Story number 4 for 2 Jul 2003

(Venezuela)–Elsewhere, isolation can serve as a boost to evangelistic work. While Venezuela’s unrest disrupted other ministries, New Tribe Mission’s Steve Sanford says they made a breakthrough with the Yuana, a remote tribe in central Venezuela. The tribe had no written language, so teams concentrated on creating an alphabet. With that, the doors to the hope of Christ swung wide open. “We have recently finished presenting the Gospel to them for the first time in their history. There were about 100 to 120 adults in our valley at that time and they all came and essentially all of them trusted Christ for their salvation.” Sanford explains that with this breakthrough, there comes an encouraging growth among the Yuana. “Since then, we have been continuing to teach on through the New Testament. We’ve taught the book of Acts, we’ve taught now the book of Romans. Of course, we’ve translated both of those books now as well. We’re seeing the Lord raise up some potential leadership in that church.”