Come and see what God is doing in the jungles of the Amazon basin! We feel humbled and honored that He has chosen and enabled us to serve Him in this beautiful place.
Pascua.
Happy Easter! He is risen indeed! What a wonder that the God of the universe came to die for sinners like me and you so that we could be in his family. He is worthy of all our praise!
Life has been busy and full for us these last couple of months. We had to say goodbye to a precious couple who has been serving as missionaries at the Swiss Mission for as long as we have lived here. We even had the honor of hosting their goodbye party! They are dear friends and have helped us countless times as house sitters when we’ve needed to travel, been the best caretakers for our animals, our main help keeping the pool clean and cheerfully helped fix electrical issues out on the road when power went out - always at the most inconvenient times of course. It feels like a leg has been knocked out from under us, but we trust that God will bless and keep them in their new chapter as well as ourselves as we learn to live here without them.
One of our loving supporting churches has been walking alongside us and praying through some of the big questions about the future of this mission base. They sent us to Lima for a week away from all the busy to rest, pray together, and write down the beginnings of a plan. We’re no longer the young’uns that so naively came down to carve a home and base out of the jungle all by ourselves. Even though we have no plans for leaving, we will not live forever, and we do at least need to begin forming a plan for the eventual handoff of the mission so that it can continue beyond us. There is so much that we don’t know, but we trust that God will guide us and give us wisdom to steward this mission well.
We have found one more way to serve our tribal working missionaries, and that is to host their teams and visitors for them while they’re out in their prospective villages. We were able to pick up a small team that had flown in from the States, feed them and house them here, and then sent them out on their flight with SAMAir (the aviation mission base that neighbors ours) to meet their missionaries. Then after a few days, we did that whole process in reverse. Meeting new people and serving our missionaries in this way was just wonderful! It saves them time and money to not have to come all the way back out just to pick up their visitors, not to mention the cost of the extra flights and hotels as well! We love this so much!
Construction is still trucking along, thank God! The Round Robin is ready for electrical to be run, and the flooring has been delivered – LVT/SPC should be durable and pretty! The little house has it’s floor joists and sub-flooring installed, and exterior siding has begun! There is a missionary family going on a prolonged furlough soon that has need of one the storage containers that Vann has built, but the container needed some fixing up first, so he has been replacing its flooring, welding up holes, running electrical wires to run an air conditioner to preserve their household goods, and will install more shelving. The lifestyle of missionaries is intrinsically transient, so storage is a huge need. We are delighted that we can serve in this way!
In our last newsletter I mentioned our need for a new refrigerator since ours had bit the dust two weeks prior. You guys! The Very. Next. Day. God provided the funds for a brand-new fridge! We are so very thankful for God’s provision, for a new refrigerator that works better than any that we’ve had yet, and for all of you who take your time to read our updates, pray for us, step up to send help, support, and notes of encouragement - you help us feel like we’re not so alone down here! We ask God’s hand of blessing over each of you!
Prayer Requests –
· Praise for returned health after the flu came through our family.
· Travel mercies and strength for our upcoming trip for Corynn’s graduation.
· Our friends here that are mourning the loss of their family members – one family lost a brother, and the other a young husband and father.
· The base needs a 60kw generator that will power the whole base (all of the houses and the camp) during our frequent power outages. Vann has found a used one here in country for $8,000
· We will soon need another mower. Vann has been welding and repairing the current one, and it is limping along, however it will need to be replaced soon. Ten years ago, God miraculously provided our current John Deere 72” zero-turn and it has been a huge blessing. We are anxious to see how and what he will provide next.
"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain." - George Bennard
2024.
As this new year begins, we are inclined to reflect on the last year and count our many blessings. One of the biggest ones for us is that Corynn and Ethan were able to come home for the holidays! This was the first time that we were apart for a full year – from last Christmas to this Christmas. It was a long year, but God gives more grace. We are grateful beyond words to one of our dearest friends and supporting church that raised funds for our kid’s tickets. What a special way to serve your missionaries – making sure that we can spend Christmas together when it is the most expensive time of year to travel – even our national tickets go way up!
Vann worked hard on his free evenings and Saturdays in December to fix up the kid’s bikes, the pottery shed, and finished the two-year-long-project of the boat repair (it was someone else’s totaled 35-year-old Boston Whaler) so that we could spend some of our time all together having fun. We enjoyed our Perú – good food, sweet friends, and our beautiful jungle lake, tributaries, rivers, and waterfalls while making precious memories!
