Dear Praying Friends,
New life and new growth have been all about us these past two months. We are thrilled to report that my wife safely delivered our fifth child on Thursday, April 11, 2013, here in Peru! We named him Luke Daniel Hubbard. The name Luke means “giver of light.” It is our prayer that he will be reared for just that purpose. He is truly a blessing, and the family is acclimating quickly to him. He has a house full of people who love him dearly.
Likewise, we’ve seen new life in many converts who have been won to Christ in the last several months. I thrill to see “the light turn on” in the eyes of one as he understands the truth of the Gospel. I recently began a new eleven-week Bible study in yet another home of some of our converts. I’ve been able to lead many of their family and friends to the Lord since its beginning.
Our growth continues to be steady and sure in the church. We are consistently seeing souls added to the church. More people are getting involved in the Bible-study programs, the monthly Bible seminary, weekly soul winning, and other avenues of service. God has graciously answered our prayers in providing a building for both the churches of San Genaro and Surco! These are churches we requested prayer for in our last several letters. So the work continues to grow and build! Praise the Lord!
We recently got word that the two young Bible-college students who spent their summer learning from us and helping start one of our churches have begun two Bible studies in Southern Peru that will soon be independent churches! Their pastor learned of our ministry and asked if he could send two of his workers to learn about discipling and church planting. We are rejoicing, as we are beginning to see the vision unfold. They are set to begin these new works and many others!
We are excited as we look toward the future. We will be putting much work into the establishing of our next two churches, as well as continuing our investment of time and effort in our first two churches. Please be in prayer for our team, our family, and the work here in Peru. We are well aware that with the establishing of each new church, the enemy is that much more displeased. We covet your prayers.
I marvel as I look back on the ten-plus months we’ve been here in Peru . . . and all that GOD has done; and yet, as I drive
into the mountains and see the vast expanse of Lima alone, I am made aware that there is still so much to do. Thank you
for seeing our vision, investing in that vision, and remaining faithful to your commitment of prayer and giving. Truly we
are experiencing a miracle, and it is ALL fruit to your account.
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
Friday, May 31, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
April Prayer Letter from the Kokubuns
Dear Praying Friends,
One of the goals of our team is making disciples. Since day one, we have been working to not only lead many to Christ but also to train them to go and do likewise. In less than a year, we have seen God do some amazing work in the hearts of some of our members. One such family is whom I would like to tell you about today.
Mayerlomi began coming to church with her daughter several months after we had started our little church on the corner. She had been attending a different church for quite some time, but when she came to Iglesia Internacional, she saw something different. Soon Camila, Mayerlomi's daughter, received Christ and decided to get baptized. That day many of their family members came to church to see her get baptized. This included Mayerlomi's husband Luis and their two sons, Luis and Josel. At the time of the invitation, Luis, Luis Jr, and Josel all received a clear explanation of the Gospel. On the same day, all three of them got saved. God began doing a miracle in their family. They began faithfully attending our services and getting involved. Several weeks later my wife and I invited their family over for Sunday dinner. During sweet fellowship we asked them how they would feel about hosting a Bible study in their home. Two weeks later, after they had put a fresh coat of paint on their living room, we began a Bible study in their home.
This sweet family now has a major role in our church. Luis, the father, works for our church doing construction during the week. Each of them knows how to win souls and now help during our invitation time at church. They have also witnessed to many of their family members and brought them to church. Just last week Luis' sister got baptized. Their boys, Luis and Josel, are very involved in our youth group. They show up at each service and activity eager to get involved and learn. Their dispositions have changed too. When they first came, their faces were very hard. Now you can't get them to stop smiling!
After we finished doing the 11-week Bible study in their' home, they began coming with us to our next Bible study, where Luis has been learning how to lead his own Bible study. He has been growing in His walk with God and has spoken with me several times about becoming a pastor and serving God with his life.
