Bittersweet

The past two months were certainly bittersweet.  I again had the great opportunity to return to Chaviña to work among the people there during June and July.  Regardless of this unbelievable opportunity to continue to work with the people whom I have poured the most time into, it was still rather difficult to be there.  As many of you already know, August 28th I am permanently returning to the States to marry the most beautiful woman in the world, Mandy Bush.  God certainly taught me patience through His unbelievable grace during these last 2 months stretching me beyond what I thought was my limit.

Still, God is so faithful to accomplish His will through us.  Especially when we are weak.  In our weakness that is the moment when we must turn to Him the most.  One of the main problems in our lives and in missions is that we believe we are too strong on our own.  All I have to ask is, "how much time do you spend in prayer."  God taught me during these months to bring everything before Him, relying on Him for every single thing.

During these months God truly worked among us and the people.  In our work in Chaviña we are still in the relationship phase, building a presence among the people.  So, it was extremely important for us during these months to establish a presence.

One man specifically that we had a great opportunity to continue to share the gospel and build a relationship was with René, an older, influential man in the village.  Numerous occasions we were invited over to his house to enjoy a meal or simply talk.  Also, we were able to help him some in his fields, harvesting corn.

Another opportunity that came up during July through a relationship that I had formed during June was that I was asked to play on a tournament soccer team in the village.  The soccer tournament is a big deal in the village and all the men play.  It turned out to be extremely beneficial to play.  I was able to build numerous relationships with the men as well as others who we may not have had the opportunity to talk, but now at least know who we are.  Also, it was an enormous way to gain respect from the men.  And by the way, I scored 4 goals!  Amusing to watch the transition from football to futbol.

In the Bible studies we went through the book of Matthew with the few interested.  We are still seeing growth among those that are coming, it's just really difficult when we are not able to be with them permanently.

Prayer requests:

• René that God might open his heart to the gospel
• Julia and Katy, who continue to meet with us
• That we could place someone in Chaviña long term
• That God might start a church 
• For Mandy and I as we are about to get married on Dec. 17th

Thank you for your unbelievable support during this past year.  Without you this would have been impossible.

Ayaviri

The decision to fly or ride a bus for over 20 hours was a pretty easy one.  With our plane tickets we flew out to one of the coldest places in Peru, the Puno region.  After landing in Juliaca it was only an hour and a half ride into the city of Ayaviri.  Ayaviri is almost completely different from any other place that I had been.  Normally the villages that we work in are relatively small, but Ayaviri has a population of 30,000 people.  It is also rare to work in an area that has biblical Evangelical churches either.

Because I have never worked in an area this large I have to admit at first it was a bit overwhelming.  We began with a list of recent contacts from the church in the states that is working in this area.  We immediately realized that it was extremely difficult to get in contact with many of the people on the list.  As well some of the people that the church had worked with in the past showed almost no interest in meeting with us.  Our initial plan had been to use the majority of our time with these contacts, but it became painfully obvious after a week that this was not going to happen.  As I have learned nearly everywhere I go is that we have to learn to adapt to each and every situation.

While we were not able to work as much as we would like with the contacts given to us from the church in the States, there were 2 local IEP churches.  IEP stands for Iglesia Evangelica Peruana, which is the Peruvian Evangelical Church.  God opened up the doors in the situation with the two pastors, Pablo and Eron as they allowed us to work with their churches.  The first Sunday there I one of the pastors asked me to preach.  I have learned to always be prepared for anything!  It was the first time that I had preached in Spanish so it was a completely new experience, still God has really done a tremendous job in allowing me to learn the language and with a little patience from the congregation, I was able to preach from Matthew 7.  Two weeks later I had another opportunity to preach again in the other church.

Along with preaching we spent a lot of our time working with the youth from one of the IEP churches.  We went built really good relationships with the students and were able to really work through those relations to encourage the youth in their relationship with Christ.  One of the big things that we did with the youth was that we had an evangelism training, really focusing on the basics of the gospel, helping to ground them in their faith and giving them more confidence in sharing it.  If a man doesn't understand what he believes, rarely will he be willing to share it.

