Mission

He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” (1 Kings 18: 43,44)

Much More To Come

There was no mercy for the prophets of Baal, the cancer mercilessly cut out from the body politic in a day; nothing spared. But there was no going up to Carmel until that merciless work was fully completed. The principle is clear for us too see: sin must be dealt with before grace can rain down from above. With the evil removed the way was opened for blessing.

We remember the glorious truth that a crucified, resurrected and reigning Christ has sent the promised Holy Spirit to gather his elect from the four corners of the earth. Elijah´s servant looking toward the sea said “there is nothing”, but the three and a half year drought had to give way to an abundant outpouring. Praise God we can and must come before the Lord with the same confidence and assurance as Elijah, to persevere in prayer. Sin and evil has been atoned for and removed.

We may also look sometimes at the work and think “there is nothing” but faith perceives and perseveres until the promised blessing is poured out upon his people. Satan would also whisper to us “there is nothing”. But a cloud as small as a man´s hand is seen rising from the sea, and Elijah knew there was much more to come!

Can we say and pray with the same confidence, that there is so much more to come regarding God´s Kingdom?

Family Disintegration

A recent article in our local paper stated that sexual abuse towards children and teenagers had increased by 40% over the last year, and that violence towards women had also increased significantly. With us working predominantly among the poorer class of society the fractured nature of family life is also reflected in the church. However, the Gospel can reach those affected by such trauma. For example a lady who attended this years camp for the first time, with her husband and young child, recently asked to speak with Ronny and myself after the service, together with her husband. Well, a man who we thought was her husband! It had come to her knowledge that he was in fact still legally married to another woman!

There are many other sad issues that I cannot relate here, but suffice to say that we were confronted with something that is a common occurrence here, and as the worldly vernacular would say, “shacking up together” without any sense of commitment, especially from the male gender. I can think of 5 women who attend the church who are in relationships where they receive no support from their spouses. Also in other families the only word that would describe their homes would be ‘fractious’. One lady called Gladys, who attends the Sunday services in Villa Magisterial shared with Roxy that her partner had recently left her. She has two children and in desperate need of an operation to save the sight in one of her eyes. Another lady in VM called Angela, whose children attend the children´s club on a Friday, works all the hours she can to support her children. Her partner recently came out of prison due to the violence she suffered at his hands.

Of course of ourselves we cannot mend such brokenness nor can we change the circumstances of their bad choices and decisions, but we do know that real change can only come through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit through the new birth. Nothing but a new heart can bring about conclusive change, transforming people´s lives. Pray with us that the Lord will be gracious and bring about this miracle of grace, which alone can bring salvation, and transform many of these families.

The Regular Ministry

Simon Bolivar, San Pedro, Villa Magisterial

We are encouraged by seeing new faces in all the areas where we are serving the Lord, but the great need is for a spiritual stirring among the unsaved.

Please pray for Davíd & his family. A month ago he left the church seemingly through conviction but has recently returned! He has even asked for baptism! Ronny knows the family and will be meeting with them on a regular basis. He is an engineer who works at a local mine, and would be the only sizeable “earner” among us. They helped recently with preparing the food for the anniversary service, which was a real encouragement.

Lucía is a lady who seems near to the kingdom. She was near death after an unsuccessful operation, but thankfully came through and has expressed her desire to serve the Lord. Her husband is a drinker, who spends more time with his worldly pals! Pray that these individuals will come right through to a full knowledge of God´s call to salvation in Christ. At Villa Magisterial we have a number who are regular on a Sunday. Recently a couple of the ladies have come with their husbands to the main service on a Sunday afternoon; Patti & René: Mari Luz & Owen. Pray for these couples and the others who attend, that the Lord will save married couples and that we may soon have a group of believers there to be a living witness in the community. Ronny leads a Bible study on Thursday, in the local community centre in San Pedro, with a number of members of the church who live in the village.

Pray also that the Lord will prosper all the ministry to the Glory of God. Pray for all the evangelism, and for the various children´s meetings in all these areas. How we need to see a new generation with biblical principles instilled in them, by the Spirit, from a young age.

Dust clouds and Gales!

Dust clouds, gales & rain! Never seen rain in June, and never seen gales in Peru! But have them we did, which made for a most unusual day! Roxy was in a panic, and all I could say was, “Call this a gale; you want to live in England!” I was a real calming influence! Then came a power cut; total darkness and me fumbling around to find the torch; now i´m worried about her blood pressure! I slept like a log through the whistling and sound of flying debris, while Roxy was up and down like a yo-yo (so she told me)! Flights were cancelled and Melly enjoyed a day off school!

