Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
April Prayer Letter from the Kokubuns
Dear Friends,
We brought in April while being at a missions conference in Frankfort Indiana, with Pastor Flynn. We had a great time getting to know the people in his church. The other missionary at this conference just happened to be Bro. Bob Bowen. We soaked in the time we got to spend with these two Godly men, and enjoyed being able to get practical missionary advice from Bro. Bowen. Soul-winning with their spanish teenagers one Saturday, the very first young man my wife talked to accepted Christ as his Savior.
In Oklahoma, we were able to attend a missions conference at my wife's home church. While we were there, we got a phone call from across town, asking us if we would be able to come and share our ministry there. The Lord worked our schedule out just perfectly, and we were able to meet the wonderful people at Harmony Baptist Church. We are looking forward to going back on June 10th!
We enjoyed working in my home churches’ ladies conference. My wife played the piano in the Spanish ladies conference, and I helped with the Junior girl's conference. On Sunday night, I had the privilege of preaching at my home church. The Holy Spirit did an amazing work that night: the altars were flooded with people, and one young person was called to be a missionary. It was awesome to see God move in the midst of us.
In May, we will have a month of meetings with our Team in Hammond, Indiana. Many of the men on the team will be ordained on May 16th! We will be planning daily throughout the month for the launch of Team Peru! Our first family, the Fousts, will fly out on May 29th. Other families will follow in segments of 2 weeks. Please pray for several of our team families as they head down to Lima, and us as we look to purchase our plane tickets for July 2nd.
Thank you to each church and person who faithfully gives so we might bring the Gospel to Lima, Peru. We could not do without your prayers and support. We keep you in our prayers and you have a special place in our hearts.
Serving Him,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
We brought in April while being at a missions conference in Frankfort Indiana, with Pastor Flynn. We had a great time getting to know the people in his church. The other missionary at this conference just happened to be Bro. Bob Bowen. We soaked in the time we got to spend with these two Godly men, and enjoyed being able to get practical missionary advice from Bro. Bowen. Soul-winning with their spanish teenagers one Saturday, the very first young man my wife talked to accepted Christ as his Savior.
In Oklahoma, we were able to attend a missions conference at my wife's home church. While we were there, we got a phone call from across town, asking us if we would be able to come and share our ministry there. The Lord worked our schedule out just perfectly, and we were able to meet the wonderful people at Harmony Baptist Church. We are looking forward to going back on June 10th!
We enjoyed working in my home churches’ ladies conference. My wife played the piano in the Spanish ladies conference, and I helped with the Junior girl's conference. On Sunday night, I had the privilege of preaching at my home church. The Holy Spirit did an amazing work that night: the altars were flooded with people, and one young person was called to be a missionary. It was awesome to see God move in the midst of us.
In May, we will have a month of meetings with our Team in Hammond, Indiana. Many of the men on the team will be ordained on May 16th! We will be planning daily throughout the month for the launch of Team Peru! Our first family, the Fousts, will fly out on May 29th. Other families will follow in segments of 2 weeks. Please pray for several of our team families as they head down to Lima, and us as we look to purchase our plane tickets for July 2nd.
Thank you to each church and person who faithfully gives so we might bring the Gospel to Lima, Peru. We could not do without your prayers and support. We keep you in our prayers and you have a special place in our hearts.
Serving Him,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Friday, May 11, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
April Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
May 1, 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
Our journey is now complete! I do not know if sweeter words have ever been spoken! After surrendering to God’s will for our lives, we set out on 16 months of deputation. What a life-changing chapter of our life! God has allowed us to travel through 47 states and share our burden and calling in 118 different churches. We have seen some of the most beautiful country, attended some of the greatest churches, and met some of the most amazing people. Without a doubt, God has used deputation to teach us, challenge us, and change our lives in the most incredible way. I am so thankful for the last 16 months. However, I am much more excited to begin this new chapter of our life in missions.
April was definitely a high note on which to complete our deputation travels. Not only were we able to be in some wonderful churches, but I was finally able to do something I have been waiting to do for a very long time. Two weeks ago, I purchased one-way plane tickets to Lima! What an adrenaline rush! After thousands of miles, hours of phone calls, a lot of hard work, and a ton of anticipation, we were finally able to put a date to the work God has called us to. Thank you to many of you who have been praying about this. I was able to get an incredible deal on airfare! We will be traveling with one of our fellow team members up to Canada and will be flying out of Toronto (feel free to insert Canadien jokes here)! Believe it or not, by doing this, we will be saving $800. God is so good! We will be flying out June 19. Counting down the days is a great feeling!
We have been so incredibly busy this month. April was a “kick it in gear” month. We spent a lot of the month preparing all of our legal documents to apply for our Peruvian visas. What a process! We had to acquire and authenticate multiple copies of both of our birth certificates, our marriage license, and all of our high school and college diplomas and transcripts. Getting this done will make May a lot easier and put us well ahead of where we need to be when we arrive in Peru. Between all this craziness, we have been busy packing up our belongings to be shipped and shopping for apartments, and we still traveled! We were able to be in four churches in Michigan, Ohio, and Arkansas. Each meeting was a special blessing to us. I am so thankful for God’s people and for His mercy and provision in all He allowed us to accomplish this month.
Looking back over our deputation, I am constantly aware of God’s hand in every aspect of our life. Just to see the way God has protected and provided for us is so humbling. As I hear of so many families striving to get to their field, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the people God has put in our path. I am especially grateful for the new churches that partnered with us in April: Community Baptist Church in Michigan, Grace Baptist Church in North Carolina, and Gospel Light Baptist Church in Arkansas. We are at 95% of our support, and I am confident that God will supply the remainder of the support we need before our departure.
Each and every one of you have a part in our ministry. Whether you support us through your prayers, giving, or both, you make everything we do possible. Day by day, God reminds me that nothing we do is done by our own strength. Please know that your prayers are not in vain; but in everything God does through us, from the nine people we saw trust Christ in April to every church that is planted in Peru, you have a part.
May will continue to be a busy month for us as we get our container loaded and spend the entire month doing some intense training and planning for the launch of our ministry in Peru. We will be posting updates regularly and cannot wait to see what God has in store for us. God bless you!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Friday, May 4, 2012
May Prayer Letter from the Foust Family
May 2, 2012
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
As I write this letter, our countdown timer shows that we leave for Peru in 28 days. What a miracle to see how God’s people have rallied to make this possible. We began full-time deputation not quite a year ago when the school year where I was teaching at City Baptist Schools ended. We hit the road wondering what God had in store for us. We have been truly blessed.
As we traveled the country, we met many friends of years who are doing a great work in their Jerusalem. We got to be involved in teen soul winning, bus calling, bus routes, visitation, ordinations, teen activities, Junior Church, main-street soul winning, train-station soul winning, preaching, Spanish ministries, Sunday schools, and much more. We are truly thankful for every opportunity to serve and influence. We loved meeting every child who wants to be a missionary when they grow up and every
adult who would love to go but is faithfully getting the job done that God has for them where they are. What a blessing to see hearts so tender towards God.
I wish all of you could experience deputation. I wish you could be in all of the great churches we’ve seen who are getting the job done for the Lord.
As we prepare now for Peru, I would ask that you please be in prayer for God’s moving. Many of you remember Clara, the lady who wants us to start a church in her home. Pray that God will use this as an open door for a great work. On our last visit, we met a man who trains all of the police and military officials in Lima. He would like to introduce me to the commandants and generals of the training center so I can speak to all of the graduates of the military and police academies. On our last trip, we saw
many properties, and God is opening doors. Please pray that God would continue to lead so clearly.
As a huge blessing, City Baptist Schools of Hammond, Indiana, where I taught for 15 years, had a walk-a-thon and raised over $4000. How surprised we were to find that money was going for our plane tickets. Because we were able to send articles on a container, this amount completely covered our airfare. Thank you, kids, for your hard work! We love you and miss you daily.
Lord willing, our next letter will be coming to you from Lima, Peru. Please pray for the mind of Christ as we make many decisions quickly: housing, furniture, appliances, church property, vehicles, and wonders God has in store that we know not of.
