Chapter 37: Raising a new Church Building and a Miracle
The new church is built, we get a visit from Norway, and witness a miracle
AS TOLD BY JOHN AGERSTEN
Building a new church
When we returned to Tigre Playa in August 1972, we saw that the palm hut where we lived when we first came to Tigre Playa, had fallen into disrepair and was too small for meetings and Sunday school. It was necessary to have a larger and better building. Therefore, it did not take long before it was demolished to make room for a new church.
We planned to build the church in the same style as most houses and huts in the villages along the rivers in the Amazon. This method proved to be the most cost-effective solution, considering our limited funds for the construction. Furthermore, the people of the area would be more comfortable with that style since that is what they were used to. Our friends in Tigre Playa were experts at building houses from jungle materials and provided us with valuable expertise. We agreed on a price for the work and they started with great enthusiasm. This allowed me, and later Rudolf, to focus on the many other tasks that awaited us throughout the fall.
The posts that support the roof, called "Shungo," are the tree's inner core, the heart of the tree. The tree is felled and left for some time. The outer wood decays, and eventually, this inner core is left which becomes very hard and heavy. A "Shungo" can stand in the ground for many years before it decays. All the work was done with an axe and a "machete," the indispensable jungle knife. The materials were carried out from the jungle, often requiring journeys far afield to find the right trees, vines, and palm leaves. Specific varieties are chosen that they know will last a long time. They also gathered bamboo poles which grew along the riverbanks in many places. These would be attached to the roof structure in a kind of grid. The vines they had gathered were used to bind all the parts of the roof structure together. They can be 20 to 30 meters long and incredibly strong. They are split lengthwise and soaked overnight in large bundles. The vines are used while still wet, making them easier to work with. As they dry, they tighten around the materials, securing them together.
When we returned to Tigre Playa in August 1972, we saw that the palm hut where we lived when we first came to Tigre Playa, had fallen into disrepair and was too small for meetings and Sunday school. It was necessary to have a larger and better building. Therefore, it did not take long before it was demolished to make room for a new church.
We planned to build the church in the same style as most houses and huts in the villages along the rivers in the Amazon. This method proved to be the most cost-effective solution, considering our limited funds for the construction. Furthermore, the people of the area would be more comfortable with that style since that is what they were used to. Our friends in Tigre Playa were experts at building houses from jungle materials and provided us with valuable expertise. We agreed on a price for the work and they started with great enthusiasm. This allowed me, and later Rudolf, to focus on the many other tasks that awaited us throughout the fall.
The posts that support the roof, called "Shungo," are the tree's inner core, the heart of the tree. The tree is felled and left for some time. The outer wood decays, and eventually, this inner core is left which becomes very hard and heavy. A "Shungo" can stand in the ground for many years before it decays. All the work was done with an axe and a "machete," the indispensable jungle knife. The materials were carried out from the jungle, often requiring journeys far afield to find the right trees, vines, and palm leaves. Specific varieties are chosen that they know will last a long time. They also gathered bamboo poles which grew along the riverbanks in many places. These would be attached to the roof structure in a kind of grid. The vines they had gathered were used to bind all the parts of the roof structure together. They can be 20 to 30 meters long and incredibly strong. They are split lengthwise and soaked overnight in large bundles. The vines are used while still wet, making them easier to work with. As they dry, they tighten around the materials, securing them together.
The roof is in place
The time had come to venture into the jungle to find a specific type of palm leaves for the roof. The best leaves are from a small palm, just a couple of meters tall. We needed 4000 leaves for the church's roof, and these were packed in bundles of 300 leaves each. I joined the leaf-cutting for a day and attempted to carry the bundles. They were too heavy for me, but the workers carried them without any trouble.
The leaves were folded lengthwise and tied to the roof framework, paired together. They started from the bottom and worked their way up to the top of the roof in a painstaking process. Once the roof was complete, it was 30-40 cm thick, providing good protection against the rain and the sun's intense heat. At the top, they fastened a different, larger type of palm leaf called "la cumba."
