Dear Praying Friends,
January was a great start to our first year living in Peru. Our church moved into our new property. Our first Sunday at the new property, we had 138 in attendance, 24 visitors, 13 saved, and 4 baptized! Brother Zach Foust started church #2 for team Peru. Plans are for two other churches to be started within the next few months. One of these soon to be churches is currently a Bible Study being held in Surco; my family and I have had the privilege of helping this Bible Study. Sarah and I have been providing trumpet and guitar music for the congregational singing. My sister and brother-in-law have now arrived in Peru. Ezequiel is now leading the Bible Study to become a church and the attendance is over 30 now.
We have been privileged to take on several new responsibilities that have alleviated our teammates to allow them to proceed forward in starting and building churches. One new responsibility is a Saturday morning soul winning team of Peruvians. One week as I was winning a woman to the Lord on the sidewalk who was being very patient with my Spanish, my soul winning partner stood right behind me and won someone else to Christ simultaneously. Another week I approached Jorge with the gospel. He requested that I come back later in the afternoon when he had more time. That chance never happened because Carlos on our soul-winning team came right behind me and led him to the Lord. Jorge was the first soul that Carlos won to Christ. Amen and Hallelujah!
My wife has a story from this month that definitely must be shared. (As my husband handed one of our recent taxi drivers a gospel tract and invited him to church, the driver asked, “So, what do you think about the Word of God?” Well, was I ever happy to answer his question! The entire ride home I shared with him the good news of the Gospel. As we pulled up in front of our apartment building I asked the man if he would like to put his faith in Christ and ask Him for salvation. – His answer was an
enthusiastic, “Yes, of course!” After we prayed together and we said our goodbyes, he thanked us for sharing God’s Words with him. What a joy and privilege we have to plant seeds in such hungry hearts!)
What an amazing wife I have. I failed to communicate with her properly one day concerning dinner plans. She made too much food, so we needed to invite someone over to help eat the extra food. We have neighbors who are new Christians. They came for dinner at 7:00 and stayed for a Bible study until 10:00. As they were leaving, we all agreed to make it a regular Bible study every Thursday night. Wow, God is good!
Thank you to all of you who helped us recognize Savannah’s birthday. A lady Sarah led to the Lord took us to a play land for Savannah. It was a great day. Thank you for your prayers for our family and ministry; we feel them every day. Please continue to pray that God will continue to do a great work here. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. God bless you.
His for souls,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, & Paul Rader
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
January Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
Dear Praying Friends,
Often I wonder why God chooses to use us and bless us. My mind goes back to the first time I sat in a living room in Chicago as a single college student and “counseled” a marriage! I thought, Why in the world would God see fit to allow me to do all that I do? And yet now, as a much older, seasoned Christian on the mission field, I find myself still looking up to God in amazement at the way He blesses our efforts despite us.
January started out with all the thrill and anticipation of a brand-new auditorium. What an amazing first Sunday we had! The chairs filled up, visitors came, people got saved, and the baptistery waters were stirring. Service after service, our people continue to come and sit with eager ears and hungry hearts, hanging on to every song, announcement, and sermon. God has continued to bless IBI and His people.
The excitement continued to grow with the starting of our second church. On Sunday, January 27, the Foust family and a group of our church people had their first service as the Iglesia Bautista Internacional of San Gabriel! They had 39 in attendance, with 6 receiving Jesus as their Saviour. This church currently has services on Sunday afternoons, Thursday nights, and a Bible study on Wednesdays. Please continue to pray for this work to grow and reach that area with the Gospel.
Apparently, though, the Devil is not at all happy with all that has been going on in Lima. He wouldn’t wait long to see how serious we were about reaching Chorrillos. This last Wednesday we were sitting in the office when the phone rang. One of our church members frantically told us we needed to get to the church right away. Upon arriving, we learned that through some crooked, yet somewhat legal, dealings, over 80 properties in our neighborhood were in litigation; and the police were evicting everyone from those properties. One of the properties—our brand-new church.
We rushed to secure as much of our property as possible and began to prepare for the church service that night. The people came and listened as we explained the situation. That night we met with 23 of our church people at midnight to pray. As we walked into the church, they were sitting in a circle singing hymns. As we prayed for the next hour, I caught myself listening to and watching them pray with tears flowing down their cheeks, their shoulders heaving, and their voices telling God that He was in control and that He would work a miracle. I felt so humbled. One- to seven-month-old Christians were talking to their heavenly Father. That is what I meant when I started this letter—I am so humbled that God allows me to do what I do. Please continue to pray for our property. God did work a miracle that night, and although all is good for the time being, we have a lot of work to do over the next few months to ensure our future there.
Since September I have been eager to start something in San Genaro. I have been anticipating all month writing this letter to report to you the first church service at IBI San Genaro. However, I have learned one thing: Satan doesn’t want a church in San Genaro. After looking feverishly for a building and a deal falling through on one, I decided to start a Bible study with one of our church families there and pray that God would open a door for us to start a church. Please pray. Eight of our church people will be going up the mountain with Jessica and me every Saturday night to conduct this Bible study, soul win, and pray for God to open a door for a church there.
This has been a very different prayer letter for me. Every “negative,” though, is two things: (1) proof that God is doing great things, and (2) something that God has used in my personal life to help me realize the blessings I sometimes overlook. God has given us great people with hearts that are in tune to Him and desire to see something great in Peru. You cannot put a price tag on that!
Of course, the blessings have been great this last month. In addition to starting the second church, our main church continues to grow and stay strong. We made some changes to our soul-winning program and have had over 40 people go out soul winning each Saturday in January. With soul winning, church services, and Bible studies, we have seen 110 people trust Christ as their Saviour this last month. God is so good to us!
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. I hope you realize the great value this has to us. We can truly feel your prayers; and, of course, your financial support makes all we do possible. The people of Chorrillos, Villa Maria del Triunfo, and Surco appreciate the difference you are making in them and, one day, in all of Lima and Peru.
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Often I wonder why God chooses to use us and bless us. My mind goes back to the first time I sat in a living room in Chicago as a single college student and “counseled” a marriage! I thought, Why in the world would God see fit to allow me to do all that I do? And yet now, as a much older, seasoned Christian on the mission field, I find myself still looking up to God in amazement at the way He blesses our efforts despite us.
January started out with all the thrill and anticipation of a brand-new auditorium. What an amazing first Sunday we had! The chairs filled up, visitors came, people got saved, and the baptistery waters were stirring. Service after service, our people continue to come and sit with eager ears and hungry hearts, hanging on to every song, announcement, and sermon. God has continued to bless IBI and His people.
The excitement continued to grow with the starting of our second church. On Sunday, January 27, the Foust family and a group of our church people had their first service as the Iglesia Bautista Internacional of San Gabriel! They had 39 in attendance, with 6 receiving Jesus as their Saviour. This church currently has services on Sunday afternoons, Thursday nights, and a Bible study on Wednesdays. Please continue to pray for this work to grow and reach that area with the Gospel.
Apparently, though, the Devil is not at all happy with all that has been going on in Lima. He wouldn’t wait long to see how serious we were about reaching Chorrillos. This last Wednesday we were sitting in the office when the phone rang. One of our church members frantically told us we needed to get to the church right away. Upon arriving, we learned that through some crooked, yet somewhat legal, dealings, over 80 properties in our neighborhood were in litigation; and the police were evicting everyone from those properties. One of the properties—our brand-new church.
We rushed to secure as much of our property as possible and began to prepare for the church service that night. The people came and listened as we explained the situation. That night we met with 23 of our church people at midnight to pray. As we walked into the church, they were sitting in a circle singing hymns. As we prayed for the next hour, I caught myself listening to and watching them pray with tears flowing down their cheeks, their shoulders heaving, and their voices telling God that He was in control and that He would work a miracle. I felt so humbled. One- to seven-month-old Christians were talking to their heavenly Father. That is what I meant when I started this letter—I am so humbled that God allows me to do what I do. Please continue to pray for our property. God did work a miracle that night, and although all is good for the time being, we have a lot of work to do over the next few months to ensure our future there.
Since September I have been eager to start something in San Genaro. I have been anticipating all month writing this letter to report to you the first church service at IBI San Genaro. However, I have learned one thing: Satan doesn’t want a church in San Genaro. After looking feverishly for a building and a deal falling through on one, I decided to start a Bible study with one of our church families there and pray that God would open a door for us to start a church. Please pray. Eight of our church people will be going up the mountain with Jessica and me every Saturday night to conduct this Bible study, soul win, and pray for God to open a door for a church there.
This has been a very different prayer letter for me. Every “negative,” though, is two things: (1) proof that God is doing great things, and (2) something that God has used in my personal life to help me realize the blessings I sometimes overlook. God has given us great people with hearts that are in tune to Him and desire to see something great in Peru. You cannot put a price tag on that!
Of course, the blessings have been great this last month. In addition to starting the second church, our main church continues to grow and stay strong. We made some changes to our soul-winning program and have had over 40 people go out soul winning each Saturday in January. With soul winning, church services, and Bible studies, we have seen 110 people trust Christ as their Saviour this last month. God is so good to us!
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. I hope you realize the great value this has to us. We can truly feel your prayers; and, of course, your financial support makes all we do possible. The people of Chorrillos, Villa Maria del Triunfo, and Surco appreciate the difference you are making in them and, one day, in all of Lima and Peru.
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Thursday, January 31, 2013
January Prayer Letter from the Kokubuns
Our First Day in the New Building
Anticipation was in the air. Everyone rushed about hurriedly to be sure everything was just perfect for our first service at the new property. The PA system needed to be set up, hymnals placed in each seat, the baptistery waters checked, changing rooms prepared, and ushers trained. Today was the day! After having several weeks and months of overflowing our old property, it was exciting to have a new building to fill. But would we fill it? Would it seem huge and the people few in number?
Our hearts were not disappointed that day, as 138 people filled our new church building. Many of our faithful church members brought a visitor or friend. It didn't seem too big at all. Actually, in my mind I wondered how long we would be able to fit in this new property before we would have to move again! (Don't worry; I think it will be quite some time before that happens.) On that day alone, we had 24 visitors, 13 saved, and 5 baptized. With our new building having so much space, the Adult Sunday School Class moved there, and we were able to have our Teen Sunday School Class in the old church building. We still love our old building. There's just a special sweetness there that fills the air, and there’s the constant memory of the great things God has done so far.
At the beginning of this month, God sent our team two Peruvian college men who are in seminary. They wanted to come and learn from the team. One of my newest responsibilities has been working with them—“Training the Next Generation 101.”
We just finished Week 8 with our second Bible study. The father and both sons of the family that hosts our study were all baptized just recently. It's so neat to see young Christians growing in the faith.
Thanks for your prayers for Iglesia Bautista Internacional! We're thrilled with what God is doing here in this place. We know none of it would be possible without the faithful prayers of God's people! We can't wait to see what God will do in the future!
Enjoying the journey,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Anticipation was in the air. Everyone rushed about hurriedly to be sure everything was just perfect for our first service at the new property. The PA system needed to be set up, hymnals placed in each seat, the baptistery waters checked, changing rooms prepared, and ushers trained. Today was the day! After having several weeks and months of overflowing our old property, it was exciting to have a new building to fill. But would we fill it? Would it seem huge and the people few in number?