His for souls,
Zach, Karin, Zachary, Caleb, and Logan Foust
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
As I write this letter, our countdown timer shows that we leave for Peru in 28 days. What a miracle to see how God’s people have rallied to make this possible. We began full-time deputation not quite a year ago when the school year where I was teaching at City Baptist Schools ended. We hit the road wondering what God had in store for us. We have been truly blessed.
As we traveled the country, we met many friends of years who are doing a great work in their Jerusalem. We got to be involved in teen soul winning, bus calling, bus routes, visitation, ordinations, teen activities, Junior Church, main-street soul winning, train-station soul winning, preaching, Spanish ministries, Sunday schools, and much more. We are truly thankful for every opportunity to serve and influence. We loved meeting every child who wants to be a missionary when they grow up and every
adult who would love to go but is faithfully getting the job done that God has for them where they are. What a blessing to see hearts so tender towards God.
I wish all of you could experience deputation. I wish you could be in all of the great churches we’ve seen who are getting the job done for the Lord.
As we prepare now for Peru, I would ask that you please be in prayer for God’s moving. Many of you remember Clara, the lady who wants us to start a church in her home. Pray that God will use this as an open door for a great work. On our last visit, we met a man who trains all of the police and military officials in Lima. He would like to introduce me to the commandants and generals of the training center so I can speak to all of the graduates of the military and police academies. On our last trip, we saw
many properties, and God is opening doors. Please pray that God would continue to lead so clearly.
As a huge blessing, City Baptist Schools of Hammond, Indiana, where I taught for 15 years, had a walk-a-thon and raised over $4000. How surprised we were to find that money was going for our plane tickets. Because we were able to send articles on a container, this amount completely covered our airfare. Thank you, kids, for your hard work! We love you and miss you daily.
Lord willing, our next letter will be coming to you from Lima, Peru. Please pray for the mind of Christ as we make many decisions quickly: housing, furniture, appliances, church property, vehicles, and wonders God has in store that we know not of.
His for souls,
Zach, Karin, Zachary, Caleb, and Logan Foust
Friday, April 27, 2012
March and April Prayer Letter from the Szabatins
March/April 2012
Dear Pastor and Praying Friends,
Since we have been back, we have had much happen in our lives. In March we went to Connecticut to have the opportunity to meet
Fred Bambico’s parents. Fred and Danica-Lee had been getting more serious. They had told each other they loved each other, and
they we wanted to use Spring Break as an opportunity for the two families to get to know each other.
During the course of the week, Fred asked for my permission for Danica-Lee’s hand in marriage. So 23 years to the day that I
proposed to her mother, Fred proposed to Danica-Lee in his parent’s backyard. He had a beautiful white gold, diamond encrusted ring with a solitaire setting. Andrea’s sister Faith Ann, my brother in-law Wes, and our niece Dyanna were there to witness the happy occasion.
We headed out to Jeannette, Pennsylvania, and visited with one of our supporting churches, Heritage Baptist Church. They are always very good to us. I taught the Adult Sunday School Class. During the main service, a teenager by the name of Randy came forward for salvation, and I had the honor of leading him to the Lord. In between services, Andrea asked me to come into Josiah’s room. He was in tears. He said that for so many years he had felt like a liar because at service time he always raised his hand during the altar call when the preacher asked if everyone was a 100% sure they were saved. We thought he had gotten saved at the age of six, but it had just been a prayer to him. Then as he became a pastor’s kid and then a missionary’s kid, he felt ashamed and kept up appearances. But at the Youth Rally at Northeast Baptist Church on March 16, he could not stand the guilt anymore. He said he felt like his head was going to explode. He went to the men’s room and asked for salvation, asking Jesus to become his Saviour. I am so glad you can have an altar anywhere. I was so proud of him.
That night I preached “What Kind of Man Are You?” and many decisions were made. Heritage voted to increase our support, and they were so kind to us. We stayed at the Bjunes’ home while we were there, and if you have never met them, you are missing out!
We went next to Bible Baptist Church in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. We had been introduced to Pastor Patterson through DL. Kimmy, one of her good friends, had invited DL to her home during the Christmas break, and from that we had been given an invitation to come and present our ministry in Peru. I taught the Adult Sunday School and in the main service. They had a morning attendance of around 105 people. This was amazing! Just two years earlier, they had 9 people, and they had been without a pastor for three years before Pastor Patterson came. During the altar call, one of the young men who had been raised in the church came forward for salvation. He said he had questioned his salvation for many years and wanted to put it to rest. In the evening I preached again, and there were 53 in the service. During the altar call, many of the young men came forward and made decisions for Christ. We had a great time there and made many good friends. Last week Pastor Patterson called and told us they had voted to
take us on for support.
This past Sunday was a big day for us. Josiah had spoken with Pastor Schaap and told him he had gotten his salvation settled and wanted to be baptized. Pastor Schaap told Josiah how proud he was of him. So on Sunday night Pastor Schaap baptized him. During that same altar call, Fred and Danica-Lee came forward to publically dedicate their engagement to the Lord. As parents we were
so proud of both our children, and we felt like we were floating on Cloud 9!
For the rest of this month, we will be staying around Northwest Indiana. I have some projects I am getting ready for the team, and then in May the team will be having meetings as we plan out our team launch that begins in June. The Foust family will be the first family departing for Peru at the end of May. Please keep them in your prayers. We know what it is like to leave your home for another continent, and it can be scary and exciting at the same time.
We want to thank you for your continued prayers, support, and love. With the upcoming team launch in June and the upcoming wedding in December, there is much to get done, and I could sure use a couple more hours added to each day.
Our prayer requests are as follows:
Some have asked how they can be of assistance to us. We are scheduled to head back to Peru around the 17th of July and we need to procure tickets. They will cost around $2000 for the three of us and any assistance you can give would be greatly appreciated.
We have personal possessions in Alberta we would like to get so we can send them to Peru in the container. Please pray that we can either go to get them or somehow they are sent to us here in NWI.
Thank-you again for all that you do on our behalf,
Paul, Andrea, & Josiah Szabatin
Ezra 8:21-23
Dear Pastor and Praying Friends,
Since we have been back, we have had much happen in our lives. In March we went to Connecticut to have the opportunity to meet
Fred Bambico’s parents. Fred and Danica-Lee had been getting more serious. They had told each other they loved each other, and
they we wanted to use Spring Break as an opportunity for the two families to get to know each other.
During the course of the week, Fred asked for my permission for Danica-Lee’s hand in marriage. So 23 years to the day that I
proposed to her mother, Fred proposed to Danica-Lee in his parent’s backyard. He had a beautiful white gold, diamond encrusted ring with a solitaire setting. Andrea’s sister Faith Ann, my brother in-law Wes, and our niece Dyanna were there to witness the happy occasion.
We headed out to Jeannette, Pennsylvania, and visited with one of our supporting churches, Heritage Baptist Church. They are always very good to us. I taught the Adult Sunday School Class. During the main service, a teenager by the name of Randy came forward for salvation, and I had the honor of leading him to the Lord. In between services, Andrea asked me to come into Josiah’s room. He was in tears. He said that for so many years he had felt like a liar because at service time he always raised his hand during the altar call when the preacher asked if everyone was a 100% sure they were saved. We thought he had gotten saved at the age of six, but it had just been a prayer to him. Then as he became a pastor’s kid and then a missionary’s kid, he felt ashamed and kept up appearances. But at the Youth Rally at Northeast Baptist Church on March 16, he could not stand the guilt anymore. He said he felt like his head was going to explode. He went to the men’s room and asked for salvation, asking Jesus to become his Saviour. I am so glad you can have an altar anywhere. I was so proud of him.
That night I preached “What Kind of Man Are You?” and many decisions were made. Heritage voted to increase our support, and they were so kind to us. We stayed at the Bjunes’ home while we were there, and if you have never met them, you are missing out!
