Written by Noél Rich | 06 March 2023

Yes, March is marching along. So much to do, the later days of February were really busy. We went to Camaná again, to help the new believers there and also to wave to the ocean briefly. It waves back. Anyway, we thank the Lord that a brother from near there who was a pastor for some years now is living close and he is helping this little group, they are growing.

We still are praying much for elders to be named in the main church here in Arequipa. Thanks so much for praying with us for that. Our youth are still very active, visiting and helping, taking responsibility in God's work. They are our future leaders. Several of them will be married in the coming months. One couple scheduled for April 1 already. They are a real sweet couple desiring to serve the Lord together in many areas.

Mauricio is the grandson of one of the very first believers in Mollendo, 54 years ago. His fiancé, Rosa, is concerned for her family who are not believers. But Rosa is a real treasure and a very willing helper in many areas. She shares Christ with the children in Sunday school, and in one of the outreaches the youth have Sunday afternoons in a district of Yarabamba, about an hour away. Mauricio preaches well and truly loves the Lord. He wants to see this generation following Chist.

School starts Monday, March 6. Thanks for praying and helping with Ebenezer Christian school, we are still free to teach God's Word. Lord willing I will teach the NT to 5th and 6th graders. They had the OT last year while they were in 4th and 5th. Truly we are very thankful for all who have helped and are helping some of the poorer students whose parents do not have enough to pay fees.

The Covid pandemia and now the political unrest, protests, marches, etc have really hurt Peru's economy. Many of our student's parents just live from hand to mouth, what little work they can find, or sales, which has really gone down.

Our weather goes to extremes. Last month I mentioned the harm done by flash flooding and heavy rains and now this month we are in a drought again. Our water reserves only have a little over half of the necessary for our population.

Bob is in the U.S. with our daughter, Terri, and her husband, Josué, this month for testing and treatment. The last gammagram showed that his prostate cancer had gotten into some of his bones. Bob does not have any pain, and he feels great. We do really want to remain in Perú and in the Lord's work here as long as we can, but we are willing for wherever God leads.

Lord willing I should have some stitches removed (by laser) next Friday, March 10, from the last eye op. I had Feb. 3. Dr. says it is healing well, but the vision in that eye is still not restored as much as it should be and the eye is swollen, does not open all the way. Well, thanks for praying for these health issues, we are very thankful we really do feel well. So many people come to Bob for counseling and help. He is a real good Bible teacher and God's Word is working in many hearts here. Thanks so much for praying for us and sharing as God leads.

Our support address is

Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc.,
P.O. Box 13,
Spring Lake, NJ, 07762-0013 with a note: for Bob Rich Perú.

Thanks so much, Noél for us

Written by Noél Rich | 10 February 2023

Well, finally! Hi to you all,

Sorry this is so late. February is a short month and for us it has been very full so far. There was a break in the political marches and protests and road and highway blockage for a couple of weeks. But it seems the protests and marches have begun again. Roads are blocked in different parts of the city and to many areas outside the city so travel is hindered.

Our youth plan a campout down by the beach a few hours drive down from here so we pray they can indeed get through and have a very profitable time. There is a new church group forming down there, near Camana, and the youth will minister to them Sunday and their church folk will provide them dinner. The other believers who meet in a different part of town plan to give them breakfast, so they should be well cared for. And the youth from here want to minister to both these groups. We were down there a couple times, once in January and later Feb. 1 and this little group seems really desirous to please the Lord - they have a meeting place in the home of a family of believers there. These are the only trips we have been able to make this last month because of the protests and road blockage and because of the heavy rains now in the mountains here.

Yes, there was flash flooding just last night in a lot of areas in Arequipa, including the oldest hospital in Arequipa, (111 years old). This hospital is close to us and truly was flooded. No one was seriously injured but a lot of patients and health workers will have to relocate for a while. Parts of the school and other places in Arequipa are still without electricity because of this downpour. We are high and dry but there was a lot of damage done to many buildings. It is raining a lot here, out of the ordinary even for February! Huge landslides caused much damage and some deaths near the coastal city of Camana, up in a mining camp: Secocha, and Misky (above Secocha).

Bob is teaching the Word, in the books of Samuel, in 2 Samuel now. Many come to Bob for counsel and Spiritual help, we are so glad to still be here and be able to help many. Thanks so much for your prayers and sharing with the Lord's work here.

Bob is praying much and considering much these days about finally recognizing elders in our largest local assembly here. For years we have been praying for the Lord to raise up leaders for His work, His church here, and it seems the Lord is answering. It may be a while, at least a few months, before they are recognized as elders but they are willing and preparing, and we are thankful and want to be very careful to just follow the Lord's leading.

We are truly thankful for the several couples among our youth who are preparing for marriage this year. They have a wonderful attitude and will be our future leaders, Lord willing. "Our" Pepe got married January 9 to lovely, precious Sara, they are living in our guest apt. till they get something more permanent, and it truly is a blessing to have them here, they are so very helpful.

