December 2016 Year End Update

We’re All About Partnerships!

JungleMaster Ministries is all about partnerships, both at home and in the jungle! Because of your partnership with us through your prayers and financial support, we are able to partner with leaders in the Amazon, training and equiping them to further God’s Kingdom within their own communities and beyond. These leaders, in turn, are now beginning to multiply their efforts by partnering with each other on various projects! Here are some examples of how God has worked through these numerous partnerships in 2016.

Your gifts have allowed JungleMaster to partner with pastors and leaders to enable them to attend the seminary in Nauta, Peru, Centro De Capacitacion de Nauta. The first six of these graduated from seminary in 2016!

Your gifts have also allowed JungleMaster to come alongside our cofraternity of pastors and leaders in the Amazon this year to assist their churches in becoming legally registered with the Peruvian government. This process took 1 ½ years, but was completed in October, just before the passing of our director, Tom Clark. The legal recognition now protects these 22 churches from being shut down without warning and also makes them eligible for government funding when they put on future training events. JungleMaster has also been working with the 22 cofraternity member churches to come up with their own plans for discipleship in their local areas. The pastors are setting goals and working to achieve them, while JungleMaster is providing financial help and encouragement. It is the vision of the local pastors to support each other in building up the body of Christ, and it has been exciting to see these churches come together to help each other complete various projects of their cloosing! Six of the cofraternity churches are currently working together to rebuild a church in the village of Mundial.

The new church in Mundial

Our 6 seminary graduates!

Because of your generous donations JungleMaster now has a “new” boat with a 150 HP motor!! This boat is faster & safer, has an on-board bathroom, and is cooler, due to an insulated roof. It not only helps us transport people associated with our mission, but it also allows us to parner with, and help other missions and missionaries by transporting them safely, affordably, and reliably upriver to their ministry sites.

150 HP motor

Our new boat

Through your partnership with us, JungleMaster was able to help Marco, a local Peruvian missionary, transport supplies and gasoline so that officials from the Minesterio de Educacion (education department) could travel to the village of Nueva Union in the Urarina district to see the need for a high school there. In January, our portable sawmill will be transported up the Chambira River to the site where community members will build the new school and also a dormitory (necessary for students who couldn’t otherwise attend due to the up to 2-day commute time!) This project will be a partnership between JungleMaster, the local church, a Peruvian Missionary, and the government.

In June of this year, because of your support, JungleMaster was able to partner with a team of future engineers from George Fox University. Together, we researched the possibility of piloting a solar project at JungleMaster’s mission house in Nauta. This group also was an encouragement to the pastors and congregations of two villages up river.

So…THANK-YOU!!!

The George Fox University team

The trip upriver to Nuevo Union

 

Praises:

• For your continued support!
• The cofraternity members are working together to complete projects of their choosing!
• Our 22 member churches are now officially registered with the government!
• Six of our pastors/leaders graduated from seminary this year!
• We have a new boat!
• For our ability to help other missionaries!

In Other news:

This fall, Amy McGee attended a two-day conference in the Dominican Republic. It was hosted by the organization Pure Freedom, founded by author and public speaker Dannah Gresh. Pure Freedom teaches young girls about purity and finding their value in the Lord. The conference dealt with Sexual theology, healing, and fatherless families. It addressed how to help the young girls in areas where sexual abuse, un-wed pregnancies, and broken families are a normal way of life. Amy is excited to use this training in Nauta and in the river communities to help young women heal from the devastating effects of  this culture and to build closer relationships with the Lord. Hopefully, it will also be helpful in strengthening families in Peru.

"JUNGLEMASTER STILL HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO"

11/15/2016

Dear JungleMaster Ministries friends and supporters,

The JungleMaster board is currently hard at work determining the logistics of continuing the mission’s work in the jungle following the passing of our director, Tom Clark. We have some big shoes to fill! The following is a current update.

First of all, we feel God leading us to continue the vision. This was not Tom’s solo ministry. Quoting from a letter Tom had written only days before his passing, “JungleMaster still has a lot of work to do in the Amazon.”

Just what is the vision Tom spoke of? And what is still left to do? We, at JungleMaster, believe that it is the job of the local pastors and their local churches to carry out the Great Commission among their own people. To this end, JungleMasters’ role in the Amazon is  to train and equip the indigenous leaders within our sphere of influence to send their own missionaries into the deepest parts of the jungle.

