Here's the Kind of Stuff We Do
February 3, 2009, 9:49 AM. Well, Emily and I are coming home. As we get prepared to leave we realize that we still have 4 more meetings before our flight leaves at 4 p.m. So at times it seems that the work/fun never ends!
Here are some highlights of what has happened in the last few days:
{mospagebreak title=Home Meetings} Home Meetings. We've met with many pastors and church members in their homes. Yesterday for example we had lunch with the pastors and about 8 other leaders of a church. After we ate we spent 3 hours sitting at the table going through the Scriptures, teaching them about Jesus' example of love and humble service. There was quite a bit of interaction, with questions and comments. In the middle of the sharing one of the leaders just looked at us and said, "I can feel the presence of the Lord here." We also had the opportunity to counsel with and pray for a couple, and also helped to answer some of the questions of the pastors regarding church discipline.
We then took a taxi to another couple's home who pastor a church we often preach at. They told us they were feeling quite hurt over some leaders who left and split the church some years ago, that it was making them feel less eager to minister than they had in the past. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and sharing the Scriptures, teaching them what they already knew, that these are difficult times and people will not always be kind to us. Jesus taught us that we can't let our love grow cold, that we have to keep on loving people and trusting them, but trusting the Lord to heal us if we get hurt. We afterward prayed and the wife in particular said that she was feeling much more peace than before. It's an incredible privilege to help God's ministers on the front line to feel encouraged to keep going on doing God's work.
{mospagebreak title=Church Services/Structured Meetings} Church Services/Structured Meetings. In Callao, Peru's principal port city which just blends into Lima, we preached at a service at a known church in a new facility downtown. Emily shared a word of encouragement for the women and I preached on Ephesians 5 from the perspective that Christ loves the church and is making her holy. Good thing, because we have a long way to go before we are without spot or blemish. I gave a version of the message I had been giving all week, that the Lord is shaking the world and he is starting with the church so as to shake off and out of us everything that shouldn't be there. Quite a few came forward repenting.
Sunday night we preached on 1 Cor. 12 and 14, regarding the spiritual gifts. We were later told by the pastor that one of the deaconesses of the church sensed from the Lord and told the pastor that morning that the Lord wanted the church to know more about spiritual gifts. I thank God for His Spirit and my wife's ability to discern and flow with what the Spirit is saying, which prompted me to go with that theme instead of the message I thought I was going to give. That night even the children of the church were helping Em to pray for the sick and the people were getting touched.
Saturday night we preached at a church comprised of recovering drug addicts who were part of a residential treatment facility. That was also a good time as we preached on holiness and the fear of the Lord. Quite a few felt his tangible presence, and a number were healed of serious ailments.
{mospagebreak title=Healings} Healings. During the altar ministry times a call was almost always given for healing and the Lord Jesus healed quite a few. Tuberculosis, crushing chest pain, chronic and increasingly severe head pain, and many feminine problems are just a few of the healings we witnessed.
{mospagebreak title=Planning Meetings} Planning Meetings. It was a main goal this trip to get direct feedback on the last conference we did in November and to plan for the next conference. All of our key Peruvian team members agreed that we should do a women's conference next, simultaneously with a men's conference which we could then combine as a men's and women's conference on the next day.
{mospagebreak title=Team Building} Team Building. Our team has really gelled in Lima and now consider themselves members of Heart of Titus. Praise God, they have taken ownership of what we do, and are excited to help serve at whatever conference or event we do next. For sure, we could not have done the last conferences without them. We had almost 200 people register and even more attend the 3 day conference, and they kept track of the administration, cooked the food and served it, and assisted in the teaching. This has been a long time coming; we have invested much time with them and I believe we have earned their trust. One of the members of the team who wanted some counsel from Em and I said that she was waiting two years to finally ask us our opinion, to see if we really cared and could be trusted to give loving counsel. We are honored that they trust us, but we also recognize that true unity is a fragile thing in the church today.