Yesterday was Bob's birthday, number 78. The youth had prepared a really wonderful video of parts of Bob's life and our early days here in Perú. Also with greetings and best wishes from our children, grandchildren and photos of most of our great grandchildren! They showed it after prayer meeting to all present. What a blessing, it really made Bob's birthday special. I am still 79 for a few more months but we are getting older. God knows our future, we don't, but are very thankful to see Him work.

The school is on vacation till early March, they finished their summer program. Please help us pray for the 2 still needed teachers, for 1st and 4th grades. The ones last year for those classes are getting contracts with the govt. with a much higher wage. The economic condition of most folks here is very difficult, many cannot pay fees. We are thankful for those of you who help these needy students and families.

Thanks so much for praying for us, we pray for you each day. Thanks for sharing as the Lord leads you. We pray God's richest blessings for each of you. And our support address is:

Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc.
P.O. Box 13,
Spring Lake, NJ, 07762-0013 with a note: for Bob Rich, Peru.

Thanks so much, many Blessings for each of you, Noel for us.

Written by Noél Rich | 06 January 2023

Happy New Year!

Yes, we rejoice that God's grace is giving us another year to serve HIM. We pray for a fruitful year, in which many come to know and love our Lord Jesus.

Last month I mentioned the political upheaval Peru is going through. There still are protest marches, we still are in a declared state of emergency and the army plus the police are out guarding government buildings, the court, etc. Today anyway most of the marches seemed peaceful. We have freedom to meet as a church. The school had its closing ceremony Dec. 23, and it was good, glorifying to the Lord.

Now the school is starting its summer program, with kids who need reinforcing and others recovery of courses not passed. But also the school offers summer stuff like extra English, mini chef, some sports, etc. We pray with this some more students will register for the 2023 school year starting in early March. The director has to do some maintenance and painting, etc. which gets done during February usually, as the vacation program ends in early February. We pray for more Christian teachers for next year and the students that God sends us.

Last time I also mentioned the trips Bob had planned to the Espinar Cusco area. These trips were cancelled because of the protests and road blocks. The meetings that were supposed to happen were cancelled. Bob continues in his ministry of teaching, counseling, visiting and helping many of our brothers and sisters. We are thankful we can continue in ministry here.

Good news is that in our watch night prayer service Dec. 31 our youth presented a really good video of their outreach ministries in 3 or 4 places. Many children and parents have heard the Gospel, and the youth are following up and seeing results for the Lord. We are so very thankful for our youth and their ministries. As I mentioned before, several of them are pairing off and weddings here begin this Monday, Jan. 9! Please do help us pray for these young leaders, they will be the future leaders of the churches here, and they do need prayer!

Bob and I both have had some health issues recently. Dr. visits and analysis are time consuming and expensive, but the Lord has supplied. We truly are thankful for the health God has given us. We want to use all our lives in His service.

Thanks so very much for praying for us and for sharing with us for the Lord's work here. May God RICHly bless you and give you His grace all through 2023! Our support address is:

Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc.
P.O. Box 13
Spring Lake, NJ, 07762-0013 (with a note: for Bob Rich, Peru)

Many blessings and thanks, Noel for us

Written by Noél Rich | 12 December 2022

Hi to you all,

Well, this December is a bit different. Starting with a topic I usually don't go into, if you watch or hear Peruvian news, we had a sort of "revolution" a couple days ago. Congress and others had spent most of their time trying to impeach the latest president and they finally succeeded. Pres. Castillo tried to close congress and escape to Mexico but he got caught and is held in custody awaiting trial.

So we "inherited" the first woman president in history (for Perú). She was the first veep so got the top office when Castillo was kicked out. Now most of the population wishes she would resign and call for new elections. We will see what happens. Some say she is more communist than Pres. Castillo was. So besides the World Cup soccer games the other excitement is the political scene. Please help us pray for continued freedom to teach and share Christ here. We sure have been blessed with this freedom so far.

However, it is not easy. There are protest marches, strikes and road blocks in several places. Bob is now heading for the Majes Valley with his car full of some of our youth, for a "convención" (special meetings) especially on the theme of the family and home. There are road blocks on the way and public transportation has been suspended, hopefully some private cars, like Bob's, will be allowed through, but we have no guarantee of that. Some more from here are scheduled to get there tomorrow and we do hope and pray they will make it through.

Julian and Paola are organizing these meetings and we do pray God will work in this valley, there is a real lack of committed Christians down there. The believers need encouragement to keep on for Christ. Next weekend Bob is scheduled to go back up to the mountain area of Espinar to help with some problems and encourage the believers there. It is finally raining here and snowing in the mountains so that trip too may be a bit difficult and cold, but it is necessary. The 3 volcanoes around Arequipa come out in the mornings with beautiful snow on all their tops. We need the rain so we are thankful, but we miss the sun too.

