How The Cocama Project Got Started
In June of 2013, Sam and Marcie Nicholson joined a small team from their church on a short-term mission trip to the Amazon jungles of northern Peru. What they expected to be a one-week journey of service quickly became something far deeper—an experience that would forever change the course of their lives and completely reshape their plans for retirement.
From that single trip, The Cocama Project was born—a ministry devoted to reaching the Cocama people, an Indigenous community living along the rivers of the Amazon. Sam and Marcie spent much of their time in the jungle village of Nueve de Octubre (the Ninth of October), named for the date on which the Peruvian government officially recognized the community.
Over the first few years, The Cocama Project continued to grow and take root. The ministry purchased a plot of land beside the village and began building—first a one-room schoolhouse, then a modest first-aid facility, and later a training center and kitchen capable of hosting 40 to 50 visitors. These efforts opened doors for new projects in Nueve de Octubre and nearby villages. The first initiative focused on building new boat docks, simple yet meaningful work that helped form relationships with people who were, at first, wary of outsiders. Soon after came classes in English, Bible study, and basic first aid, followed by expanded medical outreach and children’s programs. A Pastor Training Project was also launched, reaching church leaders in river villages throughout the region.
By December 2018, plans were underway for Kyle and Alissa Pean to join The Cocama Project as full-time missionaries to the Peruvian Amazon—continuing the work that began years earlier with one small trip and a willing heart. Once they fully committed to the ministry, Kyle and Alissa moved their family to Nueve de Octubre, where God has used their faithfulness and willingness to serve in countless ways.
Today, The Cocama Project continues many of the efforts that began nearly a decade ago. Pastor trainings, children’s outreaches, medical assistance, English classes, and Bible studies remain part of Kyle and Alissa’s daily life and ministry. In recent years, new initiatives have been added, including a biweekly men’s prayer group, construction projects to support widows in the village, and plans to expand into mobile pastor trainings—bringing encouragement and education to leaders in even more remote river communities.
Meanwhile, Sam and Marcie have taken on the role of overseeing stateside communications and outreach, ensuring that the people of the Amazon River basin remain seen, remembered, and supported. Please keep the Cocama people of the Amazon in your prayers, and pray for The Cocama Project as the ministry continues to serve this Indigenous community in one of the most remote corners of the world.
Matthew 22:36–40; Matthew 28:18–20