Saturday, November 24, 2018

John Chau: Called to the Sentinelese as far back as 2011

   John Chau felt called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Sentinelese as far back as 2011. This is evidenced in the comments section of the blog post entitled, "Sentinelese: The remotest people in the world." In the clipping below, John Chau writes under the alias "Romans 10:14-15." This Scripture is a wonderful summary of John Chau's passion for a people who need to hear the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
     "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

      One of the comments that follow his comment is a reflection of the world's thinking, namely, that preaching the gospel is foolishness, or as "phil evans" puts it: "mentally ill." This comment of darkness is seen in the comments of thousands in the world today, who do not understand John's martyrdom because they do not understand the One who sacrificed Himself for John.


      

Thursday, November 22, 2018

John Chau's Last Letter to Family


Brian and Mary(?) and Mom and Dad,

You guys might think I’m crazy in all this, but I think it’s worth it to declare Jesus to these people. Please do not be angry at them or at God if I get killed – rather please live your lives in obedience to whatever He has called you to and I’ll see you again when you pass though the veil. Don’t retrieve my body.  This is not a pointless thing – the eternal lives of this tribe is at hand and I can’t wait to see them around the throne of God worshiping in their own language as Revelation 7:9-10 states.

I love you all and I pray none of you love anything in this world more than Jesus Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria,

John Chau
(SIGNED)
11/16/28 0620
Written from the cove on the southwest-ish (now like west) of North Sentinel Island.

John Chau's Last Letter to Alex

Alex – I’m so grateful to you and to your simple obedience to God, and how you’ve secured(?) this mission with your very best. I think I might die—tomorrow even (see entries to see why) and I wish I could have had more time to express my thanks to you. I’m proud of you Bro and I pray that you will never love anything more in this world more (sic) than you love Christ. Stay Strong, keep the good faith, and may your life be continually filled with His grace and peace and mercy(?). I’ll see you again bro – and remember, the first one to heaven, wins.

Much Love and to God alone be the glory.
P.S. Please send all pages of the journal entries to Bobby and tell him to forward to the current update to All Nations:
“ I got shot by an arrow sested(?), that was stopped by my Bible, but this particular contact(?) trip had gone well until then – and it was an adolescent (pre-puberty) that had shot me. Trying again tomorrow (11/16/18).”

John Chau's Last Journal Entry: November 16th


God, I don’t want to die. WHO WILL TAKE MY PLACE IF I DO? OH God I miss my parents my Mom and my Dad and Brian and Mart and Norah and Jeremy and Jade(?) and Jenifer and Seth and Bobby (even though he was just here!) and Christian and someone I can talk to and be understood. None of the guys on the boat know much English and I don’t know much Hidi(?) or Ti(?) to ask their opinions and to tell stuff like this to.
I’ve never felt this much grief or sorrow before, WHY! Why did a little kid have to shoot me today? His high pitched voice still lingers in my head. Father, forgive him and any of the people on this Island who try to kill me, and especially forgive them if they succeed? What makes them become this defensive and hostile? Legends passed down through the millennia of their escape from a slave ship? Why does this beautiful place have to have so much death here? Last night, I had what I’d call a vision as I’ve never had one before – my eyes were shut but I wasn’t asleep and I saw a purple hue over the Island-like city as a meteorite or star fell to it and it was a frightening city with jagged spikes and I felt distressed(or disturbed?). Then a different light, a whitish light filled it and all the frightening bits melted away. LORD is this Island Satan’s last stronghold where none have heard or even has a chance to hear your Name?

Lord strengthen me as I need your strength and protection and guidance and all that you give and are. Whoever comes after me to take my place, whether it’s after tomorrow or another time, please give them a double anointing and bless them mightily.

The plan for tomorrow is to drop me at the cache and then the boat will leave for the day, returning at night – I’m at peace with that plan because A) Pieter V. from South Africa had said the reason the Jarawa didn’t kill him was that he got dropped with no boat nearby and B) if it goes badly on foot, the fishermen won’t have to bear witness to my death.
Alternate…is to either wait another time – and go back to Port Blair without any documents or stay in the safehouse again and put all at risk (why are we so afraid of death?) or get deported. If I leave, I believe I’ll have failed the mission.

Now that I remember it, after I got shot by that arrow and it was in my Bible, I gave it BACK! Man, I should have snapped it.

Perfect Love casts out fear. LORD Jesus, fill me with your perfect love for these people!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

11/16/18
0620

Woke up after a fairly restful sleep, heading to Island now. I hope this isn’t my last notes, but if it is, to God be the glory.
One thought occurred to me last night: only young adults were seen, and kids, but no elderly—are they separated and must stay on the shore? Are the elderly in the jungle?
I’m heading back to the hut  I’ve been to. Praying it goes well.

-John Chau

John Chau's Third November 15th Journal Entry


Journal Blue waters in the Cove , Double rainbow over the Island!      