Our hearts were not disappointed that day, as 138 people filled our new church building. Many of our faithful church members brought a visitor or friend. It didn't seem too big at all. Actually, in my mind I wondered how long we would be able to fit in this new property before we would have to move again! (Don't worry; I think it will be quite some time before that happens.) On that day alone, we had 24 visitors, 13 saved, and 5 baptized. With our new building having so much space, the Adult Sunday School Class moved there, and we were able to have our Teen Sunday School Class in the old church building. We still love our old building. There's just a special sweetness there that fills the air, and there’s the constant memory of the great things God has done so far.
At the beginning of this month, God sent our team two Peruvian college men who are in seminary. They wanted to come and learn from the team. One of my newest responsibilities has been working with them—“Training the Next Generation 101.”
We just finished Week 8 with our second Bible study. The father and both sons of the family that hosts our study were all baptized just recently. It's so neat to see young Christians growing in the faith.
Thanks for your prayers for Iglesia Bautista Internacional! We're thrilled with what God is doing here in this place. We know none of it would be possible without the faithful prayers of God's people! We can't wait to see what God will do in the future!
Enjoying the journey,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
January Prayer Letter from the Foust Family
January 2013
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
Well, it has happened! We rejoice to announce that we will be moving into our new church property this Sunday, January 13! This is great news for our people who have been packed into our tiny storefront for several weeks now. Our attendances have been over 100 consistently each week, and we are thrilled to have room to grow in our new auditorium.
We are praying for God’s continued blessings as we move down the road to our new facility. We anticipate much growth here and are
excited at the possibilities! We also have exciting news about our weekly Bible study in San Gabriel, Villa Maria del Triunfo. For many weeks we have been meeting there on Thursday nights in the home of one of our church members. It is apparent by the number of visitors and the spiritual appetite of the people there that they are ready for a church to be started in San Gabriel. We are pleased to announce that we will be starting a church there on January 27! Please be in prayer for this endeavor. We are praying specifically that God will use me according to His will as I pastor these dear people, that the Peruvian people who are helping us will draw closer to God as they learn to minister to others, and that God would be glorified in all that we do in San Gabriel. We are asking God for many souls to be saved and that this church would be an outlet for the planting of many more churches here in Lima, Peru. We are extremely grateful for the Jose Salazar family, who has opened their home for this new work. We will be meeting there on Sunday afternoons, Wednesday evenings, and Thursday evenings for church services. The people there are so hungry for the Gospel, and we are thrilled that God would allow us to be a part of this great work!
Additionally, the Peru Team is excited to report that two more churches are ready to be started in the very near future! One will be located in Chorrillos, not too far from our main church, and the other in an adjoining district. Please pray for our team and for the Peruvian members of our church who are helping with these projects. Our schedules, patience, faith, and endurance are being stretched a bit as we grow. Please be in prayer for our family as we move forward in this coming year to do more for Christ. We are continually thankful for your prayers and support.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
Well, it has happened! We rejoice to announce that we will be moving into our new church property this Sunday, January 13! This is great news for our people who have been packed into our tiny storefront for several weeks now. Our attendances have been over 100 consistently each week, and we are thrilled to have room to grow in our new auditorium.
We are praying for God’s continued blessings as we move down the road to our new facility. We anticipate much growth here and are
excited at the possibilities! We also have exciting news about our weekly Bible study in San Gabriel, Villa Maria del Triunfo. For many weeks we have been meeting there on Thursday nights in the home of one of our church members. It is apparent by the number of visitors and the spiritual appetite of the people there that they are ready for a church to be started in San Gabriel. We are pleased to announce that we will be starting a church there on January 27! Please be in prayer for this endeavor. We are praying specifically that God will use me according to His will as I pastor these dear people, that the Peruvian people who are helping us will draw closer to God as they learn to minister to others, and that God would be glorified in all that we do in San Gabriel. We are asking God for many souls to be saved and that this church would be an outlet for the planting of many more churches here in Lima, Peru. We are extremely grateful for the Jose Salazar family, who has opened their home for this new work. We will be meeting there on Sunday afternoons, Wednesday evenings, and Thursday evenings for church services. The people there are so hungry for the Gospel, and we are thrilled that God would allow us to be a part of this great work!
Additionally, the Peru Team is excited to report that two more churches are ready to be started in the very near future! One will be located in Chorrillos, not too far from our main church, and the other in an adjoining district. Please pray for our team and for the Peruvian members of our church who are helping with these projects. Our schedules, patience, faith, and endurance are being stretched a bit as we grow. Please be in prayer for our family as we move forward in this coming year to do more for Christ. We are continually thankful for your prayers and support.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Monday, January 21, 2013
December Prayer Letter from the Raders
Dear praying friends,
Our first month in Peru was phenomenal! At the same time we arrived in Peru, our team’s container cleared port authorities. During our first week we helped move boxes. While getting settled we helped our team move into our first team office, and we helped to prepare a new church property. For the entire month our church has been setting up chairs on the sidewalk for people to listen through the windows because there is no more space inside. Our new property was a carpenter’s shop. We have
cleared off junk, cleaned, built, cleaned, restored, cleaned, painted, and cleaned. The entire team spent all new years eve preparing for a watch night service. The turn-out was great! We arrived in Peru to witness a team that is already moving forward at full throttle. Our team is already preparing for 3 other churches to be started soon.
My wife is having a great time leading people to Christ. Because of my language barrier my progress is slower for now, but I was still able to lead one to Christ. Another blessing was to watch my Peruvian soul-winning partner lead his granddaughter’s boyfriend to Christ. Of course if your girlfriend’s grandfather came to your house talking about death and hell, you might want to get saved too. His
granddaughter and her boyfriend have been coming to church since.
My Spanish is growing faster than ever. I look forward to my classes with Br. Vallejo Sr. On Friday nights Br. Mark Miskovic is allowing me to teach in Spanish for a few minutes at his Bible study. For the first week I gave my testimony with a plan of salvation. Br. Abraham Avila gave the invitation and two were saved. Oh, Happy Day!
Thank you to everyone who helped us with our start-up fund. We had just enough for our basic furnishings. We are looking forward to being used of God in a great way. We thank the Lord for enabling us to be a part of Team Peru. God is just beginning to do something great here. Please pray that he will continue to use us. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. God bless you.
His for souls,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, & Paul Rader
Our first month in Peru was phenomenal! At the same time we arrived in Peru, our team’s container cleared port authorities. During our first week we helped move boxes. While getting settled we helped our team move into our first team office, and we helped to prepare a new church property. For the entire month our church has been setting up chairs on the sidewalk for people to listen through the windows because there is no more space inside. Our new property was a carpenter’s shop. We have
cleared off junk, cleaned, built, cleaned, restored, cleaned, painted, and cleaned. The entire team spent all new years eve preparing for a watch night service. The turn-out was great! We arrived in Peru to witness a team that is already moving forward at full throttle. Our team is already preparing for 3 other churches to be started soon.
My wife is having a great time leading people to Christ. Because of my language barrier my progress is slower for now, but I was still able to lead one to Christ. Another blessing was to watch my Peruvian soul-winning partner lead his granddaughter’s boyfriend to Christ. Of course if your girlfriend’s grandfather came to your house talking about death and hell, you might want to get saved too. His
granddaughter and her boyfriend have been coming to church since.
My Spanish is growing faster than ever. I look forward to my classes with Br. Vallejo Sr. On Friday nights Br. Mark Miskovic is allowing me to teach in Spanish for a few minutes at his Bible study. For the first week I gave my testimony with a plan of salvation. Br. Abraham Avila gave the invitation and two were saved. Oh, Happy Day!
Thank you to everyone who helped us with our start-up fund. We had just enough for our basic furnishings. We are looking forward to being used of God in a great way. We thank the Lord for enabling us to be a part of Team Peru. God is just beginning to do something great here. Please pray that he will continue to use us. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. God bless you.
His for souls,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, & Paul Rader
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
December Prayer Letter from the Kokubun Family
Dear Friends,
We stand amazed at what God has done this past year in our lives. Last year this time, we were traveling, attending missions conferences, sharing our dreams with many of you; so that this year, we could be here. Half of this year was spent in the United States, and the other half; adjusting to a third world country: Peru. This is now our home, as we delight to serve our King here. There have been many happy moments, many frustrations, many joys, and many tears. Through it all, we've found His grace to be sufficient to carry us through everything. A year ago, it's crazy to
think that we did not know a one of the dear people we serve today. A year ago, we prayed for our people, our youth group, our team. Today, we get to live, spend, and be spent for their cause. Today we get to serve the people we so eagerly anticipated meeting. Tonight, we get to do a Bible study with those we prayed for a year ago. Watching God build our church from zero to one hundred twenty people in six months has been a highlight, and has far exceeded our expectations. We realize that we get to be your eyes. We get to see everything happen first hand, and it's our job to pass on the stories to you, of what God is doing here.
The picture above, is our new property for our first church. It is much more spacious than our store front local, and we can't wait to fill it with people. In January, we will also be helping to start church 2. We will do this through Tuesday night, and Saturday night services. Please pray for the people that will be reached through this church. We can only imagine what God has in store for each of them. While we will not be immediately involved in the next two, church 3 and 4 will also be starting shortly. We are excited about what God will be doing in these next three churches, and look forward to the disciples God will give us from each one that will assist us is starting the next few churches. Thank you for your involvement in getting the Gospel out to the world.
Enjoying the journey,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
We stand amazed at what God has done this past year in our lives. Last year this time, we were traveling, attending missions conferences, sharing our dreams with many of you; so that this year, we could be here. Half of this year was spent in the United States, and the other half; adjusting to a third world country: Peru. This is now our home, as we delight to serve our King here. There have been many happy moments, many frustrations, many joys, and many tears. Through it all, we've found His grace to be sufficient to carry us through everything. A year ago, it's crazy to
think that we did not know a one of the dear people we serve today. A year ago, we prayed for our people, our youth group, our team. Today, we get to live, spend, and be spent for their cause. Today we get to serve the people we so eagerly anticipated meeting. Tonight, we get to do a Bible study with those we prayed for a year ago. Watching God build our church from zero to one hundred twenty people in six months has been a highlight, and has far exceeded our expectations. We realize that we get to be your eyes. We get to see everything happen first hand, and it's our job to pass on the stories to you, of what God is doing here.
The picture above, is our new property for our first church. It is much more spacious than our store front local, and we can't wait to fill it with people. In January, we will also be helping to start church 2. We will do this through Tuesday night, and Saturday night services. Please pray for the people that will be reached through this church. We can only imagine what God has in store for each of them. While we will not be immediately involved in the next two, church 3 and 4 will also be starting shortly. We are excited about what God will be doing in these next three churches, and look forward to the disciples God will give us from each one that will assist us is starting the next few churches. Thank you for your involvement in getting the Gospel out to the world.
Enjoying the journey,
Daniel and Heather Kokubun
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
December Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
Dear Praying Friends,
The most wonderful time of the year! This Christmas may have been a little different from those we are accustomed to, but wonderful just the same. We traded the snow and the bitter cold for sunshine and scorching heat, snow men for palm trees, candy canes for panetón, and silent night for fireworks. What a great first Christmas in Peru.
God has been so good to us. Unsure of what traditions we would start and how we would spend our holiday, a few of our church families had an idea. Christmas eve morning we went to church with an army of teenagers and four of our church families. They had over 100 Christmas gifts and candy bags wrapped and ready to go. We loaded up 2 vans and 3 cars and headed up to the far side of San Genaro, the poorest part of our district. As we got out of our vehicles, we were quickly surrounded by scores of children. It did not take long to pass out all the presents. Tears filled my ears as I heard the thank-yous and saw the smiles on their faces. I looked around at our teens as reality and gratitude swept across the faces. That is the kind of tradition I love…giving back for we have been given so much.
