Our First Day in the New Building
Anticipation was in the air. Everyone rushed about hurriedly to be sure everything was just perfect for our first service at the new property. The PA system needed to be set up, hymnals placed in each seat, the baptistery waters checked, changing rooms prepared, and ushers trained. Today was the day! After having several weeks and months of overflowing our old property, it was exciting to have a new building to fill. But would we fill it? Would it seem huge and the people few in number?
Our hearts were not disappointed that day, as 138 people filled our new church building. Many of our faithful church members brought a visitor or friend. It didn't seem too big at all. Actually, in my mind I wondered how long we would be able to fit in this new property before we would have to move again! (Don't worry; I think it will be quite some time before that happens.) On that day alone, we had 24 visitors, 13 saved, and 5 baptized. With our new building having so much space, the Adult Sunday School Class moved there, and we were able to have our Teen Sunday School Class in the old church building. We still love our old building. There's just a special sweetness there that fills the air, and there’s the constant memory of the great things God has done so far.
At the beginning of this month, God sent our team two Peruvian college men who are in seminary. They wanted to come and learn from the team. One of my newest responsibilities has been working with them—“Training the Next Generation 101.”
We just finished Week 8 with our second Bible study. The father and both sons of the family that hosts our study were all baptized just recently. It's so neat to see young Christians growing in the faith.
Thanks for your prayers for Iglesia Bautista Internacional! We're thrilled with what God is doing here in this place. We know none of it would be possible without the faithful prayers of God's people! We can't wait to see what God will do in the future!
Enjoying the journey,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
January Prayer Letter from the Foust Family
January 2013
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
Well, it has happened! We rejoice to announce that we will be moving into our new church property this Sunday, January 13! This is great news for our people who have been packed into our tiny storefront for several weeks now. Our attendances have been over 100 consistently each week, and we are thrilled to have room to grow in our new auditorium.
We are praying for God’s continued blessings as we move down the road to our new facility. We anticipate much growth here and are
excited at the possibilities! We also have exciting news about our weekly Bible study in San Gabriel, Villa Maria del Triunfo. For many weeks we have been meeting there on Thursday nights in the home of one of our church members. It is apparent by the number of visitors and the spiritual appetite of the people there that they are ready for a church to be started in San Gabriel. We are pleased to announce that we will be starting a church there on January 27! Please be in prayer for this endeavor. We are praying specifically that God will use me according to His will as I pastor these dear people, that the Peruvian people who are helping us will draw closer to God as they learn to minister to others, and that God would be glorified in all that we do in San Gabriel. We are asking God for many souls to be saved and that this church would be an outlet for the planting of many more churches here in Lima, Peru. We are extremely grateful for the Jose Salazar family, who has opened their home for this new work. We will be meeting there on Sunday afternoons, Wednesday evenings, and Thursday evenings for church services. The people there are so hungry for the Gospel, and we are thrilled that God would allow us to be a part of this great work!
Additionally, the Peru Team is excited to report that two more churches are ready to be started in the very near future! One will be located in Chorrillos, not too far from our main church, and the other in an adjoining district. Please pray for our team and for the Peruvian members of our church who are helping with these projects. Our schedules, patience, faith, and endurance are being stretched a bit as we grow. Please be in prayer for our family as we move forward in this coming year to do more for Christ. We are continually thankful for your prayers and support.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
Well, it has happened! We rejoice to announce that we will be moving into our new church property this Sunday, January 13! This is great news for our people who have been packed into our tiny storefront for several weeks now. Our attendances have been over 100 consistently each week, and we are thrilled to have room to grow in our new auditorium.
