03 September 2012
|Hi dear friends!
Well, yes, spring is coming here this month. It is getting warmer, but it really is windy, which brings dust, etc. August went really fast. Here we had several weddings. Some of these were opportunities to share God's Word with unconverted relatives and friends. This is a testimony for our Lord and we are thankful for every opportunity.
However, along with the sweet comes some sour. Some of our previously married couples have had serious marriage problems. We are concerned and are praying for several of these. Seems like Satan attacks most at the core of Christian life, the home and family. Way too many homes are destroyed and we ask your prayers for this situation here, for wisdom in counseling and teaching, for true love. Our youth are studying a booklet to help them prepare for this most important step in their lives, and Bob and I are helping them some, Bob with the guys and me with the girls. We praise the Lord for some really dedicated youth here in our main church in Arequipa. I also am helping with the adolescent, pre and early teens, on Sat. afternoons. Please help us pray for these kids, as well as the ones in school. Our desire is to see them follow the Lord faithfully all their lives, and not stray when they grow up.
Bob has had some profitable trips to different mountain areas, and is now on his way to Culypampa for 3 days of teaching God's Word. He is going with our national worker, Teodoro, especially for the help with the Quechua. Other believers are going from Cotahuasi, especially Brad Shaw's son in law, Aaron Kieda. Thanks for your prayers! Also, really neat to see how the car is working, truly great! Gas is really expensive here though. I am thankful I have not had any more "nosedives", but our dollar rate sure has taken too many nose dives! It is at an all time low! God is providing and we truly do thank you for your part with us!
However, again, with the sweet, comes some sour. We have had problems with some of our national workers. We personally as well as the church here are no longer supporting Nicolas Ala, because of his proud and uncooperative attitudes. We do pray for the Lord to work in his heart. Most of you know we cut off Alvaro as well, he had been involved in serious lying and swindling. Please help us pray for the right solution for the radio he was administering. It is no longer being aired but they have not been able to sell it yet. We pray for God to lead in this situation, sometimes it is hard to know how to pray!
School is going fast, once again I have lots of tests to give, grade, register, etc., but God is giving strength. Discipline continues to be a problem, especially in the older grades, 6th especially. But there are several there who really want to learn and know God too, and this really gives me motivation to keep on. Thanks for praying for fruit in lives, students, teachers, and parents. Bob has a teaching session with the teachers every other week. Please pray for this, sometimes it seems the teachers are really tired or just not too interested. Some are though, which helps! Bob has some home Bible studies, one especially will grow into a church, maybe, as it is in a distant part of Arequipa. Folks from there come down to town here for church, but are active in the weekly Bible study up there so we think a permanent meeting may be established in their neighborhood. Thanks for praying for this too!
One thing that is a concern here is our increased and increasing traffic, contamination, and smog. Our street is getting really awful. They are fixing several of the streets because of the damage and flooding caused by last year's rains, which makes them close off streets, block up traffic, yuk. So thankful we can walk to a lot of places.
Thanks so much for all your praying and sharing with us. Many thanks and blessings for you all,
Noél for us.