{mospagebreak title=Mentoring/Disciple-Making} Mentoring/Disciple-Making. God just sends people to us who want to learn. For example, the fiance' of Emily's translator, Alex, is a young businessman who also is an assistant youth pastor and evangelist in his church. He's been coming whenever he can, not just to be with his fiance but also to help us with the ministry. Lately I have let him help me during the prayer time and, praise God, people are getting filled with the Spirit and healed! I also let him give part of the altar call at the church in Callao, and several received Jesus. Our team last November also had a big impact on him, both in counsel and in prophetic words meant to encourage and exhort him. He is becoming another Timothy in our ministry.
The pastoras (Spanish for female pastors) are so loving toward Emily. The pastoras on our team just hang on every word Emily says, and they devour the books she brings on Christian issues. They look up to her as a "spiritual mother" even though they are not that different from her in age. It's a beautiful thing. Saturday we took the whole day to walk with the pastoras and their husbands (separately) around the main business area of Lima called Miraflores. I am told the women talked about all kinds of things, from how to better love their husbands to what kinds of issues the women in their city would want to learn more about. My time with the men was also fruitful. We discussed a variety of topics, not the least of which was how to get more men involved in the church. One of the pastors has his own family business and is a computer engineer. Another spent years in the Peruvian naval intelligence. We have some sharp guys and discussed how to apply some of the wisdom we have learned on-the-job to our churches and ministries.
{mospagebreak title=Damage Control} Damage Control. We have an enemy and he is always at work seeking to bring confusion, disorder and everything evil he can throw at us. Since our last visit some of the pastors and church leaders we know got involved in a pyramid scheme. Of course, it turned out to be a ponzi scheme and many, many lost a lot of money they didn't have. The pastors who were deceived into participation also encouraged many other church members to get involved. As a result there is a great deal of bitterness, unforgiveness and strife in the church, even fear of physical reprisals. One church we have preached in often lost many of its members, who no doubt are harboring a great deal of "church hurt." A few of the pastors and church leaders who were affected privately asked us for counsel. We gave them some pretty direct biblical counsel about seeking forgiveness from those they hurt and making restitution. Please pray for these pastors/leaders: this is clearly a character test. If they overcome and do the right thing I am quite sure the Lord will bless them and their ministries. As a result the Lord will be glorified and the Kingdom of God can grow exponentially. If they don't… well, I guess that's part of the shaking the Lord is doing of the church in these last days. We are believing for the best, however, and trust the Lord that rather than the gates of hell prevailing against the church that God's plan to develop leaders of righteousness and integrity will carry the day.
{mospagebreak title=Hindurances/Opportunities} More Hindrances Yield More Opportunities. We really thank you for praying for this ministry. I can't imagine how horrible things could be if it were not for the covering of prayer so many of you provide for us. The car our coordinator rented for us broke down the third day, leaving us temporarily stranded and without a way to get around but by taxi. Thank God he introduced us to a taxi driver in his church who brought us most places afterward for a price that wasn't too high. It was a "God thing": I spent hours talking to this brother about his marriage. Emily and I gave him a book called, "The 5 Love Languages." His wife, who is not a believer and doesn't go to church, found it and I am told can hardly stop reading it! We are usually so careful of our food but early on in the trip Em and I both got sick. But the Lord and some antibiotics healed us quickly. However, on the way home I ate something at the airport that did not agree with me. Part of the trip home was not at all delightful!
{mospagebreak title=Gifts} Gifts. Although we could only bring 2 gift bags we were able to distribute some "goodies" for the poor: 24 or so little webkin/beany-baby/stuffed elephants went to one Sunday School feeding program Books went everywhere as the Spirit led A teen magazine bible to a young girl, and two kids' bibles Candy and toys for the poor kids, including Spanish "Corazones Dulces" (Sweethearts) candies for Valentine's Day Clothing, especially children's clothes went to a ministry for orphans Christian CD's and DVD's (Hillsongs' dvds contain Spanish subtitles) Pencils for Sunday School.
Well, the Lord helped us get a lot done in only 6 days in country. God bless you and we'll talk to you soon.
