When José Chillambo first appeared three years ago for our church planting training, all he could talk about was missions. He is a fairly new believer, but has always had a one-track mind about missions. The tougher the territory, the more excited he gets! Over the years, we have seen him mature and develop spiritually. It has become evident to all of us that the Lord is calling him to serve as a transcultural missionary.In August of this year, Jose will be sent by the Guayaquil house churches to serve on the IMB Xtreme Team in Peru. He will be our first "homegrown" transcultural missionary to be sent out to the ends of the earth from the Guayaquil house churches.
The Xtreme Team is not for just anybody. It is, to say the least, quite eXtreme...
"People who live in the easy-to-reach places have heard the Gospel. The people in the hard-to-reach places haven’t...How will they be reached? The Xtreme Team is Western South America’s answer.
If traditional forces can’t get in, Special Forces must be trained. If traditional strategies aren’t reaching them, Xtreme strategies have to. The Xtreme Team leaders will train teams of young men to reach people in the most isolated and difficult-to-access places. The training will produce the best trained mission force in the region. They will be physically, mentally and spiritually ready to reach people who have been overlooked for centuries.
This one is definitely not for everyone. Those who cannot or will not do tough physical work, or those who are not willing to suffer for the Lord better look elsewhere. The Xtreme Team members will go where the rest of the world is unable, or at least unwilling to go. They will explore some of the most extreme, isolated and inaccessible places on earth and take the gospel to those who live where no one else has reached...
This is where Jose's heart lies: going where the Gospel has never gone before. It will take $200/month to support Jose. The Guayaquil house churches have already begun to raise his support. It comes in amounts ranging from a few pennies to a few dollars per week. Our goal is to support him financially for two years in this missions venture.
Will you pray for Jose? He will need all the prayer support he can get!
5 comments:
That is very exciting to hear. Will there be any way for him to contact anyone once he is in Peru? It would be great to hear some stories, but I'm guessing that may not be possible until he returns after 2 years. I will pray for Jose.
SAM
Once engaged in mission, these guys have very little contact with the outside world. My understanding is they go in for several weeks at a time and then return to a "safe house" to recuperate a few days, check email, make calls, etc. and then return to the bush. Thanks for your prayers for Jose.
I am sure Jeremy will take good care of Jose. He will make him work like everything; but he will take good care of him. Let us know when he is headed our way. Perhaps I can find a moment to tell him hello before he gets out of Lima.
Kevin,
José is headed your way around mid-August. We are still waiting on some information from J. about how to get José where he needs to go. It has been interesting observing José dealing with many of the issues (saying good-bye to family, wondering if he has what it takes, etc.) we all deal with when it finally dawns on us we are actually going overseas. It is so neat to see one of our own has sensed in his own heart the same fire we have in ours to see Christ glorified in every tribe and nation.
Guy,
I am also praying for the day that our Peruvian brothers also step up their missionary efforts. I was blessed to help the CMA church recently in their missions conference. The most emotional part for me was speaking with one couple headed to a Central Asian country. They understand the cost. They are willing to lay down their lives for Christ. May God raise up more South Americans like Jose and this couple!
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