Ayacucho Missions Trip

Well we got back from a short term missions trip to Ayacucho on Saturday. It was one of the many highlights of my time here in Peru. We had an amazing time that was non stop ministry and fellowship. I loved it.

Before we left I thought we were not going to be prepared because we had not spent a lot of time in planning sessions and practicing the outreach ministries. We were also asked to prepare two hours worth of teaching for seminary students which I had not prepared as much as I would have liked. But I forgot that we had spent six months in a discpleship class together and were outreaching at least two times every week together. So the Lord had prepared us.

Along with the above there were several times when I was unexpectedly called on to share with different audiences. Three of these times I was especially impressed on how the Lord showed himself strong in my weakness. There was one time when we were asked to lead the praise and worship at a presbyterian church. Lord put it on my heart to ask others in the group to join me on stage with singing and percussion. We didn´t have time to even sound check let alone practice. The Lord was praised however. The church congregation was very energetic and we also enjoyed praising the Lord .

Then there was the time when I had to teach the 350 children about David and Goliath. I wasn´t sure how I was going to do it. I wanted to narrate it with people form our group and the church acting it out. There wasn´t time to practice this so like David in the story I decided to go with what I knew. I narrated to the children doing the voice of Goliath and immitating him falling to the ground. It was a blast. The kids liked it and I hope the Lord uses it to bring them to Himself.


At the last church service we split up the men and the women and I decided to share with the men that night. I didn´t have time to prepare but the Lord led me through. I shared with them the story of Amnon and Tamar. It was a blessing for me and I think for them as well.

At the end of the trip I felt like Peter at the mount of transfiguration. I saw a glimpse of the glory of the Lord and I didn´t want to go back. I hope I can go back to Ayacucho before I leave Peru. Be praying for that and for the sheep there. They are wonderful people who were so hospitable to us. Half the church saw us off at the bus station with gifts. I forgot to mention how beautiful the landscape is. Here are a couple of photos.

Why Are We Saved By Faith?

- Faith Receives Grace -

Why is faith selected as the channel of salvation? No doubt this inquiry is often made. “By grace are ye saved through faith,” is assuredly the doctrine of Holy Scripture, and the ordinance of God; but why is it so? Why is faith selected rather than hope, or love, or patience?Faith Was Created To Be The Receiver Of Grace

Suppose that I am about to give a poor man some money: I put it into his hand—why? Well, it would hardly be fitting to put it into his ear, or to lay it upon his foot; the hand seems made on purpose to receive. So, in our mental frame, faith is created on purpose to be a receiver: it is the hand of the man, and there is a fitness in receiving grace by its means.

Do let me put this very plainly. Faith which receives Christ is as simple an act as when your child receives an apple from you, because you hold it out and promise to give him the apple if he comes for it. The belief and the receiving relate only to an apple; but they make up precisely the same act as the faith which deals with eternal salvation. What the child’s hand is to the apple, that your faith is to the perfect salvation of Christ. The child’s hand does not make the apple, nor improve the apple, nor deserve the apple; it only takes it; and faith is chosen by God to be the receiver of salvation, because it does not pretend to create salvation, nor to help in it, but it is content humbly to receive it.

“Faith is the tongue that begs pardon, the hand which receives it, and the eye which sees it; but it is not the price which buys it.” Faith never makes herself her own plea, she rests all her argument upon the blood of Christ. She becomes a good servant to bring the riches of the Lord Jesus to the soul, because she acknowledges where she drew them from, and owns that grace alone entrusted her with them.

- Charles Spurgeon

I was reading Koinonia's blog today and really liked the quote that Brian choose from Charles Spurgeon above. Charles Spurgeon's illustration comparing giving an apple to a child to recieving salvation by faith will be burned in to my memory because every week after the bible studies in Canete we give apples to the children (and I just happened to have a picture of it.) It goes to show how important illustrations are in the expounding of God's word. Please pray for Brian's father because he has suffered a stroke and is in the hospital. Also pray for Brian and his family they happened to be in the states visiting churches when this happened.

Koinonia Christian Church Making Disciples in Peru

This video takes us on a tour of five different areas of Peru where Koinonia Christian Church is ministering and making discples. This will give you a good idea of what I do in a typical week. Isn't it awesome!? The video also explains the history and background of the church.

