“No Seed Left in the Barn”
May 1, 2022
Hello from Peru!
Through the years we have received tracts, John/Romans, and other materials from missionaries who left Peru and gave us what they had left over. We have shared many of these with pastors and missionaries and used them to give out when we were on road trips in Peru, but still had random boxes of different materials sitting under the stairs or in other storage areas. We have been so blessed to receive the Bibles, John/Romans, gospel tracts, and Romans booklets as part of our distribution ministry that those older materials were put on a back burner. This really burdened me recently as I thought of all that gospel seed that was just sitting in the barn, not being sown. It became our goal to get everything out. An often-heard phrase around our house is now, “No seed left in the barn”. PTL, we are accomplishing that goal! Now I want to encourage you to do the same. Does your church tract rack look the same every time you go by? Take a few and give them out. The seed doesn’t do any good if it is not planted! In these last days we shouldn’t be hoarding seed, but planting and cultivating souls for Christ.
In our last letter I mentioned a trip to the Ecuador border to deliver Bibles and Romans booklets to two missionaries. We had a good trip and were able to get the materials delivered after a couple of hiccups at customs. But God worked it out in a way we didn’t expect. Long story short, we entered Ecuador, made the delivery, and returned to Peru without having to have our passports stamped. That is one day saved on our limit of time we can be out of the country.
NO MORE BIBLES or ROMANS BOOKLETS!!! In just 10 weeks (2 ½ mo) all of the Bibles were either delivered or promised to many different ministries. We were able to get them distributed into five different countries this time. We also completed distribution of the Romans booklets. We are now awaiting another shipment of Bibles that we are praying will arrive at the end of the year or beginning of 2023. Pastors are already asking when we will have more.
In March we led a four-day mission trip to help our struggling Guadalupe church on the coast. Carla and I took eleven others from our Cajamarca church. We covered the majority of the city with tracts and church invitations. The rest was completed the next week after we left. We have seen very little fruit so far from this effort. We do not like to write about the negatives, but they are part of the ministry. Please continue to pray for this work.
We found out that there was going to be a transportation strike the day we were going to return from the mission trip, so we had to leave before daylight to avoid being stuck there. We found out as we arrived home that the road we used was indeed blocked off behind us because of the strike. It was a good thing we left when we did. Also, as we left there was unusual rain in Guadalupe, an area where they only get around an inch per year. The rain continued into the mountains causing rockslides and road closings on roads all around, but the Lord blessed our return. Our route had some rockslides but nothing to impede travel.
In April, I was invited to preach a 5-day missions conference for missionary Peter Putney in Colombia. I was also privileged to be a part of the ordination council and service for the new assistant pastor Uber Atehortua. Carla and I visited the new property and building that they are purchasing for their church. It was great to see how God is blessing their ministry. As a result of the conference the church was able to take on two more missionaries and raise the monthly amount for the two they were already supporting.
Political news: The Peruvian Congress once again tried to vote out the sitting president of Peru but was unable to get enough votes. He is now proposing a new constitution which has caused much controversy. They continue to look for ways to get him out of office, including proposing a new law to limit a president to only two-year terms (now 5).
We have had at least two more saved since our last prayer letter. God continues to bless, and we are so glad to be a part of what He is doing in Peru.
We have new photo albums on our website (www.rich2peru.com) Please take a look! May God bless each of you for your heart for missions!
Don & Carla Rich
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