Dear Praying Friends,
Our time of departure has come! On June 15, my family and I left the country with
one-way tickets to Peru! We have anticipated this for many months and are very
excited about crossing “the Jordan River into the Promised Land.” There is much land
of which to take possession.
Our last two months have been jam-packed with activity. In May our entire team
came together for a month of training, teaching, strategizing, and prayer. We had the
opportunity to discuss in length our plan of reaching the city of Lima, the country of Peru, and ultimately the continent of South America. We’ve established our core
principles on which every part of the ministry will hang. We ended the month with an
ordination and send-off service. How honored I was to participate in the ordaining of my own men on the team. I believe in Team Peru. I believe this team is a group of the most skilled men and ladies and greatest Christians that could be found. How humbled I am that they would follow me to the “uttermost parts of the earth” for the cause of the Great Commission.
At the end of May, I left for Peru to establish our first family. The Foust family arrived in Peru on May 31. Zach and his family are here now helping with preparations to receive the rest of the team. He has been such a tremendous blessing helping me get my family established. We are now anticipating the Martins, who will join us on the 19th. Then three more families will join us July, two more in August, and the last in the fall. We will get the families acclimated during the remainder of the summer.
Although I will start the church almost immediately upon my arrival, our Grand Opening and big push will happen in September. On September 1, a beautiful property will become available for our use for the church, ACE Christian school for our children, and our college. It is awesome to see how the Lord has been opening doors for us. Next month I’ll share how the property became available.
We serve a great God, and I am so honored to represent Him and you on the mission field. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and support. Without you, this would not be possible. I am very anxious to translate your investment into souls saved and churches started. I love you and thank God for you.
For His Glory,
Dan Hubbard
Monday, June 25, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
May Prayer Letter from the Foust Family
Dear Pastors and Praying Friends,
Thank you so much for all of your support and prayers. We have just arrived in Lima
within the last week. It has been so exciting for us to see God’s hand in all that has been accomplished so far. What a miracle to see God moving. Our flight with the children went well; thank you for your prayers. Although it took all night and we had to reclaim our baggage and pass customs in Mexico City unexpectedly, we made it through with all of the children and only lost one large suitcase!
We have been very busy with the sometimes frustrating task of business in a third-world country. We have been blessed to find secure housing in an incredibly beautiful area for less cost than we had hoped. We have also found the kind of vehicles we wanted for much less than we thought we’d pay. During one of our housing appointments, the landlady mentioned that she and a group of twenty-two friends started an organization to take coats to the mountains for children in need. When I began to tell her of our plans in Peru, she asked if we could train those in her organization to help the children long-term and not just meet the temporary physical need. We excitedly look forward to the opportunity to train workers to satisfy an eternal need!
Karin and the boys had been practicing their Spanish in anticipation of our arrival in Peru. It’s been exciting to watch my wife and kids as they venture into Peruvian society. The people here have been very patient as we learn the culture. This has been so helpful as my family breaks the communication barrier. The people here love it when a cute little blonde kid comes up and in Spanish asks how much something costs.
Praise the Lord that we have had the opportunity to see people saved this month in
personal soul winning, as well as under the preaching. It has been so obvious to us in all that we do that you are faithfully praying. As a special favor, I would ask that you pray for the housing situation for nine families and the health and strength of our team leader, Bro. Dan Hubbard.
Today I accompanied Bro. Hubbard to the airport so that he could go home to get his
family. While there, I was surprised to discover that they had our lost suitcase there in storage!
His for souls,
Zachary and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Thank you so much for all of your support and prayers. We have just arrived in Lima
within the last week. It has been so exciting for us to see God’s hand in all that has been accomplished so far. What a miracle to see God moving. Our flight with the children went well; thank you for your prayers. Although it took all night and we had to reclaim our baggage and pass customs in Mexico City unexpectedly, we made it through with all of the children and only lost one large suitcase!
We have been very busy with the sometimes frustrating task of business in a third-world country. We have been blessed to find secure housing in an incredibly beautiful area for less cost than we had hoped. We have also found the kind of vehicles we wanted for much less than we thought we’d pay. During one of our housing appointments, the landlady mentioned that she and a group of twenty-two friends started an organization to take coats to the mountains for children in need. When I began to tell her of our plans in Peru, she asked if we could train those in her organization to help the children long-term and not just meet the temporary physical need. We excitedly look forward to the opportunity to train workers to satisfy an eternal need!