We went next to Bible Baptist Church in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. We had been introduced to Pastor Patterson through DL. Kimmy, one of her good friends, had invited DL to her home during the Christmas break, and from that we had been given an invitation to come and present our ministry in Peru. I taught the Adult Sunday School and in the main service. They had a morning attendance of around 105 people. This was amazing! Just two years earlier, they had 9 people, and they had been without a pastor for three years before Pastor Patterson came. During the altar call, one of the young men who had been raised in the church came forward for salvation. He said he had questioned his salvation for many years and wanted to put it to rest. In the evening I preached again, and there were 53 in the service. During the altar call, many of the young men came forward and made decisions for Christ. We had a great time there and made many good friends. Last week Pastor Patterson called and told us they had voted to
take us on for support.
This past Sunday was a big day for us. Josiah had spoken with Pastor Schaap and told him he had gotten his salvation settled and wanted to be baptized. Pastor Schaap told Josiah how proud he was of him. So on Sunday night Pastor Schaap baptized him. During that same altar call, Fred and Danica-Lee came forward to publically dedicate their engagement to the Lord. As parents we were
so proud of both our children, and we felt like we were floating on Cloud 9!
For the rest of this month, we will be staying around Northwest Indiana. I have some projects I am getting ready for the team, and then in May the team will be having meetings as we plan out our team launch that begins in June. The Foust family will be the first family departing for Peru at the end of May. Please keep them in your prayers. We know what it is like to leave your home for another continent, and it can be scary and exciting at the same time.
We want to thank you for your continued prayers, support, and love. With the upcoming team launch in June and the upcoming wedding in December, there is much to get done, and I could sure use a couple more hours added to each day.
Our prayer requests are as follows:
Some have asked how they can be of assistance to us. We are scheduled to head back to Peru around the 17th of July and we need to procure tickets. They will cost around $2000 for the three of us and any assistance you can give would be greatly appreciated.
We have personal possessions in Alberta we would like to get so we can send them to Peru in the container. Please pray that we can either go to get them or somehow they are sent to us here in NWI.
Thank-you again for all that you do on our behalf,
Paul, Andrea, & Josiah Szabatin
Ezra 8:21-23
Thursday, April 26, 2012
March and April Prayer Letter for the Hubbard Family
March-April 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
Just one more house, I thought, while Junior Martin and I were out knocking on doors. As we approached the last door, I really wondered if we would get to see someone saved. Praise the Lord! The last door we knocked on, we got to win a teenaged young lady to Christ. Is that not how the Christian life is sometimes? How often we give up too soon. Jesus told us to ask, seek, and knock to which we would receive, find, and have opened unto us. That has been our deputation experience. It is rapidly coming to a close. We have asked for many to participate with us. We have sought His will. We have knocked on the door of moving to Peru. Many have decided to partner with us; His will is laid out before us. We have knocked on the door and are now standing at the threshold, ready to walk through.
It has been a flurry of activity for the Hubbard family since I arrived home from my last trip to Peru. We have been busy with doctor appointments, packing belongings, and itemizing those things to be shipped in our container. We’ve been blessed with an early spring in Indiana, which facilitated packing so much. We are roughly nine weeks away from launching the team and moving our family to Peru. What exciting days these are!
In addition to caring for details for our family, I am “full-throttle” in preparations for the month of May. We have set aside
the entire month to meet all together as a team for the first time. It will be a month of preparing heart, mind, and soul for
the task ahead of us. We will spend much time working out every detail of our plan once we arrive in Peru. We will need to get documents legalized to process our residence status in Peru, and we will load our container with our belongings. It will be a busy month but one to which I’m really looking forward.
I just finished my annual checkup at Mayo Clinic to monitor my cancer. The reports were good overall. My heart is fully healed from damage caused by the cancer prior to my third surgery, and there are no new developments. The largest of remaining lesions has grown slightly, so I received a bone- strengthening therapy to help my vertebrae withstand the cancer a little better. Many of our supporting churches have expressed their love and prayers. I appreciate so much the prayers of God’s people on my behalf.
Some have asked what is needed for the Hubbard family to actually get to Peru. We are looking at a need of about $5,000 for our airfare alone for the six of us to travel. Since the price of oil has surged, traveling to Peru has become quite expensive. We are so grateful to everyone who has invested in our ministry thus far. We are on the threshold of realizing much with that with which you’ve entrusted to us. Please pray with us about this need.
We count it a privilege to be your representatives to the people of Lima and all of South America. We enjoy keeping in touch via e-mail, mail, and Facebook. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers.
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
Dear Praying Friends,
Just one more house, I thought, while Junior Martin and I were out knocking on doors. As we approached the last door, I really wondered if we would get to see someone saved. Praise the Lord! The last door we knocked on, we got to win a teenaged young lady to Christ. Is that not how the Christian life is sometimes? How often we give up too soon. Jesus told us to ask, seek, and knock to which we would receive, find, and have opened unto us. That has been our deputation experience. It is rapidly coming to a close. We have asked for many to participate with us. We have sought His will. We have knocked on the door of moving to Peru. Many have decided to partner with us; His will is laid out before us. We have knocked on the door and are now standing at the threshold, ready to walk through.
It has been a flurry of activity for the Hubbard family since I arrived home from my last trip to Peru. We have been busy with doctor appointments, packing belongings, and itemizing those things to be shipped in our container. We’ve been blessed with an early spring in Indiana, which facilitated packing so much. We are roughly nine weeks away from launching the team and moving our family to Peru. What exciting days these are!
In addition to caring for details for our family, I am “full-throttle” in preparations for the month of May. We have set aside
the entire month to meet all together as a team for the first time. It will be a month of preparing heart, mind, and soul for
the task ahead of us. We will spend much time working out every detail of our plan once we arrive in Peru. We will need to get documents legalized to process our residence status in Peru, and we will load our container with our belongings. It will be a busy month but one to which I’m really looking forward.
I just finished my annual checkup at Mayo Clinic to monitor my cancer. The reports were good overall. My heart is fully healed from damage caused by the cancer prior to my third surgery, and there are no new developments. The largest of remaining lesions has grown slightly, so I received a bone- strengthening therapy to help my vertebrae withstand the cancer a little better. Many of our supporting churches have expressed their love and prayers. I appreciate so much the prayers of God’s people on my behalf.
Some have asked what is needed for the Hubbard family to actually get to Peru. We are looking at a need of about $5,000 for our airfare alone for the six of us to travel. Since the price of oil has surged, traveling to Peru has become quite expensive. We are so grateful to everyone who has invested in our ministry thus far. We are on the threshold of realizing much with that with which you’ve entrusted to us. Please pray with us about this need.
We count it a privilege to be your representatives to the people of Lima and all of South America. We enjoy keeping in touch via e-mail, mail, and Facebook. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers.
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
Thursday, April 19, 2012
February and March Prayer Letter for the Rader family
Dear Praying Friends,
HE’S HERE! Paul Anthony Rader arrived March 13th, 2012, at 12:01p.m. He weighed in at 9lbs.2oz. He and his triumphant mother are doing very well. Savannah and Daddy could not be more proud of them. To make time for baby Paul’s arrival we had to reschedule a few weeks worth of meetings. In spite of all this in the past two months we still had 12 meetings in five different states. In addition to this we have re-visited 10 churches while tending to mother and baby. One great blessing while re-visiting
these churches was to see how people remembered what we taught on our previous visit. Carlos, a junior-age boy in Douglasville, GA, remembered four illustrations seven months later. April, a lady from Nebo, NC, came up to me and with a smile said, “Macedonia” in reference to a lesson taught six months earlier. What an encouragement!
Just days before Paul was born I had the privilege to visit a man that I had led to Christ last April. He immediately invited me in to pray for Joan, his wife, and her health. After we prayed I began to witness to Joan. After witnessing for about thirty minutes, Joan had a bad seizure which even prevented her from breathing at intervals. We waited there for about half an hour more until she was able to converse again. I said to Joan, “I do want to continue our conversation but I can come back another time
if you would like for us to leave now.” She answered, “No, I’m okay, I want to continue.” Moments later Joan trusted Christ as her only hope for eternity. Praise God!
