Report from Manuel and Luci Cortez

Ministry

Travel to the Yanesha community

We travelled from Lima to the city of Villa Rica, arriving at a time when the vehicles leave early for the Izcozacin district. Sometimes it is a bit of a worry as it is difficult to obtain vehicles that go to Santa Maria. We are thankful to the Lord who provided us a vehicle to take us. Our worker Santiago Pascual was waiting for us, and we stayed with him at his home.

Our participation there was to teach the children which Luci was in charge of, and I was with the adults. With them I was able to teach about the formation of the church using the first chapters of the book of Acts. In the meeting there were pastors, teachers and leaders of the communities of Yunculmás, Unión de la Selva, Unión Progreso y Santa María. 

The participation of the churches wasn’t what the host church, Santa Maria, was hoping for. There were a few leaders that participated on the anniversary of the church in Santa Maria. They were grateful to God and to Segadores for their presence and the participation of Manuel and Luci. During the classes the participants were very attentive to the teaching, and after every class we gave them pages of work to do so that they would continue to develop, they could work individually and in groups to be able to help them. 

I shared the teachings in the mornings and afternoons for two days. In the night meetings Santiago Pascual’s son preached.

We had conversations with Santiago in relation to the needs of the ministry and personal matters. He informed me that the Yanesha churches in the association are passing through difficult times, there are leaders who are ill and their wives as well, and there are not many young leaders involved in missionary work. The leaders of the Association of Yanesha churches are looking to be able to meet with Segadores to coordinate a way in which they would be able to help them to advance the formation of their leaders and in the preaching of the gospel in the communities where there is no Christian presence. I proposed the possibility that we will be able to help them. 

Travel to the Junikuin ethnic group

In September God opened the door to be able to travel to Puerto Esperanza, which is close to the border of Peru with Brazil. The trip was with our Segadores missionary, Oscar Tello. Several years ago, Oscar helped to start a small Junikuin congregation by God’s grace. During our stay there, and with the Junikuin Christians there, we were able to have a Bible study with the church. Oscar and I shared subjects in relation to the Christian life, material that Peter Hocking wrote, and it was very helpful and a blessing.

Oscar touched on themes in relation to Christian living and how to correct problems in your life. For the Junikuin Christians it was something new, even though it was based in the Scriptures. They had a lot of questions that, with the Lord’s help, we could respond to them using the Word of God. The topics were appropriate because of the necessities and difficulties they were experiencing. We understood that the time with them was very much a blessing and encouragement for them. The leaders shared with us that they hadn’t had support in the teaching of the Word of God. They are wanting us to return to be able to help them more.

While there we helped the church to engage the services of a man who has a sawmill for him to provide us with boards and framing timber in order to build walls around the church because as yet the church was not secure.

Thank the Lord we were able to leave the materials with the church members so that they can start the building process. On the other hand, the need of teaching and discipling in the church and with the leaders is big. 

Training of the Sunday School teachers in the Atalaya Sunday School

My wife and I travelled to Atalaya the first week of November to help our missionary team in the training of the Christians in the Atalaya churches and the communities by the Urubamba River also participated. The participants from the diverse communities who attended stayed in the accommodation available during the three days of the training. We provided accommodation, food and half the travel costs. We give thanks to God, our supporters and Segadores for the support needed for this training because due to this we were able to provide the materials that were used for the pages of verses, songs and the books for the bible lessons.

In this training there were people from the Shipibo, Ashaninka, Yine and mixed ethnic groups that participated. 

Travel to the Ashaninka community of Oviri

After giving the training in Atalaya we travelled with the training team which was formed with two Romanian families, my wife and I, to the community of Oviri. We were in Oviri for three days helping with continuing the Bible studies and teaching the Sunday School teachers. This time I invited people from the congregation who wanted to help, now that the bible lessons that they gave are done in a form of bible studies, using a modern style of teaching.

We had good participation and great interest by the people to study and understand the Scriptures. There were plenty of conversations between people where we could hear the struggles and trials they face, things that brought us to our knees to ask God to bring revival to the Ashaninka communities. 

The Cheni Ashaninka community

After we finished the training in Oviri we travelled to Cheni to participate in the church anniversary. There we were joined by Roel and Andrea who are in the ministry. They are one of the Romanian families who had to return to Atalaya. This church has experienced many problems, especially in the last year. There was a heavy atmosphere felt in the first two days of the anniversary, even though the people sang and worshipped God. Some of the Christians that were in Oviro came with us to Cheni and the second day of the anniversary they asked us about it, as they had also seen that there was no joy reflected in the faces of the people leading the worship. We shared with them that there had been problems within the church, but we didn’t give them any details. The marvellous thing was that God was preparing their hearts for the precise moment. The studies shared from the Word of God were used and the Holy Spirit brought conviction of their sin. The people started to be touched by God through a lot of teaching they were hearing and things started to change.

