Merry Christmas

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:14

Merry Christmas! May Jesus who dwelt among us and revealed to us the Father, reveal Himself to you in this season of celebrating His incarnation.  Thank you for your support!

End of Year Request

This month we finish our apprenticeship with four young men, Jefferson Alayo, Alexis Alayo, Luis Mendoza and Bryand Cruzado. We are very excited to see their progress.

We started with a plan to divide half of their full-time schedule with theological education and the other half with practical ministry. We also spent half a day every week doing maintenance work around the church (sanding and refinishing windows and doors). They have been involved with various ministries such as youth ministry, Sunday school, helping with Geneva School, Christ's Kids and Bethesda Clinic. They participated in teaching daily devotionals and had opportunities to preach in the evening services. Several pastors took turns teaching them Worship, Mission and Theology. We taught them how to study the Bible in preparation for sermons and are working through a free certificate program in Christian Ministries with Birmingham Theological Seminary in connection with Third MillenniumMinistries. We also had a long break from course work dedicated to practical ministry when we provided flood relief to the affected areas during the months of March and April and part of May of 2017.

            We started the apprenticeship just thinking it would equip them as better servants and help them discover God's will for their lives. As we draw near to the end, it appears that all of them are confirmed in their calling to ministry and have grown and learned much. They may all end up becoming pastors. 

The pastor of one of our extension works, Percy Padilla, has requested to the session help to hire one of the apprentices as a pastoral assistant in Christ the Redeemer in Parque Industrial. Our session has agreed that it would be good if the Lord provides the funds and also has considered that it would be helpful to hire two of them to assist with the church in Arévalo, especially since I will be leaving in March for a year of home assignment. 

We have calculated that it will cost $600/month for each of them. We are praying to raise $1,800 per month to be able to hire three of the apprentices in order to continue sustaining the work of the church and providing experience for these young leaders. (One apprentice will be offered a job by our university ministry, SUSA.) These last two years, we used funds from your donations given to us, the Mills family, to finance a major part of the apprenticeship program. As per recommendation of our mission board, we need to raise the money separately from our personal funds.

Will you consider helping us put these men to work in the advancement of the kingdom in Trujillo?  Give here. Select Compassion fund and in the details describe for Arévalo apprenticeship.

Please pray with us as we seek the Lord's will for this and for the Spirit to guide us on who to call and to which specific field of ministry in the church. 

Dissapointment

As I was struggling with my own failure in not getting the next newsletter out in time a few weeks ago, I found myself getting furious with other folks that were failing me. What a mess we are! The other day I was working through a class on the gospels that we are teaching the apprentices. This was a class from Third Millenium and the first lecture is an overview of all four gospels. The professor described the different perspectives of each of the gospel accounts and pointed out that the gospel of Mark highlights the failures of the disciples and Jesus’ disappointment with them. I read through an article by Ed Welch on disappointment and he reminded me of how disappointing Israel was to God, yet God continued to offer free grace and redemption. Jesus didn’t turn his back on the cross because of his disappointment with his disciples. Even in the night he was betrayed, they disappointed him three times when he asked them pray with him. Peter failed Jesus three times even after boldly declaring that he would not fail him even if it cost him his life. Yet, Jesus continues to show his love. Welch also said in his book, Shame Interrupted, Jesus reassured Peter after his resurrection at the beach over a fire with fish and not only forgave him for his failure but charged him with a job. 

Who would go and give a job to someone who just failed them? 

 I recall a conversation with a fellow church member complaining that we should not include a fellow apprentice in the leadership of the youth ministry because he is a failure. In furnishing the kitchen for Christ’s Kids we had some complications with the young welder we hired to make the stainless furniture. He was a new member of the church we were excited about because we felt God was working in his life and he understood the gospel. He talked a big talk about what he could do for the kitchen but it turned out to be all hot air. After a couple of months of unanswered calls and messages and countless visits with unfulfilled assurances, we finally had to find others to finish the work.

Would Jesus exclude the irresponsible apprentice?

Would Jesus fire the incompetent welder?

My mind fires at me with a million thoughts of work experience that would say there is a big difference in enabling someone and forgiving a failure. Well, I ended up firing the welder. We took the materials he had bought and went and found others to complete the job. But the apprentice, that wasn't measuring up? I continue working with him. He really wants to improve and has shown effort and improvement. 