In order to accomplish this, our efforts have been, and will continue to be, focused in two areas:

1)  Assisting pastors to receive seminary training in Nauta, Peru.
 
2)  Mentoring the cofraternity of 22 pastors that has been established deep in the jungle. Tom felt that this cofraternity was key to reaching our goal. The group has begun to learn, for the first time, how to collaborate with each other in order to do projects of their own choosing. Members are currently working together to build churches in other villages. But, collaborating is a new skill for them. Suitable transportation that will allow them to travel between villages will be needed. Training in basic financial skills will be required. We are also working to help them come up with a plan for doing discipleship in their local areas. These pastors will need our continuing encouragement to become confident and competent in all of these areas. 

Joel McGee has graciously agreed to serve as the Interim Director of JungleMaster Ministries. Joel has been a long time partner of the ministry and serves with his wife, Amy, and daughter, Carmen, for us in Nauta, Peru. The three are currently on a short term leave in Whatcom County, but plan to return to Nauta in early January. (To learn more about Joel, please read a short bio, which follows at the end of this letter.)

Huge steps have been taken thus far to educate pastors and to equip the cofraternity, but our job is not yet done! We will need your continuing prayers for wisdom and for God’s clear direction as we move forward. And we will need your financial help in order to complete the vision. So, we ask that you prayerfully stay joined with us as we transition through this difficut time. To quote Tom once more, “Will you join us on this journey?” 

If you have questions or comments, you can send an email to JungleMasterMinistries@gmail.com or contact Joel McGee at 360-510-5792. More details about the status of specific current projects will be the subject of future newsletters or blog posts. You can access our blog at: www.junglemaster.org.

For God’s glory,

The Board of JungleMaster Ministries:

Joel & Amy McGee

Janet Clark

Greg Gosda

Simon Petree

Dave Shupe

Joe & Robin Wilson

We understand that some of you many have recently received requests for money from individuals in the jungle. JungleMaster has learned over time that attempting to help individuals in this way can sometimes end up harming them in the long term. Responding to their requests for money can create an unhealthy dependence upon us. Although each of us must do as God leads, please be aware that JungleMaster does not endorse the practice of giving monetary gifts to these individuals, regardless of how deep our connection is with them. If you wish to make a lasting difference in the jungle, we encourage you to please continue to route your funds through JungleMaster Ministries’ official channels. Thank you!

More about Joel:

Joel McGee is well-qualified to be JungleMaster’s interim director. He has been involved with the mission for eight years, taking many short term trips to the jungle. Two years ago, he moved into a full-time position with JungleMaster as our field missionary in Nauta, Peru. He and his wife, Amy, and daughter, Carmen, have served us very well there. Joel and Tom worked closely together, communicating their ideas with each other daily. Joel both knows Tom’s vision intimately, and shares Tom’s vision whole-heartedly. Like Tom, he is passionate about training the nationals to carry out their role in the Great Commission!

11/6/2016


To the many friends and supporters of JungleMaster Ministries:


It is with deep regret that we must share the news of the passing of Tom Clark, the founder and president of JungleMaster Ministries. Most of you have likely heard this news already, but some duplication may be necessary in order to insure that all of our faithful supporters receive the news. It is perhaps best said in the words of Tom Clark’s children. Please read their letter below:


Dear Community, Friends, Family.


It is with the greatest of sorrow that we have to announce the passing of our father, Thomas Michael Clark. He died on October 31st, of a sudden heart attack while bicycling home from work in Bellingham, WA. If it offers anyone any consolation, he did not suffer in the weeks, days, hours, nor the moment of this unfortunate event. He will be remembered as a loving husband, a caring father, a devoted brother, and a passionate missionary, unfaltering in the face of adversity and unyielding in his love for God and man. Through his mission work with JungleMaster he touched many lives, both in Peru and here at home in the United States. Memories were created which will last beyond our short lifetimes, and a legacy built that will touch and improve the lives of many people for many years, most of whom will never be lucky enough to meet our father in this physical world.


We as a community of friends and family now have been given a great task; to be a salve for each other’s wounds in this time of grief and continue to be beacons of light in a world that often seems dark and perilous. Tom had the amazing ability to do these things for us while on this earth and now we must do this for each other until we can join him.


There will be a service and reception at Cornwall Church in Bellingham, WA, Monday the 7th of November at 1pm.