What a thrill it has been for us to see God rise to meet each and every need that has come our way. There’s been new grace at every mile-marker. For example, our van was overheating on our way to church one Sunday evening. At church that same evening we met a mechanic named Ivan. Ivan told us to bring our van by the shop. Without a charge, he fixed our radiator, put on two new tires, and balanced and rotated the tires. What a great and awesome God we serve!
We cannot thank you enough for all your prayers. We are certainly seeing them answered day by day. As of April 1st, we have now been on full-time deputation for one year. After being in over 100 churches, we currently have about 30% of the monthly support we need to raise. Please pray that we can get to Peru with the good news in time. We thank the Lord for His kindness and His love shown through you by love, support, and prayers. Please continue to pray for God to show His greatness and protection to us on our deputation trail and in Peru. God bless you.
His For Souls,
Mark, Sarah,
Savannah, and Paul Rader
HE’S HERE! Paul Anthony Rader arrived March 13th, 2012, at 12:01p.m. He weighed in at 9lbs.2oz. He and his triumphant mother are doing very well. Savannah and Daddy could not be more proud of them. To make time for baby Paul’s arrival we had to reschedule a few weeks worth of meetings. In spite of all this in the past two months we still had 12 meetings in five different states. In addition to this we have re-visited 10 churches while tending to mother and baby. One great blessing while re-visiting
these churches was to see how people remembered what we taught on our previous visit. Carlos, a junior-age boy in Douglasville, GA, remembered four illustrations seven months later. April, a lady from Nebo, NC, came up to me and with a smile said, “Macedonia” in reference to a lesson taught six months earlier. What an encouragement!
Just days before Paul was born I had the privilege to visit a man that I had led to Christ last April. He immediately invited me in to pray for Joan, his wife, and her health. After we prayed I began to witness to Joan. After witnessing for about thirty minutes, Joan had a bad seizure which even prevented her from breathing at intervals. We waited there for about half an hour more until she was able to converse again. I said to Joan, “I do want to continue our conversation but I can come back another time
if you would like for us to leave now.” She answered, “No, I’m okay, I want to continue.” Moments later Joan trusted Christ as her only hope for eternity. Praise God!
What a thrill it has been for us to see God rise to meet each and every need that has come our way. There’s been new grace at every mile-marker. For example, our van was overheating on our way to church one Sunday evening. At church that same evening we met a mechanic named Ivan. Ivan told us to bring our van by the shop. Without a charge, he fixed our radiator, put on two new tires, and balanced and rotated the tires. What a great and awesome God we serve!
We cannot thank you enough for all your prayers. We are certainly seeing them answered day by day. As of April 1st, we have now been on full-time deputation for one year. After being in over 100 churches, we currently have about 30% of the monthly support we need to raise. Please pray that we can get to Peru with the good news in time. We thank the Lord for His kindness and His love shown through you by love, support, and prayers. Please continue to pray for God to show His greatness and protection to us on our deputation trail and in Peru. God bless you.
His For Souls,
Mark, Sarah,
Savannah, and Paul Rader
Monday, April 16, 2012
April Prayer Letter from the Foust Family
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
God is so good! We have just finished our last official meeting of deputation. We have spent the last two months traveling, presenting the work to Peru, soul winning, preaching, attending missions conferences, eating, and eating some more! We are very thankful to our heavenly Father for His watch care over us throughout all of our deputation travels. So far, our van has continued to hold up well despite the many miles we have put on it. Thankfully, we have all remained in good health, as well.
One of our meetings was in North Carolina with good friends Brian and Melissa Odham. After finishing canvassing for their church, we had just a few minutes left but didn’t want to go back early. Our son Logan, who is eight years old, and a boy from the church named Ronny, who was 10 years old, wanted to knock on the doors of houses in a cul-de-sac by themselves. While they were knocking on the doors, I saw a young man in a nice vehicle pull up to a nice house and decided to invite him to church.
He mentioned that he attended a Lutheran church faithfully, and it was like his second family. I asked him if he were sure he was going to Heaven, if he was saved, if he was born again. He said that he went to high school with a friend who is now a Baptist preacher, and all through high school his friend would ask him if he knew Jesus as his personal Saviour; but he wasn’t sure what that meant. I asked if he would like to know, and he excitedly said, “Yes!” A short time later, he gladly trusted Christ. He was so excited that he kept thanking me and had me post the picture on the internet. What a miracle to see your prayers opening hearts and doors before we arrive.
Please be in prayer for us as we wrap up our last couple of months in the States. We are planning to fly out on May 30 to begin our life’s work in Lima, Peru. This will be the first time the boys see Peru, so pray for their hearts to be ready. We will be looking at several places to live, vehicles, and making new connections. Through your prayers, God has worked and led amazingly so far, and we want to see this continue. Thank you for your sacrifice and faithfulness, which allow us to take His Gospel to
this country as we travel, to Lima as we start this work, and to the world as He continues to do great things. Please pray for the churches that have committed support to begin and remain faithful. There are churches still deciding about whether to join in support. Please pray, as this would help us near full support.
His for souls,
Zach, Karin, Zachary, Caleb, and Logan Foust
God is so good! We have just finished our last official meeting of deputation. We have spent the last two months traveling, presenting the work to Peru, soul winning, preaching, attending missions conferences, eating, and eating some more! We are very thankful to our heavenly Father for His watch care over us throughout all of our deputation travels. So far, our van has continued to hold up well despite the many miles we have put on it. Thankfully, we have all remained in good health, as well.
One of our meetings was in North Carolina with good friends Brian and Melissa Odham. After finishing canvassing for their church, we had just a few minutes left but didn’t want to go back early. Our son Logan, who is eight years old, and a boy from the church named Ronny, who was 10 years old, wanted to knock on the doors of houses in a cul-de-sac by themselves. While they were knocking on the doors, I saw a young man in a nice vehicle pull up to a nice house and decided to invite him to church.
He mentioned that he attended a Lutheran church faithfully, and it was like his second family. I asked him if he were sure he was going to Heaven, if he was saved, if he was born again. He said that he went to high school with a friend who is now a Baptist preacher, and all through high school his friend would ask him if he knew Jesus as his personal Saviour; but he wasn’t sure what that meant. I asked if he would like to know, and he excitedly said, “Yes!” A short time later, he gladly trusted Christ. He was so excited that he kept thanking me and had me post the picture on the internet. What a miracle to see your prayers opening hearts and doors before we arrive.
Please be in prayer for us as we wrap up our last couple of months in the States. We are planning to fly out on May 30 to begin our life’s work in Lima, Peru. This will be the first time the boys see Peru, so pray for their hearts to be ready. We will be looking at several places to live, vehicles, and making new connections. Through your prayers, God has worked and led amazingly so far, and we want to see this continue. Thank you for your sacrifice and faithfulness, which allow us to take His Gospel to
this country as we travel, to Lima as we start this work, and to the world as He continues to do great things. Please pray for the churches that have committed support to begin and remain faithful. There are churches still deciding about whether to join in support. Please pray, as this would help us near full support.
His for souls,
Zach, Karin, Zachary, Caleb, and Logan Foust
Monday, April 9, 2012
March Prayer Letter from the Kokubun Family
Dear Friends,
We started out the month of March at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. In addition to seeing a young man called to preach, we saw many saved and baptized. I had the great honor of closing out the conference on Sunday evening before
heading across country to North Carolina the next day.
Thirty hours and hundreds of miles later, we found Grace Baptist Church in Cedar Grove, North Carolina and a pleasant surprise! Dr. Bob Bowen was attending the same conference! Bro. Bowen is one of my wife's heroes. When she was down in Mexico, he
preached a missions conference at her church. After the conference, Bro. Bowen asked if she would write her name down in the back of his Bible so he could pray for her. He told her that he was going to pray that God would give her a husband that would have the same passion for missions, and some day bring her back to the mission field. Now, years later, we stood before him very happily married and on our way to the mission field of Peru. God never ceases to amaze me.
