"WHAT A WONDERFUL STORY OF HOW GOD WORKS THROUGH HIS PEOPLE!" |
"SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STORY. GOD IS GREAT." |
"VERY CHALLENGING, EXCITING AND ENCOURAGING" |
When Auca warriors of Ecuador murdered the five missionaries who were reaching out to them in 1956, it awakened Ivan Schoen to their need for Christ. He put in his notice at work that very day, packed up his family and headed to the heart of the Suriname jungle with three young children in tow. What began as a mission to share the message of Jesus with the indigenous people became a powerful story of redemption, hope and life.
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As it stands now, we have two stations completely constructed and operational. [They] are not on air yet, but they are practicing and creating radio content to broadcast soon.
We had not planned to complete the entire project, as we did not have the necessary funding; however, in the last few weeks, God put it on the heart of one individual to provide the remaining $20,000. What a tremendous answer to prayer and a wonderful example of how we partner together in ministry.
This, of course, put us into overdrive, having to reorganize and replan all our efforts. Miraculously, God enabled us to purchase all the building materials and solar and electronic supplies, much of which had to come from the US. We have already received most of it in Suriname, and the rest is projected to arrive just in time. Once in Suriname, we have to sort it by village and package it to fit in the small MAF airplane.
I plan to be here for a little over two months. Our goal is to put fencing up around the football-sized antenna fields at the two main transmitter sites, make some repairs and upgrades to the equipment at those stations, and continue the training of the radio operators.
Additionally, we will be adding two broadcast booths on each side of the country. The indigenous population is largely divided, with a large grouping in the center of the country, and equally large groupings along the east and west borders of French Guiana and Guiana. We will be building small broadcast stations situated in the two largest villages on each border. This will enable them to connect with the transmitters via Star Link and broadcast from their own village. This is critical for community purposes as well as to provide an opportunity for the indigenous churches to incorporate their own leadership and develop their own content for the radio. The Trio will have two radio operators, one from each of the regions they live in. The Wayana will have the same.
My goal is to have both transmitters and all four broadcast stations operational and on the air with programming by the time I leave.
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray that all our equipment arrives safely and on time.
- Pray for good weather, as it is the rainy season, and bad weather can shut down our airstrips in the interior.
- Pray for health and safety for my team, along with all the Indians who will be helping.
A New Stone Age Tribe
We have reports that there has been a sighting of Stone Age people moving north out of Brazil into Suriname. They are likely being pressured by illegal gold and lumber mining. We are unable to contact these unreached tribes in Brazil as the Brazilian government does not allow it. If we contact them in Suriname, however, we can build relationships and share the gospel. I am praying about putting together an expedition once I have finished with the radio work. We do not have the funding to make this trip now, but should the Lord provide the funds in the future, I would like to see if we can make first contact with this new tribe. If he wants me to try to contact these people at this time, then he will provide the resources we need. If not, then he obviously has another plan in mind.
"My heart is overflowing with gratitude and thanksgiving to our Lord Savior Jesus Christ. It’s been a long haul, but He has brought this to fruition.
"Station number one is up and complete. We haven’t programmed the worship or teaching yet, but the training is scheduled for after the completion of the next station. On behalf of these people and all who will hear God’s word proclaimed, I say thank you, Lord Jesus, and thank you to all of you who have played apart in this project.
"I’m so thankful for each and everyone of you. We’re not there yet. We have one more station to go and all the translation of Thru the Bible. Feeling pretty overwhelmed with gratitude and thanksgiving and just praising Jesus. The first test of the system only up to 200 watts, and we’re very close to the antenna at the moment, but it’s working. Praise Jesus! We’ll crank it up to 500 watts and do some more tests. The good news is that we are near completion at the first village.” — Tom Schoen
While the programs will be in the Wayana and Trio languages, you can see and hear an English test broadcast below:
Following the Nov. 8 public release of Lifted: A Dying Tribe Encounters New Life, TWR missionary Tom Schoen reported that its impact was already being felt among the Wayana people of Suriname.
Schoen hosted a showing of Lifted at a local village using a borrowed projector and a generator, drawing a large crowd. He conveyed that everyone was moved and inspired by the film. Afterward, young Wayana elders challenged the congregation to be more active in sending out missionaries again. Seeing how others left their comfortable lives and risked everything to bring the gospel to the unreached tribe, the elders said they too should be willing to leave the comfort of their homes, gardens and church gatherings to carry that message onward.
In addition to spiritual impact, the Wayana were blessed by their history being brought to life. While they had heard bits and pieces from their parents, many of the new generation had never heard the full story of their people’s old ways and the transformation the gospel brought. Schoen marveled at how the same conviction he had prayed for global audiences of Lifted to experience was occurring among the very people the film was about.