Tim Whatley, Ethnos Canada missionary and Executive Director

Dear Friend,

All of us know people who have endured incredibly difficult seasons. And we look back and see with remarkable clarity the hand of God allowing some things and orchestrating other things, so that He gets the glory.

In this magazine, you will read about the Northern Tepehuan people of Mexico and the 40 years of perseverance.

When I think about this ministry in Mexico, I am reminded of other examples of perseverance.

In the 1970’s, Steve and Linda Rosengren moved their family from Canada to live among the Wana people in the Asia-Pacific Region. The unfathomable happened and they buried their three-year-old son without returning home. You can listen to their tragic story in the second episode of the Compel Podcast. Steve and Linda persevered and a church was birthed among the Wana people. God did get the glory.

Out of this indigenous church, God raised up a gifted man, Elisa Bowa. While training for cross-cultural church planting, Elisa met his wife and they moved to a neighbouring island and began ministering among the Elseng people.

Please pray for the Elseng people and the missionary team among them.

Elisa Bowa, late missionary to Asia-Pacific

After incredible hardship, Elisa wrote, “There is nothing left that can be hoped for from my life. My body is too broken down as a result of frequent trials that are heavy. All that can be hoped for is that through God’s grace He will use my life to motivate and encourage others to be immovably faithful in serving among the scattered unreached tribes. To all those who are healthy I urge you to advance continuously in your ministry, right up to the time when we can all enter into that place of rest in the New Jerusalem, our Heavenly homeland. There is no suffering there. Acts 14:22”

Within weeks of penning these thoughts, Elisa was called home to glory. Despite hardship after hardship, his wife, Juarni, presses on as part of the team bringing the gospel to the Elseng people. Talk about perseverance!

My prayer is that God will raise up more people like the Rosengrens and Elisa and Juarni who are willing to persevere through hardships for His glory. Please pray with me to the Lord of the harvest (Luke 10:2).

Yours in Christ,

Tim Whatley
Executive Director, Ethnos Canada