BACK IN PERU

After a 7 week stateside furlough we are back home in Baños del Inca Peru.  It had been 16 months since we were in the US.  It was a very busy time, but we also had some good moments of refreshment.  One of the highlights of our trip was 2 days in Disneyland.  Nicole's parents blessed us with a fun time and her whole family was there.  It was not relaxing, but the kids loved it.  We got to see some family and share at our supporting churches and meet a bunch of new people so it was a much needed time.  We are glad to be back and getting back in the swing of things.  This month is a busy month with much planned at Refugio.  We will be having our annual Chocolatada on the 22nd.  This is a great time for those who do not come to church to hear the gospel.

I have to tell you about a little praise report on how the Lord blessed us.  When we arrived in Lima on thursday morning at 7 am, we went through customs and immigration and then went to check in for our connecting flight to Cajamarca which was supposed to be at 4:30 pm.  Coming out of customs, our dear friends Manolo and Holy (senior pastor of CC Lima and his wife) were there waiting for Holly's dad and they helped us push all our luggage over to the local terminal.  What a blessing that was.  It was good to see them and then they ran back to meet her dad.  When we got to the counter the attendant told us that our flight from Lima to Cajamarca was for the previous day.  When I booked the flights I booked the flight from Lima to SFO and then in a separate purchase, I bought our tickets from Lima to Cajamarca (we do this because we get a discount on in country flights because of our residency).  Well I messed up on the dates.  Keep in mind we have 11 checked bags and 5 carry-ons and 2 guitars.  The attendant left for a moment and then came back and said she is going to put us on the next flight and not charge us.  She felt bad because we had all the kids and bags and can see how we could of got confused on the dates.  The Lord is SO GOOD to us. We not only got a free flight, but we only had an hour and a half layover now.  When we were getting off the plane, a gentleman gave us a huge bag of Ghiradelli chocolate.  He said it was because our kids behaved so well on the flight.  We in turn blessed the attendant with the chocolate and she was ecstatic.  The Lord is SO GOOD.

Looking forward to see what the Lord continues to do here in Peru.    

7 week furlough

In October we are going back to the States for furlough.  We will be in the States a little over 7 weeks.  We are excited and nervous and every emotion that you can imagine.  We are so blessed that the Lord provided for the whole family to go back.  This will be the first time Arianna has ever been to the States.  We are looking forward to encourage and be encouraged.  We have a busy schedule but we also have some leisure times mixed in as well.  It will hard to leave the church and all our peoples here.  Praise the Lord that we have some good leaders and teachers who are going to be leading and shepherding the flock here.  Be praying for this time that it fruitful and restful and a time of great fellowship.

Looking to our victory

This sunday I will be teaching a very heavy text from Mark 8.  It is the section where Jesus calls anyone who wishes to follow him to deny themselves and pick up their cross.  This is a call to anyone who wishes to be a follower of Christ.  This is not just for the missionaries or the pastors.  This call, this demand is required of all who wish to be a disciple.  As Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, 

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.”

 
That is true and that is something to seriously ponder, but what we must also realize is what Jesus had declared right before issuing this sobering call.  In the previous few verses Jesus told his disciples that the Son of Man will suffer and die and be buried, but listen to this, will rise again.  Jesus did not stay dead and neither will those who deny themselves and take up their crosses.  Yes, the Christian walk is one of suffering for those who pursue godliness (2 Tim. 3:12), but we also know that this life is not the end.  This suffering here and now is temporary.  Of course that does not make it easier as we are going through tribulations and persecutions, but it helps to have the proper perspective.  So the call to deny yourself and take up your cross is a call to follow Christ to death, but as Calvin said, "Death is the way to life and the cross is the way to victory." 

Seeing Christ

Lately I have been working my way through The Death of Christ by James Denney.  I have had this book for quit some time and I will read a few chapters and set it down and then pick it up again and read some more.  It is a book that, at least for me, that I can not just power through.  It has a level of richness that I need to savor.  Going through it always brings me to reflect on Christ and the glories of the cross.

This is one of the books that transformed Martyn Lloyd Jones's preaching ministry.  After a message a man told him his message had very little Christ in it and Lloyd Jones went home and locked himself in a room and read this book and the Atonement by R. W. Dale.  These books transformed his ministry.  As I preach week after week, I do not want to have a conversation that I preach very little Christ.  I know that I have room to grow and I will always need to improve, but even now I must be sure to preach Christ.  Jesus said that the Scriptures testify of me (John 5:39).  Whatever portion of Scripture we come to, the focus must always be Christ. Spurgeon said "Whatever subject I preach, I do not stop until I reach the Savior. That is my goal.  As I pray and prepare each message I want to bring people to see Christ (John 12:21).