San Genaro has become a special place for us. This is where we spend the majority of our Saturday making visits and soul winning. We have talked in the past about this area being our first church plant, but now it is time to put action to our words. We have decided to give Jesus a Christmas present…a church in San Genaro. Please pray for Jessica and me as we start this church with the help of some of our church families. I have been laying the groundwork and looking for a building and, Lord willing, the church will start in mid-January.
Of course, with the Christmas season comes a brand-new year. As we start 2013, I cannot help but rejoice in 2012. God has blessed in amazing ways during our first six months in Peru. God has blessed us with a strong church of dedicated, hungry Christians. We are currently averaging 133 people attending our church each week! This, of course, has caused a huge space issue. I am very happy to say that 2013 started off at a brand new property! One of our church families who own property near our church, have been praying for some time what God would have them do to help the church. Recently, they decided their property would be the next home of IBI! We have a lot of work to do over time, but as you can see we were able to get it “usable” in time for our New Year’s eve service. I am thrilled to watch our church go to the next level!
Not only that, but God has given us a great harvest of souls. Over the last 6 months, we have seen a total 457 trust Christ as their Saviour! Glory to God! 34 of these people have also followed the Lord in baptism. God is truly blessing. Not only do these numbers reflect salvations but also lives that have been changed. Many of those being saved were won to Christ by our church members. Over the last couple months, we have averaged over 30 people going out soul winning every Saturday!
Please pray that God continues to guide and enable us in 2013. Having established a strong base and adapted to our new home, we are ready to take our ministry to a whole new level. Not only do we plan on turning this property into a beautiful church where we can triple our size, but we want to triple our church right away! In January, we will plant a church in San Genaro. In February, a church in San Gabriel. In March, a church in Surco. We have big plans for a big God and a big year. God has shown us He is very willing and able. Our church people are excited and ready. 2013 will be the year we begin to reach all of Lima from Villa Marina…and then all of Peru…and all of South America.
Thank you for partnering with us through your prayers and support. I hope you see that your investment and sacrifice is not in vain. If you don’t already, please follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter and see day by day all that God is doing in Peru. I thank God for my first six months and I cannot wait to see the next six.
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
The most wonderful time of the year! This Christmas may have been a little different from those we are accustomed to, but wonderful just the same. We traded the snow and the bitter cold for sunshine and scorching heat, snow men for palm trees, candy canes for panetón, and silent night for fireworks. What a great first Christmas in Peru.
God has been so good to us. Unsure of what traditions we would start and how we would spend our holiday, a few of our church families had an idea. Christmas eve morning we went to church with an army of teenagers and four of our church families. They had over 100 Christmas gifts and candy bags wrapped and ready to go. We loaded up 2 vans and 3 cars and headed up to the far side of San Genaro, the poorest part of our district. As we got out of our vehicles, we were quickly surrounded by scores of children. It did not take long to pass out all the presents. Tears filled my ears as I heard the thank-yous and saw the smiles on their faces. I looked around at our teens as reality and gratitude swept across the faces. That is the kind of tradition I love…giving back for we have been given so much.
San Genaro has become a special place for us. This is where we spend the majority of our Saturday making visits and soul winning. We have talked in the past about this area being our first church plant, but now it is time to put action to our words. We have decided to give Jesus a Christmas present…a church in San Genaro. Please pray for Jessica and me as we start this church with the help of some of our church families. I have been laying the groundwork and looking for a building and, Lord willing, the church will start in mid-January.
Of course, with the Christmas season comes a brand-new year. As we start 2013, I cannot help but rejoice in 2012. God has blessed in amazing ways during our first six months in Peru. God has blessed us with a strong church of dedicated, hungry Christians. We are currently averaging 133 people attending our church each week! This, of course, has caused a huge space issue. I am very happy to say that 2013 started off at a brand new property! One of our church families who own property near our church, have been praying for some time what God would have them do to help the church. Recently, they decided their property would be the next home of IBI! We have a lot of work to do over time, but as you can see we were able to get it “usable” in time for our New Year’s eve service. I am thrilled to watch our church go to the next level!
Not only that, but God has given us a great harvest of souls. Over the last 6 months, we have seen a total 457 trust Christ as their Saviour! Glory to God! 34 of these people have also followed the Lord in baptism. God is truly blessing. Not only do these numbers reflect salvations but also lives that have been changed. Many of those being saved were won to Christ by our church members. Over the last couple months, we have averaged over 30 people going out soul winning every Saturday!
Please pray that God continues to guide and enable us in 2013. Having established a strong base and adapted to our new home, we are ready to take our ministry to a whole new level. Not only do we plan on turning this property into a beautiful church where we can triple our size, but we want to triple our church right away! In January, we will plant a church in San Genaro. In February, a church in San Gabriel. In March, a church in Surco. We have big plans for a big God and a big year. God has shown us He is very willing and able. Our church people are excited and ready. 2013 will be the year we begin to reach all of Lima from Villa Marina…and then all of Peru…and all of South America.
Thank you for partnering with us through your prayers and support. I hope you see that your investment and sacrifice is not in vain. If you don’t already, please follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter and see day by day all that God is doing in Peru. I thank God for my first six months and I cannot wait to see the next six.
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
December Prayer Letter from the Hubbard Family
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
The Christmas season is upon us once again, and one can’t help but become more sentimental this time of year. We have now lived in Peru for six months, and we can only praise the Lord for the journey we’ve traveled this year. My cup runs over with gratitude to every individual who brings our names or our team before the Lord in prayer. I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of so many to support us monetarily each month. I am humbled that God Almighty saw fit to put me in His ministry to shepherd His believers here at Iglesia Bautista Internacional. He is an awesome God!
We’ve been extremely busy since our last letter. To God be the glory . . . our container with all of our personal belongings and ministry belongings finally cleared customs and was released from the port just after Thanksgiving! It was a long, tedious job but worth it to see the joy reflected in my children’s eyes and on
the face of my wife! It has been tremendously helpful to have these things to make our home more like home and to have resources in abundance.
The church continues to steadily grow, not only in number but also in rooted disciples. We’ve had a number of families complete the ten-week home-discipleship program we’ve established and are now moving on to help various team families
begin and teach new Bible studies.
Another victory has transpired in recent days, as the Lord has finally opened a door for us for a larger facility for our church to meet! The family whose home we’ve been using to hold our bi-weekly baptismal services owns a large, walled, open-air area behind their house. They have agreed to allow us to rent it for use for an auditorium. There is space enough for us to put prefabricated rooms along one side for use as Sunday school space, children’s church, and a nursery. It is only a block and a half from where we meet presently and is on a main thoroughfare. I can’t tell you how excited I am about the next level we can now push toward.
As a Christmas present to our Saviour, we will begin our second church. It will be located in a prime area up the mountain, about 20 minutes from our present church. We have a number of families that come from that area that will form the core of the church. We’ve been busy looking for a facility and laying the groundwork. We hope to have our first service just after the first of the year.
I don’t often mention my family in our letters, but this month I wanted to give an update on how we are doing. Our children are growing like weeds. With the arrival of our container, we were finally able to begin school. We’ve had a late start, but a plan is in place to catch them up in a reasonable amount of time. We’ve been
blessed with good health and are enjoying the change of weather, as we are seeing the sun more and the temperatures are beginning to climb. (Because we are south of the equator, our seasons are opposite). I wanted, too, to share the news that Christy is expecting our fifth child in April. Her pregnancy has been smooth so far, and
the children are excited about a new sibling. Ivana is praying for a sister!
In recent days I’ve been consumed with a thought: The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
As we begin a new year, I am renewing my passion and vision of church multiplication. There is so much need for a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching church in every urbanization of Lima, in every city of Peru, in every country of South America, and in the entire Spanish-speaking world. I am committed anew to being a worthy investment of your time in prayer and your monetary investment. We press toward the mark.
We trust that you and yours will enjoy a wonderful Christmas season and a blessed New Year! We love and appreciate you!
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
The Christmas season is upon us once again, and one can’t help but become more sentimental this time of year. We have now lived in Peru for six months, and we can only praise the Lord for the journey we’ve traveled this year. My cup runs over with gratitude to every individual who brings our names or our team before the Lord in prayer. I am overwhelmed by the faithfulness of so many to support us monetarily each month. I am humbled that God Almighty saw fit to put me in His ministry to shepherd His believers here at Iglesia Bautista Internacional. He is an awesome God!
We’ve been extremely busy since our last letter. To God be the glory . . . our container with all of our personal belongings and ministry belongings finally cleared customs and was released from the port just after Thanksgiving! It was a long, tedious job but worth it to see the joy reflected in my children’s eyes and on
the face of my wife! It has been tremendously helpful to have these things to make our home more like home and to have resources in abundance.
The church continues to steadily grow, not only in number but also in rooted disciples. We’ve had a number of families complete the ten-week home-discipleship program we’ve established and are now moving on to help various team families
begin and teach new Bible studies.
Another victory has transpired in recent days, as the Lord has finally opened a door for us for a larger facility for our church to meet! The family whose home we’ve been using to hold our bi-weekly baptismal services owns a large, walled, open-air area behind their house. They have agreed to allow us to rent it for use for an auditorium. There is space enough for us to put prefabricated rooms along one side for use as Sunday school space, children’s church, and a nursery. It is only a block and a half from where we meet presently and is on a main thoroughfare. I can’t tell you how excited I am about the next level we can now push toward.
As a Christmas present to our Saviour, we will begin our second church. It will be located in a prime area up the mountain, about 20 minutes from our present church. We have a number of families that come from that area that will form the core of the church. We’ve been busy looking for a facility and laying the groundwork. We hope to have our first service just after the first of the year.
I don’t often mention my family in our letters, but this month I wanted to give an update on how we are doing. Our children are growing like weeds. With the arrival of our container, we were finally able to begin school. We’ve had a late start, but a plan is in place to catch them up in a reasonable amount of time. We’ve been
blessed with good health and are enjoying the change of weather, as we are seeing the sun more and the temperatures are beginning to climb. (Because we are south of the equator, our seasons are opposite). I wanted, too, to share the news that Christy is expecting our fifth child in April. Her pregnancy has been smooth so far, and
the children are excited about a new sibling. Ivana is praying for a sister!
In recent days I’ve been consumed with a thought: The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
As we begin a new year, I am renewing my passion and vision of church multiplication. There is so much need for a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching church in every urbanization of Lima, in every city of Peru, in every country of South America, and in the entire Spanish-speaking world. I am committed anew to being a worthy investment of your time in prayer and your monetary investment. We press toward the mark.
We trust that you and yours will enjoy a wonderful Christmas season and a blessed New Year! We love and appreciate you!
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
Monday, December 17, 2012
November Prayer Letter from the Foust Family
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
Busy, busy, busy! As the holiday season descends upon us, we find ourselves busier than ever in the service of the King! While our thoughts and prayers are with our families and friends back in the States, our attention and devotion remain firmly planted right here in Lima, Peru.
God has been very good to our family in the last month. We have seen our church grow
both numerically and spiritually. We have been enjoying the challenging task of
discipling people who have been steeped in Catholicism and various cults. These people are truly hungry for the truth of God’s Word. At each Bible study and after each service at the church, men and women remain to ask questions about the Bible. We often find ourselves wearily dragging home very late into the night after these times, rejoicing that God would allow us to help these precious people learn more about Him.