Karin and the boys had been practicing their Spanish in anticipation of our arrival in Peru. It’s been exciting to watch my wife and kids as they venture into Peruvian society. The people here have been very patient as we learn the culture. This has been so helpful as my family breaks the communication barrier. The people here love it when a cute little blonde kid comes up and in Spanish asks how much something costs.
Praise the Lord that we have had the opportunity to see people saved this month in
personal soul winning, as well as under the preaching. It has been so obvious to us in all that we do that you are faithfully praying. As a special favor, I would ask that you pray for the housing situation for nine families and the health and strength of our team leader, Bro. Dan Hubbard.
Today I accompanied Bro. Hubbard to the airport so that he could go home to get his
family. While there, I was surprised to discover that they had our lost suitcase there in storage!
His for souls,
Zachary and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Thursday, June 14, 2012
April and May Prayer Letter from the Raders
Dear praying friends,
What an honor to serve the Lord! For the months of April and May my wife and I were
privileged to see 21 souls come to Christ through personal soul winning. We have enjoyed some incredible meetings. I’d like to mention one conference in particular, where we were one of six missionary families. The last service our family was the only one who was still at the meeting. The entire group of church members present formed a circle along the walls of the auditorium with us in the center. Everyone then knelt and prayed for the missionaries. Next they voted to take on all six
missionaries for support. Hallelujah! The pastor came to me and hugged me with tears in his eyes. My spirit was truly renewed and encouraged by their love for the souls of the world and their faith.
I had the opportunity to tell three “atheists” about our great God using the laws of science as an illustration. I lead them to the conclusion that according to scientific law you cannot deny the existence of God while being of a reasonable scientific mind. Though I presented my argument kindly, they told me to leave. We then walked 50 feet away to three teens who had overheard parts of the first conversation. In spite of being heckled the entire conversation they listened intently to us. Josiah, Erika, and Everado then trusted Christ as their Saviour. What a great God we have!
The entire month of May was devoted to Team Peru’s preparation. We have thoroughly enjoyed finally being able to spend time with our fellow team families. Every day was busy as we discussed plans, aligned philosophies, strategized, loaded the container, detailed logistics, and spent much time in prayer together. An honor of my life occurred right in the middle of the month. Every man of Team Peru was ordained by my pastor, Dr. Jack Schaap. The last Sunday night in May our team enjoyed a send off by
our Spanish church. Closing out the month we had an all night prayer meeting. We prayed for Peru, our plans, our supporting churches, and much more.
My wife and I are excited about our team. Our teammates are some of the finest Christians we know. Our team is now beginning to land in Peru one family at a time. Our support is at 50%. We will be leaving in December for Peru having finished our deputation or not. God has given us a great vision and a great mission. Please be strong and of good courage, as we are strong and of good courage. Thank you. Thank you so much for your support, love, and prayers. Please continue to pray. God bless you.
For souls in need,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, and Paul Rader
What an honor to serve the Lord! For the months of April and May my wife and I were
privileged to see 21 souls come to Christ through personal soul winning. We have enjoyed some incredible meetings. I’d like to mention one conference in particular, where we were one of six missionary families. The last service our family was the only one who was still at the meeting. The entire group of church members present formed a circle along the walls of the auditorium with us in the center. Everyone then knelt and prayed for the missionaries. Next they voted to take on all six
missionaries for support. Hallelujah! The pastor came to me and hugged me with tears in his eyes. My spirit was truly renewed and encouraged by their love for the souls of the world and their faith.
I had the opportunity to tell three “atheists” about our great God using the laws of science as an illustration. I lead them to the conclusion that according to scientific law you cannot deny the existence of God while being of a reasonable scientific mind. Though I presented my argument kindly, they told me to leave. We then walked 50 feet away to three teens who had overheard parts of the first conversation. In spite of being heckled the entire conversation they listened intently to us. Josiah, Erika, and Everado then trusted Christ as their Saviour. What a great God we have!
The entire month of May was devoted to Team Peru’s preparation. We have thoroughly enjoyed finally being able to spend time with our fellow team families. Every day was busy as we discussed plans, aligned philosophies, strategized, loaded the container, detailed logistics, and spent much time in prayer together. An honor of my life occurred right in the middle of the month. Every man of Team Peru was ordained by my pastor, Dr. Jack Schaap. The last Sunday night in May our team enjoyed a send off by
our Spanish church. Closing out the month we had an all night prayer meeting. We prayed for Peru, our plans, our supporting churches, and much more.
