Staying Busy & Furlough Announcement
Staying Busy & Furlough Announcement
September 1, 2025
Greetings from Cajamarca,
The 4th of July is more than a US holiday to us. It is also Carla’s birthday. We invited some of our church families and grilled out with all the “fixins”. We played games and had a great time of fellowship. During one of the games, Darren drew a picture to announce that they are expecting baby #2. It was comical as it took a while for several to realize what he drew and put the pieces together. We all had a good laugh and are happy for them.
Speaking of Independence Day, on the 28th of July, Peru celebrated 204 years of independence from Spanish rule. On Sunday the 27th we had a special church service with a time of the Word, snacks and games.
As we mentioned in our last letter, on July 15 Carla and I celebrated 22 years on the field in Peru. God has blessed me with the perfect helpmeet to do the work that He called us to. It is great to have her by my side and watch her use her spiritual gifts. We praise God for the honor to serve Him.
After all these years, God has allowed us to fulfill a long-awaited desire. That desire is to help other missionaries settle into the country and begin their ministry. In August, a team of nineteen from Mt Carmel, a church that supports missionaries Darren and Rachel Townsend, came for a week to visit and minister with us. We helped them prepare and serve since it was their first group, and they did a great job. The visiting team were such a blessing as we gave out thousands of Gospel tracts in the streets, at the animal market, and in the downtown farmer’s market. Pastor Kuykendall and another young man on the team preached while Darren translated at both of our churches.
Pastor Juan Carlos’ wife Karen is expecting their second child in the next few weeks. In mid-August Carla put together a beautiful baby shower for her and had a house full of friends attending. Karen was blessed with many gifts for the upcoming arrival.
On August 15-17, we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of our first church! We started on Friday with new missionary Darren preaching the first message. On Saturday assistant pastor Fredy preached. Then on Sunday I had the privilege to bring the final message 20 years after preaching the first messages in this church. We praise the Lord that the first three families that we started the church with are still active members. God has truly blessed. We also had visiting missionaries from Panama with us for the anniversary weekend.
Bible & material distribution Update: The container from WMBPS arrived on Aug. 17 and we unloaded it in our distribution center. In it were around a half-million Romans and Jn/Rom booklets and other materials. At one point during the unloading, it began to hail, but we were able to get it all stored. Victory Baptist Press is preparing to send us another container of around 25,000 Bibles in the next few weeks. AND another ministry (BLMF) is sending us a container of over 29,000 Bibles around the same time. That is the most we have ever received in one year!
Immediately after the anniversary celebration, Carla and I made a trip to Ecuador to deliver Bibles and tracts to missionaries there and to teach a three-hour class on the Spanish Bible. It was the first time crossing the border since customs officials tried to charge me a huge fine in 2023 for an eight-year-old error in their computer system. PTL, the work done by an Ecuadorian lawyer took care of the “corrupt government’s attempt to get money” (lawyer’s quote). It was a quick but blessed trip.
On August 23, twenty-eight-year-old Miguel Villarreal received Christ as Pastor Juan Carlos was out on visitation!
FURLOUGH – We are ready to announce our next stateside furlough. We will be visiting our supporting churches and others who would like for us to share what God is doing in Peru. We will be available beginning March 15th, 2026. We have not determined a return date to Peru yet, but we believe it will be around November or December. If your church would like us to give an update, please call or email us so we can put it on the calendar.
ph: (GA) 678-921-5116 email: donrichperu@gmail.com
Please take a look at several NEW PHOTO ALBUMS ON our WEBSITE!!!
May God bless each of you for your heart for missions,
Don & Carla Rich
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