Recently one of our faithful men named Pablo approached me on a Saturday morning at
the soul-winning meeting. He was on his way to the funeral of one of his coworkers and asked if I would be willing to attend with him to help him share the Gospel with the friends and family of the deceased. Of course, I was glad to do so, and soon we arrived at the house where the body of the man was being held. (They do not embalm the bodies here generally. So the bodies are kept in the house, and a memorial service is held there.) After I greeted the family and friends who were assembled, the wife asked if I would be willing to speak from the Bible to all those present. I gave a simple salvation message and then led in the sinner’s prayer for anyone who wished to receive Christ as their personal Saviour. After the prayer, I asked those who had prayed with me to raise their hands, and 13 adults acknowledged that they had trusted Christ to save them. Praise the Lord! Later the wife told me that Pablo had repeatedly asked her husband to attend church with him, but her husband had always refused to come. We rejoice that his funeral allowed many of his relatives a chance to trust Christ. We are so excited about the many souls who have come to Christ recently.
Although much of my time this last month has been occupied with working to get our
container released from customs, our family was still able to see more than 40 people
trust Christ as their Saviour. At this writing, the container has finally been released, and we are happy to report that the team families’ belongings and our church materials are safe and sound! Please continue to pray for our property search. With attendances now over 100 on Sundays, we are in desperate need of a larger facility for our main church. As always, we will work diligently to secure a location while relying on God to direct in His timing.
We hope each of you has a very Merry Christmas! May God continue to bless you.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Busy, busy, busy! As the holiday season descends upon us, we find ourselves busier than ever in the service of the King! While our thoughts and prayers are with our families and friends back in the States, our attention and devotion remain firmly planted right here in Lima, Peru.
God has been very good to our family in the last month. We have seen our church grow
both numerically and spiritually. We have been enjoying the challenging task of
discipling people who have been steeped in Catholicism and various cults. These people are truly hungry for the truth of God’s Word. At each Bible study and after each service at the church, men and women remain to ask questions about the Bible. We often find ourselves wearily dragging home very late into the night after these times, rejoicing that God would allow us to help these precious people learn more about Him.
Recently one of our faithful men named Pablo approached me on a Saturday morning at
the soul-winning meeting. He was on his way to the funeral of one of his coworkers and asked if I would be willing to attend with him to help him share the Gospel with the friends and family of the deceased. Of course, I was glad to do so, and soon we arrived at the house where the body of the man was being held. (They do not embalm the bodies here generally. So the bodies are kept in the house, and a memorial service is held there.) After I greeted the family and friends who were assembled, the wife asked if I would be willing to speak from the Bible to all those present. I gave a simple salvation message and then led in the sinner’s prayer for anyone who wished to receive Christ as their personal Saviour. After the prayer, I asked those who had prayed with me to raise their hands, and 13 adults acknowledged that they had trusted Christ to save them. Praise the Lord! Later the wife told me that Pablo had repeatedly asked her husband to attend church with him, but her husband had always refused to come. We rejoice that his funeral allowed many of his relatives a chance to trust Christ. We are so excited about the many souls who have come to Christ recently.
Although much of my time this last month has been occupied with working to get our
container released from customs, our family was still able to see more than 40 people
trust Christ as their Saviour. At this writing, the container has finally been released, and we are happy to report that the team families’ belongings and our church materials are safe and sound! Please continue to pray for our property search. With attendances now over 100 on Sundays, we are in desperate need of a larger facility for our main church. As always, we will work diligently to secure a location while relying on God to direct in His timing.
We hope each of you has a very Merry Christmas! May God continue to bless you.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Thursday, December 13, 2012
November Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
December 5, 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4 We truly have so much for which to be thankful. I know that November is not the only month that should reflect our gratitude, however, I must admit that this November gave us a lot to be thankful for! Where oh where do I begin…
Thankful for our church. God has blessed us with an amazing ministry in the heart of Chorrillos! The way that our church has grown can only be contributed to God. In all honesty (I dread even saying this), we have not tried to accelerate the growth of our church. We have not promoted or had any type of campaign, simply because we do not have the space to accommodate the growth. We go soul-winning, follow-up on our visitors, and hold 8 different Bible studies each week. But God has given us a great group of people! Just this past Sunday we had our two highest attendances to date, 109 in the morning and 93 that night! God is so good!
Thankful for our people. That is what the church truly is! As thankful as I am for the numerical growth of our people, I am even more thankful for their spiritual growth. We have seen so many miracles in the lives of our people. As Cecilia went soul-winning with my wife this past week, we both realized that incredible desire she has serve God and reach her family. Yanira is a new teenager who has humbled both of us with her sweet spirit. She too has a desire to grow and has helped us lead many of her family to Christ.
Another family we have seen great growth in is Julio and Veronique. Several weeks ago, they were able to set their reservations aside and follow the Lord in baptism. It was a great day! Every Saturday night, I have a Bible study at their house. I started the 10 week study with them 15 weeks ago (you do the math)! They can’t get enough. Lord willing, they will be helping me start another Bible study this month.
Thankful for opportunities. God has given us some great opportunities to make a difference in our area. As already stated we have 8 in-home Bible studies occurring every week. These Bible studies are averaging 68 people every week. Between 14 and 20 of these are people that do not even attend our church! In addition to this, I am glad that soul-winning still works! This last month a total of 31 trusted Christ as a result of soul-winning. An additional 32 people were saved through outreach and services, and a total of six were baptized.
The greatest opportunity for which I am thankful is the opportunity to be used. Two weeks ago, Jessica and I reflected on that opportunity. It is hard to believe that one year ago, we were both in the hospital not sure if we would have this opportunity. But God is the great physician and I am so amazed by his healing and the way He has worked in our lives. God is so good to use us!
Thankful for answered prayers. I am grateful for a God Who hears and answers our prayers. We have had so many prayers answered, but one prayer in particular has been prayed for by many of you. The Wednesday after Thanksgiving our container was released and all of our personal and ministry items were delivered to our home. This was a great day! Thank you to each and every one of you who prayed. God blessed miraculously not only in giving us our stuff, but also in the amount of taxes we payed. I serve an awesome God!
Thankful for our team. Every day, I am able to rejoice in the great group of people God has called to work alongside us here in Peru. Especially, during this holiday season, while family is far away, it is a blessing to have a group of people we can celebrate with. We had a grand Thanksgiving dinner with the members of our team and several of our church people! I could not imagine this ministry without the families God has brought together as Team Peru!
Thankful for you. Every day, we feel the loves and prayers of each of you. Thank you to each and everyone of you who make this ministry what it is. Thank you also to the Antioch Baptist Church in Michigan who voted to take us on for support this past month. I believe with all my heart that we will reach Peru through Chorrillos; thank you sharing in our burden.
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Dear Praying Friends,
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4 We truly have so much for which to be thankful. I know that November is not the only month that should reflect our gratitude, however, I must admit that this November gave us a lot to be thankful for! Where oh where do I begin…
Thankful for our church. God has blessed us with an amazing ministry in the heart of Chorrillos! The way that our church has grown can only be contributed to God. In all honesty (I dread even saying this), we have not tried to accelerate the growth of our church. We have not promoted or had any type of campaign, simply because we do not have the space to accommodate the growth. We go soul-winning, follow-up on our visitors, and hold 8 different Bible studies each week. But God has given us a great group of people! Just this past Sunday we had our two highest attendances to date, 109 in the morning and 93 that night! God is so good!
Thankful for our people. That is what the church truly is! As thankful as I am for the numerical growth of our people, I am even more thankful for their spiritual growth. We have seen so many miracles in the lives of our people. As Cecilia went soul-winning with my wife this past week, we both realized that incredible desire she has serve God and reach her family. Yanira is a new teenager who has humbled both of us with her sweet spirit. She too has a desire to grow and has helped us lead many of her family to Christ.
Another family we have seen great growth in is Julio and Veronique. Several weeks ago, they were able to set their reservations aside and follow the Lord in baptism. It was a great day! Every Saturday night, I have a Bible study at their house. I started the 10 week study with them 15 weeks ago (you do the math)! They can’t get enough. Lord willing, they will be helping me start another Bible study this month.
Thankful for opportunities. God has given us some great opportunities to make a difference in our area. As already stated we have 8 in-home Bible studies occurring every week. These Bible studies are averaging 68 people every week. Between 14 and 20 of these are people that do not even attend our church! In addition to this, I am glad that soul-winning still works! This last month a total of 31 trusted Christ as a result of soul-winning. An additional 32 people were saved through outreach and services, and a total of six were baptized.
The greatest opportunity for which I am thankful is the opportunity to be used. Two weeks ago, Jessica and I reflected on that opportunity. It is hard to believe that one year ago, we were both in the hospital not sure if we would have this opportunity. But God is the great physician and I am so amazed by his healing and the way He has worked in our lives. God is so good to use us!
Thankful for answered prayers. I am grateful for a God Who hears and answers our prayers. We have had so many prayers answered, but one prayer in particular has been prayed for by many of you. The Wednesday after Thanksgiving our container was released and all of our personal and ministry items were delivered to our home. This was a great day! Thank you to each and every one of you who prayed. God blessed miraculously not only in giving us our stuff, but also in the amount of taxes we payed. I serve an awesome God!
Thankful for our team. Every day, I am able to rejoice in the great group of people God has called to work alongside us here in Peru. Especially, during this holiday season, while family is far away, it is a blessing to have a group of people we can celebrate with. We had a grand Thanksgiving dinner with the members of our team and several of our church people! I could not imagine this ministry without the families God has brought together as Team Peru!
Thankful for you. Every day, we feel the loves and prayers of each of you. Thank you to each and everyone of you who make this ministry what it is. Thank you also to the Antioch Baptist Church in Michigan who voted to take us on for support this past month. I believe with all my heart that we will reach Peru through Chorrillos; thank you sharing in our burden.
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Thursday, November 15, 2012
October Prayer Letter from the Kokubun Family
Sitting in a small storefront church on a Sunday morning, I gazed across a congregation of people as they partook in the Lord's Supper. Some had a tear in their eye, others a peaceful look on their face, but all the joy of salvation in their heart. This Sunday morning, God's people participated in what has become one of my personal favorite times in our young church. Young Christians realizing how great a Savior they have, what it took to save them from eternal hell, and how much God really loves them.
More and more our little church on the corner is becoming like a family. Many Wednesday evenings are filled with laughter, good teaching, and fellowship. Preacher always asks for a short time where we get to share blessings that have happened to us that week before we pray. I enjoy so much hearing our people praise the Lord.
We have gotten particularly close to one family: Carlos, Anita, Alexandra and Lucas Alvites. What a joy it has been to teach them the Bible every Thursday in our weekly Bible study. Their hunger for truth has been humbling and amazing to me. There are few things I like more than explaining the Bible to them.
It all started with a visit from Anita to our church. Anita had heard the buzz of the new church in Chorrillos, but being Catholic was a bit skeptical of Iglesia Bautista International. Finally one Sunday night about three months ago, she casually
walked in and sat in the back of our service. Her husband Carlos stayed outside the church walking back and forth scared to enter this "new" church. An invitation from the pulpit cured him as Preacher in the middle of his announcements compelled Carlos to enter. They were hooked. Both received Jesus Christ as their Savior that night. After the service both thanked preacher for his kindness and asked him to pray for
their daughter who was giving them trouble at home.
The very next Wednesday Alexandra attended our services. My wife had the wonderful
opportunity of sharing the Gospel with her. Alexandra was sweetly saved. Over the next week something incredible happened. I do not know what kind of girl Alexandra was before she entered our church building, but her parents say that she was completely transformed as a result of finding the truth. Jesus completely changed her life. She was no longer a rebellious teenager, but now a child of God with a sweet joyful spirit. She is now one of our core young people in our growing youth group.
