• Birth
of our healthy boy, Caleb.
• Family feeling settled and comfortable in Peru.
• We have had several opportunities to have conversations with people about Christ.
• We have been fairly healthy.
• We are beginning to help or lead in several different ministries.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• Salvation
of Ivan's doctor and wife.
• Salvation of several women Kristie has been building a relationship with.
• Wisdom for Ivan in teaching 4th grade and for leading MCS.
• Opportunities to help families understand biblical marriage and parenting.
• We are having many struggles within the school because of problems with students
and/or parents.
• More supporters and/ or one-time donors.
• Pray for supporters who have been unable to give because of personal financial
struggles.
NEEDS:
• $350
per month support.
• About $5,000 to finish furnishing our house for hosting guests and church groups
from here or other countries. ( i.e. beds, book shelves, couch, etc.)
IVAN
AND KRISTIE ASHBY “For the love of Christ compels
us…” 2 Cor. 5:14-15
As ABWE missionaries appointed to Lima, Peru, we greatly desire to
share with you the burden God has laid upon our hearts. The
following is a brief history of the work God has done in Peru,
which has led up to our answering the call, and a brief description
of what our ministries will be there in Lima. We hope that
you can catch a glimpse of our hearts through this letter.
Please read our testimonies to also better understand our passion.
“ TO
LIMA WITH LOVE”
In the early eighties, ABWE missionaries in Lima,
Peru began to change their focus of ministry. Their
objective transitioned from not only reaching
out to the poor communities but to building strong church plants among
the middle and upper classes. The plan was to see those churches grow
and become self-sufficient and self-reproducing by sending out Peruvian
pastors and missionaries. This program, called “To Lima with love,” has
been very successful, although it is still in the beginning stages. Several
churches have been planted and are thriving.
IGLESIA
BAUTISTA VIDA NUEVA (NEW LIFE BAPTIST CHURCH)
One such church plant is in Monterrico, a suburb of Lima, and was started
by ABWE missionaries Rich and Jo Ann Davis and Pastor Salvador, a Peruvian
pastor. The church is about five years old and currently averages about
150 attendees each Sunday. As the church began to experience growth pains
a few years ago, they eagerly desired to find a property to meet the
ministry needs and goals. With the poor economy and astronomical housing
market though, the members of Iglesia Vida Nueva were reluctantly willing
to settle on a building that would only provide a temporary solution
to purchase a building with sufficient space.
MIRACLE ON A HILL
While Rich and Jo Ann were home on furlough, God did
a miracle. One family heard of the need in Lima and
desired to make a difference
with the wealth God had given them. While watching the Davis’ presentation,
this family felt the Lord leading them to give 1.2 million dollars (with
$500,000 as a matching gift to be given back in order to invest in another
ministry), so the church could purchase a much larger building. The ministry
opportunities in a building of this size that sits up on a hill are endless.
MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
Because there was so much room available, Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva
began to pray about how they could be faithful stewards of the blessing
God
has
given them.
Seminary: The Baptist Theological
Seminary of Lima operates on one third of the property.
Their
goal
is to train pastors
and lay people. The seminary currently has around 90
students and has room for about 200 to 250 students.
ESL classes: Reaching the surrounding community with
the gospel by offering English as a Second Language
classes with the Bible as the main textbook.
Christian School for Peruvian Children: One
goal the church had in mind was to start a Christian
School,
but who would administrate such a ministry? The school
was started by faith, and they knew that if having
a school was God’s will, then He would provide.
In fact, God was already at work. That is where THE
ASHBYS fit into God’s plan. As God was
providing Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva with this miracle
building, God
was also working in our lives, bringing us to complete
surrender. One of Ivan’s passions is for children
to hear the gospel and be saved, and through prayer
and godly counsel we knew God was calling Ivan as a
pastor/teacher (Eph. 4:32). We are going as church
planters with Ivan’s primary ministry being as
the administrator of Monterrico Christian School.
MONTERRICO CHRISTIAN
SCHOOL
Monterrico
Christian School began in March of 2002. We started
with K4 and will add a grade each year.
Currently, we have K3, K4, Kindergarten, First Grade,
Second Grade, and Third Grade with 70 children.
But is there potential for spiritual impact in
this type of ministry? Peruvians want their children to learn
English very desperately. In fact it is so vital to them,
that the very same parents who will never take
their children to a Baptist church, will not hesitate
to take
them to a Baptist school, as long as English is taught.
Therefore, we will have the opportunity every day to
present the truth of the gospel to unsaved children. We
also know that because
those children
will be going home and telling their parents what we
are teaching them
about Jesus Christ, that the parents will be asking us
questions as well which will open doors to present the
gospel to the parents. Is there potential for spiritual
impact
in Lima, Peru? The building, minus the part used by
the seminary, can house 600 students. Take
600 students plus 1200 parents hearing the message
of salvation
through Jesus Christ, then being discipled so that
they, too, are leading people to the Lord and, yes,
there will be an awesome impact! All the glory must
be given to our Heavenly Father because He is the author
and finisher of this exciting work in Lima, Peru.
ARE YOU EXCITED YET?!!!!
Other
opportunities: With
Lima being a city of approximately 9 million people
and 75% poverty, there are many opportunities
for extension ministries. Outside of our ministry in
the church/ school, we will be able to serve with the
church through ministering to the poor, the elderly,
the homeless, the
sick,
the addicts, the
abused, the confused, and the lost. Children as young
as 8 have been
found on the streets addicted to drugs and used for all
types of wickedness. The abortion rate is exceptionally
high in Peru. We know we will want to help the ABWE crisis
pregnancy centers throughout Lima as well.
HOW CAN YOU HAVE A PART IN THE WORK IN LIMA?
Fellow believers, the fields are very ready to be
harvested but Satan is hard at work trying to corrupt
and burn the crops. Our family is part of God’s
work in Lima, but please do not miss the fact that the needs are so great,
that we need many, many more families to surrender their will and their plans
to God’s will and plan. (Roman 12:1,2) Are you holding something so
tight that it will hurt when God takes it away, or have you surrendered your
all to Him, and are you willing to go where He leads you?
Perhaps the Holy Spirit is urging you to be a part
of THE ASHBY’S ministry team.
We need a strong team of prayer supporters because
we know that being
in God’s will means the enemy will be hard at
work to stop us. We also need a strong financial support
group to keep us on the field. God may not call you
to the physical trenches of Lima, Peru, but He may
be calling you to the spiritual
trenches of prayer or the financial trenches needed
to back up your missionary troops who are in the physical
trenches.
Can we please ask you to allow us the opportunity
to challenge the hearts of your people with the Word
of God and to share this great burden which He has
given us for the people of Lima, Peru?
Thank you so much for honoring us with your time to
read through this letter and we hope there may be some
way we can serve you.
Ivan and Kristie Ashby
Rebekah, Sarah, and Elizabeth
Contact Info
Ivan and Kristie Ashby
15632 W 76th Drive
Arvada,
CO 80007
