We just got back from a whirlwind three days in Peru, up in the Andes Mountains, between 11,000 and 12,000 feet above sea level. I’ve almost recovered the oxygen I lost during that trip. While we were there, we got to talk to my new friend, missionary Bob Holloway, and his wife, Lisa. They’ve been on the mission field for over three decades and have done incredible work across Latin America, specifically among the unreached people groups.
Bob and Lisa raised their family in the Amazon basin—literally the place every Christian kid is terrified they’re going to be called to! Right into the heart of the jungle. Bob and Lisa raised their family among tribal people in the Amazon basin. I wanted to talk to him about missions, unreached people groups, what God is doing in the Andes Mountains, and really what he would say to each of us about our responsibility to the Great Commission and global missions—not just in Latin America, but across the world. Every nation, tribe, and tongue needs to hear the good news of Jesus. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Bob as much as I did.
Marketplace Skills Are Missionary Skills
Erik: I’m here with my new friend Bob Holloway. He and his wife, Lisa, are missionaries among the Quechua people. We’re in the mountains of Peru, down here doing some video shooting, but I wanted to share some of our fascinating conversations about missions and unreached people groups. Bob and I had some good talks, even when I wasn’t gasping for air (since we’re at 11,200 feet above sea level). Hopefully, I won’t get winded during this conversation!
At The Stone Table, one of our core passions is unreached people groups (UPGs). Bob, over the past 30-plus years, your heart has really been focused on these UPGs as well. Could you talk to us a little about the concept of UPGs and why it’s important for us as believers to understand and engage in missions with UPGs?
Bob: These are great questions. You know, here in Latin America, many people see it as a reached area—a “burned-over field”—and wonder why we’re even sending missionaries here. But the truth is, there are 15 to 16 million people who have never heard the gospel in a way that they can understand and make a decision about.
People might say, “We have cities bigger than 15 to 16 million people,” and that’s true. But do those cities speak 500 different languages? That’s the problem here in Latin America. Our unreached people groups are in tough, remote places, speaking isolated languages that you can’t learn in school. It takes someone with a lot of heart and fortitude to reach these groups.
My wife and I raised our daughters in the Amazon rainforest of Venezuela. We were an eight-hour boat ride from the end of the road to get to our house, and to reach some of these tribal groups, we’d have to travel another five days on the river. These groups have never heard the gospel before, and reaching them is no easy task.
The tribal groups are just one portion of the UPGs in Latin America. There’s also the diaspora—people moving from the Middle East, Islamic countries, and China, where it’s illegal to openly share the gospel. They’re coming to Latin America, where we have a huge opportunity to reach them.
The third portion of UPGs here is the deaf population. Believe it or not, we have a huge deaf population with very few people working among them. They’re considered part of the UPGs, but they’re not even included in that 15 to 16 million people figure—they’re a side note, but they are very much a part of the unreached.
Erik: Wow. You mentioned that you and your wife raised your two daughters in the Amazon basin, Venezuela. So many Christian young people (myself included) grow up praying, “Please, God, don’t send me to a hut in Africa!” or “Please don’t make me live among tribal people!” Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like living in the Amazon basin? What moved your heart to be willing to raise your daughters in a place like that?
Bob: That scripture where Paul says, “My desire is to take the gospel where it’s never been heard before,” from the book of Romans, stuck in our hearts. We knew that’s what we wanted to do because not many people are clamoring to go to the unreached.
I use this analogy: We lived in the jungle, and there were mango trees. When the mangoes ripen, everyone grabs the low-hanging fruit first. But someone has to want the mangoes enough to climb up to the very top of the tree. That’s what I equate to the unreached people groups—they’re the last mangoes at the top of the tree. We need people who have that passion and desire to see the Great Commission fulfilled, people who truly believe that the gospel is for every tribe, nation, and language.
Erik: You were telling me you didn’t actually live among the tribal group with no clothes and bones in their noses, but you’d travel to them, right?
Bob: Yes, we lived in the jungle, but to reach the truly isolated tribal groups, we had to travel to them. Our daughters grew up with river otters and wild animals around, but we asked them later, after they went to college in the U.S., “What would you change about your childhood?” They said, “We wouldn’t change a thing.” God gives us grace to adjust to whatever He calls us to do. The unreached people groups in Latin America are in hard, difficult places, but God gives people grace to do it.
Erik: That’s beautiful. Another thing we talked about on the bus was how the authorities and governments in these areas don’t always want you reaching these tribal people. Not necessarily because they’re anti-Christian, but because they take pride in their indigenous cultures. They’re afraid of losing that identity. Could you speak to that?
Bob: Yes, in many parts of Latin America, governments take pride in preserving their indigenous people. They create laws, reserves, and even state in their constitutions that evangelicals are not allowed in certain areas to protect these cultures. The gospel does change cultures, but it doesn’t make them look like us—it makes them look like Jesus. The gospel isn’t about spreading Western ideals, it’s about transforming hearts so they look more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit moves in, and real change happens from the inside out.
Erik: So last question: For those interacting with The Stone Table or following our content, how would you encourage people who are feeling stirred to get involved in missions?
Bob: My advice is simple—come. Step on the ground, pray, and ask God what He wants. I’ve seen so many people’s hearts stirred just by being here. Walk it with us. Come on prayer walks. Investigate the unreached people groups in Latin America—over 500 languages still haven’t heard the gospel.
The Great Commission calls us to every nation, tribe, and tongue. If we’re going to fulfill it in our lifetime, we all have to get involved.