Also, during our last 2 weeks we had the joy of being able to spend time in Bible study with another lady in a nearby annex.  Many times in our lives we come in contact with people and it is clear through their spirit, that they are a believer in Christ.  I say this because there are so many in this world and especially where I live that claim to believe in Christ, but it is obvious by their life and beliefs that they do not know Christ.  This lady had such a willing spirit to listen and take in what the Word said.  We are praying for her that her house could soon be used as a location to start a Bible study and ultimately a church.

April was certainly a different experience, but each experience in our life is a new way to learn and grow in Christ and who we are as a person.  Life isn't always what we expect and our future experiences can almost never be predicted.  In a world of uncertainty, there is only one thing that never changes.  The gospel of Christ.  Remaining firm in His word and finding our stability in Him is all we have.

Be praying as June, July, and August I will be working in Chaviña.  Pray that God would bless these next three months as it will be the longest time we have had a presence there.  Thank you for your support and prayers.

Home Sweet Home

The past month God provided the great opportunity to return, once again, to Chaviña and even work alongside some familiar faces.  Sunday, March 6 I left Lima after a short break from the last village, with Ana Yupanqui and Danielle Miller to Chaviña and we arrived the next Monday morning.  Immediately, God placed us in direct contact with the people who we wanted to meet with.  That very night we had our first Bible study.  As is fairly normal, after a long period of time away from the village, we began to review the gospel.  For nearly the whole first week we taught from the Old Testament and the foreshadowing stories of Christ, from the protoevangelium in Genesis 1, to the Passover in Exodus.  As well, we moved in to the New Testament revelation of Christ.  As well, we began to teach the very basics of our relationship with Christ, such as obedience, prayer, and the like.  Three people specifically that we met with were, Mario, Julia, and Katy.  Pray diligently for these 3 believers that they might grow in the knowledge and holiness of Christ.

On the 10th, Todd Unzicker's team came in.  I praise God for the rejuvenation and encouragement I received from friends that I had not seen in a while.  Whether it be from Jeep Sullivan attempting to speak Spanish or simply the good conversation of home that I have not had in a while.

During this week with them, God opened the doors literally to 2 specific peoples homes that we continued to meet in even after they left.  An older lady named, Victoria, who struggles with osteoporosis, and an older man, named Guadencio.  In the time we spent with Victoria, God really began to open her eyes up to the gospel as we me with her nearly everyday.  While Guadencio was another story.  Guadencio has been involved with some radical Pentecostal groups as well as Jehovah's Witnesses and as a result had some very foul doctrine in relation to salvation and the nature of God in His holy Trinity.  After 3 weeks of teaching through the deity of Christ, from Old Testament prophecies to New Testament fulfillment, Guadencio still rejected the Scripture.  The last day I met with him I looked him in the eyes and told him that he had a hard heart to the Scripture and the God of the Bible.  While claiming to serve our great God he had created an image of a false God, while trying to use the same names as we use.  Romans tells us that men without the new birth of the Spirit "suppress the truth in unrighteousness" and are "haters of God".  I ask that you pray that God would show mercy upon him and break his hard heart.  While if not, we trust that if God raised Pharaoh up and hardened his heart that God might show His own power and glory through Pharaoh, that God will still do the same today, glorifying His name even as sinful men live in rejection to Him.

Along with Todd's team, 2 other teams also came down.  One led by Gary Scott and another by Mahlon Lecroix.  If I may, I just want to praise God for the humility that both teams exercised while they were there.  Both men, who are pastors of churches, upon first arriving said to me, "us and our teams simply want to serve."  Both men, despite their titles, showed the attitude of Christ from Philippians 2.  They came and simply wanted to plug in and submit, with the attitude that there is still more that we can learn. We need more men to take upon themselves this same attitude.  We need more leaders to lead not by word or by trying to flex their muscles, but in simple service, just as Christ washed His own disciples feet.  As Jesus said in Luke 22:25-27, "The kings of the Gentiles Lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.'  But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.  For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves?  Is it not the one who reclines at the table?  But I am among you as the one who serves."  I can learn far more from 2 men who serve than by myriads of men who speak.  I pray that I too will follow in the example of these two men.  I believe that on the day of judgment, it will not be the pastor who had a 2000 member church or the man who spoke in seminaries who will be given greater respect, it will be the humble man, that no one knows, who has preached at his church for decades faithfully.