We are praying for God’s continued blessings as we move down the road to our new facility. We anticipate much growth here and are
excited at the possibilities! We also have exciting news about our weekly Bible study in San Gabriel, Villa Maria del Triunfo. For many weeks we have been meeting there on Thursday nights in the home of one of our church members. It is apparent by the number of visitors and the spiritual appetite of the people there that they are ready for a church to be started in San Gabriel. We are pleased to announce that we will be starting a church there on January 27! Please be in prayer for this endeavor. We are praying specifically that God will use me according to His will as I pastor these dear people, that the Peruvian people who are helping us will draw closer to God as they learn to minister to others, and that God would be glorified in all that we do in San Gabriel. We are asking God for many souls to be saved and that this church would be an outlet for the planting of many more churches here in Lima, Peru. We are extremely grateful for the Jose Salazar family, who has opened their home for this new work. We will be meeting there on Sunday afternoons, Wednesday evenings, and Thursday evenings for church services. The people there are so hungry for the Gospel, and we are thrilled that God would allow us to be a part of this great work!
Additionally, the Peru Team is excited to report that two more churches are ready to be started in the very near future! One will be located in Chorrillos, not too far from our main church, and the other in an adjoining district. Please pray for our team and for the Peruvian members of our church who are helping with these projects. Our schedules, patience, faith, and endurance are being stretched a bit as we grow. Please be in prayer for our family as we move forward in this coming year to do more for Christ. We are continually thankful for your prayers and support.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Monday, January 21, 2013
December Prayer Letter from the Raders
Dear praying friends,
Our first month in Peru was phenomenal! At the same time we arrived in Peru, our team’s container cleared port authorities. During our first week we helped move boxes. While getting settled we helped our team move into our first team office, and we helped to prepare a new church property. For the entire month our church has been setting up chairs on the sidewalk for people to listen through the windows because there is no more space inside. Our new property was a carpenter’s shop. We have
cleared off junk, cleaned, built, cleaned, restored, cleaned, painted, and cleaned. The entire team spent all new years eve preparing for a watch night service. The turn-out was great! We arrived in Peru to witness a team that is already moving forward at full throttle. Our team is already preparing for 3 other churches to be started soon.
My wife is having a great time leading people to Christ. Because of my language barrier my progress is slower for now, but I was still able to lead one to Christ. Another blessing was to watch my Peruvian soul-winning partner lead his granddaughter’s boyfriend to Christ. Of course if your girlfriend’s grandfather came to your house talking about death and hell, you might want to get saved too. His
granddaughter and her boyfriend have been coming to church since.
My Spanish is growing faster than ever. I look forward to my classes with Br. Vallejo Sr. On Friday nights Br. Mark Miskovic is allowing me to teach in Spanish for a few minutes at his Bible study. For the first week I gave my testimony with a plan of salvation. Br. Abraham Avila gave the invitation and two were saved. Oh, Happy Day!
Thank you to everyone who helped us with our start-up fund. We had just enough for our basic furnishings. We are looking forward to being used of God in a great way. We thank the Lord for enabling us to be a part of Team Peru. God is just beginning to do something great here. Please pray that he will continue to use us. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. God bless you.
His for souls,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, & Paul Rader
Our first month in Peru was phenomenal! At the same time we arrived in Peru, our team’s container cleared port authorities. During our first week we helped move boxes. While getting settled we helped our team move into our first team office, and we helped to prepare a new church property. For the entire month our church has been setting up chairs on the sidewalk for people to listen through the windows because there is no more space inside. Our new property was a carpenter’s shop. We have
cleared off junk, cleaned, built, cleaned, restored, cleaned, painted, and cleaned. The entire team spent all new years eve preparing for a watch night service. The turn-out was great! We arrived in Peru to witness a team that is already moving forward at full throttle. Our team is already preparing for 3 other churches to be started soon.
My wife is having a great time leading people to Christ. Because of my language barrier my progress is slower for now, but I was still able to lead one to Christ. Another blessing was to watch my Peruvian soul-winning partner lead his granddaughter’s boyfriend to Christ. Of course if your girlfriend’s grandfather came to your house talking about death and hell, you might want to get saved too. His
granddaughter and her boyfriend have been coming to church since.