While the church was being constructed, we held meetings and Sunday school on our veranda. Although it was quite large, it soon became too small, especially on Sunday mornings. Therefore, we moved into the church building as soon as the roof was finished. There, it was spacious and airy under the high palm roof. The benches were moved in for the services and taken out to be stored afterward. Some benches were just planks placed on wooden trestles. We were adding a floor and walls, but first, all the materials for that had to be cut and brought out from the jungle.
Due to frequent flooding, most of the homes along the rivers were built on stilts, elevating the floor a couple of feet above the ground. It required a lot of work to build a floor for such a large building as the church. All the beams and logs for the floor had to be cut and prepared for the construction. The logs had to be debarked and cut straight and to the correct measurements. These were tied together into a framework for the floor. Next, they needed a particular kind of palm tree for the floor itself. These palms were found along a small tributary and were cut and transported to Tigre Playa. The palm was split lengthwise, and the soft interior scraped out. What remained was a hard, 1-2 inch thick, very durable "mat." This was laid over the framework of the floor from side to side. Such a floor is very durable and sways gently when walked upon. The palm is called "pona," and it is also used to make spears, arrows, and blowguns.
The time had come to venture into the jungle to find a specific type of palm leaves for the roof. The best leaves are from a small palm, just a couple of meters tall. We needed 4000 leaves for the church's roof, and these were packed in bundles of 300 leaves each. I joined the leaf-cutting for a day and attempted to carry the bundles. They were too heavy for me, but the workers carried them without any trouble.
The leaves were folded lengthwise and tied to the roof framework, paired together. They started from the bottom and worked their way up to the top of the roof in a painstaking process. Once the roof was complete, it was 30-40 cm thick, providing good protection against the rain and the sun's intense heat. At the top, they fastened a different, larger type of palm leaf called "la cumba."
While the church was being constructed, we held meetings and Sunday school on our veranda. Although it was quite large, it soon became too small, especially on Sunday mornings. Therefore, we moved into the church building as soon as the roof was finished. There, it was spacious and airy under the high palm roof. The benches were moved in for the services and taken out to be stored afterward. Some benches were just planks placed on wooden trestles. We were adding a floor and walls, but first, all the materials for that had to be cut and brought out from the jungle.
Due to frequent flooding, most of the homes along the rivers were built on stilts, elevating the floor a couple of feet above the ground. It required a lot of work to build a floor for such a large building as the church. All the beams and logs for the floor had to be cut and prepared for the construction. The logs had to be debarked and cut straight and to the correct measurements. These were tied together into a framework for the floor. Next, they needed a particular kind of palm tree for the floor itself. These palms were found along a small tributary and were cut and transported to Tigre Playa. The palm was split lengthwise, and the soft interior scraped out. What remained was a hard, 1-2 inch thick, very durable "mat." This was laid over the framework of the floor from side to side. Such a floor is very durable and sways gently when walked upon. The palm is called "pona," and it is also used to make spears, arrows, and blowguns.
Celebrating Christmas in the nearly completed church building in 1972
There was great joy in the congregation at Tigre Playa when we could celebrate Christmas in the new church building. The walls were still missing, but this was of little consequence in the jungle where it's not uncommon for people to live in houses with just one wall or even no walls at all. The most important things were the floor and the roof. Over 200 people, young and old alike, attended the Christmas celebration. Refreshments were simple, consisting of dried slices of white bread and cocoa. Bread was a rare treat, not part of their daily fare, and cocoa was the traditional Christmas drink in Peru.
The dedication of the church
After New Year, work began on putting up the walls. They were built halfway up toward the ceiling to allow enough light and air to flow in. We departed from tradition by attaching the walls with nails instead of the customary vine bindings. This unconventional method simplified the process and provided a more secure attachment.
