Peruvian Way

Baby News…

Well, for you who do not know, we are having a Girl…!!! We do not have a name yet but hopefully soon we will. Sandra is doing good, the baby is growing and is healthy. It has been a bit harder for her now that she is getting bigger or you could say the baby is getting bigger. And it is summer, so that makes it not so fun being pregnant w/ the hot weather… But soon we will be heading to Lima the beginning of August where Lil’ She (As my mom would say, since we don’t have a name yet) will be born. If you could keep us in your prayers…

As well, before leaving to Lima my church from Texas is coming out for a week, if you could keep us in your prayers. We will be doing different ministries from a youth camp to marriage conf., kids ministry to a river trip, evangelism, and etc… And after the team leaves, before heading to Lima we will be packing our belongings and putting them in a storage until returning to Iquitos, which we are not sure when we will be back, but could be in October.

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”  John 6:63

Teams:

Way back at the end of March beginning of April we had the students from IBCC come out for a week and help with the different ministries here. For the first time we did a couple of outreaches at the ministry were we started on Ucayali Street. We had a great turn out, what we thought would be more towards adults ended up being more kids. But we had a blast playing, dancing, and sharing Jesus to them…

Speaking of our ministry in Ucayali, just shortly after the team left, as I was sharing in my previous update that we had a couple who wanted to get married. Well, sure enough they did, Oscar and Ivonne are happily married now… please keep them in your prayers… For pictures go to my photos and they will be there!

The month of June we pretty much had a team every week. CC Merritt Island came out in the beginning of June w/ a bunch of youth and we had a blast w/ them. For us personally it was a great time of fellowship, thank you all…!!!

From there we had an unexpected blessing… A team that puts on the annual missionary dinner and medical clinic needed someone to go to Lima and pick up someone from their team who was traveling alone and bring him to Iquitos. Which we were able to do and gave us an opportunity to spend a couple days in Lima visiting family and friends…

Which by the way, the missionary dinner was GREAT…!!! I believe there where over 40-50 missionaries who showed up. We felt like it was Christmas all over again with all the goodies we got from them. It brought joy to a beautiful pregnant woman…!!! As well I believe the medical clinic turned out great, one of there last days here they were able to set up at the church in El Terminal and help the community there. Thanks to all who put that on….!!!!!

From there we had a team from CC Joshua Springs who came and helped with the ministry and held a ladies conf. Which had a great turn out and many were blessed including Sandra… when coming back she shared w/ me all that she learned and the little goodies she got. Another blessed, beautiful, happy pregnant woman…!!!

As well, Albert was pretty busy… For some time now Albert has wanted to hit the rivers and visit the pastors who we had meet from the previous 2 Pastor Conferences.  So at the end of June Albert, and a small team headed out for 6 days on the river and showed the Jesus movie. We were not able to go b/c of the baby, but it was a great turn out… For more info check out Albert’s update at: http://perushope.com/2010-06.htm

Ucayali/Us:

We continue to have the ministry on Ucayali street. I am just now finishing Chapter 8 of John and Sandra is now teaching through Proverbs 31 to the women. At times it has definitely been challenging for us, even at times of wanting to just quit, but the Lord always comes along and encourages us to continue and to be faithful, even if it might not seem like anyone is listening or not seeing any fruit… The name where we are ministering at is called the “Red Zone.” Why? B/c it is where the highest rate of criminal activity goes on; such as drugs, theft, and etc… Don’t worry God is on our side, He’s our protection. And we are pretty known down there by the people, so that everyone has our backs, but if you could continue to pray for the ministry.

July:

If you are wondering what we did for the 4th, well we had a great time chillin and relaxing under the jungle sun w/ a bunch of missionaries from other churches. We had a potluck lunch… ummmmmm it was good. I felt American all over again!!!

From the 20-27th my church from Amarillo will be here, so keep that in your prayers and Lord willing I will update how that goes…

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support for us. We are so grateful each day for God’s provision for us spiritual, physical, and financially.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”   Hebrews 11:6

I have seen these past few months the Lord has definitely been trying my faith… showing me how and who to put my trust in. That no matter what happens, no matter what you go through, no matter how hard things get, no matter how tough the spirirtual warfare is, no matter how impossible it seems; Jeremy, “Trust in ME.”

First off, sorry for not updateing everyone in all the things that have been going on here, which soon I will get those updates out b/c the lord has done great things this summer and so much has happened that I want you all to know about,  but right now I would like to share a little bit of what the Lord has doing in me right now.

This summer has honestly been the toughest but as well some of the greatest times with the Lord personal. I have felt so much spiritual warfare, attacks from the enemy, but all along the Lord has been right by my side, His hand wide open, loving, and gracious through it all, as well with all the prayers that all of you have giving out.

Truly, “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life…” difficult is the way that leads to life; eternally speaking. Something we don’t see but hope for and what we hope for we believe by faith. Before we hitting that end goal; eternal life, we go through things we don’t understand, we hit difficult times we don’t like, whether trials, persecutions, testings and etc… all for the better but at the moment of it all we think for the worse until afterwards we sit and say, “oh now I see why.”