This month one of our team members, Junior Martin, will be starting a church in an area of town called San Genaro. Luis is stepping up to the plate and assisting in this church. Please pray for him and his family as they become involved in this new church plant. Thank you for your prayers! God is doing great things in our midst!
Your co-laborers for Christ,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
One of the goals of our team is making disciples. Since day one, we have been working to not only lead many to Christ but also to train them to go and do likewise. In less than a year, we have seen God do some amazing work in the hearts of some of our members. One such family is whom I would like to tell you about today.
Mayerlomi began coming to church with her daughter several months after we had started our little church on the corner. She had been attending a different church for quite some time, but when she came to Iglesia Internacional, she saw something different. Soon Camila, Mayerlomi's daughter, received Christ and decided to get baptized. That day many of their family members came to church to see her get baptized. This included Mayerlomi's husband Luis and their two sons, Luis and Josel. At the time of the invitation, Luis, Luis Jr, and Josel all received a clear explanation of the Gospel. On the same day, all three of them got saved. God began doing a miracle in their family. They began faithfully attending our services and getting involved. Several weeks later my wife and I invited their family over for Sunday dinner. During sweet fellowship we asked them how they would feel about hosting a Bible study in their home. Two weeks later, after they had put a fresh coat of paint on their living room, we began a Bible study in their home.
This sweet family now has a major role in our church. Luis, the father, works for our church doing construction during the week. Each of them knows how to win souls and now help during our invitation time at church. They have also witnessed to many of their family members and brought them to church. Just last week Luis' sister got baptized. Their boys, Luis and Josel, are very involved in our youth group. They show up at each service and activity eager to get involved and learn. Their dispositions have changed too. When they first came, their faces were very hard. Now you can't get them to stop smiling!
After we finished doing the 11-week Bible study in their' home, they began coming with us to our next Bible study, where Luis has been learning how to lead his own Bible study. He has been growing in His walk with God and has spoken with me several times about becoming a pastor and serving God with his life.
This month one of our team members, Junior Martin, will be starting a church in an area of town called San Genaro. Luis is stepping up to the plate and assisting in this church. Please pray for him and his family as they become involved in this new church plant. Thank you for your prayers! God is doing great things in our midst!
Your co-laborers for Christ,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
April Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
Dear Praying Friends,
“It is May 10, and I haven’t written the prayer letter yet!!!” This outburst just occurred a second ago here in our living room. Okay, maybe I was a bit over-dramatic. Maybe I have said something similar to this to my wife over the last ten days. It’s been a little hectic, but busy is good. God has given us a lot of blessings to share. “. . . wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” (Luke 2:49)
April was an incredibly busy month, especially leading into the first of May. I know I should technically wait till next month, but of course the biggest news is the planting of our third church. For many months, many of you have seen my heart for the area of San Genaro and have joined me in prayer for the opportunity to start a church in this area. On April 11 this dream became a reality, as God led us to an ideal building, and we signed the contract on April 15. This is a huge answer to prayer. Since securing the building, God has given me a great team of eleven of our church people to help me in this new work. It has been a great encouragement to me to work side by side with these men, women, and teenagers and watch them grow and serve.
May 4 was the date we set for the launching of our church. For several reasons we chose to make our church plant a different type of pattern. Our main service is on Saturday night, and our midweek service is on Tuesday night. This gives the people we reach the opportunity to attend services in our main church, as well as allows Jessica and me to maintain our involvement in Villa Marina.
May 4 came, and what a day it was. That morning we went up the hill with our team and all of the teenagers of our church and blanketed the marketplace with tracts, inviting people to our service. Church time came, and God blessed in an amazing way. We had 38 in our first service, with 4 people saved! To God be the glory! There are too many blessings to count from that first service. We had several visitors attend, as well as some families I have been working on for a while. Please continue to pray for the future growth of our young church. We have a bright future and whole lot of work to do.
