04 September 2022
|Hi to you all,
September brings Spring to Perú. Guess it officially starts in a few weeks but it is getting a little warmer already. In the last letter I mentioned some couples coming out of our very active youth groups. And more keep popping up! Most of these have started interest in each other while serving God on the outreaches to different areas around Arequipa, teaching His Word to children in poorer neighborhoods, some pretty far away from the center of town.
Sometimes parents or other adults listen and there are opportunities to share Christ. We are thankful and please join us in praying for these outreaches and our youth involved in them. We have counseled with several of these newly formed relationships and we want the Lord to be honored.
There was a sad note in August though. A dear young believer from one of our churches who had very severe rheumatoid arthritis for several years passed away. She was very talented in embroidery and had made several artistic items with designs from the Quechua culture, especially from the Colca canyon. For the past several years she was so twisted up she could not continue this.
She started an internet radio station with some of other believers and it was her vision to spread God's Word this way. She studied on line and received a diploma in Christian Communications. Bari was having severe pains for some time and finally it became a generalized infection, going into blood poisoning and she was gone. But she is in glory pain free and with a totally new body. What a glorious hope we have. Still, Bari is missed here. She never married but most of her siblings and her father are believers. We pray for them.
Bob had a good trip to Chuquibamba There are still problems to be solved there. Bob was able to see a dear brother repented and restored. René came to know Christ here in Arequipa but for his work moved to Lima. He served the Lord faithfully in a good church there but later got into a bad relationship, went to the jungle and got away from the Lord. With Bob in his home town of Chuquibamba, René truly repented. We pray he will indeed be restored and serve in the church there.
There are many with needs here. Bob is busy counseling, teaching, preparing messages and visiting. Often I visit with him. Our youth are good visitors too, to folks in need of encouragement. I am continually blessed teaching God's Word in school, to 4th and 5th grades. Most of these dear kids honestly love the Bible stories. We are so thankful for this freedom.
Sadly though,we hear of at least one church being divided with bitter feelings on both sides. We pray daily for reconciliation there. Our enemy does not let us enjoy total peace.
Truly we thank you for your prayers and for all you share with God's work here. 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 very much, God's richest blessings for you all, Noél for us