Viaje Misionero de La Iglesia Cristiana Koinonia a Ayacucho

Here is the video that I produced with the help of Ricardo Ramos and Brian Vanderkodde about our short term missions trip to Ayacucho. Its in Spanish. I hope to make an English version soon. The music was taken from La Semilla's album "Despertar"

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.