It's A Jungle Out There!

Serving in the jungles of Peru   No Images? Click here

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It's a jungle out there! One of my recent flights was to drop off a short-term mission team into a community named Breu. From Breu, they traveled by river and hiked another 20+ hours to a village named SAWAWO! The group's perseverance in traveling to SAWAWO led to 47 people accepting Christ! The church (from the US) that sent this team is looking at setting up an airstrip and adopting that village…exciting!  Pray for these new believers, that God will protect them and grow their faith.  Click the video below to see a short documentary that the team made detailing their adventure.

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..."from every nation, tribe, people, and language."  The Centro de Capacitación Bíblica (CCB) works with indigenous groups to equip them to evangelize in areas that are better served by national missionaries.  Just this month our family attended the graduation ceremony for nineteen students that completed three years of intense Bible training (nine couples and one single). Gioconda interpreted for the head of United Servants Abroad (who gave the charge), and the following day SAMAIR began transporting these couples back to their communities.  I had the privilege of flying several couples to a small village called “Fatima” on the Rio Tapiche, where members of this group are looking to plant 25 churches amongst the Capanahua Indians…in a section where no churches exist!  Pray that God will protect, embolden, and ultimately use these national missionaries to bring the Gospel of Christ to those that have not had a chance to hear!

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In an effort to assure the spiritual health of our teenage children in the mission community, a group of us have recently started a Youth Group for High School aged Third Culture Kids (TCK).  In our small mission community there are eleven kids that are able to participate, and so far everyone of them is attending regularly.  As you might imagine, Satan knows that the easiest way to bring a family off the mission field is through family issues.  Please pray that we are able to effectively share the love of Christ with our children as well as to those that we serve in the jungles of Peru.  Above: The current High School class at SAM Academy (81.81% of the Youth Group) pictured during the homecoming celebration.  Much thanks to give Our family has much to be thankful for as we reflect upon the amazing works that God is doing through the many churches, ministries, and people that have decided to see what happens when we filter the needs of others through the commands of Jesus.  Thank you to each one who partners together with our family, through prayer and financial support, to enable the work taking place!   Our Sincerest Love and Appreciation,

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To Give Online If you would like to make an online tax deductible contribution, or sign up as a monthly team member,  click here.  choose "select a Proclaim Missionary" and you will see the Armstrongs.   To Give by Mail If you would like to download a support form and mail to Proclaim Aviation Ministries (instructions are on the form), Click here to download the form.

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Where are the Gringos

Serving in the jungles of Peru   No Images? Click here

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Where Are The Gringos? The word "Gringo" isn't necessarily a term of endearment regardless of what context it is being applied, but you know it is going downhill fast when a group of men force their way on a boat and demand an answer to the question "where are the gringos?"   There were three separate occasions this summer where a team of missionaries were targeted (or in danger by nature of their travel), that God used SAMAIR to avert volatile situations.

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An outreach team travels to a nearby community called "Nuevo Paraiso" (New Paradise) to work with local children in this small Shipibo village.  SAMAIR accomplished six shuttle flights (less than 15 minutes each way) to transport the team and their equipment, saving 8 hours of travel time on the river.  Nationals who traveled back by river reported that all of the belongings were searched by men looking for equipment from the Americans...but to no avail as everyone (and everything) had already been flown back safely.   Another group traveling back from Iparia, encountered a similar situation after SAMAIR completed two flights (30 minutes each way) shuttling missionaries back to Pucallpa.  National workers were bringing back supplies when their boat was boarded by men asking "where are the gringos?"  After finding no gringos, the men left without further incident. Lastly, a group of ten missionaries scouting out villages to build fresh water wells, found themselves trapped in a town that was having political unrest against the government.  Any type of travel was completely forbidden and very dangerous.  SAMAIR was able to arrange a quiet exit to a nearby community, where the group was shuttled by float-plane to a safe location, so they could be brought back to Pucallpa.  In the end it took all three airplanes flying over 18 hours that day to safely bring the team home.  Over a week later we received the following note from one of the leaders, "Honestly, we couldn't have gotten out of the strike situation without your brainstorming and all the extra efforts that went in to getting us all out...by the news on radio/TV, my daughter and I think that we might still be there since the strike escalated." Another team member wrote, "We needed you…and you were there!"  For those who are praying for SAMAIR and the flying taking place...THANK YOU, please do not stop!

