Closing a chapter

As we pulled into the airport in Lima where our journey together had begun, I don't think anyone could believe it had been a week already. I guess it may be a glimpse of eternity because when you are in the presence of the Lord time passes quickly and there's no other place you'd rather be. So, I (Kelly) would like to close out this trip with some memories from the team and then I'll share the numbers from the week.

I had the same national with me each day. She was from a town called Pilcomayo and her name was Esmerelda. I have never been around a young believer that was so hungry to learn God’s word and he taught to share the Gospel. Each time I used a scripture while sharing the Gospel she would write it down. She was very eager to share the Evangecube and God used her to bring at least 10 people to Christ. My most memorable moment occurred on Wednesday. I was having an off day. while sharing the Gospel there was two occasions that day when I forgot a scripture that I was trying to use. Esmerelda jumped right in and quoted the verses that I had forgotten because she had memorized them. I had much fun sharing the Gospel this week, but my best memory will be the disciple that I was able to make in Esmerelda. We were able to plant a new church in that area and I can’t wait to come again next year and see how Esmerelda and the church have grown. All glory to God.

Jeff T.

I think my most memorable time was after a soccer game when I was able to share the Gospel with a group of guys we were playing with. Some other curious onlookers came over to listen too. I shared with them then I challenged them that it was a big commitment, and that Jesus asks us to do difficult things so don’t make decisions unless they truly meant it. I asked them to be bold in front of their friends. Three guys indicated that they had chosen to follow Christ. It gave me great joy because they seemed to be genuinely authentic. We talked some more and got them connected with the new church.

Josh L.

It was the middle of the week, and I was teamed up with my translator and a national woman, Lina. We were going door to door sharing our testimonies and the Evangecube. We were going past a bar and met a man named Edgar. At first he seemed like he was a little drunk and he was making comments about wanting to marry one of us. We ended up sitting down and talking with him. He wanted to know how to have the hope we had. I shared the Gospel with him and he told us he wanted us to come to his house and share it with his mother. After spending some time with them they shared that he struggled with drinking but wanted to change. They bothe prayed to receive Christ as their Savior and as they prayed both weeping. The national stood over Edgar and continued to pray, her voice raised till she was almost shouting. Each of us was praying over them and they were crying and even thought I had no idea what anyone else was praying, I could just feel the power of the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Mary K.

My favorite memory on this trip was my follow up visit in Huancayo. I knew ahead of time that I wouldn’t see many of my prior contacts. Most were kids and people off the streets. So I along with my interpreter hit the streets to do more discipleship. While concluding prayer with a young couple a man named Antonio came yelling down the street, “my friend Londa”, it was then that I knew I had made a connection with the people and what I was doing. Gods work touches everyone. Antonio might have been on the street the first day and my chances of finding him were slim. God was accepted into Antonio’s heart and grace brought us back together for an amazing follow up. Thanks be to God.

Laurie J.

On Tuesday evening at the local cell group meeting we encouraged the group to consider that they were the start of a new church. At first they kept saying we need leaders and pastors. Yet after God’s Word was exposed to them and after they did the evangelizing, they began to realize that they could do this. When the light came on in their hearts and they realized they were chosen, what a great joy it was. A new church was born and I was allowed by God to partake of this blessing. May Jesus Christ be praised!

Tim M.

Working with Pastor Louis from one of the new church plants in Huancayo was an amazing and memorable experience! On one of our door-to-door evangelism days Pastor Louis knew exactly where he wanted to go. When we asked the Pastor where we were headed, he boldly expressed that he wanted to go to a specific area to speak to some terrorists! As we walked Pastor Louis informed my translator and me that the areas we were in was once very dangerous. Years ago, he had been a part of a team of 9 missionaries evangelizing in this community. 8 of these team members were killed during the campaign. Pastor Louis was the only survivor from the group. I was in awe to see his passion to return to this area to continue to bring the Good News to the very remnant of a group that murdered his friends.

Julie C.

Well, those are just a few of the stories and the rest we will all recount together in Heaven. As for the numbers, which please understand it is just part of the job, not our focus. This week through door-to-door, on the street, in the markets, in cell group meetings, on the courts and on the fields, we shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with 1675 people. Of those people 806 decided to begin following Christ. Now for some other cool numbers, 391 discipleship/follow-up appointments were completed. Also as a way of continueing the work in Huancayo 83 nationals were trained, 7 churches were started and 2 were strengthened. Please continue to pray for this work.

Nine months of work and prayer has gone into this week and the Lord has blessed our efforts by showing off and bringing fame to His name. So what now? So many more need to hear, is the Lord calling you?

Tomorrow we begin our journey home as we close this chapter of our lives. It will be a happy - sad day as we leave our family and friends here to reunite with our family and friends at home.

May God be gloried in all we do as we continually remind people, that anything good you see in us, comes from above. Thank you for everything.

