Dear praying friends,
We started the month of July on Sarah’s uncles’ farm in Georgia. One of her uncles, Pastor Heck Davis, is also one of our supporters. Pastor Davis helped us earn some extra money by letting us pick corn during their corn season. Upon leaving the farm we journeyed out to the West Coast as far as Washington visiting churches along the way there and back. We ended the month helping in a Vacation Bible School in the mountains of Colorado with Pastor Darryl Reeves. During the month we presented the vision for Peru in 12 churches, preached 11 times, and saw 11 saved through personal soul winning. While picking corn, traveling across our great country, and participating in Vacation Bible School, we were reminded again and again that GOD IS SO AWESOME!
We could write a book if we shared all the blessings and stories of the great fellowship from church to church, souls saved along the way, and Vacation Bible School; however, because of time we will share two. While out soul winning in Colorado with Elijah Reeves we had a man answer the door. As I was introducing myself, I completely forgot my partner’s name. Please forgive me. I didn’t want to look dumb so I instantly made up a name. I introduced him as Bob. The man invited us into his home and I had to confess that I had lied about my partner’s name. Thankfully he found it humorous. We continued talking and found out he was a Navy Seal with many kills. He was doubtful that God could forgive him for his past deeds. We then talked about the omnipotent power of God’s forgiveness. A half hour later he put all his trust in Christ for salvation. In spite of being a bad soul winning partner, God still saves! Hallelujah! Our next story is about two children. Irene and Angel came everyday for VBS from one of the homes Sarah got to visit and invite. Irene, a second-grader, raised her hand for salvation on Monday. Her teacher, a mother of four small children, gave her the gospel; however, she seemed hesitant to pray and trust Christ. Two days later she raised her hand again and went out with
the same teacher. After the teacher reviewed salvation she invited the children to pray and receive Christ. Irene spoke out and said, “I did that already.” The teacher asked her, “Where and when did you do this?” Irene answered, “Yesterday, in my room, I knelt by my bed and asked Jesus to come into my heart and wash away my sins with His blood.” Testimonies like Irene’s make the extra effort it takes for moms of small children like Sarah Rader and Christy Spillman to go out and invite children to VBS and teach in VBS so worth it!
We cannot thank you enough for your love, prayers, and support. Please continue pray for our van and our safety on the road. Please pray for our team members already in Peru doing a great work. Please pray for our support and travel needs. Our plans are to leave the first week of December for Peru. We have 50% of our monthly support coming in presently. Thank you to all who are helping us along the way. We count it an honor and a privilege to represent Christ and you to the lost of Peru. Thank you, and God bless you.
His for souls,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, Paul Rader
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
July Prayer Letter from the Foust Family
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
We are not starting the church until September. At least, that is the joke that is
going around the team right now. Although we did not plan to start Iglesia Bautista
International until we’re all settled, we decided to rent a storefront in which to hold services in the same neighborhood as our future property. We printed one thousand tracts and spent a Saturday soul winning and inviting people to church. The tracts were gone in a few days and we filled all of our chairs the first Sunday. We now have several faithful families who call IBI their home church, and each service brings new visitors. This last Sunday, we had 66 in attendance. (And, yes, we had ten thousand tracts printed the next time!)
The business of not starting a church has kept us very busy. We have been able to purchase 2 vans to move our families around. We also rent a combi (small bus) in
which to have Sunday school for the children. I teach the adult Sunday school class each week called the Common Faith class and we now have many adults who come faithfully to learn more about God’s word. It is so exciting to be a part of this amazing work, and watch so many people trust Christ as their Savior.
One of the greatest sights is watching new Christians bring their own visitors to church.
A man named Mateo goes visiting with me each Saturday. Many of the people have brought their family and friends to services. Jorge, a teenage boy, brings friends to
be saved at almost every service. Zach, Jr. led a boy named Clayton to the Lord (his first in Spanish) as he was watching the service thru the open doorway. The next service Clayton returned, bringing a friend with him! A man named Pablo trusted Christ and took Bro. Hubbard to the homes of many of his family members asking him to give the Gospel to his family of whom several were saved. There are too many stories of God’s grace to give them all in this prayer letter. More than 70 souls have been saved this month.
