December News Letter

Here we are in the Motor City (Detroit) experiencing a true Michigan winter.  The fun of seeing Neivy's face as she saw snow for the first time, the joy of throwing her first snowball and her realization that her concept of cold was not like anything she knew.  I thank God for the Winter coat and boots that were brought to the house for her.  God knew what she needed to outlast a Detroit Thanksgiving Parade on a snowy day.  Thank you friends and family for your heart of giving. You are blessing us! 

After the challenges of traveling on Spirit Airlines, extra airline fees for arriving late to Bogota on LAN, having to stay in Bogota for 3 extra days, no food for a whole day of travel (Spirit does not serve meals on international flights), lost luggage for 4 days and realizing that the cell phone number that I had just bought on the previous trip had been given away to someone else, one could justify having a bad attitude.  BUT, for the grace of God!!!! We are on an adventure and you gotta take the good with the bad.  That's what builds character.  If anyone needs to call me, I am on Skype and Facebook and gmail as long as I have internet access.

Just an update on the outreach ministry with the group from Trinidad and Tobago. FANTASTICO!! The Trini culture is very happy and free.  We literally had a Holy Ghost party in the city plaza.  There were many who came to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Assembly of God Faith church was initiated with the new converts and we celebrated with many of the pastors from the Assembly churches in both Leticia and Tabatinga.  The pastor of the new church networks with the church that Neivy and I are now attending and I believe that God wants me to work with them both this next year.  I am excited about the move of God in these churches in the Amazon.

This trip has 3 purposes.  The first is to give Neivy and I a chance to know one another better without outside interference of well meaning family and friends.  We are working on her English and she is having the opportunity  to learn about my culture.  We need your prayers because this is a challenge for us both.  I need God's wisdom in helping her through the culture shock to get to a point of enjoyment.  We have had some breakthroughs Praise God!  The second purpose is to get some much needed rest for both of us.  This past year has been a challenge. Neivy leaving her home, going to a new school, and getting a new mother all at once.  Me becoming a single parent mother of a teenager, changes in ministry focus and location, working through how to organize my life with Fibromyalgia and physical recovery of tendons and muscles in my legs and right foot. (As some of you may remember my visits last year for fund raising, that I was traveling with a recently fallen arch).  BY the grace of God, we made it through! And, the third purpose is to deal with some important AFAMMS Board issues.

I would like for you all to consider this holiday season giving a special offering that will go towards some of those extra costs of living in the states as a family of two (which is much different than when I traveled by myself).  This will help with some transportation costs and living expenses. I do not know all the things that God wants to do with us on this trip but, through your giving you will be making a impact in the life of a young girl.  Some of you do year end giving for tax purposes.  This is a way of blessing your missionaries. So, even if you are giving to different missionaries... give.  May God bless you all more abundantly above all that you can ask or think!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Donations by check or money order:

AFAMMS (do not put my name on the check)

PO Box 39803

Redford, MI   48239-0803

Donations by Paypal

safricanamericanmobilization@yahoo.com

Adventuring with Christ,

Min. Orchidy T Boyd

October News Letter

The question is “How does God work?” I came to the Amazon 5 years ago.  The goal was to take the Yaguas off the unreached people group list.  How could I know what that meant?  There are various definitions of who are reached and who are not reached.  There are different understandings of what it means to reach a specific people group.  Since I have been here in the Amazon I have seen many short-term outreach groups come to do various things.  They have come to visit communities and do little presentations for the children, share their testimonies with the people, bring humanitarian aid such as medical, clothing, and toys.  Each group coming and doing some type of activity and leaving some type of material “blessing.”  The problem has been that each group came with good intentions to leave a mark with the same people who the group before visited.  Between Leticia and Puerto Narino, Amazonas, every community has been reached at least once but, none has been discipled.  This has created a subculture here in the Amazon.  The belief system of the general indigenous population is that one needs to have a “patron” (person from the outside) who can get material items for them if they can convince them of their loyalty.  This works with tourist and missionaries. The message is rarely as important as the objects that they can get (i.e. Saw, hammer, boat, motor, clothes, toys, food, money, etc.).  Everyone gains something out of the deal and all depart happy and content that they have “blessed” or were “blessed.” 