Now as I think about the welder who failed us and still owes us money because what he gave us did not add up to what we gave him in the deposit, I wonder, do I demand he pays us back? He doesn't have it. He spent the money on the work because he under bid the job and it wasn't enough. Jesus told a parable about this. I received mercy and now I must show mercy. But someone has to pay for it. Jesus paid his blood for my sins. But who pays the cash that went out of the account? I have to. I suppose this is what it means when Jesus said that if we want to be His disciples, we have to take up our cross and follow Him.  But now I must continue to pursue this young welder, not to give him any more work,  but to try to help him change. 

Flood Relief from March to May

• The very day I sent out our last newsletter in March it started raining and then later that week the worst flooding that Trujillo has seen in many years occurred.

• Many people lost everything. The entire month of April was consumed with running around tending to all of these needs. May began to settle down and by June we started to return to normally scheduled activities. There were two main areas in the city affected. One flash flood passed right through the heart of the city and another passed through a section in the North of the city. We are thankful that our house was not in the path of either of these. The carpenters who started their business, Las Ponas, were in the path of the one that went through the city. They protected their front door where the street turned into a river, but their landlord's walls behind them failed and water came into the shop damaging everything. To the north of the city, Parque Industrial where our extension church, Christ the Redeemer, is located was badly affected. Many houses made of adobe were washed away. 

• We received many donations to enable us to help the most affected people. We were able to provide food, water and medical care to the folks affected in the Parque Industrial area. We purchased large water tanks to place in the affected areas and contracted with water trucks to fill them. The apprentices were a huge help in all of this. Luis helped with buying food daily for the kitchen at Christ Redeemer. Jefferson and Bryand helped with visiting all the affected people and creating a list of their needs. In the second phase of relief we purchased household supplies for people to be able to get back on their feet. The carpenters at Las Ponas also received a generous donation to help them rebuild. The last phase of rebuilding is still uncertain how much will be needed but complicated for lack of coordination by the municipalities. 
• You can read more details of the work in this journal entry from March 28.

• 

  buying food to help flood victims

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Thankful for Prayer support

This week, I received an email from a fellow pastor who faithfully writes every month to let us know that they will be praying for us this Sunday and asking for specific prayer requests.  It is always a great encouragement to hear from him. I get caught up in the everyday ministry and family and get behind on writing here and sending out newsletter but at least his email helps nudge me into getting out something. So here is a bit of what I responded:

Here are a few updates to mention:

1. Please pray for our church, the last couple of months we have seen a drop in attendance both in the church as well as in the young adult ministry. Tonight Meg and I are inviting the youth over to our house for the weekly meeting. As a session, we are continuing to work on strategic planning to try to adjust the way we do our ministries. One plan we are working on is to make more time applied to evangelism to the various ministries connected to our church such as the medical clinic Bethesda, Geneva School and a new ministry similar to Child Evangelism Fellowship with child sponsorship called Christ’s Kids. Specifically we are going to make an effort to reach out to all the parents of the children enrolled in the school and offer to visit them in their homes and pray for them. 
2. Some of our missionaries as well as Pastor Ricardo, who I serve with in Arévalo have been in Cajamarca this past week translating for a medical team from 1st Pres in Jackson, MS. I stayed back this year because Meg still needs my help with baby Arabelle. I get to preach both services this Sunday while Pastor Ricardo goes to visit his home presbytery in the mountains in a city called Celendín.
3. Christ the Redeemer in Parque Industrial. One result of the flooding in Parque Industrial has been that it has given the church an opportunity to reach the felt needs of many and draw more people into the church. Pastor Percy has asked Bryand, one of the apprentices, to help him with developing a youth ministry to reach out to the young folks that we have come into contact through the flood relief. 
4. Apprenticeship. We have finally returned to our classes working through IIIM theological courses. We finished two classes on the Prophets and Primitive History and just this week finished a class on Pauline Epistles. We are working through a class on introduction to Theology, one on the Gospels and another class on Abraham. Luis, another apprentice, requested to serve with a presbytery in the mountains called Celendín (Where Pastor Ricardo is a member of presbytery), he is serving for 6 months with a fellow missionary, Steve Hill. Alexis, another apprentice, continues to work with the Adolescent ministry and is now working with the University ministry as well. Jefferson, another apprentice continues to be the super deacon in Arévalo, and helps me with the young adult ministry. Please pray for Jefferson, I am afraid he is too much like the older brother in Jesus' parable.  I am still teaching through a Harmony of the Westminster confession in Sunday School. I am also meeting a couple of people in counseling. One thing on my to do list is to organize classes with other students for our Areopago ministry. We are also trying to organize a reformation event to celebrate 500 years. 
5. Lastly, we are beginning to make plans for our home assignment next year, 2018. We are trying to work out when is the best time to leave Peru for 1 year. Somewhere between March to May is in our sights now. 

Another day

I sit here and try to think back over the last week of what we have done. The first week we helped our church in Cristo Restaurador cook and bring food to the flood victims near Cristo Redentor. I spent a lot of time driving people and supplies back and forth between the two churches.

One day last week, while we were preparing to cook, a few guys from the neighborhood showed up with an full size plastic trash can (it was new, and looked clean) full of milk that had been donated and they asked if we could boil it for them.  Then later as we were loading up supplies of clothes and canned food and water to bring out to the affected area the leader of this group that brought milk, Alonzo, asked me if I could help them bring supplies they had collected out to another area. I agreed to do it after we finished our run and before we needed to take the food out to Cristo Redentor. I thought I was just going to help take the donations to a spot and drop it off and come back to help our group. After getting back from taking the donations to Cristo Redentor and dropping off a group of guys to help remove debris, I told Pastor Ricardo I was going to go help Alonzo take his donations. Ricardo suggested I bring one of the youth with me and so Andrés came with me. Andrés is fairly new to our church and just graduated from the adolescent group to the young adult group. So Andrés and I went to find Alonzo. I had no idea what we were getting into. I was quite impressed, they were a whole group of neighbors who had organized themselves to collect donations and cook food for flood victims. They were bringing food and clothes to people in several different flood locations. They kind of put us as a church to shame. I am glad the Lord put it in their hearts to get involved and do what they can to those in need. I just wish we had more fire and did as much or more since we have eternal resources at our disposal. Ok back to the story, so Alonzo was coordinating who would take supplies to which place. I was impressed at how this young guy had the command of many men older than him in the neighborhood. Some were going in one direction and others in another. Then he asked me if I could go to one affected area and bring clothes and canned food and water. So we loaded up and went toward the place, I still cant remember its name. Andrés and I and three other people from Alonzo's group went towards the neighborhood called Milagro. This was one of the places seriously affected. Some parts of the highway were washed out and even truck beds and buses were piled up in one section. We found a group of people affected and passed out food and clothes. This took a lot longer than I realized and was thankful that fellow missionary Dale was able to take the food from Cristo  Restaurador out to Cristo Redentor. When Andres and I got back Dale was about to leave with the visiting team that was with him and I waited around to go pick up the group that brought lunch out to the flood victims near Cristo Redentor.  This was just one of the days last week.

Several days we brought lunch out to the affected area. We started bringing food Monday or Tuesday and by Thursday we decided not to bring food Friday until Monday. This was because so many other people were showing up with trucks of food and water and handing it out. It actually turned into a problem with some people getting too much food and others not enough. We quickly realized that we needed to organize these efforts and make a list of people who needed help that we would cook for.

Friday, since we were no longer bringing food out to Cristo Redentor, I decided to help the carpenters at Las Ponas. I brought them 3 wheel barrows and shovels from Cristo Restaurador to help them move dirt into the low areas of their shop. Some of the guys from the visiting team helped us shovel and then we helped pull out a big band saw out of the mud to a new higher ground spot. This same day another group went shopping to buy supplies to donate to each of the members of our churches that were affected by the flood. That afternoon I helped deliver these donations.

Saturday we had to meet again with the team to touch base on what we had been doing. We made a plan to first focus on bringing food to the affected people around Cristo Redentor, second give supplies to the members who are flood victims. Third help the clients of our ministries such as Sinergia and Geneva school. Fourth to help people in areas where they are in serious need. After the meeting one of our deacons, Luis, had communicated with Alonzo the leader of the neighborhood group to find out if there were people that were still in dire need. They had a list of people that had not received any help yet. We loaded up in the car to go find them and it turns out they were much farther away than we realized but by the time we got to them there were several trucks of people serving food and so we headed back. I worry that we may have bitten off more than we can chew by asking about other people that have not be helped yet when we are barely able to reach the people in our first three areas of priority. It turned out to be a good relief that others had arrived to the area.  I then spent the afternoon preparing for the young adult meeting and the evening sermon for Sunday night on Psalm 107.

So we decided to start back on Monday cooking for an organized group of people and also serve in the church which was a block away from the landing point were many people were setting up tarps just outside of the affected area.  So this week we started cooking at Cristo Redentor. Monday we spent most of the morning bringing supplies and cooking materials. While one group was cooking I went with another group to buy plates and cups to eat with so we wouldn't keep wasting disposable plates. The plan also was to organize the people in the affected neighborhood to starting cooking themselves in the church. We will provide the food and the place but they will start cooking and serving together. This is called an Olla Común in Spanish (Common pot).

Today after we meet together as a mission team to touch base on our plans, I went with a group to go buy the basic long-term foods like sacks of rice and potatoes and other supplies while Dale took another group with Pastor Percy to go cook. Tomorrow some of the members of Cristo Redentor will be cooking.

