Living Victory

Hey guys! Here in Huancayo, today was the last scheduled day of follow up, new believer ministry. Our day and week culminated tonight in a beautiful victory celebration; we sang, shared testimonies, and prayed with the national pastors and fellow Believers. The best part was the understanding that this was not the end of our ministry. Not only will our ministry continue in Huancayo next year and through the Peruvian locals we worked with, but our ministry will continue in our daily lives at home, work, and everywhere we go. The passion which has been ignited here in Huancayo will be brought with us wherever we find ourselves. I want to encourage you to talk to one of us when we get home so that we can share the same passion with you. Over the course of the last 5 days we shared the gospel with 599 Peruvians and 395 responded with a desire to accept Christ as their Savior. But that is just part of the story...We had 147 attend the beginnings of 8 new cell groups that, Lord willing, will become local churches in their respective areas. We are celebrating tonight, the Great Commission, to Go and Make Disciples not simply Converts! 

Tomorrow we do some sight seeing and then begin the long journey home by bus and plane. Thanks for continuing to pray for our health and safe travels home.

for the team, Nathan 

AM I SECOND?

Yesterday was a mixed day for me for two reasons. Firstly, I had to choose to be second during the SportReach Team ministry.  Anyone who knows me, knows that when it comes to sports and ministry I like to be in the thick of things, but yesterday I had to choose to take on a different role.  I still had fun watching the other team members in action...they are just awesome sharing the word with the kids and surrounding listeners...but I had to watch and play my part in a different way.  Secondly, the experience made me realize that all too often I get caught up in doing things for the "honor and glory of God"...good things, needed things...but I'm still first. So God gave me a little reality check so that I can see what being second really means.  Because I took on a different role, one of the other team members had the opportunity to experience and fulfill what God had for her.  I am second, means that it can never be about me, because it's simply not about me. It's all about Jesus!

Just a quick celebration from today: We ministered to some children during the sports ministry and the gave their life to Christ. We told them about the cell group meeting and they followed us straight from the sports area to the church.  There was not enough room in the church so we took them outside under the street lights to do the first lesson of the discipleship.  They sat in the cold for over 45 minutes to do the Bible study and they wanted to do more! God is awesome...I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom, but I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. 

for the team, Andrea

We Are Second

Our theme for today was "I am Second", and putting the lives of these people before ours has enriched our lives beyond measure. It's amazing how God had released His Holy Spirit before we arrived here. We have been praying for faceless people for months, but now, after working with them for only two days, we are immersed in their lives. We have spent two days sharing the Gospel, playing football(soccer), volleyball, and duck-duck-goose with the children, answering tough questions in home groups, praying for and counseling with new believers, sharing wonderful Peruvian meals around the table with laughter and deep conversations.  All these experiences have connected us with these wonderful people. We will find it hard to leave them later this week, not because they need us to stay, but because we have fallen in love with them. Friendships like this usually take years to develop in the US, but after only 2 days we feel so close to many of them. 

for the team, Warren

Overcoming Fear

God has been so gracious in my spirit. Last year, I did not enjoy the door to door evangelism, it was and has always been completely out of my comfort zone to just walk up and share the Gospel. Yet, today I was so excited to do exactly that and found that there was not enough time in the day. Our nationals were so excited about the Gospel and sharing the love of God with their neighbors. God was gracious by showing me that he is awesome and can overcome my fear of rejection or my timidity.  Pray for us...For God did not give us a spirit of timidity!  =)

for the team, Jocelyn

We've Been Set Up

Today we worked, worshiped, and prayed with our Peruvian friends, laying the ground work for the upcoming week of ministry. A few of our team members are from Pittsburgh, and their church back home has gone through some challenging times recently. The Peruvian church that they are partnered with this week "just happens" to be going through some similar challenges, but their shared passion for the Gospel is still as strong as ever. Over the course of the day, it became evident that something special was in the mix for a week of mutual encouragement. They prayer-walked through neighborhoods and visited with dozens of youth and families that "just happen" to be on a week of winter vacation the same week while we are here. No doubt about it, we've been set up!

* The pictures are of a sports clinic and evangelistic presentation we did in the afternoon, along with a prayer time and team supper where we shared God-sightings from the day...

for the team, Jim