The Way

In Proverbs 22:6 we read, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (NIV) It is interesting because it says that if we want mature adult christians then we must train them when they are children. As I have written in my newsletter once when I first came down here to serve I struggled with the fact that much of the ministry was to children. It seemed like a waste of time for me. I wanted to see the finished product. I wanted to share deep theological truths with adults. Now I see that children's ministry is just one part of the work that God does in the church. A farmer first has to plow the ground and then has to sow the seeds then he has to water the first sprouts. It is not till years later that the tree gives fruit. God is the farmer and we are called to work in his fields whatever the season. Here are some of the children we are training in the Way.

World Cup Fever

With all the world cup fever going on a group from Koinonia decided to play soccer one day on a near by court (In Peru soccer is played on a concrete slab). As you can see from the photos just like the rest of the body of Christ we were a mixed group. I also noticed something interesting, during a world cup game just about every T.V. in every store and home in Peru (and probably the rest of the world except U.S.A.) has the game on. It makes me think about the prophecy in revelation that describes the bodies of two witnesses from God being seen by people all around the world. "Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves." Revelation 11:9 (NKJV)

Playing Tag.

Well I did it again I said I was going to update the blog weekly but it's turning out to be monthly. Well much has happened in the past month. We had our first service in the new building, we had a group come down from Gainesville, I turned twenty six and my Mom visited me. Much more has happened but those are the highlights. Here's a picture of the children I teach the bible to in Playa Hermosa. They are divided into boys and girls because I took the picture as they were getting ready to play a game of group tag.

As I watch them there game reminded me of an aspect of the Christian life. They break up into two teams one team is "it" and the other team tries not to be caught by "it". If someone is caught by "it" they go to jail. The other team members then try to free the caught team members by running by the jail and touching them. This much like what we are called to do as Christians. We have the gospel which is the power of God to free people from the jail of sin. But we have to risk ourselves and go into enemy occupied territory and get close enough to people to get to know them. Our enemies aren't people but spiritual principalities and powers. The metaphor isn't perfect but what metaphor is? Be encouraged to go out and win souls for Christ. God is on your team you can't lose. Risk it all and you will gain so much more.

One Month Later...

Well I was supposed to write this blog a week after my last one, but you know how it is when you come back from a vacation. All that time you were gone the world doesn't stop. So when I came back the church was moving to a new building and I too was moving into that building. I am living there now but the church still hasn't completely moved. Lord willing, we will have our first service there on May 18th. We have been remodeling the place and it feels like we are in one of those "total makeover" reality TV shows. I don't have any pictures of the new building yet but here's a picture of the youth group in Puente Piedra that Americo (middle guy in the back) disciples.

See you in a week!

I'm taking my vacation this week so I'm not going to write much. But I did want to post some recent pictures that show what's been going on. This is a group that goes weekly to minister in a community called Santa Rosa De Villa. Jose who ministers to the adults is not in the picture. The group rotates every week but most of these people go regularly(Top Left). Sally is training Rudy to run the sound board (Top Right). About three weeks ago Pastor Brian baptized six people of the church in Surco (Below). It was so beautiful. We worshiped the Lord with music while people were getting baptized and when Arturo (seen in the picture) was being baptized I was so choked up I couldn't sing.

Let God Lead

This week I decided to let the music ministry fly without out me. I stepped aside and asked Marissa Rojas to serve in my stead on the worship team. It was so freeing to be able to watch God work and to see that I am not indispensable, a belief that I must confess I am prone to harbor. Before I was so worried about training someone to take my place and what's going to happen when I when I take my vacation. Now I see that this is God's ministry, He is the leader, and it is His responsibility to rise up my replacement. I am so happy to see God glorified while I become less and less. I feel like King David before he died when he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!" (1 Kings 1:48 NKJV)

Enter the blogger and the plunger

Well I've finally decided to start blogging. I've been living in Peru for the last year and if God wants, will live here for another year. Over a year ago, while going to school and working in Nashville, TN, I decided that I was going to take a step of faith and move to Peru to serve God. I didn't know how or what I would be doing but I said to myself if God wants me to clean bathrooms then that's what I'll do. Well it ends up that once in a while I do have to clean a bathroom.

Now I wish I could say that I have this attitude now that I'm actually down here. But I don't. Sometimes I do but most times I catch myself thinking either "when will I finish these tasks so that I can get done the things that really matter" or "I deserve better than this" or "the people are really going to appreciate me after the see that I've done this for them".

But the fact is that God determines what really matters, I am an unprofitable servant, and that the reason I'm down here is not to serve men but to serve God. I'm glad that God has given the opportunity to serve him in other ways such as in the music ministry, sharing the gospel with people, and teaching children the bible but I'm also glad has me clean the bathroom once in a while :)

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