There are some areas that seem like they are beginning to get back to normal. But there are many other areas where there is much need for cleanup. I pray for help that we will best reach out to the people who are affected most and also use the resources we have received to make the best impact on helping the most needs. Now as some parts of life seem to be getting back to normal I am tempted to start back with our apprentices classes but I also wonder how we should be involved in the reconstruction and cleanup for many people. The immediate relief help is clear and obvious what to do, but there begins to be a transition that is a very hard line to discern when helping begins to become a burden and actually a hurt. I pray for wisdom from God to be able to discern and know when it is time to let someone struggle and when it is time to help. This is also a struggle because we had a tight schedule laid out in our classes with the apprentices. If we miss too many weeks, we will not be able to finish by the end of this year.

Salmo 107

 ¿Que piensan de los eventos de el Niño y las lluvias torrenciales con los huaicos? ¿Es algo que nos pasa por casualidad?  O ¿Es algo que nos pasa porque Dios esta enojado con nosotros y nos quiere acabar? O ¿Es el fin del mundo y todo esta volviendo mal?  O ¿hay otra razón?

El Salmo 107 nos da la razón. E Salmo alumbra a los eventos de hoy por medio de hablar de los eventos del pasado. El mismo Dios que actuaba en el pasado es el Dios que actúa hoy. 

Este Salmo explica de la Misericordia de Dios y del poder de Dios para salvar de sus aflicciones. También habla del poder de Dios de levantar la tormenta y calmar la tormenta, el poder de convertir el desierto en ríos y convertir los ríos en desierto. El es quien da la prosperidad y provea para todos. El es quien quita y el es quien da. Nos queda con la pregunta, ¿Porque? 

El Salmo nos dice que es por su Misericordia cuando clamamos a él. Los que rebelan contra él no verán su bondad igual como el que evita la comida no se alimenta. Pero ellos que buscan a Dios y claman a él recibirán su salvación de sus aflicciones. 

1-3. Nosotros como Redimidos tenemos la responsabilidad de decirlo a todos, especialmente a los que están sufriendo ahora para dar esperanza a ellos.

Cuatro diferente situaciones el Salmista repite este refrán: Primero: *Clamamos a Jehová en nuestra angustia y el nos libra de nuestras aflicciones.  vv. 6, 13, 19, 28. Y Segundo: *Alabamos a la misericordia de Jehová Y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres. vv. 8, 15, 21, 31.

4-9. Dios libra de la situación del desierto con el pueblo de Israel.

Perdidos, con hambre y sed, sin hallar donde vivir.

Clamaron a Jehová en sus angustia y los libró de sus aflicciones

Los dirigió por camino derecho a ciudad habitable y los saciaba y llenaba de bien

Alaben la misericordia de Jehová y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres.

Porque sacia al alma menesterosa y llena de bien al alma hambrienta

¿Esta alguien perdido y hambriento? Jesús dijo en el sermon del monte bienaventurados son los que tengan hambre y sed de justicia porque ellos serán saciados.

10-16. Dios libra a los que andan en tinieblas y sombra de muerte por sus rebeliones de la palabra. 

Aprisionados en aflicción por su rebelión a la palabras de Jehová y aborrecieron el consejo del Altísimo. Terminaron quebrantados y cayeron sin ayuda.

Clamaron a Jehová en sus angustia y los libró de sus aflicciones

Los saco de las tinieblas y rompió sus prisiones

Alaben la misericordia de Jehová y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres.

Quebranto las puertas de bronce y desmenuzó los cerrojos de hierro.

¿Esta alguien sufriendo esclavitud o prisión del pecado? El Evangelio incluye el mensaje de que Jesús vino a pregonar libertad a los cautivos, Lucas 4:18. Vino a rescatar a personas de la mano del diablo. Las puertas del hades no prevalecerán contra la iglesia, Mateo 16:18.

17-22. Dios libra a los que son afligidos y insensatos por sus rebeliones y maldades.

Abominaban todo alimento y moriendo.

Clamaron a Jehová en sus angustia y los libró de sus aflicciones

Envió su palabra, y los sanó, y los libró de su ruina.

Alaben la misericordia de Jehová y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres.

Ofrezcan sacrificios de alabanza, y publiquen sus obras con júbilo. 

¿Esta alguien enfermo y falta alimento? Jesús vino a sanar y a alimentar por su palabra. Envió el Espíritu Santo para dar entendimiento. Juan 14:26; 16:13.

