This week saw the beginning of some work for us, after several months of preparation, and it was a refreshing feeling on Monday morning to be involved in a meeting with local Pastors. Cono Sur is the district in which we live, and in which there are four existing Baptist Churches. Cono Sur is a developing area with a wide variety of housing and social classes. There is a spectrum of poverty/affluence in this locality of Tacna, with the majority of inhabitants falling within the ‘disadvantaged’ category. The four churches are spread across the area, and each of them have a Pastor. These are the men with whom I (Andrew) am working, seeking to encourage and support them in their labours for the Lord in this needy area.
On Monday I met with the four men along and John Brew who (along with a multitude of other ministry responsibilities) has been supporting them in recent years. The purpose of the meeting was for me to get acquainted more fully with them, and to chart out what our work together might look like in the future. We had a really profitable time and the men seem to be very amenable to partnership in the work, and encouraging one another in our Christian lives. The plan is that I will meet one man per week on an individual basis to listen to current issues/encouragements/needs they are facing and to pray. This will also be an opportunity to study together, especially in the area of preaching development etc. Then at the beginning of each month we will all be meeting together in a group to discuss some shared reading in Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ Preaching and Preachers, and to work through the introduction of Christianity Explored to their churches. The latter resource is particularly exciting as it has recently been made available in Latin American Spanish and has huge potential for the discipleship of God’s people, and the spread of the Gospel. The folks in Armagh Baptist will know what I mean when I say that I’m still ‘plugging’ The Good Book Company – even in Peru!
For us as a missionary family the key to work here is to support national workers, helping and resourcing them to serve God more effectively in their own country. The work with the Pastors and with Christianity Explored fit this model very well, and the men seemed genuinely excited about the possibilities of working together over the next while. The theme verses I shared with them on Monday were from Romans 1:11-12 ‘I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith’. I look forward to learning from these men, as well as giving them resources to develop their own preaching ministries within the churches in which the Lord has placed them. This verse will appear on all of the handouts I hope to prepare for the men in coming days – they are a crucial means of understanding how we will relate to them as missionaries.
On the home front the work continues on apace. Carolyn has a full work load at home, and while we share the extra domestic duties etc that living in the Third World brings, for the mean time she has willingly and joyfully shouldered the main burden of keeping the home running, and supporting me as I start out with the Pastors. We are praying for God’s will about other areas of ministry outside of the home for Carolyn, but would want these to come organically and be easily integrated with the busy work of being a full-time Mum.
Our wee gem - Grace enjoys her new outside area
Grace continues to keep us in craic, and is now making definite attempts to talk. So far she has got ‘DaDa’, ‘MaMa’ and ‘dinosaur’ down to a fine art – do you think she’s trying to tell us something? During the week we converted the small patio in our apartment into a little play area for her, and she has been having a ball crawling in and out. The energy required to care for her must add up to a least 4 days a week at the gym. She currently has four more teeth on the way and she soldiered through a lot of gum pain this week. She is a delight, and a gracious gift from God. Please pray for us as we seek to give her stability and variety in what can at times be a challenging environment for us as parents.
We seem to close all of our blog posts with thanks for prayer, but without your remembrance and support of us we couldn’t be here. We sincerely value all of your contact and all of your intercession – God is answering your prayers.
This week we thought that we’d share a little bit about homework – our favourite pastime at present!
Even if your Spanish isn’t good, being a fan of Australian soaps ought to assist you in translating this week’s post title! Today (Friday 10th) marks a landmark day for us as our upstairs neighbours move on, having completed their language study. Christian, Petra and their son Yan have been great neighbours to us, and we while we are glad for them that they have reached this latest staging post in their preparation for ministry, we will miss them when they go.
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