There is something special about winning someone to Christ, but there is nothing like seeing your convert lead another person to the Lord. What a happy day it was when I looked down the street and saw my wife witnessing to a little girl and just across the way, Alexandra winning her first soul to Christ.
Our youth department is slowly growing. God's timing in our lives has truly been perfect. It seems the more of the Spanish language I am able to understand and speak, the more God allows me to do with our young people. We have started our youth choir this month who will be singing in church in a couple of weeks. We also had our first youth activity. The couple you see on the left of the picture are Anita and Carlos. They have and continue to change my life with each passing week. Carlos has a desire to teach and preach the Word of God. Their family has been a blessing to us in so many ways. It is funny, so many times when you are working to give a blessing whether through our Bible study, soul winning, or working with our young people, that I many times am the one receiving the blessing.
We also feel this way about you and your church through every kind word that is messaged, every phone call made, and every dollar given. We know that we represent you and God to these people here in Chorrillos, Lima, Peru. We do not take that lightly. Thank you never seems to be sufficient to say for all you have done for us. But, Thank You.
Always in our prayers,
Daniel & Heather Kokubun
More and more our little church on the corner is becoming like a family. Many Wednesday evenings are filled with laughter, good teaching, and fellowship. Preacher always asks for a short time where we get to share blessings that have happened to us that week before we pray. I enjoy so much hearing our people praise the Lord.
We have gotten particularly close to one family: Carlos, Anita, Alexandra and Lucas Alvites. What a joy it has been to teach them the Bible every Thursday in our weekly Bible study. Their hunger for truth has been humbling and amazing to me. There are few things I like more than explaining the Bible to them.
It all started with a visit from Anita to our church. Anita had heard the buzz of the new church in Chorrillos, but being Catholic was a bit skeptical of Iglesia Bautista International. Finally one Sunday night about three months ago, she casually
walked in and sat in the back of our service. Her husband Carlos stayed outside the church walking back and forth scared to enter this "new" church. An invitation from the pulpit cured him as Preacher in the middle of his announcements compelled Carlos to enter. They were hooked. Both received Jesus Christ as their Savior that night. After the service both thanked preacher for his kindness and asked him to pray for
their daughter who was giving them trouble at home.
The very next Wednesday Alexandra attended our services. My wife had the wonderful
opportunity of sharing the Gospel with her. Alexandra was sweetly saved. Over the next week something incredible happened. I do not know what kind of girl Alexandra was before she entered our church building, but her parents say that she was completely transformed as a result of finding the truth. Jesus completely changed her life. She was no longer a rebellious teenager, but now a child of God with a sweet joyful spirit. She is now one of our core young people in our growing youth group.
There is something special about winning someone to Christ, but there is nothing like seeing your convert lead another person to the Lord. What a happy day it was when I looked down the street and saw my wife witnessing to a little girl and just across the way, Alexandra winning her first soul to Christ.
Our youth department is slowly growing. God's timing in our lives has truly been perfect. It seems the more of the Spanish language I am able to understand and speak, the more God allows me to do with our young people. We have started our youth choir this month who will be singing in church in a couple of weeks. We also had our first youth activity. The couple you see on the left of the picture are Anita and Carlos. They have and continue to change my life with each passing week. Carlos has a desire to teach and preach the Word of God. Their family has been a blessing to us in so many ways. It is funny, so many times when you are working to give a blessing whether through our Bible study, soul winning, or working with our young people, that I many times am the one receiving the blessing.
We also feel this way about you and your church through every kind word that is messaged, every phone call made, and every dollar given. We know that we represent you and God to these people here in Chorrillos, Lima, Peru. We do not take that lightly. Thank you never seems to be sufficient to say for all you have done for us. But, Thank You.
Always in our prayers,
Daniel & Heather Kokubun
Thursday, November 8, 2012
October Prayer Letter from the Hubbard Family
September-October 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
It is unbelievable how quickly time is racing by. Shortly we will have been in Peru for five months. I pause amidst our busy lives and see all that God has done in five short months. All I can do is praise His name. It is truly to His praise and glory—
every soul that has been saved and every life that has been changed, and the little church on the corner is there only because He has allowed it to happen!
We have yet to secure a larger facility for our church, although we have been earnestly asking and seeking and knocking all around our district. The property we were so hopeful to get has fallen through. I am confident we are where we should be
at this moment, and I know God has what we need. We are simply waiting for God to open the door on His timetable.
We’ve held three baptismal services now. Because our little corner church is far too small to house a baptistery, we hold baptismal services at the house of a church
member every other Sunday. It is thrilling to see new believers make their faith public in following in obedience to be baptized. We’ve baptized 23 converts thus far.
Because we have maxed out our church facility’s space, we have not had one big push for attendance to services. Nonetheless, there has not been one public service that
we haven’t had visitors and souls saved, and we fill the house nearly every service! We have concentrated much on discipling our converts. I personally am teaching eight
to nine times a week. Outside of the three main services, I teach two different home Bible studies, as well as teaching the Spanish language to those on the team who don’t speak it. We meet three days a week, four hours a day.
As I look over my statement from the mission board the first of each month, I am reminded of the host of families that make it possible for us to do what we get to do here. Those families make up the faithful churches that send their support each month. We are so grateful for your faithful support. We are witnessing miracles every week here. Thank you for partnering with us to reach these precious people.
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
Dear Praying Friends,
It is unbelievable how quickly time is racing by. Shortly we will have been in Peru for five months. I pause amidst our busy lives and see all that God has done in five short months. All I can do is praise His name. It is truly to His praise and glory—
every soul that has been saved and every life that has been changed, and the little church on the corner is there only because He has allowed it to happen!
We have yet to secure a larger facility for our church, although we have been earnestly asking and seeking and knocking all around our district. The property we were so hopeful to get has fallen through. I am confident we are where we should be
at this moment, and I know God has what we need. We are simply waiting for God to open the door on His timetable.
We’ve held three baptismal services now. Because our little corner church is far too small to house a baptistery, we hold baptismal services at the house of a church
member every other Sunday. It is thrilling to see new believers make their faith public in following in obedience to be baptized. We’ve baptized 23 converts thus far.
Because we have maxed out our church facility’s space, we have not had one big push for attendance to services. Nonetheless, there has not been one public service that
we haven’t had visitors and souls saved, and we fill the house nearly every service! We have concentrated much on discipling our converts. I personally am teaching eight
to nine times a week. Outside of the three main services, I teach two different home Bible studies, as well as teaching the Spanish language to those on the team who don’t speak it. We meet three days a week, four hours a day.
As I look over my statement from the mission board the first of each month, I am reminded of the host of families that make it possible for us to do what we get to do here. Those families make up the faithful churches that send their support each month. We are so grateful for your faithful support. We are witnessing miracles every week here. Thank you for partnering with us to reach these precious people.
For His glory,
Dan Hubbard
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
October Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
November 5, 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
Another month has passed, and God has continued to increase my faith and bless in ways I never thought possible. October is a very unique month in Peru. October is the Month of Purple, a “holy month” (as deemed by the Catholic church), an entire month dedicated to a so-called saint, Señor de los Milagros. Every day we watched as men, women, boys, and girls went about their daily routines dressed in purple and white outfits as seen in the picture. Each Sunday the large Catholic church down the street had parties, services, and parades, which many times marched in front of our church during our services! As weird and even annoying as this month may have been, these last few weeks have opened my eyes to the sad truth, the truth of how blinded the Peruvian people are! God is blessing us in an incredible way; however, we are barely scratching the surface! We still have a lot of work that needs to be done!
I am grateful for the work we have been able to do. In just a few days, our church will be a vibrant four months old! I am so thankful for all that God has done these last four months. Not a service goes by where we do not have visitors and people saved. We have been able to maintain our baptistery at the Yañez house, and we are having a baptismal service every other Sunday. In October we were able to baptize six of our converts. God is good! We also have eight Bible studies going on in different homes throughout the week.
As I mentioned in our last letter, Zach Foust and I were able to start a new Bible study four weeks ago in the San Gabriel neighborhood of Villa María del Triunfo. It has been a great success. We have been averaging 17 in the Salazar home and have seen a total of seven people saved. This is such a precious family with a great desire to have a church in their neighborhood. I believe that dream will come to fruition sooner than they realize!
Although Señor Milagros has no saving power, my God does, and His saving grace is available. A total of 108 people trusted Christ this month through soul winning and our church services! Amen! A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting in San Genaro like I do every Saturday. As I was leaving a visit, I passed by a young lady who was rushing home. I handed her tract and invited her to church. She was very kind and interested, so I asked her if she knew she was on her way to Heaven. She replied, “No, it all depends on how much good we do, right?” I told her it was not and began to share the Gospel with her. As soon as I started, she explained to me that her mom was at work, and she had to rush home to fix lunch for her little brother before going to work herself. Reluctantly, I asked her if I could come back earlier the next week and visit her. She said, “Yes,” and we parted company. The next Saturday, with high hopes, I went to her house. When she answered the door, she said with a smile, “You remembered to come!” I proceeded to share the plan of salvation with her, and Katy (not to be confused with the other one) prayed and asked Christ into her heart. What an open door God has given us here!
Speaking of open doors, God has already begun to show us how we will begin to accomplish our goal of multiplying churches through Peru. Just last week Bro. Hubbard and I sat down with two Peruvian pastors to discuss the possibility of training young men from their churches to start churches. I also spoke with another Peruvian man this week who has a desire and wants help starting a church in Surco—where we just started a new Bible study! God is opening doors; we just need to be ready to walk through them!
Please continue to be in prayer for several items. First, we still are searching and praying that God will help us find a new, larger location for our church. Second, pray for our people as they continue to grow in the Christian life. Third, pray for our container from the States. I have not mentioned much about this, but despite a few setbacks, we should have it in our possession by the end of this week. This will be a huge answer to prayer. Finally, pray that God will continue to bring men across our path, as well as call men out of our church to help us take the Gospel throughout Peru.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your faithful prayers and support. It is truly an honor to serve in Peru on your behalf. Each day I get to live a dream and see miracle after miracle. This is only possible because of you. God bless you, and we appreciate your prayers!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Dear Praying Friends,
Another month has passed, and God has continued to increase my faith and bless in ways I never thought possible. October is a very unique month in Peru. October is the Month of Purple, a “holy month” (as deemed by the Catholic church), an entire month dedicated to a so-called saint, Señor de los Milagros. Every day we watched as men, women, boys, and girls went about their daily routines dressed in purple and white outfits as seen in the picture. Each Sunday the large Catholic church down the street had parties, services, and parades, which many times marched in front of our church during our services! As weird and even annoying as this month may have been, these last few weeks have opened my eyes to the sad truth, the truth of how blinded the Peruvian people are! God is blessing us in an incredible way; however, we are barely scratching the surface! We still have a lot of work that needs to be done!
I am grateful for the work we have been able to do. In just a few days, our church will be a vibrant four months old! I am so thankful for all that God has done these last four months. Not a service goes by where we do not have visitors and people saved. We have been able to maintain our baptistery at the Yañez house, and we are having a baptismal service every other Sunday. In October we were able to baptize six of our converts. God is good! We also have eight Bible studies going on in different homes throughout the week.
As I mentioned in our last letter, Zach Foust and I were able to start a new Bible study four weeks ago in the San Gabriel neighborhood of Villa María del Triunfo. It has been a great success. We have been averaging 17 in the Salazar home and have seen a total of seven people saved. This is such a precious family with a great desire to have a church in their neighborhood. I believe that dream will come to fruition sooner than they realize!
