“aprovechando bien el tiempo, porque los días son malos.”
– Ephesians 5:16
Con un nuevo año vienen nuevos retos y oportunidades. Si alguna vez hubo un momento en que los “días son malos”, es ahora. Hay mucha incertidumbre por todas partes. Me alegra que Dios nos desafíe a aprovechar bien del tiempo. Él tiene el control total; por lo tanto, ¡podemos encomendar nuestros caminos a Él y seguir adelante para redimir el tiempo!
Estamos volviendo a los horarios y ritmos de servicio pre-COVID, cerrando la escuela dominical virtual y comenzando nuestro nuevo programa de Escuela Dominical en grupos pequeños. Estamos muy entusiasmados con esto. Volveremos a nuestros tres servicios el domingo por la mañana más la Escuela Dominical (uno para sordos, uno para oyentes y uno combinado). Nuestra misión en Tablada ha encontrado un lugar para reunirse los domingos. Gloria a Dios por esto.
Debido a nuestro crecimiento, ya no realizamos nuestro servicio principal en el auditorio de nuestra iglesia. No es lo suficientemente grande. Desde noviembre de 2020, nos hemos reunido en nuestra cancha de fútbol techada. Estamos en el proceso de transformarlo en nuestro auditorio. Construimos un balcón para más asientos, especialmente para conferencias. Continuaremos transformando el espacio poco a poco, por la gracia y provisión de Dios. Nuestra necesidad actual es rehacer el piso adecuándolo para ser auditorio. Las ranuras en el piso son demasiado grandes para un auditorio (especialmente para las damas con tacones), y hay áreas hundidas para reparar. Nos costará alrededor de $18,000 para hacer que el piso sea seguro y útil para un auditorio. Estamos ahorrando fondos para este proyecto.
Si confías que el Señor quiere que apoyes con este proyecto especial, puede hacerlo enviando su apoyo a Macedonia o a nuestra iglesia enviadora Emmanuel Baptist, designada para el “proyecto del piso Efata”.
Seguimos viendo personas salvadas, bautizadas, y casados, bebés dedicados, y también algunos se han ido al cielo.
Joseph y algunos de nuestros pastores y líderes sordos están planeando nuestro primer destino de ministerio de circuito este mes de mayo a Iquitos, una ciudad selvática en el norte de Perú. Allí, trabajaremos con una iglesia que nos ha pedido ayuda con su nuevo ministerio de sordos. Este será nuestro primer destino en el ministerio de circuito plantando ministerio de sordos e iglesias en Perú.
Noticias de la familia
Lisa y yo regresaremos a los Estados Unidos durante el mes de abril para continuar con las citas médicas. Nuestro hijo John ha decidido mudarse a los Estados Unidos para terminar su escuela secundaria y comenzar su vida adulta, así que vamos a ayudarlo a establecerse. Está evaluando las universidades y buscando trabajo. Por favor, oren por él tanto por estas necesidades en su vida como por su crecimiento y cuidado espiritual.
A Joy le está yendo bien en Bible College, y Jared y Judson siguen sirviendo a su país. Jessica y Jennifer han sido bendecidas con clases intensivas de violín estos tres meses.
Julianne, si Dios quiere, dará a luz a nuestro nieto #12 hacia fines de marzo o principios de abril (otra bendición agradable para el tiempo que estemos en los Estados Unidos).
Seguimos atentos a la dirección y la obra de Dios en este nuevo e interesante año. Ustedes son nuestros héroes, los que hacen posible que sirvamos en el campo misionero extranjero. Gracias una vez más por sus oraciones, amistad y apoyo financiero.
With a new year comes new challenges and opportunities. If there ever was a time when the “days are evil,” it is now. There is a lot of uncertainty all around. I am glad that God challenges us to “redeem the time.” He is in complete control; thus, we can commit our ways to Him and press on redeeming the time!
We are opening up services back to pre-COVID schedules and rhythms. We are ending virtual Sunday school and beginning our new in-person small group Sunday School program. We are extremely excited about this. We are also going back to our three services on Sunday morning plus Sunday School (One for Deaf, one for hearing and one combined). Our Tablada mission has found a place to meet on Sundays. Praise the Lord for this.
