Hello, we are Mark and Joyce Cain working with the Guahibo Indian tribe in Colombia, South America. Both of us are known as M.K.'s, or missionary kids. Mark grew up as a young boy in Venezuela and Colombia where his parents served with New Tribes Mission for 38 years. Joyce's folks spent 5 years in Japan under the same Mission and since then have been promoting "missions" in the States. We met each other and married in the NTM training and went to Colombia in 1973 with a 7 mos. old boy. Two girls were born to us in the capital, Bogot , while Mark was the mission bookkeeper, since he already knew Spanish.
In 1976, we moved out to the prairie with three little ones to begin working with the Guahibo Indian tribe. After spending many grueling years learning their hard language and culture, it was a joy to at last be able to teach these Indians in their own language. The Lord allowed us to be involved in church planting for 8 years and we believe there are around 75 or more believers that will one day spend an eternity in Heaven.
Due to guerrilla threats, in 1994, we were chased out of the Guahibo Indian village where we had been living. But, praise the Lord, He has allowed us to live here in the capital of Colombia and translate portions of the Old Testament into their language. Our Colombian partners are still able to go out to the tribe so will continue the teaching ministry where we left off, using the portions of Scripture that we are presently translating.
The Lord has promised us that HE will build HIS church and that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it! Colombia is a country of much violence and we don't know how long the doors will remain open. We covet the prayers of God's people.
Please pray for us in this way:
1. Pray for peace in Colombia and continued open doors.
2. Pray for our safety and for the release of our three hostages
still held after five years.
3. Pray that we and our Indian helper, Luis, would have real wisdom
in translating God's Word.
4. Pray as our Colombian partner, Alberto Gonzalez, prepares
evangelistic Bible lessons in Guahibo.
5. Pray that we as a team would have real wisdom to know how to best
continue the church planting process in the light of our many
restrictions due to security all around the country.
Thank you for upholding this work in prayer.
Most Recent Update- February 22, 2001
Dear Interested Ones,
On behalf of the Guahibo team, I would like to update you on what is happening in these days. We need all the prayers we can get! Thank you in advance for remembering the Guahibo work in Colombia in your prayers.Our Colombian partners, Alberto and Nancy Gonzalez, and Lineth Espitia and Consuelo Jimenez, will be heading out to the tribe this coming week, Feb. 26th or 27th. First they will go and spend a week in Raya, the village we used to live and teach in before we had to leave due to security reasons. Right after this week's visit, the team plans to travel upriver quite a ways by canoe to the village of Port Paloma where four of the 16 seminar guys live, including our translation helper, Luis Enrique. The fourth Guahibo seminar will be taught in this village. It is really nice they can hold this in Guahibo territory since we American's will not be participating.
This fourth seminar is to teach the four fellows how to teach the chronological lessons they were taught in the first three seminars last year. Their names are: Pedro, Eliadoro, John George and Bernardo. Alberto will do all the teaching and also have Bible studies with them. It will last around 10 days starting March 12th.
Right after the teacher's seminar, plans are to have John George and Bernardo teach the 12 fellows who did not attend the third seminar we held this past November. Isn't it exciting that the Indians themselves will be doing the teaching! Of course, Alberto will be right there to help in any way.
God is at work in Colombia and the Bible says that the gates of Hell will not prevail against God's work there! Praise Him.
Please uphold this work in your prayers by praying for the following needs.
1. Pray for our team's safety as they will be in red zones the whole time.
2. Pray for the finances for our Colombian partners to cover the expenses of this trip as well as for the Lord to raise their monthly support. The Gonzalez's have their two children in a Christian school which costs more.
3. Pray for someone to care for Gonzalez's children while their parents are away about a month.
4. Pray much for Alberto who has the sole responsibility of teaching this fourth seminar. Pray he will be alert to catch areas of need in our future missionary teachers. Also pray as he takes advantage of getting help from Luis Enrique for phase 2 lessons.
5. The two young fellows, Pedro and Eliadoro have some marital problems. That is why for now, they will not help teach the 12 fellows. Please pray God would do a real work so they can be qualified teachers. Pray for the salvation of their wives IF they are not saved. Pray that the fellows will be faithful in teaching their wives the many truthes they have been taught.
6. Pray as John George and Bernardo teach the 12 men the New Testament stories they missed in the Nov. seminar. Pray for God to raise up more teachers from the 12 who will be taught.
7. There is a possibility that Lineth and Consuelo will continue their language studies in the village of Port Paloma. Pray for wisdom and real progress. They only have about a year or less left of their studies.Thank you MUCH for your part in seeing the Guahibos reached for Christ! Claiming God's promise to build His church,
Joyce Cain for the Guahibo team