Hi Everyone,
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written an update and a lot has been happening. I want to start by saying thanks to each one of you that prays for us on a regular basis. God is so good. Here are a few of the things that have happened in Koinonia and in our lives as the Vander Kodde family continues ministering in Peru.
Christmas and New Years were really awesome times here in Koinonia. We had wonderful times of fellowship around God’s word during the Christmas holidays and on New Years Eve we had a talent show in the early part of the evening and finished everything off with a time of worship and praise. The people of the church are really growing in depth and in desire to serve the Lord. We see it in the number of people attending prayer meetings and in the number of people volunteering to serve in the different ministries. Thanks again for your prayers. God is answering.
A few surprises were awaiting us during the holidays as well. My aunt Reka went home to the Lord. She was a great encouragement to us in our ministry and when she was healthy, had been a great prayer partner for the ministry here. She and my uncle Chet had been great examples and encouragers to me through the years. I miss her a lot even though I hadn’t seen her for a number of years.
Christmas day we received news that one of our dear friends and a former student of mine in the Methodist seminary in Ayacucho had been beaten up very badly and was in a coma. He stayed in a coma for several days and then went home to the Lord. He was not robbed of anything and no one knows exactly why he was murdered. He was in his early thirties and was planning to marry in July. I was going to be the pastor to marry him and his fiancé. Betty and I made an unexpected trip to Ayacucho to comfort the family and the Christians there. It was a blessed trip. I’m so glad that as Christians we cry, but not as those that have no hope.
This past weekend Koinonia Surco joined hands with Koinonia Cañete and the new church in Ica. 24 of us went to do an evangelistic outreach in Ica. It was a blessing to be able to preach the gospel and minister to the people of Ica for three days straight. I say three days because Robin, Americo and Aaron actually went on Thursday to get everything ready for the team. They also taught the two Bible studies that we have each Thursday in the afternoon and evening. The rest of the team arrived on Friday afternoon. Hundreds of people were witnessed to over the two day outreach.
If you would like to see pictures of the event in Ica and our ministry to the children in Santa Rosa over Christmas time, you can go to www.iglesiacristianakoinonia.blogspot.com
Thanks for taking the time to read this update. May God bless you all abundantly.
Making disciples in Peru,
Brian Vander Kodde
