Written by Noél Rich | 02 February 2022

Hi again, and welcome to a winter like summer! Feb. 2, groundhog day. Supposedly if he sees his shadow, it means one thing and if he doesn't see his shadow it goes the other way. I can never remember which way was the shadow, my mother was very hep on all these little details. Anyway, the groundhog would be very confused in our Andean "summer" weather.

Yes, the days are long, and when the sun shines it is bright and warm. It is rainy season and when it rains it mostly is foggy, freezy, very cold. Arequipa usually has sun, too much of it for my skin, but just these 2-3 months are totally different. OK, my journalist grandson says never to start a letter with the weather, but - it is Groundhog day, exceptions and attempts on explanations are ok just this once. (I hope.)

Bob has been again up to Chuquibamba where there still are problems, but some good news in that a couple almost teen girls and a new believer guy want to receive their baptism. The former leader who had caused the huge problem still does not repent, but at least he said he would cooperate by removing his things from the part of the church property he had taken. We pray other men would be raised up there to lead the church, there is now a real lack of men with the gift of leadership.

However we are thankful that some of the believers from here in Arequipa are helping take responsibility in also visiting, traveling to some of the places, helping and encouraging these dear ones. Bob does keep busy preparing, teaching, counselling, visiting and helping the believers in many churches and families here. The youth from here are also seeing fruit from their outreach labors in different areas, with children and their folks sometimes too. And our colleagues, Jeff and Angela, are seeing a group start to meet formally this coming Sunday out in Uchumayo where they have some fields of Aloe Vera and other things. They are getting a small house built out there and hope to see a church raised up there. They have baptized a few and we hope there will be more soon.

Along with good news, there is a sad side. The third wave of covid-19 is hitting hard here in Arequipa. Most of the cases are from the variant Omicron, and most of the folks are getting over it, usually it is not worse than a bad flu. However, we right now have one dear believer fighting for life in hospital, in ICU, on maximum oxygen, but with over 80% of his lungs filled with virus, covid viral pneumonia.

He had just had a round of chemotherapy for a cancer he has, so he could not get any of the vaccinations. Miguel is young and really in spite of these conditions he was doing well till this Covid hit him. He has a lovely wife and 2 small children. We are praying fervently for his recovery - only God can do this. Also on a sad note: a 15 year old was killed while riding his bike on the road when a front loader tractor ran over him. Somehow the driver of the front loader did not see him. The boy's grandparents and uncle and aunt are faithful believers with us in our churches here. Our comfort has come in that the boy, Alvaro, was the only one of his immediate family who had trusted Christ and was faithful in church. We pray for his parents, that they would see their need of trusting Christ. His Mom is the daughter of the grandparents here but has not made Christ her personal Saviour. Please help us pray for these needy ones, and others who need to come to the Lord.

Also I want to mention the school. Please help us pray we can indeed have in person school starting next month. This is a real need. Also for God's chosen ones for teachers and students here. Thank you so very much for praying for us, and for sharing as God leads, for His work in hearts here.

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

May you enjoy God's richest blessings, this month, this year, and on, in Christ, Noel for us

Written by Noél Rich | 07 January 2022

HI again and here we are again, racing through January 2022!

Well, December was a busy month, but we were blessed to be able to share the true meaning of Christmas with many during the distributions we mentioned in the last letter and through witnessing and helping many of the believers here. We had a couple baptisms and are thankful for the outreaches many are doing in different areas around Arequipa. There is some opposition but many are listening, and we have new comers in church here.

Bob had a good trip to Sibayo, above the Colca canyon, for some teaching sessions for believers there and from the canyon churches. Now he is traveling to Callalli, across the river from Sibayo, for a youth conference. The leaders of the churches up there are concerned that in the mountain towns there are very few young folks. Most of them come down to the city here for university or academies after they finish high school, and some even come down before they finish school.

It is probably true that the education here is better than in the mountains, but there is a lot of bad being taught among the good, especially these last two years of everything being virtual. Many mountain areas don't have internet, and the ones that do have it don't have the filters to keep the bad stuff out. Anyway, many of our youth are going up for this youth congress in Callalli. The ones that went up last evening had snow all the way. It is summer but it is rainy season so in the mountains it is snow.

