From Shrunken Heads to Expansive Hearts

Six hours southeast of Quito in the tropical rainforest between the upper mountains of the Andes and the savannas of the Amazonian lowlands, lay a series of split and rotted planks leading to a concrete slab. A primitive wood plank barn roofed with corrugated steel stands on the slab. Doorless, windowless and void of electricity, this is Jose’s church. Jose leads worship for a group of Shuar people, 90 minutes outside of Puyo.

Interior View of Shuar Church

 The Shuar people are an indigenous people of Ecuador and Peru. They are Amazonian tribes living at the headwaters of the Marañón River.  Shuar, in their language, means "people." While Westerners may not know the Shuar people by name, we know them by reputation – and their former practice of shrinking human heads. We saw their work the previous afternoon, but tonight we were not afraid.

The Shuar people abandoned the practice of shrinking heads as well as tribal warfare and polygamy at the end of the 19^th century. They live peacefully in small communities, raising cattle and serving honorably in the Ecuadoran military.

Church Planter Jose

On this night, Jose and a gathering of 50 Christians, welcome Multiplication Network Ministries to their church to praise and worship our Triune God. By candlelight, we sang, prayed and encouraged one another before tasting fire-roasted chicken, cassava and corn served on a palm leaf. For this evening, we thank our hosts, Pastor Jaime Ledesma of Iglesia Bautista Kairos, and our gracious God for guiding us safely to and from another Kingdom outpost made possible by the work offered through MultiplicationNetwork Ministries.

Receiving their first Bibles

Supportive Belief Principles

My Three Ecuadoran Amigos

While riding a bus through Ecuador, I took time to gaze outside at God’s grandeur and converse across the aisle with His creatures. In between, I read Cold Calling for God by Rev. Ronnie Doss and Michael Durkin. They direct the reader to write three supportive belief principles and say them aloud twice a day for thirty days.

My three supportive belief principles are:

     1.    The local church transforms my life.

     2.    Discussing faith in God makes me happy.

     3.    God brought us together for a purpose greater than we imagine.

These principles came to me after years of reflective meditation. First, the local church transformed my life as a child, teen, young adult and mature man. The church transforms my life because of relationships. Through the local church, I understand that God loves us; and that humans love one another, including me. In turn, through these relationships my capacity to love God and others increases.

Second, when people tell me how God is working in their lives, I am intrigued. It is more interesting to hear how God is working in a person’s life than to listen to the news, political opinions, sports, weather updates or just about any topic under the sun. That the person talking to me is aware that a Supreme Being is active in his or her life fascinates me. My experience is that one comes to this conclusion after reflecting on life, and seeing that God indeed has always been present in their lives.

Right now, in this ordinary moment, God has brought us together for a purpose greater than either of us can imagine. Read that last sentence again and take a moment to reflect on it. If you ask yourself, “For what purpose?” you will discover that the answer is not immediately clear, but the truth is that God has brought us together for a greater purpose. What follows from this principle is: What can I do for you today?

The response to this question is not always evident immediately. When asked, “What can I do for you today?” most of us reply, “Nothing.” My proactive response is to do something before asking the person. This weekend, while my wife is away, I did a few loads of laundry and ironed. I called my two brothers and a friend. I participated in worship, prayed for others' needs and started a conversation with a new friend.

I keep these principles in mind as I go through the day, and think of them when I am in the ordinary moments of life – eating breakfast, walking the dogs, conversing with my wife, family members, acquaintances or strangers. Why? Because, like our common creeds, these principles guide my life.

How does your local faith community transform your life? Have you noticed how differently people respond to you when you discuss how God is active in your life? At this very moment, for what purpose has God brought us together as author and reader? What will you do for others today? Finally, what are your three supportive belief principles?

Megadiversity in the Middle

  

 

Ecuador, like many Latin American nations, possesses distinct features. Location, wildlife, waterways and religion make Ecuador unique.

 Because of its location at the equator, hence its name, Ecuador experiences little variation in daylight hours during the course of a year. Sunrise and sunset occur each day at the two six o'clock hours.

