Anthony & Roxy Green – June 2018

As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army. 2 Samuel 5:24

Many an athlete has been disqualified for “jumping” the starting gun. As believers we are often like the athlete, devising strategies before first seeking counsel of the Lord. Seeing the enemy thwarted is the Lord’s work but He calls us to play our part, firstly through persistent prayer, pleading with Him to open doors, and then when He does, we must act promptly and with courage to face the spiritual battle ahead.
The battle is hard but Roxy and I are much encouraged as we seek to support the leadership of the church at Buenos Aires, Arequipa. Please pray with us that the following prayer items will bring glory to God alone as we see His church grow.

1. Student Outreach
Please pray for Juan José, and Jessica Cuadras, two of our young people reaching out to students in the local University. Before going on to the Campus for daily personal evangelism, they meet for prayer at 6.00 in the morning. Recently they travelled to Chile for a conference, and in their report to the church, not only was their own personal zeal for evangelism evident, but also that they were encouraged by the zeal of the Chilean churches. Juan has preached a few times in our church; pray for his spiritual growth as well as for others who desire to serve the Lord and use their gifts.

2. Marriage counselling
Please pray for Roberto, who has responsibility within the fellowship. He recently returned from a conference aimed at helping those facing marriage problems. He has a number of friends who are facing such trials and so has a burden to reach them with the Gospel. He currently hosts a meeting in his own home, but we are just waiting on the Lord to see if this is a further area where we can offer support. Just recently the wife of one of our young couples asked Roxy for some advice. Could our home be used for this much needed yet sensitive area of ministry, or do we continue meeting at Roberto’s? Please pray for clarity in decision making.

3. Home groups
Please pray for us as we consider developing church house groups. A year or two ago, Pastor Carlos and myself attended a Conference led by a Brazilian Pastor, examining the issue of growing the church through house groups. Churches around the world have grown exponentially through such ministry. Pastor Carlos has sourced some good material to use, and, apart from deepening fellowship, he seeks to prepare some of our younger men for leadership of these groups. Pray that this preparatory teaching will be greatly blessed by the Lord and that wise and clear structures will be in place before they begin. Pray for Roxy and me as we, alongside Carlos, pay periodic visits to the groups to encourage the continuation of vision and focus. Pray also that new converts can be readily and wisely fed into the right group.

4. General prayer points
Rejoice with me over the inconvenience of a flat tyre! Dealing with a flat tyre gave me an opportunity, for over an hour, to share the gospel with Emerson. I was able to give him the booklet, Reasons to Believe, and he has asked to meet again soon. Please pray that I might be able to point him to Christ, I feel he is not far from the kingdom.
Please pray for Ismael, 12 years old and the nephew of one of our members. He is due to have a serious heart operation this month in Lima. Pray also for his mother, who attended the church recently, and for the whole family at this time.
Please pray for Samuel as he leads the young people’s meeting on Saturdays. Pray for those unsaved who attend.
Please pray earnestly for Nancy, Pastor Carlos´s wife who is undergoing radiotherapy treatment for her cancer. Pray that the Lord will provide the funds necessary so her treatment may continue.
We are encouraged by the prospect of more baptisms. Please pray for Carlos as he leads these classes and that the candidates may grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

5. Villa Magisterial
As shared in our May Prayer Letter, the outreach work at Villa Magisterial is now under the direction of the church at Buenos Aires. This has given it fresh impetus, not only in prayer but in help and support from church members. Their attendance, from young and old, has brought a more lively spirit to the meetings.
Please pray for the opportunity that this work gives for some of our young men to develop their gifts.
Please pray for a special evangelistic outreach on Father’s day, 17 June. We long to see more fathers converted.
Please pray for Vilma, who recently expressed her desire to receive the Lord as Saviour, and for Walter, whose wife attends the church. She says he has heard the gospel from some work colleagues, and desires to meet with us in the near future.

6 Financial Support
Please pray for our financial support. Recipients of our prayer letters will know we have never mentioned finance, until more recently. However, given the significant shortfall in the level of our support, there is a real need for an increase in giving if we are to achieve the required 100% designated giving. Clearly we must first look to the Lord, yet we are deeply grateful to those who have already pledged additional monies. If what we have shared has encouraged your heart and you feel you can give, either new money or make an increase on your already valued contribution, that would be greatly appreciated. Gospel truth is impacting Peru, we are so happy just to be part of that growth but equally we desire that you partner with us, sharing in the joy of seeing Christ’s kingdom grow, and all to His glory alone.

For further details on how you can support us financially please contact either Maciek Stolarski on arequipa@gracebaptist.org.uk or Grace Baptist Mission on info@gbm.org.uk
We do appreciate you all, both as a family and as a church, for your prayerful support for the work here in Arequipa.