Jungle Jewels & Jaguars

The Real Deal About Bible Translation and the Amuesha Indians of Peru

5 out of 5 Stars!
Review by Ronald P. Manus "Ramon"

I was blown away by this book for two reasons. First I have known the author for over 40 years and can't get over being in awe of what she and her colleagues have accomplished--but most of all by the way she takes us unto the very lives and thinking of individual Amueshas. The reader begins to get to know individual Amueshas and is drawn into feeling at home with their thinking and way of life.

The book starts out as the very well written personal adventures of Martha Duff and Mary Ruth Wise --missionaries who left home and North American culture, in 1953, to take on the way of life and culture of what was then an isolated people in the foothill jungles of central Peru. The author, Martha Duff Tripp, not only lived the life of the Amueshas but she and Mary Ruth teamed up with Amuesha helpers to translate the New Testament into the Amuesha language. Along the way, living in community with Amuesha leaders, they encouraged a tribal educational system that came to deploy a vast web of Amuesha led schools and school administrators, as well as teams of Amuesha health, community development and church leaders and workers for 15,000 Amueshas living in hundreds of scattered villages.

This was all done in a context of the coming together of a respect for an Amuesha world view--as impacted by the power and truth of God's Word as found in the Bible. Their aim was to help the Amuesha people to know and serve the powerful, all loving, God of the Bible--but also to help them be able to compete and sometimes win in the often hostel context of Peruvian national life.

This book helps us to understand how leaders of the Amuesha churches have not been push-overs for either spiritual enemies within their own Amuesha society or outside influences. We find an intimate introduction to brothers and sisters who have have gotten a good idea of where they stand as Amueshas, Christians and Peruvian citizens.

Five stars for the book, the author and the Amueshas who's walk with God may open our eyes to some things we may have missed.

Published by Harvest Day Books
Available at ReadingUp.com

Engaging Narrative: 4 of 5 Stars

Review by David Midkiff

Jungle Jewels & Jaguars is an engaging narrative of the work of two bible translators in a native tribe in Peru. I was struck by the easiness of the read as well as the intricate details of each story. While Martha did tend to romanticize the translator's role, she was honest about the hardships she and the tribe endured. My only complaint would be that the narrative spends time focusing on certain star characters and then drops off suddenly without mentioning them again. Other then that, I think the book was well worth the read and would highly recommend it to those who are interested in the possibility of Bible translation.

Published by Harvest Day Books
Available at ReadingUp.com

Opening Eyes to Bible Translation

Dear Martha,

I had to share this with you.... Today while talking in my bedroom, our houseguest saw your book on my shelf and asked to read it.

 

Sharon Meier has been coming to Oaxaca, (Mexico) for about 2 years. She has a successful consulting business, training teachers in several school districts across the country. She is a reading and writing specialist. She comes for 2-3 weeks at a time and does writer workshops and trains the teachers effective ways to teach reading and writing. She has done tremendous work at our little school. I wish my children would have been under her training. Anyway, she is only half way through your book (Jungle Jewels & Jaguars by Martha Duff Tripp) and I hear her laughing, and crying.

 

She calls me into the room to reread a portion that really impacted her. I smile. She just closed the book and said; "I LOVE this book!"  "I think everyone should read it!" "I had no idea this is how it works".

 

The whole world of Bible translation is really becoming more clear to her. Prior to coming to Mexico, she knew little to nothing about Bible translation and only the name Wycliffe. So it's been so fun to share our experiences and the importance of having a good school for SIL families.

 

I am so glad that you wrote your book and that part of life history wasn't lost and that it is opening minds like Sharon's to the importance of bringing God's word into heart languages. 

 

Thank you,
Donna Shaver

 

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Jungle Jewels & Jaguars:
Living With the Amueshas Translating God's Word

 

$15.95 published by Harvest Day Books