Our prayer letter is a little later than usual, and although we have been in contact with many of you through video updates and emails, we realize the importance of a written prayer-letter update. We appreciate so much the many who have contacted us to say that they are praying for the different family situations that we have been facing. Your prayers mean a great deal to us! We have seen the Lord work in tremendous ways in the past month, and we give Him all of the glory for what He is doing in our lives.
As you probably know, our son Zachary, who works with us here on the mission field, was in the States for a wedding of a good friend when headaches he had been experiencing for about six weeks began to intensify. As he was heading to the airport to return to Peru, the headaches became so bad that he and his wife decided he should stay and be examined by a doctor. He was sent for a CT scan, which showed a large subdural hematoma in his brain. He was immediately operated on and began the recuperation process. My wife and Cassandra flew home to be with him. He is recovering well, although the process is very slow. He experiences headaches and tiredness, and as of yet, we do not know the reason for the hematoma. We ask that you continue to pray for him and for us in Peru, as he is still in the States until he is cleared for travel.
And then, as Zach was being released from the hospital, Karin’s family called her to say that her father was doing very poorly, and she should come at once. Karin’s dad is still with us, but he is very weak and very near Heaven. I was able to fly to the States after our Pastors’ Conference to be with the family. We spent about three weeks with Zach and with Karin’s dad. It was a blessing to be able to do that, as we were already scheduled for this furlough. We were able to be in seven different churches too, as we are looking to raise our personal support level. God was so good to allow us this opportunity.
But we are glad to be back home in Peru! We are focusing our prayer letter this month on the churches that we pastor here in Peru. As a team, we have two churches here in Lima that are pastored by our son Zach Jr. (Iglesia Bautista Internacional of San Gabriel) and me (Iglesia Bautista Internacional of Surco). Both of these churches are autonomous churches that are run by Peruvian soles, pay a national assistant pastor a salary, and also pay some staff. Both churches have a strong missions emphasis, supporting many missionaries here in Peru and around the world. Each church has had a part in starting other churches here in Peru and in other countries. Our churches are our heartbeat here. We love the people God allows us to serve each week through preaching, counseling, marrying and burying, and all that comes along with a growing congregation of believers.
Please pray for the ministries in our churches. We have bus and walk routes, soul-winning times each week, children’s ministries (Sunday school and clubs for kids), youth groups, young-adult ministries, ladies’ ministries (Sunday school, counseling, and meetings throughout the year), Bible studies and prayer meetings, Missions Conferences, Youth Conferences, camps, a Ladies’ Conference, and host a Pastors’ School each year. We have big soul-winning days each year and maintain a growing discipleship program. Each church has a separate calendar of events filled by the pastor and leaders
of the church. Our churches provide a place for our young and older people who are called into full-time service to minister, preach, lead people to Christ, and disciple their converts.
Our churches are growing! We thank God for the opportunity to pastor IBI Surco and are thankful for the numerical and spiritual growth that we are seeing in our church. We have had the opportunity to pastor here about a year and a half, and it has been fun to see God work in families and individuals. We have many prayer requests when it comes to our churches:
Please pray . . .
• That God would guide us as we look for land or property for IBI Surco.
• That our churches would continue to grow.
• That people would be saved and lives would be changed for God’s glory.
• That we would be able to support more missionaries.
• That more people from our churches would be called to full-time service.
• For the health of Pastor Foust Jr.
And please pray for us; pray that we would be sensitive to God’s leading and direction and that His will would be done.
His for souls,
Zach and Karin Foust
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- Please continue to pray for Zach Jr.’s continued healing and recuperation
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- Please pray for our church!