My wife and I are excited about our team. Our teammates are some of the finest Christians we know. Our team is now beginning to land in Peru one family at a time. Our support is at 50%. We will be leaving in December for Peru having finished our deputation or not. God has given us a great vision and a great mission. Please be strong and of good courage, as we are strong and of good courage. Thank you. Thank you so much for your support, love, and prayers. Please continue to pray. God bless you.
For souls in need,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, and Paul Rader
Thursday, June 7, 2012
May Prayer Letter from the Kokubuns
Dear Friends,
We had been looking forward to meeting with the rest of the team in May! May was jam-packed with excitement, preparation, anticipation, prayer, and much more. On May 1, we found ourselves reuniting with friends. This was the first time that all of the team families had been together in one place. We enjoyed getting to know each other better through the many meetings and activities. Every day was spent detailing the many elements of our presence in Peru. From the first church plant, to training pastors, to multiplying churches, to cleaning our food, to living and transportation arrangements, we covered every foreseeable aspect of our launch. All the planning elevated our excitement to see what God has for us in Peru.
As most of you know, I was admitted into the hospital the second week of the month. My ulcerative colitis flared up beyond my control. As disappointed I was that I was missing out on mission preparation, God had other plans. Coming off of eight months of deputation, I became ill at just the right time. My doctor who deals with my condition just happens to be in Indiana, of all places. God graciously allowed me to be healthy until I returned to this area. It also allowed us to put together a good game plan for when we will be living in Lima, Peru. God is so smart. My condition is not life-threatening, and I believe we have a good plan to keep it under control and me healthy.
My wife stopped by the hospital to pick up some medication the day after I was released. As she walked back to the car, she saw three young people sitting on the curb. They were obviously distressed about something. She handed them each a tract, hoping that God would open a door to witness. They told her of their loved one in the hospital. My wife so wisely got to share the
Gospel with them, and all three accepted Christ as their Saviour. If nothing else, God put me in the hospital so that three more souls could hear salvation's story. Praise the Lord!
God so graciously allowed me to attend my own ordination on May 16, 2012. (I had just been released from the hospital the day before!) What a sweet, powerful service we had as the deacons of First Baptist Church, Dr. Moore, Dan Hubbard (team leader), and Preacher prayed over each of us team men. We were given a beautiful Spanish Bible with our names engraved on the cover
and a certificate of ordination. What an encouragement it was to me personally; after the service many church members came by and promised they would be praying for us, as many of you do on a regular basis.
We finished the month off with a commissioning service in the Spanish Department on a Sunday evening. Several of the team men had the opportunity to preach to the Spanish congregation. After the preaching, the Spanish deacons laid hands on and prayed over each of us. That evening the team got together for an all-night prayer meeting. We prayed for God's power, wisdom, and guidance, for the starting of thousands of churches, for the political leaders of Lima, and for our supporting churches. I believe God met with us that night.
Currently we have one family already moved and getting settled in Lima, Peru. The rest of the team will go down one family at a time about every two weeks throughout the summer. Our departure date is scheduled for July 3, 2012. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support and prayers. You are the force God is using to reach South America. Thank you for your investment in my family. There will be fruit that will remain on your account in Lima, Peru. We are looking forward to what God has for us.
Please pray for God's continued direction in the logistics of starting our first church and getting established. The Devil is certainly aware of our call to Peru, and he will not be idle in trying to disrupt God's work. Pray for protection from principalities. Pray for the churches that we are going to start. Lastly, pray for us to meet and cultivate relationships with the right people in the government, neighborhoods, schools, and elsewhere to accelerate God's business.
Thanks again for your prayers. They mean the world to us.
In Christ's love,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
We had been looking forward to meeting with the rest of the team in May! May was jam-packed with excitement, preparation, anticipation, prayer, and much more. On May 1, we found ourselves reuniting with friends. This was the first time that all of the team families had been together in one place. We enjoyed getting to know each other better through the many meetings and activities. Every day was spent detailing the many elements of our presence in Peru. From the first church plant, to training pastors, to multiplying churches, to cleaning our food, to living and transportation arrangements, we covered every foreseeable aspect of our launch. All the planning elevated our excitement to see what God has for us in Peru.
As most of you know, I was admitted into the hospital the second week of the month. My ulcerative colitis flared up beyond my control. As disappointed I was that I was missing out on mission preparation, God had other plans. Coming off of eight months of deputation, I became ill at just the right time. My doctor who deals with my condition just happens to be in Indiana, of all places. God graciously allowed me to be healthy until I returned to this area. It also allowed us to put together a good game plan for when we will be living in Lima, Peru. God is so smart. My condition is not life-threatening, and I believe we have a good plan to keep it under control and me healthy.
My wife stopped by the hospital to pick up some medication the day after I was released. As she walked back to the car, she saw three young people sitting on the curb. They were obviously distressed about something. She handed them each a tract, hoping that God would open a door to witness. They told her of their loved one in the hospital. My wife so wisely got to share the
Gospel with them, and all three accepted Christ as their Saviour. If nothing else, God put me in the hospital so that three more souls could hear salvation's story. Praise the Lord!
God so graciously allowed me to attend my own ordination on May 16, 2012. (I had just been released from the hospital the day before!) What a sweet, powerful service we had as the deacons of First Baptist Church, Dr. Moore, Dan Hubbard (team leader), and Preacher prayed over each of us team men. We were given a beautiful Spanish Bible with our names engraved on the cover
and a certificate of ordination. What an encouragement it was to me personally; after the service many church members came by and promised they would be praying for us, as many of you do on a regular basis.
We finished the month off with a commissioning service in the Spanish Department on a Sunday evening. Several of the team men had the opportunity to preach to the Spanish congregation. After the preaching, the Spanish deacons laid hands on and prayed over each of us. That evening the team got together for an all-night prayer meeting. We prayed for God's power, wisdom, and guidance, for the starting of thousands of churches, for the political leaders of Lima, and for our supporting churches. I believe God met with us that night.
Currently we have one family already moved and getting settled in Lima, Peru. The rest of the team will go down one family at a time about every two weeks throughout the summer. Our departure date is scheduled for July 3, 2012. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support and prayers. You are the force God is using to reach South America. Thank you for your investment in my family. There will be fruit that will remain on your account in Lima, Peru. We are looking forward to what God has for us.
Please pray for God's continued direction in the logistics of starting our first church and getting established. The Devil is certainly aware of our call to Peru, and he will not be idle in trying to disrupt God's work. Pray for protection from principalities. Pray for the churches that we are going to start. Lastly, pray for us to meet and cultivate relationships with the right people in the government, neighborhoods, schools, and elsewhere to accelerate God's business.
Thanks again for your prayers. They mean the world to us.
In Christ's love,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
May Prayer Letter for the Martin Family
June 1, 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
June is finally here! Jessica and I have been counting down the days for this month to arrive. On June 18, we will be making the drive up to Toronto and then flying to Lima. Reality is setting in! We are saying our good-byes and getting everything in order to move to Peru. Thank you to all of you who have prayed and invested in us. I cannot wait to get busy doing what God has called us to do.
May has been incredibly busy and productive. As I mentioned in our last letter, our entire team assembled to undergo some intense training and to begin preparing for the work in Peru. It was so exciting to go through each phase of our plan of starting 10,000 churches! I enjoyed being able to spend time with each of our team families. We participated in team building exercises and games, which taught us the value of communication and trust. In addition, we also loaded up our container for shipping. We finished packing up all of our belongings, as well as some items for the church: folding chairs, tables, PA equipment, hymnals, tracts, and Bibles. The month gave us a small glimpse into what working together in Peru will be like.
We also had our send-off services for both our English and Spanish churches. Our English send-off was a very special service, as this was also my ordination service. There is something very humbling and challenging as my Pastor, missions director, team leader, and many deacons laid their hands on me and prayed for God’s blessing and power on me and the ministry in Peru. In our Spanish send-off service, Pastor DeAnda put on a grand service. Our team sang with the choir, Jessica sang with the church’s ladies’ ensemble, and I, along with a few other men from the team, preached. This service also ended with many of the men praying over us. Hearing the men whose people you are going to reach pray over you is truly an unforgettable moment in time.
Being home this entire month, we enjoyed being able to spend time with many of our church people, as well as get involved in many of our ministries. I was able to teach in three Spanish adult classes, drvie for one of our Spanish bus routes, and go soul winning with our team. One Saturday in particular, I was knocking doors in Blue Island, Illinois, with Bro. Dan Hubbard. After making several visits, I met a teenage boy named Alexis. After talking to him for several minutes, Alexis bowed his head and trusted Christ. A few houses down, I struck up a conversation with Miguel, who was in his driveway working on his car. His three small children, who were playing in a plastic swimming pool, ran over and began talking our ears off! Miguel seemed very interested in our church, so once his wife came out, I began playing with the kids as Bro. Dan continued answering their questions. After nearly an hour, Miguel and Gabby prayed and asked Christ into their heart! I have so many stories, if only space allowed. I am so thankful for the 7 people God allowed us to see saved this month.
Thank you to all of you who have had a part in our ministry. God has answered so many prayers, supplied so many needs, and blessed in so many ways. Whether you have partnered with us through your prayers, kind letters and e-mails, or your financial support, I am very grateful to you. I am especially grateful to Lighthouse Baptist Church in Michigan and Agape Baptist Church in Missouri for their pledge of support this month. I cannot wait to share reports of Peruvians saved and churches planted in Peru.
Please remember us in your prayers. This month will be an emotional one, with all the feelings that come with saying farewell but also all that comes with the joy of being in God’s will and beginning our adventure in Peru. It will be impossible to describe how incredible it will be to finally be able to love the people there. We have loved them through prayer and fasting these many months, but now we will actually get to see their faces. I can’t wait to send our next prayer letter to you from our home in Lima! I love serving Jesus!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Dear Praying Friends,
June is finally here! Jessica and I have been counting down the days for this month to arrive. On June 18, we will be making the drive up to Toronto and then flying to Lima. Reality is setting in! We are saying our good-byes and getting everything in order to move to Peru. Thank you to all of you who have prayed and invested in us. I cannot wait to get busy doing what God has called us to do.
May has been incredibly busy and productive. As I mentioned in our last letter, our entire team assembled to undergo some intense training and to begin preparing for the work in Peru. It was so exciting to go through each phase of our plan of starting 10,000 churches! I enjoyed being able to spend time with each of our team families. We participated in team building exercises and games, which taught us the value of communication and trust. In addition, we also loaded up our container for shipping. We finished packing up all of our belongings, as well as some items for the church: folding chairs, tables, PA equipment, hymnals, tracts, and Bibles. The month gave us a small glimpse into what working together in Peru will be like.
We also had our send-off services for both our English and Spanish churches. Our English send-off was a very special service, as this was also my ordination service. There is something very humbling and challenging as my Pastor, missions director, team leader, and many deacons laid their hands on me and prayed for God’s blessing and power on me and the ministry in Peru. In our Spanish send-off service, Pastor DeAnda put on a grand service. Our team sang with the choir, Jessica sang with the church’s ladies’ ensemble, and I, along with a few other men from the team, preached. This service also ended with many of the men praying over us. Hearing the men whose people you are going to reach pray over you is truly an unforgettable moment in time.
Being home this entire month, we enjoyed being able to spend time with many of our church people, as well as get involved in many of our ministries. I was able to teach in three Spanish adult classes, drvie for one of our Spanish bus routes, and go soul winning with our team. One Saturday in particular, I was knocking doors in Blue Island, Illinois, with Bro. Dan Hubbard. After making several visits, I met a teenage boy named Alexis. After talking to him for several minutes, Alexis bowed his head and trusted Christ. A few houses down, I struck up a conversation with Miguel, who was in his driveway working on his car. His three small children, who were playing in a plastic swimming pool, ran over and began talking our ears off! Miguel seemed very interested in our church, so once his wife came out, I began playing with the kids as Bro. Dan continued answering their questions. After nearly an hour, Miguel and Gabby prayed and asked Christ into their heart! I have so many stories, if only space allowed. I am so thankful for the 7 people God allowed us to see saved this month.
Thank you to all of you who have had a part in our ministry. God has answered so many prayers, supplied so many needs, and blessed in so many ways. Whether you have partnered with us through your prayers, kind letters and e-mails, or your financial support, I am very grateful to you. I am especially grateful to Lighthouse Baptist Church in Michigan and Agape Baptist Church in Missouri for their pledge of support this month. I cannot wait to share reports of Peruvians saved and churches planted in Peru.
Please remember us in your prayers. This month will be an emotional one, with all the feelings that come with saying farewell but also all that comes with the joy of being in God’s will and beginning our adventure in Peru. It will be impossible to describe how incredible it will be to finally be able to love the people there. We have loved them through prayer and fasting these many months, but now we will actually get to see their faces. I can’t wait to send our next prayer letter to you from our home in Lima! I love serving Jesus!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
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