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.

It is very good...

"Come and see what God has done, how awesome His works in man's behalf!" ~Ps.66

It is official before God and man- our dear friends Lee & Dori are now,
Mr. & Mrs. Lee Williams !
Congratulations guys! We love you!

Rebuilding~

Good News!

The rebuilding has begun-

Thanks to all of you, whom God has brought together at this time, we were able to purchase 10 two-room ,wood houses for 10 families in a neighborhood and are beginning construction on one brick and cement house this week.

Our family will be leaving on Thursday to travel first to Lima and then to Chincha. We will be visiting with the families who have received these houses, a few churches, and the many friends we have met there over the past few months.

We hope to post more pictures and another update soon. We will be traveling back to the States (NC) for three weeks after our visit in Chincha- We'd love to hear from you while we are there!

Photo (& Smile) of the day...

In the midst of one of the dustiest, dirtiest places on earth... the sign outside of this house reads, "Wash your hands!"

Back from Chincha...

We returned just a few days ago from our second trip to Chincha, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake that struck Peru on August 15th. Three weeks later and the sights are still overwhelming. People continue to live in the streets. Rubble is visible as far as the eye can see. Children still roam the streets, as many of the schools were badly damaged or completely destroyed during the earthquake. Many are still in shock, as the task of starting all over seems
so difficult. To be honest, to the human eye there seems to be little hope. Everything has been lost. An already poor people have become even poorer in just a three minute span…the duration of the earthquake three weeks ago.

Maybe you are wondering what we are doing in Chincha now. Thanks to all of you, this is how WE (together) were able to contribute... On our last trip we were able to purchase 20 more rolls of blanket material to distribute. This material was sufficient to make around 550 blankets. With people still living outside in the streets, warmth is a real issue. We also spent a good deal of time on this trip visiting with families and various communities to survey what the most pressing needs are now, three weeks later. After taking this time with the people, we believe that the most pressing need is physical help to rebuild. Many are waiting and hoping that the government will fulfill it’s promise to help with the reconstruction. In an ideal world, this would be something to get excited about. But realistically, in countries such as Peru, more times than not, the government never completes what it has promised. The truth is that there are over 200,000 people without homes now. Our group is small…we are not a large organization. Until now, our focus of ministry has not been earthquake relief. There was a need among the people we have come to love very much in this country and we wanted to help in the very best way we could.

We cannot help all with the rebuilding process, but thanks to your generosity we should be able to help 20-25 families. We are pursuing the idea of purchasing 20-25 prefabricated wood houses to take to Chincha in the next couple of weeks. These homes are very, very modest…about 125 sq feet. They are not a permanent fix, but are a good start. They are dry and warm…much better than the homes of plastic and cardboard in which many are currently living. Hope seems lost for so many of these people...and really, that is true! In the natural, there is no hope for them to live with joy, and laughter, and anticipation of a future. Thankfully, God is not a god of the natural. God is merciful and has a plan for Chincha and the surrounding areas.

“…Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken-that is, created things-so that what cannot be shaken may remain. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:26-29 NIV

Chincha and the surrounding areas are well known for being some of the most idolatrous areas of Peru. Idolatry, witchcraft and crime run rampant in these towns...but, God is full of grace. Yes, He has shaken the land! Temples have fallen and idols have been destroyed. If we look, we will see that now, there is a great Hope among these people. They now have the opportunity to turn away from these created things and set their sights on things that cannot be shaken. Many will choose to rebuild their temples (before rebuilding their own houses) and make offerings to their idols. They will continue to take their sick children to shamans(witch doctors) and live in fear and uncertainty. The people of Chincha have a decision to make. Choose to trust what can be shaken... or choose Hope. The hope of a new beginning, the hope of a fresh start and the hope to rebuild…with the foundation being God and Christ as the chief cornerstone. A new building…an eternal building…a building that cannot be shaken!

So, if there is anyone that would still like to help…it is not too late. As long as the funds are available, we will continue to help the people of Chincha in the process of rebuilding. Thanks to all of you that have given. You truly have made a difference.

Thank you~

The Lord bless you.
Mike

Chincha- 2 Weeks Later

'For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.'

Hello Everyone~
Thank you all so much for your faithful prayers.

Today has produced, of more value than anything else, several new friendships that have deeply affected everyone. Mike, Alex, Lee & Michael spent much of the day today with several new friends. These are Pastors from Chincha and Hoja Redonda. These men shared their lives with the group today~ their fears, their questions, their hopes and their faith. As they gathered together, there was a real bond of brotherhood in what they had shared in... Men with no homes, no jobs, young families, and great burdens for all those in their care, who are living through the same trials. They talked together, and prayed together, and laughed together, and ate together, and planned for the future together, and rejoiced that the Lord had gathered them at this time.

'Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.'

Though the task is quite daunting, and everyone has times of feeling completely overwhelmed by what they see, the relationships that have been made today make it impossible to be too tired, or too cold, or too frustrated with the speed of movement in this country to be disheartened...Today was spent preparing and planning for the future! Rebuilding...Restoring...Renewing.

Wherever the presence of the Holy Spirit is, there is hope... there is a future... there is a garden growing somewhere that causes praise to spring up from the depths of our souls.

'Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus...whom we confess.'

Chenoah