God opened another door for us in April that we have been praying about for a long time. Our fourth church plant will be in the neighboring district of Surco where we already have a base of people coming to our church. This church will be under the direction of Ezequiel Martinez. Zeke currently has a Bible study here averaging over 20 each week. The exact same week I signed on our San Genaro property, God gave Zeke a great local for his church. Please pray for this work and for the Martinez family, as they will have their first church service on May 19.
In addition to all the newness, God has continued to bless our main church in Villa Marina. Our attendance has steadily increased over the last month as we have averaged 132 in our Sunday services, with our highest Sunday night attendance of 150. With all of our Bible studies and our San Gabriel church plant, we are averaging over 240 different people attending at least one of our services each week! God is amazing! Thank you for making all this possible. In the month of April, God allowed us to see a total of 182 souls saved through our ministry here. Thank you for the privilege of adding fruit to your account.
There is one story that I must tell. Since December, I have done a great deal of print and design work with a lady named Flor, who owns a print business here in Chorrillos. I have developed a great relationship with her and her employees, and she has done a great job for us. One day I walked in to get some work done, and, like always, she asked me how I was doing. Jokingly I said, “Busy, tired, but always good.” She laughed and said, “You know, you always say that. No matter what, you are always good and always happy.” I quickly realized God was giving me an opportunity that I had prayed for. I began to explain to Flor what makes the difference in my life. After several minutes in her shop, Flor bowed her head and asked Jesus into her heart. Afterwards she took one of our tracts out of her desk and said, “I have printed thousands of these tracts and read them more than ten times and never understood what the verses meant. Thank you for explaining it to me.” Since that day, every time I walk into her shop and ask her how she is doing, she answers, “Always and forever good!”
Thank you for the difference you are making here in Lima. Thank you for allowing us to represent you here in Peru.
Your ambassadors to Perú,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
“It is May 10, and I haven’t written the prayer letter yet!!!” This outburst just occurred a second ago here in our living room. Okay, maybe I was a bit over-dramatic. Maybe I have said something similar to this to my wife over the last ten days. It’s been a little hectic, but busy is good. God has given us a lot of blessings to share. “. . . wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” (Luke 2:49)
April was an incredibly busy month, especially leading into the first of May. I know I should technically wait till next month, but of course the biggest news is the planting of our third church. For many months, many of you have seen my heart for the area of San Genaro and have joined me in prayer for the opportunity to start a church in this area. On April 11 this dream became a reality, as God led us to an ideal building, and we signed the contract on April 15. This is a huge answer to prayer. Since securing the building, God has given me a great team of eleven of our church people to help me in this new work. It has been a great encouragement to me to work side by side with these men, women, and teenagers and watch them grow and serve.
May 4 was the date we set for the launching of our church. For several reasons we chose to make our church plant a different type of pattern. Our main service is on Saturday night, and our midweek service is on Tuesday night. This gives the people we reach the opportunity to attend services in our main church, as well as allows Jessica and me to maintain our involvement in Villa Marina.
May 4 came, and what a day it was. That morning we went up the hill with our team and all of the teenagers of our church and blanketed the marketplace with tracts, inviting people to our service. Church time came, and God blessed in an amazing way. We had 38 in our first service, with 4 people saved! To God be the glory! There are too many blessings to count from that first service. We had several visitors attend, as well as some families I have been working on for a while. Please continue to pray for the future growth of our young church. We have a bright future and whole lot of work to do.
God opened another door for us in April that we have been praying about for a long time. Our fourth church plant will be in the neighboring district of Surco where we already have a base of people coming to our church. This church will be under the direction of Ezequiel Martinez. Zeke currently has a Bible study here averaging over 20 each week. The exact same week I signed on our San Genaro property, God gave Zeke a great local for his church. Please pray for this work and for the Martinez family, as they will have their first church service on May 19.
