Hunter Lately

We're in Hunter four times a week: Sundays with Meribel and at the Jove's; Mondays we visit new contacts and check up on old contacts that haven't been able to meet for a long time, as well as - starting tomorrow, we'll be on dirt mountain as I call it, which pertains to Socabaya but has it's entrance on the back side of Hunter; Thursdays with the elderly group at the Health Post and at the Wawawasi (gov't subsidized daycare); and Fridays with Zelmira's family and back on dirt mountain with the 3 women and 13 children.  That's the quickest rundown of what we've got going on.

A couple of weeks ago we had some missionaries from all over Peru and from Paraguay helping us out.  We split up into pairs and went door-to-door.  While this type of evangelism doesn't go over well in the U.S. and isn't a form of ministry I particularly connect with, it was a pretty decent time having the opportunity to chat with more people in our area close to the cell groups and 42 people (40 adults/teenagers and 2 children) accepted Christ.  We've been working these contacts in around the other cell groups.

Tonight at the Jove's, we taught about the Church: it's nature and purpose.  There were five: Javier, Nancy, Señor Julio & Señora Cristina, and Shirley.  Everyone was sober and attentive.  I remember the first few months we were going to the house and Señor Julio would open the door and practically run away.  He wanted nothing to do with us.  Though he tends to fall asleep in almost every lesson because he's so exhausted from their long day's work, he is there and still manages to give a response from his sleepy state.  His wife told us tonight that she is grateful that Julio has changed, and for the better.  I'm blessed to be a part of the body of Christ with them. 

Right before Wendy and I got to their house, we realized that tonight was a dinner on your own night.  And though we get money for these nights, we didn't really have enough money on us because it's the beginning of a new week, end of the month, etc. and we didn't carry enough money.  I remember thinking - well, Lord, we'll just trust you to provide.  Maybe the Joves will have crackers and soda like they often do, and I can just fill up on that.  Well, they did have crackers, little rolls and soda.  I was so grateful, and as they like that you help yourself and can be offended you refuse, I made sure to just snack away.  Then when we were ready to head out they were putting the futbol game on and asked us to hang around.  So without knowing why, we did, and bless their little hearts, after 5-10 minutes they came back in the room with plates of chicken and fries.  Thank you Lord for your provision and for the kind hearts of the people you are using.  After eating dinner with them and hanging out a bit longer, on our way out the door, Señor Julio put six soles in my hand for a taxi home, a little over half the fair.  Not all nights are like this.  I can think of only one or two other times in the past year when they surprised us with lunch or dinner.  Tonight I left their house with a full heart and stomach.

We are currently looking for a house/building to rent in Hunter so that we can begin having services with the 25 or so folks that we are discipling.  That doesn't include the many contacts that we have yet to bring into the fold.  We will be having a medical campaign the first two weeks in August and hope to make some other great contacts for the center of Hunter where we hope to "plant" our physical church.  Please pray with us for a location and for the 2 days that we'll run clinics in Hunter.  As always, thanks for reading and for supporting the ministry that Wendy and I are a part of in Arequipa.