23-32. Dios libra a los que están en el mar, que desesperaron

Han visto sus maravillas en el mar. El hizo levantar el viento y fueron como ebrios.

Clamaron a Jehová en sus angustia y los libró de sus aflicciones

Él calma el mar y también Jesús. Luego se alegran, porque se apaciguaron y los guía al puerto que deseaban.

Alaben la misericordia de Jehová y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres.

Exáltenlo en la congregación del pueblo, y en la reunión de ancianos lo alaben.

¿Esta alguien desesperado? Jesús vino y calmó el mar. Lucas 8:22-25. 

 Todo lo que pasa esta bajo la mano de Dios.

33-38. Convierte los ríos en seco o los desiertos en ríos.

los ríos en desierto y la tierra fructífera en estéril por la maldad .

Vuelve todo a bendición: 36-38. vuelve el desierto en estanques de agua y la tierra seca en manantiales. Allí establece a los hambrientos y fundan ciudad donde vivir. Siembran campos, y plantan viñas, y rinden abundante fruto. Los bendice, y se multiplican en gran manera; y no disminuye su ganado.

39-43. Dios quita y Dios da. 

39-40. No espera hasta que todo va mal para clamar a Jehová. Cuantos rebelamos contra Dios cuando todo esta bien y le decimos que no le queremos pero cuando va todo mal le clamamos y preguntamos a él ¿Donde está? Pero él nos responde: exactamente donde me quería, Lejos. 

41. Pero por su gran misericordia cuando clamamos a él, él nos responde. 

42. ¿Porque no evitamos las aflicciones y tinieblas y el hambre y las ondas del mar solo por escuchar a él ahora y publicar a todo el mundo de su misericordia para que regresan a él?

43. ¿Quien es sabio y guarda estas cosas y entienda las misericordias de Jehová?

 ¿Cual es nuestra respuesta? ¿Cual es tu respuesta? ¿Que es la situación?  ¿Porque hace pasar estas cosas Dios?  Por nuestra rebelión, a veces. Por otras razones, a veces. Por la maldad nuestra. ¿Porque nos da bendición?  Porque somos buenos, No. Porque clamamos a él y por su gran misericordia. Entonces clamamos a él y Proclamamos a todos su misericordia. Todo lo que esta pasando últimamente no sabemos exactamente las razones de Dios. Pero si sabemos que él es todopoderoso y que él es bueno. También sabemos que en el pasado como lo que leemos en Salmo 107 que el tiene buenas razones y que cuando clamamos a él en nuestra angustia, Él nos libra de nuestras aflicciones. Entonces porque no clamamos a él ahora y esperamos que él nos libra de todas aflicciones y ¡alabamos la misericordia de Jehová y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres!

1 Alabad a Jehová, porque él es bueno;

Porque para siempre es su misericordia. 

2  Díganlo los redimidos de Jehová,

Los que ha redimido del poder del enemigo, 

3  Y los ha congregado de las tierras,

Del oriente y del occidente,

Del norte y del sur. 

4 Anduvieron perdidos por el desierto, por la soledad sin camino,

Sin hallar ciudad en donde vivir. 

5 Hambrientos y sedientos,

Su alma desfallecía en ellos. 

6  Entonces clamaron a Jehová en su angustia,

Y los libró de sus aflicciones. 

7 Los dirigió por camino derecho,

Para que viniesen a ciudad habitable. 

8 Alaben la misericordia de Jehová,

Y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres. 

9 Porque sacia al alma menesterosa,

Y llena de bien al alma hambrienta. 

10 Algunos moraban en tinieblas y sombra de muerte,

Aprisionados en aflicción y en hierros, 

11 Por cuanto fueron rebeldes a las palabras de Jehová,

Y aborrecieron el consejo del Altísimo. 

12 Por eso quebrantó con el trabajo sus corazones;

Cayeron, y no hubo quien los ayudase. 

13 Luego que clamaron a Jehová en su angustia,

Los libró de sus aflicciones; 

14 Los sacó de las tinieblas y de la sombra de muerte,

Y rompió sus prisiones. 

15 Alaben la misericordia de Jehová,

Y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres. 

16 Porque quebrantó las puertas de bronce,

Y desmenuzó los cerrojos de hierro. 

17 Fueron afligidos los insensatos, a causa del camino de su rebelión

Y a causa de sus maldades; 

18 Su alma abominó todo alimento,

Y llegaron hasta las puertas de la muerte. 

19 Pero clamaron a Jehová en su angustia,

Y los libró de sus aflicciones. 

20 Envió su palabra, y los sanó,

Y los libró de su ruina. 

