Upsetting the Opposition

Today was a day of upsets. One of the big names in women's tennis was shocked by a teen from Poland. I have never even heard of the girl who won. Then there was the powerhouse Michigan, that Goliath of a football program who met the Davidic Appalachian State. Now I have heard of Michigan. I know of their prowess on the field and on the basketball court. Michigan started the day ranked number 5; it will feel the sting of that stone for weeks to come.

We are in the process of creating an upset, too. Our disaster relief teams will go out in the morning, armed with nothing but the word of God. Did I say nothing? The word of God is alive and powerful; it cuts deeper than any sword or surgical tool you know. The power of the word is the Living God. His Holy Spirit breathes life into them. The Bible is his words to us. They are real, relevant, and for you and me.

So our teams in Ica will head out to 6 different locations tomorrow. They will enter the realm of the hurting and disillusioned and present them with God's truth. The enemy may not have caused the horrible earthquake that shattered their lives; I don't think Satan is that powerful. But he has certainly tried to make something of it since then. We intend to upset his plans. We intend to be David before Goliath. The team has its pouch filled with smooth stones. They have readied their slings. They will not miss the mark.

Tomorrow is going to be a good day to be a servant of the all-powerful God, through his son Jesus, and in the power of his Holy Spirit. If you are not on his side, it's time to join the winning team.

Most Recent from Ica

This morning, Pam and Melissa headed down to Ica in a two-truck caravan. Pam and Melissa will be there until Monday, at the latest. Pam has given a lot to this project in the past two weeks. When she was not in Ica, she was here, often working on gathering supplies until nearly midnight. Please pray for Pam (featured below) and others like her who have given so much of themselves to this effort.

Today she told me that the people of Ica are very sensitive to the gospel right now. She said we could start ten Bible studies tomorrow if we had the personnel to pull it off. My heart was crushed; we have personnel. There are believers living there. But the believers living there (and here, for that matter) are still bound up and convinced that they are somehow inferior and incapable of leading out in such a work. I want to ask you to pray for God to raise up workers among those of Ica. Pray for God to free up our resources!

Photos from Ica

Outside a hut this family erected when their house in Ica
was destroyed in the August 15th magnitude 8 earthquake

God has given us a small window of oportunity to change a country for the glory of Jesus.

Pray we will be wise in our stewardship of resources and time!

Relief Work Continues

In interest of time, if you are interested in updates on the relief work in and around Ica, please go to: http://reliefinfo.dreamhosters.com/blog/. Jeff and Judy Hughes have done a great job keeping that blog updated with the latest information.

Our Peruvian Baptist partners are working hard in Chincha, another hard-hit city. Some of our missionaries are headed there in the morning to try to help with food distribution for many homeless families.

Men and women are responsive to the gospel. Their hearts are tender, due to this terrible tragedy. Even in Lima we are seeing positive things happening as a result of their brush with disaster. Where I preached on Sunday (a day to promote missions in a local church), many indicated they were repenting and believing on the Lord Jesus. Including those who recommitted their lives the Lord, there were 24 public decisions.

God is at work in Peru. Help us seek the Father's face so that we respond his way.

Ica, Peru: The Word Is Out

I just got off the phone with some of our missionaries onsite in Ica. The word is out that a group of missionaries is helping the earthquake victims. Our disaster relief leader is being overwhelmed with more requests for help for more communities.

Please pray for our team to have wisdom in the distribution of the supplies we purchase. You can only imagine what it is like to have hungry men and women staring at you, hoping for some help in the midst of their dire circumstances. We are grateful for their confidence; we are grateful for the outpouring of love by many from around the world. But we need to be very judicious in our support.

Some of the team has returned to Lima today; they will head back to Ica tomorrow. Others are returning to Lima tomorrow to get more supplies for the base camp. They will return to Ica on Thursday.

Me? Well, the work here has to be done, too; I have my hands full with that. Have you ever tried to work without a heart? My heart is down there, amongst those hurting people. I am in a real pickle; I need to be here, but I want to be there.

Pray for Peru! Now is the time for a spiritual awakening of great proportions.