Report from Manuel Salazar

Ministry

ANM Guatemala Conference

The Lord allowed me to travel to Guatemala the first week of March with our missionary Antonia, a member of the Board of Directors of Segadores where we participated together with brothers from Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, and Nicaragua. It was a very special time, God used the speakers to edify, challenge, and challenge our lives and ministries. 

Visitor from the United States 

In the month of May we had the visit in Peru of our sister Renee. She visited the mission fields where Segadores Works and it was a great blessing and comforting for our missionaries and field workers, who were encouraged and strengthened by the Lord through our sister. 

Visit to Aoti Community and Other Communities 

Sister Renee came to visit the ministry of Segadores, with the purpose of knowing the reality of missionary work in this place of the jungle. Together with her and our missionary team of Aoti formed by Antonia, Nagy family and Soto family, we visited some communities surrounding the community of Aoti where our missionaries have been developing the ministry of evangelization and discipleship among the different Asháninka communities in the area. We had the opportunity to travel to three communities in the area of the lower Perene River, encouraging them, sharing the word and finally donating a pair of sandals for each of the children, adolescents and some adults. The three communities visited that were blessed are: Pampa Mercado, Chontaquiari, Pomporito and the elders of the dining room of the community of Aoti.

Atalaya Missionary Base

In mid-May, with God's help, along with my wife and Sister Renee, we were able to support the seventh Sunday School Teacher Training at our mission base in the city of Atalaya. Our missionaries, the Acatrinei and Gerbacea families, were the hosts of this training, and they worked hard in all the preparations to make this training a great blessing to the participants. All the teaching was organized in 6 volumes of Bible lessons and pictures with corresponding verses, songs, and pictures.

There were approximately 45 participants from Asháninka communities, Ashéninkas from Gran Pajonal, Yine and several sisters from the Atalaya (Mestizos) churches. In this training we had a missionary focus, our desire being to motivate the participants to think beyond their community, their group of children, and go and share the Word with those who do not know it, or in communities where there is no church or Sunday school.

We had the joy of hearing from some people who have already taken this initiative (a sister from the Sharahuaja community and another sister from the Yine community) who started a work in communities or annexes where there is no evangelical presence, and others who committed themselves to do this. In one of the group activities that were carried out, they were asked to mark on a map the names of the communities that surround them (close to the communities where they live). At the end they were asked to identify all those that do not have evangelical churches and those that do not have Sunday school. It was surprising for them and for us to learn that there are so many communities with nothing and that they need someone who can bring them the gospel. At the end of this activity, we prayed for the needs of these communities so that God would raise up more workers for His harvest.

Personal 

During these past months the experiences lived are varied, only with the help of the Lord am I trying to overcome any difficulties that arose within my life and in the ministry.

I am learning to manage my emotions, attitudes, and reactions in difficult times, and to understand my ministry partners as well as the other people around me.

I have had moments of discouragement, but I give thanks to God for His word that has always been and will be the support of my life, my family and the ministry that the Lord has entrusted to us. I remember what Isaiah 41:10 says: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God who strives you; I will always help you, I will always uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness." This passage has become for me as the stone of testimony of God's presence in my life.

Family

I thank God for His care, protection, and guidance during this period of time.

I have two daughters: The eldest Stephanie is 31 years old, single, lives alone in the city of Chiclayo. She continues to study and work, to pay for her studies and meet her basic needs.

The second Abigail, 28, lives in the city of Atalaya, studies online and does some jobs to be able to support herself and get ahead. Abigail has a 7-year-old daughter, who studies in a public school.

My wife has pterygium that at certain times causes redness, irritation and discomfort, according to the doctor they have to operate on her. Waist, foot and hand pain are controllable with the massages that are performed to relieve the pain.

I had two hernias detected in my lower back; there are times when the pain makes it uncomfortable for me to walk. I have to start a therapy treatment, but due to the responsibilities within the ministry and the trips I make, for the moment I have not started treatment.

Prayer and Praise Points

1)  Pray for wisdom, direction, and guidance in the work we do among the ethnic groups of our Amazon.
2) Pray that the Word of God will bring changes in the spiritual lives of adults, adolescents and children, in the different communities where our mission teams carry out their work.
3) Pray for the economic provision for the monthly sustenance of our national and indigenous missionaries.
4) Pray for my family, that God will strengthen us each day in our personal pursuit of Him, and that we will apply what the Lord teaches us in His word.
5) Please pray for the spiritual, emotional, and physical lives of Stephanie, Abigail, and Camila, my granddaughter.
6) Pray for the health of my wife and mine, that God will help us to improve so that we can continue to serve Him in the place where we are developing the ministry.
7) Pray for the new challenges we have this new year among the ethnicities. To have more workers and missionaries among them.
8) Pray for the trips I must make in these last months of this year to the mission fields where our missionaries are.
9) Pray for the resources we need to go around the base at Atalaya.
10) Pray that God will provide us with the economic resources that we lack in the construction of my house in the city of Chiclayo.

Comments

A special thanks to our God and to you, beloved brothers and sisters, for all the support you give us in favour of the missionary work we carry out, in favour of the native communities where we visit and in the fields where our missionaries are. Thank you very much for your prayers and offerings, which are very important and valuable in the fulfilment of the mission where our good God has entrusted us in his grace.

With thanks and special appreciation
For the advancement of the gospel

Manuel and Lucy Salazar