Vilcas Huaman

I left Lima, Peru on a 10 hour bus ride on Cruz del Sur to the capital of Ayacucho, Huamanga.  The next day our group of misfits, Arturo Tovar, Patty Arroyo, and yours truly, on Sunday, January 31, took a combie (van-like vehicle) another 4 hours deep into the mountains off a beaten path to finally arrive in Vilcas Huaman.  

Vilcas Huaman is a primitive Peruvian village possessing ancient ruins dating back the Inca Empire.  The village still holds a dark, imposing force against the truth of the gospel.  The Inca custom is shadowed by the fierce Catholic presence as the Catholic church is fortressed over ancient temple grounds of the Inca territory.  Along with the Catholic faith and Inca tradition there is also a strong Jehovah’s Witness presence.  All of this has lead to a combining and confusing of religions, which has given way to a lack of trust from all who come in the name of any type of belief.

We began our month by seeking out those who have either claimed to be Christians or those who have shown interest, since like many other places, there is no real church presence.  I was continually aghast with how God placed nearly every believer or seeker in our path.  I find out everyday there is no such thing as coincidence in life, only where God sovereignly leads us each day.  For example, the first day we were in Vilcas, we “accidentally” walked into the restaurant of a family who claimed to be believers.  Nearly a day later we “ran into” a lady who also had been meeting with other groups in the past.  That afternoon we went to her house and spent time with her husband studying the Scripture.

These two encounters generated weekly Bible studies.  We promptly noticed their lack of understanding of the gospel.  Therefore, each gathering we unambiguously taught the gospel.  I have found and I firmly believe that men can not press forward in their faith unless they have a fixed and solid foundation upon the gospel.  Everything that we do in our faith is derived directly from the gospel.  During the month elapsed in Vilcas, we used Old Testament stories that foreshadow Christ, such as Abraham and Isaac and the Passover, as well as New Testament truth to present the gospel.  Along with this we created our own allegories to reveal the spiritual truth of the gospel.  In our last week, the believers in the area finally had a base of faith from which to live.  

I will always remember Paul Washer’s words, “In missions we do not need race horses, but plow horses.”  People need time and cannot comprehend  the entirety of the gospel in one sitting.  The Body of Christ must be willing to take a long term approach in teaching the gospel, rather than pressuring men or women into a decision.  Instead, this allows people to think through the gospel as the Spirit of God moves upon their life.  What have we done if we merely seek an instant verbal confession from a man?  We ashamedly make a two fold son of hell, a man who believes himself to be saved, when in reality he is still lost.  All because we lead him through a superstitious prayer, rather than permitting the Holy Spirit to give him genuine faith.

Along with meeting with the believers 3-4 times a week we also started a marketplace gathering.  In our village there was a huge market that sold everything from beds and rubber boots to fruits and vegetables.  One day as we walked through we met two ladies who invited us to sit with them.  As was custom, we began to tell a story from the Scriptures.  After telling the story, the ladies asked if we would be willing to come back the next day because they wanted to hear another story.  What started as a simple evangelism initiative turned into a daily affair with these ladies.  After a week, more ladies began to join in listening to the stories, having 5-6 people many days.  What would be so exciting from the stories was when a lady would show up late and one of the other ladies who had been listening, would tell the story back to the lady who came late, but in Quechua.  In the mountains of Peru, there are two languages, Spanish and the Indian language Quechua.  Of the older people in the mountains, Quechua is the native and preferred tongue.  

 I will probably never forget the last day that I was there.  Our group went to visit the ladies before leaving and I asked one of them if she would share the gospel with me, and in the beauty of her own words, she explained the gospel better than many pastors that I have ever heard.  God had really made a change in this lady’s life and it was evident that the Spirit of God had been working in her.

People are always asking what can they be praying for specifically so here are a few things.  First, for the people who we met with 3-4 days a week.  As we left we gave them a simple Acts 2 model to follow so that they could continue to meet.  Pray that they would continue to meet and that God would teach them as they read His word through His Spirit.  Also, pray for the ladies in the market that God may call many of them unto His glorious salvation.  Last, pray that God might destroy the forces of evil in this village, from the mix of Catholicism and Inca tradition to the Jehovah Witness presence.  Thanks to each of you who continue to be faithful in giving and praying, for your gifts and prayers are not in vain, as God is carrying his word to every tribe, language, and nation.