Comings and Goings

We would value prayer for the visits to us over the next few months. Fiona Cary from the church in Formby, Merseyside, will be staying with us for a number of weeks. She will be helping Megan Addison in the orphanage and also assisting us in the children´s ministry, in all areas. Trevor Condy from our home church in Southport and David Rivero from the church in Madrid will, DV, be visiting us in September. Pray that their ministry to the church will be fruitful, and that they also may be blessed and encouraged by being with us.

I also need to travel to Lima a couple of times to change the category of my visa, due to the uncertainty regarding religious visas. Being married to a Peruvian I have the option of changing this status to that of a family resident. Pray that the whole process will go ahead without any problems. Pray that I will have a good dose of heavenly patience! I still find it hard to bear incompetence and irrationality in many of these matters. You can fulfill all the criteria that they ask for on the website, and then when you get there, they make others up! It often boils down to the individual person. Pray I may get a nice one!!

We take the opportunity to give thanks to the Lord for your support and prayers for us in the work here in Arequipa. May the Lord be pleased to extend his kingdom among us all to the glory of His name.

But he knows the way I take; when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23: 10

There is great comfort in knowing that God has predestined and ordained the path set before us. There is no possibility of getting lost along the way, due to the adverse and foggy path on which we often walk. Peace and rest is assured because he knows the way, and his destined purposes will be realised; we shall come forth as gold, we shall be transformed into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ.

What will be the way for us this year? However it may be, we can rest in the knowledge that God will guide and continue to work in us, according to his good pleasure, as we humbly submit to his will. As we begin the year our hope is in him and trusting his promise to build his church for His glory alone.

Camp

We had a good camp this year with a number of new faces, including some from our outreach to Villa Magisterial. We had a married couple, Isaac & Patti. Patti has been attending the women’s meeting. They are regular in attendance on Sunday and just recently Isaac has begun to attend the mid-week prayer meeting. Also Jessica, one of our young women testified that she had backslidden, but now wanted to return to the Lord and commit herself again to the church. She has been to church regularly ever since. We also had a number of young people with us, many of who are also with us on a Sunday. Please pray for all these individuals that the work of God in them will be deep and persevering. Unlike the Lord’s complaint, through the prophet Hosea concerning Israel’s loyalty “For your loyalty is like a morning cloud and like the dew which goes away early” (Hosea 6:4) Pray that they won’t gradually be like the seed being choked by the cares of this world and drift back into sin, but rather pray that they will flourish, grow in grace and contribute to the life and fellowship of the church.

Pray too for a lady called Gladys who, at the invitation of her sister, came to camp with her young baby and gave testimony on the final evening that, just a week before camp, her husband had suddenly died from a heart attack. She lives outside the areas in Arequipa where we are working so please pray that we will be able to locate her and maintain contact and have opportunity to share the word of God.

Villa Magisterial

We started a family service here last April, and during the year had around 15 in attendance but never all together! A few came to camp, but we would ask you to pray that this would be the year when we see a number coming to faith in Christ. At the end of year service for the children’s club, we had over 60 children and parents present. Pray that this year’s visitation and evangelism will result in the Lord planting a group of believers, and a new church established in the area. We have already had a number of opportunities to build relationships, which we pray will bear fruit as we continue to share the Gospel with these people.

The Mission in Peru

The past couple of months have been particularly uncertain regarding the status of Missions here in Peru. We have been a legal association in Peru since 1999, and registered with the Justice ministry since 2004. This latter connection is very important as it means we are a recognised Evangelical denomination, as far as the Government is concerned. However recently, this status has been threatened by various changes in the law affecting different denominations, aside from the favoured Catholic Church; the Vatican State of course has favoured status, having diplomatic relations with Peru. Recently all denominations had to re-register with the Justice Ministry and those not complying by the 18th of January would be removed from the list. We recently registered again, which is not an easy process, and we still await the outcome. There are other proposed changes that could make it impossible for foreign missions to comply, so please pray with us that these problems will not result in our visas being withheld. These intrusions also cost time and money. Pray that sense may prevail, and that these silly and pointless changes will be dropped.

I write this just a few days before we take our summer break as a family. February is a time for all of us in the work here to take a welcome break, before all the work recommences, coinciding with the start of the school year at the beginning of March. Pray with us that, during this time of rest and meditation, the Lord will grant us wisdom, discernment & an understanding of his will for the work, going forward. Pray for us as a team during this year, that we will be united in heart and mind, and that God will bless us together as we seek to reach needy souls with the gospel. Someone once wisely said concerning ministry, “It is not the hard work that breaks down ministers, but it is the toil of working without power”. May the Lord grant us the oil of the Holy Spirit so that our ministry will be eternally effective in saving sinners. We would take this opportunity to thank you for your prayers and support. May the Lord grant us all the joy of seeing his kingdom come in the lives of many, and for his glory.

There is a spiritual chill that has come over us…!

