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News of baptisms and travel in the Andes of Peru.
December 1, 2003
Today's Headlines:
21 new members for the Chapel on the Rock
A new daughter church in Manchay
Go Tell it on the Mountain... Evelyn in the high Andes of Peru
Read on for details.
Dear Prayer Partner,
We have so much to be thankful for in serving the Lord. As we paused to count
our blessings last week, we could have complied an endless list of the good
things that God is doing in our ministries at the church, the seminary and
the Crisis Pregnancy Center. Let us share just a couple blessings. Those of
you who pray faithfully have a vital part in the work of the Spirit in and
through our lives and ministries. We are thankful for you too!
Today there was rejoicing at the Chapel on the Rock of the New Life in Christ
Baptist Church when the congregation approved 13 people for baptism and 8 for
church membership by transfer. Remember just 6 months ago that we asked prayer
for people to fill the vacant seats and ministries of two families that had
moved? God answers prayer!
Seven of those baptized will become members of our church and six of them will
be the first members of our new daughter church in Manchay. It's the mission
work that started when one of our members, Gladys Zapata, led a lady to the
Lord at the New Life Prenatal Center. Then she brought her family to our church
and they all got saved. That multiplied into about 20 people accepting the
Lord in the town of Manchay, a half hour drive from our church. Our deacon,
Pepe Zapata, and his family began Bible studies in their home. Pepe and Dave
have been going out for visitation on Monday nights and Pepe with his whole
family go for the Saturday children's club and adult Bible study. Some other
people and youth from our church are beginning to go to help with the teaching,
and an doctor is offering to help with the medical needs in this very poor
area. December 20th we are planning a big Christmas party for all the children
in that area of Manchay, expecting at least 150 kids! We are encouraging our
whole church to go and help evangelize. We will soon be starting Sunday evening
services in Manchay with the help of Pepe's father and another man from a sister
church. Please pray for this new work. We urgently need offerings for land
to build a church there. Land is cheap - perhaps only $15,000 will buy three
lots. It is a pressing need. On Saturday there were 40 children and 15 adults
crowded into that first believer's house!
Evelyn and two volunteers from the New Life Prenatal Center will be traveling
tomorrow morning, December 1 to Cerro de Pasco in the high Andes of Peru. Invited
by the Women's Committee of the Institute of Mining Engineers, we will be presenting
a training conference to 60 select women that represent the miners' families
in all of the surrounding villages. They will be given materials for the classes
that we teach, and then be sent back to teach all of the women in their villages
in their native Quechua language. What an opportunity to share the gospel and
then send it out! It reminds me of the Christmas song, "Go, Tell it on
the Mountains... that Jesus Christ is Born." They have asked us to teach
on The Value of the Woman, Sexuality, Abortion, STD's, Adolescence, Family
Violence, and Drug Addiction. I can't speak on any one of those subjects without
talking about Biblical values and principles and the salvation message. Will
you pray specifically that people will be saved during the next two days? Also
pray that altitude sickness will not hinder our effectiveness since we will
be teaching at 4,338 meters altitude. We will be up in the snowy peaks. The
temperature will be around 35 degrees F. May the warmth of God's love burn
brightly through us.
Thankful to be able to take the message of New Life to the uttermost parts
of the earth,
David and Evelyn Stone
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