We held a dedication service for the church on Sunday, February 18, 1973. In addition to the local congregation, we invited believers from some of the villages further up the Marañon River as well. They arrived a couple of days before the dedication; some in small canoes, and others floated down the river on balsa rafts. We had promised them that if they would come we would transport them back upstream with our workboat. We held services throughout the weekend and they were well attended. On Sunday morning, seven believers were baptized in the Marañon River. After the service and baptism, we enjoyed a grand communal meal featuring chicken soup, bananas, and manioc. This marked the beginning of annual gatherings and Bible weeks at Tigre Playa.
There was great joy in the congregation at Tigre Playa when we could celebrate Christmas in the new church building. The walls were still missing, but this was of little consequence in the jungle where it's not uncommon for people to live in houses with just one wall or even no walls at all. The most important things were the floor and the roof. Over 200 people, young and old alike, attended the Christmas celebration. Refreshments were simple, consisting of dried slices of white bread and cocoa. Bread was a rare treat, not part of their daily fare, and cocoa was the traditional Christmas drink in Peru.
The dedication of the church
After New Year, work began on putting up the walls. They were built halfway up toward the ceiling to allow enough light and air to flow in. We departed from tradition by attaching the walls with nails instead of the customary vine bindings. This unconventional method simplified the process and provided a more secure attachment.
We held a dedication service for the church on Sunday, February 18, 1973. In addition to the local congregation, we invited believers from some of the villages further up the Marañon River as well. They arrived a couple of days before the dedication; some in small canoes, and others floated down the river on balsa rafts. We had promised them that if they would come we would transport them back upstream with our workboat. We held services throughout the weekend and they were well attended. On Sunday morning, seven believers were baptized in the Marañon River. After the service and baptism, we enjoyed a grand communal meal featuring chicken soup, bananas, and manioc. This marked the beginning of annual gatherings and Bible weeks at Tigre Playa.
A visitor from Norway
In May of the same year, we were visited by missions secretary Hans Svartdahl, who was on a tour of the Norwegian Pentecostal mission fields in Latin America. He had fallen ill during his travels, causing a delay in his arrival to us. Consequently, his visit was shorter than planned. Nevertheless, it was uplifting for us in the jungle to receive a visitor from Norway. There was also an opportunity for a trip to visit friends in San Juan, another village upriver, where there was a fairly large group of believers.
Svartdahl arrived by plane from Iquitos. I then drove him for 9 hours in a speedboat to Yurimaguas. From there, he was to catch a flight to Lima. I was quite exhausted when I returned home after all those hours under the scorching sun and the roar of the boat engine during the round trip from Tigre Playa to Yurimaguas.
A 14-year-old with Tetanus receives a miracle
One late evening, long after dark, there was a knock on our door at Tigre Playa. When we opened it, a man from one of the villages farther up along the Marañon River stood outside, seeking help for his 14-year-old son whom he had brought in a canoe. He explained that the boy had stepped on a rusty nail over a week ago and was now severely ill. We went down to the canoe to see him. It was clear that his entire body was rigid, and he couldn't even open his mouth. It was evident that he had tetanus and likely didn't have much time left.
I guided them to one of the two palm huts we had built when we acquired a neighboring plot. These huts were for all the sick who came with their families. They carried the boy up to the house on a plank. He lay there with his back arched like a bow, appearing to be in great pain. He couldn't speak. The father asked me to administer a shot to cure him. With a heavy heart, I explained to him that we didn't have anything to cure him, but perhaps we could alleviate his pain.
In May of the same year, we were visited by missions secretary Hans Svartdahl, who was on a tour of the Norwegian Pentecostal mission fields in Latin America. He had fallen ill during his travels, causing a delay in his arrival to us. Consequently, his visit was shorter than planned. Nevertheless, it was uplifting for us in the jungle to receive a visitor from Norway. There was also an opportunity for a trip to visit friends in San Juan, another village upriver, where there was a fairly large group of believers.
