Well its Monday, I think...not much sleep over the last two days..like 3-4 hours. We are all in Iquitos Peru and had an Alligator and Pichee Lunch. We were going to do some shopping in prep for the trip but no one has anything left in them.

We meet a young Mennonite Missionary last night in the airport and we all got together and prayed for Bobby and his little girl...Don't worry brother we will have 200+ Pastors and leaders praying for you in a couple of days......

We had the absolute most hilarious thing happen in security this morning..sorry but every way I could think of wording it, I just couldn't put the two words together and have it sound right. You will just have to ask one of the returning team members to relay the story....Just to tease you it had to do with Mike, Lucho and the possibility of .........

I'm planning on getting this phone to send data from the jungle but haven't got it wired yet..everyone is doing well and blending as a team

Continue to pray
Tom

New day, everyone is getting along great.  The thing that impressed me today is the amazing amount of generosity and compassion is outpouring from this group.  Many people offered to pay for the extra luggage, food and other items.  We are truly working as a great team.

Lucho was MIA until we reached Lima. His phone was down and we had no contact, finally, I looked at Starbucks in Limas Airport....Lucho! He said that "he didn't know when we would get in but he knew that if he hung around Starbucks long enough that I would show up!"

Be praying......We couldn't find one of our team members that was expected to meet us in Lima, we had him paged, no response..finally we went to Continental desk and we found out that he didn't get on the plane. I checked E-mail and found that his daughter is really sick and he had to stay home.....Pray!!!!

More soon... we are really tired and have another 20 hours to stay up.....

First Day on the way to the jungle.

Have you ever tried sticking 5 pounds of stuff in a 3 pound bag? That would be what getting all of our gear into the two vehicles was like for our trip from Bellingham to Seattle. I guess I should have a real limit on what people can bring, I always start out by saying "don't bring more than you can carry" then we end up somewhere nearer to "how may porters do we have?".... But with all of the special needs, we ended up way more bags than I hoped, Not since Orellana traversed the Amazon has so much been taken into the jungle by so few.

In the morning we break at 4am and head to the airport, flight out at 7:10 am, we will meet two more of the team in Houston, then off to Lima.....

Some bumps as the Extroverts out number the Introverts by lots, pray as we continue to grow as a team....

Wow, we are ready (almost) I have just finished our taxes as I won't be home before the "15th". I got a long ways on the wiring job for the new boat I'm helping my friend Pat build. All of the arrangements are finished for this trip and the next. We head for Seattle Sunday afternoon and will be flying out early Monday......Keep in touch as I hope to post from the jungle via my satellite phone......

The enemy is afoot..... whenever you are about to take ground for the Kingdom the enemy of man hates it. If you're not in the midst of a battle your not any threat, and he leaves you alone. Pray for this ministry and this team going to Peru......we leave for the jungle on Sunday.......

I'm not delusional, I don't think people care about what I'm making for dinner or if I ran around lake Padden today...yet I discovered some people are reading this...I think its more about what Gods doing in the Amazon and not about me or what I'm up too....I'll be more careful what I write here though......

Beyond all that, I'm continuing to be blown away at what Gods doing.. we have just found out that there will be 250 Pastors and leaders at the seminar we are holding in the jungle next week. The only other Ministry that was on the river supporting the local church has pulled out....JungleMaster is IT in a 200 mile radius.......WOW.

Secondly we have Pastor Jorge Arevalo going to the jungle with us, Jorge has an amazing background in leadership, he is running for Mayor in Barranco, a district of Lima, and has the connections to get our Bible Institute up and going and accreditation available for local jungle pastors.Double WOW!!....JungleMaster will have a fully operational Mission sending and training center in the remote Amazon really soon...We will train and equip local leaders for ministry in the most remote parts of the jungle.

Even as God is setting up an amazing ministry through JungleMaster; as things are ramping up at an amazing rate, I still don't see the foundational support coming in to allow us to get all of this done. I know He provides where He calls. JungleMaster is an unmistakable miraculous movement of the hand of God. Only God could have pulled all of this together. So....if you have ever wanted to get involved in what Gods doing now is the time and this is the place. (that means you can give $) It may be time to stop thinking and get on board!

