Old Cafe, new cafe, busy pastor

Thought I would use this post to tell you about the two churches in Arequipa.  Pastor Efrain is the pastor serving these TWO (count them! bodies of believers) in Arequipa.  Currently he is overseeing the church in Arequipa and the outreach church up on El Mirador.  The church in Arequipa is in a house we all worked on that has been converted to a cafe and church.  It is now in a less crowded section of the city and I understand it is not generating quite as much income yet for the workers there as their previous location.  Pastor Efrain has asked for prayers for them.

Here are some photos of the new cafe/coffee shop/church building/missionary dwellings :)

Here is the way it looked when we were there :)

 

The church up on El Mirador is currently meeting in a woman's home.  They were without bibles, paper, basic supplies for the children when we were there.  We left them with some funding for such supplies, and here you see a child coloring :)

The space for the church on El Mirador is very small.  The dusty pictures you see in previous posts are of the church building they are working on.  God willing, they will have a location to provide many different services to the residents of El Mirador.  Should God allow it, this is where I will visit again.  As beautiful as the city of Arequipa was and as fancy and otherwordly as Lima was, my heart is truly with the folks in El Mirador.  I pray each day for their safety and their knowing Jesus Christ as Savior.

Pastor Efrain is kept very busy serving the Lord in this capacity.  That is him in the brown shirt.  Here is the space for the new church in El Mirador, God willing.  It was a heartbreaking time for us on that hill.  I know God will continue to use the visions and the heart He has given me while I was working there in days to come.  My prayers for this building and the "social work" as Pastor Efrain calls it to the children and adults of this community.

Here is a picture of the plans for the space.  Can you believe he estimated the total cost to be somewhere around $12,000?  Seems so small compared to what we spend here in America!

His heart was eager to invite all of us back to come and stay at the new cafe apartment.  There is plenty of room he promises! 
Here is a photo of him with the adult leaders of our team at his home where we were served breakfast by he and his wife Dorcas.  Their younger daughter Naydie was sick that morning.  Come to find out she had Hepatitis A and is now recovering from that.  They also have an older daughter Stephanie (nice name, huh?)

Here is a photo of some girls from our team folding bulletins in the apartment you could stay in should you want to serve as a missionary in Arequipa~it's a possiblity!  Pray about it!

Who's going?  :)

Evangelism

From Greg Laurie's devotional Monday...
"My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them."
— Romans 9:2–3

The apostle Paul had something essential for effective evangelism: a God-given burden for those who did not know Jesus Christ. In his case, the burden was for his own people, the Jews. He cared. It burned inside him.

General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once said that his desire, had it been possible, would be to dangle his evangelism trainees over hell for 24 hours. That way, they could see the reality that awaits those who do not know Jesus Christ.

That wouldn't have been necessary for Paul, who spoke of his love and burning passion for unbelievers. I think it is there for us in Scripture so that we don't become so obsessed with our own struggles and spiritual growth that we forget about people who need to know Christ.

I think Paul makes an amazing statement in Romans 9 when he says, in essence, "If it were possible, I would give up my hope of eternal life so that others who do not know could come to faith." That's a pretty dramatic statement.
As believers, you and I have a responsibility to those outside the church—those outside the faith. If God's love is really working in our lives, it should motivate us to do something for Him.

Do you have a God-given burden for those who do not know Jesus Christ? If you don't, do you want one?

If you pray that God will give you this burden, then be careful. The results could be life-changing. You just may be surprised at how quickly He answers you.

- Wow! That statement from Romans 9 has left me speechless today in light of the burden for Arequipa God has put on my heart.

Translators, 8 of them from Peru. Once fellow workers, now brothers and sisters in Christ!

We miss you all! Thanks for the example of true fellowship...

Ecclesiates 4:12
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken




"That their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself."
Colossians 2:2



"What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
1 John 1:3,7



"I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me."
John 17:23

"Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
Galatians 6:2,10

The teenagers, a ton of them, in all shapes, maturity levels and full of love!

1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

I was so incredibly humbled to be around 14 teenagers who's dedication to the things of God far outweighed my own. How amazing to see the future wrapped in the grace of God. Who says what's the world coming to? I think it's going to be incredibly blessed to have such examples...I miss all of you!

Don't you agree this verse so speaks of our time in Arequipa...

Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
The LORD is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
The LORD is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
Psalm 145:7-9

The Children...

Some shots of children who prayed to accept the invitation for eternal life...their interest was caught by a bunch of American teens doing a skit, but they will be forever with a savior...

"Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear...
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.
He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
~Mt. 13

Adam and I heard the scripture when considering international missions, this is the way, walk in it.

What if we hadn't listened? What if the noise of idols was so deafening we missed the call? What if we had thought more of the we can'ts than the HE CANs? I'm so thankful for the providence of God that led us to make this trip. For the eye opening wonders we've seen. Even thankful for the longing to go back, but to be here doing dishes and laundry and wondering what else to do with the day...I miss our friends there. It seems so silly to sit in luxury here...but I'm listening for what's next...