God's kindness has especially overwhelmed me this month as He has constantly and proficiently gone above and beyond my expectations. He truly is worth serving. I never take for granted one prayer or dollar that God's people have so faithfully given on our behalf.
We are truly ready to hit the ground running this coming summer. As the launch approaches this coming June, please pray for us as we look for our future home and church locations. Thank you for all you do for us.
Serving Him,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
We started out the month of March at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. In addition to seeing a young man called to preach, we saw many saved and baptized. I had the great honor of closing out the conference on Sunday evening before
heading across country to North Carolina the next day.
Thirty hours and hundreds of miles later, we found Grace Baptist Church in Cedar Grove, North Carolina and a pleasant surprise! Dr. Bob Bowen was attending the same conference! Bro. Bowen is one of my wife's heroes. When she was down in Mexico, he
preached a missions conference at her church. After the conference, Bro. Bowen asked if she would write her name down in the back of his Bible so he could pray for her. He told her that he was going to pray that God would give her a husband that would have the same passion for missions, and some day bring her back to the mission field. Now, years later, we stood before him very happily married and on our way to the mission field of Peru. God never ceases to amaze me.
God's kindness has especially overwhelmed me this month as He has constantly and proficiently gone above and beyond my expectations. He truly is worth serving. I never take for granted one prayer or dollar that God's people have so faithfully given on our behalf.
We are truly ready to hit the ground running this coming summer. As the launch approaches this coming June, please pray for us as we look for our future home and church locations. Thank you for all you do for us.
Serving Him,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Thursday, April 5, 2012
March Prayer Letter for the Martin family
April 2, 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” (Psalm 68:19) How true this is! I must admit that when we began deputation, I really did not know what to expect. However, these last 15 months have been such a blessing. God has taught us so much, given us so many godly friends, and showered us with blessings. There is no doubt in my mind that His strong hand will continue to guide us and provide for us once in Peru.
March was quite an amazing month! Jessica and I were so excited to get back to some serious traveling, as well as be in several missions conferences. The whirlwind began the last week of February and continued through most of March. We spent a total of 22 nights in church! By both land and air, we were able to be in 6 different churches in Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Besides our busy travel schedule, God has continued to bless in my healing process. My weight-bearing therapy has been going very well, and I continue to heal ahead of schedule. Seven days ago I got off my crutches and “downsized” to a cane! It feels great to be able to walk again, and, Lord willing, I should be walking “normally” by May. God is so good.
With the beautiful March we have had, we have had many more opportunities to go out soul winning. Praise God for the 14 people we saw trust Christ this month! While door knocking in Metro Detroit, I met a teenage boy named Aaron. After talking about his plans to play football, I asked him if he knew for sure he was on his way to heaven. He said he did not and asked me if I could show him! After several minutes and a lot of yelling from the back of the trailer, Aaron bowed his head and trusted Christ. Some of the men from the church went back to visit Aaron the next week. When they did, they met his mother who went on to inform them that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. Praise God Aaron was able to hear the truth and was spared from those awful lies!
I can hardly believe that we are commencing our last month of travel. After this month, it will be all preparation and training to transition to Peru. We have even begun to shop for plane tickets. At this time we will probably be leaving the second or third week of June. If you could please pray with us, we are needing to raise the money needed to fly to Peru. We have money set aside for furniture, housing, and to cover all of our “getting settled” needs. All we need to raise is enough for our plane tickets and for the baggage we will be taking with us. I have been shopping around, and currently it will cost us about $2,000. Please pray that we will find the best deal possible and that the funds will be raised.
God continues to validate His calling to us. There is no way that we could have done any of this in our own strength. God has truly prospered our deputation. I am grateful for each and every church that has adopted our vision for Peru and made it their own. To date God has allowed us to raise 88% of our needed to support! Praise the Lord! I would especially like to thank the Freedom Baptist Church in Arizona for partnering with us this month. I know I say it each month, but we could do nothing in Peru without you. We love and appreciate all of you.
Please continue to keep us and our team in your prayers. We try to keep everyone updated as much as possible. Please find us on Facebook and Twitter, or check out our blog or website to keep up to date with all that God is doing for us! Thank you for your prayers and God bless you!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
March Prayer Letter for the Martinez Family
Dear Praying Friends,
Some may think the hardest part of deputation is the financial stress. At times, yes; however, the hardest part of deputation for my family and me is saying goodbye to new friends we make in each church we visit. It is a great blessing to travel the states, see great sites, and make new friends and wonderful memories everywhere we go. We are grateful God has put many amazing people in our path on our deputation travels.
In the months of February and March, we enjoyed visiting 12 churches. Out of the 12 churches, we had the opportunity to be a part of 2 missions conferences. We enjoyed a four-day conference at the Iglesia Bautista Sublime Gracia with Pastor Mario Arjona in Douglasville, Georgia. This was an exciting Spanish conference to be a part of. Pastor Arjona gave me the opportunity to teach several children’s classes each day, preach a couple of times in the men’s split sessions, and translate for the guest speaker. Pastor Arjona also gave my wife the opportunity to play the piano for some of the services and teach a ladies’ split session. Many other members of our team were also part of this conference. It was great to see them all doing well and spend of
few days of fellowship with them. I am thrilled that I get to work alongside such a wonderful team.
A few men from our team spent two weeks in Lima, Peru, at the beginning of February. The purpose of their visit was to look for property and to start the process to be a church legally recognized by the Peruvian government. This process normally takes several months, but thanks to a Peruvian national who is a member of our church in Indiana, they were able to file the paperwork and complete the process in several days. We praise God that the Iglesia Bautista Internacional is now registered. Praise the Lord!!
Another great miracle that happened recently was one of our team members, Mark and Sarah Rader, had their second baby, Paul Anthony. This is my wife’s and my newest nephew. We are blessed to have a new family and team member. We also celebrated Ezequiel Jr.’s 2nd birthday on March 18.
Our team leader and his family are planning to leave for Peru in mid-summer, along with a couple other team families. Please pray as the rest of our team is preparing to leave for Peru within the year. Also, we ask that you would please pray for our traveling safety.
We are looking forward to getting to our destination in Peru, but in the meantime we are looking to help the lost change their eternal destination. While visiting in Georgia, I prayed for God to lead me to those who were willing and ready to be saved. God led my soul-winning partner and me to the home of an adult man named Efrain. When Efrian came to the door, he graciously allowed me to share with him the plan of salvation. As I was witnessing to him, I noticed he was very attentive. After Efrian prayed and accepted Christ into his heart, his eyes were red, and he looked as if he was about to cry. Although he did not cry, I could tell he was moved by the Holy Spirit.
We would like to give a special thank you to the six churches that voted to take us on for support in February and March:
1. Trinity Baptist Church in Brandenton, Florida, Pastor Ron Jarvis
2. Gospel Light Baptist Church in Cottondale, Alabama, Pastor Steve Rimes
3. Landmark Baptist Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Pastor Mike Lamb
4. Iglesia Bautista Biblica el Faro in Haines City, Florida, Pastor José Armendáriz
5. Iglesia Bautista León de la Tribu de Judá in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Pastor Adán Pérez
6. Bethlehem Baptist Church in Old Fort, North Carolina, Pastor Charles Hughes
We owe a great debt of gratitude to our existing supporters and to these new supporting churches. We are grateful to be partners with you. My family and I pray for you, so please be sure to e-mail, text, or call us with any prayer request your church might have. May God bless you.
The Martinez Family
Some may think the hardest part of deputation is the financial stress. At times, yes; however, the hardest part of deputation for my family and me is saying goodbye to new friends we make in each church we visit. It is a great blessing to travel the states, see great sites, and make new friends and wonderful memories everywhere we go. We are grateful God has put many amazing people in our path on our deputation travels.
In the months of February and March, we enjoyed visiting 12 churches. Out of the 12 churches, we had the opportunity to be a part of 2 missions conferences. We enjoyed a four-day conference at the Iglesia Bautista Sublime Gracia with Pastor Mario Arjona in Douglasville, Georgia. This was an exciting Spanish conference to be a part of. Pastor Arjona gave me the opportunity to teach several children’s classes each day, preach a couple of times in the men’s split sessions, and translate for the guest speaker. Pastor Arjona also gave my wife the opportunity to play the piano for some of the services and teach a ladies’ split session. Many other members of our team were also part of this conference. It was great to see them all doing well and spend of
few days of fellowship with them. I am thrilled that I get to work alongside such a wonderful team.
