The face of Jesús at Colca Valley.                                       Arequipa, August 6, 2005.

We arrived to Maca in the Colca Valley at night, half way stumbled our way in the dark into our room, but every dark night we saw the grandeur of God’s works in the heavens, the Milky Way, the constellations, and the Southern Cross shining in the blackness of the expanse above us. On the second day we saw the face of Jesus in the face of René, a man who God has given the ministry to take the Gospel to the Quechua people in that area. René reflects the joy of the presence of Jesus and has the determination to follow the purpose of His Lord for his life.

This is the town of Maca, in the Andes of Perú, where René lives and works to tend his little farm during the week , and the flock of God on the week-ends, carrying the Gospel of Jesus to the Quechua people. Pray for René and For the town of Maca which is a mission of a church in Arequipa, Perú.

René is about 30 years old and is a Quechua pastor who has been a Christian only a few years, and has had very little training. He looks like a man of bronze and steel. He speaks Spanish and Quechua and walks 7 or 8 hours every weekend to take the Gospel to unreached people in the neighboring towns. Quechua is the language of the Incas, and some of these people speak only that language. John Gehling, who went with me, and I felt a strong bond with this godly man and are making plans to go spend time with him later this year.

John is a biblical counselor and came to Peru to help prepare the way for a teaching team from Scope Ministries to come in the future. This trip, however, I went expecting to work with a team of Christian physicians. But these men changed their dates of arrival to a week early. So unfortunately we missed each other. I was disappointed for 3 and a half seconds and immediately praised God for His plans for me, for us. And indeed, we had a very busy two weeks, during which we saw God’s appointments occur here and there.

For instance, I had treated the wife of a Quechua missionary during my trip in April, and I could not get these people off my mind and strongly desired to go back to see them. So, one day I called my cousin Inez Delgado, a nurse who helped me when I went to see these people before, and I asked her to help me find the house in a remote district and go back to see how the woman was doing.

 

Aniseto  Rodriguez Zúñiga was 22 years old when he married Benancia Chavez Gonzales. She was 28 years old then and they began their ministry together among the Quechua Indians in the Andes of South Perú. They planted churches, revived some of them, and shepherded many congregations. Pastor and missionary Aniseto is now 70 y.o. and still prays that the Lord will heal his wife to resume their ministry. They have so faithfully served their Lord, they do not know how to quit. Surely these brethren are a sweet aroma to the Lord, special jewels in His crown. Pray for them.

When I was examining the woman and writing a new schedule for her medicine they both were so thankful for such a small service and the woman could not be stopped from kissing my hand and I told them that it was a great privilege for me to be of help.

I was greatly moved in my spirit seeing that God appointed this time. I was impressed that all of you who pray for us and support us were there with me in these “God events.”

I am tentatively planning to go back with John to spend time with René in October. Pray with me about this, please.

“He…said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem…’” (Luke 18:31)

Jerusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). Seeking to do the will of the Father” was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord’s life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose.

“…He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem…” (Luke 9:51). [O.C.]

May the work in the Kingdom for you all and for us, in Oklahoma City or Perú, in Africa or Cuba, be our Jerusalem, and let’s be steadfast until He comes.

May the blessings of our most Gracious God fill your lives.

P and G                                                                                    Oklahoma City, August 19, 2005