The Jessens

God is moving in Huancayo

Our days are going from 6:30 to 11:30 so we are going to let our team updates provide some insights to what is happening this week. We can't even count the God stories we've been hearing from the team. Here are just a few.

http://sportreach.blogspot.com/

Family Camp

During our time in Peru we have enjoyed reconnecting with our favorite church in Lima. Our brothers and sisters at Roca Eterna Community Church have welcomed us warmly whenever we’ve been in Lima. Last week they invited us to join them for their annual family camp so we gladly accepted. The location for the event was Camp Kawai located on the beach 2 hours south of Lima. I teased Jenni that I was taking her back to the place where we were married (actually we were married on the island of Kauai, HI but they pronounce it the same here). During the 3 days we spent time playing games, worshiping and enjoying Peruvian food. It was a wonderful time being together as a family….but sleeping in separate dorms. The girls on one side of the camp, Mav and I on the other. I also, had the opportunity to teach two workshops on evangelism and the benefits of cell group discipleship.

We are also excited to announce that this church will be sending a short-term mission team to go with us to Huancayo next week. Jenni and I will be training them how to work as an all-national team and partner with a church in Huancayo to help start a new church. This is very exciting as our goal is to train nationals how to establish new churches without North Americans!

Please pray for our family, the North American team and all the Peruvians that will be working together next week to spread the Kingdom of the one true God by making disciples all throughout the valley of Huancayo.

P.S. In case you didn’t see our Facebook post, our feet were in a recent Keen ad. Click here to see it!

And the blind will see

Well, technically she was not completely blind. More in the category of “I can see people like trees walking around.” And even though we are on a mission trip, I am ashamed to say that praying for healing was not anyone’s first impulse. After all, WE were holding a medical clinic.
So anyway, the woman came for glasses. In reality she needed some pretty powerful bi-focals but due to the set-up and what we have to offer, she had to choose. Glasses to see distance or glasses to read and see close up. Without hesitation, she chose reading glasses. She explained, “I am a Christian, but for many years I have not been able to read the Bible. If I have to choose, I choose to read God’s word.” The eye doctor gave her the strongest reading glasses he had, which improved her vision enough that if she was in direct sunlight, and held the Bible very close she could make out the words. She then went to the spiritual counseling area. As the counselor began to talk to her she felt led by the Holy Spirit to pray for the woman’s eyes. Nothing wild or loud or flashy, just a simple quiet prayer for God to be glorified and the woman to be able to read freely the Word of God. When she opened her eyes, she began to cry. She could see clearly. She could see the donkeys at the far end of the field. She could count the children playing in the shade of a tree 100 yards away. And of course, she could read her Bible. She opened it, she held it close and read, she held it at arms distance and read, the counselor took the Bible 10 feet away and still she read. The woman marched promptly back to the eye clinic and handed her glasses back. “I don’t need these anymore. I can see.”

No Longer in Darkness - John 1:1-12

Today was one of those days when you know that if not a single other person was impacted with the gospel of Christ, this ONE was worth the cost, the effort and the challenges of the whole trip. Today we, (Jenni and Scarlet) were working in “suburb” of Chincha, Peru named Alto Laran. By Peruvian standards it is middle class. The homes are built from concrete, dirt floors and several have running water until 3 p.m. In the central park sat a little old man. By appearance I would have guessed him to be at least 75 years old. But the years have worn heavily on him and in reality he is 58. From under a small blue and white ball cap, bushy black and white hair escaped in every direction, including from his ears and eye brows. His skin a rich leathery brown and back bent from hard long years harvesting mandarins in the fields of Peru. One finger of his left hand was lost too many years back to recall. Rolfino prayed to accept Christ today in that central plaza, but really that is only part of the story. He came an hour later to the cell group meeting and eagerly devoured the first discipleship lesson. Learning how to find chapters and verses in the Bible and upon finding them, soaking them into his very soul as if rain quenching parched ground. As he stood to leave a few silent tears began to slip down his cheeks and he began to explain.
“For many years I have lived alone. My house is dark, I have no light. My house is cold, I have no heat. For many years I have been afraid of the dark, afraid of being alone. At one time, I fell and was alone calling for help for three days. A dog came and slept beside me. Every morning at 5 a.m. I get up and leave my house; I go out into the streets because I am afraid to be alone. Every night I go to bed when it gets dark and I cry because I am afraid. I feed the little dog when I can and leave water for her, but I never know when I leave if she will be there when I return. I have been alone for so long.” He wiped the tears from his darkened skin with the four fingers he had on his crippled left hand and began to sob. “Con alegria, con alegria.” He sobbed openly. “With joy, with joy,” he repeated over and over again. For 58 hard lonely years this man has lived in darkness, this evening for the very first time, he found that he is not alone. He is safely in the hand of the God that loves him so passionately that He died for him. That Jesus Christ is Life, Truth and Light. After a lifetime of living in darkness, he stepped into the Light and wept with joy...so did I. Please pray for our brother, Rolfino.