21 Alaben la misericordia de Jehová,

Y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres; 

22 Ofrezcan sacrificios de alabanza,

Y publiquen sus obras con júbilo. 

23Los que descienden al mar en naves,

Y hacen negocio en las muchas aguas, 

24 Ellos han visto las obras de Jehová,

Y sus maravillas en las profundidades. 

25 Porque habló, e hizo levantar un viento tempestuoso,

Que encrespa sus ondas. 

26 Suben a los cielos, descienden a los abismos;

Sus almas se derriten con el mal. 

27 Tiemblan y titubean como ebrios,

Y toda su ciencia es inútil. 

28 Entonces claman a Jehová en su angustia,

Y los libra de sus aflicciones. 

29 Cambia la tempestad en sosiego,

Y se apaciguan sus ondas. 

30 Luego se alegran, porque se apaciguaron;

Y así los guía al puerto que deseaban. 

31 Alaben la misericordia de Jehová,

Y sus maravillas para con los hijos de los hombres. 

32 Exáltenlo en la congregación del pueblo,

Y en la reunión de ancianos lo alaben. 

33 El convierte los ríos en desierto,

Y los manantiales de las aguas en sequedales; 

34 La tierra fructífera en estéril,

Por la maldad de los que la habitan. 

35 Vuelve el desierto en estanques de aguas,

Y la tierra seca en manantiales. 

36 Allí establece a los hambrientos,

Y fundan ciudad en donde vivir. 

37 Siembran campos, y plantan viñas,

Y rinden abundante fruto. 

38 Los bendice, y se multiplican en gran manera;

Y no disminuye su ganado. 

39 Luego son menoscabados y abatidos

A causa de tiranía, de males y congojas. 

40 El esparce menosprecio sobre los príncipes,

Y les hace andar perdidos, vagabundos y sin camino. 

41 Levanta de la miseria al pobre,

Y hace multiplicar las familias como rebaños de ovejas. 

42 Véanlo los rectos, y alégrense,

Y todos los malos cierren su boca. 

43 ¿Quién es sabio y guardará estas cosas,

Y entenderá las misericordias de Jehová?

Peru Flooding March 22

Thank the Lord for almost no rain yesterday (just a little sprinkle in the evening) and more importantly no flash floods from the rain in the mountains the last two days.

This is giving people time to get their belongings out and, we pray, for the workers to repair the water supply and bridges.

Yesterday we served over 100 people and this only scratched the surface. We also helped several people pull their belongings out, including Pastor Percy with some of his books.

Today we plan to bring food again and keep helping.
Thank you for your prayers.

Peru Flooding

This morning as I write this the skies look good. But the last week each afternoon it has rained and caused more flooding. Especially in this zone on the coast of Peru, this is unprecedented. Most people talk about the horrible flooding on 1998, but that was just one day. We have experienced 6 days of rain and floods.

Yesterday, we tried to bring supplies donated by members of Cristo Restaurador to one of the affected areas but received reports that another flash flood report was coming and most people were moving out of the area. So we did not leave them at the church but we did give out water and crackers to people as they were leaving.
Today we are planning to cook meals at Cristo Restaurador in Arevalo and bring food out to the affected area. We are also bringing water and canned tuna and crackers donated by Cristo Rey. We are also giving water to neighbors around the church in Arevalo. There is no more bottled water to buy but we do have a reserve of tap water (that needs to be boiled) in the clinic (next door to the church) and are distributing it in buckets as people come to the church.

Here is a link to an initial report by our team leader, Wes Baker, explaining the situation in Trujillo.

Here is a link to a video on Facebook from Ps. Percy in one of our extension churches and an update yesterday from Wes. 

What can you do?

1. The most powerful and impactful action is to pray that God would have mercy and stop the rain. 
2. Pray for provision for the people that are affected most. 
3. Pray for us to be helpful in what we do to provide relief. 
4. Pray for the affected to be able to see hope and God’s sovereignty and yet worship Him.
5. Pray for the people to come together and help each other
6. Pray that the wicked would not take advantage of the need to get rich by raising prices.
7. Give. We are raising money to use to help. You can give to the Compassion Fund and mark in the "additional comments" that you want it to go toward flood relief. Initially we will buy food and water to give to people who have lost everything. We are working on a plan to do what we can to help.