Due to our growth, we no longer hold our main service in our church auditorium. It is just not big enough. Since November of 2020, we have been meeting in our covered soccer court. We are in the process of transforming it into our auditorium. We are building a mezzanine for extra seating, especially for conferences. We will continue to transform the space, by God’s grace and provision, little by little. Regarding this, our current need is to redo the floor, transforming it from a soccer court to an auditorium floor. The gaps in the floor are too large for an auditorium (especially for the ladies with heels), and it has sunk and needs repair in areas. It will cost us about $18,000 to make the floor safe and serviceable for an auditorium. We are saving up funds for this project.
If you trust that the Lord would have you support this special project, you may do so by sending your support to Macedonia or our home church Emmanuel Baptist, designated for the “Efata floor project.”
We continue to see people saved, baptized, and married, babies dedicated, and home-goings as well.
Joseph, with some of our Deaf pastors and leaders are planning our first circuit ministry destination this May to Iquitos, a jungle city in northern Peru. There, we will work with a church who has asked us to help them with their new Deaf ministry. This will be our first location as we develop our national circuit ministry here of Deaf ministry and church planting in Peru.
Family News
Lisa and I will be returning to the States for the month of April to continue with medical appointments. Our son John has decided to move to the States to finish his High School and begin his adult life, so we are going to help get him set up. He is looking into colleges and finding work. Please pray for him both for these needs in his life and for his spiritual growth and care as well.
Joy is doing well at Bible College, and Jared and Judson continue to serve their country. Jessica and Jennifer have been blessed with intensive violin lessons these three months.
Julianne, Lord willing, will be giving birth to grandchild #12 toward the end of March or beginning of April (another nice blessing for the time we are in the States).
We continue to watch for God’s leading and working in this new and interesting year. You are our heroes, the ones who make it possible for us to serve on the foreign mission field. Thank you once again for your prayers, friendship, and financial support.
Este año ha sido un año de victorias, desafíos, desánimos y bendiciones. Nuestra fe en Dios y Su voluntad soberana nos permite seguir adelante como vencedores en este viaje de fe en el que estamos. Es esa fe, como enseña el versículo anterior, la que nos trae las victorias diarias que vencen al mundo y su sistema.
Noticias del ministerio
El ministerio aquí en Perú continúa prosperando en medio de todos los problemas de COVID y las dificultades políticas.
Desde que regresé de mi licencia médica de siete meses en octubre, hemos visto gente salvada y he bautizado cada semana a sordos y oyentes.
En noviembre, nuestro equipo de liderazgo se reunió para planificar el próximo año. Tenemos grandes cosas por delante y pedimos su oración por la protección y la ayuda de Dios entrando al 2022 con mucha incertidumbre. No permitiremos que los problemas políticos o de salud de COVID nos impidan avanzar con sabiduría y discernimiento.
Nuestros servicios están funcionando bien. Nuestra asistencia es mayor de lo que fue antes de COVID en Efata Villa El Salvador y también en la misión en Tablada. Oren por Tablada en su búsqueda por un nuevo local para reunirse. Es muy difícil ahora.
Organizamos una cena de Navidad especial para nuestros miembros y amigos venezolanos para animarlos en el Señor, y cada familia pudo invitar a otra. Tuvimos excelentes comidas navideñas típicas de Venezuela, predicación Bíblica, y lindos regalos para los niños que vinieron.
Acogimos a un pequeño grupo de exalumnos de Efata que querían tener una celebración navideña especial aquí en Efata, y salió muy bien.
Otra actividad de sordos tuvo que posponerse debido a las precauciones de COVID. El gobierno también emitió algunas pautas más estrictas y ahora uno no puede ir a ningún lado ni hacer ningún trámite si no está completamente vacunado: eso aplica a los bancos, restaurantes, tiendas y negocios gubernamentales.