While Satan’s attacks are certainly in evidence, God’s blessings are around us
every day. May you continue to feel God’s blessing and goodness in your life. Thank
you for your investment into this ministry and into our family. Please know none of the blessings we see here today would be possible without your help and prayers.
Please continue to pray for the great vision God has put before us. Please pray for the families who are still stateside raising support to join us. Safety on both sides of the pond is of great concern. Pray for our families getting settled in Peru. God has been so good to us.
His for Souls,
Zachary and Karin Foust, Zach, C.J., and Logan
We are not starting the church until September. At least, that is the joke that is
going around the team right now. Although we did not plan to start Iglesia Bautista
International until we’re all settled, we decided to rent a storefront in which to hold services in the same neighborhood as our future property. We printed one thousand tracts and spent a Saturday soul winning and inviting people to church. The tracts were gone in a few days and we filled all of our chairs the first Sunday. We now have several faithful families who call IBI their home church, and each service brings new visitors. This last Sunday, we had 66 in attendance. (And, yes, we had ten thousand tracts printed the next time!)
The business of not starting a church has kept us very busy. We have been able to purchase 2 vans to move our families around. We also rent a combi (small bus) in
which to have Sunday school for the children. I teach the adult Sunday school class each week called the Common Faith class and we now have many adults who come faithfully to learn more about God’s word. It is so exciting to be a part of this amazing work, and watch so many people trust Christ as their Savior.
One of the greatest sights is watching new Christians bring their own visitors to church.
A man named Mateo goes visiting with me each Saturday. Many of the people have brought their family and friends to services. Jorge, a teenage boy, brings friends to
be saved at almost every service. Zach, Jr. led a boy named Clayton to the Lord (his first in Spanish) as he was watching the service thru the open doorway. The next service Clayton returned, bringing a friend with him! A man named Pablo trusted Christ and took Bro. Hubbard to the homes of many of his family members asking him to give the Gospel to his family of whom several were saved. There are too many stories of God’s grace to give them all in this prayer letter. More than 70 souls have been saved this month.
While Satan’s attacks are certainly in evidence, God’s blessings are around us
every day. May you continue to feel God’s blessing and goodness in your life. Thank
you for your investment into this ministry and into our family. Please know none of the blessings we see here today would be possible without your help and prayers.
Please continue to pray for the great vision God has put before us. Please pray for the families who are still stateside raising support to join us. Safety on both sides of the pond is of great concern. Pray for our families getting settled in Peru. God has been so good to us.
His for Souls,
Zachary and Karin Foust, Zach, C.J., and Logan
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
July Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
August 6, 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
I am overwhelmed and amazed at the awesomeness of my God! I wonder every month how I should begin this letter. I have thought and thought what the first sentence should be. So as I compile all my thoughts and emotions and begin reflecting on the last four weeks, I can really only say that God is great, and I am so humbled to be His servant!
Seven weeks have passed since we arrived in Lima. During this time Jessica and I have been able to move into our permanent home and purchase all of our necessary appliances and furniture. We will continue “equipping” our house little by little each month, but I am thankful that God has given us such a beautiful place that my wife can call home.
As I stated in our last letter, we started the Iglesia Bautista Internacional the day after our arrival. We spent the entire month of May planning how to launch our church and make an immediate impact in our community. Our plan is to do this in the month of September, once the majority of the team has joined us. However, as you could imagine, we were very eager to get busy doing what God has called us to do. We decided to simply start a church in the home of Bro. Dan Hubbard and see where God would lead. Since our arrival, we have been walking through the streets of Chorrillos praying for God to open a door for us. After walking several miles one Saturday, we “stumbled” across a small storefront for rent. Then God blew a door open for us! After only one phone call, the building was offered to us for only $270 a month! Four weeks ago we held our first service in the Villa Marina neighborhood. The corner that was once covered in graffiti and known for drugs, gangs, and drinking is now a church!
