A letter or remembrance from Nancy Morarie.  I remember many of us students gathering outside the radio room to hear what was happening in the tribes.  This is a bit of Nancy's story.

Nanci Morarie's Parents

Nancy Morarie Knutson

Our heavenly father  sure cares about all of us. Years ago my mom touched the heart of a young woman. Mom shared our heavenly father's love with her. She came to stay with us in Tobite, was like a big sister to me. I was a baby when she came and she was ten and she stayed with our family for approximately 8 years.

My father brought a young man to Tobite to help him build my mom a house. This young man was trying to teach the Ayore men how to light a kerosene refrigerator.   They got mixed up and put gas in the fridge.  When Dad went to light it, the  fridge exploded into flames. While trying to save our thatched roof house Dad was very badly burnt.

My dear grandma taught at the church where my parents got saved. Some missionary men came and told about the men that tried to make contact with the Moro's (a name they had given the Ayore people) and were killed. My mom was at the meeting that night and was deeply moved.  She was only 17 years old, But was filled with a deep desire to share Christ with the Ayore people, where already men, in service to the Lord had given their lives, carrying the message of the Cross to those who had never heard.

She quit high school. My dad begged her to use his GI Bill, and finish her education.  Mom said, "No, I'm going to Palm Springs, CA to find out what this is all about."

My dad was so in love with this young lady that he  dropped out of college and went along. He could hardly wait to marry that crazy lady, but had to wait until she was 18. He loved her so much that he gave his life to the Lord so they could become missionaries together.

My oh my, but the Lord blessed them richly, giving them the most loving people in their lives.  When the day came that mom and dad got to the jungle in Bolivia, where the Ayore people lived, the Lord gave the Ayore's a deep love for them also. 

Then, my Grandma decided she would get involved and organized for retired people to come to the church, bring old sheets.  They tore the sheets up and made rolls of bandages to use in the tribe where needed.   She also made paper flowers and put them into little vases from her home. She gave every person who had a baby a bouquet. She  made kimono baby blankets. In this very practical way, that wonderful mother of my mom, so in love with the Lord, played a part in finding ways help.

She was inspired in energizing the elderly members of the church,  to make money for the church and to support the beautiful dream of her youngest child my mom. Grandma loved to make quilts and taught others to love it also. While they were busy making and selling their quilts, they were part of the ministry to teach the Ayore people about a loving Savior. 

 My dad's parents were amazed at my parents faith. Back in Colorado family and friends began to correspond with my parents.  There was a Seventh Day Adventist Doctor that found out that this heavenly father was real. He began gathering medicines  no longer needed by his patients, and sent them to my father. With the medicines this Doctor sent, he also gave instructions on how to use them.

In the 50's and 60's  people communicated by ham radio.  The Doctor found a ham radio operator in the States, and as my dad was a ham operator too, they got the instructions as quick as a telephone call would have been.

So when my father was burnt 'to a krisp' he had the medicines and bandages needed. My mother carefully wrapped his 2nd and 3rd and some 4th degree burns with the salve and bandages sent from the team back home. Mr. Young and the Doctor kept in close communication  with Mom and Dad initially to monitor Dad's recovery. Later they kept up the contact with mom and dad just to keep up with how the ministry was progressing. 

My Dad found a young man, a carpenter, to come and help him build a house. It sometimes seemed an impossible task.  But when we can't, the Lord takes over the reins.

So, without a Menards or Home Depot they managed.  Dad and that carpenter became a team.
Soon the Team  had some changes.  That little ten year old had became a young lady and dad's  carpenter fell in love with her.  Soon there were wedding bells and a marriage.  It was not long after the wedding that they moved away from Tobite. This made me sad when they left.  I had become very attached to that young lady.  She was like a big sister to me and and to my three brothers.
That carpenter stole her heart. That was that I thought but when I went to Tambo I found out that they were at Tambo also.  Then I grew up and had to leave physically, but I have  all those wonderful years stored in my memory.  I had a wonderful rich life in Bolivia. The Lords gifts are rich and satisfying. I was blessed by the friendship of the young girl who came to live with us, the carpenter she married, their children.  There were many other wonderful students and staff  at Tambo who enriched my life.  The Lord has given me a dear family, a church family, and the joy of becoming a nurse. Through it all I've found that he never leaves you nor for sakes you.

When I found how to get on facebook it was a joy to  reunite with many of my dear friends.

Imagine my amazement and joy when the daughter of the two for whom my parents played cupid, back in the days of the Ayores and Tobite popped up on face book. Then I found the other daughter lives in New Jersey and here I am with her. She is the spitting image of her mom and loves the Lord dearly along with a wonderful man her husband. I haven't been well and they are nursing me physically, and nourishing my soul spiritually. They took me to a Spanish speaking church.  Hearing the music in Spanish is so blessed.  It has echoed in my memory for years. Now it is  not ab echo but a reality. What a joy and blessing to have memories coming to life.  All I can say is praise the Lord.
He is truly a wonderful caring heavenly father, not only sending his only begotten son but giving us  life beyond measure.

We need to think of this couple that helped out at Tambo and thank them for sharing their life working behind the scenes with the carpentry there. Our families continue to have support and their support is not as good. Their daughter is a teacher in Santa Cruz and her husband works full time in the ministry, by faith.

Don Leonard and wife Maria

I long to find a way to send some financial aid along to the parents that have worked so faithfully in Tambo. they were there when you were there and so many others and the daughters remember all the kids. Got any ideas how we can shower that wonderful couple with thanks. The Carpenter has chukkas and sure needs medical help and they need financial help. They too believed in the same Lord we do. I want to send them something.  Do you have any idea how we can communicate the needs that they have and how to support the once young girl, now a 70 year old women ,trying to take care of a sick hubby with getting only one check a year from the Bolivian government.  It's not enough to get by on, while we sit here at home complaining but also have jobs and not the big worry.  I see how we often find things to worry or complain about here, while they are trying to pick up the pieces and continue to serve the Lord there with failing health, and financial problems.  Yet, they remain  so involved with still sharing the Lord, never an ounce of asking or expecting. I call that true devotion to the Lord. If you want to know more and have an idea of how we can continue to support the work we left so the ones we left behind can continue to share this wonderful love please tell me. Here is a picture of that lovely, loved couple spoken of above.  Thank you   Nanci

If anyone reading this desires to help let me know and I will connect you with Nanci Morarie Knutson