice what they are studying. Ps. José walks this out with them daily and on a full-time basis. Others come in and help with the teaching and logistics, but José and Sofy are the real boots on the ground for restoration. As Ps. José likes to say: “How about an applause for God!” Help us empower more people like Jose with a gift today. a gift today.

The Cost of Discipleship

mvi — Tue, 28 May 2019 11:09:59 +0000

By Joshua Hire, missionary in Peru

Recently 14 men and 2 women traveled to the Shawi Discipleship Center in Peru to learn more about God. They came from 9 different communities in all corners of the jungle. They came by boat, motorcar, walking and in the back of pickup trucks. They came in through the rain and the sun to hear God’s Word. It was a great week. We ate and fellowshipped together, played soccer, and spent many hours together in the Word of God.

They were so hungry for knowledge of God. We would study all day together and then have church service in the evening until 9:00pm. Afterwards they would ask to leave the generator on until 11 or 12 at night to continue reading and studying. Then they were up at 5:00am singing hymns to start the day before digging back into the Word. It was exciting to see their desire for God.

One afternoon we were studying together when someone read to Luke 14:27: “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

The question was posed to the group: “What does this verse mean? What does it mean to take up your cross?” The room went silent for a few awkward moments as the men pondered the statement. Finally, someone spoke up and said, “I think that means as disciples we may have to suffer to follow Christ.”

Again the room went silent as that statement began to sink in to each of the new believers in Christ. Then finally someone spoke again, “We have come here to be disciples. We have come on long boat rides in the rain. We have walked through mud and rode in the back of pickup trucks in the hot sun. We have left our village, homes, families and fields to come here and be prepared for the work God has for us. We are carrying our crosses and following Christ.”

I was amazed by the statement. Such deep understanding can only come from the Holy Spirit. These new believers understand what it means to carry the cross. They understand that a life devoted to Christ is not necessarily an easy life. They understand the cost of discipleship.

Help support ongoing Bible training at the Shawi Discipleship Center.

Seminary in the Amazon

mvi — Thu, 11 May 2017 14:22:49 +0000

Seminary in the Amazon

Missionaries Don and Mary Wolfram hold seminary classes in the Amazon jungles of Ecuador. “Most students are jungle tribal people with no opportunities to attend a seminary level Bible school,” says Don. “They are a diverse group: young(14) to old (70), illiterate to literate, schooled and unschooled, new believers, veteran Christians and even non-believers, Jungle Indians to Spaniard descendants and many others. We initially had a sophisticated, western-style application, but threw it out when God convicted me and confirmed that He was the one that would send the students, and that each and every one, regardless of appearance, age or credentials, deserved an opportunity.

There are 16-one week sessions over a period of 2-3 years which amount to an “Associate degree of Biblical Studies.” The starting point is open and every session and a graduate is one who has completed all 16 four-credit courses. Some attend for a week and know it’s not for them. Others light up, get it and are determined to finish. We know them well as they become “regulars” and committed students of the Word. Other drop-outs come back later. We have inroads into more than 50 communities and provide depth and backing for the discipleship they do in their villages and outreach spots. Church are being planted throughout all of Ecuador.”

This is just one example of what Missionary Ventures is doing around the world to impact nations for Christ. You can help us continue the work of empowering God’s people by supporting our Core Mission.