praise report from Cusco

Praise report from Cusco!

Giving God the glory for the awesome news coming from Cusco! Jorge and Janet along with some brothers from the original church plant in San Blas (previously known as San Marcos) have been doing outreach in Tambomachay (there is a village in the area of this ancient Incan archaeological site). Some of the locals have gifted Jorge and the church a meeting place! No matter what the enemy has tried to do, God's Word lasts forever!

Also it is encouraging to share that Jorge and his family have been able to grow special relationships with believers from different parts of the world. Some had gone for vacation and saw the need for Christ there and saw the work that Jorge and the church were doing. And the started taking teams and providing classes among other things. We, Ricky and I, are blessed beyond words because we cannot be there physically but God has raised up other people around them who LOVE them and the Cusco church and who have invested time and finances in their work.

It was always our goal as missionaries to plant a church at the grassroots level, to raise up local leadership and hand the church over to them in time. God's timing brought us out of Peru earlier than we had planned. We hadn't gotten to build the church building yet! And we were nervous.. like parents who see their kids go off to college and you just hope that you did your best and entrust the rest to the Holy Spirit. We are blessed that the Holy Spirit keeps moving, multiplying disciples and that the local church is taking the gospel to the nearby villages and who know where the Holy Spirit will lead after.

Jorge and the church need all our prayers and support. We don't know what God has planned with the land, but there is a team going in Sept/Oct with the plan of starting the first phase of building the retaining wall. The fact of the matter is that God doesn't need buildings to spread His kingdom! Of course it will be a huge blessing to have one, but just look what God is already doing. All the glory and honor go to the King!

Nov photos and brief update

I don't have time to write, but things are well! It's Spring in Chile. Our urban garden project is getting underway, but we need tools! Several of us are growing seeds in our homes and getting them ready to transplant in the garden. For some reason I have 16 squash plants growing. I'm not sure how it happened except all the seeds decided to germinate.
We are in week 7 of The Story and it's neat to see how people are responding by getting involved in Bible discipleship studies and are getting into the Word more! Old and new alike are reaping the benefits from this unifying study.
Isabella finished first grade and I can't believe our first official year of homeschool is "over". But it's never really over because kids' keep learning all through the summer! Milan broke his arm, did you know? but he's better now. AND he cut his beautiful long blond hair. I love the new cut and it's so fresh and not sweaty. Mateo is a love, simply put. He was/is the perfect addition to our family, and I can't imagine our busy life without him.
I'm loving our weekly women's study and Ricky is leading a wednesday co-ed study.

Christmas is coming soon and we want to hold an outreach event. That would be spectacular.

We're trusting God through a really rough time financially. After living on our minimum operating budget for several months, now we're down into the red big time. Negative numbers. But the Lord our God is amazing and has wonderful plans when we trust him with everything. If we have to get "jobs" in addition to working in the church we will. But we also just need some new partnerships! We shall see. Pray for us. Thanks! By the way, Cusco is going through some difficult situations. Pretty serious. If you want to know more so you can pray more specifically, let me know.

That is all for now! May our gracious Lord bless you beyond your hearts imagination and may His grace be on you always. And on us as well!

Sunday school class, going through The Story!

Eduardo with Flabio

We started The Story and it's been really great so far! 

I love watching and praying for Ricky while he gives the Word. I rarely get a picture, and this one is full of wires and other things that don't make it the best photo, but I think it captures well his heart, which is what I love so much about him. 

a story of transformation

Last Sunday, we had the privilege of watching four dear people take the step of faith to get baptized.

Each of the four of them have a special story of how God has been working in their lives.

Today, I want to share about Ian and his father Eduardo. I remember the first time they visited our church. Eduardo and Betsebe's littlest son, two years old Flabio, ran right up the aisle to the front of the church and stood there. He was a tiny, brown-haired, bright-eyed little guy. Soon someone came to get him. It was his father, Eduardo. He smiled, with a little wince of embarrassment for having to walk up to the front of the church to get his son. It never fails that each week either Eduardo or his eldest son, Ian, are running after Flabio.

It was hard to get to know Betsebe because she always stayed in her place, didn't talk to anyone and generally seemed sad. Week after week, we would say hi and give her a hug and wait for her to open up a bit. With patience we learned that she has a hearing problem. Her difficulties had never been properly treated by a doctor and it was causing a great deal of strain and anger in her life, marriage and family. She didn't seem to want help. So we prayed for her.

We watched as Eduardo and Ian both began serving in the church. Ian seemed the opposite of his mother, always showing a smile and having an available word of conversation with those around him. God was working. One day we had a special visitor at our church, someone who works with hearing impaired people. She was able to help Betsebe with some hearing aids. From that time Betsebe started opening up a little more. She started to smile a little more. And then something special happened. She gave her life to the Lord. We are still praying that she finds the healing and peace that come through Christ. Praise God. And last week Eduardo and Ian got baptized!

Libertad church

I found some random pics from April and wanted to share. I love our church family!

Magdaly and Elena. Please keep Elena in your prayers as she lost her husband, Sergio, to cancer last December and has been a difficult year for her.

The Hidalgo family.. missing a few more

I rarely take my camera to church, so when I do I like to try and get Ricky preaching but it turned out blurry! Maybe next time I can get a better shot.

Every last Sunday of the month we share breakfast together before church starts. It's a good time to fellowship together!

After breakfast worship time.

Some of the worship team

Cusco update

Cutting trees in Cusco

The "legal issue" is resolved, the determination was that the claim was unprecedented, which we already knew. So, we have begun clearing the land and cutting the eucalyptus trees. I wish I could be there to see it, but these are the photos that Jorge shared with us!