I recently read a letter of John Newton’s, where he described our walk with the Lord as passing through seasons. Storms and frosts are useful and seasonable in their places. In our dark and dull hours we feel how little we can do for him! He comments: “The work seems (so far as it comes under my knowledge) much at a stand-still as to new awakenings and conversions; I trust you will pray for us, that the arm of the Lord may be revealed” Truly, I can echo his words and share his experience! Yes, dark and dull hours, a spiritual winter, where the ground is hard and there is no visible evidence of the power of God in salvation. But we are assured his presence is with us, and is sufficient to comfort in storms and trials. Why his power is withheld and restrained at this time is known only to him who dispenses his gifts and graces where he pleases; but we pray that a spiritual “Spring” may soon arrive to refresh our spirits and revive his church.

Villa Magisterial

The first 6 months in the new area have been encouraging in the sense that a number have responded and continue to attend the service on Sunday afternoon. There are 4 couples who are listening to the word of God regularly, and appear to be attentive to what is being preached. But of course the attentiveness we long for is that which can only be created by the Holy Spirit; listening with faith and confidence in the Lord and in his revealed word. The bible is a closed book until the Lord is pleased to awaken and grant understanding of his will. Pray that faith would spring forth by the power of God in those who listen to the word; and also among the children on Fridays. We would value your constant intercessions for the following by name: José & Lourdes, Marta & Nestor, Berta & Rubén, Lucresia & Joachin. We meet in Lucresia´s home, and her husband is always in attendance. He is interested but as yet showing no evidence of stirring or spiritual life. But these folk and other ladies are all coming, which we pray will be a sign of future blessing. One lady recently stopped attending through the opposition of her husband. Pray that soon we will see the Lord moving among us and establishing a group of believers in the area. All those who are coming are parents of children from the children´s club each Friday. Pray also for the visitation in the area, that we will continue to build up contacts and have opportunities to share the Gospel.

“Your people will volunteer freely in the day of your power.” Psalm 110:3

There is a great need among us as a fellowship for deeper commitment and service to the Lord. It is always very humbling to realise that of ourselves we can do nothing to increase power and spiritual life in the body of Christ. We are not only reliant on the Lord for the work of conversion, but also for the on-going sanctification of the Church. A.W Tozer once said: We pursue God because and only because, he has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. The text above reminds us we are no less dependent on his power than when we first believed. There is a spiritual chill that has come over us, evidenced by a lack of zeal and a lack of power in the preaching. We may remember what the Lord said in the parable of the wheat and tares: “An enemy has done this” (Matt 13:28) As Oliver Cromwell once said to the master painter doing his portrait “ paint me warts and all!” so, we must share both our joys and concerns. The one thing needful is the day of his power, without that we can relate to you only church activities. There are a number of families passing through various trials, pray that these will not weaken, but rather strengthen their faith and hope in the Gospel. It is often other family members who are the cause of their trials, and we know that the enemy is most subtle in diverting the mind away from the Lord. Pray that the burden and desire for prayer will increase; at the moment the level of concern for the Lord´s intervention does not indicate any move of God among us. Pray for the unsaved among us, and for us who preach. We should be broken and humbled by fruitless Sundays. May the Lord turn the wilderness into a fruitful field. Will he not keep his vineyard? ”..I, the Lord , am it´s keeper; I water it every moment, so that no one will damage it, I guard it night and day” ( Isaiah 27; 3) Thankfully I don´t have that burden, although I often carry it when I should just hand it over to the true keeper!

Other needs

Megan Addison is due to arrive here in Peru on the 24th of September. The first need is to process her visa, which is likely to take initially a couple of days stay in Lima,then another visit to pick up the visa card a month later. Pray that the whole process will go smoothly; things rarely go smoothly here! Talk bureaucracy, and you are talking time, constant change, and the need of a good dose of patience! Megan will be helping for a couple of years in an orphanage here in Arequipa, and also be involved in the church as time allows, when her full course of language study is completed. There are also serious concerns regarding changes to the number of missionaries required to form a religious association. The proposed change is that the minimum requirement would be 120 members. Bearing in mind no foreign Mission has that many missionaries, none would be eligible for visas. Pray that the Justice ministry will see sense and shelve such nonsensical ideas, and that the unseen forces behind such changes will be frustrated.