Although Señor Milagros has no saving power, my God does, and His saving grace is available. A total of 108 people trusted Christ this month through soul winning and our church services! Amen! A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting in San Genaro like I do every Saturday. As I was leaving a visit, I passed by a young lady who was rushing home. I handed her tract and invited her to church. She was very kind and interested, so I asked her if she knew she was on her way to Heaven. She replied, “No, it all depends on how much good we do, right?” I told her it was not and began to share the Gospel with her. As soon as I started, she explained to me that her mom was at work, and she had to rush home to fix lunch for her little brother before going to work herself. Reluctantly, I asked her if I could come back earlier the next week and visit her. She said, “Yes,” and we parted company. The next Saturday, with high hopes, I went to her house. When she answered the door, she said with a smile, “You remembered to come!” I proceeded to share the plan of salvation with her, and Katy (not to be confused with the other one) prayed and asked Christ into her heart. What an open door God has given us here!
Speaking of open doors, God has already begun to show us how we will begin to accomplish our goal of multiplying churches through Peru. Just last week Bro. Hubbard and I sat down with two Peruvian pastors to discuss the possibility of training young men from their churches to start churches. I also spoke with another Peruvian man this week who has a desire and wants help starting a church in Surco—where we just started a new Bible study! God is opening doors; we just need to be ready to walk through them!
Please continue to be in prayer for several items. First, we still are searching and praying that God will help us find a new, larger location for our church. Second, pray for our people as they continue to grow in the Christian life. Third, pray for our container from the States. I have not mentioned much about this, but despite a few setbacks, we should have it in our possession by the end of this week. This will be a huge answer to prayer. Finally, pray that God will continue to bring men across our path, as well as call men out of our church to help us take the Gospel throughout Peru.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your faithful prayers and support. It is truly an honor to serve in Peru on your behalf. Each day I get to live a dream and see miracle after miracle. This is only possible because of you. God bless you, and we appreciate your prayers!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
October Prayer Letter from the Raders
Dear Praying Friends,
October was outstanding! We presented our work in 7 churches in 4 different states. We devoted a great amount of time to our final preparations for Peru. We fly to Peru on November 27. One huge blessing to report concerning our preparations: the Lord gave us a pediatrician who took care of our children’s vaccinations free of charge. Another blessing is that our outgoing and departure needs are being met by so many kind friends and churches. Over half is raised now.
There are some soul-winning blessings from this month that are too good not to share. Aaron Vance and I were visiting during the week for a church bus route in Indiana. We were promoting a free carnival after church on Sunday. As we were signing up bus riders, one of the moms invited us in to pray over her husband Ken. While in the military, Ken fell out of a Blackhawk helicopter in Somalia. Half of his body was paralyzed. This caused his speech to be slurred, but his mind was very sharp. After we prayed over Ken, I knelt down next to him and firmly looked him in the eyes. I then asked softly, “Ken, if there was only one thing that you could ask from God, for what would you ask?” He said, “To walk.” I continued by telling a story in Mark 2: There was a crippled man who was brought to Jesus through the roof of a house. Before Jesus healed the man, He said to him, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Being healed
was important to the man. The man being saved from sin and Hell was much more important to God. Less than 30 minutes later, Ken accepted Christ as his only Saviour. While out visiting the next day, Ken’s wife found us and said, “Ever since you helped my husband get saved, he has been on Cloud 9. I have never seen him this happy.” Don’t worry. Ken will walk again. Hallelujah!
Later that week on Sunday, we had 44 first-time visitors ride our bus. I taught a Sunday school class of 4 boys. All 4 came on our bus. All 4, Jesse, Thomas, William, and Justin, were saved that morning; and after calling their moms, all 4 were baptized the same day. God is good!
Our deputation is coming to a close. We have enjoyed the fellowship of so many friends and churches and countless blessings along the way. Please pray for our family and Team Peru as a whole. Some of our teammates in Peru are sick right now. Please pray that God will continue to open great doors of opportunity for our team. If you would like to help with our outgoing and departure needs, you can request them by e-mail at rader.teamperu@gmail.com. Thank you to so many for your love, prayers, and support. We love you. God bless you.
His for souls,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, and Paul Rader
October was outstanding! We presented our work in 7 churches in 4 different states. We devoted a great amount of time to our final preparations for Peru. We fly to Peru on November 27. One huge blessing to report concerning our preparations: the Lord gave us a pediatrician who took care of our children’s vaccinations free of charge. Another blessing is that our outgoing and departure needs are being met by so many kind friends and churches. Over half is raised now.
There are some soul-winning blessings from this month that are too good not to share. Aaron Vance and I were visiting during the week for a church bus route in Indiana. We were promoting a free carnival after church on Sunday. As we were signing up bus riders, one of the moms invited us in to pray over her husband Ken. While in the military, Ken fell out of a Blackhawk helicopter in Somalia. Half of his body was paralyzed. This caused his speech to be slurred, but his mind was very sharp. After we prayed over Ken, I knelt down next to him and firmly looked him in the eyes. I then asked softly, “Ken, if there was only one thing that you could ask from God, for what would you ask?” He said, “To walk.” I continued by telling a story in Mark 2: There was a crippled man who was brought to Jesus through the roof of a house. Before Jesus healed the man, He said to him, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Being healed
was important to the man. The man being saved from sin and Hell was much more important to God. Less than 30 minutes later, Ken accepted Christ as his only Saviour. While out visiting the next day, Ken’s wife found us and said, “Ever since you helped my husband get saved, he has been on Cloud 9. I have never seen him this happy.” Don’t worry. Ken will walk again. Hallelujah!
Later that week on Sunday, we had 44 first-time visitors ride our bus. I taught a Sunday school class of 4 boys. All 4 came on our bus. All 4, Jesse, Thomas, William, and Justin, were saved that morning; and after calling their moms, all 4 were baptized the same day. God is good!
Our deputation is coming to a close. We have enjoyed the fellowship of so many friends and churches and countless blessings along the way. Please pray for our family and Team Peru as a whole. Some of our teammates in Peru are sick right now. Please pray that God will continue to open great doors of opportunity for our team. If you would like to help with our outgoing and departure needs, you can request them by e-mail at rader.teamperu@gmail.com. Thank you to so many for your love, prayers, and support. We love you. God bless you.
His for souls,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, and Paul Rader
Thursday, November 1, 2012
October Prayer Letter from the Miskovics
November 1, 2012
Dear Friend,
As October has come to an end and I reflect back on all the blessings that have come our way, I am still overwhelmed at the greatness of God. We started our weekly Friday night Bible study in the district of Surco, Peru. The attendance has been great. We are using a storefront building where a Christian lady has a curtain business. She came to the main church in Villa Marina and asked us to start a Bible study there. We have seen people saved and coming to the main church because of the Bible study.
The main church, Iglesia Bautista International, in Villa Marina has been doing great. We have been seeing people saved every week and during every service. The church is growing so fast we don’t have enough room to put everybody. The properties that we have been praying about have all fallen through. We have several other places we are looking at, and the most exciting thing is that our Peruvian members are looking aggressively for property also. They see the vision that we came with and want to be a big part of that vision. They want their people to get saved and see churches started all over this city.
Several weeks ago a man named Julio walked up to our church before the service started and was very curious about the church and wondered why all these Americans were here. I had the opportunity to witness to him in Spanish, and he trusted Christ as his Savior. He came back that Sunday evening and brought his son with him, and his son got saved that night. He then brought his wife to one of our Tuesday night home Bible studies near his house, and she got saved. Praise the Lord! God is still in the saving business.
The month of October is the big Catholic holy month where they parade all around the city carrying their statues to be worshiped. This past Sunday was the big parade by our church. It happened to be the same time that we start our service. They paraded right in front of our church, and we began to sing and preach the Word. There were hundreds of people in that parade. Many stopped to watch us and listened, wondering what it was all about. We sang so loudly that it drowned out their singing. The louder they sang, the louder we sang. Some of them even came into the service and got saved.
God has opened an effectual door for us, but as the Bible says, there are many adversaries. Please continue to pray for us as we do the work of God here. We appreciate every one of you and the prayers that you have prayed for us. Many times we have felt the presence of God in a mighty way because of your praying. We could not be doing what we are doing without your prayers and financial support. Marsha and I appreciate you all very much, and we often have you in our prayers. Thank you for your support.
Serving Christ in Peru,
Mark and Marsha Miskovic
Dear Friend,
As October has come to an end and I reflect back on all the blessings that have come our way, I am still overwhelmed at the greatness of God. We started our weekly Friday night Bible study in the district of Surco, Peru. The attendance has been great. We are using a storefront building where a Christian lady has a curtain business. She came to the main church in Villa Marina and asked us to start a Bible study there. We have seen people saved and coming to the main church because of the Bible study.
The main church, Iglesia Bautista International, in Villa Marina has been doing great. We have been seeing people saved every week and during every service. The church is growing so fast we don’t have enough room to put everybody. The properties that we have been praying about have all fallen through. We have several other places we are looking at, and the most exciting thing is that our Peruvian members are looking aggressively for property also. They see the vision that we came with and want to be a big part of that vision. They want their people to get saved and see churches started all over this city.
Several weeks ago a man named Julio walked up to our church before the service started and was very curious about the church and wondered why all these Americans were here. I had the opportunity to witness to him in Spanish, and he trusted Christ as his Savior. He came back that Sunday evening and brought his son with him, and his son got saved that night. He then brought his wife to one of our Tuesday night home Bible studies near his house, and she got saved. Praise the Lord! God is still in the saving business.
The month of October is the big Catholic holy month where they parade all around the city carrying their statues to be worshiped. This past Sunday was the big parade by our church. It happened to be the same time that we start our service. They paraded right in front of our church, and we began to sing and preach the Word. There were hundreds of people in that parade. Many stopped to watch us and listened, wondering what it was all about. We sang so loudly that it drowned out their singing. The louder they sang, the louder we sang. Some of them even came into the service and got saved.
God has opened an effectual door for us, but as the Bible says, there are many adversaries. Please continue to pray for us as we do the work of God here. We appreciate every one of you and the prayers that you have prayed for us. Many times we have felt the presence of God in a mighty way because of your praying. We could not be doing what we are doing without your prayers and financial support. Marsha and I appreciate you all very much, and we often have you in our prayers. Thank you for your support.
Serving Christ in Peru,
Mark and Marsha Miskovic
Friday, October 19, 2012
October Prayer Letter from the Foust Family
October 6, 2012
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
It certainly is exciting to be serving the Lord here in Lima, Peru. What a privilege to be representatives of Christ here in South America. We are thanking God for His continued provision of all of our needs. Our family is thankful for good health and strength to serve our God. Our family is doing well, and the boys are growing like weeds!
We are also excited about the growth of our church family. At this time our church is at capacity; we cannot fit many more people inside our building. The children are meeting at the community center down the road on Sunday mornings. This allows for a bit more room. We are praying for God’s leading on a new building for our church. We are hoping to move soon to facilitate more growth in our main location.
I have been enjoying teaching on the subject of “The Church” in the adult Sunday school class. It is a blessing to teach on this while watching a church being formed. The people are eagerly learning more and more each week. One of the things that really is exciting is teaching young Christians how to win souls to Christ. In the last several weeks, I have been privileged to have a man named Paul as my soul-winning partner. He was able to lead his first soul to Christ. Then this last Saturday, I was able to take three adults soul winning with me, and two were able to lead their first soul to Christ! Soul winning here is such a blessing! People are very open to the Gospel. We are praying that we continue to see much fruit to your account.