It’s funny how when going through all this, it seems like you are at the end of your life you can’t go on but then right when you are at that point, God comes in and lifts us up, what we thought, He forgot about us, He was truly there but just seeing and desiring for us to put our faith and trust in Him. All God wants is our hearts and for us to believe and trust in Him; to give complete control of our lives to Him. If He is the one that created us then why can’t we trust Him in with our lives?

In these months the lord has really gotten a hold of my heart, truly in a place of brokenessbefore Him. It seems that trial after trial has come my way and as well with the enemy at my foot steps pulling me ever which way, with my thoughts, with my actions, my pride, and so forth… Really it has shown me what an ugly dude I am and how much of a SAVIOR I need and His grace.

So why was the Lord having me go through so much, why do we always go through trials…? “But may the God of all grace who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” I Peter 5:10

For me personally, I felt He wanted to break me (Psalms 34:17-19) and allow me to see how much I need to put all my trust in Him, no matter what, and to grow spiritually in my walk with the Lord and in character.

A short story and prayer request to close with, Albert left for lima Sunday the 3rd for a class, a team of three were coming on the 4th to help out here for a week and one of them was going to help translate for when me when I teach while Albert was gone. Yeah, well that didn’t happen b/c they had missed there flight thinking it was in the afternoon when it was in the morning, and there tickets are non-refundable. 

Then that night after going to bed b/c I had to get up early to leave at six to go to Panguanafor a huge Medical Clinic that we were helping with, 20 doctors, a dentist, nurses, tons and tons of medicine to give out, and evangilism. Well the night before i got a call from Pastor Jose telling me I can’t go, there is no more space. Man was I bummed but I thought to myself, “well the Lord knows why. Maybe I need to stay back and study for Wednesday, since I am going to have to teach in Spanish for the first time, b/c Albert is in Lima and that team didn’t make it.” So I said, “Ok,” but really in my heart wanting to go. After that I went back up stairs and said to the Lord, “Why Lord, what next are you going to bring my way now, I’m waiting.”

Through the summer of getting hit hard spiritual, to now the team not coming (which it was a missionary from Lima and two others), not having someone to translate for me on Wednesday night, Saturday night and the following Wednesday night, to not going to Panguana for this huge event, and…. well so I went to bed after that and woke up to what I thought was my alarm going off at 5:30am, but was the door bell ringing, and ringing, and ringing. To find out it was Pastor Jose saying, “Jeremy you got to go with me, I need you there with me, no matter if there is space or not, we will work it out.” So told him, ”I have not idea what to do, with all that has happen lately, so you tell me what is best, should I stay back and study for church or do I need to go.” And of course his answer was, “go.”  So I went and had an awesome time, (another update on that.)

Then to my surprize when coming back that night I got a huge headache so went to bed shortly after eating dinner. But the next morning I woke up to major stomach problems, yeah the joys of being a missionary. So I toughed it out that day b/c we had another Medical Clinic but was in Iquitos and I was helping them with it, but thank the Lord I was surrounded by doctors and medicine was able to take some. I was good the whole day but still in pain at times but took it like a man, hahaha, until I got home.

Didn’t got to church which I was supose to b/c I was  teaching but Jose told me that I could stay home and rest which I really needed it b/c of my stomach and he was going to just have a time of prayer with the church which went good, but for me on my part, yeah another story. Up till 1:30am, pretty much living in the bathroom until the pain was so bad that I thought I should go to the hospital, don’t forget I am home alone. Praying, asking the Lord what to do, really couldn’t think much or even the thought of trying to get to the hospital b/c of the pain. But then all the sudden everything that I had in my stomach and what felft like my brains coming up… and out…., if you know what I mean without getting into details. And with relief I praise the Lord with only a little pain but not to much to where I couldn’t sleep, I was able to sleep till the morning.  So as I said before, ”What next Lord…” (Side not, who wants to be a missionary? hahahaha)

So as of this Saturday through all those crazy events, I am left here with one thing, that is of trusting the Lord. Why? B/c the Lord has left me with no translator but only HIM and for the first time I am having to teach in spanish by myself, of course I have shared the gospel and lived everyday living in spanish here but when coming to teaching that I haven’t done yet. Thinking to myself, “there is no way I can do this,” and that’s right I can’t but God can. So with excitement and nervousness the Lord has put me in a place to where I have to Trust in Him, my faith needs to be in Him. 

So if you could pray for me Saturday night with the youth, and as well Wednesday night with the church as I teach. With the word’s of Paul I cling to,“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”   I Corinthtians 2:4-5

As crazy as this email might sound and everything in it, just to say that God is at work and continue’s to work no matter what. May we all allow the Lord to work in us and have His way in us, all for the glory of our KING!!!

Thanks truly for everything!!!