Corynn turned 21 years old last month! She is a beauty inside and out - which emanates from her love and devotion to Jesus. She is following His leading in her life, and we just could not be more proud. Classes have begun now for the last semester of her undergraduate studies, and it is her most full and rigorous semester yet. She could certainly use your prayers! We are, Lord willing, planning to attend her graduation in May, so when she and Ethan left after Christmas, the goodbye was only for half a year this time!
Construction is going well on the next two mission houses! The Round Robin is being plumbed while the little house now has a roof, and the floor joists are being built. It will act as a shed for building materials while the Round Robin is being finished. We’ve had several meetings this month with a couple of tribal working missionary families and their leadership teams to discuss particulars for living in these houses, using the storage units that Vann built, and our support services. We cannot finish these houses fast enough – there is an urgent need for the type of housing and support that this mission base offers. God is so good – where He leads, He supplies!
A few prayer requests:
· Teammates – we desperately need help maintaining this base. The more we build, the more upkeep is needed, and Vann can only do so much.
· Vann’s health – he is getting some testing to make sure that his cardiovascular system is functioning as it should. Considering his genetics, it’s a necessary precaution.
· My health – I am feeling stronger, and my heart feels better with my new steroid treatment. I am learning how to manage my dosage schedule so that I can make it through the days – I still tire easily, but with rest I can recover!
· Our carpenter friend, Abraham’s wife died after a long battle with cancer. We are thankful that she was a believer but her family still needs prayer for comfort in their grief.
· Continued healing for a couple of young boys in our community that have suffered broken legs from soccer injuries – one is an MK with a recent break, and Milka’s son’s leg is still not quite right after many months.
· Our refrigerator broke after a prolonged brownout while we were not home over two weeks ago. The process of repairing it is complicated since it was so kindly donated from the States several years ago, and the parts and firmware are completely different down here. We are very thankful for the temporary use of our neighbor’s fridge while we sort this out. New appliances are crazy expensive here – probably due to the insanely difficult and costly import process in our beloved Perú.
· Our dear friends are moving to the States after receiving their visas. We are happy for them and proud of them for doing it legally, but they will be missed - especially since they owned the best clinic and dentist practice in town - their help and care has been a great blessing over the years! It feels a bit like a safety net has been taken away, but we trust that God will provide and care for them in a new land and that He will continue to provide for us even without them here.
Thank you all for your faithful prayers and support for us and this growing mission base! We feel so honored and grateful to get to do this work and to have you all on our team – we certainly couldn’t do this without you and our amazing, great God. We ask Him to bless and keep you all in His loving care.
“The nearer you are brought to Him, the more lively sense you will have of your continual need of Him, and thereby your admiration of His power, love, and compassion, will increase likewise from year to year.” – John Newton
Thanksgiving’23.
This Thanksgiving was a delightfully cool (85°) and rainy day here in the jungle. We hosted a small group of thirty missionaries and had a lovely time of fellowship as we shared good food and our favorite part - hearing what God has done in everyone’s lives and ministries this year! It is a sweet blessing to get to celebrate a holiday with a group of people who have likewise left their families to take the gospel of Christ to the farthest reaches of this vast jungle.
This is the time of year when “beating back the jungle” creeps up the list of priorities, so Vann has spent a lot of time on the tractor. This job is one that he doesn’t really mind most of the time, but this month some different small part has broken every time he’s used it, which takes extra time to repair, or he’s come in with wasp stings all over his face, head, neck, and shoulders – the hazards of life in the jungle. He doesn’t ever complain about the trouble though. Most of the time he just expresses his deep gratitude for such an amazing machine to help run this mission base.
The Round Robin house has been insulated, painted, and the exterior doors installed, so it is officially “dried in” and ready for the finish work inside! So exciting! That also means that the very unpleasant-to-us project of drywall finishing is coming up soon and we would welcome any help if anyone has experience and can come – probably February - March’ish.
We almost lost our three-year-old German Shephard, Master Chief to a mango seed – another hazard of life in the jungle. The silly boy swallowed a mango and gave himself a bowel obstruction that caused him and us a lot of trouble. After said trouble, he is doing quite well and is recovered to his sweet mischievous self, thank God!
We sure do thank God for each of you as you care for us enough to read our updates, pray for us diligently, and support us in this ministry – we lift you up to the throne of our great God who sees, knows, and cares about every detail of your lives. We ask Him to bless and keep you safely in His almighty hands until we meet again.
“Never dull your sense of being your utmost for His highest – your best for His glory.” – Oswald Chambers
Providence.
The rains
have finally come, bringing the grass back in the pastures, mosquitos by the
droves, the waters up in the rivers, and putting an end to the hyper vigilance against
fires. It has always fascinated me how dry the clay earth gets here in between
the rainy seasons – the ground literally cracks open waiting for the rain. It
is a visual for me as to how we are to expectantly wait on God in a dry and
weary land. Only he can quench our thirst!