A few men from our team spent two weeks in Lima, Peru, at the beginning of February. The purpose of their visit was to look for property and to start the process to be a church legally recognized by the Peruvian government. This process normally takes several months, but thanks to a Peruvian national who is a member of our church in Indiana, they were able to file the paperwork and complete the process in several days. We praise God that the Iglesia Bautista Internacional is now registered. Praise the Lord!!
Another great miracle that happened recently was one of our team members, Mark and Sarah Rader, had their second baby, Paul Anthony. This is my wife’s and my newest nephew. We are blessed to have a new family and team member. We also celebrated Ezequiel Jr.’s 2nd birthday on March 18.
Our team leader and his family are planning to leave for Peru in mid-summer, along with a couple other team families. Please pray as the rest of our team is preparing to leave for Peru within the year. Also, we ask that you would please pray for our traveling safety.
We are looking forward to getting to our destination in Peru, but in the meantime we are looking to help the lost change their eternal destination. While visiting in Georgia, I prayed for God to lead me to those who were willing and ready to be saved. God led my soul-winning partner and me to the home of an adult man named Efrain. When Efrian came to the door, he graciously allowed me to share with him the plan of salvation. As I was witnessing to him, I noticed he was very attentive. After Efrian prayed and accepted Christ into his heart, his eyes were red, and he looked as if he was about to cry. Although he did not cry, I could tell he was moved by the Holy Spirit.
We would like to give a special thank you to the six churches that voted to take us on for support in February and March:
1. Trinity Baptist Church in Brandenton, Florida, Pastor Ron Jarvis
2. Gospel Light Baptist Church in Cottondale, Alabama, Pastor Steve Rimes
3. Landmark Baptist Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Pastor Mike Lamb
4. Iglesia Bautista Biblica el Faro in Haines City, Florida, Pastor José Armendáriz
5. Iglesia Bautista León de la Tribu de Judá in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Pastor Adán Pérez
6. Bethlehem Baptist Church in Old Fort, North Carolina, Pastor Charles Hughes
We owe a great debt of gratitude to our existing supporters and to these new supporting churches. We are grateful to be partners with you. My family and I pray for you, so please be sure to e-mail, text, or call us with any prayer request your church might have. May God bless you.
The Martinez Family
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Bro. Hubbard Health Update
Thank you for your prayers. My husband's appointments went well and we returned home safe and sound. The good news is that the damage done to his heart before his third surgery has been completely healed, mostly because he runs 4-5 days a week. Praise the Lord!
The tumors have all remained the same--stable--except for the largest of the tumors. There are no new tumors. The largest of the tumors is in the lumbar spine and it has increased slightly (.3 of a cm). The endocrinologist recommended a therapy that will strengthen the bone so that it can handle the tumor a little better. He received the therapy before we left the clinic yesterday. The therapy has caused him to become very sick with flu-like symptoms so today he has felt miserable. It is possible he will feel this way up to two weeks. Please pray the symptoms will end right away. He has so much to work on and care for these days, it is frustrating to him to not feel well.
He will need to return to Mayo Clinic in June right before we leave for Peru. There is an oncologist at Mayo who is actively studying several endocrine cancers, including paraganglioma. He is experimenting with treatments that may be beneficial in future when Bro. Dan's cancer becomes more aggressive. His endocrinologist wants Bro. Dan to meet this oncologist to discuss options. She also wants him to see a radiologist to discuss radiating the spot in the spine. Neither of us wish for that since he had such a bad experience when they radiated his arm, which caused the need for the third surgery. Please pray for wisdom for these doctors as they look at Bro. Dan's case.
We sure appreciate your prayer. The Lord has His divine plan and that is what we desire more than anything. Thanks for your care! Love you!
~Christy Hubbard
The tumors have all remained the same--stable--except for the largest of the tumors. There are no new tumors. The largest of the tumors is in the lumbar spine and it has increased slightly (.3 of a cm). The endocrinologist recommended a therapy that will strengthen the bone so that it can handle the tumor a little better. He received the therapy before we left the clinic yesterday. The therapy has caused him to become very sick with flu-like symptoms so today he has felt miserable. It is possible he will feel this way up to two weeks. Please pray the symptoms will end right away. He has so much to work on and care for these days, it is frustrating to him to not feel well.
He will need to return to Mayo Clinic in June right before we leave for Peru. There is an oncologist at Mayo who is actively studying several endocrine cancers, including paraganglioma. He is experimenting with treatments that may be beneficial in future when Bro. Dan's cancer becomes more aggressive. His endocrinologist wants Bro. Dan to meet this oncologist to discuss options. She also wants him to see a radiologist to discuss radiating the spot in the spine. Neither of us wish for that since he had such a bad experience when they radiated his arm, which caused the need for the third surgery. Please pray for wisdom for these doctors as they look at Bro. Dan's case.
We sure appreciate your prayer. The Lord has His divine plan and that is what we desire more than anything. Thanks for your care! Love you!
~Christy Hubbard
Monday, March 26, 2012
What have we been up to?
THE SZABATINS: For the second straight weekend we have had a great time in Pennsylvania. Last weekend we were at heritage baptist Church in Jeannette, PA with Pastor Bob Ross. This is one of our supporting churches in that had us back to bring an update. I taught Sunday School and preached in the evening service. In the morning service I had the opportunity to lead a 14 year old boy by the name of Randy to the Lord.
This Sunday we were at Bible Baptist Church in Tyrone, PA with Pastor Ken Patterson. I taught Sunday School and preached in both services. A young man who had attended this church his whole life came forward in the morning service and got saved. Two years ago this church was down to 9 members and had been without a Pastor for three years. This Sunday while I was there they had 105 in the morning service and 58 in the evening service.
Both these churches we wonderful to us and made us feel at home and have become like family to us. The Patterson's daughter (Kimmy) is at Hyles Anderson College and is good friends with our daughter Danica-Lee. In fact Kimmy is going to be one of DL's brides maids.
THE MISKOVICS: We had a wonderful time at Amazing Grace Baptist Church this weekend! The Kokobuns, one of the families on our team was with us and we really enjoyed being with them too! Bro. Daniel made us proud as he got a chance to share his heart's passion for the young people Peru. Mark also did a great job telling the folks about our burden for the lost.
THE FOUSTS: Had a great week in the sunny south! Spent last Sunday with Brian and Melissa Odham in Hickory, NC after finishing a great conference with Bro. Hamilton in Cedar Grove,NC. The Odhams are doing a great job and we loved spending some time with them. Zach got to see a young man saved there while soulwinning. There were also two saved in the evening service. Zach preached Sunday morning and evening. On Monday we spent the day with the Odham family fishing, shopping and just catching up. They are such good friends!
Then it was a long drive to Florida where we were in a missions conference with Grace Baptist Temple in Brandon, FL. Bro. Tommy Thompson hosted a wonderful conference and we were privileged to hear Bro Scotty Drake preach each night and Sunday morning as well. Zach preached on Sunday evening. Had some great results in the conference, God is definitely working in this church. Today we applied for the boys' passports! Exciting days for us! Then yesterday we enjoyed a great service this evening at Providence Baptist Church in Bushnell, FL. Bro. Maddox preached a great sermon and we got to present the work in Peru.
THE MARTINS: We have enjoyed a wonderful time in the Detroit area. It has been a joy to be able to spend some time with many old friends and some of Jessica's family. Last week, we were able to be part of a 5 month old church! I love church plants! Our good friend Bob Morrissey started the Tri-County Baptist Church in Madison Heights, MI back in October. God is blessing there in a great way. It was great to share our burden for Peru and missions in general with so many new converts!
