vacaciones útiles

These next few weeks two of our churches are doing something similar to VBS. They call it "vacaciones útiles" This means useful vacations. Being that here the children are on summer vacation they are having several days a week of teaching english, math, drawing music as well as bible classes. Please pray that these children will be drawn into the body of Christ through this.  

Christ's Kids is doing this in our church in Christ the Restorer in Arévalo Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

Christ the Redeemer is also doing this in their church in Parque Industrial Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

This is also following up an excellent week of summer camp, Noah's Ark, that was January 1-5, where many children received a gift of their very own bible. This was put on by folks from Twin Lakes in Mississippi and Point Pleasant in Georgia. Many of the children that attended camp are coming to the church for Sunday School and are participating in these VBS programs.

Just last Sunday one little child came beaming up to Megumi, with his backpack on just in time for Sunday School in Arevalo. He said, "Guess what I have in my backpack?"  Meg responded, "a toy car?" "a robot?" The child said, "nope." And unzipped his backpack slowly revealing his brand new Jesus Story Book Bible. Meg was almost left in tears with joy for his excitement and asked him if he had read it and he said that he had read some of it.

We continue to ask for prayer for impacting grace through the members of our church. 

Prayer Requests

A while back I mentioned gratitude for a pastor from a supporting church who regularly writes me to inform that the church will be praying for us and to ask for new prayer requests. Again it makes sense to take the same time to respond to them and also let all of you know the same prayer requests. Thank you for your support. God does expect and use our prayers to do His work. 

     As always it is great to hear from you and be reminded that y'all are praying for us. I hate to say that we are in the beginning of summer and have been having some nice summer days lately, although today is a little cooler and more overcast than normal.  I pray that y'all enjoy the snow day and that it is not too cold.
     We are busy trying to get balls rolling for our preparation to leave. I just yesterday met with a group who will be managing the Areopago classes while I am gone. I am thankful to be working with a team. I am also excited to see the apprentices stepping up with leadership and service in the church. Actually, that is one of my prayer requests. We are still praying for funds to employ some of them as assistants.
     A second prayer request is for a few people in our church who seem to always have trouble getting along. I am not surprised that we will always have conflict and disagree with each other in the church but there are a few who are central members of the church that distrust one another. My prayer is that God will work so in their lives that by the end of the year they will not only get along but actually love each other as Christ loves each of them, even if they still disagree with each other. 

We just found a great deal on plane tickets and have the date set for arriving to Louisiana March 30.  We have a lot to do to wrap things up  in Peru and make preparations for the next year.