While it was still dry, Vann had a firebreak cut around the property and cleared some of the dense jungle away from the camp cabins to better protect them from fire in the coming years. He has finished piping the septic and dug out the drainage ponds for the camp bathrooms as well as installing the shower and sink fittings. It is really encouraging for him to see progress in the camp as well as the houses – slowly but surely!
Vann volunteered to go on an emergency reconnaissance flight with SAM Air last Sunday afternoon to look for a downed cargo plane whose pilot and co-pilot are both friends from town. Vann spotted the wreck and took pictures (above) so they could call in the correct coordinates to send out a rescue and recovery team. Miraculously, the young copilot survived having only needed a few stitches! We are so incredibly thankful that his life was spared. Sadly, the pilot was lost. We would ask for your prayers for his family during this difficult time.
Clara turned seventeen this month, and she chose to be baptized in our pool the day before her birthday! Her youth group and neighbors were here to witness her testimony and declaration of her faith in Christ Jesus as her Lord and Savior. All three of our children chose to be baptized when they were sixteen years old! Truly, there is no greater joy than to know that our children are walking in the truth!
Thank you all for your love, prayers, and support for our family and mission! We absolutely could not do any of this without you. It takes the whole body of Christ to work together, unified in our singular goal of making the great name of our great God known and glorified in all the earth!
“I am convinced that there is nothing that can happen to me in this life that is not precisely designed by a sovereign Lord to give me the opportunity to learn to know Him.” – Elisabeth Elliot
One Way.
I have just arrived home from a wonderful, but all-too-short visit with my mother and Veronique, my twin sister in Oregon! Vann and Clara held down the fort and worked diligently here at home while I was gone. My darling little mother who is well now, thank God, has suffered two heart attacks in the last year, and I haven’t been well enough to go to be with her. This is the hardest part of the missionary life – being away from family for years that turn into decades and missing so many of the milestones, celebrations, times of crisis, births, and funerals.
Veronique and I had determined to at least try to celebrate our decade birthdays together. We turned 40 last November and I was too unwell to travel. It was more disappointing and difficult for me than I had anticipated - I can usually face such things with grit and grace knowing that a greater goal lies ahead, but this felt like a deep loss. God sees and cares for me so well through my Vann who knows me better than I know myself at times. Even though he doesn’t understand the bond that I have with my twin, he sees it, and over the years he has made sure to set aside time for us to be together. He calls it our “twin therapy”, and that’s exactly what it is to us! Since our birthday, Vann had been keeping an eye out for a ticket for me to go to Oregon, and as soon as my health took a turn for the better at the end of last month, he found an amazing deal on a last-minute, two-week trip!
Grateful doesn’t even begin to describe the gratitude in my heart. We had a wonderful time, although our time together isn’t truly complete unless our little sister Regina is with us too - she was sorely missed. It was an odd sensation being in the States and not seeing my Regina, my brother, my children, or my Brock family, but my heart is learning to be okay temporarily living in multiple places at once as we look forward to eternity together!
A massive shoutout to the two precious families that sent me with an extra bag (and $ to add it to my ticket) full of our wishlist of needs and wants - what a thoughtful, unique blessing from dear friends! I am supremely thankful to live in the time of air-travel that makes a quick round-trip visit a possibility (when I’m well enough). I am profoundly moved by the example that the One-Way-Missionaries of long ago set as they packed their belongings in their own coffins to move overseas for the sake of the gospel – they waved goodbye to their loved ones knowing that they’d never see them again in this life.
Even though I get to see my family once every few years, it is still hard to say goodbye. The goodbyes get harder as time goes on. So, as I say goodbye, I am choosing to surrender my life, take up my cross, and follow Him joyfully. The gospel compels us to lay down our lives so that the world may know that God came to earth to die in our place so that we can know Him and be saved from sin and death. There is only one way to God. Jesus is the way. Jesus is better than life!
“Time is short. Eternity is long. It is only reasonable that this short life be lived in the light of eternity.”– Charles Spurgeon
Fire.
This was another dry season that brought wildfires our way, and one more season in the books that we can record God’s faithfulness and goodness in His protection of this base! Thank you to all the saints that knew about the fires and prayed for our safety and that of the houses and camp buildings. He hears our prayers! On the first day it was burning straight towards the camp, but the winds died down at dusk and were still all night. Then in the morning the winds picked up again but God shifted it 90 degrees to blow south and it burned almost all of the way down the property towards the dirt road – away from all of the buildings and houses. Vann and I had just that morning been talking about a way to clear that side of the property and realized that it would cost more than we’re able to pay for a tractor to come and bulldoze it, so God sent a fire and directed the winds so that only that side of our property burned as a blessing in disguise!