Yesterday, we started a missions conference at Antioch Baptist Church in Warren, MI. This is the church that Jessica grew up in. We had a wonderful Sunday preaching in Jr. Church, presenting Peru, and preaching in the evening service. There is such a wonderful spirit here! Pastor Doug Brandenburg just became pastor here about 1 year ago. It is so encouraging to see how God is using him here. It is going to be a great week!
This Sunday we were at Bible Baptist Church in Tyrone, PA with Pastor Ken Patterson. I taught Sunday School and preached in both services. A young man who had attended this church his whole life came forward in the morning service and got saved. Two years ago this church was down to 9 members and had been without a Pastor for three years. This Sunday while I was there they had 105 in the morning service and 58 in the evening service.
Both these churches we wonderful to us and made us feel at home and have become like family to us. The Patterson's daughter (Kimmy) is at Hyles Anderson College and is good friends with our daughter Danica-Lee. In fact Kimmy is going to be one of DL's brides maids.
THE MISKOVICS: We had a wonderful time at Amazing Grace Baptist Church this weekend! The Kokobuns, one of the families on our team was with us and we really enjoyed being with them too! Bro. Daniel made us proud as he got a chance to share his heart's passion for the young people Peru. Mark also did a great job telling the folks about our burden for the lost.
THE FOUSTS: Had a great week in the sunny south! Spent last Sunday with Brian and Melissa Odham in Hickory, NC after finishing a great conference with Bro. Hamilton in Cedar Grove,NC. The Odhams are doing a great job and we loved spending some time with them. Zach got to see a young man saved there while soulwinning. There were also two saved in the evening service. Zach preached Sunday morning and evening. On Monday we spent the day with the Odham family fishing, shopping and just catching up. They are such good friends!
Then it was a long drive to Florida where we were in a missions conference with Grace Baptist Temple in Brandon, FL. Bro. Tommy Thompson hosted a wonderful conference and we were privileged to hear Bro Scotty Drake preach each night and Sunday morning as well. Zach preached on Sunday evening. Had some great results in the conference, God is definitely working in this church. Today we applied for the boys' passports! Exciting days for us! Then yesterday we enjoyed a great service this evening at Providence Baptist Church in Bushnell, FL. Bro. Maddox preached a great sermon and we got to present the work in Peru.
THE MARTINS: We have enjoyed a wonderful time in the Detroit area. It has been a joy to be able to spend some time with many old friends and some of Jessica's family. Last week, we were able to be part of a 5 month old church! I love church plants! Our good friend Bob Morrissey started the Tri-County Baptist Church in Madison Heights, MI back in October. God is blessing there in a great way. It was great to share our burden for Peru and missions in general with so many new converts!
Yesterday, we started a missions conference at Antioch Baptist Church in Warren, MI. This is the church that Jessica grew up in. We had a wonderful Sunday preaching in Jr. Church, presenting Peru, and preaching in the evening service. There is such a wonderful spirit here! Pastor Doug Brandenburg just became pastor here about 1 year ago. It is so encouraging to see how God is using him here. It is going to be a great week!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Update from the Foust family
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Update from the Kokubun Family
Dear Friends,
God has been extremely gracious in our travels these past few weeks. The last week of February we drove from Georgia to New Mexico where we were blessed at Gospel Light Baptist Church's Missions Conference. It was really a complete conference where we saw souls saved, baptized, and a young man called to preach. It still amazes me the friends that we get to make as we travel. We had a great time meeting other missionaries and enjoyed learning about God working in their lives just as He has ours.
We found our selves heading back cross country on the next Monday to be in a Mission Conference in North Carolina by Wednesday. We are very grateful for God's protection as we traveled literally a couple thousand miles in the past two weeks.
Thank you for your prayers and support. We are praying for you.
Serving Him,
Daniel Kokubun
Team Peru
God has been extremely gracious in our travels these past few weeks. The last week of February we drove from Georgia to New Mexico where we were blessed at Gospel Light Baptist Church's Missions Conference. It was really a complete conference where we saw souls saved, baptized, and a young man called to preach. It still amazes me the friends that we get to make as we travel. We had a great time meeting other missionaries and enjoyed learning about God working in their lives just as He has ours.
We found our selves heading back cross country on the next Monday to be in a Mission Conference in North Carolina by Wednesday. We are very grateful for God's protection as we traveled literally a couple thousand miles in the past two weeks.
Thank you for your prayers and support. We are praying for you.
Serving Him,
Daniel Kokubun
Team Peru
Monday, March 12, 2012
February Prayer Letter for the Martin Family
March 1, 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
In Denver, Colorado, the snow is gently falling on the mountains as I sit in front of the fireplace in our cabin sipping coffee working on my laptop. The ministry sure is rough! God is so very gracious. We arrived here yesterday and are excited for this conference. March is very busy, and I am glad we get to start in beautiful Colorado.
February was quite productive for us. We didn’t do a lot of traveling, but were still able to be in three different churches in Kentucky and Georgia. One of our meetings was a conference in which we were with five of our fellow team families. It was a sweet reunion. I never tire of spending time with the people that are part of our team. It is a privilege to serve God with them. To make things even better, it was a Spanish missions conference. I am always encouraged to see growing Spanish works. Pastor Arjona is doing an incredible work, and I hope we were as much of a blessing to him as he was to us.
The best news came two days ago. After returning from this trip, I will be able to begin to wean myself off my crutches! Praise the Lord! As I sat in the doctor’s office, he said, “Prayer works! I know that my talents come from above and beyond that Someone else does all the healing.” To God be the glory! I can see a full recovery very soon.
In addition to our travels, we were also able to spend some time with many of our teenagers at home. The Teen Missionary Society is a group of our “bus teen girls” who have a burden for missions and correspond with our missionaries around the world. I am so proud of these young ladies! We enjoyed spending some time teaching and investing in these girls.
As I mentioned in our last letter, three men from our team spent two weeks in Lima the beginning of this month. It was a very productive trip. During this time, they were able to begin looking at housing as well as property in the district we will be working in. It is so exciting to see houses and apartments and think that soon it maybe our home. As far as the church, please pray that God will give us wisdom as the time quickly approaches. Also, we are now officially recognized by the Peruvian government. They are ready and waiting for us! The Iglesia Bautista Internacional has been registered and all the paperwork has been filed. Amen!
It thrills us to see all the pieces come together. I see the pictures of people walking down the street and know that they are the people God has called us to. I look at an apartment and see our belongings there, I view a store front or a plot of land and see a church building there. This past Sunday, we were waiting for church to start and Jessica said, “Just 15 more Sundays and we’ll be in Peru.” It is almost surreal to think about. Thank you to the many of you who have partnered with us and especially our newest supporters the Providence Baptist Church in Indiana and Twin City Baptist Church in Maine. This brings us to 86 % of our support. The end is in sight!
I am also thankful for the things that God brings into our path. Although my leg and the weather has not made soulwinning very easy, God has opened many doors. Going to therapy three times a week has given me many people to share both what God is doing through us and the Gospel. Just last week, I was able to lead Michelle, a 21 year old therapy student at DePaul University, to Christ! Please pray for several others to whom the seed has been sewn. I know God will give the increase. Besides Michelle, God allowed us to see five other people accept Christ this month.
Thank you for your continued prayers. God is prospering all along the way. God bless you!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Thursday, March 8, 2012
February Prayer Letter from the Kokubuns
Dear Friends,
Another busy time is finished as we close the month of February. With three mission conferences, several services, and over 4,000 more miles on our car, God has been gracious in His blessings and safety.
On our first Sunday in Michigan, I received a text right after the morning service. It was from a member of Second Baptist Church in Ponca City, OK. It read like this, "Larry got baptized today!" Hallelujah! The young man who I had lead to the Lord the last week in January had been baptized and joined the church!
Several times this month my wife and I have had the opportunity to go soul winning with young people from Michigan to North Carolina seeing many people saved in our visiting.
We had the opportunity to participate at a spanish missions conference in Douglasville, GA. Several of the other team families were there along with many other missionaries. It was interesting to say the least with the language barrier. (I still have lots of Spanish to learn!) Nevertheless, we enjoyed our fellowship with the sweet Hispanic congregation. Our hearts were changed and challenged as we saw their hearts for the Lord and His work.
