(Jan. 27, 2012 - by Ralph Kurtenbach) As Larry Buckman reminisced several years ago with leaders of Brazil's Terena people, they remembered the impact of his parents' tireless work with this Brazilian tribal group to give them education.

Win and Francis Buckman

The Terena were not just looking back, however. Anticipating future ministry, they asked Larry to return and help strengthen their Christian congregations for mission work among neighboring people groups.

The conversation occurred on the sidelines of an anniversary celebration of the school founded by Win Buckman Sr. and his wife, Francis, in the village of Taunay in Mato Grosso do Sul state in southern Brazil. Already working with another tribal group in Brazil where they arrived in 1943, the senior Buckmans agreed in 1956 to respond to a request from the Terena people for a basic education in Portuguese.

Today, five decades later, many Terenas are trained professionals in different disciplines. "We have pilots, doctors, lawyers, pastors and politicians," Larry said. The Terenas, however, again asked for help with education, this time from the younger Buckman and his wife, Fay. Church leaders wanted further training on how to share the gospel among hard-to-reach tribes hidden in the Amazon rainforest. This meant not only embracing Larry due to his parents' work, but also welcoming him as a leader among them.

Understandably, Larry's leadership style differs from that of the Terenas who arrive at decisions by group consensus from a starting point that is more egalitarian than in many Western cultures. In this context, Larry's doggedly determined way of doing things has earned him the title, "Larry the Tractor."

"They don't mean that in a bad way; they do have community tractors in their villages," he chuckled, observing that a transition from ox-drawn plows hastens agricultural work. "It's the speed of change that bothers them-not that they don't want change. Gradually we are finding the right speed for change that does not violate their culture but keeps the movement going forward."

For his part, Larry spent decades working in film, photography and video at HCJB Global in Quito, Ecuador, where Fay also taught school, and they raised two sons. The Buckmans were on loan to Miami International Seminary (MINTS) for five years before making the move a year ago to work directly under HCJB Global's Corrientes (Currents) initiative that seeks to mobilize Latin Americans for cross-cultural mission work worldwide.

This July the Terenas will observe the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the gospel in the area via Scottish missionary Harry Whittington. "Not long ago a chief from another tribe in the neighboring state of Paraná asked one of our chiefs why the Terenas were more advanced and professional," Larry observed. The young chief replied that in Bananal, Mato Grosso do Sul, where Whittington's work began in 1912, the Terenas were the first tribe to embrace Christianity.

Larry said the young chief offered that "the missionaries gave us a complete education when no one else valued our tribe." The surprising statistic is to see the number of Terenas competing for positions in secular universities. All have plans to return to their tribe to develop their own people as well as other tribes.

Today, even with Bible translations under way and the New Testament available in 30 languages spoken in Brazil and another 50 tribes having the gospel and growing churches, some 121 language groups still haven't heard the name of Jesus. Embracing this reality, the Missionary Union of Indigenous Evangelicals of South America (UNIEDAS) has set a goal to "prepare the Christians tribes to reach other tribes." This year the Terenas anticipate opening two Corrientes-style training centers with biblical, vocational and trans-cultural education.

Terena believers are also passionate about reaching other indigenous groups via radio. Three tribal groups are pursuing licensing through the Ministry of Communications in Brasilia. All these tribes have already received radio training through HCJB Global Voice.

Source: HCJB Global