Ok....off the soapbox. Great meeting with the team going in May..tomorrow night is the last meeting with the April team, its a fantastic group, lots of type "A's"...Doing a major video project during the trip that 360 productions is putting together for us. Well drilling, clean water and more.

Way too busy, I continue to aim for my feet and pull the trigger...I don't have time for one on ones to raise funds, I have to concentrate on cash projects to pay bills and finish closing my business. By the time I take the April group and the May group we will be out of funds and no job..........sorry if this talk is to raw for a Missionary candidate (?) Maybe I should only talk about all the amazing blessings and out pouring of Gods hand...all true but there is the reality of where my minds at too. We chose to trust in God and His call, that says we know that he will provide.......

Looking forward to sharing our facilities in the jungle with these next two groups, I'm not looking forward to the flights..once in the jungle I'm out of harms way and feel relaxed though...Keep Praying!

Today all I have to do is; Meet with Mike for a video interview, pick-up parts at Redden, drop off pistons at Reed Machine, order parts for the volvo, work on the 32 footer for 8 hours, take checks by Larrys, May team meeting at 7pm. Start assembling the block for the 350 Chev, pick up program for taxes, start taxes, start prayerletter to get sent before I go, notify team of the meeting tonight and on Weds...............Leave for Peru in 6 days.....

I've noticed that its been a long time since I have posted anything. I'll do better.....

In the last few years I've been working towards full-time missions. As of the first of day of 2010 my wife and I decided to pursue full-time ministry....so what does that mean? On one hand its a lot of trusting in God to provide when all else seems to say "this is a stupid idea".....the other side is "why would God have blessed so much of what we have done in the jungle if He didn't intend to provide for its completion?"

We've been killing ourselves working what has been essentially two full time jobs. Fixing boats and doing ministry. So we needed to make a change, but how do we raise funds? How do I "work" to provide for my family, "Work" to raise funds, and still manage the ministry and take groups to the jungle?

Everything I do; I shoot myself in the foot. If I'm turning a wrench to make money I'm not raising the long term support that I need to do this ministry full-time, If I'm raising funds, I'm not paying my bills. If I'm not 100% pursuing ministry, am I really trusting God?

This is my journey, It may be a bit too raw for the weak but is reality....

I leave for the jungle again in a week, before I go I have a 32 foot fishing boat to wire and install the engine, a 350 chev to rebuild and taxes to get done.................

How did I get to this financial black hole? Its a long story..... but between ministry, businesses that have failed and faltered, kids in college and a lot of bad decisions, here we are.

My wife and I are working at getting this all straightened around, we have a plan....God has a plan......its just being faithful.

Missionary Advice

A few years ago I was traveling down the Shell Road just below the Ecuadorian town of Banos. I was with a group of people that had taken a ministry tour of HCJB Radio and we were headed to the Amazonian town of Mera. The road was a one lane dirt road that brings back visions of National Geographic explorer. Complete with deep mud and shear cliffs that tumbled into the jungles and Rivers that lay a short 1000 feet below. Getting back to the point, I was with Ron Cline, the current president of HCJB at the time, and he gave the the most important advice that I had ever received as a future missionary.

Ron Said, " When you start raising funds as a future full-time missionary, you will need to make two lists. The first list will be the people you know who will support you. It will include all your friends and family and most importantly the people that have been encouraging you to become a missionary. The second list will be all the people that you know won't help. Business men from the church and the little old ladies that sit in the front row every Sunday. All the folks you barely know."

Then He said, "As soon as you have the list complete, reverse them. Thats how it will be and don't let it discourage you."

Guess what? Ron was 100% correct. It really hurts sometimes to not receive any help from family or any of my close friends. Its not the money. It's what a small gift says; I trust you, I believe in you and I want you to succeed. Even Jesus had the same problem I guess, his parents and siblings didn't believe He was who He said He was until after His resurrection.

Well it's been about 6 years of ministry now and a few of my friends are helping out a bit, but my family still is MIA. Oh well.............

Keep your head up fellow fund raisers. If God is behind you, then pity those that stand in your way.