Home??

Where is home now I wonder. It is obviously here in Virginia, but to leave Peru, such strange and incredible things are happening in my heart this am. Helping the girls to clean their rooms and doing laundry, I've found enough money here to buy Carmen and her family dinner and bibles for the children in the mock Sun. school room in El Mirador.
It's so heartbreaking the things we allow to compete for our attention. There are so many videos on the shelf of the girls room.
I got mad whem I asked Casey to spend time reading her bible this am and she didn't even know where it was. There were tons of toys though, kwim?
I have a feeling this is the first wave of many that washes over my heart as I attempt to adjust to the "altitude sickness" spiritually here. We have so much.
Even turning on the faucet and washing the lettuce wasn't okay in Arequipa, yet Brad did it without blinking an eye.
How many times do we pass one who so badly needs to hear they can be cleansed of sin and stand before a holy and just God and not even notice.
The Food Lion teller, the bank clerk. Our friends? Family?

Obviously this trip has changed my life. It's rooted deep in my heart the longing that God has to develop real relationship with us. Not a religious experience, but relationship. That's what gospel we spread to the Catholic lost in Arequipa. THose who "knew" Jesus as the man in the picture but not the savior who paid a great price for His beloved.

I have tons of pictures, each with different stories. As my heart pours out, I pray that anyone reading be pointed more to God and less to me. They are my stories, but it is the work of God in us, manifest to prove He is who He says He is.

I am thrilled to see the girls and Brad and my heart aches to be back in Arequipa. We met a missionary Shane who says he really doesn't know where home is.
I totally understand.

Frio

Buenos Dias.
It is cold here. We are working pretty much all day and at night we have this share time when we all come together. The tile floor is very cold and when we go to bed and wake up, the water in the shower is mucho frio.

I am sitting at the computer in a chullo = Peruvian hat. Sweatpants and sweatshirt someone bought me from a street vendor (we did not pack warm enough clothes).

Sunday our leader Mike was tasked with giving the sermon for the first church service for the church in Arequipa in their new building. It was fantastic!!!

It was hard work but it all disappeared when we worshipped together, some en espanol, some in english, in a renovated house that will be their church. Very cool.

The kids are all expressing what God has been teaching them. Quite a bit about boldness. We have visited two parks in two days witnessing God´s changing of hearts at both. They both were a bit scary but for diff. reasons. One was physically scary in that it was very very crowded and not the safest spot. I was nervous for the kids so decided to sit with all of our bags. They tell us someone could run by and grab something so it´s a tough job :) You know I have to be ready to go off on someone...haha. I will say, hey give me that, your mom will be mad at you right?? Then they´ll just hand it back to me...that´s a joke.
Anyway, there is a guy with us too but on with the story. BTW, there are quite a few men here with us that are doing a great job of policing the border each time we go out. Many many times I have felt unsafe and turn and there is one of them, watching me, smiling, remembering I can continue.
So as I was standing there a man I´d met earlier at the church, an usher, greeter I guess? he was giving me a look to join him. He was witnessing to two teenagers. We began to talk to them about the world being here (hand motion) and God being here (far away) the bridge between both broken because of blackness. The only way the world could move to God was Christ. It was cool to be a part of and we prayed together.
Yesterday we went to another park and were setting up. I had a bad feeling the skit would not go well for some reason. We were directly in the plaza of a catholic church. The doors of the church were open and I felt we were (brazen? I don´t know) to be doing the skit there...anyway. It didn´t happen, a security guard spoke to Mike and so we "just" ended up handing out tracts and spoke to people about Jesus.
I don´t even know how many came to Christ, at least three that I heard of and manymany seeds were planted. Thank God for His providence. We almost brought the kids home right after lunch because everyone was getting really tired after visiting three schools with manymany hands grabbing balloons, and get this, asking for us to sign their schoolnotebooks. So instead of signing my name, Itook the oppt to have each one I was asked (at least 50) to learn and repeat God loves me. How fun that was. The children were so eager to say hello.
Not only out there, but in here, God is doing great things. I know you all love pics, I would, so I will try to get some up, they take so long to do, but it is fun to see them. It gives you eyes too of what is up here.
I pray for you reading today, mom, Katie, other parents, strangers = well, friends of the kids here...
I pray you not take for granted your warm shower this am. That your hot eggs or your warm bed or your refrigerator or your car or your lack of...distract you from the wonder of our mighty, mighty God. That today you determine in your heart to be perservering in trial. To be patient in affliction, that you look for what God is teaching through it.
Romans 5, 2 Cor 11 at the end I think, my bible is in my room with Rachel who is getting much needed sleep. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, and still his love for Christ compelled him. I thank God for that lesson this frio, frio, am.
ANd guess what, in about five hours, the sun that is so close you can almost touch it will be faithful to warm the whole earth to testify of who He is.