It’s been just a few short months since we’ve been in Lima, but we’ve already seen God move in some very interesting ways.
One example was when my parents recently came to visit us here in February.
My mom and I were in an Uber on our way to a museum, when our cab driver commented that my name was in the Bible. This sounded like an open door to a spiritual conversation, so I began to talk with him more about his faith.
He began asking questions such as “What does the Bible say happens when we die?” or “Do we have to give an account to God?” and “What is the difference between Catholicism and Christianity?”.
Before we reached the museum, he expressed the desire to receive Christ as Lord and said a prayer, expressing faith in Christ.
Again, just this past week, I met a fellow believer in a local church. We invited him over to dinner and learned that he had an urgent prayer need. He had been sharing a room with his cousin. They split the cost, but his cousin recently left. Without a new roommate, he would be forced to move back home, an hour from work and church.
We began lifting this up in prayer. I sent a message to my fellow team members in Lima to find out if they knew of anyone looking for a roommate.
But God provided something even better!
One of our national partners leaves his home 6 months out of the year to serve in another community. Every year he needs someone to stay in his house to keep watch over things. However, he had been urgently praying for someone who could watch his home.
Before we knew it, God had provided my friend not with a roommate, but with a rent-free home to live in for next six months. Now he can save money and continue looking for a roommate.
José is a recent friend we made along with Ada Belén. God provided José with a place to live for the next 6 months rent free!
One last story.
Back in 2018, a random guy from the United Kingdom messaged me with a question he had about an online course we were both participating in. Somehow, the topic of Christianity came up and I sent him a Bible.
Several years passed without hearing from one another.
However, recently, he reached out to me wanting to know more about giving his life to Jesus. We began meeting online once a week and we’re going through Bible stories together.
Who knew a random act of sending him a Bible in 2018 would be the reason he contacted me in 2024 to hear the gospel?
God did!
All of this is to say, we are excited about the ways God is working and we’re glad you are here to witness what God is doing.
We’ve also been busy these past few months planning for an upcoming digital outreach project.
Specifically, we are hoping to plant a Church in one of the least churched areas in Lima where a large number of young professionals live and work. These people live busy lives, but like most of us, they spend lots of time on their phones using social media.
Our plan will involve running digital ads on platforms such as Meta and Instagram, showcasing examples of people whose lives have been transformed by the gospel. They’ll have an opportunity to sign up for a simple 7-day study with the hopes of leading them to an in-person group.
We’re currently in the process of designing a website and securing assistance from our national partners.
This is a very important project because we’re attempting to test the theory that Digital Engagement can be used as a catalyst for planting a church. Many teams are already using Digital Engagement for evangelism. However, it can be difficult to chart a path that leads to a healthy local church.
We are counting on your prayers as we continue this effort. Please pray for wisdom as we develop strategies and work with our national partners.
An important lesson that God has been teaching us lately is the joy of abiding in Christ.
If you remember the story of Martha and Mary, you’ll recall that Martha was very concerned with cleaning the house, preparing the food, and marking off all of her ‘to-dos’, while Mary was simply content to sit at the feet of Jesus and enjoy His presence.
— Luke 10:38-42As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
So often I find myself getting distracted by the daily to-do list and I neglect to simply abide in the presence of God.
But that is no way to live and you definitely can’t bear fruit if you aren’t sitting at the feet of Jesus on a regular basis and soaking up the radiance of His presence.
So please pray for us as we serve God. Pray that we wouldn’t be distracted by “good things” and miss out on the one thing that is necessary.
And we also encourage you to abide in the Lord as well.
Having recently arrived in Lima, we’ve been getting to know this beautiful city. Our family has visited and we had the opportunity to do fun activities together. Here are some photos of our recent adventures:
The kids received their resident visas
Elizabeth is buried in the sand at the park near our house
A beautiful sunset in Lima
Joshua has been running powerpoint for our team meetings
Joshua went hiking with Jared and other team members
Jared was exhausted but enjoying being in nature with Joshua
The scenery was beautiful during the hike
Caleb lost his first tooth recently
The kids attended VBS at a local church
Amy has been making friends with a local homeschool group
Jared’s parents came to visit in February
Finally, we covet your prayers and ask that you would continue lifting up the following things:
Got questions about our work here or just want to leave a note? We’d be happy to hear from you!
Did you know that for just $30, you can help us reach up to 18,000 individuals in Lima? Your generous contribution will fund targeted digital ads that spread the message of hope and transformation.
Give Now
