Wednesday, November 7, 2007

November

"Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas...
You crown the year with your bounty..." ~from Psalm 65

November 2007

~With Thanksgiving...~
We'd like to thank all of you who welcomed us so warmly during our visit back to the States. God was so good to allow us to gather with some of our long time friends and enjoy the comfort of these friendships, but it was especially great to be able to meet many of you for the first time! We look forward to sharing together with you in the future the "good things of 'His' house", "the awesome deeds of righteousness" as He moves & works in this world, and Christ, "the Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas".

~With Joy...~
And so with joy we return to Arequipa!
We are continuing to worship, pray, and study with believing friends in our homes. Everyone is excited as God is faithfully working among us & moving us onward. We are learning what it means to be His disciples- stretching to live by His Word and by His power and His mercies. It is a blessing to be a part of the Body of Christ with these people!
We are also still working together within churches here to fully grasp the Kingdom of God and how really living within it affects everything! As we advance, we are challenged by the stongholds of tradition and the ease in which those who are close to understanding can fall away. The singular authority of God and it's implications to one's life are not always such an easy pill to swallow. Please pray that these hindrances be destroyed and God's Kingship be established deeply in every heart.

~With great hope...~
As some of you may remember, we were able to share an amazing week with Christian pastors and leaders from all over Peru & Chile last year at a retreat we offered here in Arequipa. Over the past year, we have been visiting and building relationships with these new friends. Many of them deeply desire to study the Word of God and are eager to explore what it means as the people of God to live in His Kingdom here on earth. Once again, we believe it is timely to gather together corporately for a time of worship, teaching, and strengthening the Church! We are planning another retreat for the month of February. We will be joined by a wonderful group of teachers whose heart is to see the Church edified and equipped in every way. Also, we will be sharing in a special time of worship with a beautiful group of people whose joy it is to lead the Body into a sweet place of communion with the Lord. We hope to proclaim, provoke, equip, and encourage all who gather together for this week. We are praying for provision in many areas for this retreat. If you are interested in how you might help, please email or call us.