Dear Pastors, Praying Friends, and Family,

Praise the Lord for a new year to serve our Savior! Last year was great here in Peru and we are praying that 2006 will be even better. Since our last prayer letter, we have been very busy. I will try to condense several events into this one paragraph to save space. (1) We were able to help a local Christian radio station boost its power from a weak 60 watts to 250 watts. Now, many more people can hear the Word of God 24 hrs a day. (2) In December, our new work had its first baptism with 5 giving their testimonies by immersion. Several others couldn’t be there because of work or school, but will be baptized next time. (3) We performed a special marriage rededication service for a couple whose lives and marriage have been turned around for the glory of God. It was a sweet time. This family is very faithful and say that they want to help in any way they can. I am keeping my eye on this man. I believe the Lord may be speaking to his heart about a calling into ministry. We’ll see. (4) We had a showing of the “Jesus” movie made especially for kids. We had a good crowd and we have confirmed that at least six were truly saved. (5) We had a “chocolatada” for the neighborhood kids at Christmas. A chocolatada is a Peruvian Christmas tradition where hot chocolate and a type of fruit cake are shared with the kids. We also gave gifts. Before the night was over, we served over 200 and gave out over 160 gifts to the children. For some, this could be the only gifts they would receive this Christmas. We also gave Bibles to the faithful families of our church. Each gift contained a Gospel tract. You can see pictures of this event and our baptism on our website at www.rich2peru.com .

We have been blessed to be able to visit on a Peruvian Army base. It started with just 1 young girl visiting and accepting Christ in our church. Her father is in the army and stationed on this base. From visiting in her home and her neighbors’, we have been able to see several people saved on the base and now have several attending our church.

I would like to share a story and hope it will inspire you. Delia, the mother of a family we had met and invited to church, came by herself one Sunday. She accepted Christ that day and asked that we come by her home again to speak to her family. The 16 yr old daughter, Julia said that she didn’t understand her mother. She had come home from church and told them that they all needed to accept Christ. We explained that her mother had received something special and wanted her family to have it also. We explained the plan of salvation but they were not ready to accept it that day. The next Sunday, Julia and her boyfriend came to church together. At the invitation, Julia accepted Christ and told me after the service that she was concerned for her boyfriend and wanted him to accept Christ also. Before leaving that day, the boyfriend accepted Christ also. Julia’s heart was changed that day and she understood why her mother was so excited and concerned about her family. Since then, we have led her father and her brother to the Lord and they are faithful members of our church. Like ripples in the water, reaching one can make a big difference.

Our daughter Christa has now completed 1 ½ years of college. She finished this last semester with 7 A’s and 1 B, including a modular. She is doing great and we are very proud of her. Way to go girl! Our son Shawn and his girlfriend Rachel announced their engagement this Christmas. Please pray for them as they plan their future together. Congrat’s son!

* Carla and I would like to ask everyone to pray for her mother, Deloris. She was diagnosed the week of Christmas with stage four lung cancer. Carla flew in to be with her while she undergoes tests and starts her treatments. We are praying for a miracle and know that your prayers will help. What a joy to know we serve a God who hears and answers prayer!

Now that 2006 is here, we hope that many of you are considering a missions trip this year. We would be more than happy to have you come visit our work here in Peru and help you with any planning. Thanks to each of you for your continued prayers and support. We pray that God will richly bless you for your help in reaching the lost souls of Peru.