My Spanish is growing faster than ever. I look forward to my classes with Br. Vallejo Sr. On Friday nights Br. Mark Miskovic is allowing me to teach in Spanish for a few minutes at his Bible study. For the first week I gave my testimony with a plan of salvation. Br. Abraham Avila gave the invitation and two were saved. Oh, Happy Day!
Thank you to everyone who helped us with our start-up fund. We had just enough for our basic furnishings. We are looking forward to being used of God in a great way. We thank the Lord for enabling us to be a part of Team Peru. God is just beginning to do something great here. Please pray that he will continue to use us. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. God bless you.
His for souls,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, & Paul Rader
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
December Prayer Letter from the Kokubun Family
Dear Friends,
We stand amazed at what God has done this past year in our lives. Last year this time, we were traveling, attending missions conferences, sharing our dreams with many of you; so that this year, we could be here. Half of this year was spent in the United States, and the other half; adjusting to a third world country: Peru. This is now our home, as we delight to serve our King here. There have been many happy moments, many frustrations, many joys, and many tears. Through it all, we've found His grace to be sufficient to carry us through everything. A year ago, it's crazy to
think that we did not know a one of the dear people we serve today. A year ago, we prayed for our people, our youth group, our team. Today, we get to live, spend, and be spent for their cause. Today we get to serve the people we so eagerly anticipated meeting. Tonight, we get to do a Bible study with those we prayed for a year ago. Watching God build our church from zero to one hundred twenty people in six months has been a highlight, and has far exceeded our expectations. We realize that we get to be your eyes. We get to see everything happen first hand, and it's our job to pass on the stories to you, of what God is doing here.
The picture above, is our new property for our first church. It is much more spacious than our store front local, and we can't wait to fill it with people. In January, we will also be helping to start church 2. We will do this through Tuesday night, and Saturday night services. Please pray for the people that will be reached through this church. We can only imagine what God has in store for each of them. While we will not be immediately involved in the next two, church 3 and 4 will also be starting shortly. We are excited about what God will be doing in these next three churches, and look forward to the disciples God will give us from each one that will assist us is starting the next few churches. Thank you for your involvement in getting the Gospel out to the world.
Enjoying the journey,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
We stand amazed at what God has done this past year in our lives. Last year this time, we were traveling, attending missions conferences, sharing our dreams with many of you; so that this year, we could be here. Half of this year was spent in the United States, and the other half; adjusting to a third world country: Peru. This is now our home, as we delight to serve our King here. There have been many happy moments, many frustrations, many joys, and many tears. Through it all, we've found His grace to be sufficient to carry us through everything. A year ago, it's crazy to
think that we did not know a one of the dear people we serve today. A year ago, we prayed for our people, our youth group, our team. Today, we get to live, spend, and be spent for their cause. Today we get to serve the people we so eagerly anticipated meeting. Tonight, we get to do a Bible study with those we prayed for a year ago. Watching God build our church from zero to one hundred twenty people in six months has been a highlight, and has far exceeded our expectations. We realize that we get to be your eyes. We get to see everything happen first hand, and it's our job to pass on the stories to you, of what God is doing here.
The picture above, is our new property for our first church. It is much more spacious than our store front local, and we can't wait to fill it with people. In January, we will also be helping to start church 2. We will do this through Tuesday night, and Saturday night services. Please pray for the people that will be reached through this church. We can only imagine what God has in store for each of them. While we will not be immediately involved in the next two, church 3 and 4 will also be starting shortly. We are excited about what God will be doing in these next three churches, and look forward to the disciples God will give us from each one that will assist us is starting the next few churches. Thank you for your involvement in getting the Gospel out to the world.
Enjoying the journey,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
December Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
Dear Praying Friends,
The most wonderful time of the year! This Christmas may have been a little different from those we are accustomed to, but wonderful just the same. We traded the snow and the bitter cold for sunshine and scorching heat, snow men for palm trees, candy canes for panetón, and silent night for fireworks. What a great first Christmas in Peru.
