Ashéninka children love to laugh and play, like all children. But many Ashéninka children suffer from malnourishment and parasites. Medical attention is difficult to come by.

Two young men make new bows. Used mostly for fishing, the bow and arrow are an important part of every Ashéninka man's belongings, though not much depended upon for killing food.

                                                                                                                                                    
Many of the Ashéninka people no longer wear traditional clothing and paint their faces.                                                                                                                                                                They opt to dress in more modern fashions. In the Río Yurua region, however,  traditional                                                                                                                                                          clothing and paints are still worn.                                        

In the remote regions of the Peruvian jungle live numerous indigenous people groups. Among them are the Ashéninka. These are a peaceful people who live in communities, mostly along riverways, and who live by subsistence farming and hunting and gathering.

Lifestyles

Life has changed little for the Ashéninka over the many centuries they have inhabited these jungles. They have endured inter-tribal war, terrorism, and natural disaster and remain large in number. Today there are tens of thousands of Ashéninka people scattered in communities over a wide portion of the Peruvian jungle, and speaking five dialects of the Ashéninka language.

The Ashéninka communities are composed of numbers of families who live very close together and rely upon one another for the sharing of food, friendship, protection, and religious practice. Most Ashéninka people have been raised with a background in traditional religion which would include spiritism or animism. While many Ashéninka may not consult with witchdoctors today, most still hold to traditional beliefs about spirits and often live in fear of their powers. This fear affects their behavior and lifestyle in many ways. The Team seeks to show them that God is more powerful than their most-feared evil spirits and has defeated the ruler of evil spirits.

Ashéninka Openness

The Ashéninka people are generally open to the presence of missionaries and treat their efforts with respect, however there are areas where outsiders are regarded with distrust. To reach the Ashéninka people with the gospel will require the training of Ashéninka men and women who have a passion to reach their own people. The Ashéninka language is difficult and requires years to master. Training Ashéninka leaders to reach their own people will greatly speed the process as they can touch the hearts of their own people through their own language.

Breadth of the Task

The Ashéninka people are large in numbers and are spread over a very large part of Perú. There are five dialects which are generally understood by all subgroups, but are different enough to require their own Bible translations. One of the challenges of teaching the Bible is that most Ashéninka people cannot read their own language.

The Ashéninka Team is small in number with a great task before them. Success will come only as the Holy Spirit remains in charge of the work and the producer of fruit. The Ashéninka Team believes wholeheartedly that this will come about only through the fervent prayers of many Christians.

The Ashéninka communities are composed of groups of thatched                                                                                                                                                                                                   homes having no walls. Most communities are found along jungle riverways.