To see Christ, that is the gospel.  "Behold your God."  This is only possible through the cross.  Praise Him for His grace.

Soli deo Gloria

Moving into a new building!

This Sunday will be our first service in the new location that the Lord has provided for us.  His timing is always perfect.  Last Sunday, we had more people than we had chairs and space.  Many of the new comers were Bible college students.  Their semester just started and we were blessed to have some of them join us for service.  Be praying for them and their semester.  We expect the Lord to work in their lives and see them grow.  Also be praying for the Bible college and the staff that they are blessed and have wisdom to navigate many of the issues that arise.  They are currently still under construction of the new facilities.  You can check out how to get involved on their web site.

We also this last week, got an addition to our team here in Peru.  The Brower family arrived and are already making an impact in the ministry.  Yesterday Don, Hannah and Caleb joined us up in Matara.  Matara is a town about an hour outside of Baños that we have been blessed to go and come along side some other missionaries who have a wonderful work there.  We had 180+ kids yesterday.  Hannah passed out bananas and oatmeal to the kids after the Bible study and Don did some translating and prayer.

Tonight will be Dons first time translating.  Thursday nights we hold our midweek service.  This Saturday we will be heading up to another little town that we are blessed to teach in.  We go every other Saturday and minister to on average 20 adults and 15 kids.  This is a quechuan village that has asked us to minister to them.  They are hoping to build a church and have regular Sunday services.  Be in prayer for them.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Soli deo Gloria

Arrival of our 4th child!!!!

The Lord in His grace has given us our 4th child.  Arianna Betty was born June 25th at 3:14 pm.  She is a itty bitty girl weighing in at a whopping 4.2 lbs.  Nicole and her are both doing very well.  Yesterday we were able to get her DNI, which is her Peruvian citizenship.  On the 17th we go to the US embassy to get her US passport and social security.  Thanks for the prayers and support.

Celebrating Good Friday

One of the most significant events that ever took place in history is celebrated and remembered today.  We celebrate the death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  When Christ died, He was taking upon Himself the sins of the world.  Sometimes it is easy to think "wow, Jesus died for sin".  Jesus died for the sins of the world.  Let me be a little more specific though.  Yes, Jesus died for the sins of the world, but He specifically died for your sins and mine.  When He was shedding His blood on that cross, He specifically died for you and me.  We have a personal God.  Not a God way out beyond reach.  We have a God who took on flesh and then took upon Himself sin.  We have a personal God that through His death, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom and through the shedding of Jesus's blood we can enter into the holy of holies, the very presence of God.  We have a personal God who is Holy and Righteous but has provided access to Himself.  The crucifixion was the greatest injustice the world has ever committed.  Jesus was an innocent man.  He was perfect, the ruler of the land during that time even declares that.  Everyone who truly sought Jesus and had an encounter with His grace, left that encounter an improved person.  Sickness was eradicated wherever He was.  Jesus did nothing but good.  Yet He was crucified like a common criminal.  It was the greatest injustice the world has committed.  The greatest injustice has led to perfect justice.  Sin has been punished and dealt with.  The price has been paid, the veil has been torn, grace has been offered, mercy has been provided.  All we need to do is throw ourselves to the foot of the cross.  We also need to die so that we can be raised to new life in Christ.  Today we celebrate good friday, yes it is good Christ died, but this day would not be good if sunday did not come.  Three days later, the tomb is empty and Christ is alive!!!!!!  That is what completes this story, it wasn't enough for Christ to die, the resurrection verifies to us that the sacrifice was sufficient, God's wrath was satisfied and Christ was raised for our justification.  Thanks be to Him.

Soli deo Gloria

WHERE DOES TIME GO

As I woke up this morning, I thought "can it already be march 2013?"  This year has been going by so fast.  It seems the older I get the faster the time goes.  Even though, the time has flown by, it has been a blessed year.  

This last week, my parents arrived here in Cajamarca to come along side the ministry.  Years ago when we were first answering the call to go into the mission field, we heard a husband and wife speak about life in the mission field.  They had spent several years in eastern Europe and then moved into central Asia.  This time they had the parents of the wife and her brother and his wife with them.  It was a missionary team, but also a family who had been through so much together.  And as they shared they spoke on what a blessing it is to serve with your family, because you are family and when the hard times come and conflict within the team, you have to just get over it because your family.  One of the problems that many missionaries face is conflict among the team.  So if it is family you just have to deal with it.  