Surviving The Amazon

Culturally there are a few differences that you should all be aware of and with a little bit of preparation you can avoid culture shock, either yours or there’s. It’s should be your goal to be a blessing to your Peruvian brothers and to avoid offending them inadvertently.

Peruvians tend not to be loud in the public arena. To yell across the street at someone would be considered rude. A Peruvian would just hold up a hand and wait till they are noticed. In general the pushy out-going nature of most Americans is not considered good manners there. Women are very reserved and take a subservient role in public. At the same time, they tend to be stronger leaders in the family and church. If you have a tendency to take charge and tell others how things should be done, then you will have to moderate and sit back much more than you are use to.
Please also note; to go with an agenda, will lead to great frustrations. Nothing goes according to schedule in South America. Ferry’s run late; if they even have a schedule at all. Meeting times are usually approximate, church services go until God is finished and dinner, is, when its served. It may just be, that we accomplish nothing that we plan, and God has a different goal for us through this trip.
We will be going to Peru to serve and encourage, not to lead. Nothing that we take with us as gifts or accomplish has anything to do with our works or talents. We have not given, God has. Everything that is done, is done by God, and for God.

Worship in the jungle church tends to be on the Pentecostal side. Its not that they do anything Really odd, or would make a conservative evangelical feel uncomfortable, but it is much more alive and interactive. When we first participate in the worship, our hosts may think we are very exhausted or dead spiritually. The people clap more enthusiastically, smile more, sing louder, and bounce more. The services last as long as God is leading. There may seem to be no order of worship. We may start with song then give testimonies, sing, more testimonies, preach, sing whatever. We will be done when God is done. The church there tends to be much more open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and less to the schedule of man.


Everywhere we go we will be recognized as Americans. Therefore, it is naturally assumed that we are rich. By Peruvian standards we are; but, with that comes the chance that you will be asked for money; maybe even from the leadership of the church. Please be careful here. Ask me before giving anyone anything. When we leave we will take an offering for the church that will be distributed by the mission as they see best. We already pay some of our hosts for the time that they devote to us, as they have taken time off of raising money for their families to serve us. When they take offering at church, use the leading of the Holy Spirit as what would be appropriate. The people we are working with make about 200.00 usd per month, and the prices of things are close to the same as in the USA. The appropriate tithe maybe 5.00 usd or 15 soles (The Peruvian dollar). Never pull out large sums of money in pubic, be discreet, our hosts will help us in the exchange of money and various purchases. Gringos normally are charged more, so ask before making any deals.

If you have not paid the full amount to JungleMaster for the trip, be prepared to cover the costs of food and transportation as we go. We have estimated that we will spend about 2000.00 for food, rentals and boats. Lastly you must have 25.00 USD in cash to leave the country as an exit tax.

IQUITOS

Iquitos is a large city of about 200,000 people. It is land-locked, with impenetrable jungle surrounding it, the only way to get there is by boat or airplane. Yet it is the hub of commerce in the Peruvian Amazon. Iquitos has a rich history dating back to the 1800s when it was the center of the world for rubber exports. European aristocracy would make the trip up the Amazon to Iquitos and vacation there. Iquitos is 2500 miles from the mouth of the Amazon by boat, and at 725 feet in elevation. Today, Iquitos still remains a frontier town that is working at becoming the hub for Ecotourism in the Amazon.


Food And Safety

Malaria meds are recommended, mefloquine is the meds for South America, but you may consider this; http://www.organic-pharmacy.com/ARG.Artemesia.htm you should also think about yellow fever vaccination, Hep-A, and Hep-B. The people we will be with feel that these are very rare diseases and we would be fine with out them. But I don’t want to be the final word on your health. Ask your doctor.

CDC recommends the following vaccines (as appropriate for age):
See your doctor at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for immunizations to take effect.
• Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).

• Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay >6 months in the region, or be exposed through medical treatment.

• Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.

• Typhoid, particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region.

o Occurrence
An estimated 16 million cases of typhoid fever and 600,000 related deaths occur worldwide each year. Approximately 2.6 cases of typhoid fever were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention per 1 million U.S. citizens and residents traveling abroad during the period 1992–1994.