Svartdahl arrived by plane from Iquitos. I then drove him for 9 hours in a speedboat to Yurimaguas. From there, he was to catch a flight to Lima. I was quite exhausted when I returned home after all those hours under the scorching sun and the roar of the boat engine during the round trip from Tigre Playa to Yurimaguas.
A 14-year-old with Tetanus receives a miracle
One late evening, long after dark, there was a knock on our door at Tigre Playa. When we opened it, a man from one of the villages farther up along the Marañon River stood outside, seeking help for his 14-year-old son whom he had brought in a canoe. He explained that the boy had stepped on a rusty nail over a week ago and was now severely ill. We went down to the canoe to see him. It was clear that his entire body was rigid, and he couldn't even open his mouth. It was evident that he had tetanus and likely didn't have much time left.
I guided them to one of the two palm huts we had built when we acquired a neighboring plot. These huts were for all the sick who came with their families. They carried the boy up to the house on a plank. He lay there with his back arched like a bow, appearing to be in great pain. He couldn't speak. The father asked me to administer a shot to cure him. With a heavy heart, I explained to him that we didn't have anything to cure him, but perhaps we could alleviate his pain.
As I returned to our house, it was as if I heard a voice within me saying, "You have forgotten something. You haven't prayed for the boy." I had to admit that I hadn't done so. But the case seemed so hopeless. "It is not you who will heal him. Do what you can, and I will do what I can." There was no doubt in my mind that it was Jesus speaking to me. I returned to the palm hut. They had hung a mosquito net over him on the floor. It was customary for people to lie on a mat on the ground. I lifted the net, leaned over him, placed my hands on him, and uttered a simple prayer in Norwegian for help and healing for the boy.
Early the next morning, I went back to the palm hut. To my astonishment, I found the boy sitting with his feet dangling off the edge of the floor. The palm huts were raised on stilts. I asked the boy's father what had happened. He recounted waking up in the middle of the night to someone leaving the hut. When he heard that person return, he shone his flashlight, only to see the sick boy. To their surprise and shock, the father inquired where he had been, and the boy responded that he had been on an urgent bodily errand. The boy informed them that he was no longer in pain. Both the rigidity and fever had vanished! Since it was pitch black and the middle of the night, they went back to sleep. With the daylight having just broken, I found the boy wide awake and cheerful when I arrived. It was a remarkable experience! An extraordinary, divine gift on an ordinary day! That morning was filled with prayers of gratitude. These people did not know God or his Word, but God granted them a miracle!
The following day, they journeyed back to their village. There, they told the villagers that a mystical healer had arrived at Tigre Playa! When we heard about this, we traveled to the village and held a meeting in the school. In the packed classroom, we shared that it was the Creator of Heaven and Earth who had performed a miracle for the boy. Later, we visited some of the homes in the village as well. Several people there came to faith, and some attended the Bible weeks at Tigre Playa. The Lord was at work!
Early the next morning, I went back to the palm hut. To my astonishment, I found the boy sitting with his feet dangling off the edge of the floor. The palm huts were raised on stilts. I asked the boy's father what had happened. He recounted waking up in the middle of the night to someone leaving the hut. When he heard that person return, he shone his flashlight, only to see the sick boy. To their surprise and shock, the father inquired where he had been, and the boy responded that he had been on an urgent bodily errand. The boy informed them that he was no longer in pain. Both the rigidity and fever had vanished! Since it was pitch black and the middle of the night, they went back to sleep. With the daylight having just broken, I found the boy wide awake and cheerful when I arrived. It was a remarkable experience! An extraordinary, divine gift on an ordinary day! That morning was filled with prayers of gratitude. These people did not know God or his Word, but God granted them a miracle!
The following day, they journeyed back to their village. There, they told the villagers that a mystical healer had arrived at Tigre Playa! When we heard about this, we traveled to the village and held a meeting in the school. In the packed classroom, we shared that it was the Creator of Heaven and Earth who had performed a miracle for the boy. Later, we visited some of the homes in the village as well. Several people there came to faith, and some attended the Bible weeks at Tigre Playa. The Lord was at work!