A few weeks ago we had a problem with our laptop computer, it just quit, would not open. Well,we have lots of believers here who can fix computers but they do not know how to fix Mac's. Finally Pepe found a friend who could and it was the transformer to the electricity. On that little charger was written the exact problem: "Made in China". We had to get a new charger, (also with limited life time they say, for the same reason) but anyway, it works.

The school year is coming to a close, we are in final exams. They had an "achievement day" in November, where each class presented a project on what they were studying in different areas. For Formación Cristiana, which I taught to 4th and 5th grades this year, my 4th grade class did an exposition on Creation. We studied the OT this year and next year I hope to teach the NT to these same grades, (will be 5th and 6th grades).

Anyway, they did pretty well, and again, we are thankful for the liberty to teach God's Word in school. This was our first year back to in person school which we really missed for the last two years. They say we are in a 5th wave of covid 19 though, as more cases are found. But not nearly as many hospitalizations nor deaths, thankfully. We surely hope we can continue next year in person and there will be no more plagues to close school and businesses, etc.

Tomorrow some of the youth and I will go to the state boy's home and then the Christian children's home we help with Christmas bags to distribute. We have this opportunity each year to preach the Gospel to the state boy's home. Pepe usually does that but with a skit and other illustrations. These boys are mostly street kids, some quite rough, but they need Christ. Please help us pray for this effort, that God's Word will take root in them.

Well, 2022 will soon be history. Thank you so very much for praying for us and for all you have shared with us too. May God give you a very JOYFUL CHRISTMAS season and a very fruitful 2023!

Our support address is:

Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc.
P.O. Box 13,
Spring Lake, NJ, 07762-0013 with a note: for Bob Rich, Perú

We are so glad Jesus came! Christmas blessings for you, Noél for us

Written by Noél Rich | 06 November 2022

Hi to you all,

Yes, we have a lot to give thanks for, even through hard times. We were saddened to hear the brother we came to Perú with in early 1967 passed into Glory, we are surely very thankful for his life and service for the Lord. We pray much these days for his dear widow, Marta, and their grown children and grandchildren. Peter Hocking led Bob and others on summer mission trips to Perú in 1964 and 1965. I came on that last one too. We are here largely due to these visits and Pete's vision. We are thankful Pete is now with Christ. For sure he will have a large reward.

Bob had some good trips in October, to the Colca canyon churches, to the farming area around Pedregal, and then to Culypampa, a very high ranch where we have a growing church. Our missionary to the Asheninka tribe is from there and his parents and siblings are there taking care of their many llamas and alpacas.

Joel and Esther are here for a visit to family and friends from here - so grandmas can see their 2 little grandsons and just for a short 2 months break from their very fruitful jungle ministries. Esther is from Chuquibamba so both have gone through change from high, cold areas to hot rainy jungle. God is working in many of this tribe's communities and we rejoice with the new believers and growing disciples among this ethnic people groups. Our churches here in Arequipa support them. We pray to see more Peruvian missionaries reaching Peruvians.

We have had other visitors in our guest apt. too, our dear harpist, Julian and his wife Paola and their precious little seven month old Samuel for a couple of weeks. Please help us pray that now that the pandemic is basically over and tourism is increasing again, Julian can get his job back in the hotel he was in before, or another hotel.

The hotel where he was working has a different manager who does not know Julian. But the ex manager is now with another hotel and called Julian to come and play the harp for an event in connection with the mining convention here in Arequipa in September. This manager said he would call Julian for events, but cannot yet hire him constantly. So Julian is working in the fields of the Majes valley where Paola is from but it is not sufficient.

Julian and Paola are very active in God's work in that valley, but outside of the family members of each of them they are not finding many open hearts. Julian had many opportunities to testify for Christ as he played the harp for the hotel's buffet breakfasts. And of course we really miss them and the harp for our churches here. Tourism was a big industry for Perú and we need to see it restored.

Thanks for praying for the school, just one and a half months left in this school year. The local govt. offices for education here keep piling up paperwork and other really unnecessary stuff for our poor directors. It is very difficult and confusing, way too much bureaucracy. (burro crazy). But it is worth it to keep the freedom to teach God's Word. My 4th and 5th graders are precious, they say they will stay faithful to Christ even when they grow up, I surely pray they will, and each one will come to know Christ.

Well, on the family end, our third GREAT grandchild was born Oct. 31. (Reformation day!) Plus of course the famed "Halloween" Jessica Sanders, (our Marky's second daughter) gave birth to Jaime Marcus Kent Sanders - and she and Andrew are very happy thankful parents. Guess great grands make you feel older, but really we are very very thankful for these precious treasures and that our children and grandchildren are walking with Christ. Sure, great grandma (GGma) here misses them but some day we sure hope we can see them all.

Thanks so much for your prayers for God's work here. Really He is at work. Our youth here continue on their very active outreach ministries. Many blessings, have a very meaningful THANKSgiving. Our support address is:

Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc,
P.O. Box 13,
Spring Lake, NJ, 07762-0013 with a note: for Bob Rich, Perú

Thanks so much!