We were so happy this past Sunday to see a new family visit our church for the first time. We had visited with them in their home on several occassions, but they would never commit to attend a service. It was a real surprise to see them come walking in the door. They told us that their daughter had loved our kids clubs and VBS and that she never stopped talking about the church. She begged every Sunday for her parents to visit with her. They finally gave in to her pressure and made their way to the church! They promise to return as often as possible. We pray that many families will be reached by the impact we have on their children.
In the coming weeks we have lots of great opportunities planned. We will have a special three day campaign on Easter weekend. We will start with an evangelistic film on Friday night projected in the park. Saturday and Sunday will be filled with evangelistic preaching. Pray that many will attend and that we will see souls saved for God's glory and for the growth of the church.
On the Road Again!
After a difficult two weeks, we finally have the use of our new van! We thank each of you that prayed for God's provision for this vehicle. It is a true blessing to have a comfortable, dependable car to use for our family and ministry. We even have people to pick up this Sunday on the way to church! I feel confident that the vehicle will be a real asset to our ministry.
By the way, we didn't have to buy fake "wooden" tags for the car. Our tags were actually ready sooner than we expected. Thanks again for your continued prayers!
Elizabeth loves the new van. She asked me the other day, "Daddy, do
we get to keep this van now?" I explained that a vehicle is a major
purchase and we would be keeping it for a long, long time. She said,
"Oh, we are going to keep it a year?" I went on to say, "No, we will
probably keep it until you finish college, so don't get it dirty!"
By the way, we didn't have to buy fake "wooden" tags for the car. Our tags were actually ready sooner than we expected. Thanks again for your continued prayers!
A Lesson in Patience
It is with great frustration that I write today's post. We are still waiting on our tags to arrive so we can legally drive our car. We were allowed to drive a few days on "exhibition tags" but that ended a week ago. It is difficult to function without our car. Lots of money gets wasted on taxi fares. Plus we are losing lots of valuable time waiting on taxis and buses. I do realize this is indeed a good lesson in patience. I am just not enjoying the lesson!
In Peru, all cars have an owners card. This owners card is basically like the title for the car and remains with the car at all times. Each new car gets tags that stay with the car for the life of the car. Sometimes the owners card is available first and then there is a delay on getting the tags. We haven't received either yet. We have heard of a place that makes wooden tags that look exactly like the real thing. This would allow us to drive without the annoyance of being constantly stopped by the police. Plus, its legal!
In Peru, all cars have an owners card. This owners card is basically like the title for the car and remains with the car at all times. Each new car gets tags that stay with the car for the life of the car. Sometimes the owners card is available first and then there is a delay on getting the tags. We haven't received either yet. We have heard of a place that makes wooden tags that look exactly like the real thing. This would allow us to drive without the annoyance of being constantly stopped by the police. Plus, its legal!
God Provides us a New Vehicle
I remember hearing that years ago people would take a "Sunday afternoon drive." Unfortunately with our new van this will not be legal. We can only drive our new van from Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. But don't worry its only a temporary problem. The government is behind on issuing car tags. Therefore, the dealership is loaning us some dealer tags until the others arrive. It is a bit of an annoyance, but we are happy to have it to use most of the time.
Yesterday some folks noticed we were traveling in a taxi. We
told them we had a "Christian" van and it wanted to rest on Sunday.
Is there a "doctor" in the house?
The majority of the folks that are attending our church are professing Catholics. Most have never trusted Christ as their personal savior. We do have a few Christians that have heard about our church and started attending. An older gentleman has been visiting and listens well during the service. He recently stopped to chat with us after church. "My family thinks I am crazy when I head off to church. They laugh at me." He went on to tell how he has tried to influence his family. "I told them 'I am sick and I need to see a doctor.'" He went on to say: "God is the doctor, I pray and tell Him what I am struggling with and then on Sunday He gives me the diagnosis and treatment from the message." He went on to explain how his sickness is not physical, but the danger of sin that we all struggle with.
This kind saint of the Lord only had one request: "Can you please add a prayer service during the week? We have to tell our 'doctor' what's bothering us so we're ready to hear His message later in the week."
We do have plans to add more services in the days ahead. Pray for us as we seek to reach many with the saving message of the Gospel.
This kind saint of the Lord only had one request: "Can you please add a prayer service during the week? We have to tell our 'doctor' what's bothering us so we're ready to hear His message later in the week."
We do have plans to add more services in the days ahead. Pray for us as we seek to reach many with the saving message of the Gospel.
Peru's Water Worries
We recently had a group of visitors from our home church in North Carolina. They knew we lived in a desert, but they couldn't believe it was "THAT dry." We laughed as they snapped pictures of a cactus that had died from lack of water. It really is so dry that even a cactus can't survive.
About 70 percent of Peru's population lives along the Pacific coast in one of the driest deserts on earth. For decades the government has relied on melting glaciers and water pumped from the rain forest to support the growing coastal cities. Now scientists here in Peru and around the world are worried that Peru is only just beginning to see it's water troubles. Peru has the largest number of tropical glaciers on earth. These glaciers are important for providing water in the driest seasons of the year. They have melted and are now one-third smaller than they were just 20 years ago. The government is also concerned because about 80 percent of the nation's electrical power comes from hydro-electric plants. Deminishing water flows could be devistating to this growing country.
On an average day the city of Lima has less than one year's supply of reserve water. If a drought occured in the high Andes and lasted more than two years the taps would run dry in Lima. The local water company has now started showing a chart of the reserve on our water bill. (A simple "hint" to conserve this valuable resource.) The opinion of many is that in a few decades a barrel of water will cost more than a barrel of oil. We often say we are taking the "Water of Life to the deserts of Peru." It seems that desert is getting drier everyday!
About 70 percent of Peru's population lives along the Pacific coast in one of the driest deserts on earth. For decades the government has relied on melting glaciers and water pumped from the rain forest to support the growing coastal cities. Now scientists here in Peru and around the world are worried that Peru is only just beginning to see it's water troubles. Peru has the largest number of tropical glaciers on earth. These glaciers are important for providing water in the driest seasons of the year. They have melted and are now one-third smaller than they were just 20 years ago. The government is also concerned because about 80 percent of the nation's electrical power comes from hydro-electric plants. Deminishing water flows could be devistating to this growing country.
On an average day the city of Lima has less than one year's supply of reserve water. If a drought occured in the high Andes and lasted more than two years the taps would run dry in Lima. The local water company has now started showing a chart of the reserve on our water bill. (A simple "hint" to conserve this valuable resource.) The opinion of many is that in a few decades a barrel of water will cost more than a barrel of oil. We often say we are taking the "Water of Life to the deserts of Peru." It seems that desert is getting drier everyday!
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