"Above and Beyond All That We Asked" (Peru - October 24, 2003)

GOD HAS SO FAR EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS WITH WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THIS WEEK IN TACNA, PERU. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN . . . AFTER ALL, HIS WORD PROMISES THAT HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OUR WAYS AND HIS PLANS HIGHER THAN OURS.

TODAY IS OUR LAST DAY OF MINISTRY AMONG THE CHURCHES OF TACNA. OUR TEAMS ARE LEAVING RIGHT NOW TO GO OUT AND THEY ARE EXCITED. TONIGHT WE WILL BE HAVING A CLOSING VICTORY RALLY IN THE OLD TOWN CINEMA . . . WE ARE EXPECTING IT TO BE A PACKED HOUSE! WE EVEN HAD A RADIO SPOT YESTERDAY WHERE ONE TEAM SHARED THE GOSPEL AND 10 CALLED IN TO RECEIVE CHRIST. AN INVITATION WAS GIVEN ON THE RADIO TO COME. PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR TEAMS AS THEY PREPARE FOR THE CELEBRATION . . . WHICH IS USUALLY A VERY EMOTIONAL TIME BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.

AS OF WEDNESDAY, THE LORD HAS BROUGHT 448 PEOPLE ON PERSONAL VISITS TO ACCEPT THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST . MANY MORE HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST THROUGH STREET PREACHING, RADIO MINISTRY, AND IN EVENING SERVICE ALTAR CALLS . . . MORE THAN WE COULD KEEP TRACK OF! ONE OF THE GREATEST BLESSINGS IS THAT A THIRD OF THOSE THAT HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE FOLLOW UP DISCIPLESHIP VISIT IN THEIR HOMES. IT HAS NOT BEEN UNCOMMON THAT OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST DURING THOSE DISCIPLESHIP VISITS.

THE FOLLOWING IS A STORY FROM ONE TEAM MEMBER . . .
I HAVE BEEN AMAZED THIS WEEK TO SEE HOW THE LORD HAS MADE DISCIPLES IN OUR CHURCH. AMONG THEM IS NESTOR, A 15 OR 16 YEAR OLD BOY THAT LIVES A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE CHURCH. ON MONDAY WE KNOCKED ON NESTORS DOOR AND PAULI, ONE OF THE PERUVIAN GIRLS WORKING WITH US, SHARED THE GOSPEL WITH NESTOR. I WATCHED AS HIS FACE CHANGED FROM A DISINTERESTED BUT POLITE LOOK TO A LOOK OF INTENSE INTEREST IN WHAT HE WAS HEARING. AFTER SOME TIME OF SHARING, NESTOR PRAYED TO RECEIVE CHRIST AND WE REJOICED. THE NEXT DAY WE WENT BACK TO HIS HOUSE TO FOLLOW UP WITH HIM AND BEGIN TEACHING HIM HOW TO STUDY GODS WORD AND GROW AS A NEW BELIEVER. PAULI ASKED NESTOR IF HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HAD HAPPENED ON THE DAY BEFORE AND HE REVEALED THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION. SO PAULI AND I REVIEWED THE GOSPEL WITH HIM AND HELPED TO CLEAR UP THE CONFUSION. THEN WE STARTED WITH THE BIBLE STUDY LESSON TEACHING HIM HOW TO FIND VERSES IN THE SCRIPTURE THAT CONTAINED THE ANSWERS TO THE STUDY QUESTIONS. THAT NIGHT HE ATTENDED OUR EVENING SERVICE AND WE LOVED ALL OVER HIM LETTING HIM KNOW HOW HAPPY WE WERE TO SEE HIM. THE DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS WILL CONTINUE LONG AFTER WE LEAVE AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN NESTOR WILL SEE IT THROUGH TO COMPLETION. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GRACE IN USING ME AND USING YOU, OUR PRAYER FORCE, TO SEE LIVES LIKE NESTORS CHANGED ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE IN TACNA, PERU!