When we heard this couple speak, we thought "oh, wouldn't it be great if we had a team of family!"  As time went on we left and moved out onto the mission field.  Still praying that one day God would call some members of our family to come and join us.  It has been almost two years and the Lord put it on my parents hearts to come and serve in Peru.  We are so blessed and excited.  It is the Lord's timing and it is better now than later and better at this moment than if they would have come any sooner.  

It will be an adjustment for them and for us.  The kids are beyond excited and enjoying their time with grandma and grandpa.  What is also so exciting, is that in August my sister and brother in law are moving down as well.  This is totally the hand of God.  My brother in law is my best friend.  We have been through so much and our relationship always grew stronger.  I always use to say he is my Arron!  He is very outgoing and can talk to anyone about anything, where I am a little more reserved and not as good with words.  Here though he literally will be my Arron as he will do most my translating for me while I still learn to communicate at the level I need to.  He is a native spanish speaker and just an all around good guy.  He never had the desire to leave the States.  We were praying for him and the Lord put a burden on his heart to come and serve and reach the Peruvian people.  My sister also is very reserved, so for her to say yes and answer the call of God is also the hand of the Lord.  She will be great blessing to us and the people as well.  Of course their kids will also bring so much attention and joy to everyone they come in contact with.

The Lord is good.  The time this year has been fast, but it is moving towards a goal and that is to reach the lost for the kingdom of God.  May the Lord bless you and keep you and use you for His glory! 

FULL OF JOY!!!!!!

It has been a little over a year and a half since we have been here in Baños del Inca.  One of the first things that the Lord brought to our attention was the fact that many of the fathers are absent in the lives of their children.  The Lord put on our hearts to start a kids outreach and to love on the kids and show them they have a Father who loves them and sent His Son to die for them.

We started just by going out in the street in front of our house and playing with the kids.  This opened many doors and people would always stare at us.  Very, Very rarely would you ever see a father playing with his kids.  So people would stare and wonder what is this gringo doing.  The kids loved it though.

Across the street is the first family where we realized that the father was absent.  We were told that he travels around and it broke our hearts.  We loved the 2 boys in this house.  Since we started the church, the boys never came to sunday school until a couple weeks ago.  It was such a huge blessing and encouragement for us to have them.  The mother or father or anyone else in the house doesn't come, but we are over joyed that these boys are beginning to come.

The reason though that today I am full of joy is because this afternoon after church, I was resting on the couch while my two little ones napped and Annyka my oldest was watching a movie.  I heard laughing and playing outside.  So I got up and looked, and to my delight, the father of the two boys across the street was outside playing and having fun with them.  They were having so much fun.  Genuine laughter was coming from them, both the boys and the father!  They were all kicking the ball around and just plain goofing around.  It brought so much joy to my life to see this.

I can only pray that this continues and it will become contagious and other fathers in our neighborhood will start to play with their boys.  Please be praying for this.  Also pray every tuesday at 3 PM eastern time as we go into the street and play with the kids.  Pray that some of the fathers would join us and that it would cause a great impact in the lives here in Baños!!!!!!

Follow Me!!!!!

In Mark Chapter 1 verses 16-20 we see Jesus seek out 4 fisherman......Jesus issues a call......He doesn't give any more details......He says follow me......And the response of these men is they immediately leave all and follow Jesus.....

We know from the rest of the story that this call to discipleship is a call to take up your cross.  But the fact is Jesus didn't give the play by play before they responded.  They just picked up and left and followed Jesus.

This is the same call Jesus is giving us.  Are we willing to leave all our comforts?  All our financial security?  Our families?  Are we willing to forsake and leave all for the call of Jesus to FOLLOW ME!!!

This is a probing question.  This is a question that pierces right to the heart of the issue.  Will we leave all and find our comfort and security and family and everything else in Jesus.  Christian means Christ follower.

It may look and seem beyond crazy in the view of the world and those around us to follow Christ.  It may seem crazy to us.  The call of Christ is the call from the King.....From the Lord of Glory.......

Will we answer that call.....will we give all to the One who has truly given all.....Ask yourself that....I don't think right now I can come up with a better question to ponder........

Lets search our hearts and see what it is that is holding us back.  Lets remove whatever it is that keeps us from following Christ.