LIFTED
About The Documentary
From the Roof of a House to the Heart of the Jungle
It began on an ordinary workday. Ivan Schoen, a carpenter in Florida, climbed down from a rooftop after reading a newspaper article about five missionaries martyred in Ecuador. Their story didn’t stir fear—it sparked a call. Ivan later said, *“It was as though God spoke directly to me: these are the same people I want you to serve.” Most men would have finished the shift, shaken off the thought, and gone home. Ivan turned in his two weeks’ notice. With his wife Doris, he set out on a path of training, preparation, and obedience. Four years of Bible school. Medical and dental training to meet the practical needs of isolated people. And then—in 1961—with three small children in tow, the Schoens boarded a plane for Suriname. Critics warned against taking kids into a hostile jungle. Family members pleaded with them to reconsider. But Ivan and Doris believed God had called not just one man, but their entire family. And that decision proved vital: the Wayana and Trio allowed the Schoens to stay because they came with children. They came not as conquerors, but as family!
“If the King calls you, unpack your bags—you’ll see Him do impossible things.” — Ivan Schoen
Living Among the People
The Schoens cut airstrips, built homes, and ate what the jungle provided—even monkey meat made into “burgers.” Slowly, wary eyes became open doors. Bound by animism and fear of spirits, the people lived under constant dread. But trust was built—children played together, shamans saw compassion in action, and hunters taught the Schoen boys their skills. Over the next 40 years, Ivan Schoen accomplished something extraordinary: night after night, he sat with index cards, capturing words, sounds, and meanings. Patiently, with the help of local leaders like Chief Noë, Ivan pieced together a written form of the Wayana and Trio languages—languages that had only ever been spoken. This painstaking work made it possible to translate not just verses, but the entire Old and New Testament into the heart language of the people. For the first time in their history, the Wayana and Trio could read God’s Word for themselves!
“God’s Word in our language changed everything.” — Wayana Elder
The Vision For LIFTED
The vision for Lifted began about three years ago with an unforgettable Zoom call. On the screen was Tom Schoen, the youngest of the Schoen children, who now serves as a missionary with TWR among Indigenous communities. Joining him were his parents, the very ones who had moved their young family into the jungle decades earlier.
But what caught everyone’s attention was a tribal man sitting in a hammock, holding what looked like a Bible. It was the completed Word of God in the tribe’s language, being presented to the village chief for the very first time. This powerful moment helped inspire the creation of Lifted and captures the heart of the Schoen family’s story — generations faithfully serving and seeing God’s promises fulfilled.
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