LWI mourns the recent death of Tommy Head, its country director in Peru. (Photo courtesy of LWI)
Peru (MNN) ― The Candoshi people of Peru live in deep spiritual darkness. Many of their communities are so steeped in violence that no one will go to their part of the Chapuri River.
The Candoshi practice revenge killing: Every time someone is murdered, the person's family and village must avenge the death. They look for the killer until he surrenders, and then they go to the killer's home village and kill someone there.
"It just goes back and forth like that; one killing can spur months of turmoil," said Melanie Dewveall of Living Water International.
Nevertheless, there is hope for these lost people. LWI missionaries have drilled several wells for them so they can have clean water, and a few have come to know the Lord.
But now LWI in Peru faces a new challenge: Tommy Head, its country director, died in a motorcycle accident at the end of April.
"Tommy and Angela Head were our country directors down there. They've been in the country for eleven years, working with LWI for seven years, I believe. They really are the ones that have made a huge investment in the people there," Dewveall said.
The couple worked with approximately nine tribes in the tributaries of the Amazon River. Angela Head plans to stay in Peru and continue the ministry.
"We would ask for prayer and for guidance to determine how the program is going to move forward. We want to honor Tommy with the work," Dewveall said.
The work of drilling wells for jungle communities will continue. A gifted administrator, Head was proud of the fact that his two well-drilling teams could easily operate without him.
"I know every single one of his team members is dedicated to bringing clean water to the people of the Amazon," Dewveall said. "I don't think that they're going to let this stop them at all; they're going to carry on the passion that Tommy had and the passion that Angela has."
The Heads had been working with the Candoshi for over a year. This ministry had been especially difficult: at one point Head had considered taking a break from it for a while. However, another trip to visit Candoshi villages had encouraged Head and renewed his passion for the ministry.
"It was so difficult and extremely expensive to reach the Candoshi because they're so far out there, and you have to deal with the violence and stuff. Tommy himself had been threatened on a few occasions," Dewveall explained.
The LWI group had traveled into Candoshi territory shortly after a man had murdered his wife. They tried to avoid the area where the people involved in this killing lived but found themselves in the village of the murderer's father.
"We were a little on pins and needles," Dewveall sad. "On the way [to the village], there some canoes that were full of people who were searching for this guy."
The murderer's father was the chief of the village and a Christian. He said that he didn't know where his son was, but he knew what he would do if he found his son. In order to stop the killing, he would turn his son over to the avengers.
"The chief said that's the only way the killing will stop -- to hand over my son," Dewveall said.
Dewveall's group also spoke with a Candoshi missionary. Like most of the Candoshi, the missionary has a fatal case of Hepatitis B.
"He and most of the Candoshi have Hepatitis B, which is pretty much a death sentence for all of them," Dewveall explained. "So he kind of smiled and said, 'At best I have two years to live. But I'm going to do what I can with the two years that I have and try to keep reaching people.'"
The Gospel is only just beginning to gain a foothold in these Candoshi villages, and LWI hopes that the ministry will continue despite Head's death. "I'd say God is definitely moving there," Dewveall said. "I think it would be kind of sad if we gave up now."
Many remote Candoshi villages need sources of clean water. This need opens a door for LWI to go into communities feared for their violence and share the love of Christ in a very practical manner.
"The act of going out there, living with the people in their community for the few days that it takes to drill the well: you're living the Gospel in front of their eyes...getting down kind of in the muck and the mire with them, eating with them, drinking with them, bathing with them," Dewveall said.
LWI teams dedicate each well with a service in which the whole community participates. They read Scripture and pray for the well and the community. National missionaries visit the villages and follow up with ministry and witnessing.
Prayerfully consider reaching lost and needy people by helping to build a well.