In addition to all the newness, God has continued to bless our main church in Villa Marina. Our attendance has steadily increased over the last month as we have averaged 132 in our Sunday services, with our highest Sunday night attendance of 150. With all of our Bible studies and our San Gabriel church plant, we are averaging over 240 different people attending at least one of our services each week! God is amazing! Thank you for making all this possible. In the month of April, God allowed us to see a total of 182 souls saved through our ministry here. Thank you for the privilege of adding fruit to your account.
There is one story that I must tell. Since December, I have done a great deal of print and design work with a lady named Flor, who owns a print business here in Chorrillos. I have developed a great relationship with her and her employees, and she has done a great job for us. One day I walked in to get some work done, and, like always, she asked me how I was doing. Jokingly I said, “Busy, tired, but always good.” She laughed and said, “You know, you always say that. No matter what, you are always good and always happy.” I quickly realized God was giving me an opportunity that I had prayed for. I began to explain to Flor what makes the difference in my life. After several minutes in her shop, Flor bowed her head and asked Jesus into her heart. Afterwards she took one of our tracts out of her desk and said, “I have printed thousands of these tracts and read them more than ten times and never understood what the verses meant. Thank you for explaining it to me.” Since that day, every time I walk into her shop and ask her how she is doing, she answers, “Always and forever good!”
Thank you for the difference you are making here in Lima. Thank you for allowing us to represent you here in Peru.
Your ambassadors to Perú,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Monday, May 6, 2013
March/ April Prayer Letter from the Rader Family
Dear praying friends,
March and April have been by far our busiest months. One of our new responsibilities we spoke of in our last letter was taking over the construction on our new church property. Many projects are still but what we have built that is in use at this point are two new bathrooms (built from the ground up), a new junior church, a new nursery, and an all purpose room. Many other restoration projects were done to the property as well. I thank God for a loving, supporting wife that has endured her husband being away from home for many 16 + hour work days. The Lord has enabled us greatly to accomplish this work. Since arriving in Peru, I have learned welding, drywall, wood and steel framing, electrical, plumbing, foundation work, masonry, and more. I had to learn this not as an employee, but as the on-site foreman. Most of our workers are our church members. We have had a few work days with more than 30 church members arriving throughout the day to work. We had work for all of them, and all of them worked hard. These are incredible people here that love their God and love their church.Many of our work days have ended in a spontaneous Bible study prompted by a Bible question. I could barely convey my point, but they are patient listeners hungry for the Word of God.
In spite of the fact that the construction work has consumed most of my time, and the time I wished to devote to learning the language, my soul winning here has improved. One day while my wife was leading two children to the Lord, a teenage boy came around the corner. He listened politely to the presentation of the Gospel but he did not think he could be saved because he was a thief. After reading James 2:10, I John 1:7, and speaking of the thief on the cross, he changed his mind and was sweetly
saved. Another man, named Silver, with a mangled arm listened patiently as I took a long time to present the Gospel. Silver now has a new arm waiting in Glory. Praise God! Sarah, of course, is on a roll with soul winning. Both of us have had visitors to church and Sarah had a convert get baptized.
The construction responsibilities have been our pleasure to fulfill. In so doing we have enabled our teammates to concentrate their efforts to move forward with both churches, now soon to be 4 churches. Our team has just secured properties in Surco and San Genaro. These 2 churches will start in just a few weeks. Concerning our existing churches, attendances are up, souls saved are up, and baptisms are up. Amen!
Please keep all of our team uplifted in prayer. We are asking prayer specifically for our permanent residency cards. Since our arrival here, the government of Peru has made the process of obtaining these more time consuming. Due to the limits of our temporary visas, it looks as if we may have to leave the country and re-enter. Of course, whatever the Lord allows is perfect, and our trust is in Him. We welcome your prayers concerning this matter.