Family news

The Lord has been so gracious to us in keeping us all in good health. Roxy is so much better, and is a real help in “VM”, welcoming the ladies and supporting me in the ministry. Monday is a day for us to enjoy some quality time together after a busy Sunday. I recently finished helping Melly with a history project from School. For the lesson on Indian culture, she had to make a Hindu temple! Now that was a first, and I hope a last! There I was sticking hindu gods on our finished temple! Please Lord, lay not this charge to thy servant!!! Now that was the oddest work I´ve done; that won´t be in the HERALD! We do appreciate your support and prayers, and trust the Lord will soon make us all glad by what he has done, and sing for joy at the work of his hands (Psalm 92: 4)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13.8

Red tape, roofing & rain have dominated the first couple of months since our return; I am still waiting to have my visa renewed. The new Government has brought in changes, which you only learn about when you begin the process! So much time has to be spent in preparing more legal documents. Furthermore there has also been a shake up in regards to the criteria for the acceptance of mission organizations. The requirement for the number of active members has changed, which could practically eliminate most foreign missions. Many agencies are currently making representations to the relevant authorities, so we will have to follow this issue very carefully in the coming days.

Whilst you were having fine weather we had rain non-stop for a month! One day we had an electric storm combined with hailstones. The damage to the roads has been extensive, and it´s no fun driving around in the city at the moment.

But through all these unwelcome changes we fix our faith upon the Lord whose promises and purposes cannot fail; “in every change he faithful will remain”. It also delivers us from the natural tendency to frustration, especially when bureaucracy seems to rob us of the time we could devote to more pressing matters.

Villa Magisterial

Despite the weather delaying progress, building work on our new meeting place has continued and we have just completed the roof. In the next couple of weeks we plan to install the windows. On the first Sunday we used the building, without windows, it was not the most enjoyable service, so we hope to get that finished very soon! We have now begun the children´s meetings on Friday´s and the family service on Sunday afternoon. We have made some changes to how and where we spend our time here in the work. We no longer lead the children’s work in San Pedro, Ronny and Rocío now take full responsibility for that. We now plan to spend most of the available time visiting in Villa Magisterial, and using Saturdays for discipleship classes and Evangelism. Pray that these new arrangements will prove a blessing, not only to the work but also to us as workers together here in Arequipa.

Simon Bolivar

The work in the church at Simon Bolivar is steady, but we long to see growth and progress. A few have applied for Baptism, but we need to be cautious, given that some are sporadic in their attendance. We need to make disciples, and they must understand the significance of baptism in relation to their commitment to the church. The body of Christ is where we best serve him together and where we are most effective. Miguel, an architect and one of our younger members, has been in the UK for a couple of months, visiting his brother and fiancé, Megan. (Megan was on the first Envision Team to Peru last year) The visit seems to have cemented their commitment to each other and confirmed the will of God for their future. Megan is

due to return to Peru sometime this year, to serve the Lord here in Arequipa. We pray that they both may be of service to the Lord here in the future.

I trust the following list of prayer items will be helpful in providing fuel for intercession during the year, although we do plan to keep in touch, DV!!

Prayer items

Some of the items are perhaps of a more general nature, but nonetheless Biblical in their import, as we earnestly seek the Holy Spirit to guide us in prayer and in the work.

Pray for:

• Joachin, Lucresia´s husband. He attends the meetings in his home (in VM) and is listening well to the word of God. Pray that he will soon be saved and able to join his wife in serving the Lord. What a blessing and witness that would be as we develop the work in this area. It would be great to have a couple living in the township and serving the Lord together.
• Miguel and Megan, that they may know the mind of Christ regarding their future.
• The church of Christ in Peru, especially concerning the recent changes that affect all Missions, that these new requirements will be revised and not affect future ministry among the churches.
• His Kingdom may be extended. (Matt 6:10)
• A constant filling with the Holy Spirit to be effective in his service (Luke 11:13)
• For the salvation of the lost in all areas (Rom 10:1)
• Healing among us, both spiritually and physically. Often physical ills proceed from a life of sin. (James 5:13-15)
• Strategic wisdom as to how best use our time and resources. (James 1:5)
• Unity and love to be deepened in the life of every member in the church. If there is disunity then the work will be hindered. (Phil 2;2)
• The Lord to help us grow in the knowledge of God and in increasing measure, so that our words and our lives will express real love and compassion. (Eph 3,14,18,19)
• A deeper understanding of the glorious hope we have in Christ, that our service will be one of joy and that he will be exalted in all we do. (Eph 1:16-18, Matt 6:9)
• Strength and patience, they do not come naturally. Our natural bent is weakness and impatience. That we may persevere when we see so many obstacles and opposition in various ways. (Col 1:9-11)
• Our faith to be preserved among all the Lords people and that it will not fail, but give glory to God (Lucas 21:36)
• The Lord to work in us that which is pleasing, for his purposes to be fulfilled in us and in those we minister to. (2 Thess 1:11)
• Us to keep short accounts with the Lord and for his forgiveness and presence each day (Matt 6: 12)
• The Lord to keep us from falling into temptation and protect us from the wiles of the devil and keep ourselves blameless to the day of Christ. (1 Peter 5:8)

We do appreciate and covet your on-going prayer and support.