Vann finished piping the water supply in the new house and the windows are installed! The camp bathrooms are being tiled and the materials for the camp kitchen roof were just delivered. He is also building a cistern for a friend in town so that they have water for more than a few hours a day. God is strengthening and blessing the work of his hands. He just keeps giving everything he has in him every day, pouring out his life as a living sacrifice in obedience to the calling that God has so lovingly placed on us.
I am still doing well! I feel like I am slowly getting stronger and can participate in life more every month. I can cook a meal and clean a bit and have a conversation or visit with someone all in one day and still be well the next day! I was even able to visit a dear friend in the hospital with homemade cookies and garden flowers that I prepared! Our friend could use your prayers – it will be a long recovery from a horrible motorcycle accident that he is very lucky to have survived. But oh, the joy it is to be able to go and see/visit/minister/love on others for a change! Suffering for long, long periods of time changes a person. When we love Jesus, he uses the refining fires of suffering to deepen our dependance on him and to teach us that the love of God is better than life!
The school year has started with a bang for all three of our kiddos! Corynn is beginning her “super senior” year of pre-med classes at Cedarville University – she could use your prayers for strength and endurance to finish well!
Ethan is already loving his engineering classes at Kennesaw State University. We are so incredibly grateful for the healing that God has given him from his concussion and for the provision of such a lovely and safe place for him to live!
Clara is officially a full-time college student at home with her dual enrollment classes online – it’s been a bit of an adjustment, but she is really enjoying the challenge and change of pace. We have got to be the most blessed parents. Ever.
We were thrilled to have Mikey come and visit us for a few all-too-brief days! He brought us some urgently needed tools and equipment, and a whole bunch of goodies that bless us so, but time with him is the real gift. We pray God’s hand of blessing and protection over his precious life!
We pray for each of you – that God would draw your hearts closer to Him and that He would lovingly guide you through your own refining fires so that He gets all the glory for all things!
“Life in the refiner’s fire is a life of trust in the unchanging purifying love of God” – John Piper
Winter.
It is the dead of winter here in the southern hemisphere, and in the jungle, it is dry season. That means dusty dirt roads, low rivers and lakes, 90+ degree days, and slightly fewer mosquitos - which makes the pool extra inviting for everyone and makes for excellent conditions for construction!
The interior walls in the Round Robin house are all built, and the exterior molding is being installed. We’ve been talking to God about providing further funding to continue with the construction of this mission house and several other base infrastructure projects that Vann is working on. This update was going to be a petition for project funds, but instead it is a call to praise God with us for his provision for the next steps before we could even write to ask! While we are in awe and humbled by his omniscience and greatness we are not surprised. These many years of walking by faith and following Jesus has proved his faithfulness every single step of the way! We trust that He knows there are hardworking, church-planting missionary families that are needing this house as soon as possible, and He’s got it – God is in control!
Our church’s youth group has enjoyed coming out here for games, worship, and swimming, and the apartment has been able to bless a few people that have needed a quiet retreat and rest. We are delighted when the facilities here serve our local church and missionary community!
We have immensely enjoyed having one of my closest friends and her daughter here for a quick visit! Their family moved back to Switzerland two years ago after having served here for seventeen years as missionaries with the Swiss mission – our neighbors. She is my sister in Christ, dear friend, and guardian angel – she came nearly every day to care for me and my family during my severe illness after covid when most people couldn’t come or wouldn’t enter someone else’s house. Her selfless ministry to me has left an indelible imprint on my heart that is a reminder of Jesus’ care for me. Goodbyes are hard, but the sweet fellowship of these last few days has made me even more thankful for our hope of heaven in Christ Jesus.
Thank you for your prayers for my health – I can get up, work, and host people in between times of rest through my days. It is a slow process of finding a rhythm and balance of productivity within my limitations, but I praise God that I am still in the fight! We love serving here and we love you all so very much! May God be with you till we meet again.
“You should serve the Lord with intense delight, because of what he has done for you.” – Charles Spurgeon
Short&Sweet.
This update is short and sweet just to let you know that we are alive and well! Life is good, the work on the mission base continues and our children are all doing well. And……
My fevers have broken!!! I had a persistent low-grade fever (of unknown origin) for a full four months straight. I am thankful for the fever – it drove us to look for answers with a team of specialists, and because of that I am finally on life saving medication that should help me live a more full life even with a rare, chronic disease. My family is sending me a mitochondrial supplement that is helping me tremendously as well! I am still weak, but I am so grateful to finally be able to get up and take care of the house a bit which takes a little of the load off of my Vann’s shoulders.