Antes de irnos a Perú, mi familia y yo tomamos la decisión de vacunarnos porque sabíamos que esto iba a suceder. Si no lo hubiéramos hecho, no hubiéramos podido continuar en Perú como misioneros hasta que se levantaran estas restricciones. No queríamos vacunarnos por varias razones; sin embargo, nuestras preferencias personales fueron superadas por el llamado y el cuidado de Dios en nuestras vidas.
Noticias de la familia
John cumplió 18 años el 30 de diciembre. Oramos mucho por él mientras trabaja para terminar la escuela y prepararse para su vida. Por favor, oren por él también.
Joy ha terminado su primer semestre en Bible College y le está yendo bien. Está emocionada para el nuevo semestre.
Joel, Jessica y Jennifer están bien y están creciendo. Jared y Judson siguen en sus respectivos lugares de servicio en nuestro país.
Lisa y yo participamos en la boda de una de nuestras jóvenes de Perú que está en Bible College en Baptist College of Ministry. Pudimos ver a Joy, James y Ann y nuestros nietos que viven allí. (Fue una bendición especial conocer a Heidi Beth, nuestra nieta más reciente). Luego volamos a Fort Myers y pasamos un par de días con Julianne, Frank y los nietos. Jared, la mamá de Lisa y mi papá pudieron venir a la casa de Julianne cerca de Fort Myers para una agradable cena de Navidad. Luego, Lisa y yo empacamos y volamos a casa a Perú en la víspera de Navidad, y llegamos la mañana de Navidad para estar con nuestros hijos aquí. Oren por Labelle Baptist Temple en su búsqueda por un nuevo pastor. Disfruté predicando para ellos mientras estuve allí.
Les agradezco especialmente a todos ustedes que han enviado ofrendas especiales para Navidad a nuestra familia y para proyectos navideños para nuestra iglesia aquí en Efata. Estamos emocionados de lo porvenir en este nuevo año juntos con todos ustedes a través de oraciones, amistad y apoyo financiero. Juntos, gracias a ÉL, “¡Somos más que vencedores!” Gracias a todos.
This year has been a year of victory, challenges, discouragements, and blessings. Our faith in God and His sovereign will enables us to continue forward as victors in this journey of faith that we are on. It is that faith as the verse above teaches that brings us the daily victories that overcome the world and its system.
Ministry News
The ministry here in Peru continues to thrive in the midst of all of the COVID issues and political difficulties.
Since my return from my seven-month medical furlough in October, we have seen people saved and I have baptized every week Deaf and hearing converts.
In November our leadership team met to plan the year ahead. We have some great things ahead and ask you to pray for God’s continued care and help as we enter 2022 with much uncertainty. We will not let the political or health issues of COVID deter us from moving forward with wisdom and discernment.
Our services are doing well. Our attendance is greater than pre-COVID times for us and for our Tablada mission work. Pray for Tablada as they continue to search for a new place to meet. It is very difficult right now.
We were able to host a very special Christmas dinner for our Venezuelan members and friends to encourage them in the Lord, and each family was able to invite another to come. We had great Venezuelan Christmas specialty foods, Bible preaching and a wonderful gift giving time for the children who came.
We hosted a small group of ex-students of Efata who wanted to have a special Christmas celebration here at Efata and that went very well.
Another Deaf activity had to be postponed due to COVID precautions. The government also came out with some stricter guidelines and now one cannot go anywhere or do any business if they are not fully vaccinated – no banks, restaurants, shopping or government business.
Before we left for Peru, my family and I made the decision to get vaccinated because we knew this was coming. If we had not, we would not have been able to continue in Peru as missionaries until such a time as these restrictions would be lifted. We did not wish to be vaccinated for various reasons; however, our personal preferences were trumped by God’s calling and care in our lives.
Family News
John turned 18 on the 30th of December. We are praying much for him as he works to finish school and prepare for his life. Please be in prayer for him as well.
Joy has completed her first semester at Bible College and is doing well and looking forward to the new semester.
Joel, Jessica and Jennifer are doing well and growing. Jared and Judson are still at their respective duty stations serving our country.
