*Written as a speach for a MOPS group.

Ari Ococa. Aatoniji Pimetoquempi. That is Caquinte for "don't do
that so you won't kill yourself." It is the first Caquinte phrase I learned, and if you know my 4 boys, you know why. It is also a phrase that many of the Caquinte moms can relate to. Because really, a mother is a mother no matter where she is from. Yes, there are differences between "them" and "us."

For example:
The women in our village become mothers not in the hospital but on grass mats in their smoke houses assisted by their mothers and sisters. And most have their first child between the ages of 15 and
20.

Since there is no birth control, they keep having children year after year. It is not uncommon for people to have siblings much younger then their own children.

There is no professional medical care in the village, so nearly every woman I know has lost a child to some disease or another.

Their beds are not king-sized or queen sized, just a pile of blankets on the floor under a mosquito net.

Most have never seen a toilet, much less used one.

Their husbands work hard to put a roof over their heads and food on the tables, only for them it is literal. The men build the houses, fish in the river, and hack out gardens in the jungle.

To make a meal, the Caqunite women don't go to the grocery store to find food; they hike for a couple of miles to their gardens where they gather whatever they need for the coming week.

But there a similarities too:
When they are stressed and overwhelmed, just like us, they go talk to their mom or girlfriends and get advice.

Like us, the Caquinte worry about their children. Though instead of being scared of car accidents, kidnapping, and pedophiles, Caquinte women worry about malaria, dysentery, and deadly snakes.

They work hard to be good wives. They have dreams for their children. They love to laugh.

Our ministry among the Caquinte tribe is multi-faceted. We are not medically trained, but we provided some medical care for the community.

We are helping them ease into the modern world bit by bit because there is really no way for them to avoid it any longer. But the most crucial role we play is introducing the Gospel to them and showing them what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. You see, we all are looking for peace. For us, peace from a chaotic world. For them, peace from fear of evil spirits. We are all looking for unconditional love and joy that
doesn't fade. Though our families and friends do supply us with great love and joy, we all know that it can never be enough. As some of the Caquinte are now discovering, a relationship with Jesus is the only thing that can satisfy us eternally.

In our tribe, everyone is related, so no one uses names, they use kinship terms. Our family has been accepted as a part of this family, so these women in a sense really are my mothers, my sisters, and my
daughters. I am honored to share my life with them, and I hope they learn something from me as I have already learned so much about strength, sacrifice, and perseverance through them.