March 2009

Wayumi

The Wayumi campus.

Wayumi(Why-YOO-mee) is a term from the Yanomamo Indian language in South America and loosely translated it means "retreat." In this case it is a retreat for the purpose of getting exposed to tribal missionary work.

This month we will be traveling from Wisconsin with 40+ students to the hills of central Pennsylvania to the small town of Jersey Shore. There, informative sessions on the importance of culture and language will be taught as well as an interactive opportunity in a very realistic village setting. In the village setting participants can elicit language from a “representative” of a particular tribal group. This exposure time is the closet thing you’ll find in the USA to a real-life visit to a tribal village in a foreign country. Smoke, fires and tribal people are all a part of the scenery. The goal of this endeavor is to challenge students to a more realistic involvement in tribal missionary work. Our prayer is that this experience will interactively produce a greater awareness of the needs in tribal missionary work. Please pray with us in this endeavor.

Students elicit language in the village with a Yuana tribal representative.

Countdown

Many have inquired as to what our next ministry endeavor is going to be. We are still considering some options and we ask that you continue to pray for us as we seek the Lord’s will in this matter. We plan on departing Waukesha, WI by the first of July. Until then we have much to do. We will have a very busy schedule and want to invest as much as possible in the lives of the students here at New Tribes Bible Institute. Some will be moving on to the next phase of training, some will be taking some time to develop relationships with churches and others will be returning next year. Pray we can encourage, challenge and influence in the remaining days of the semester.

Prayer Needs

• Pray for safety as we travel to Jersey Shore, PA for the Wayumi program and that the time there will be a blessing to the students.
• We have been through a bad flu season here at the school. Many have been very ill. Our family has been dealing with its consequences as well!
• Continue praying for our transition into another ministry. We have been involved in many discussions but have not settled on a direction yet.
• Grant & Lindsay are both looking to graduate soon from their schooling endeavors. Pray they will finish well and have clear direction for the future.

FAQs

Q: Is the Wayumi experience just for students training to be tribal missionaries?

A: No. Church groups, youth groups and college students can all take part in the program. Different options are available. See www.ntm.org/wayumi for details.

You can be a part of Jeff and Joy's work. They can be helped by your prayers and interest and financial support if you are led to help in that way. It is a trying and stressful ministry at times and they would deeply appreciate your involvement in their lives.

Their e-mail address is Jeff_Ryder@ntm.org