Ministry in Arévalo

A few of the things we are involved with in Arévalo are:

• Jóvenes (Young adults ministry)
• Weekly meetings: Plan for the year: 
• Study through Gospel Centered Life March and April 
• and the gospel of John from May to December.
• Walter Hogue and Thomas Presley: spent 6 months with us working with the youth and teaching English. They made a great impact on the lives of many people in the neighborhood. We thank God for their time and presence and we also thank both Walter and Thomas for their service.
• Fiesta de Jóvenes: We teach that it is not okay to party like the world and at the same time we teach that it is okay to party. Ps. Ricardo feels it is very important to not only tell them but to show them what that looks like by having a party for the youth that will give them an idea of what it could look like and still glorify God. March 3 we held a party for the youth.  
• Leadership team: We formed a committee to help me plan the youth activities and ministry. This has been helpful to get them involved in the ministry and responsibility of the organizing the meetings and even inviting new youth to participate. 
• Sunday School: I continue to work through a Harmony of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms in our adult Sunday school class. Ps. Ricardo is starting another new members class this month. Currently we are working through chapter 21 on Worship and covering the catechism questions that cover the sermon on the mount.
• VBS February 20-24. We had an average of 55 children for the week. Bryand, one of our apprentices got to try his hand out at directing the VBS. He grew much in the process and we shared the gospel with the children.
• Geneva School March 6 started the new school year adding first grade. Please pray for the church to successfully build bridges for evangelism with the students and their parents. Geneva School is still in much need of donations to help cover expenses and scholarships. Please consider donating to Geneva to help us offer a low cost tuition.

Restructuring Peru Mission

 Last year our team leader, Wes Baker, started a process that has greatly improved the organization of our ministries with Peru Mission. We not only have a group of missionaries but also a group of pastors and directors of each ministry that now sit together at one table each week to coordinate the activities of each ministry. We have been studying books that help us be more productive and focused on our work. This we pray will help us accomplish more and divide the labor to be able to pull together all of these ministries to achieve building the city of God in Trujillo. 

• Administration
  • CEO (Ps. Wes Baker)
  • CFO (Alleen Mclain)
  • COO (Ps. Jaime Avellaneda)
  • CSO (Ernesto Murillo)
• Church planting and development (Ps. Percy Padilla)
  • Child Ministry Center (Noé Advíncula)
• Educational Ministry (Dale Ellison)
  • Geneva School
• Economic Development (Hermes Tomás)
  • Sinergia
• Medical Ministry (Ernesto Murillo)
  • Bethesda
• Leadership development (Esdras Vasquez)
  • SUSA (Esdras Vasquez)
  • Areopago (Ps. Stuart Mills)

Areopago Cristiano

Last year we started an apprenticeship program with four young men in Cristo Restaurador. This has been a very good experience for our church as well as for these young men. This program was one of the steps that confirmed my calling since returning to Peru. I suppose most of you have already recognized since I was ordained and installed as a pastor, I have gradually become less and less involved with the carpenters and the Parish Woodshop ministry. I have had a hard time letting go of trying to do both ministries. I still visit with the carpenters, Javier and Norvil, once a week and they continue to push forward with their business. Actually, they need much prayer and are going through a bit of transition now. However, it is time to let them struggle and learn from their decisions as they move forward.  I also continue a bible study with a mechanic friend, Felix, who is growing more and more hungry for the word and is now bringing me to evangelize his 'atheist' friend, Daniel, who is a dentist. It has become clearer that my main calling and work with Peru Mission is clearly as a pastor and mentor. The apprenticeship leads to a new role that our team leader asked me to take on, which is the administration of our seminary study program called Areópago Cristiano. I consider a major part of the apprenticeship work is very similar to what my aim was with the carpenters, which is to disciple them to love Jesus and glorify God in their work and all their lives. This is still my main goal and calling in everything I do, but now, it is more focused on the apprenticeship training and helping facilitate the seminary training for all people in Trujillo, Peru.

We had started the apprentices with some of our own courses and in September we started using seminary courses through a partnership with Birmingham Theological Seminary (http://es.btsfreeccm.org/) and Third Millennium Ministries (http://thirdmill.org/). These are courses produced by Third Millennium and offered through Birmingham Seminary's platform to give them a free Certificate in Christian Education. There are also several other members of our churches that are taking advantage of these courses and studying with us. We pray this will be a major contribution to the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry in the church and in all the the community and marketplace.

The Areopago Cristiano, has partnered with a friend, fellow pastor (reformed baptist), and missionary Sergio La Rosa, who has a study center around the corner from where we rent our house. Ps. Sergio is hosting several open to the public classes that Wes Baker is teaching on the gospels. Many pastors and lay leaders from different denominations are excitedly taking advantage of Wes's teaching (https://www.facebook.com/areopagocristiano/) We have had an average of 35 people attending this class these last four weeks. We are currently planning together a 500 year celebration of Reformation Day and inviting some nationally recognized speakers such as Donald Smith from Scotland. Last weekend we had a precursor with Tómas Gutierrez who spoke on the historical significance of the work of Martin Luther.
Please consider donating to the Areopago ministry to help us teach and train future leaders for the Kingdom in Peru.