A Change

This has become life.  It is natural.  The US is almost a distant memory.  This is what I know.  Peru really is home now.  I could not see myself anywhere else in the world.  It’s been nearly 2 months since returning from the States and I must be honest.  I really appreciated the love from all the family and friends, but it was extremely difficult to be in the States for those 2 weeks.  The most comfortable that I felt the whole time I was there was going to Cancun’s and talking in Spanish to the guys there.   Wal-Mart was like a culture shock for me, I am not used to having that many choices.  The simple life here in Peru is what I have come know and love.  Simplicity has become beautiful.

About a month ago my assignment changed from teaching English to being on a traveling team that will work in different villages in the mountains to start churches in different villages, continuing the work that has already started in these areas.  This week and next week we are training local believers in Lima on how to plant churches in mountain villages and we will all leave on our assignments on Saturday, the 29^th.  I specifically will be working alongside 2 Peruvians in a village for one month at a time, then return to Lima for a week and then go to another village during March and April. 

I just got word from Todd Unzicker that the HBA will be sending 3 teams to Chavina in March.  Right now it looks like I will have to the chance to work with these teams in Chavina for the month of March.  I really cannot wait to go.  It’s always great to see familiar faces here in Peru and for people from home to be able to be involved in the work that we are doing here. 

Last week I had the opportunity to travel and work in a small village in the mountains called Huambalpa.  With two teammates we traveled around 20 hours to finally reach the village.  This village, unlike many, had a man named Miguel who was a strong believer.  Miguel had been praying each day for three hours on the mountain behind his house for the past couple of years that God would start a church in his village.  We received a call from Miguel asking for help in training himself and his church.  We went for a week, with a local pastor in his area, and helped in training Miguel how to lead the new local believers in his village.  We were able to spend nearly 6 hours a day with Miguel as he was soaking everything in, so joyful to be able to have help.  It was truly a blessing.

I ask that you would be praying for Miguel, that God would continue to teach him from the Scriptures and give him wisdom in leading his people.  Also, pray for the church in Huambalpa, that they would be a light in a very dark area.  Please be in prayer also for the training over the next few days that God would prepare us all as we leave for our assignments in the mountains over the next few months.  Last, be in prayer that God would work through us as we carry the gospel and train new believers, that God’s name might be glorified all over the earth. 

A Broken Heart...

I must be honest.  My heart is completely broken.  Not of a miss of home or of people, but simply over the people of this country.  Many days as I stand watching the culture that I live among and I cannot help but weep over the vast lostness of this area. Let me explain.

Cusco is basically the center of culture in Peru.  In fact, its name means navel.  Cusco was the capital city of the Incas nearly 500 years ago until it was conquered by the Spanish around 1533.  The religion of the Incas was very polytheistic in nature and centered around Pachamama, basically Mother World, who was considered to be the goddess of fertility.  Some of the other famous gods were Inti, the god of the sun, and Mama Quilla, the goddess of the moon.  Along with these famous gods, the king of the Incas was also considered deity as well, as a descendant of Inti, the sun god.  In their system of religion it was also very normal to practice child sacrifice or to sacrifice a slave.

When the Spanish came in the 1500s they forced "Christianity" upon the Incas.  In reality it was not a huge problem for the Incas because they would add new gods to their pantheon of gods regularly.  Still today though you will see crosses on the mountains where the Incas acted as to pray to Christ, when in reality they were praying to the god of the mountains.

With the Spanish invasion, this brought in a new culture as well.  What you get is a blending of two cultures to form the one that is here today.  Also, as far as religion, there is a syncretism, or a blending of two different religions.  For example, if you walk into the Catholic cathedral here in Cusco, you will see many of the normal things as in a Catholic church, such as statues of saints and Mary, crucifixes, and much of the same architecture, but as you enter into the cathedral there is a large rock that was passed down from the Incas.  Along with that, many of the people still participate in many of the Inca traditions, such as a sacrifices to Pachamama.  In reality, the people still worship many of the Inca gods for the practical things of life, such as blessings upon crops and children among other things.  While the people seek the Catholic church for salvation. 

What you get from this mixture is no true worship of Yahweh, but rather an illogical system where people are simply blinded by tradition.  Too often, I will share the gospel only to have people tell me, "I believe what you are saying, but this is my tradition."  How my heart is ripping apart for these people who are dead in sin and their hearts are blinded!  That is truly what men are apart from the Spirit of the Living God!