He works hard in the sun every day - building, welding, mowing, and keeping this mission base camp running. Our missionary families that we serve are coming and going from their tribal communities and furloughs, and we are seeing the function and purpose of this mission working out so beautifully. Jesus is coming back soon! May we be found faithful.
“God is both the rewarder and the reward of his people.” – Charles Spurgeon
Care.
We have had the most wonderful honor to host a couple of local church’s events this month as well as a sending-away party for some dear missionary neighbors that have faithfully worked here for over thirty years. They will be dearly missed.
Vann has enjoyed working diligently as always and has found some dependable local workers to help progress more quickly – we thank God for good help! The siding on the Round Robin house is nearly finished and they are working on the exterior to “dry it in” before moving to work on the interior of the house. He has also been working on electrical maintenance, running a fiber line to the housing neighborhood, building new raised beds for our garden, and a gazillion other jobs to maintain this base, serve and care for the missionaries around us.
He is handling all of this while also running the house and caring for me while I’m still sick. He is a saint. Today is my 102nd day of persistent low-grade fevers. The cause is still unknown. My amazing team of doctors have done all the tests to rule out the big bad things, so now we wait and pray. God will heal me in his time, in his way, and for his glory!
Corynn is in Phoenix for her summer internship working in a Christian clinic to complete her Psychology degree. This is an amazing “full circle” kind of thing – the Psychiatrist who is her supervisor has known me all my life (and Corynn’s) since he is one of my dad’s best friends, has served us for years as our missionary caregiver, is for that reason the one to inspire Corynn to pursue this field of study, and has found her this internship. She is in good hands, the best hands. We serve an amazing God who cares about the minutest details of our lives and strings them together through the years and generations!
Ethan has transferred to the engineering program at Kennesaw State University in Marietta, Georgia. He made this move from Cedarville knowing that God was leading him to move but had no certain plans beforehand for housing or a job. We posted this need on Facebook, and the outpouring of offers for housing, job opportunities, appliances, and love and care from friends, family, and friends of friends was just astounding. Our boy can clearly see God’s hand in his life as he leads, guides, and provides through the body of Christ – it’s a beautiful thing!
Clara finished her sophomore year of high school and completed a couple of dual enrollment classes with Letourneau University. We are so very proud of her diligence and hard work! She also enjoyed going on a mission’s trip with her MK high school students to a community a few hours down river from Pucallpa. She has a sweet servant’s heart that cares for people and we are so thankful that we get to watch her grow in the Lord!
It is difficult for me to sufficiently put into words the incredible, humbling honor that it is for us to get to live here and do this job. To be sent, loved, supported, and cared for by you is what makes it all possible. May the Lord bless and keep us all as we eagerly await his return!
“To risk all with Jesus is to end all risk.” Charles Spurgeon
Risen Indeed.
Life is worth the living just because He lives! Resurrection Sunday and Ethan’s birthday are always highlights of April for us. He is 19 years old! This is the first birthday in our family that we have not all been together to celebrate, but Corynn and friends at school did a superb job of it for us!
Vann finished the punch list for the Howe’s house and has happily spent a couple of weeks on some much-needed maintenance on base while also cranking up construction again on the “Round Robin” house – thus nicknamed since it will be shared by several tribal working families that will come and go on a schedule throughout the year. Vann is building a roof structure over the storage containers for a safe place for the missionary families to store their things while they’re out either in the bush or on furlough.
He also took me to Lima for a couple of days to run more tests that are not available in the jungle and to see my team of doctors. I am very grateful for some dear supporters that immediately helped us with the airfare, and for trusted friends on this side of the Andes to keep Clara at a moment’s notice (the endocrinologist had a last-minute opening for an appointment). The doctors are treating me with a steroid cocktail for Adrenal Insufficiency and are talking about how to safely proceed with further testing to figure out if it’s Addison’s Disease or not. I am also on antibiotics for a mostly asymptomatic kidney infection – which is hopefully the cause of the low-grade fevers that have lasted six weeks now.
As the end of the school year is coming up next week, each of our children have some big decisions ahead of them for the summer (classes/work/internships/housing) and need prayers for wisdom and provision. We trust God to bless and keep and guide them as they each figure out what path He has for them.
We are so very grateful for your precious prayer and financial support! You are the wind in our sails. It is just amazing to look around here and see the big, amazing things that God is doing through us – the broken vessels that we are. His great name is to be praised among the nations!
“We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us.” – R.C. Sproul