Lisa and I participated in a wedding for one of our young ladies from Peru who is in Bible College at Baptist College of Ministry. We were able to see Joy, James and Ann and our grandkids that live there. (It was a special blessing getting to meet Heidi Beth, our newest grandbaby.) Then we flew down to Fort Myers and spent a couple of days with Julianne and Frank and the grandkids. Jared, Lisa’s mom and my dad were able to come to Julianne’s place near Fort Myers for a nice Christmas dinner. Lisa and I then packed up and flew home to Peru on Christmas Eve, arriving Christmas morning to be with our children here. Please pray for Labelle Baptist Temple as they continue to carefully search for a new pastor. I enjoyed preaching for them while there.
A special thanks to all of you who have sent special offerings for Christmas to our family and for Christmas projects for our church here at Efata. We look forward to this new year with you all through prayers, friendship and financial support. Together, because of HIM, “We are more than Conquerors!” Thank you all.
Blessings,
Bro. Joe & Lisa, John, Joel, Jessica, and Jennifer
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”
– Philippians 1:6
I apologize for the tardiness of this letter. I pray all is well in your place of service and God is moving and working in this new COVID reality. As the verse above states, God will perform His good work in us until Jesus comes. Nothing is going to delay or change His expected return on His timetable. We may very well go through difficult times ahead, but this always works to refine his church, not hinder it.
It has been an incredible seven months of doctors’ appointments, surgeries, procedures, and recoveries for me. As we have been in the States for all of this, I have also filled pulpits for weeks for different pastors in churches in the Fort Myers area. In August I flew to Peru for a few days, and after that, took our daughter Joy to Bible College. Now we are home! We returned to Peru on October 13th, and we are excited to get back to work.
My surgical fusion for my lower spine, therapy for my cervical spine and procedures for upper arm pain in both arms all successful. I am still recovering from the spinal surgery, but I am doing well.
Joy is now several weeks into college and is adjusting well. She also just turned 21 and is quite a young lady. We are so proud of her and thankful to the Lord that she had the honor of growing up on the mission field.
As we return to Peru with our four youngest children–John, Joel, Jessica and Jennifer–we look forward to all that the Lord has for us here.
Peru is still dealing with COVID and the political uncertainties that lie ahead. We pray for the new president as he makes changes in Peru regarding immigration, vaccinations, and more. We pray that this will not have any negative effects for us. It will, however, affect visitors. The government plans to require vaccinations for all who come into the country. They still require double masks outside. The economy is still struggling, and inflation is on the rise.
We ask you to pray for wisdom, open doors and fruit as we continue to work towards an expanded Bible Institute for the Deaf to replace our school ministry that was shut down. Through a circuit riding ministry for Deaf throughout Peru, our desire is to see more Deaf saved and discipled and to find hearing who will learn sign language and even surrender to work with the Deaf. We pray we will find Deaf who would themselves surrender to the Lord’s work and be willing to be trained.
I also hope to do more in international work with the Deaf as the Lord gives opportunity. Our first international conference live stream was well viewed and received, and we hope to do that more.
Please pray that God will give me and our Peruvian leadership team wisdom and discernment as we move forward.
There are other ministries that we hope to re-establish or renew as restrictions lift from COVID.
In September, our missionary friends of Team Peru from Hammond, Indiana hosted a Pastor’s school, and we were honored to partner with them again this year by providing logistical support and space. Hundreds came and attended the preaching and classes. Many were saved, and others surrendered to full-time service for the Lord.
This month, Joseph organized a special day for the Deaf and we had over 60 Deaf come that Sunday. That was the most Deaf we have seen come to church since COVID shut everything down. We feel like we are making progress to the normalization of our services again. The hearing side of our ministry is doing very well. Our attendance has returned to near pre-COVID numbers with many new converts and attendees. Praise God!
Thank you all once again for your continued support and care for our family and the work with the Deaf and hearing in Lima, Peru and beyond.
Blessings,
Bro. Joe & Lisa, John, Joel, Jessica, and Jennifer