Schedule

How do I spend the time God has given me through the support of so many? I am involved in leading worship, preaching, teaching, counseling, session meetings, devotionals and bible studies. Here is a look at my schedule:

I do trust and pray that the Lord is producing fruit from all these labors. I feel pulled by many activities but am currently working on streamlining priorities for this year before going back to the States in 2018 for home assignment. Our session is working together in strategic planning seeking to improve our ministry efforts and cut out the ineffective tasks that prevent us from doing needed ministry.  Please pray for God's guidance and direction as we fine tune the work we are doing here. May we get to participate in seeing his name glorified!

Family news

Family news:

     Megumi is an amazing wife and mother. Having a fourth child has been a lot more difficult that we thought. She is busy keeping all four children alive, fed, clothed and educated. She is also about to start back a weekly meeting with the ladies in the church to exercise and do a bible study. She has been a great help in counseling several young ladies. As soon as baby Arabelle gets a little more settled in a sleeping schedule, Meg is anxious to get more involved in the ministries

School started back March 6 for the first three children:

     Satomi is 9 and voraciously reading through as many books as Meg can download for her on her kindle. She has an amazing memory, as we read through the Bible as a family she has a hard time not telling us what happens in the next chapter.

     Samuel is 7 and just started back from a summer break in gymnastics, is having fun building things with his legos and is getting experience learning self-control (difficulty stopping when his time is up...) while playing minecraft.

     Ezra is 4 and cracking us up with his sense of humor while also learning to defend himself from his mischievous big brother.

     Arabelle is 5 months and growing and nursing but not yet sleeping through the night. I had the grand privilege of baptizing her on Sunday February 26th!

Apprenticeship in Arevalo

It has been too long since our last update! Our delay in updating is not for a lack of our working but for a lack of being able to handle all that is going on with us. Below I give you a description of all the work we are involved with here in Trujillo. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Your support is contributing to the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ as we equip leaders through these ministries.


Arévalo Cristo Restaurador

• Apprenticeship
  • 4 young men are studying in the apprenticeship we started March of 2016. 20 hours are spent in ministry practice and 20 hours are spent in theological study through readings, classes we teach and seminary courses through BTS and IIIM partnership. 
  • We give them a scholarship to enable them to dedicate time to study and ministry. (The full time guys receive a little over $300/month and the part time $150/month). Please consider donating to this scholarship fund to help us finish out this year 2017.
    
    • Jefferson is a deacon at CR and is finishing a degree in Civil Engineering. The main reason he is in the apprenticeship besides already serving the church in many ways and wanting to learn more is that he doesn't want to be an engineer. What he really wants to spend his time doing is serving the church. The goal of this apprenticeship is to help him clarify if God is calling him into full time ministry. Jefferson takes care of everything that gets left undone in the church, leads the music ministry and is on the young adult leadership team.
    • Luis recently graduated with a degree in graphic design and was also recently ordained as a deacon at CR. Luis is also drawn to serve the church and has been reading several theology books. Luis also decided to take time to participate in this apprenticeship in order to feel out his calling to the ministry as he is also pursuing God's vocation on his life. Whether he pursues the pastorate or pursues a career in graphic design this apprenticeship will help him discover the gifts God has given him and discern his calling. Luis is on the young adult leadership team and started a men's ministry called Trinity, that is focused on bridging the age gap between adolescents, youth and men in order to build relationships for discipleship in our church. 
    • Bryand has always wanted to be a pastor and is a son of a pastor. For a time he wanted to be a policeman to help pay his way through seminary but he was not able to enter the academy. Now he is participating in our apprenticeship as he prepares to take the next step that will enable him to fulfill God's calling on his life. Bryand directed this year's VBS program, is working with the Children's Sunday School ministry and helps Luis with the Trinity ministry.
    • Alexis is finishing a degree in Architecture at the top of his class. He is a part-time apprentice. He has clarity that he wants to be an architect and has also helped lay out the design for Geneva School and other projects around the church. However, he also is convinced of his calling to serve Christ's church and teach. The Lord has confirmed in Alexis a gift and calling to teach. He is eager and burning to preach whenever he gets the chance.  We asked him to fill in as leader of the adolescent group for one year. He organized a 3 year study plan for the adolescent ministry and did such an amazing job that we decided that he continue as the leader of the adolescent ministry.  In December Alexis edited and printed a collection of hymns, Psalms and other songs with theological explanation of the worship service and historical background of many hymns.