We are amazed at how quickly time is passing this year. Already the young people are getting ready to go back to school, and summer is winding down. We have enjoyed the warmer weather and sun each day this summer. The summer time also brings a different set of opportunities to serve, since the children and teens are out of school and university. Vacation Bible School was one of these opportunities. We had several new children visit the church, and the workers did an amazing job teaching, acting in the drama, and guiding the children. The children raised more than a hundred sols (Peruvian dollars) for missions as well!
Speaking of opportunities, we have several that we would like for you all to pray about. Recently I connected with an engineer who has designed a solar-powered, water-purification system for use in remote areas in need of clean drinking water. He is using these systems to help national Baptist pastors and missionaries reach people with the Gospel, as well as provide clean water for the people they serve. He and I, along with several other men, will be taking a trip to the Amazon city of Iquitos in April to bring these systems to the Baptist pastors we have been working with. The engineer has already raised the money and has 100 water-purification units being shipped to Peru. During our trip we will be explaining how to use the systems and training pastors in soul winning. This could be a great blessing and boost to the pastors in the jungle area, and we covet your prayers for a successful trip and that much fruit will remain from this new endeavor.
Another opportunity that has arisen is closer to home for us. When we started our church in San Gabriel, we met a lady who trusted Christ as her Saviour and desired to have a Bible study in her home. However, as some do, she changed her mind about serving the Lord, and we didn’t hear much from her for some time. In the past few months, her little daughter has begun to attend our church with her neighbor, and the mother noticed a change for the better in her child’s behavior. She approached us recently to tell us that she has decided to serve the Lord and would like us to pray for her young adult son. She explained to us that her older two sons had both become addicted to drugs, and she had placed the younger into a rehabilitation home in hopes of him changing for the better.
The man who runs the home is a Christian, and she introduced us to him. He was an addict himself; but he was saved, and his life was changed. He then felt that he should help other addicts and went to university to learn how to do this. He now has a recovery house about an hour from our church. He has asked me to help with the spiritual needs of the men in his home. Right now there are about 15 who are trying to beat their addictions and change their lives. We would love to help and are beginning discipleship with them. We have given them Bibles and booklets and will begin working with them starting next week. We would ask you that you add this new facet of our ministry to your prayer list; pray that we will be used of the Lord to help these men who need Him so desperately. We have attached some pictures of this ministry.
One opportunity that we have taken advantage of this year is our new discipleship program. A team of workers from our church has taken the discipleship booklets called “The Foundations of the Faith” and has translated them into Spanish. They are still being proofed, but we have Level 1 nearly ready to be used in other churches. Most of our church people have completed the first level, and we are entering the second. Our people are learning so much, and we now have a man who is ready to teach a Sunday school class for new converts, using this discipleship program. We are excited about this opportunity, and we ask that you would pray that God would bless and that this program would strengthen the faith of those we minister to here in Lima, Peru.
Another opportunity that we are excited about is the Instituto Bautista Internacional, which Bro. Mark Rader of our missions team is administrating. Many of our church members are attending this Bible institute that is held twice a month on Saturdays. They have completed two classes already and are learning so much! We are thankful for this excellent way for our people to learn more of God’s Word.
God has been working here in San Gabriel! More than 50 people have trusted Christ since our last prayer letter, and 4 have been baptized. Please continue to pray that we will reach many more with the Gospel of Christ.
We are so blessed to be able to represent you in Peru. We thank God for each of you who invest prayer and financial support into the ministry that God has called us to do.
Zach and Karin Foust
Zachary, Caleb, and Logan