God has truly blessed our church. We have since already begun to look at property for sale to give us a more permanent location and to accomodate the crowd in the building we have already outgrown! In the month of July, God brought a total of 94 different people through the doors of our church and allowed us to see a total of 54 trust Christ as their Saviour! Praise God! Oh for more time and space to tell all the stories of what God is doing!
God has brought many precious people into our lives. Julio, Veronique, and Kenya were our first visitors! Veronique got saved and has become our biggest helper and volunteer around the church. They have such sweet spirits, and we are excited for what God is doing in their lives.
Cecilia also came to church our first Sunday and got saved. Right away she brought her mom and younger sister to church, and they, too, accepted Christ. The Naupari home then became the site of our first weekly Bible study! There is something special about the hunger they have for the Word of God. When we arrived for our first Bible study, Olga (Cecilia’s mom) was walking outside her home with her Bible clutched to her chest. She said, “Pastor, I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it, so I told my children that we would just sit down and read the Bible.” Oh, if we all still hungered for God like that! So far, six members of her family have trusted Christ and are faithful to church.
We knew that any endevour for God would be met with resistance from Satan. The Devil did not disappoint. But I am so glad that Jesus said of His church that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Please do keep us in your prayers. The Devil has attacked us on the homefront, here, and by attacking our people. With a church full of new converts, we have many hurting people in need of big things from God. I am so glad that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Thank you for your love, prays, and support. Jessica and I and the people of Chorrillos owe a great debt to each of you. Please keep us in your prayers. We are trusting God to continue to do great things in the church; plus this week we are planning on launching six in-home Bible studies. I know that God has a great plan for our people and our district. After a few services in our new building, a lady walked by and asked, “Is this THE church? The church that EVERYONE is talking about?” I cannot wait till the buzz going through Villa Marina travels throughout Chorrillos and then Lima and all of Peru!
Excited about what Jesus is doing,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Dear Praying Friends,
I am overwhelmed and amazed at the awesomeness of my God! I wonder every month how I should begin this letter. I have thought and thought what the first sentence should be. So as I compile all my thoughts and emotions and begin reflecting on the last four weeks, I can really only say that God is great, and I am so humbled to be His servant!
Seven weeks have passed since we arrived in Lima. During this time Jessica and I have been able to move into our permanent home and purchase all of our necessary appliances and furniture. We will continue “equipping” our house little by little each month, but I am thankful that God has given us such a beautiful place that my wife can call home.
As I stated in our last letter, we started the Iglesia Bautista Internacional the day after our arrival. We spent the entire month of May planning how to launch our church and make an immediate impact in our community. Our plan is to do this in the month of September, once the majority of the team has joined us. However, as you could imagine, we were very eager to get busy doing what God has called us to do. We decided to simply start a church in the home of Bro. Dan Hubbard and see where God would lead. Since our arrival, we have been walking through the streets of Chorrillos praying for God to open a door for us. After walking several miles one Saturday, we “stumbled” across a small storefront for rent. Then God blew a door open for us! After only one phone call, the building was offered to us for only $270 a month! Four weeks ago we held our first service in the Villa Marina neighborhood. The corner that was once covered in graffiti and known for drugs, gangs, and drinking is now a church!
God has truly blessed our church. We have since already begun to look at property for sale to give us a more permanent location and to accomodate the crowd in the building we have already outgrown! In the month of July, God brought a total of 94 different people through the doors of our church and allowed us to see a total of 54 trust Christ as their Saviour! Praise God! Oh for more time and space to tell all the stories of what God is doing!
God has brought many precious people into our lives. Julio, Veronique, and Kenya were our first visitors! Veronique got saved and has become our biggest helper and volunteer around the church. They have such sweet spirits, and we are excited for what God is doing in their lives.
