“Life on the foreign mission field can be exciting, but a week ago I had an unusual day. My "weatherman" skills were weak and no sooner had I landed in Toñampade than a huge weather front came rolling over the top. It began to rain and then it poured and didn’t stop for hours and hours. Well, what do you do when everyone disappears to the warmth of their huts and fires…one does what the jungle demands, we seek shelter and wait. So, I did, but I did not have to wait alone. Coba, a Waorani brother, decided to stick with me. He looked very, very old, and his long hair had plenty of grey, something almost unknown to the Indians. His frame was thick and wide and well worn from years of hard work and the many miles he has walked in his lifetime. Although he wore only a thin raggedy T-shirt and a pair of shorts, his dark, brown body didn’t even seem to notice the cold rain that kept falling. As he stood barefoot, his great toes turned strangely inward, seemingly gripping the jungle floor. His body bore scars from days gone by, but now Coba’s warm broad smile could easily disarm any foe.

“In the late afternoon the weather began to break a little and life began to appear from everywhere. As young people gathered, a school teacher came up who was fluent in Spanish as well as Waorani. Now I would get to learn a little about my new friend’s life. Was he a Christian? When did he first begin to trust Jesus as his Savior? He told me about his childhood, and when the missionaries came and his relationship with the Lord. We talked some about the unreached Tagaeri and how they might be located and reached. But, then it came time for the school teacher to speak.

“The school teacher’s interest was in the English language. He told me about a tourist who had stayed with the tribe for a couple of months teaching the students English and how everyone loved it and actually began to understand. He asked if I could send someone else to do that again…well, of course I thought, “What an opportunity this could be!” and immediately I thought of YOU. I promised I would write and ask if you would consider coming to teach them English. Will you? That is, will you put the idea before the Lord and consider it? I hope you will. If for some reason you know you can’t…would you help us try to find some Christian brother or sister who will? Please pray God will send someone.”

Rick and Sharon LaBouef  minister in Shell, Ecuador. They evangelize in the local park and also fly to remote jungle areas, sometimes showing the Jesus film. They trust that God’s Word will not return void. For the adventure of your life, call Christians in Action for information about answering God’s call to missions!

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