Last week we attended the memorial service for the son of a man who faithfully attends our church. Although he lives in a district some distance away, Jose and his wife come each week and usually bring visitors. At the memorial service, 78 people attended, and 2 people trusted Christ after hearing a Gospel message by Bro. Hubbard. Jose and his wife have asked that I start a Bible study in their home each week so that they can reach some of these people who are dear to their hearts. Bro. Junior Martin and our family will be working with these people in the district of Villa Maria de Triunfo. Please be in prayer for this new work. We feel that God would have us to start a church there from this Bible study.
Please continue to be in prayer for our ministry here. Words cannot express how grateful we are to God for each of you. We pray for you often. Thank you again for your support and prayers.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,
It certainly is exciting to be serving the Lord here in Lima, Peru. What a privilege to be representatives of Christ here in South America. We are thanking God for His continued provision of all of our needs. Our family is thankful for good health and strength to serve our God. Our family is doing well, and the boys are growing like weeds!
We are also excited about the growth of our church family. At this time our church is at capacity; we cannot fit many more people inside our building. The children are meeting at the community center down the road on Sunday mornings. This allows for a bit more room. We are praying for God’s leading on a new building for our church. We are hoping to move soon to facilitate more growth in our main location.
I have been enjoying teaching on the subject of “The Church” in the adult Sunday school class. It is a blessing to teach on this while watching a church being formed. The people are eagerly learning more and more each week. One of the things that really is exciting is teaching young Christians how to win souls to Christ. In the last several weeks, I have been privileged to have a man named Paul as my soul-winning partner. He was able to lead his first soul to Christ. Then this last Saturday, I was able to take three adults soul winning with me, and two were able to lead their first soul to Christ! Soul winning here is such a blessing! People are very open to the Gospel. We are praying that we continue to see much fruit to your account.
Last week we attended the memorial service for the son of a man who faithfully attends our church. Although he lives in a district some distance away, Jose and his wife come each week and usually bring visitors. At the memorial service, 78 people attended, and 2 people trusted Christ after hearing a Gospel message by Bro. Hubbard. Jose and his wife have asked that I start a Bible study in their home each week so that they can reach some of these people who are dear to their hearts. Bro. Junior Martin and our family will be working with these people in the district of Villa Maria de Triunfo. Please be in prayer for this new work. We feel that God would have us to start a church there from this Bible study.
Please continue to be in prayer for our ministry here. Words cannot express how grateful we are to God for each of you. We pray for you often. Thank you again for your support and prayers.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust, Zachary, C.J., and Logan
Thursday, October 18, 2012
September Prayer Letter from the Raders
Dear Praying Friends,
September was exceptional! We presented our work in 9 churches in 4 different states. My wife and I were privileged to see 7 saved through personal soul winning. In Waupaca, Wisconsin, two men approached me after the evening service and asked me to come soul winning with them that evening. Marty, Pat, and I went to a park where a group of teenagers were congregated. We began to witness, and the scoffers spoke first. As we dwelt with them kindly, the sincere teenagers listened. When the
scoffers left, we spoke with the others. Rocky, York, and Marriah put all their trust in Christ close to midnight. This is my kind of late-night party!
A week later we were in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. I was soul winning with Tim Koslowski. We knocked on Sheila and Dean’s door. They both listened as we carefully witnessed. Sheila told us that this is the first time in years Dean had listened to anyone talking about the Bible. They were going to a wedding later that day where Sheila would meet her half-sister for the first time in 25 years. Sheila was
rescued from a dumpster when she was a baby. When she was a young adult, her half-sister dumped her children on Sheila’s doorstep and disappeared. The children are now grown. We led Sheila to Christ. Just as we were leaving, Sheila’s half-sister and her adult children were at the door. We had to dismiss ourselves, but it was a sweet reunion. God is good!
Speaking of the goodness of God, on September 17, we purchased our tickets to Peru.
“Woo, who!” We fly to Peru on November 27. We are so grateful for the grace of God shown through so many churches that have made this possible. We hope to represent you well as your ambassadors. For the time remaining, we are working on our outgoing and departure needs. If you would like to know our needs, you may request them by e-mail. Our e-mail address is markrader@fbmi.org.
We cannot properly express our gratitude for so many churches giving so much to make our ministry possible. Our support is now over 70% and increasing. Please pray that the rest will come in time. Our team already in Peru is already seeing amazing blessings and great progress. We’re looking forward to joining them. Thank you to so many for your love, support, and prayers. We love you. God bless you.
His for Peru,
Mark, Sarah,
Savannah, & Paul Rader
September was exceptional! We presented our work in 9 churches in 4 different states. My wife and I were privileged to see 7 saved through personal soul winning. In Waupaca, Wisconsin, two men approached me after the evening service and asked me to come soul winning with them that evening. Marty, Pat, and I went to a park where a group of teenagers were congregated. We began to witness, and the scoffers spoke first. As we dwelt with them kindly, the sincere teenagers listened. When the
scoffers left, we spoke with the others. Rocky, York, and Marriah put all their trust in Christ close to midnight. This is my kind of late-night party!
A week later we were in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. I was soul winning with Tim Koslowski. We knocked on Sheila and Dean’s door. They both listened as we carefully witnessed. Sheila told us that this is the first time in years Dean had listened to anyone talking about the Bible. They were going to a wedding later that day where Sheila would meet her half-sister for the first time in 25 years. Sheila was
rescued from a dumpster when she was a baby. When she was a young adult, her half-sister dumped her children on Sheila’s doorstep and disappeared. The children are now grown. We led Sheila to Christ. Just as we were leaving, Sheila’s half-sister and her adult children were at the door. We had to dismiss ourselves, but it was a sweet reunion. God is good!
Speaking of the goodness of God, on September 17, we purchased our tickets to Peru.
“Woo, who!” We fly to Peru on November 27. We are so grateful for the grace of God shown through so many churches that have made this possible. We hope to represent you well as your ambassadors. For the time remaining, we are working on our outgoing and departure needs. If you would like to know our needs, you may request them by e-mail. Our e-mail address is markrader@fbmi.org.
We cannot properly express our gratitude for so many churches giving so much to make our ministry possible. Our support is now over 70% and increasing. Please pray that the rest will come in time. Our team already in Peru is already seeing amazing blessings and great progress. We’re looking forward to joining them. Thank you to so many for your love, support, and prayers. We love you. God bless you.
His for Peru,
Mark, Sarah,
Savannah, & Paul Rader
Thursday, October 11, 2012
September Prayer Letter from the Martin Family
October 8, 2012
Dear Praying Friends,
Spring has sprung here on the south side of the equator! The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining more, and God continues to bless us here in Chorrillos. September has been an interesting month for us, as well as one full of blessings. Don’t worry . . . I will try to condense!
A month of achievement. God granted many victories to us this last month. The biggest, of course, was our first baptismal service. I found a local man who constructed a baptistery for us out of fiberglass, and we set it up at the home of one of our church members. His large backyard was a huge blessing, as we have no space for it at our church. At the conclusion of our Sunday morning service, we relocated everyone over to Paul’s house and baptized 14 people! This was a huge step for so many of church people. We have since baptized 3 more and have 6 lined up for our next service. I wish I could tell you each story. The story of Miri and her children is especially amazing! Please take a moment to read more about her at this link from my wife’s blog: http://happytrails365.wordpress.com /2012/09/14/faiths-real-heroes/.
A month of accomplishment. Another great victory comes from our church people soul winning. In September, 6 of our Peruvian people led their first soul to Christ! Amen! Cecilia has already won 7 people to the Lord. There is nothing greater than seeing that excitement in their eyes and the hunger they have as they share the Gospel. Recently 2 of our teen girls, Katty and Esperanza, wanted me to meet one of their friends and talk to her parents about church. The next Saturday, Jess and I picked both of them up and were then informed we needed to pick up another one of their friends. We did and then went to make our visit. When we got to her house, we discovered her parents were not at home, but Katty had already told her she was coming with us. We took the four of them to lunch, and sitting around the table, I was able to lead both Estefani and Nicole to Christ. Best of all, the girls set the whole thing up!
A month of advancement. Knowing that God has great things in store for us, we are moving forward with the vision God has given us for Peru. We are currently conducting six Bible studies each week in the homes of our church people. However, we also realized we had two great opportunities that were waiting for us. We have two different groups of people that have been coming to our church from two different districts close to Chorrillos: Surco and Villa Maria del Triunfo. As these groups continue coming and continue bringing visitors, we realized we needed to start something in their district. So this week we will be starting a midweek Bible study in each of these districts! God has brought these families to us for a purpose. Within time, both of these Bibles studies will evolve into churches!
A month of asking. I am not so naïve to think that the Devil is oblivious to what God is doing here. These last two months have truly taught us to pray. Pray for our people for the growing pains and family pressure that come from being a new Christian. Please also continue to pray for our space issue. The church is maxed out in our current location, and if we are going to continue growing, we must get a new building. I mentioned in our last letter that God had opened a door for us on a new property. This door has not been shut, but the deal is very close to falling through. I know that God has a place for us in His timing. Please pray for patience, wisdom, direction, and, most of all, a permanent home for IBI that can sustain our growth.
A month of addition. In September we also had our best attendance yet of 92. This is incredible, especially because we still have not had a big attendance push (due to space). However, through our church services and Bible studies, we are averaging 116 different people attending our church each week! God is so good! We also saw a total of 78 saved last month through our services and personal soul winning.
I never feel as if words are adequate enough to express how grateful we are to each of you. It is your prayers and financial support that allow us to do everything we do. How great your rewards will be in Heaven one day! I hope one day you will be able to see the faces and hear firsthand all the stories of the lives you have touched. I would especially like to thank the Open Door Baptist Church in California for taking us on for support this last month.
God bless each of you and thank you again for the privilege of serving on your behalf in Lima, Peru!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Dear Praying Friends,
Spring has sprung here on the south side of the equator! The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining more, and God continues to bless us here in Chorrillos. September has been an interesting month for us, as well as one full of blessings. Don’t worry . . . I will try to condense!
A month of achievement. God granted many victories to us this last month. The biggest, of course, was our first baptismal service. I found a local man who constructed a baptistery for us out of fiberglass, and we set it up at the home of one of our church members. His large backyard was a huge blessing, as we have no space for it at our church. At the conclusion of our Sunday morning service, we relocated everyone over to Paul’s house and baptized 14 people! This was a huge step for so many of church people. We have since baptized 3 more and have 6 lined up for our next service. I wish I could tell you each story. The story of Miri and her children is especially amazing! Please take a moment to read more about her at this link from my wife’s blog: http://happytrails365.wordpress.com /2012/09/14/faiths-real-heroes/.
A month of accomplishment. Another great victory comes from our church people soul winning. In September, 6 of our Peruvian people led their first soul to Christ! Amen! Cecilia has already won 7 people to the Lord. There is nothing greater than seeing that excitement in their eyes and the hunger they have as they share the Gospel. Recently 2 of our teen girls, Katty and Esperanza, wanted me to meet one of their friends and talk to her parents about church. The next Saturday, Jess and I picked both of them up and were then informed we needed to pick up another one of their friends. We did and then went to make our visit. When we got to her house, we discovered her parents were not at home, but Katty had already told her she was coming with us. We took the four of them to lunch, and sitting around the table, I was able to lead both Estefani and Nicole to Christ. Best of all, the girls set the whole thing up!