On Saturday of that week we went soul winning with their church people. My wife and I began knocking doors on our designated street. I heard a squealing of tires from the next block over. Making our way over to the sound, we saw a black Monte Carlo burning its tires. Apparently the young man in the car was showing off to his brother who was standing on the porch. As the car drove off, my wife and I approached the young man on the porch. There was a feeling of relief as Darius greeted us in English! Minutes later Darius bowed his head and accepted Jesus as his Saviour!
Our team leader, Bro. Dan Hubbard, along with several of the other men from our team made a trip earlier this month to Lima, Peru. They went with the intent of finding and possibly purchasing properties for the church. Legally they needed to get permission and file paper work to start our first church. He is now officially "president" of Iglesia Bautista Internacìonal. They did find several properties, but will not purchase them until we launch in June.
I would ask you to pray for travel safety as we still have many miles to go before the end of our deputation trail. Also
pray that God would give the team wisdom as we prepare to leave the country.
Again thank you for all your continued support. Words cannot describe the joy and encouragement you are to us. We pray for you and your church on a regular basis. Thanks for all you are doing for our Lord and Savior.
Serving Him,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Another busy time is finished as we close the month of February. With three mission conferences, several services, and over 4,000 more miles on our car, God has been gracious in His blessings and safety.
On our first Sunday in Michigan, I received a text right after the morning service. It was from a member of Second Baptist Church in Ponca City, OK. It read like this, "Larry got baptized today!" Hallelujah! The young man who I had lead to the Lord the last week in January had been baptized and joined the church!
Several times this month my wife and I have had the opportunity to go soul winning with young people from Michigan to North Carolina seeing many people saved in our visiting.
We had the opportunity to participate at a spanish missions conference in Douglasville, GA. Several of the other team families were there along with many other missionaries. It was interesting to say the least with the language barrier. (I still have lots of Spanish to learn!) Nevertheless, we enjoyed our fellowship with the sweet Hispanic congregation. Our hearts were changed and challenged as we saw their hearts for the Lord and His work.
On Saturday of that week we went soul winning with their church people. My wife and I began knocking doors on our designated street. I heard a squealing of tires from the next block over. Making our way over to the sound, we saw a black Monte Carlo burning its tires. Apparently the young man in the car was showing off to his brother who was standing on the porch. As the car drove off, my wife and I approached the young man on the porch. There was a feeling of relief as Darius greeted us in English! Minutes later Darius bowed his head and accepted Jesus as his Saviour!
Our team leader, Bro. Dan Hubbard, along with several of the other men from our team made a trip earlier this month to Lima, Peru. They went with the intent of finding and possibly purchasing properties for the church. Legally they needed to get permission and file paper work to start our first church. He is now officially "president" of Iglesia Bautista Internacìonal. They did find several properties, but will not purchase them until we launch in June.
I would ask you to pray for travel safety as we still have many miles to go before the end of our deputation trail. Also
pray that God would give the team wisdom as we prepare to leave the country.
Again thank you for all your continued support. Words cannot describe the joy and encouragement you are to us. We pray for you and your church on a regular basis. Thanks for all you are doing for our Lord and Savior.
Serving Him,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Monday, February 27, 2012
January Prayer Letter for the Fousts
February 2012
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
The year 2012 brings with it many exciting events for the Foust family. January was a very busy month for us. On January 1, we were pleased to present the work in St. Charles, Michigan, at the First Baptist Church. The pastor of this church is Bro. Darrold English, who was Karin’s Christian school principal when she was in second grade! We were so excited to see all that God is doing there and to see the church family excited about starting new churches in their area. The church was also excited about
missions, and we were thrilled when they expressed their desire to support us in Peru. Praise the Lord for people like Bro. English who stay faithful for decades serving the Lord.
We then took a trip out West to California. We began our journey by visiting the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Holts Summit, Missouri, pastored by Bro. Craig Burcham. This was a packed-out church with dedicated Christians who are interested in missions and in reaching their own community with the Gospel. We spent an enjoyable and inspiring Sunday with them and then continued on out West. We took a few days off as a family to enjoy the Grand Canyon. What an amazing display of God’s power in
creation! While in California we were able to visit five churches, with great meetings, souls saved, support raised, and beautiful weather enjoyed! Thank you to all the pastors and church families who took such good care of us while we were on our Western trip.
Then it was a 30-hour, mad-dash drive back to Chicago in order for me to fly out immediately with Bro. Hubbard to Lima, Peru. The purpose of this trip was to establish a religious organization legally in Peru. This was accomplished largely due to the help of Bro. Javier Lira, a lawyer from Lima who was an amazing blessing and help on the trip. Additionally, we hoped to secure some property for the church and families in Lima. While we were not able to purchase property on this trip, we did make some great contacts and have several very good leads on properties. Please pray with us that God would help us to find exactly His will in this matter.
Many of you will remember Clara, the lady who was saved when we were in Peru in August and who wishes us to start a church in her home in Chorrillos. While in Lima, I visited her, and she is still looking forward to this with great anticipation! Lord willing, our family will begin a church in her home in June of this year. Please pray about this. Also, I met a lawyer in Lima who trains the military and police at the military college in Chorrillos. This lawyer trusted Christ as his Saviour. When I expressed interest in ministering to the police in some way, this man said that he was interested in introducing us to certain
commandants and generals in order that we might start a ministry to the military and police when we arrive. Please pray with us about this possibility, as well.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and continued support. While we depend upon God to supply our needs, we know that it is through the prayers and support of His people that we can continue on in His service.
His for souls,
Zach, Karin, Zachary, Caleb, and Logan Foust
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
The year 2012 brings with it many exciting events for the Foust family. January was a very busy month for us. On January 1, we were pleased to present the work in St. Charles, Michigan, at the First Baptist Church. The pastor of this church is Bro. Darrold English, who was Karin’s Christian school principal when she was in second grade! We were so excited to see all that God is doing there and to see the church family excited about starting new churches in their area. The church was also excited about
missions, and we were thrilled when they expressed their desire to support us in Peru. Praise the Lord for people like Bro. English who stay faithful for decades serving the Lord.
We then took a trip out West to California. We began our journey by visiting the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Holts Summit, Missouri, pastored by Bro. Craig Burcham. This was a packed-out church with dedicated Christians who are interested in missions and in reaching their own community with the Gospel. We spent an enjoyable and inspiring Sunday with them and then continued on out West. We took a few days off as a family to enjoy the Grand Canyon. What an amazing display of God’s power in
creation! While in California we were able to visit five churches, with great meetings, souls saved, support raised, and beautiful weather enjoyed! Thank you to all the pastors and church families who took such good care of us while we were on our Western trip.
Then it was a 30-hour, mad-dash drive back to Chicago in order for me to fly out immediately with Bro. Hubbard to Lima, Peru. The purpose of this trip was to establish a religious organization legally in Peru. This was accomplished largely due to the help of Bro. Javier Lira, a lawyer from Lima who was an amazing blessing and help on the trip. Additionally, we hoped to secure some property for the church and families in Lima. While we were not able to purchase property on this trip, we did make some great contacts and have several very good leads on properties. Please pray with us that God would help us to find exactly His will in this matter.
Many of you will remember Clara, the lady who was saved when we were in Peru in August and who wishes us to start a church in her home in Chorrillos. While in Lima, I visited her, and she is still looking forward to this with great anticipation! Lord willing, our family will begin a church in her home in June of this year. Please pray about this. Also, I met a lawyer in Lima who trains the military and police at the military college in Chorrillos. This lawyer trusted Christ as his Saviour. When I expressed interest in ministering to the police in some way, this man said that he was interested in introducing us to certain
commandants and generals in order that we might start a ministry to the military and police when we arrive. Please pray with us about this possibility, as well.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and continued support. While we depend upon God to supply our needs, we know that it is through the prayers and support of His people that we can continue on in His service.
His for souls,
Zach, Karin, Zachary, Caleb, and Logan Foust
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)