Cecilia also came to church our first Sunday and got saved. Right away she brought her mom and younger sister to church, and they, too, accepted Christ. The Naupari home then became the site of our first weekly Bible study! There is something special about the hunger they have for the Word of God. When we arrived for our first Bible study, Olga (Cecilia’s mom) was walking outside her home with her Bible clutched to her chest. She said, “Pastor, I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it, so I told my children that we would just sit down and read the Bible.” Oh, if we all still hungered for God like that! So far, six members of her family have trusted Christ and are faithful to church.
We knew that any endevour for God would be met with resistance from Satan. The Devil did not disappoint. But I am so glad that Jesus said of His church that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Please do keep us in your prayers. The Devil has attacked us on the homefront, here, and by attacking our people. With a church full of new converts, we have many hurting people in need of big things from God. I am so glad that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Thank you for your love, prays, and support. Jessica and I and the people of Chorrillos owe a great debt to each of you. Please keep us in your prayers. We are trusting God to continue to do great things in the church; plus this week we are planning on launching six in-home Bible studies. I know that God has a great plan for our people and our district. After a few services in our new building, a lady walked by and asked, “Is this THE church? The church that EVERYONE is talking about?” I cannot wait till the buzz going through Villa Marina travels throughout Chorrillos and then Lima and all of Peru!
Excited about what Jesus is doing,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Monday, August 13, 2012
July Prayer Letter from the Kokubuns
Dear Friends,
It has been a wonderful, exciting couple of months in the lives of the Kokubuns! As you know, July was THE month. All the hours, days, and months of preparation for our new lives in Peru were finally becoming a reality. Early on July 3, we boarded a plane headed to Peru. I could have never dreamed what the next month would bring.
In the past month, our team has started our first church plant. The morning after we arrived, my wife and I jumped into the vehicle with Dan Hubbard, Zach Foust, and Junior Martin. We were going to look at a storefront property that would eventually house our first church, not knowing how soon that would be. (This was on a Wednesday, July 4.) God moved. We signed a contract on the storefront, and that next Sunday we had the first service of Iglesia Bautista International.
We had over 30 people in our first service! The church is only four weeks old as of this writing, and the church is booming. Where the pulpit sits in our church is geographically right smack in the center of Chorrillos, a district of Lima. For the last four weeks, the Gospel has been preached at the heart of Chorrillos, Lima, a town we have come to love. There have been dozens of salvations and lives changed. The people God has called us to are eager to hear the good news of the cross.
There are so many stories of God using Iglesia Bautista International to reach the harvest. Here are two:
One Wednesday night before church, I walked down the street inviting people to our new church. As I came to the end of the block, I found a soccer park with dozens of young people playing soccer. I walked over to the bleachers and sat down just to watch. My heart was truly broken for the youth. As I was sitting there, a couple of curious teenagers walked over to say hi. As I began in my broken Spanish to talk to them, they were curious about what an American was doing in their park. Before I knew it, two young men grew to twelve young men. We all talked and laughed at my accent. I invited them all to the service that night. Many of them have received Christ as their Saviour and attend church often.
One boy in particular, Jorge, has a special place in my heart. I handed Jorge a tract the first Saturday we were inviting people to church. Jorge was sitting on a bench watching his friends play soccer. Zach Jr. (my teenager from the team) and I approached him and invited him to church. Having a language barrier, we simply gave him a tract and prayed he would be in church the next morning. To my disappointment, he did not show on Sunday morning. I did not think another thought about it until Sunday evening while I was playing the prelude. In walked Jorge with two of his friends! All during the preaching, I was excited that they came, hoping that Jorge
would get saved. During the invitation one of the Spanish pastors who had been helping us approached the young men and asked them about salvation. When he asked Jorge if he knew he was going to Heaven, Jorge gave him a confident, "Yes!" When asked how he knew, Jorge explained that he had taken the tract that I had given him home and had asked Jesus to save him! Hallelujah! God truly is working here in Chorrillos, Lima, Peru.
