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Explore the World of the - and the Ashéninka Team Through the Portals Below Email: mcanally@asheninka.net
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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 generally peaceful people who live in communities, mostly along river ways, 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. Many Ashéninka still consult with witchdoctors today, and 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 their jefe or chief. 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. Reaching the Ashéninka people with the gospel requires 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, and outsiders are always regarded as exactly that, outsiders. 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 Peru. 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.
homes having no walls. Most communities are found along jungle river ways. |
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.