God has been so good to us. Unsure of what traditions we would start and how we would spend our holiday, a few of our church families had an idea. Christmas eve morning we went to church with an army of teenagers and four of our church families. They had over 100 Christmas gifts and candy bags wrapped and ready to go. We loaded up 2 vans and 3 cars and headed up to the far side of San Genaro, the poorest part of our district. As we got out of our vehicles, we were quickly surrounded by scores of children. It did not take long to pass out all the presents. Tears filled my ears as I heard the thank-yous and saw the smiles on their faces. I looked around at our teens as reality and gratitude swept across the faces. That is the kind of tradition I love…giving back for we have been given so much.
San Genaro has become a special place for us. This is where we spend the majority of our Saturday making visits and soul winning. We have talked in the past about this area being our first church plant, but now it is time to put action to our words. We have decided to give Jesus a Christmas present…a church in San Genaro. Please pray for Jessica and me as we start this church with the help of some of our church families. I have been laying the groundwork and looking for a building and, Lord willing, the church will start in mid-January.
Of course, with the Christmas season comes a brand-new year. As we start 2013, I cannot help but rejoice in 2012. God has blessed in amazing ways during our first six months in Peru. God has blessed us with a strong church of dedicated, hungry Christians. We are currently averaging 133 people attending our church each week! This, of course, has caused a huge space issue. I am very happy to say that 2013 started off at a brand new property! One of our church families who own property near our church, have been praying for some time what God would have them do to help the church. Recently, they decided their property would be the next home of IBI! We have a lot of work to do over time, but as you can see we were able to get it “usable” in time for our New Year’s eve service. I am thrilled to watch our church go to the next level!
Not only that, but God has given us a great harvest of souls. Over the last 6 months, we have seen a total 457 trust Christ as their Saviour! Glory to God! 34 of these people have also followed the Lord in baptism. God is truly blessing. Not only do these numbers reflect salvations but also lives that have been changed. Many of those being saved were won to Christ by our church members. Over the last couple months, we have averaged over 30 people going out soul winning every Saturday!
Please pray that God continues to guide and enable us in 2013. Having established a strong base and adapted to our new home, we are ready to take our ministry to a whole new level. Not only do we plan on turning this property into a beautiful church where we can triple our size, but we want to triple our church right away! In January, we will plant a church in San Genaro. In February, a church in San Gabriel. In March, a church in Surco. We have big plans for a big God and a big year. God has shown us He is very willing and able. Our church people are excited and ready. 2013 will be the year we begin to reach all of Lima from Villa Marina…and then all of Peru…and all of South America.
Thank you for partnering with us through your prayers and support. I hope you see that your investment and sacrifice is not in vain. If you don’t already, please follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter and see day by day all that God is doing in Peru. I thank God for my first six months and I cannot wait to see the next six.
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
The most wonderful time of the year! This Christmas may have been a little different from those we are accustomed to, but wonderful just the same. We traded the snow and the bitter cold for sunshine and scorching heat, snow men for palm trees, candy canes for panetón, and silent night for fireworks. What a great first Christmas in Peru.
God has been so good to us. Unsure of what traditions we would start and how we would spend our holiday, a few of our church families had an idea. Christmas eve morning we went to church with an army of teenagers and four of our church families. They had over 100 Christmas gifts and candy bags wrapped and ready to go. We loaded up 2 vans and 3 cars and headed up to the far side of San Genaro, the poorest part of our district. As we got out of our vehicles, we were quickly surrounded by scores of children. It did not take long to pass out all the presents. Tears filled my ears as I heard the thank-yous and saw the smiles on their faces. I looked around at our teens as reality and gratitude swept across the faces. That is the kind of tradition I love…giving back for we have been given so much.