Risk for Travelers
Typhoid vaccination is not required for international travel, but it is recommended for travelers to areas where there is a recognized risk of exposure to S. Typhi. Risk is greatest for travelers to the Indian subcontinent and other low-income countries (in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America) who will have prolonged exposure to potentially contaminated food and drink. Vaccination is particularly recommended for those who will be traveling in smaller cities, villages, and rural areas off the usual tourist itineraries. Travelers should be cautioned that typhoid vaccination is not 100% effective and is not a substitute for careful selection of food and drink.

• Yellow fever vaccination, if you will be traveling outside urban areas.

o The risks of illness and of death due to yellow fever in an unvaccinated traveler are estimated to be 1:1,000 and 1:5,000 per month, respectively. (For a 2-week journey, the risks of illness and death are 1:2,000 and 1:10,000, respectively.) These estimates, which are based on risk to indigenous populations, may overestimate the risk to travelers, who may have a different immunity profile, take precautions against getting bitten by mosquitoes, and have less outdoor exposure than do indigenous residents. Based on data for U.S. travelers, the risk for illness in a traveler due to yellow fever has been estimated to be 0.4–4.3 cases per million travelers to yellow fever-endemic areas.

• As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11–12 years who did not complete the series as infants.

To stay healthy, do...
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water. Don’t bite your finger nails.
• Drink only bottled or boiled water, or carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes. If this is not possible, make water safer by BOTH filtering through an “absolute 1-micron or less” filter AND adding iodine tablets to the filtered water. “Absolute 1-micron filters” are found in camping/outdoor supply stores.
• Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have peeled yourself. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.
• If you will be visiting an area where there is risk for malaria, take your malaria prevention medication before, during, and after travel, as directed. (See your doctor for a prescription.)
• Protect yourself from mosquito bites:
o Pay special attention to mosquito protection between dusk and dawn. This is when the type of mosquito whose bite transmits malaria is active.
o Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats.
o Use insect repellents that contain DEET (diethylmethyltoluamide).
o Read and follow the directions and precautions on the product label.
o Apply insect repellent to exposed skin.
o Do not put repellent on wounds or broken skin.
o Do not breathe in, swallow, or get into the eyes (DEET is toxic if swallowed). If using a spray product, apply DEET to your face by spraying your hands and rubbing the product carefully over the face, avoiding eyes and mouth.
o DEET may be used on adults, children, and infants older than 2 months of age. Protect infants by using a carrier draped with mosquito netting with an elastic edge for a tight fit.

• To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry, and do not go barefoot. .
To avoid getting sick...
• Don’t eat food purchased from street vendors.
• Don’t drink beverages with ice.
• Don’t eat dairy products unless you know they have been pasteurized.
• Don’t handle animals (especially monkeys, dogs, and cats), to avoid bites and serious diseases (including rabies and plague .

Your major threat will be bug bites. The tics and chiggers are in the grasses and rocks everywhere. One team member had over 300 individual bug bites on just their legs. I have yet to find anything that is real effective to stop from getting bit. .
.

Do not jump into any water or swim unless the local people say that is a safe place to swim. Don’t urinate in the water. There are fish that will be attracted to your urinary track if you do. Don’t wander into the jungle alone. Don’t put your hands into anything that you can’t see into first. Open and inspect clothes and bedding before putting on or getting into. Look were you put your feet when in the jungle, be aware and you will be safe. Keep your food and bedding closed and zipped. Be careful around the water at night, some types of snakes come out then.
Watch the locals and do as they do and you will be safe. This may seem like a lot of dos and don’ts but these are things that I have learned from my trips to the Amazon and with a little fore warning we will all be that much more safe and comfortable.

Sunscreen with the highest protection factor possible and deet type insect repellant must be applied daily and often. Bring your own. Insect bite cream or anti ich cream should also be brought with you.

I always keep a supply of protein / food bars with me. I take enough to have two a day. Buy some now and test out the kinds you like. It helps you keep control of your stomach and less reliant on people to prepare food for you. If you control your stomach everything else will work out.
What you need to bring with you:

• Long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a hat to wear while outside whenever possible, to prevent illnesses carried by insects (e.g., malaria, dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis).

• Insect repellent containing DEET.

• Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicine to take if you have diarrhea.

