Prayer...Projects...

Things have been going well at the internet cafe and the School Supply store, so well that we are looking to expand them a little. But I am not going to reveal the details just yet.

Please pray for the projects we are looking into accomplishing this year, as part of our overall plan to prepare, equip, and raise up self-sustaining churches in Tacna for continuing God's work throughout the unreached zones and people groups.

We will have more details revealed after prayer and team meetings.

The sound of happy - part 2

The sound of happy

Seminary

We are excited to say that we have 8 people from the church in Ciudad Nueva that have begun seminary classes, two of which are recent christians who have been going to our church the last few months since we opened the School Supply Store. This is obviously very exciting and encouraging for us, because we know that education allows our ignorance to no longer impede us (the work of God in us). In all the Iberoamerican churches in Tacna have 16 members and leaders attending seminary.

Please pray for Brigida and Christina. They are the two newest members mentioned above. Christina is a single mom who was left by her husband for another woman. Brigida is excited about Christ and we are talking to plan her baptism and wedding.

A Prayer for Support...an example of Giving

Please keep our financial support in your prayers.

Shortly ago we were informed by one of the two churches that support that they will no longer be supporting us because of the economy. They are a small church and have been hit hard so it is very understandable and we are grateful for the support they have shown us without even knowing each other too long nor having a longstanding relationship. They were over 10% of our monthly support.

And this week we were informed by our main supporter that we will be getting cut by 20%. We have a very long relationship and there are many factors involved, but the fact that they are 50% or more of our monthly support means a lot. We are very grateful for their support as well.

Please pray that God will open hearts and minds to see the great things He is doing here in Tacna and that support will grow and not diminish. We know that God brings support from where he desires...and we recently were able to see first hand.

After the earthquake in Chile, the church in Tacna was motivated to do what we can. We talked about different things we could try to do and God shut the door on a couple of ideas. Our initial goal was to try to raise around $600 between the three churches here in Tacna, and it seemed unlikely with the main event to raise money being cancelled. But God showed us once again the great things he is able to do and the church responded to His goodness towards them. With all the poverty and extreme poverty in our city, we were still able to raise way more than we had even ideally hoped for...it was a God thing! In total the church was able to give about $1000 to help a small town in southern Chile, Iloca, after it was devastated by the earthquake and tsunamis.

So can God bring in more support than we hope for? Most definitely. And he has shown us once again that our faith in Him is not in vain.

Patty is back

Chiqui's mom with Matthew and Patty with her grandson Leonardo.

Praise God that after 16+ months of treatment and therapy the pastor's wife Patty is back. She will have to travel back to Santiago, Chile every 2 1/2 months for checkups, but she is living in Tacna again.

Once again...God is good!

We were also blessed to have Tito and Patty's daughter Ula, her husband Alvaro, and her newborn with us as well. Ula and Alvaro worked with the youth group in the central church for 4 years.

No more truck...

Last Thursday we had a sad but good day...we were forced to sell the truck. Peru no longer would allow us into the country with the truck that we had purchased in Chile, but thankfully we had made a contact in November who was interested in buying it.

It's interesting how God works isn't it? When we needed the truck most during Chiqui's pregnancy and Matthew's first months we were blessed to have it. Now when we were forced to sell the truck we were able to within a day. We arrived in Arica, Chile on Wednesday afternoon and we were in Tacna by lunchtime on Thursday. Can't complain about that. In pesos we didn't ended up losing much money, but because of the fall of the Chilean peso a little bit since the date we purchased the truck we ended up losing around $900...not so bad for almost two years of use.

So we need a means of transportation soon and your prayers are needed and appreciated. Our options are the same as mentioned before:

1) Purchase in the US or in Chile and import into Peru
2) Purchase in Peru and not worry about the paperwork (but it costs a LOT more!!!), or
3) Receive a donated vehicle and import

Obviously, the 3rd option is our preferred option, but we know that it is difficult; moreso, with the economic crisis and the fact the it needs to have less than 49,000 miles and 5 years old or less.

We know God will open up a door for one of these options or maybe even surprise us with an option of his own.

Only kryptonite can stop him...

He grows and grows and grows...when he'll stop no one knows!

Matthew just celebrated 3 months and he is using clothes for 6-9 month old babies! And his ability to laugh grows even faster. Enjoy!!!

Scholarships and gratitude

God has once again been very good to us and Tacna.

Thanks to one very generous supporter we were able to open the School Supply store. And thanks to several other supporters we were able to give out over 30 scholarships to poor families, widows, single mothers, and a few church employees who all were in need of financial help so their children could study. We hope that next year this number can at least double.

Thank you Kevin and Leslie, your generosity has blessed a city and a kingdom.
Thank you Lee and Heather, families are one step closer to leaving poverty's vicious cycle because of you.
Thank you Paul, CCV, John and Rachel, Steve and Ann, the Pentz, Diandra, Lyle and Cathy, Dan and Claudia, Doug and Ellie, Eddie and Jen, John and Maureen,George and Charlene, Jay and Lori, Brad and Julie, Mark and Sarah, Phil, and everyone else who has ever sent a check, said a prayer, or sent an email or word of encouragement. Every photo you see, email you receive, blog you read is all possible because of the years of support. We thank God for you all constantly.

Scholarships