We have had phone difficulties since we arrived. For now, our dependable form of communication is email. Our emails, rader.teamperu@gmail.com and markrader@fbmi.org, are checked every day. If you call our number (219)588-0003 we will not be able to answer, but the voicemail will be emailed to us. Also, our field address is on the 2nd page of this letter.
We can’t thank you enough for your help and encouragement. We had a great time celebrating Paul’s first birthday and Sarah’s first “age-classified” birthday. Please continue to pray for us. We live in sight of the evidence of your prayers. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. God bless you.
In Christ,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, & Paul Rader
Our field address:
Mark & Sarah Rader
Calle Don Francisco 448 Depto 401
Urbanizacion Santa Rosa
Rosa de Surco, Santiago de Surco
Lima, 33 Peru
Our stateside address:
Mark & Sarah Rader
7812 Birch Drive
Hammond, IN 46324
March and April have been by far our busiest months. One of our new responsibilities we spoke of in our last letter was taking over the construction on our new church property. Many projects are still but what we have built that is in use at this point are two new bathrooms (built from the ground up), a new junior church, a new nursery, and an all purpose room. Many other restoration projects were done to the property as well. I thank God for a loving, supporting wife that has endured her husband being away from home for many 16 + hour work days. The Lord has enabled us greatly to accomplish this work. Since arriving in Peru, I have learned welding, drywall, wood and steel framing, electrical, plumbing, foundation work, masonry, and more. I had to learn this not as an employee, but as the on-site foreman. Most of our workers are our church members. We have had a few work days with more than 30 church members arriving throughout the day to work. We had work for all of them, and all of them worked hard. These are incredible people here that love their God and love their church.Many of our work days have ended in a spontaneous Bible study prompted by a Bible question. I could barely convey my point, but they are patient listeners hungry for the Word of God.
In spite of the fact that the construction work has consumed most of my time, and the time I wished to devote to learning the language, my soul winning here has improved. One day while my wife was leading two children to the Lord, a teenage boy came around the corner. He listened politely to the presentation of the Gospel but he did not think he could be saved because he was a thief. After reading James 2:10, I John 1:7, and speaking of the thief on the cross, he changed his mind and was sweetly
saved. Another man, named Silver, with a mangled arm listened patiently as I took a long time to present the Gospel. Silver now has a new arm waiting in Glory. Praise God! Sarah, of course, is on a roll with soul winning. Both of us have had visitors to church and Sarah had a convert get baptized.
The construction responsibilities have been our pleasure to fulfill. In so doing we have enabled our teammates to concentrate their efforts to move forward with both churches, now soon to be 4 churches. Our team has just secured properties in Surco and San Genaro. These 2 churches will start in just a few weeks. Concerning our existing churches, attendances are up, souls saved are up, and baptisms are up. Amen!
Please keep all of our team uplifted in prayer. We are asking prayer specifically for our permanent residency cards. Since our arrival here, the government of Peru has made the process of obtaining these more time consuming. Due to the limits of our temporary visas, it looks as if we may have to leave the country and re-enter. Of course, whatever the Lord allows is perfect, and our trust is in Him. We welcome your prayers concerning this matter.
We have had phone difficulties since we arrived. For now, our dependable form of communication is email. Our emails, rader.teamperu@gmail.com and markrader@fbmi.org, are checked every day. If you call our number (219)588-0003 we will not be able to answer, but the voicemail will be emailed to us. Also, our field address is on the 2nd page of this letter.
We can’t thank you enough for your help and encouragement. We had a great time celebrating Paul’s first birthday and Sarah’s first “age-classified” birthday. Please continue to pray for us. We live in sight of the evidence of your prayers. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. God bless you.
In Christ,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, & Paul Rader
Our field address:
Mark & Sarah Rader
Calle Don Francisco 448 Depto 401
Urbanizacion Santa Rosa
Rosa de Surco, Santiago de Surco
Lima, 33 Peru
Our stateside address:
Mark & Sarah Rader
7812 Birch Drive
Hammond, IN 46324
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