Bob went up this aft. with a couple more youth and more are going up separately to help set up for the Saturday and Sunday meetings. Bob is to teach on friendship, courtship and marriage. So many of the youth here start out wrong, fornication before marriage, etc. And many of these marriages don't last. So we pray God will help him and our co worker Jeff in the teaching sessions. It is good for the youth from here to hear this too. We thank the Lord that most of our kids here are being careful and wanting to do the Lord's will in this area.

So this weekend we ask for prayer especially for the youth up there and as they come back to put into practice what was taught. Bob spent a lot of time preparing for these sessions and he spends time preparing for his other messages and teaching as well. He is teaching Romans on Monday evenings here in church, and it also gets put up on Facebook, De Cristo.

Our brother Julian, with his dear young wife Paola, were here with us for 7 days. They are expecting their first baby in April. Guess they are all fine so far. We spent some time with them recording the choruses in our hymnbook here, but we still have a long way to go on that project. Julian left his best harp here, but he can't come too often, and probably won't come now till after their baby is born.

They are seeing some fruit in the Majes valley where they live but the folks there are pretty hard - again there are some of the youth who are more open and they are seeing a couple new Bible study groups open up. Julian has to work in the farms as his welding business is not advancing in the valley, but he has opportunities to witness in the farm work and has seen some interest.

A lot more could and should be said but a lot more has to be done too. Time doesn't really fly but it sure goes fast and I usually can't keep up with it.

Some of you have asked about my fractured knee cap. It is getting better but the dr. had said it won't be totally well till at least 6 months after the surgery. It has been over 5 months but there are three weeks to go before the 6 month mark. I am done with the magnet therapy but I have to do exercises at home, mostly leg stretches and smashes and pulls. (literally: they are "pulling my leg"). I can do most things at home. I walk a lot and can go up and down stairs, etc. Thanks for asking, and mostly for praying. I am terrified of falling, but God can "keep us from falling" both Spiritually and physically.

Again, thank you so very much for praying for us and for sharing as the Lord leads you. 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 wish you many blessings for all of 2022 and on, Sincerely in Christ and His service, Noél for us

Written by Noél Rich | 07 December 2021

Hi to you all,

December is here already! And yes, it has been a year to remember. So many things have happened this year, some really good, and some not so good.

The Lord is working in spite of limitations due to covid and other factors (political chaos, etc.) We were blessed with more baptisms here, youth from one of our churches that is really growing. This last Sunday this church had an inauguration of the new meeting place they worked so hard on. It is rustic but really nice. The believers there were really crowded in the brother's house where they were meeting. So we are really glad they could purchase and build. God is blessing and giving them growth. Some from there are seeing God raise up groups in different neighborhoods so these outreaches are producing fruit.

There were some sad notes this past month. A cousin of Jeff's wife, Angela, suicided. Cecilia had been depressed for a long time. Angela is not sure of her Spiritual condition. God is the Judge. We were able to go to the wake and Bob and Jeff preached, but it is still sad.

Christmas is coming soon. The young people from our church here are helping me prepare Christmas bags for the state boy's home and for the Christian children's home we help, to distribute this Saturday. They will have an opportunity to explain the Gospel especially in the state boy's home, and also will have a program for the children's home. Please help us pray for this. The boys in the state home are mostly street kids - abandoned or in irregular situations. We are thankful that our youth are very active in evangelism, visiting, teaching children in outlying areas and helping in many ways. We are thankful for Jeff and Angela and their work - "planting" a church in Uchumayo, an area where Angela has some fields of aloe vera.

The school year is ending. The virtual "farewell" program is Dec. 17. I will be giving a short message for all the grade school. Throughout the year I was able to give short devotionals once a month for the grade school children, by google meet. I am basically ignorant on the use of these programs but a dear teacher helped me get on, and she will this time too I hope.

Thank you for your faithful prayer for us, and thanks to all who share with the Lord'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.

May you have a very blessed Christmas, remembering the best of gifts, God's Son - come to be our Savior. Christmas blessings, Noél for us.

Written by Noél Rich | 08 November 2021

Hi again, and yes: No, never do I want to fall again!

Truly though, we hope you enjoyed your Fall and its results: the beautiful colored leaves. I did not enjoy my fall July 28 nor its results: fracture and complications, etc. However, God is good, He permits some things we don't want and He shows us His power and heals us. Healing is sometimes slow but for sure God is doing it and we are thankful. And we are very thankful for your prayers. November brings Thanksgiving and we give thanks in all things, as God tells us to. We hope you will have a very blessed Thanksgiving and remember the Lord's goodness.