I have come to the conclusion that the Yaguas in this area have been reached many times over and over.  To be discipled one must consent to the training or teaching of the discipler.  The Yaguas have not been discipled and as long as the priority of the Yaguas is to receive material things, the spiritual condition of the Yaguas cannot change.  There are a few believers among the Yagua Nation but they are in great need of discipleship.  The doors have closed for me in the communities where I have been working.  They have realized that I am not a rich North American who can get them things.  The group where I worked before have let the other group know this and have discouraged them from working with me.  My question is “How does God work?”

I have often noted in the Bible that God takes one person out of their family situation and uses this separation as a time of training and equipping them with physical and spiritual skills and abilities that will enable them to be more effective in the geographical location where that person will live.  Often, like Abraham and Sarah, they make their own plans to help God complete His word spoken to them.  For their lack of faith, they act in their own power and knowledge and understanding of the situations in which they find themselves.  These actions result in kings that desire to marry sisters that really are wives and an Ismael that is not the promised child of God. (Genesis 20 and 21) The desire for building a training school has to be realized in God's timing.  I will wait on Him.

There is a silent pressure for “missionaries” to “produce” and to show the world what they have done to advance the Kingdom of God.  (Putting myself in this category) We send out news letters as often as possible with pictures, statistics, dates and anything else that can convince the readers that we really are doing the work of the ministry so that they can pray and send financial support. My questions are: Which of these works are Ismaels and which of these works are Isaacs? What really is the work of the ministry?  And, which is the work of God?  The king came to know and fear the God of Abraham.  Ismael also, became a great  nation.  The verses that have been a consistent companion to me over the last few years are Proverbs 3:5 and 6.

  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

    In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

The key is trust in God!  As a result of learning to trust God with all my heart, He has gifted me a daughter.  She is from the Yagua tribe and is now 14 years old.  She loves the Word of God and is growing in her personal walk with God.  Her family often visits and calls.  We pray a lot for their spiritual growth and look forward to the day when they too will all be saved.  Neivy is my Isaac.  I do not yet know what God is doing with us.  For right now, I am learning to be a single parent of a teenage Yagua girl.  Right now I have legal custody of her and we are praying about adoption.  This year has brought many changes in my life and ministry.  Because of the situation in her community, we cannot return and minister for her safety.  The people with whom I had been working in the Yagua community have rejected the gospel for tourism.  Please keep them in your prayers. 

Last week we received a six month visa from the Embassy of the USA to come to the states.  It will be her first visit.  Because of all the changes, I need to meet with the AFAMMS Board to put many things in order for the state of Michigan.  We will be in the states from November 18 through the end of January during her school break.  In the meantime, I am teaching Spanish, English, and music classes.  I am using them with the purpose of witnessing the Gospel and making money to pay for our daily needs.  I certainly feel for those of you who have more than one teenager at a time.  They eat a lot and always have another school project.  They are a blessing!  We have started attending Mission Ministries Church here in Leticia.  They have a good youth group and teach the Word.  They are very mission active and focused in discipleship training.  October 10, 11 and 12, 2013 we will be networking with other missionaries to have a three day evangelistic crusade in the city amphitheater.  I will be helping with the music.  Please be in prayer for the souls that will be touched and the follow-up.  What is God doing?  He is allowing me and you to take part in His plan for the Amazon region of the three frontiers. Keep Praying! Keep Supporting! And, feel free to come and visit us :)! See some of you soon in the US.

Adventuring with Christ,

Min. Orchidy T. Boyd

Visa

Sept. 17 we go to Bogota for our visa appointment. Please pray for finances and favor with the embassy. we are excited!

May News Letter

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (NKJV). 

What has these verses meant to me so far this year?  Being a new single parent of a 14 year old Yagua girl has made this verse a constant reminder that I need God's direction in everything that I do and say.  There are so many things we take for granted that one should know but, as I have been confronted with the challenges of helping a young girl who has lived most of her life in the jungle learn cultural things such as eating with a knife and fork, responding to compliments, catching up on her academic education, learning about different types of food (and trying them), learning to ride a bike and roller skate, what clothes are appropriate for what occasion... I am constantly asking God for His wisdom and direction. As I learn of some of the values that her biological mother has placed in her, I can see that God has had His hand on Neivy since before she was born.  Having Neivy has opened the door to share the word of God more with her family and to disciple her mother.  Who would have thought that I would be the mother of a Yagua person and part of her family in such a manner?  My understanding of my role in the mission of reaching the Yagua Nation certainly was not God's.  Praise Him!

