Our Primary Task

Colossians 1:28 says, "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

I recently read the interesting story of a lighthouse keeper. He had gained a reputation as being a very kind man. He would give free fuel to ships that miscalculated the amount of fuel needed to reach their destination port. One night during a storm, lightning struck his lighthouse and put out his light. He immediately turned on his generator, but it soon ran out of fuel, and he had given his reserves to passing ships. During the dark night, a ship struck the rocks and many lives were lost.

At his trial, the judge knew of the lighthouse keeper's reputation as a kind man and wept as he gave sentence. He accused the lighthouse keeper of neglecting his primary responsibility-- to keep the light shining.

The church can so often get caught up in legitimate acts of kindness--standing for political righteousness, feeding the hungry, etc.--but our primary task is to warn sinners of danger. We are to keep the light of the gospel shining so that sinners can avoid the jagged-edged rocks of wrath and escape being eternally damned.

Perhaps this anonymously written poem will serve to remind us of our true primary task:

My friend, I stand in judgment now,

and feel that you're to blame somehow.

On earth I walked with you by day,

and never did you show the way.

You knew the Savior in truth and glory,

But never did you tell the story.

My knowledge then was very dim.

You could have led me safe to Him.

Though we lived together, here on earth,

you never told me of the second birth.

And now I stand before eternal hell,

because of heaven's glory you did not tell!

Evangelist Franklin Graham once said: "Each person we meet on a daily basis who does not know Christ is hell-bound. That may make some folks bristle, but it's a fact. When we refuse to warn people that their actions and lifestyles have eternal consequences, we're not doing them any favors. If everybody feels good about his or her sin, why would anyone repent?"

May we always stay focused on our primary task: Winning others to Christ!

Peru Pride

This Saturday, July 28th, Peru will celebrate its independence day. Flags and banners are flying everywhere as the Peruvian people show great pride in their country. This photo shows some flags for sale on a nearby street corner. As missionaries, we are thankful for the freedoms we have here to share the truth of the Gospel.

"Kids club is better than school any day!"

These two girls are proud of the craft they made today.

Children enjoy singing during a late afternoon kids club.

School's Out!

School's out! For now any way. A nation-wide teachers strike continues to keep Peruvian children out of the classroom. The national teachers union and the Peruvian government continue to battle over new tests required for all teachers. The strike started earlier in July and both children and parents are ready for the kids to be back in the classroom. Some parents have even threatened to "take back the schools" by taking over the classes if necessary. It is a battle that certainly puts the education of children in jeopardy.

As planned, we had our first day of "Last minute VBS" yesterday. We were blessed to have more than 25 kids present. The children were excited to have something to do. They listened well to a Bible story, enjoyed games, singing and a special craft project. Several parents thanked us for giving their children opportunities for the day. It is always a joy to have a spiritual influence in the lives of these young people. We'll have another day for the kids at church tomorrow.

Last Minute VBS

The public school teachers are on strike here in Peru. Most schools are shut down and the children have no homework or activities to keep them busy. Every time we go near the church for visitation or discipleship children come running asking if we are about to open the church for an activity. We have decided that if the strike is not over this weekend that we will throw together plans for a few days of Vacation Bible School at the church. It is hard to tell the children "no" when they are asking to enter the church for bible stories, songs and activities.

The teachers strike has caused some major problems here in Peru. In certain regions of the country the teachers have protested and had serious conflicts with the police. Some protesters were responsible for the death of a child while others caused a bus to wreck killing several on board. The violence has been minimal here in Lima thus far. We hope to use the strike for some good by having more interaction and influence with the children around our church. We'll let you know how things go!

Prayer Meeting

Last night we had our first Wednesday evening prayer meeting. We arrived early to get everything set up and were blessed that several people came walking in with us. We had a total of eight adults for our service. We were pleased with the turnout because it was especially cold and damp. The highlight of the night was after the service when a young man named Abraham stayed after to ask questions. What a joy it was to see him understand the Gospel and make the decision to trust Christ as his savior last night.

Machu Picchu is now recognized as a "World Wonder."

A Wonderful Place

It's official: Peru is a truly wonderful place! Peru's Machu Picchu was named as one of the "new" seven wonders of the world yesterday in a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal. The seven wonders were chosen by a vote conducted mainly on the Internet. Over 100 million votes from around the globe were cast to determine the winners.

Machu Picchu is the most recognized symbol of the Inca Empire and perhaps the most familiar archaeological site in the Western Hemisphere. Machu Picchu was built around 1450 about 50 miles from the Inca capitol of Cusco. It was one of the few sites not destroyed by the Spanish as they conquered the great empire. It was left undiscovered by the rest of the world until 1911 when historian Hiram Bingham discovered the ancient site.

It was a pleasure to watch the excitement and pride that the New Seven Wonders contest promoted here in Peru. Cheers could be heard in the streets when the site was named a world wonder. Last night the downtown streets were filled with celebration and a fireworks display brightened the night sky. The contest only proved what we already knew: Peru is a truly wonderful place.

The Kids Will Win Your Heart

Mark 10:15-16 has a reminder for us as parents and as Christians: Verily I say unto you, Whosover shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therin. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

We have recently seen real growth in the number of children coming to our church. This is exciting for us because we realize this is the future of the church. It would be safe to say that the majority of Christians trust Christ as their Saviour as children. Sadly, many adults are hardened by the world and reject the truth of the Bible. It is a real blessing to see the children running towards the church each time we open the door. We can picture some of them as future teachers, deacons and church leaders.

We will continue to provide lots of special events and activities at our church. Many events are geared especially towards the children. We really want people to come and hear the good news of Jesus. Yet, we constantly remind ourselves of our main goal: To see people saved having a personal relationship with Christ. Oswald Chambers once said: "Oh my friends, we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the church, that of evangelizing the world and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected." May we always stay focused on our goal of brining others to Christ.

A group of kids crowd into the corner during a recent game time.

Some of our church kids after having their faces painted for "kids club."