Back Home in Peru!
Back Home in Peru!
March 12, 2020
This prayer letter is going out a little later than usual. We have just arrived back in Cajamarca this past Saturday morning. We had hoped to be back before then but in February I was told that I needed a procedure to “manipulate” my knee to break loose both old and new scar tissue that had formed. This would allow me to have more flexibility. Then, more physical therapy was needed before they would release me to travel by plane. It will still be a while before I am back to “normal”. Thank you all for your faithful prayers as I continue to heal.
It was great to spend quality time with family and be involved in our home church while we were in the US. It was a sweet time of reconnecting. Carla and I taught in SS, helped with special projects, sang in the choir, and also sang special music. I was blessed with the opportunity to preach at our home church, give updates, and preach at three of our supporting churches. We were blessed during our last week stateside to be able to attend our church’s Jubilee services with great preaching and special music. What a great way to be refreshed as we headed back to our place of service in S. America.
God blessed us with a vehicle that was loaned to us by another missionary for our time in the US. One day Carla and I were traveling on the interstate and she was taking a nap. I noticed a car in front of us run over a piece of a tarp. The tarp flew into the air and then went under our vehicle. It did not come out, so I knew I needed to pull over and remove it. Just then I heard a loud rumble. Our right rear tire had literally blown out. Smoke started coming from the tire as pieces flew into the air. In the heavy traffic we were able to move over and get onto the shoulder quickly. Of course, Carla woke up when the tire blew but knew nothing of the tarp. As I exited the vehicle I said, “at least I will have something to lay on”. She was surprised when I went to the front of the van, reached under, and pulled out the tarp that had hung underneath. It didn’t take long and we were back on the road. PTL, I had healed enough to be able to change the tire. I believe that God allowed this incident so that He could get the glory and so we could experience His protection and provision.
God’s timing is always perfect. The same day we arrived back in Peru our intern Darren also arrived to spend three months working with us. He will be a big help during his time here and we are looking forward to getting a lot accomplished.
While we were away, both of our churches did a great job presenting VBS in February. They had a good attendance at both our Cajamarca and Guadalupe churches. In total there were 36 professions of faith. We have also had five others saved and one baptized! We are proud of the work that is being accomplished through the pastors and workers in our Peruvian churches.
I’d like to announce that after studying the Spanish Bible versions for many years, I felt led to put my findings together in a book. It was written in English in an effort to help English-speaking pastors, missionaries, and lay people, understand the differences and make an educated decision on which version should be used in their Spanish ministries. These books are available in the US at no cost. If you would like one or more to share with missionaries and pastors, please go to our website “Contact Us” page (rich2peru.com) and send us your name, address, and the quantity that you would like. The file is also available as a free pdf download. My prayer is that this information will be a useful tool in understanding the topic and that God would get the glory.
It will be another busy year for us. Please pray that the corona virus problem will not affect our plans for the International Bible Conference in May. We are excited and looking forward to a good conference.
Thank you all for your continued faithful prayers for us and our ministry,
Don & Carla Rich
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