• Iodine tablets and water filters to purify water if bottled water is not available. See Do’s above for more detailed information about water filters.

• Sunblock, sunglasses, hat.

• Prescription medications: make sure you have enough to last during your trip, as well as a copy of the prescription(s).

• Voltage is 220 v so bring adapters if you need to.

• After You Return Home:

If you have visited an area where there is risk for malaria, continue taking your malaria medication weekly for 4 weeks after you leave the area. If you become ill with a fever--even as long as a year after your trip--tell your doctor that you traveled to a malaria-infected area
The primary thing is being careful. I never eat anything that’s not Hot. Unless I just picked it off a tree or have just prepared it myself. Water must only be put in your mouth if it was bottled or purified. We will ensure a good water supply for everyone at all times. You should have at least two Nalgean type water bottles; Always keep them full and with you. It will be very hot and extremely high humidity. If you get thirsty you are already dehydrated. You will drink a gallon of water a day or more in these conditions. Never open your mouth in the shower or brush your teeth from the tap water or river water. Drink soda from the bottle; do not use ice or the glass unless you are in a North American ready restaurant. In Lima and Iquitos we will be able get safe reliable food and water but in the jungle it gets a little harder

When in the city be careful as to how you handle money and your gear. You average camera is worth a years wages in many parts of the world. Put it in your pocket when not in use. Keep only the money you may spend for the day in your wallet or pocket, if you get robbed you will only lose a little. I keep my wallet as a toss-wallet, nothing more than a few dollars and things that I can live without. My Passport and my money I keep in a waist pouch. I never take it off. Your US Passport is worth $10,000 on the open market, never lose it or let someone have it. Keep a copy of it in another place in case it gets lost. I take a copy of mine and E-mail it to help@junglemaster.org. That way; I can get a copy anytime from anywhere in the world. Just be aware that many things we do flaunt our affluence, and invite being robbed.

You will NOT need a visa, but you will need a Passport.



Equipment

You will need a backpack that you can put everything you own in. Rolling a piece of standard luggage won’t work in the jungle. Have all your stuff in bags with handles or backpacks. When we get to the villages in the jungle you may have to pack your gear ½ mile or so at times and you will want to be able to throw on one pack and go. One pair of socks and underwear per day that are fresh, T-shirts or loose fitting shirts are a must. Nothing heavy, Dry-leet or similar fast drying materials are recommended. In the jungle we will not be able to get anything dry. Everything will be damp and sticky, tight underwear will chafe and glue to your rear end. Put socks and underwear in plastic zip lock bags. Anything that can’t get wet should be protected. You will need a towel and washcloth. We will be bathing in the river in the jungle. A super light poncho is good to have or you can go Indian style: Get wet and let the sun dry you off. If it rains while we are in the canoes EVERYTHING will get wet. Everything in the backpacks that should be dry must be protected from water and rain

Sun precautions Again: We will be on the equator, burns happen instantly, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen are your friends.

ALWAYS have toilet paper with you. I keep some of those small packs of tissues in my pocket. Only in nice, North American friendly restaurants or hotels will you find toilet paper. It’s just not around anywhere else. Public restrooms are available in the cities but you won’t find T.P. there. In the jungle, it will be a matter of hovering over two boards over a hole in the ground. There may or may not be any screen around that hole. I am looking into a portable privacy screen that we can take with us

You will need a hammock with a built in bug screen. They can be found at Campmor http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/
ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=39148948

Or
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/
ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=7568

Clark Hammock
http://www.junglehammock.com/features.php

If you are on the ferry or in huts we can always hang a hammock up. In the city you will have real beds. Sleep in the hammock once before you take it to the jungle. There is a trick to how taut they need to be. Bring a fleece type or ultra light sleeping bag. You need the protection from mosquitoes, they will get you through the hammock into your rear unless you have that extra layer. In the mornings it will seem cool and the bag will feel good to curl up in.

A good alternative is a small tent that can free stand, you will want a pad as jungle huts have bamboo round poles as flooring and its hard on your back.

Bring

• Backpack
• Flashlight
• Hammock or alternative
• Plastic bags for your gear
• Toilet paper
• Proper clothing
• Sleeping bag, Very light fleece is OK
• Any special needs (meds ect)