Cornelius Van Til said this, "Total depravity.  That means the whole glass is poisoned.  It's not as poisoned as it could be, but its all poisoned.  The faculties of the soul are all turned against God, by nature.  All are poisoned by sin.  Wherever there is evidence of God, which is everywhere, man will deny it.  You see, God must reach down and save dead men in their trespasses and sins.  You do not heal a dead man.  You resurrect him.  Man is not sick, not drowning, but dead.  Dead is dead.  You can't throw him a rope.  A dead man can't grab anything.  Your mother is dead without Christ.  Your culture is dead without Christ."

The Scriptures say this in Romans 1:18-23 "For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made so they are without excuse.  For though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures."  Then in Romans 1:28 "And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."

Men cannot and will not come to God unless the Spirit of God comes to them to open their blinded eyes from acknowledging the True God.  John 6:44 "NO ONE can come unto Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day."

My prayer is and has been, that God would call men and women unto Himself to be born again.  That He would resurrect men and women from the dead and give them life.  My heart breaks over these people who are dead and in need of a resurrection.  Please, above all else pray with me, that God might open their eyes to the glory of His name and that unto His glory men and women might be born again through the precious sacrifice of Jesus Christ!

The Lord has Dealt Bountifully With Me (Psalm 13)

I have been in a sort of stand still the past couple of weeks it seems.  I have recently felt the hit of missing a genuine community of Christ fellowship. Also, I feel that I have seen quite a few injustices over the past month that have completely brought me to the point of genuine frustration.  Tonight was a great example.  There are certain things that I am extremely passionate about.  One of those is the handling of the Scriptures.  Tonight, after a lack luster job from someone presenting clear biblical truth I was so mad that it had reached beyond being healthy.  I seriously had a hard time controlling my heart beat as it was racing away from me.  Of course, upon reaching home I had to come home to repent of the attitude which I held.  I am not talking about repenting from disgust from a poorly presented gospel message, but rather the attitude that controlled me for the time being.  I have a genuine passion for the gospel to be presented in entirety, but how I react to falsity must be done in wisdom.  Acting in passion without wisdom is still sin. 

In all honesty though I have had quite a few frustrations in the past month, especially along these lines.  To merely claim to teach the Scriptures and hold your Bible in the air without ever delving into the vastness and glory of it still makes you a liar.  Claims without proof are null, void, and worthless.  While that is one of my frustrations that I have seen, the other can be related.  My other struggle has been the lack of a genuine community.  For my whole life I have been surrounded by godly men who have always pushed me forward in my understanding of God and helped lead me towards a genuine relation with God.  That rug was immediately pulled from my feet when I landed in Peru.  Also, for my whole life I have been apart of a community, my local church.  I have desperately missed this in my life.  I have been crying out to God the past couple of weeks that God would provide that.  I have felt like the Psalmist said,

"How long oh Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will You hide Your face from me?  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day?  How long will my enemy be exalted over me?  Consider and answer me, oh Lord my God; enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, 'I have overcome him,' and my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken."

The spiritual warfare has been immense whether I have chosen to recognize this or not.  My enemy, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 6:12) has been pursuing me, seeking like a roaring lion to devour me and make me useless for the kingdom of God.  Even in my passion, the enemy desires to use that against me.  I recently read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis that has really opened my eyes to this reality.  If you have not read it I strongly encourage you to pick a copy up.  Regardless, in the past two weeks I have strongly been attacked in Satan's desire to thwart God's plan and to steal my joy.  But......

Despite immense frustrations and warfare, God has only given me a greater desire to be here.  When times have seemed rather questionable, God has given me that much more of a love of being here.  He has genuinely provided for me, when upon my own, I know it would have been impossible.  He has been the loving father, disciplining the child whom He loves.  He has turned much of my knowledge into a wisdom of practice.  For example, I have always had knowledge of the Scripture, "Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."  While this has been knowledge, it is finally becoming a reality in my life.  Tonight, after I repented of my attitude, I became completely overwhelmed with how much that God has done in transforming me, by the renewing of my mind, to see what the will of God really is.  I absolutely cannot wait to see what more He does through me.  So, we must read the end of Psalm 13 as David confesses the truth despite his frustration....

"But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me."