Ángel, the husband of Anamelva, gave his testimony in front of the congregation, speaking of how God touched his life by the death of his wife. Even though only he was included in the programme by giving his testimony, from there various people stood up who wanted to speak about their problems, sins and falling away from God. Within these people there was a woman and a brother of Anamelva who had previously been accused by the people of witchcraft and who had been taken to a healer to be cured.  They recognised their sins before the congregation and asked forgiveness from God and the family. The meeting should have finished at midnight but this time it didn’t finish until 2.30 in the morning. It gave us a lot of joy to see the work of God in their lives and we asked God that He would continue to speak to them and change them so that it would not just be an emotion in the moment that lasted for a short time. Our desire is to see these people lifting Him up and walking strongly with Him, trusting in the Lord.

On Sunday, the last day of the anniversary, it rained from dawn and after the end of the meeting we had a baptism for three young people. Within the group was Angel, the husband of Anamelva. The rain just didn’t stop but we decided to continue with the baptisms. With all of the church and equipped with plastic and corrugated iron we went to a river that was near the church and along with brother Liviu we baptised three people. It was so great to be part of the work of God and to see God is working in their lives and in the church in Cheni. 

We finished our time there with a lovely meal that we had to eat quickly because we had to get to the port where a boat was waiting. A few of the church members came with us until we got to the boat, and we could talk with them some more and guide them in the way of the Lord. His steps are perfect, and He always amazes us with His works. Blessed be His name.

Moving the Nagy family to the Ashaninka community of Aoti

The Nagy family have worked jointly with the missionary team in the city of Atalaya helping in the Ashaninka communities of Maucayapi, Aerija and others by the Tambo river.

After nearly 10 years of service God confirmed a change of place for their ministry and the Nagy family, in obedience to the Lord, travelled in the first week of November to the Ashaninka community of Aoti to live with them and support the missionary work of Antonia, one of our missionaries. I had to travel to Aoti to help the Nagy family establish themselves in the Aoti community. We needed to be there to present the Nagy family in a community meeting and subsequently to the church in Aoti, where Antonia is developing the missionary work. 

Personal 

I give thanks to God that during the last 6 months of 2024 He has been my shield and strength in the midst of challenges in the ministry and in my personal life. The struggles and trials that I have been through have been difficult, but thanks to the Lord’s help I have been able to get ahead.  

I have my confidence in the Lord, and I need to be prudent in my conversations.

There are different circumstances in life that God is using to improve my spiritual walk, building my character and faith in Him.

I have gone through some difficult moments, internal battles in relation to the ministry, and family matters where my faith and confidence in the Lord were tested. I give thanks to God and His Word which have held me and strengthened me in the midst of whatever circumstance. I praise God for His love, mercy and all He is to me. 

Family

We give thanks to God that, in spite of health problems, we continue to serve the Lord.

We understand through His Word that He is our doctor and healer and has the power to work in a great way in favour of us, by faith and also through the doctors and conventional medicine. 

Prayer and Praise Points

1) Pray for knowledge, direction and guidance in the work that we do within our Amazonian ethnic groups.
2) Pray for the workers and missionaries within the different ethnic groups in our Amazon.
3) Pray for the trips that we have to do to the diverse mission fields that our missionaries are working in.
4) Pray that the Word of God will bring changes in the spiritual lives of the adults, teenagers and children in the communities where our missionaries are working.
5) Pray for my family, wife and children that God will strengthen us each day in our personal search of Him and that we continue doing what the Lord teaches us in His Word.
6) Pray for my wife’s health and mine, that God will help us to get better so we can continue to serve Him in the area of developing the ministry.
7) Pray that God will provide the funds needed to buy a new laptop. The one I currently use is quite old and causes problems sometimes, it goes slow and sometimes delays in turning on.  

Gratitude

Thank you for blessing us and for being part of the work of our God towards the native communities. The achievements we reach are possible thanks to your generosity and belief in our missionary work.

Thank you very much for your valuable contribution and unconditional support.

Thank you because together we are building a better future for the Christians in the different native communities.  

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine on us, so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations."
Psalms 67:1,2

With much appreciation in the Lord  

Manuel Salazar Cortez