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How do you capture the thrill of taking off over 80-ft trees at the end of a small river deep in the jungles, or attending a Bible dedication of the very first copies being delivered  to a small village? How do you convey the anxiety a mother has while holding her child that will die if they don't make it out of the jungle? SAMAIR is seeing God at work throughout the jungles of Peru, and there is no way to adequately capture all of that on video or even to describe in words. "Salt & Light" is a four-minute micro-glimpse of the amazing ministry and flying that you are enabling...THANK YOU!

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Raising support is an interesting balance between faith and practicality.  I would never take off over the jungle without being absolutely sure the airplane had adequate fuel to complete the flight...yet when it comes to finances, our family is in Peru "in faith" that our financial needs will be met.  Circumstances change for many individuals and donations ebb and flow leaving our family financially in the grey (not black or red).  Honestly, it is an uncomfortable place to be, but our faith holds steady that God will provide in His timing.  With that said, the practical side of me says that we can not remain indefinitely in ministry at 60-65% of an already modest budget, and now is the time to stabilize the ministry. Our family currently needs to makeup a shortfall of $1000/month to remain fiscally responsible to the ministries of SAMAIR & Proclaim, and we are actively seeking people who will make a monthly commitment of any amount towards that goal...will you help?   To Give Online If you would like to make an online tax deductible contribution, or sign-up as a monthly team member,  click here.  choose "select a Proclaim Missionary" and you will see the Armstrongs.   To Give by Mail If you would like to download a support form and mail to Proclaim Aviation Ministries (instructions are on the form), Click here to download the form. We would love to hear from you! Please do send an email with updates and how we can be praying for you!   Our Sincerest Love,

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John & Gioconda Armstrong Proclaim Aviation Ministries PO Box 356 Worthington, MN 56187   "Beyond The Roads" is a ministry update from John & Gioconda Armstrong. If you no longer wish to receive these updates, simply click the "unsubscribe" below. Preferences   |   Unsubscribe

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No More Seas...or Jungles?

I once heard a sermon preached on Revelations 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."  The Pastor lamented the fact that there would not be a sea, as he was very fond of the ocean.  He went on to explain that while John was writing the book of revelations he was in prison on an island, and the sea represented isolation.  In heaven, isolation will no longer exist.

I can't help but imagine that a large percentage of the people we serve in Peru, feel the same sense of isolation due to the dense jungle.  One day there will be a new heaven and new earth where these types of geographical challenges no longer exist, until then we will keep using the airplane to break through the isolation with the love of God.  

God at work!

46 days after being in the jungles of Peru, 5 days after running out of food, and weeks from help on the river...these guys were praying for a miracle!  Click to watch how God used SAMAIR to be an answer to that prayer!

Jason & Josh are two independent missionaries that have a focus on the “un-evangelized.” In early May, the two of them set out on what was supposed to be a 30 day trip that included a trek through the jungle to a river which would lead to an area of “un-evangelized” peoples.  They had a satellite tracker that they could send out messages to friends who were following their progress (in the US).  Five days into the trip, they were having difficulty making it through the jungle and sent out a message requesting prayer.  On day 6, their track on the satellite showed some funny paths (like they were going in circles), and they lost communications sometime near that point.   This wasn’t their first trip into the jungle, and their team back in the US wasn’t too concerned as they are both skilled survivalists.  About day 30 after they started their trip, we received a call from their team in the US to see if we could locate them.  The guys eventually made it to the river and built a raft, but progress was slow.    They were hoping to reach a ranger station within 8 days of being on the river.  By day 40, they ran out of food, and were still weeks away from any chance of contact.  We found them on day 45 and dropped supplies, and picked them up on day 46 and brought them to Cashibo.   By that point, they were on their 3rd raft (one broke, one was washed away), and they were pretty weak. 

The search route was based on their actual track and projected route (information that was 40 days old). Praise God it all worked as planned!