November 15, 2018
                                                                                                                                         
1350
                                                                                                                                          
North Sentinel Island
                                                                                                                                          
Southwest Cove

Well, I’ve been shot by the Sentilese…by a kid probably about ten or so years old, maybe a teenager, short compared to those who looked like adults. Let me first back up; after that initial contact, some of the guys in my boat went spear fishing and caught what they call “entt-a-la” that looks like a grouper or sea bass with big lips-they caught two and each weighed about 30lbs—so after a meal of that(?) and rice, I swam back to the cached kayak (after first going poop in the water(?) about  a mile – ¾ mile from the Sentinel house. So I wasn’t worried that they see, but more concerned that if I went on shore that they’d see or find it). And left a few gifts (scissors, cord, and safety pins) on a log that a human must have put there—this cache and location is on the north side of the southwest cove. Then I built the kayak (again because I had broken it down to hide after that first contact), and paddled back to the boat. We put the two big fish on top of my kayak, and my small pelican (are(?) that held many pencils, my initial contact repairs(?) kit (for arrow wounds) such as hemostat/cuitclot(?), abdominal pads, chest seal, and dental forceps for arrow removal, plus it contained my picture cards, and multivitamins and multitools (including the one my brother gave as a groomsman gift that has my name engraved on it…and unfortunately it also contained my passports [I’ll say why it was unfortunate in a moment] inside my kayak; plus I had my waterproof Bible (thanks Bardin and Marsee Publishing [see here]) and some gifts: scissors, tweezers, safety pins, fishing line and hooks, and cordage, and rubber tubing, and my new Socudo(?) tomely(?). I set off towards the north shore of the cove toward where I had seen a dilapidated structure and two destroyed dug-outs via binoculars.
    Why was it destroyed? Perhaps a death? Then seeing no one from the water, I waded my kayak through the shallows of the dead coral reef and still didn’t see anyone. I affixed some gifts to the fish and then proceeded around the cove toward the hut(?) I had been darted(?) from an initial contact. Sure enough, as I for closer, I heard the whoops and shouts from the hut. I made sure to stay out of arrow range, but unfortunately that meant I was out of good hearing range. So I got a little closer and as they (about 6 from what I could see) yelled at me, I tried to parrot their words back to them. They burst out laughing most of the time, so they probably were bad words or insulting me. They were also yelling into the forest behind the hut, which echoed and they(?) made drumming sounds(?), if I recall. Perhaps their men were away which would explain why the ones yelling at me looked fairly juvenile. I spotted one man wearing a white crown or something (flowers maybe?) on his head and he also took a seemingly leadership stance and yelled at me. Leadership stance meaning he climbed atop the tallest coral rock to yell. I yelled some phrase in Xinosa(?) and sang them some worship songs and hymns, and they would after fall silent after this. Then two of them dropped their bows and took a dugout to meet me(?). I couldn’t tell if they were truly anavad(?) or not; so I still kept a safe distance away and dropped off the fish and gifts. And at first they paddled(?) their dugout past the gifts and were coming at me, then they turned and grabbed(?) the gifts except for the shovel/adze(?). I paddled after them and exchanged some more yells of currently unitelligle words. Then here’s where this nice meet and greet goes(?) south. A child and a song(?) woman both with bows came behind  the few(?) gift receives(?), with bows drawn  of arrows(?) first(?). I kept waving my hands to say “no bows”, but they didn’t get the memo I guess. I tossed the active(?)/shovel a midway distance between all of us and they began talking(?) to the two unarmed guys. They came over to get it out unfortunately(?) and  grabbed a bamboo knife. By this time the wind had picked up and the kayak was get(?) new on shallow cool(?). The Islanders saw that and blocked my exit. One blocked (unnamed(?)) while other (bamboo knife) waded along the coral. Then little kid with bow and arrow came down the middle and I figured that this was it. So I preached a bit to them starting in Genesis and disembarked my kayak to show them that I too have two legs. I was inches from the unarmed guy (well built with a round face one fly on his right face cheek and yellowish pigment in circles on his cheeks, and about 5ft. 5”) and gave him a bunch of the sacks and gifts. As they got bunched(?) together – so basically I gave them all the gift-type items (except for some spares in my cached gear) and then they took the Kayak…and the little kid shot me with an arrow – directly into my Bible which I was holding in front of my chest. I grabbed the arrow shaft as it broke in my Bible (on pg. 433, Isaiah 63:5-65:2), and felt the arrow head. It was metal, thin but very sharp. I stumbled back and I recall yelling at the kid for shooting me – now as I look back at it, my Bible cover looks like bark – like tree bark, so maybe he was just being curious, but yikes, it sure gave me a fright. They left me alone as I half-waded, half-swam through the broken coral to the deep part of the cove where I know their dugouts couldn’t reach if they chased me. I had to swim almost a mile back to the boat at the mouth of the cove…as I got closer I thought a rock was the boat and then saw the boat but(?) with figures with their arms up waving and I thought briefly that another group of Sentinelese had attacked the boat while they were watching me, but thank God that wasn’t the case. Although I now have no kayak, or my small pelican and its contents, I’m grateful that I still have the written Word of God.  
The plan now is to rest and sleep on the boat and in the morning to drop me off by the cache and then I walk alonf the beach toward the same hut I’ve been giving gifts to. It’s weird – actually no, it’s natural: I’m scared.
There, I said it. Also thistul(?) and uncertain – unfortunately JP won’t go with me and only stays on the vessel. The language gap is tough too as it’s hard to get good input – LORD let your will be done. If you want me to get actually shot or even killed with an arrow, then so be it. I think I could be more useful alive though, but to You, God, I give all the glory of whatever happens. I DON’T WANT to Die! Would it be wiser to leave and let someone else continue? NO. I don’t think so – I’m stuck here anyway without a passport and having been off the grid. I still could make it back to the US somehow as it almost seems like certain death to stay here – yet there is endened(?) change in just this encontus(?) in a single day. Will try again tomorrow. I’m sending these pages to A (for Alex?) to take a picture of all(?) this(?) to Bobby and AN (for All Nations, see allnations.us).

