Vacation? Not quite!
Vacation? Not quite!
May 1, 2018
Hello from the highways and byways of the good ole USA! In case you haven’t heard, furlough is “not” a vacation. We have been busy while visiting many of our supporting churches. Carla has taught or spoken at ladies’ meetings, children’s Sunday School classes, children’s church, and even cooked up some great gravy for breakfast at a recent mission conference we were attending. She also helps keep me alert while driving the many furlough miles. I have been privileged to preach and give an update on our ministry, teach Sunday School, go on visitation, etc. We have covered many miles and have already been in at least ten states. As I write this, we are preparing to leave tomorrow for two weeks, traveling from GA to VA, TN, TX, NM and plan to be back in GA for Mother’s Day.
We enjoy the times that we have in our home town, visiting with family and friends, and spoiling our grandchildren. It is not often, so we take advantage of every moment.
While out on the road, we enjoy the fellowship of our supporting churches. We have had the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones. We have stayed in hotels, prophets’ chambers, and in the homes of several sweet families. We also enjoy meeting other missionaries at mission conferences. One night after a service, we found ourselves in the church parking lot until eleven o’clock, talking with another missionary family. It is fun to swap stories and encourage others.
One of the friends we have been able to visit is one who has been to Peru several times. We met Bro. Charles many years ago while we were still in Lima taking language classes. After arriving in the US for this furlough, we learned that he had lost a leg and suffered many other injuries in a bad car accident earlier this year. We were blessed to visit with him and find him with an amazingly encouraging spirit. He still has a long road ahead in recovery but is very positive about it all. He is a blessing to all he meets.
There have also been changes while we’ve been on furlough. On Easter Sunday, our pastor of twenty-four years retired from the pastorate so that he could dedicate more time to his position as the director of the Calvary Children’s Home, which was started by his father back in 1966. Pastor Snyder Turner has been a blessing and encouragement to so many, including myself and my family. He has been a mentor and friend who has helped me tremendously in my ministry. Please join us in praying for him as he and Sis. Marsha start this next step in their ministry journey. Pastor Snyder will now also be available to preach at other churches. If you would like for a true man of God to come preach at your church, contact me and I will be glad to get you in touch with him.
With the retirement of our former pastor, our associate pastor, Rev. Justin Hayles, is now serving as interim of our home church. He has been doing a great job and we are looking forward to seeing how God will work through him in the coming months.
We are in contact with our Peruvian church pastors and are hearing good things as they are evangelizing their respective areas and continuing to see souls saved. There have been at least four souls who have been saved in our churches since our last prayer letter.
I was recently contacted by Victory Baptist Press and told that the next shipment of Bibles to us in Peru will probably be toward the end of this year. When we receive and distribute that container of Bibles, it will bring us to a total of 100,000 Bibles distributed in S. America. Please consider helping Victory Baptist Press/Bibles for South America. I continue to receive requests for Bibles weekly. The need is still great, and judging from the signs around us, our time is short. Help us get the “Word” out.
* We would appreciate your prayers for Carla. She is scheduled for an out-patient surgical procedure on June 4.
May God bless each of you for your prayers for us as we continue to travel.
Don & Carla Rich
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