How Can They Preach Unless They Are Sent?

Posted on by Jennifer Arimborgo

Amazonian Wednesdays 🌴

Evangelism in a local school, Iquitos, circa 1999

Well, friends, I thought I had sent you my earliest missionary writing. However, I dug a little deeper and found one from even earlier: right before my first departure to the mission field.

I remember how absolutely afraid I felt. I was not only moving out of the country to entirely unfamiliar surroundings, but I was even moving out of my parents’ house for the first time. Not to go away to college, but for complete immersion in the jungle culture of Iquitos, without the supervision of any missionary organization. Ha, looking back, that was just a little bit crazy. But sometimes God is in the crazy! He sure was, in this young missionary’s life.

Here are the first paragraphs I ever typed up to connect with the amazing people that partnered with me to send me on such a wild adventure. From July 1997:

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“Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you because of the LORD your God, the Holy one of Israel, for He has endowed you with splendor”
(Isaiah 55:5).

Grace and peace to you, my beautiful partners! This is my first letter of many to you. I hope they will all encourage and inspire your hearts. I am praying for the Holy Spirit to flow as I write and impart to you what is in my spirit.

First of all, let me thank you from the depths of who I am for what you are doing for me. Do you realize how essential you are in the kingdom’s forceful advancement? “In all my prayers for you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel” (Phil. 1:4-5, NIV). Each one of you is a precious jewel and a powerful part of what God is doing in the world.

For those of you who have already been praying for me, thank you, thank you, thank you. I returned May 25th from a missions conference in Pasadena, and my life has been changed completely. God pumped so much vison and empowerment into me that I could hardly take it in. He introduced His presence and anointing into my life in a much deeper way than I have ever experienced before. I am so excited! I know that He has made me ready to go.

Accompanied by my family, I will be departing the 11th of July. Mom, Dad, Anna, and Joel will stay two weeks to see me settled in and to taste a bit of missionary life as well. We will be travelling by boat into the jungle for about eight days to hold campaigns, preach the gospel, and lay hands on the sick in villages along the rivers. For that trip, the completion of my time in Tucson, and my transition into a Peruvian lifestyle, these are my prayer requests:

-For even more impartation by the Holy Spirit to prepare me to minister
-For His guidance in organizing all the details of my move
-For protection of my mind, health, and emotions
-For deep fellowship and a tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit as my family visits and ministers with the Arimborgos (Pastor Jose’s family)
-For the abiding comfort and peace of our Father of compassion as I prepare to move from my family, friends, church, and home for the first time
-For anything else the Lord lays on your hearts!

I love you all—you are God’s best!!

22 thoughts on “How Can They Preach Unless They Are Sent?”

  1. What a beautiful gift of godly encouragement was already so deeply woven within you from a young age, Jennifer. Your desire for the whole Body to grow together as One in the LORD, through His Spirit, is palpable in that old message, as it is in your more recent sharing and life stories. May God continue to bless and affirm you, as you put the finishing touches on your book. Thank You, Jesus, for giving us the precious gift of Jennifer and Your beautiful heart in her – even from afar. You know how much that gift has meant to my heart (and to many others through the years no doubt too). Surprise her with your sweet gifts of intimate and personal encouragement this week too.

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  4. When spiritual quest awaken inside the human mind, he moves towards to jungle, cave or some remote and isolation areas. It is the greatest power inside them that leads human to find peace and contentment in isolation. You are awakened by his light and now you are spreading that light.

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    1. Actually, the city of Iquitos where I live is not an isolated place, in that there are 600,000 people living here. But it is isolated by the fact that there is no road leading here. People can only access the city by airplane or by boat. Interesting combination of factors!

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      1. Thanks for educating me . I really appreciate your love and devotion towards almighty . No matter where you live but you still spread a light among we people. I always love to read your work. I am privileged enough to read your work. You always inspire me with your crafted work.

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      2. Aw, thank you too, with all my heart! Your encouragement means a whole lot to me. God’s richest blessings to you today and always my friend! (Slow reply because we have been hosting visitors for the last couple weeks)

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      4. Most definitely! (My replies are extra slow currently because I am on a long ministry trip until the end of the year, but I always eagerly look forward to the opportunity to get on here and talk to my WordPress friends!)

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  7. Thank you dear one. What a memory what a journey. What an amazing God. In 1999 I was on a street in China – not relocating as you were but on a ‘mercy”- two week mission. I felt profoundly for God’s people in that ancient land and carry today the profound memory as we see the world around us and the changes. I felt God prompted me to write SHAFTS of Gold my life of seeking God to honor HIM but to express His extraordinary LOVE for ALL the peoples of this world Christ came to save, To all we must stand and live for Him wherever we are.
    ‘

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    1. He has so many ways to speak to our hearts and confirm His message/word to us! As you ask Him to, He will teach you to tune into what He wants to personally communicate to you. In my case, I started feeling a strong pull to missions as a little girl. The Lord provided prophetic words through a number of ministers at my church and some retreats that I went to, confirming the sense of calling that I was feeling in my spirit from God. He also confirmed it through different dreams at night over the years, and by opening the right doors for me to walk through. Every step of the way, He shows that He is listening to our prayers for guidance. For example, one day I was driving in L.A. traffic, asking Him if I had really heard Him correctly about being called to Peru. The next moment I looked up, and the car directly in front of me had a vanity plate on it that simply read “Peru.” I was amazed!

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