My newest challenge is travel expenses.  It is one thing to travel to the states for an important board meeting as a single missionary.  I just cut out expenses and save for the trip.  I must now think of everything double.  I am in the process of obtaining the documents for Neivy and I to travel to the states during her school break (June 15 – July 7, 2013) for some much needed R&R for her and R&R plus an AFAMMS Board Meeting for me.  Because it is cheaper to fly to Orlando from Leticia, we will spend a few days with a friend that has been keeping things in storage at her home for me.  After picking up those things, we will (Lord willing) continue on to Maryland to meet with my pastors and, Neivy will connect with the youth group there.  Our last stop will be in Michigan.  Neivy will have a chance to meet her new family and get to know her new home away from home while learning English.  I will be helping her with English and meeting with the AFAMMS Board.  Please keep us in your prayers.  For those that would like to support financially please click the following link  PayPal .   The time is quickly approaching so do not delay.  Thank you ahead of time.

April 15^th  my pastors Bishop David and Min. Allethia Perrin came to visit with 7  other members from their church.  Brenda from Mississippi joined their team here in the Amazon.  What a blessing they were to me!  They grew in their knowledge of what the ministry is here in the Amazon and were able to give good counsel and encouragement to Neivy and me. We were able to show the Luke video to the Yaguas for the first time. They were excited to see the first movie in their own language.  Thank you Powlison family for providing this unique opportunity.  Even though the time seemed too short, it was good! Thank you Christ Kingdom Church for blessing us here in the Amazon.

After they left for the states, we had about a week to rest and focus on school. Then Isaiah came to visit.  He is a Moody Bible Institute graduate who is now seeking God as to where he is to be located to do his part in “the mission.” His youth and enthusiasm was refreshing and he was a good example of what living with purpose on purpose means.  He stayed with us for a little over a week visiting with various organizations and tribal groups and, then moved on to visit with the Yagua group in Urco Miranyo.  Please keep Isaiah in your prayers as he travels.  He has stepped into the water to see the glory of God manifest in his life just like the children of Israel did at the Jordan river. Now that is “trusting In God” in action!

God blessed us with a boat for a time thanks to many of you.  With the changes in ministry and the rising costs in gas, it is less expensive for me to travel to the new community (which is an hour further) by public transportation.  I am teaching discipleship in the village of La Libertad every 2^nd Saturday of the month.  There is a small but faithful group of Yaguas there who have asked me to teach them the Word of God.  Some of them are Neivy's relatives.  What a blessing!  Please pray that I will be able to sale the boat soon before the dry season.  Since I am more in the city, it would be good to have a motorcycle or (if God wills) a car. 

I have been encouraged by and appreciate the many comments that many of you have written to us on Facebook.  Thank you and please feel free to continue to keep in touch.  YOU ALL BLESS ME!!  For those who have been giving to Neivy's support, THANK YOU!  Maybe we will get to see some of you when we come to the states.  Together we are reaching the Yagua Nation.

Adventuring with Christ,

Min. Orchidy T Boyd

CKC Team in the Amazon

 

 

 

What an awesome non-stop busy week! It was great to have the CKC team here in the Amazon. I believe that it was a trip that they will never forget. I miss them already! Thank you to all of you who were praying for us. We made history and showed the Luke video for the first time in the Yagua Language. WWhhaattt a blessing!!!!

New Team is visiting

A team of 10 persons will be here on Monday from the states to visit me and the community that I am working with currently. PRAY for me! I am trying to get everything organized before then. I am sooo... excited :)

Pray pray

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! MAJOR MINISTRY CHANGES GOING ON HERE IN LETICIA! LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITING THE YAGUA COMMUNITY IN LA LIBERTAD THIS MONTH

Medical Eye Clinic in the Village

Working this week with a medical eye clinic. Same as last year. I am definitely learning much more about the eye. Please pray for me! I will be on the river in my community dealing with some serious issues tomorrow and Wednesday. Thanks everybody!