Peru on the Horizon

March 5, 2013

Dear Pastors, Praying Friends and Family,

Carla and I are filled with mixed emotions as we write our final prayer letter before returning to Peru to continue the work that God has entrusted to us. Our tickets are purchased and we are scheduled to fly out on Monday, April 8. We have traveled around 25,000 miles in the van so far with one month left before our departure. We have enjoyed seeing many faces who we have known for quite a while and many more that we had the privilege to meet for the first time on this furlough. God has allowed us to see people saved in our meetings and several altars full during the invitations. We had some who told us that they are praying about God’s call on their lives to become missionaries. The weekend after I preached at one Wednesday night service recently a young man stated he is sure God is calling him to be a missionary and wants to come visit us in Peru for a month to experience it first-hand! We have a couple of churches who are planning missions trips to visit with us and one individual who is returning for the third time to visit us in Peru.

We have also enjoyed being with family and dear friends. As you’ll remember, last April the Lord took my father to his Heavenly home. Then in October He blessed us with our second grandchild being added to the family. Just this week our son-in-law and daughter announced that they will be moving from Texas to Alabama where he has accepted a new position as youth and music minister. They will then be just a little over an hour’s drive from our home town in GA. It has been great being able to spend time with our grandchildren and watching them grow. They will be so much bigger when we see them again.

We praise the Lord for His provision and protection while we have been in the US on furlough. Not only has He taken care of our needs while here but He has also allowed us to raise the much needed funds for the exterior paint, sound system and other details to complete our new building. We can’t wait to get those jobs completed so we can focus on the future.

The Peruvian pastor of our church in Peru wrote to tell me that they recently had a very successful youth banquet. The church continues to see souls saved and they have baptized several since we have been gone. It is wonderful to see and hear that the church is standing on its own and doing well.

We continue to pray and trust God to send a couple or family who feel called to serve as the director of the Christian School we plan to start. If you know of someone who is seeking this type of opportunity, please have them contact us.

As we shared in our last prayer letter, we will have to contend with new Visa/residency laws as we re-enter Peru. It could be a long tedious process. Please keep this as a matter of prayer. This affects all Christian missionaries in the country.

Our next letter will be written from Peru! Until then, may God continue to bless you all for your faithfulness in supporting our ministry.

                                                                 

Serving Him for You in Peru,

                                  Don & Carla Rich