San Genaro has become a special place for us. This is where we spend the majority of our Saturday making visits and soul winning. We have talked in the past about this area being our first church plant, but now it is time to put action to our words. We have decided to give Jesus a Christmas present…a church in San Genaro. Please pray for Jessica and me as we start this church with the help of some of our church families. I have been laying the groundwork and looking for a building and, Lord willing, the church will start in mid-January.
Of course, with the Christmas season comes a brand-new year. As we start 2013, I cannot help but rejoice in 2012. God has blessed in amazing ways during our first six months in Peru. God has blessed us with a strong church of dedicated, hungry Christians. We are currently averaging 133 people attending our church each week! This, of course, has caused a huge space issue. I am very happy to say that 2013 started off at a brand new property! One of our church families who own property near our church, have been praying for some time what God would have them do to help the church. Recently, they decided their property would be the next home of IBI! We have a lot of work to do over time, but as you can see we were able to get it “usable” in time for our New Year’s eve service. I am thrilled to watch our church go to the next level!
Not only that, but God has given us a great harvest of souls. Over the last 6 months, we have seen a total 457 trust Christ as their Saviour! Glory to God! 34 of these people have also followed the Lord in baptism. God is truly blessing. Not only do these numbers reflect salvations but also lives that have been changed. Many of those being saved were won to Christ by our church members. Over the last couple months, we have averaged over 30 people going out soul winning every Saturday!
Please pray that God continues to guide and enable us in 2013. Having established a strong base and adapted to our new home, we are ready to take our ministry to a whole new level. Not only do we plan on turning this property into a beautiful church where we can triple our size, but we want to triple our church right away! In January, we will plant a church in San Genaro. In February, a church in San Gabriel. In March, a church in Surco. We have big plans for a big God and a big year. God has shown us He is very willing and able. Our church people are excited and ready. 2013 will be the year we begin to reach all of Lima from Villa Marina…and then all of Peru…and all of South America.
Thank you for partnering with us through your prayers and support. I hope you see that your investment and sacrifice is not in vain. If you don’t already, please follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter and see day by day all that God is doing in Peru. I thank God for my first six months and I cannot wait to see the next six.
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
December Prayer Letter from the Hubbard Family
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
The Christmas season is upon us once again, and one can’t help but become more sentimental this time of year. We have now lived in Peru for six months, and we can only praise the Lord for the journey we’ve traveled this year. My cup runs over with gratitude to every individual who brings our names or our team before the Lord in prayer. I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of so many to support us monetarily each month. I am humbled that God Almighty saw fit to put me in His ministry to shepherd His believers here at Iglesia Bautista Internacional. He is an awesome God!
We’ve been extremely busy since our last letter. To God be the glory . . . our container with all of our personal belongings and ministry belongings finally cleared customs and was released from the port just after Thanksgiving! It was a long, tedious job but worth it to see the joy reflected in my children’s eyes and on
the face of my wife! It has been tremendously helpful to have these things to make our home more like home and to have resources in abundance.
The church continues to steadily grow, not only in number but also in rooted disciples. We’ve had a number of families complete the ten-week home-discipleship program we’ve established and are now moving on to help various team families
begin and teach new Bible studies.
Another victory has transpired in recent days, as the Lord has finally opened a door for us for a larger facility for our church to meet! The family whose home we’ve been using to hold our bi-weekly baptismal services owns a large, walled, open-air area behind their house. They have agreed to allow us to rent it for use for an auditorium. There is space enough for us to put prefabricated rooms along one side for use as Sunday school space, children’s church, and a nursery. It is only a block and a half from where we meet presently and is on a main thoroughfare. I can’t tell you how excited I am about the next level we can now push toward.
As a Christmas present to our Saviour, we will begin our second church. It will be located in a prime area up the mountain, about 20 minutes from our present church. We have a number of families that come from that area that will form the core of the church. We’ve been busy looking for a facility and laying the groundwork. We hope to have our first service just after the first of the year.