October went fast and November is going that way too. Bob had some profitable trips. There are still problems in Chuquibamba - a different case now, but the church there is going on and holding on. Bob went again and encouraged them. They still need prayer. Thanks.

This morning Bob and a couple other brothers from here went up to Juliaca to inaugurate a new meeting place there. We have churches in a couple of the Quechua communities outside Juliaca and they have combined meetings once a month. Bob goes several times for that, and I have been some times too. Now several of the brothers from there live in the city of Juliaca, so they now have a meeting place in the city. We pray they can reach some neighbors too.

This past week we had a baptism here, the mother of one of our youth. Her parents and uncles are believers from the mountains but she was a singer in this world's entertainment, not Christian. God got a hold of her and she left that off and has been following the Lord for a while. She now sings for Him. Marisol is a blessing and has a meeting in her house Sunday afternoons for several family and friends who live close up there.

Next week, Lord willing, another new sister here will be baptized. Olga works at the club where I was swimming before the pandemic. She recognized me once there and said she was a little girl when Bob and I went to her family's ranch way up in the mountains (Culypampa) where her cousins lived. She was from a small ranch village beyond there. Anyway, Olga came to meetings before the lockdown and now is coming again and is firm in her faith and desire to identify with Christ. Her cousin's son is now our missionary to the Asheninka tribe in the jungle of Perú. Truly God draws folks to Himself and opens the way for them.

As for the school, we are finishing the year by virtual but hope to have in person school next year starting in March. I get to give two more devotionals for the primary school this year and hope indeed to teach O.T. next year to a couple of primary grades. We are thankful for the freedom to teach God's Word and we pray this will continue. Covid here is greatly reduced, many now have been vaccinated and the death toll is way down, new cases also are down significantly. We pray we will not have this "third wave" that some places are having. There are still restrictions, still 2 masks required, that is a pain.

Thanks so much for praying for us, and sharing as God leads you. 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 Thanksgiving blessings for each of you, Noél for us

Written by Noél Rich | 30 September 2021

Hi again to you all,

Well, last month I titled the letter"bone mender" but now the therapists have explained to me what the surgeon in Lima meant: I need to grow a "puente oseo" which means a "bone bridge". The Dr. in Lima did not put the knee bones back together because they were too fragmented, with chips so the nails and wire are a bit far allowing room for the bone bridge to grow. More bone has to grow so it will take a good 6 - 8 months before total healing. But the good news is that I can walk a bit more now. I still cannot go out without Bob or someone to lean on and I still cannot go more than 2 blocks, (hope to do 3 soon). So please pray for healing for me, and for patience. Thanks.

Well, September had a lot going on. We had some weddings, one in Chivay where just Bob went, but one here of a young couple from our youth group. It is spring, and a few more couples want marriage. We have done some counseling, and trust all will be for the Lord's glory.

Sadly, we also saw the death of a dear brother. Augusto Herencia from the Maje valley was blind and was here for years on kidney dialysis. His wife, Libia, cared for him faithfully. They had one son, Lizandro, who was working here as a chef until the pandemic closed all restaurants. Now he is wanting to study more to be able to help his Mom. They buried Augusto in the Majes valley. Julian, his cousin, took care of the funeral there. Do please pray for Libia and Lizandro.

This week is the 18th anniversary of our Christian school, Ebenezer. The thanksgiving service is tomorrow evening, of course all is virtual. Teachers have prepared videos with their testimonies of the how the Lord has helped them this year. Students from the different classes have prepared programs. Bob has a short message, I have a few short words, and school song and other things will be put up. We pray all will be put together for the Lord's glory. We do thank the Lord for the freedom to teach and preach His Word. Please also pray we will be able to have in person school next year starting in March.

Bob has had good trips both to Espinar and now to Piraucho, a ranching town above the Majes valley. He went with Julian and Paola.There used to be a church there but the brothers cooled off and now are really enthusiastic about getting together again. So this is happening and Bob is able to help and encourage them. Julian and Paola went a few weeks ago and they are helping there now too. Thanks for praying for this effort.

Brothers keep coming for Bibles and counseling here, plus Bob prepares and teaches his Bible studies and messages. There are less cases of covid now here in Arequipa, and less deaths from this. We do have a few cases of the variant though, which is scary because the vaccine does not prevent it. So we still have restrictions, but also more freedom. Thank you very much for praying with us - 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)

Many blessings for you all, Love, Noél for us