"A Church is Born!" (Peru - October 22, 2003)

THE AMAZEMENT AT GODS GRACE AND PLAN FOR THIS CAMPAIGN CONTINUES. WE ARE HUMBLED AT THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT WE ARE HAVING THE PRIVILEGE TO EXPERIENCE. SO MANY OF YOU OUT THERE HAVE MADE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND WE THANK YOU SINCERELY AS DO THE CHURCHES IN TACNA. HERE IS ONE STORY OF HOW GOD IS WORKING THROUGH ONE OF OUR TEAMS . . .

THE LORD LAID A VISION ON PASTOR PATRICIOS HEART THAT IS FAR BEYOND WHAT I HAD REALIZED. OUR EFFORTS IN EVANGELISM HAVE BEEN CONCENTRATED ON AN AREA OF TACNA KNOWN AS NEW JERUSALEM. THIS IS WHERE THE POOREST OF THE POOR LIVE. THEY HAVE NO RUNNING WATER, HOUSES ARE MADE OF STRAW MATS AND CORRUGATED TIN, AND SOME CINDER BLOCK. THERE IS NO SEWAGE SYSTEM, AND NO OTHER AMENITIES . . . BUT THERE IS PLENTY OF DESPAIR. THE LORD LAID THIS AREA ON PATRICIOS HEART. IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS CAMPAIGN HE BOUGHT A SMALL PIECE OF LAND THERE ON WHICH A CHURCH BUILDING CAN ONE DAY BE CONSTRUCTED. THIS WEEK WAS THE KICK OFF OF THAT VISION. AS WE WENT DOOR TO DOOR AND MAT HOUSE TO MAT HOUSE I SAW TWO TEEN AGED BOYS MEANDERING ABOUT. I ASKED OUR INTERPRETER LOUIS TO GO WITH US AND SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THEM. LOUIS TOLD US THERE WAS NO NEED BECAUSE PATRICIO HAD VISITED WITH THEM WHEN HE BOUGHT THE LAND. WHEN I ASKED HIM WHY, LOUIS TOLD ME THAT PATRICIO HAD BOUGHT TWO GUITARS AND ASKED GOD WHOM TO GIVE THEM TO. THE LORD LED PATRICIO TO THOSE TWO TEENAGE BOYS AND AFTER SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH THEM, PATRICIO GAVE THEM THE GUITARS AND TOLD THEM TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY BECAUSE HE WOULD NEED THEM TO BE WORSHIP LEADERS ONE DAY IN THE NEW CHURCH THERE! LAST NIGHT THEY HAD THEIR FIRST EVER SERVICE ON THE LAND IN NEW JERUSALEM. FROM 5 TIL 7 THEY HAD A SOUND SYSTEM SET UP PLAYING CHILDRENS MUSIC AND DOZENS OF CHILDREN CAME AND LEARNED THE SONGS ABOUT JESUS AND HIS LOVE WHILE DANCING AND PLAYING. THEN FROM 7 TIL 8 THE PASTORS WELCOMED ALL OF THE COMMUNITY TO A CELEBRATION OF THE NEW CHURCH. ABOUT 40 ADULTS AND 50 CHILDREN WERE THERE INCLUDING MANY OF THE NEW BELIEVERS. I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE BRINGING CHRIST TO TACNA BUT I WAS MISTAKEN. CHRIST HAS BEEN AT WORK HERE LONG BEFORE WE ARRIVED, AND FROM THE LOOKS OF THINGS, HE WILL CONTINUE LONG AFTER WE HAVE RETURN HOME.

PRAISE GOD FOR STORIES LIKE THIS . . . THERE ARE HUNDREDS MORE LIKE THEM THAT WE HOPE TO SHARE WITH YOU IN THE DAYS TO COME. BUT FOR NOW, MAGNIFY THE NAME OF CHRIST WITH US AS WE HAVE SEEN HIM BRING OVER 300 NEW SOULS INTO THE KINGDOM THIS WEEK. AND THE GREATEST THING IS THAT DOZENS OF THEM HAVE WELCOMED OUR TEAMS INTO THEIR HOMES FOR BIBLE STUDY WHERE THEY ARE BEING DISCIPLED. EVEN THERE THE GOSPEL IS STILL GOING OUT AS FAMILY MEMBERS SEE THE CHANGES IN THEIR LOVED ONES LIVES AND THEY THEN ACCEPT CHRIST! PRAISE GOD WITH US FOR ALL OF THIS.
PRAYER REQUESTS. TRISH IS FEELING MUCH BETTER TODAY AND IS BACK OUT WORKING! PRAY FOR THE DISCIPLESHIP OF NEW BELIEVERS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE TODAY. PRAY FOR OUR CLOSING RALLY THAT WILL BE HELD TOMORROW AS ALL OF THE CHURCHES COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE WHAT GOD HAS ACCOMPLISHED THIS WEEK. PRAY THAT OUR TEAM REMAINS HEALTHY AND THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE LOCAL BELIEVERS.
WE LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR VITAL WORK OF PRAYER!
BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING,