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
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