Though it sits on the equator, the 0⁰ latitude at Quito’s 10,000+-foot altitude makes the equator more tolerable and accessible to individuals seeking the Middle of the Earth than Uganda, Indonesia and a handful of other countries. Furthermore, the climate in the Andean highlands is temperate and relatively dry, and the Amazon basin on the eastern side of the mountains shares the climate of other rainforest zones.

One of seventeen megadiverse countries, Ecuador has the most biodiversity per square mile of any nation. In this diverse, rich ecology, Ecuador hosts many endemic plants and animals, such as those of the Galapagos Islands.

 

There are 1,600 bird species in the continent and 38 more in the Galápagos. In addition to over 16,000 species of plants, the country has 106 endemic reptiles, 138 endemic amphibians, and 6,000 species of butterfly.

Ecuador’s rivers are an important part of its geography and economy. Most of its 2,000+ rivers and streams have headwaters in the Andes mountain range, flowing toward the Pacific Ocean or eastward toward the Amazon. Most rivers broaden as they reach the lower elevations of the Pacific and Amazon.

 

 

 

 

Nearly 92% of Ecuador’s population has a religion, while 8% are unbelievers. Among people who have a religion, more than 80% are Roman Catholic, 11%+ are Prostetant, 9%+ are other (Jehovah’s Witness, Jewish, Buddhists and Latter-day Saints).

I was fortunate to visit Ecuador with Multiplication Network Ministries staff members and donors (July 11 – 17, 2015). Multiplication Network Ministries equips local leaders who understand their culture, language and social networks, enabling them to share the Gospel more effectively than someone from another country and culture. We "train-the-trainers" for entire denominations and associations so these workers can, in turn, train the church planters. This approach allows us to reach many more people with our training and to multiply strategically. In my next blog, I will introduce the pastors and church planters I met. In September, MNM celebrates its 15th Anniversary. Watch a short video now. Click here.

Train Indigenous People to Plant Churches

I am sharing a message with you that I think you will find important.

"This trip through three (Southeast Asian) countries has been fascinating. There are thousands of urban communities, towns and villages with no Gospel witness or Christian church. At times the task can seem overwhelming for Christians. Talk about need!"

These are the words of my colleague, John Wagenveld, Founder of Multiplication Network Ministries, after retur

ning from Asia. Multiplication Network Ministries trains local indigenous people to start churches so that God's world may be populated with more churches and stronger churches.

When a healthy church is started in a local community, it creates leaders who feel empowered to bring about change within their communities through the Holy Spirit. With renewed hope, local leaders establish a variety of self-sustaining ministries, which will help transform their communities.

Please schedule an appointment (whether by phone, email, or in person) for me to share more with you about the exciting opportunities available to you to be a partner with MNM to help support training indigenous people to plant churches. Please prayerfully consider replying to this email or visit our website now.

Where We Live and Work

We hope this message finds you in the best of God’s blessings. We write to you for a couple of reasons.

First, we are now living in Tinley Park, Illinois. Our address is 8441 168^th Place, Tinley Park IL 60487. You can contact us via email or social media by simply replying to this message.

While we resettle, we also see our grandchildren, Emma Jade and Levi Ryan. Travis and Pepper explore new trails and sidewalks. Buddie and Winnie find new places to rest and hunt.

Cindy explores her options while she resumes training with Travis. Paul now works for Multiplication Network Ministries as a Regional Advancement Officer. He is enthusiastic about his work.

Multiplication Network Ministries (MNM) equips local leaders who understand their culture, language and social networks, enabling them to share the Gospel more effectively than someone from another country and culture. We "train-the-trainers" for entire denominations and associations so these workers can, in turn, train the church planters. This approach allows us to reach many more people with our training and to multiply strategically.

In July, Paul will witness MNM’s training in Ecuador. When he returns, he will tell you more through his blog. 

In September, MNM celebrates its 15^th Anniversary. Watch this short video now. Click here.

Paul and Cindy Cwynar