I don’t often mention my family in our letters, but this month I wanted to give an update on how we are doing. Our children are growing like weeds. With the arrival of our container, we were finally able to begin school. We’ve had a late start, but a plan is in place to catch them up in a reasonable amount of time. We’ve been
blessed with good health and are enjoying the change of weather, as we are seeing the sun more and the temperatures are beginning to climb. (Because we are south of the equator, our seasons are opposite). I wanted, too, to share the news that Christy is expecting our fifth child in April. Her pregnancy has been smooth so far, and
the children are excited about a new sibling. Ivana is praying for a sister!
In recent days I’ve been consumed with a thought: The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
As we begin a new year, I am renewing my passion and vision of church multiplication. There is so much need for a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching church in every urbanization of Lima, in every city of Peru, in every country of South America, and in the entire Spanish-speaking world. I am committed anew to being a worthy investment of your time in prayer and your monetary investment. We press toward the mark.
We trust that you and yours will enjoy a wonderful Christmas season and a blessed New Year! We love and appreciate you!
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
The Christmas season is upon us once again, and one can’t help but become more sentimental this time of year. We have now lived in Peru for six months, and we can only praise the Lord for the journey we’ve traveled this year. My cup runs over with gratitude to every individual who brings our names or our team before the Lord in prayer. I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of so many to support us monetarily each month. I am humbled that God Almighty saw fit to put me in His ministry to shepherd His believers here at Iglesia Bautista Internacional. He is an awesome God!
We’ve been extremely busy since our last letter. To God be the glory . . . our container with all of our personal belongings and ministry belongings finally cleared customs and was released from the port just after Thanksgiving! It was a long, tedious job but worth it to see the joy reflected in my children’s eyes and on
the face of my wife! It has been tremendously helpful to have these things to make our home more like home and to have resources in abundance.
The church continues to steadily grow, not only in number but also in rooted disciples. We’ve had a number of families complete the ten-week home-discipleship program we’ve established and are now moving on to help various team families
begin and teach new Bible studies.
Another victory has transpired in recent days, as the Lord has finally opened a door for us for a larger facility for our church to meet! The family whose home we’ve been using to hold our bi-weekly baptismal services owns a large, walled, open-air area behind their house. They have agreed to allow us to rent it for use for an auditorium. There is space enough for us to put prefabricated rooms along one side for use as Sunday school space, children’s church, and a nursery. It is only a block and a half from where we meet presently and is on a main thoroughfare. I can’t tell you how excited I am about the next level we can now push toward.
As a Christmas present to our Saviour, we will begin our second church. It will be located in a prime area up the mountain, about 20 minutes from our present church. We have a number of families that come from that area that will form the core of the church. We’ve been busy looking for a facility and laying the groundwork. We hope to have our first service just after the first of the year.
I don’t often mention my family in our letters, but this month I wanted to give an update on how we are doing. Our children are growing like weeds. With the arrival of our container, we were finally able to begin school. We’ve had a late start, but a plan is in place to catch them up in a reasonable amount of time. We’ve been
blessed with good health and are enjoying the change of weather, as we are seeing the sun more and the temperatures are beginning to climb. (Because we are south of the equator, our seasons are opposite). I wanted, too, to share the news that Christy is expecting our fifth child in April. Her pregnancy has been smooth so far, and
the children are excited about a new sibling. Ivana is praying for a sister!
In recent days I’ve been consumed with a thought: The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
As we begin a new year, I am renewing my passion and vision of church multiplication. There is so much need for a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching church in every urbanization of Lima, in every city of Peru, in every country of South America, and in the entire Spanish-speaking world. I am committed anew to being a worthy investment of your time in prayer and your monetary investment. We press toward the mark.
We trust that you and yours will enjoy a wonderful Christmas season and a blessed New Year! We love and appreciate you!
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
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