With New Tribes Mission I got to go to the Gran Chaco last week whilst it was in full bloom, its arid flatlands brought to life and various shades of green thanks to God's giving them an abundance of rain recently. For some it was a blessing as it watered the crops, whilst for others they were flooded. When seeing such a difference in the results I remember Elihu's words to Job (Elihu was the only friend of Job's whom wasn't rebuked by God for speaking falsehood about Him) when he said, He brings clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show His love. (Job 37:13). This shows me how God uses things usually used as a blessing to often speak to people by causing it to not be a blessing. Elihu also said earlier, 'He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth," and to the rain shower, "Be a mighty downpour." So that all men He has made may know His work, He stops every man from his labor.' (37:6-7) God communicates to people through many ways, although they don't hear it. Earlier still Elihu said as much, 'For God does speak -now one way, now another- though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision in the night... He may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep from pride... or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain... God does all these things to a man -twice, even three times- to turn back his soul from the grave. (33:14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 29, 30).
God speaks to us through difficult events, through illness, through creation, though we don't often understand it, and we remain in our rebellion and even get angry at God for brining calamity when He is actually bringing it to get their attention, 'For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in My sight and chose what displeases Me.' (Isaiah 66:4)
While in the Chaco we visited the Ayoré tribe who are having the complete Holy Bible translated into their language, and as I looked over a book of their Bible, I saw a very long word which caught my eye, Angoninguíteguesáque, and I asked what it meant so I could learn a Ayoré word. The Bible translator said it meant open-eardness, and its antonym is Pangoninguíteparitigáde which is closed-eardness. Who has their ears open to God's voice I wonder in the Ayoré tribe, in the Gran Chaco amidst its recent difficulties, and around the rest of the world I wonder?
Here are some other pictures from the tribe and other places I saw last week.
God speaks to us through difficult events, through illness, through creation, though we don't often understand it, and we remain in our rebellion and even get angry at God for brining calamity when He is actually bringing it to get their attention, 'For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in My sight and chose what displeases Me.' (Isaiah 66:4)
While in the Chaco we visited the Ayoré tribe who are having the complete Holy Bible translated into their language, and as I looked over a book of their Bible, I saw a very long word which caught my eye, Angoninguíteguesáque, and I asked what it meant so I could learn a Ayoré word. The Bible translator said it meant open-eardness, and its antonym is Pangoninguíteparitigáde which is closed-eardness. Who has their ears open to God's voice I wonder in the Ayoré tribe, in the Gran Chaco amidst its recent difficulties, and around the rest of the world I wonder?
Here are some other pictures from the tribe and other places I saw last week.
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| Tribal pastor |
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| Pastor teaching. |
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| Bible translators. |
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| Ayore dolls. |
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| Tribe guy with an awesome face. |
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| This man was kind enough to do an interview for us. |
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| People from a different tribe to the West. |
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| Kids from 2nd tribe. |
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| Smiles. |
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| Heading out of a tribal community. |
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| Anthony found this outhouse interesting as its throne was sideways... |
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| ...so he demonstrated the angle a person should sit! |
