Below is a recent letter from Steve's brother, Mike. Its contents will reveal some of why Steve is feeling the time has come for him to return, making the trips to help them to reestablish the seminars.

Dear Praying friends,

Just a note to bring you up to date on what has been going on here.
This finds us fine and in good health. We have a lot to be thankful for. Dad's health continues to be good. Thank you for your prayers.

We had a German telivision crew up show up here and they had a lot of questions. We decided it would look better if Keila was our "spokesperson" since she is the only one that is not also an American.
This way, no one could say, "well, there are those Gringos! What are they still doing here?" I think her interview went well, they had some good questions and Keila did really well. While walking past Dad and Mom's house, they saw Dad outside and asked if they could ask him a few questions. Dad also did real well, and after only one question (A real easy one for Dad, it was "Why do you think the Yanomamö needed to hear about a "western god") After Dad answered his question he turned it around and was very graciously witnessing to the gentleman doing the interview. I am pretty sure most of this will be edited out, but at least the 6 people doing the interview clearly heard the gospel and the reason we are here.

Our hearts have been burdened that we have not been able to continue our seminars due to lack of fuel up here. Since many of us have to go to Las Esmeralda once or twice a month we have decieded to build a place there where we can spend a few days a month meeting with and encouraging the different students that do make it down there. we realize these meetngs will have to be a bit clandestine and we will have to be careful, but we think this might be a good opportunity to continue ministerying to these guys. I have already been talking to a lot of them and have been trying to encourage them. This last month we went down there a couple of times and have started working on the place. During this time, i have had many opportunities of talking to some of our students. a few days ago i spoke with our student from Bodomawä. He is excited about us continuing classes down there. "I really want to follow the Lord, but I fall so often." he told me. "It is so hard serving the Lord when you are all by yourself, but I still talk to God and ask HIM for help. I can't wait until you all start meeting down here, i will come down as often as i can."

I was speaking with Carlos from the village of Seducudawä. He paddled down to bring his wife to the medical dispensary as she had been stung on the foot by a large stingray and was in a lot of pain. Carlos at one time had been one of our most promising believers in Seducudawä and was a big witness for the Lord there. His grandfather, uncle and younger brother were all powerful witchdoctors but we had believed the power of Christ had allowed him to break the cycle. Then a number of years ago he had an affair and later on divorced his wife and married the other woman and since that time has not wanted much to do with us.
Then about 4 years ago he almost died with malaria but slowly recovered. After his recovery he attended one of our seminars and publically made things right with the Lord and the church here, but for some reason, as soon as he returned to Seducudawä he fell off the deep end. The next thing we knew, everyone was saying he had become a witchdoctor. It is hard not to take these defeats personally and frankly, setbacks like this are always hard to take, so we were feeling very defeated as far as both Carlos and the work in Seducudawä was concerned. So i was surprised when he came in yesterday and sit down to talk with me. For the last three years or more our relationship has been strained and cold, to be honest, he mostly has avoided us.

I invited him in and after some small talk I asked him how he was really doing. "Not good" he admitted. I am not happy anymore. "Yes, I heard you had now become a 'shaboli,' (a witchdoctor)" I told him. He shook his head no. "I tried," he admitted, "but i just never could make it. I chanted and chanted, the jecula came close and taught me many chants to use, but they kept telling me I had to get rid of the light. I made my heart as dark as I could, i took dope almost non stop, i chanted all night long but every time the spirits would approach me the small little light in my heart was still shinning and would neither go out nor go away. I did all I could do, but the spirits finally even just quit coming. So to answer your question, I am not a witchdoctor but i did try." (Sounds like a great argument for eternal security, doesn't it?)

"What do you think the light was?" I asked him. "I know it is God's Spirit. In spite of all I have done, HE has never left me, so the jecula would not come. My heart is so heavy, but I just don't know what I can do." God's Word says if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins." I told him. "Pray for me." he said, "I need to take my wife home, but I will come back and talk some more soon."
he told me.

Prayer and Praise!
Pray for Cesar from Bodomawä
Pray for Carlos from Seducudawä
Pray for wisdom for us as we seek to take advantage of everyone
having to go down to Las Esmeralda, that we might be able to
continue teaching our students.
Praise for being able to purchase 9000 liters of diesel fuel for our generator! God continues to provide a table in the wilderness for us!
Thanks for your prayers!

Michael and Keila