Vintage Photos

Shaman

Published May 14, 2019 | By shirleytwofeathers

The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
Hebrews 13:6

The shaman, or witchdoctor was greatly respected, feared and obeyed. Acting as the main leaders and focus of local conflicts, shamans were believed to both cure and kill through magical means.

It was very dangerous to have a shaman for an enemy, especially in the early days when heads were still being taken, and killing raids were not uncommon. Even as late as 1980, group conflicts between local shamans still erupted into full scale feuds with loss of life.

About this photo:

Shuar (Jivaro) witchdoctor. Transformed from enemy to friend through prayer. Ecuador SA, 1953. Photo by Bill Gibson

Posted in Bible Verses, Vintage Photos | Tagged Courage, Fear, Jivaro, Shaman, Shuar, Witchdoctor | 1 Comment

Morning Coffee

Published May 14, 2019 | By shirleytwofeathers

Joy comes with the morning.

~Psalms 30:5

Every morning began with coffee, bible study, and prayer. If each of us began our days with prayer, how different our lives, and our world would be.

On a lighter note: The way I remember it is that there were 2 brands of coffee available in Ecuador, Nescafe, and Sicafe. I can still remember the little advertising jingle. It ended with a cute little play on words:

Sicafe si es café.

Nescafe no es café.

Literal translation:

Si Café yes is coffee.

Nes Café no is coffee.

Photo by Bill Gibson, Ecuador SA, 1950

Posted in Bible Verses, Vintage Photos | Tagged Coffee, Joy, Morning | Leave a comment

Jungle Church

Published May 13, 2019 | By shirleytwofeathers

This I know, that God is for me.

-Psalm 56:9

What I remember most about church was that the split log benches had no backs, and so it was really hard to fall asleep during the sermon.

The Shuar who came loved to sing, and they especially loved to learn songs in English. They sang loudly, enthusiastically, and always off key. It was wonderful! My dad played the trumpet, my mom played the accordion, and there was an old pump organ that she also played.

Dogs, chickens, children, everyone came to church. One Sunday, someone saw a wild pig, and that was the end of the service. Everyone jumped up and ran out to try to catch it.

After church, my mom would open the clinic, and we’d share homemade bread, meat, and whatever else we had with all those who wanted to stay after.

There were no roads, no cars, everyone who came to church walked through the jungle. For some the walk could be as long as a couple of hours, maybe longer. So, every effort was made to care not just for the spiritual needs of those who came, but for their physical needs as well.

About This Photo

Church built by believers. Unknown location, possibly the Philippines. 1946. Photograph by Bill Gibson.

Posted in Bible Verses, Missionary Stories, Vintage Photos | Tagged Church, Shuar | Leave a comment

Best Friends

Published May 12, 2019 | By shirleytwofeathers

Where you go I will go…

Ruth 1:16

Shirley Gibson, age 5, with best friend and constant companion, Chit Chat. Macuma Ecuador 1956

This little monkey was traded for medicine, and we instantly fell in love with each other. He rode around on my shoulder almost every moment that I was outside. My mom wouldn’t let me bring him into the house, but he did have a nice little home of his own on our back porch.

Posted in Bible Verses, Vintage Photos | Tagged Friends, Monkey, Pets, Shirley | Leave a comment

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