Observations:

  • ·         # of people in hut: ~10 including juveniles (with seen more elsewhere so estimated 50+ here, estimate say 250.
  • ·         Language: Lots of high pitched sounds with [b][p],[l] and [s] heard. Couldn’t quite get any words. Insults are probably exchanged a lot. Did not seem to understand Jarawa words I said.
  • ·         Gestures: Arms in the air=unarmed, friendly; pointing with hand/finger(?)=pointing a location; arrows in bow=ready to shoot you
  • ·         Environment: beautiful cpve, mostly dead coral but clear and dead coral bottom. Sand is white, but coarse. There’s an amazing surf at the dark part of the entrance to the cove. Saw 3 perfect sets of 4-6 fast high swells barreling the like 200 yards or so.
  • ·         Thuierd(?) hut and dugouts points to a cultural practice. It could also be from poaches(?) as I have seen numerous rocky coral that juts out of the cove having lines (thick) wrapped around them.
  • ·         If they see something they like, they’ll take it (by force if necessary). I wonder how many other folks have given them something. And if they feel like it is expected or due them? ____________________________________

Watching the sunset out it’s beautiful – crying a bit…wondering if it’ll be the last sunset I see before being in the place where the sun never sets. Tearing up a little.

John Chau's Second November 15th Journal Entry


Journal Psalm 51                                                                           

November 15, 2018
                                                                                                                
1000
                                                                                                                
North Sentinel Island, Southwest Cove

Around 0830, I tried initiating contact after no one came to meet us after we waved our arms and a cloth. I went back to the cache kayak and built it up, then raced to the boat and got two large fish—about 15lb it felt like (one barracuda and one half of a GT/tuna(?)). I put them on top of the kayak and began running(?) to the house we had reach(?) about a half mile or so along, over the top of dead coral in 4 ft. of water. As I was about 400 yards out, I heard women(?) losing(?) and chaftening.
Then I spotted two dug-out canoes with outriggers. I rowed past one, then saw movement on the shore. Two armed Sentinelese  came rushing out yelling at me—they had two arrows each, unstrung, until they got closer. I hollered, “My name is John; I love you and Jesus loves you. Jesus Christ gave me authority  to come to you…here is some fish!”
I regret I began to panic slightly, as I saw them string arrows in their bows. I picked up the half GT/tuna fish and threw it toward them. They kept coming. Then I slid the Barricuda off and it started to sink, but my thoughts were directed toward the fact I was almost in arroq range. I backpaddled facing them and  then when they got the fish, I turned and paddled like I never have in my life, back to the boat. I felt some fear, but mainly was disappointed they didn’t accept me right away. I can now say I’ve been nearly shot by the Sentinelese, but I’ve walked(?) a(?) and cached(?) gear on their island (thanks Matt, your Bedrant(?) students(?) worked great). Now I’m resting in the boat and will try again. Later, leaving gifts on shore and in rocks. God, protect me and guide me.

SDG

-John Chau

John Chau's First November 15th Journal Entry


Journal       
                                                                                          
November 15, 2018
                                                                                                                                
North Sentinel
                                                                                                                               
0530

Rendezvoused successfully last night with the friend, currently on the boat, waiting to make contact. Left last night around 2000 and arrived around 2230 or so. But as we went North along the Eastern shore, we saw boat lights in distance along the north shore and turned around. Headed south along the Eastern shore and evaded them went along the Southern shore and then up along the western shore. All along the way, our boat was highlighted by bioluminescent plankton—and as fish jumped nearby, we could see them like darting mermaids shimmering along. The Milky Way was above and God Himself was shielding us from the Coast Guard and Navy Patrols. At 0430, we entered the Cove on the Western shore and as the sun began to light the east above the island, me (sic) and two of the guys jumped in the shallows and brought my two pelicans and kayak onto the northern point of the Cove. The dead coral is sharp and I already got a slight scratch on my right leg. Now we see a Sentinel Islander home and are waiting for them to come out. We also saw three large fires on the eastern shore last night.

Soli Deo Gloria.   

-John  Chau