Mackey Moments - June 2010 - Chris & Ginger Mackey
Submitted by trinitypca_admin on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 4:09pmDear family and friends,
Only if a seed falls to the ground and dies, will it then produce much fruit (John 12:24). We’ve been “planted” into the Yanomami tribe, but the part about “dying” doesn’t always feel very good. I cried the other day, longing to be with my family back in South Carolina. My life has changed so drastically over the past three years (marriage, new country, two babies, tribal life), that I feel like I’ve become a new person.
We’re learning more about the situation here in this Yanomami post. Missionaries have already been here for many years, and there are some believers, along with much of the Bible translated and primers made and used for teaching literacy. However, there is still a long way to go before a Yanomami church can stand on its own here. What we’re perceiving is that the cultural worldview of these people needs to be challenged more. What I mean is that we still need to dig deeper into understanding how they think so that the word of God can challenge those beliefs. How do we do this? Relationships. Relationships means TIME, PATIENCE, and lots of LOVE. The LOVE is the hardest part, because it does not originate within us. However, we have the source of love living in us. What does love look like for this mother? It means letting the Indian women hold your baby, even though she gets impetigo from it that has lasted more than three months. It means letting little Indian kids play with your kids in your living room, even though it gives you the extra work of later disinfecting all the toys. Please pray that we will be vessels of God’s love so that the Yanomami people may be reached and transformed by the amazing love of Christ. Many are living in darkness.
We are now out of the tribe and in the town of Boa Vista. We spent four months in the tribe, got shocked and worn out, and are now spending a month to rest and plan before returning. We did not have e-mail connection for the last three weeks we were there.
Please pray we will be renewed during our month away from the tribe so that we might return and be very effective in ministry.
Pray that the internet connection will be restored in the tribe.
Thank you,
Ginger, Christopher, Tekoa, and Isabella Mackey
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