Hi Everyone,
I hope that you´re all doing well. Several of you have been sending in prayer requests and we´re so happy to be a part of what God is doing in your lives as we pray for you. Keep the requests coming and we´ll keep praying.
Here´s a short update regarding what´s been going on in the Koinonia Ministries here in Peru. This way you´ll know how to pray for us and rejoice with us as well.
1. Last Tuesday night Yolanda (my mother in law) and Alicia (my sister in law) arrived to the prayer meeting an shared a testimony of God´s protection. They were half way to the meeting when four drug addicts got on the bus they were riding in. They had knives and they proceeded to rob everyone on the entire bus. The only people that weren´t robbed were Yolanda and Alicia! The best part was seeing that my mother in law, Yolanda, a person that was a very nervous person before, was so completely calm. God is definitely working in them.
2. The ministry in Santa Rosa is in need of more helpers. Last Sunday Alicia had 35 students in her class for small children and there were 6 babies as well. Jimmy teaches the older children and there were 16 in attendance as well. We need more people in the nursery. Please pray for that.
3. The ministry in Ica has been looking for a better place to meet. A month ago Robin and Americo thought they had found a place but after looking into the situation a little more, they decided they need to keep looking. Please pray for a more adequate place. It´s very hard to find one in Ica because so many buildings were destroyed in the earthquakes last August 15. Regarding the people, we´re so happy to see that they´re growing in their faith. Robin is teaching the study and doing a good job with it. His Spanish is improving quite a bit and that helps as well.
4. Our leadership groug for the men called to ministry is going well but a few men have had to drop out due to work schedules. One of them is Jose. He has taken a full time job again to meet the needs of his family. The job leaves him no time for ministry and so that´s been a little tough on us. I pray that we will be able to find a way to help these young men continue to minister and yet pay the bills at the same time. That´s a challenge in a developing country. Pray for José and for us as well as Betty and I will be involved more directly in the ministry in Santa Rosa on Sundays.
5. Angie returned from India on Thursday. She seems to be doing okay but is trying to get herself accliimated to life in Peru again. She´s seeking the Lord as to what her next step in ministry will be. Pray for her during this time of change.
6. I was able to spend a few hours with Jaime on Friday in Cañete. He´s doing well but had gone through a tough time the last few months. After the earthquake church attendance in Cañete quadrupled for a while. Now almost all of the people have left the church and gone back to their former way of life. It seems that many people were attending hoping to reap some material benefit and nothing more. I´m going to meet with Jaime for prayer more often from now on.
7. Last year at this time the dollar was worth about 3.35 soles if I remember correctly. The exchange rate has dropped to 2.66 soles to the dollar. This is effecting a lof of peruvian people that receive their pay in dollars. Of course it effects us as missionaries as well. The good thing is that, making some changes in the church and our personal budget and depending on the Lord, we´ve been able to pay all of the bills. God is so faithful.
God bless you all and thanks for partnering with us in the work here in Peru.
Making disciples in Peru,
Brian Vander Kodde