A month of advancement. Knowing that God has great things in store for us, we are moving forward with the vision God has given us for Peru. We are currently conducting six Bible studies each week in the homes of our church people. However, we also realized we had two great opportunities that were waiting for us. We have two different groups of people that have been coming to our church from two different districts close to Chorrillos: Surco and Villa Maria del Triunfo. As these groups continue coming and continue bringing visitors, we realized we needed to start something in their district. So this week we will be starting a midweek Bible study in each of these districts! God has brought these families to us for a purpose. Within time, both of these Bibles studies will evolve into churches!
A month of asking. I am not so naïve to think that the Devil is oblivious to what God is doing here. These last two months have truly taught us to pray. Pray for our people for the growing pains and family pressure that come from being a new Christian. Please also continue to pray for our space issue. The church is maxed out in our current location, and if we are going to continue growing, we must get a new building. I mentioned in our last letter that God had opened a door for us on a new property. This door has not been shut, but the deal is very close to falling through. I know that God has a place for us in His timing. Please pray for patience, wisdom, direction, and, most of all, a permanent home for IBI that can sustain our growth.
A month of addition. In September we also had our best attendance yet of 92. This is incredible, especially because we still have not had a big attendance push (due to space). However, through our church services and Bible studies, we are averaging 116 different people attending our church each week! God is so good! We also saw a total of 78 saved last month through our services and personal soul winning.
I never feel as if words are adequate enough to express how grateful we are to each of you. It is your prayers and financial support that allow us to do everything we do. How great your rewards will be in Heaven one day! I hope one day you will be able to see the faces and hear firsthand all the stories of the lives you have touched. I would especially like to thank the Open Door Baptist Church in California for taking us on for support this last month.
God bless each of you and thank you again for the privilege of serving on your behalf in Lima, Peru!
Your ambassadors to Peru,
Junior and Jessica Martin
Romans 9:3
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
September Prayer Letter from the Kokubuns
Dear Friends,
Growth is the one word that describes the recent events here at Iglesia Bautista Internfacional. Physically and spiritually, we have seen the church in the heart of Chorrillos mature little by little. "Line upon line; precept upon precept," the little church on the corner is bringing new life to a dying area.
The first baptismal service of IBI was a very sweet time in the life our young church. We recently had a local Peruvian construct a semi-portable baptistery tank. (It’s amazing what they can construct on an empty lot!) With the church full to capacity every Sunday morning, we had nowhere to put it comfortably. A couple of our faithful members, Paul and his father Percy, allowed us to use their back patio to stage the baptistery service. Living only a couple blocks from the church, this was perfect.
You could feel the excitement as you pulled into church that morning. Every other person had a Bible in one hand and a change of clothes in the other. After the morning service, the whole church walked down the street a couple of blocks to Paul's house for the baptismal service. I asked one of the older gentlemen in the church if he wanted a ride to the house. He looked at me and said, "No, I'm still young. I'm only seventy years old. I'll walk." He laughed as he turned around to join the others walking to the house. I remember looking over his shoulder and seeing an army of people walking down the street to get baptized. What a sight!
The service was so sweet. Seeing those people who had trusted Christ and now make up Iglesia Bautista Internacional was incredible. Anna, a practicing Catholic, was the first to get in the water. For her this was, yes, a step of obedience but more a change of life. It was a decision to forsake all that she had been taught to walk in the right path.
Every Thursday now for about a month, Anna, her husband Carlos, and their two kids come to my house to study the Bible with another family. I marvel every week as they hang on every word that I teach. Our Bible study starts at 7:00 p.m., and there has not been a night yet that we have finished before 10:00 p.m.—over three hours of just teaching and answering questions about the Bible. I love it! It never ceases to amaze me how God has placed us here for just this time.
I went out to lunch the other day with one of my teenagers. He is a little older. He has finished what we would call high school. Renzo was telling me how he had pursued other professions; but nothing had every worked out, and he did not understand why. He told me that now that he and his family have attended our church, God has showed him he believes why: to attend our seminary that we plan to start this spring. Just the other day after Bro. Hubbard finished preaching, Renzo told Preacher that he feels like God wants him in the ministry.
I got to pray with Renzo Wednesday morning at our first church-wide prayer meeting. God has given our church a core of strong, educated, working men. What an honor it was for me to pray with such men of faith, who, in the past of couple months, have had their lives and families transformed.
Many things are happening. The church is growing. We had 92 in attendance a couple weeks of ago. People are getting involved through tithes, painting the church, repairing the building, soul winning, cleaning, praying, and much more. We are very excited about the future.
I would ask that you pray for two pressing things at the moment. We need another location for the church; we are over capacity right now. Pray for God to open a door there. Also pray for God's protection from Satan during these times. It is becoming more and more evident that Satan is aware and hates what is going on in the little church on the corner. Please pray for God's protection.
Thank you for your love and support through these times. I look forward to serving on your and my Saviour’s behalf for many years to come. My wife and I love you and pray for you often.
Very sincerely,
Daniel & Heather Kokubun
Growth is the one word that describes the recent events here at Iglesia Bautista Internfacional. Physically and spiritually, we have seen the church in the heart of Chorrillos mature little by little. "Line upon line; precept upon precept," the little church on the corner is bringing new life to a dying area.
The first baptismal service of IBI was a very sweet time in the life our young church. We recently had a local Peruvian construct a semi-portable baptistery tank. (It’s amazing what they can construct on an empty lot!) With the church full to capacity every Sunday morning, we had nowhere to put it comfortably. A couple of our faithful members, Paul and his father Percy, allowed us to use their back patio to stage the baptistery service. Living only a couple blocks from the church, this was perfect.
You could feel the excitement as you pulled into church that morning. Every other person had a Bible in one hand and a change of clothes in the other. After the morning service, the whole church walked down the street a couple of blocks to Paul's house for the baptismal service. I asked one of the older gentlemen in the church if he wanted a ride to the house. He looked at me and said, "No, I'm still young. I'm only seventy years old. I'll walk." He laughed as he turned around to join the others walking to the house. I remember looking over his shoulder and seeing an army of people walking down the street to get baptized. What a sight!
The service was so sweet. Seeing those people who had trusted Christ and now make up Iglesia Bautista Internacional was incredible. Anna, a practicing Catholic, was the first to get in the water. For her this was, yes, a step of obedience but more a change of life. It was a decision to forsake all that she had been taught to walk in the right path.
Every Thursday now for about a month, Anna, her husband Carlos, and their two kids come to my house to study the Bible with another family. I marvel every week as they hang on every word that I teach. Our Bible study starts at 7:00 p.m., and there has not been a night yet that we have finished before 10:00 p.m.—over three hours of just teaching and answering questions about the Bible. I love it! It never ceases to amaze me how God has placed us here for just this time.
I went out to lunch the other day with one of my teenagers. He is a little older. He has finished what we would call high school. Renzo was telling me how he had pursued other professions; but nothing had every worked out, and he did not understand why. He told me that now that he and his family have attended our church, God has showed him he believes why: to attend our seminary that we plan to start this spring. Just the other day after Bro. Hubbard finished preaching, Renzo told Preacher that he feels like God wants him in the ministry.
I got to pray with Renzo Wednesday morning at our first church-wide prayer meeting. God has given our church a core of strong, educated, working men. What an honor it was for me to pray with such men of faith, who, in the past of couple months, have had their lives and families transformed.
Many things are happening. The church is growing. We had 92 in attendance a couple weeks of ago. People are getting involved through tithes, painting the church, repairing the building, soul winning, cleaning, praying, and much more. We are very excited about the future.
I would ask that you pray for two pressing things at the moment. We need another location for the church; we are over capacity right now. Pray for God to open a door there. Also pray for God's protection from Satan during these times. It is becoming more and more evident that Satan is aware and hates what is going on in the little church on the corner. Please pray for God's protection.
Thank you for your love and support through these times. I look forward to serving on your and my Saviour’s behalf for many years to come. My wife and I love you and pray for you often.
Very sincerely,
Daniel & Heather Kokubun
Monday, September 24, 2012
August Prayer Letter from the Raders
Dear Praying Friends,
August was an august (“supreme”) month! We presented our work in 8 churches in 4
different states. We were privileged to see 9 souls saved through personal soul winning. This month Sarah would like to share one of her soul-winning testimonies. “A few weeks back during a Vacation Bible School in which we were privileged to help, I met a teen girl, Neff, who was a new Christian and concerned for her friends and family to know Christ. When she found out we were coming back to her area for a Wednesday night service, she texted me and asked if I would come and share God’s plan of salvation with her mom Rosa, who was Spanish-speaking only. For the next several days, Rosa was on my mind and heart and in my prayers. When we arrived in Carbondale, I couldn’t wait to meet her. On Thursday evening Mark and I went out to meet her and share the Gospel. After about 35 minutes of sharing God’s plan of salvation through faith in Christ alone, Rosa prayed, asking Christ to save her. It’s hard to say whose smile was biggest, but I think possibly Neff was the most excited to know her Mom will spend eternity in Heaven with her.”
We enjoyed more blessings this month than we have time or space to share. Thank you
to Pastor Reeves for taking us to Adventure Park and spoiling us for a day. What a joy this month also to see many of our friends from college serving the Lord faithfully. Our van had a head-gasket leak to the point of not being road-worthy anymore. My father-in-law switched vans with us. We did not have to miss one meeting. What a God we serve!
The Lord is moving many things in place for us to leave for Peru shortly. We are now at 57% of our monthly support. We hope to leave for Peru sooner than we had planned, due to the difference in airline ticket prices. It is cheaper to fly out the middle of November than the first week in December. Please pray that God will provide the money we need to purchase our tickets, as the longer we wait, the prices jump higher.
Please pray for our other teammates raising support and for our teammates already
there doing a great work. Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and support. We look forward to bringing much fruit to your account. God bless you as you serve on the home front.
Yours for the souls of Peru,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, and Paul Rader
August was an august (“supreme”) month! We presented our work in 8 churches in 4
different states. We were privileged to see 9 souls saved through personal soul winning. This month Sarah would like to share one of her soul-winning testimonies. “A few weeks back during a Vacation Bible School in which we were privileged to help, I met a teen girl, Neff, who was a new Christian and concerned for her friends and family to know Christ. When she found out we were coming back to her area for a Wednesday night service, she texted me and asked if I would come and share God’s plan of salvation with her mom Rosa, who was Spanish-speaking only. For the next several days, Rosa was on my mind and heart and in my prayers. When we arrived in Carbondale, I couldn’t wait to meet her. On Thursday evening Mark and I went out to meet her and share the Gospel. After about 35 minutes of sharing God’s plan of salvation through faith in Christ alone, Rosa prayed, asking Christ to save her. It’s hard to say whose smile was biggest, but I think possibly Neff was the most excited to know her Mom will spend eternity in Heaven with her.”
We enjoyed more blessings this month than we have time or space to share. Thank you
to Pastor Reeves for taking us to Adventure Park and spoiling us for a day. What a joy this month also to see many of our friends from college serving the Lord faithfully. Our van had a head-gasket leak to the point of not being road-worthy anymore. My father-in-law switched vans with us. We did not have to miss one meeting. What a God we serve!
The Lord is moving many things in place for us to leave for Peru shortly. We are now at 57% of our monthly support. We hope to leave for Peru sooner than we had planned, due to the difference in airline ticket prices. It is cheaper to fly out the middle of November than the first week in December. Please pray that God will provide the money we need to purchase our tickets, as the longer we wait, the prices jump higher.
Please pray for our other teammates raising support and for our teammates already
there doing a great work. Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and support. We look forward to bringing much fruit to your account. God bless you as you serve on the home front.
Yours for the souls of Peru,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, and Paul Rader
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