Tom loved each and every one of you,

The Clark Children


The following is a link to Tom’s obituary: http://www.westfordfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Thomas-Clark-20/#!/Obituary


Please keep Tom’s family in your prayers. The JungleMaster board also asks for your prayers as we seek to understand God’s will for the future of this ministry. We will keep you posted as God’s direction becomes clear.


Thank you so much,

JungleMaster Ministries Board

Whats UP? Well, I had a talk with a dear brother who's been a supporter of ours from the first days of JungleMaster, basically this was his point; "Tom, You stink at communicating!" He said it in a much nicer way but I know he loves me and Janet and all he wants is the best for us and he was right, so here it is... maybe a new leaf? I'll try as best I can to get a monthly newsletter out, if I fail everyone has a right to say what's up right in my face !! Thanks in Advance! What's JungleMaster doing So far This Year! Janet and I are leading a team from George Fox University. The team leaves June 26th and will return The 12th of July, Along with the well drill project I talked about in December, George Fox wants to have a Service Learning class that culminates with a trip to the jungle each summer. We already have the 2017 trip in the Fox budget it looks like! The New church in Bolivar has been built and the Brothers of the Co-Frat are cutting boards for the church project in Mundial. We continue to meet by skype with the Co-frat; the Confraternity of Churches is a unified group of 19 churches and pastors that we have encouraged and helped get licenced through the government. We meet to discuss missionary outreach, building projects and other needs and how we can work together. At the last Seminary class at the British Baptist Mission in Nauta we had 7 leaders attend. JungleMaster scholarshiped these leaders with some assistance to bring them to seminary. We had some issues with them saying they would come then not showing up and we came to realise they didn't know the people there. Joel McGee took the teachers up river to meet the pastors before the session and introduced everyone and this seemed to be enough to get them to feel at ease and bring their families to seminary. The New Boat is running! BUT the old motor does not quite have enough power to take a full load of passengers. We have made a deposit on a larger engine and are praying for the rest of the funds to come in. Help, You Can! (yoda) Pray! Big trip with Fox University, lots of logistics.. safety, health and Gods lead in what we do as ministry Pray! Funding for motor, we need about 6k to buy the motor. Pray! Church rebuild in Mundial and team to go. Pray! We have three boats on the Amazon and right now not any one is at 100%, We are close....... Give! Yep, we always need ongoing monthly support. Give! Help with the motor budget. Go! Yes; we need teams or individuals to go. This is what encourages the missionaries and local leaders. BUT most of all it changes the lives of those that go! Go! Want to house sit in the Amazon for a few months? Donate Help continue the work of JungleMaster ministry in the Amazon by praying, giving or even going! Thank you to all those that have been on this crazy ride with us for all these years! Bolivar Church The new church in Bolivar. Mundial Church Praying as we have one church looking to partner with the church in Mundial to rebuild, looking for other US churches to partner with the Jungle Church to build up and encourage the leaders. Our New Motor? We've made a deposit and we need to get the motor on the boat before the team arrives from George Fox.. House Sit! Yes, you can house sit in Nauta Peru, Joel and Amy may be going back to language school and while there the house in Nauta will be empty, Think of this, its the only house there possibly with hot and cold running water, maybe the only one there with running water? The Pastors Attending Seminary! Do you want to sponser a jungle pastor to attend seminary classes? George Fox University design team includes the granddaughter of a JungleMaster supporter! Found An ongoing joke is somewhere in Peru there's a warehouse full of toilet seats because they're never in the bathrooms.. Joel sent me this photo! He found them! New Drill.. This is a sketch of what the Fox/JungleMaster well drill will be riding on. Our goal is a small footprint self propelled well drill. This chassis is what the drill apparatus sits on. Church Members in Progresso on the Chambira River. They're standing in front of the church they've started to build! Medical Team. We need to put together a medical team to go to Peru to work in the extreme remote parts of the upper Amazon. And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:15 In Christ It's hard to explain how much all those that have supported us for all these years mean to us, we love you all. To the couple of hundred that we've taken to the jungle, it's such a huge honor to be a part of your lives! love you guys! Your Jungle Family.... Tom and Janet Clark Praise! JungleMaster is refocused and moving forward Praise! The Co-fraternity continues to grow and take advantage of seminary. Praise! We are doing well! It may sound strange but the Clarks are OK! God is faithfull Praise! Pastors and families coming to seminary now! Praise! The jungle church is doing their own missionary trips to the remote indigenous areas now!

PO Box 29868 Bellingham WA 98228 United States www.junglemaster.org 360-510-1563