Better Late than Never...

One of the things that we had to adjust to in Peru was the time schedule. Peruvians aren't very time conscious. If someone tells you to meet at noon they may arrive by 12:45. I once had a doctors appointment regarding some stomach aches. My appointment was at 4:00 p.m. I arrived at 3:50. The doctor spotted me and commented, "Now I know what your problem is, your worried about being on time. A Peruvian would have been here at 4:30 for the appointment!" Peruvians call their persistent tardiness "la hora Peruana."

A survey in today's local paper asked an interesting question: "Do you believe Peruvians will ever develop the habit of being punctual?" Here are the results:

• 43% Yes-I think we can!
• 25% Yes-perhaps someday!
• 20% Not Likely-It's really difficult!
• 12% NEVER!

We've just learned to relax. We've learned to ask people to arrive about 30 minutes earlier than we really expect them. We just learn to enjoy "La Hora Peruana!" Then we remind ourselves to get ready on time. We still think punctuality is important!

Earthquake? What Earthquake?

Saturday evening was an exciting night for John. He was invited to conduct a home Bible study in a local neighborhood. A group of 10 believers had gathered together to study, sing and share testimonies. Several are new believers. It was a great evening and a highlight for the weekend.

The meeting actually started at 8:00 p.m. and lasted until nearly midnight. When John returned home Debbie immediately asked about the strong tremor. John didn't feel a thing. After a little research on the internet Debbie showed where the earthquake, centered fairly close to Lima, was 5.3 on the Richter scale. (This is considered a moderate tremor) It happened at exactly 8:12. The next day at church Debbie asked several people what they thought of the strong quake. Nobody else felt it! It was strong enough to wake up the girls. It was strong enough to give Debbie a scare. Apparently Debbie and the seismologist were the only ones aware of what was really going on!

"Get out of here!"

"Get out of here, this is a Catholic neighborhood, we don't want you..." These were the words shouted to us by a drunk elderly man as he walked down the narrow street in Viña Alta. Another home had a sign posted on the door: "We have our religion, we don't want to hear about yours...Please don't insist that we listen." The sign also displayed an image of the Virgin Mary. Thankfully, these expressions don't reflect the attitude and overall feelings of most of those living in Viña Alta.

We've been very pleased with the reception we have received. Almost everyone has been willing to talk with us. We have had several people ask us to return and talk to their entire family. One lady asked if we would come do a community Bible study, and yet another asked when the church would open. We are spending at least three hours each day witnessing in the streets and going door-to-door. We continue to believe this area is ready for the Gospel. The influence of the Catholic church is strong. We will have to work a long time to show God' s love to this community.

We have been invited to conduct two home Bible studies this week. The majority of those that will attend live within a few blocks of our apartment. Doors of opportunity continue to be flying open! Pray that we will be effective in our service for the Lord.

Do You Really Need Another Baptist Church?

How many Baptist churches do you have in your town? Have you ever stopped to count? It seems most of us are blessed to have several churches to choose from. We are especially blessed in the "Bible Belt" where there seems to be a church on nearly every corner.

We just received some statistics we thought you might find interesting. The 2005 census showed that La Molina, the municipal area where we live and minister, has a population of nearly 125,000 people. That area is home to three independent Baptist churches. Only three. The greater Lima area is made up of 42 seperate districts. Each continue to grow. There are fourteen of these districts, some with populations of 80,000 residents, that have NO Bible-teaching church at all.

Do you think we really need another Baptist church?

Our Mission Field

(Click for a larger view) This is "La Capilla" the area that we call home. This little valley that you see pictured is home to nearly 25,000 people. We live right in the middle.

What's going on in Peru?

Yesterday, while reading the local newspaper we were reminded once again of the great need here in Peru. "We must return to Mary" proclaimed the headline. It seems the Pope issued a decree recently that the Catholic church needs to return to a great emphasis on the Virgin Mary. He commented that the church's members can gain close access to God through her. What a sad commentary on this country when this statement makes the front page of the newspaper.

Thankfully, God is at work. We have seen interest in our ministry everyday. We are hearing reports of God working in Lima and throughout the country.

We've had a busy week. That explains the delay in updating the Blog. We have met with a Peruvian couple that is interested in working with us in the church planting ministry. We met with them for several hours and were excited to see that they have many of our same ideas and plans. We believe this could be the workers we have been praying for! We've prayed for a national pastor to work with us for a long time. The young man asked us about other churches in the area, especially cult groups. When we explained that there were none, he was excited and said, "God has preserved this area for this ministry."

We continue to use the surveys as an ice breaker. We've talked to many people and overall the people see the need for a church in their area. Many are interested in religion and many are discontent with the Catholic church. We continue to pray, visit, share tracts, and make our presence known in the area. Please pray that God will bring fruit and that we can see the early stages of a church ministry going soon. Don't forget to visit our girls! (Oh, and we'll try to keep the Blog updated a little better!)