A microcosm is a “little world.” The Greek words upon which our English word is based mean exactly that; little world. I have written before of lessons learned from the Amazonian mission of the Dawson family. As a reminder, Joe and Millie Dawson came to Amazonia as missionaries in the 1950s. Most of Michael and Gary Dawson’s siblings were born there. In fact, when the Venezuelan government kicked all Christian missionaries out of the country, they could not force the Dawsons to leave because they were native-born citizens.

Joe and Millie Dawson settled in a village called Coshilowäteli, or “Cosh,” among the Yanomamö people. The small village has grown over the years, due to the Christian presence of the Dawsons. Before the Dawsons came, and converted many of the people to Christianity, a grand-parent was unknown. They simply did not live that long. The Yanomamö were killing each other at an alarming rate.

Further, there are other benefits of living near the mission of the Dawsons. There is medical care, such as can be offered by missionaries who are not doctors or nurses. Ironically, in petroleum-exporting Venezuela, when they can get fuel the Dawsons have a generator that provides electricity to many of the villagers.

Revenge killings and village against village still occurs in that culture at the urging of the Devil, but due to the influence of Christianity and the benefits of living near the missionaries, “Cosh” has become a large village. There are now about six-hundred Yanomamö living there.

Not all of the villagers are Christian. I recall a story Michael Dawson told of neighbors complaining about the gospel music they were playing, because the demons of the villagers would not come near while the gospel was being proclaimed. The villagers could not understand the English of the gospel songs, but the demons could.

Coshilowäteli is a microcosm of the United States. When Christians arrived in America in the 17th Century, many of the natives living here were converted to Christianity. The United States is blessed beyond any other nation by buffers of two oceans and the natural resources and great arable land that we possess. As a result, the United States has prospered and grown. Despite our problems, the United States is still the country that most people want to move to.

But not everyone in the United States is a Christian. It is reported that pagan religions are growing in our country at a faster rate than Christianity. But whether they understand or acknowledge it, the pagans want to live here because of the benefits of living in a Christian nation.

I wonder what would happen if the Dawsons were forced to leave Coshilowäteli? Would the village continue to prosper? Fortunately, the Dawsons have provided some very strong Christian converts to carry on the mission, so the village might continue to benefit. Without these native Christians, I have doubts of the success of the village. Coshilowäteli is a microcosm of the United States. I wonder what would happen to the United States if all the Christians were to suddenly leave with no one left behind to demonstrate true Christianity. (Perhaps, in the event of the trumpet call of the Lord Jesus.) Would this nation continue to prosper? Again, I doubt it.

Pray for the lost pagans living in the Amazonian jungle and in the United States. Pray for the people living in Venezuela. They are fleeing that country by the hundreds of thousands because there is little food, little law enforcement and little medical care from the secular leadership.

Praise the Lord for the blessing of living in a nation founded on Christianity!