03 September 2021
|Hi again, dear ones,
Well, we know September will not totally mend my broken bone, but there should be some progress. I was told not to expect total healing before 6 - 8 months, but after 4 or 5 I should be able to walk a little more. It has only been 6 weeks so we have a way to go. I am going to therapy and that helps. Still it is frustrating not to be able to do all I did before. For sure the Lord wants to teach me patience and to let others do a lot of my work. Thank you for praying for healing. The Lord, our Maker, is our Healer. We have heard of cases much worse and that makes me feel guilty for feeling bad for me. We pray for others who are much worse off. May we learn what God wants us to from these things.
For sure we are glad to be back in Arequipa, and Bob is back in God's work here. Many come for counseling,and also to buy Bibles and other literature. We have been able to visit some in the afternoons.
Today Bob left with Jeffrey and a couple of other brothers to the very high mountain town of Culipampa, where three regions meet: Arequipa, Cusco, and Apurimac. They went in Jeff's truck because Bob's doesn't have 4wd and on that road it is needed. It is a very long trip with nasty roads to get there, but there will be meetings and good teaching sessions. We are glad Bob can travel again.
The brothers and sisters here did a wonderful job of keeping meetings, visiting and outreaches going while we were gone. They continue in this. We had a wedding of a couple of our youth a few weeks ago, and there are some other couples who will want to be married soon. We thank the Lord for a good, active youth group serving the Lord and reaching out and teaching children in various parts, especially now that children are not coming to Sunday school, nor going in person to school. All is virtual these days.
Our brother Julian with his wife Paola are working in the Majes Valley and visiting and encouraging believers up and down the valley. They also visited the mountain town of Piraucho along with other believers and after many years of no church in that town now the brethren are very encouraged and have a place to start meetings again. They want Bob to visit there and help them, and he probably will. Julian and Paola stayed with us a week and dear Julian put in bars for me to grab in the shower and on the stairs going down from our apt. What a blessing! I can go downstairs now without fear, even though at a snail's pace.
Please help us pray that school will be able to be in person next year, starting in March. People here are warned and afraid of a third wave of covid. With the vaccinations the death toll is way down, and new cases are less than before, but the vaccination process is very slow. They are just now doing folks 40 - 49 years of age. And if you miss the day you are assigned you cannot make it up just any time, you have to wait till they do the ones left over.
So we still have some restrictions, though there is more freedom than before. We are allowed church meetings of 50% of meeting place capacity. And private cars are allowed out on Sundays. We still divide the group here for church meetings, some Saturday afternoons and others Sunday mornings.
Thank you so much for all you pray for us and share with God's work here. Our support address:
Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc.
P.O. Box 13,
Spring Lake, NJ, 07762-0013 with a note: for Bob Rich, Perú.
We pray for many blessings for you, Love, Noél for us