I cannot thank you enough for your continued support and love. We love hearing from you through all your comments and letters. You are in our hearts and prayers; we love you very much. If there is ever anything we can do for you, please contact us. Now that we have settled in our first apartment as a married couple, we hope to connect more with you. We will be blogging and updating our Facebook much more in the future.
Here is our information:
Phone: 919.407.8668 (Call or text anytime; it's a USA number, so you will pay no international fees.)
Address:
Daniel y Heather Kokubun
Urb. Las Brisas de Villa
HB Lote 7 Costa Norte
Lima 09
Chorrillos, Lima, PERU
Serving Him,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
It has been a wonderful, exciting couple of months in the lives of the Kokubuns! As you know, July was THE month. All the hours, days, and months of preparation for our new lives in Peru were finally becoming a reality. Early on July 3, we boarded a plane headed to Peru. I could have never dreamed what the next month would bring.
In the past month, our team has started our first church plant. The morning after we arrived, my wife and I jumped into the vehicle with Dan Hubbard, Zach Foust, and Junior Martin. We were going to look at a storefront property that would eventually house our first church, not knowing how soon that would be. (This was on a Wednesday, July 4.) God moved. We signed a contract on the storefront, and that next Sunday we had the first service of Iglesia Bautista International.
We had over 30 people in our first service! The church is only four weeks old as of this writing, and the church is booming. Where the pulpit sits in our church is geographically right smack in the center of Chorrillos, a district of Lima. For the last four weeks, the Gospel has been preached at the heart of Chorrillos, Lima, a town we have come to love. There have been dozens of salvations and lives changed. The people God has called us to are eager to hear the good news of the cross.
There are so many stories of God using Iglesia Bautista International to reach the harvest. Here are two:
One Wednesday night before church, I walked down the street inviting people to our new church. As I came to the end of the block, I found a soccer park with dozens of young people playing soccer. I walked over to the bleachers and sat down just to watch. My heart was truly broken for the youth. As I was sitting there, a couple of curious teenagers walked over to say hi. As I began in my broken Spanish to talk to them, they were curious about what an American was doing in their park. Before I knew it, two young men grew to twelve young men. We all talked and laughed at my accent. I invited them all to the service that night. Many of them have received Christ as their Saviour and attend church often.
One boy in particular, Jorge, has a special place in my heart. I handed Jorge a tract the first Saturday we were inviting people to church. Jorge was sitting on a bench watching his friends play soccer. Zach Jr. (my teenager from the team) and I approached him and invited him to church. Having a language barrier, we simply gave him a tract and prayed he would be in church the next morning. To my disappointment, he did not show on Sunday morning. I did not think another thought about it until Sunday evening while I was playing the prelude. In walked Jorge with two of his friends! All during the preaching, I was excited that they came, hoping that Jorge
would get saved. During the invitation one of the Spanish pastors who had been helping us approached the young men and asked them about salvation. When he asked Jorge if he knew he was going to Heaven, Jorge gave him a confident, "Yes!" When asked how he knew, Jorge explained that he had taken the tract that I had given him home and had asked Jesus to save him! Hallelujah! God truly is working here in Chorrillos, Lima, Peru.
I cannot thank you enough for your continued support and love. We love hearing from you through all your comments and letters. You are in our hearts and prayers; we love you very much. If there is ever anything we can do for you, please contact us. Now that we have settled in our first apartment as a married couple, we hope to connect more with you. We will be blogging and updating our Facebook much more in the future.
Here is our information:
Phone: 919.407.8668 (Call or text anytime; it's a USA number, so you will pay no international fees.)
Address:
Daniel y Heather Kokubun
Urb. Las Brisas de Villa
HB Lote 7 Costa Norte
Lima 09
Chorrillos, Lima, PERU
Serving Him,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
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