Ordered Steps

A man’s heart plans his way,

But the LORD directs his steps. - Prov. 16:9

Those are words we need to remember. Make your plans. Prepare your week, your month, your year. Plan out your life. But remember this: it's the Lord who orders your steps. And his ways won't necessarily be yours.

Have you ever floated down a river? I have never known a river that is perfectly straight, or without it's sandbars, fallen logs, or sudden twists and turns. Life is like that. But when you let God direct--order--your steps, the ride is much easier to enjoy.

So when 2 weeks ago a wise man told us we needed to change our plans, we had to listen. We had to pray. And finally, this past Saturday morning, we had to decide to trust the Lord to direct our steps.

We are returning to the states 9 months earlier than we planned. We will also stay a little longer than we planned. It's a personal thing. But God is in control. We have had more than one confirmation that our decision is a good one. It's sudden. But it is necessary.

We are sad, even heart-broken, over leaving our ministries so suddenly. But we are confident that the Lord has ordered our steps. It's a faith thing. It's the only way to live.

I will continue to write from our place of residence in Mississippi. I will continue to keep a pulse on things here in our place of ministry.

Why? Because our steps have been ordered. Our Lord has called us to it.

A Good Work

There are certain words that should be used carefully and sparingly. I am speaking of superlatives: great! wonderful! magnificent! terrible! horrible! And then there is "awesome." We should save that one for our Lord God; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Having given that caveat, I am now going to describe last week with the Mississippi Singing Churchmen: Great! Wonderful! Magnificent!

The presence of God was awesome.

Their attitudes were second to none.

Their work was excellent.

God saved scores of men and women. I do not even have a final tally, but it will be close to one hundred who made professions of faith.

The president of Congress, Luis Gonzales de Posada, and I share comments regarding our work.

We shared with the powerful and with the poor. We worked in the inner city and the outlying areas. The group sang in schools and in parks. They worked, as we say in Mississippi, "can to can't." Sixteen hour days were normal. Twice we had a break and only worked twelve hours.

In the end, it was all a joyful celebration of the hand of God in our midst.

Thanks, Churchmen. Thanks, prayer warriors. Thanks to the Lord, above all else.

Out of the Comfort Zone

On Sunday, we rubbed shoulders with people of considerable means. On Monday, our choir of 49 walked dirt streets, weaving between houses made of mat or thin plywood, and rubbed shoulders with men and women whose clothes were tattered and whose children could have taken two baths and still left a ring in the tub--if there was a tub to be found, that is.

These good men were definitely out of their comfort zone. But they handled it well, believe me. Their hearts swelled with joy and thankfulness. One man strained to read his notes under the dim lights that characterize most indoor lighting in that community (it was dark by then); I told him, "I bet you never complain about the lighting in your church again." He laughed and assured me that his complaining days were over. Walking down those streets has a way of doing it.

One big man gave me a bruising hug, thanking me repeatedly. He kept speaking of how needy those people were. I told him that he had to look past their physical poverty and recognize that their spiritual poverty was a far greater problem.

In all, The Mississippi Singing Churchmen have now sung to more than 2,500 people. They have seen more than 50 professions of faith. Their ministry is impacting Lima; but the Churchmen are being impacted, too.

They left their comfort zone when they stepped off Delta Flight 335. They fell into a wonderland of strange sights and sounds when they drove out of the airport gates. Now some wonder why they did not do this sooner.

It's a good thing to leave your comfort zone. It does wonders for your faith level. Don't get stuck on a lower level; don't be content when God can take you farther.

Just purpose to step out of the comfort zone. But do it God's way. Heed the voice of Jesus and go where and when he says to go.

War of the Worlds

We live in a place of constant warfare. All of us do, as a matter of fact. Physical wars aside, there are wars that take place in and around us that we need to remember. There is a war--a conflict with culture. If you are a committed follower of the Lord Jesus, and are not in conflict with the culture in which you live, there could be something seriously wrong about your concept of true Christianity.

We are at war with our own desires, too. They constantly pull us in different directions. As Paul said in Romans 7, the good I want to do is not what I end up doing. The evil I do not want to do is what do. I bet you can relate! I can!

We have a war with the forces of evil--with the devil. His forces are working against us.

So why was I surprised today when things began heating up related to my next volunteer group? Why was I surprised when certain entities in this country began seeking to shut us down and keep us from proclaiming Jesus all around the city? I don't know! But I was. I guess I took my eyes off the Master; off our Lord Jesus Christ.

I can't wait to see what God is up to. He must have something really big planned. The forces of the world and of darkness are working hard to stop us. Stay tuned. I will update you as I can next week.

Jesus is Lord. He wins the war of the worlds.

A God Day

Yesterday I walked the streets of that former landfill now known as Oasis. It was cloudy--one of those heavy clouds we see that promises rain, but never comes through for us; that's how it is in a desert. The volunteers with me looked at the rain and commented, "Looks like rain." "Yep," I said. "But don't count on it; it doesn't rain here." So we stood there on that sand and dirt street with an icy wind whipping us as though we had taken the last cookie from the cookie jar. My sweater, normally enough for me, barely served as a wind-breaker.

I sent my team out to pass out flyers of an upcoming concert we will have in the area. While they passed out flyers, smiling and nodding (not one spoke any Spanish), I proceeded to walk amongst the people I have grown to love and enjoy being around. I played with children, boys and girls alike. I exchanged slaps on the back with the men. I hugged and kissed the ladies (ahem! on the cheek). More than once I heard, "Where have you been? Have you abandoned us?" I explained that I had been out taking care of other ministries. That was not good enough. They want a better explanation. So I used the "E" word: earthquake. Then they understood.

Before long, I found myself talking to Mario. Mario is 84. He has cancer. He is tired of living in pain. I offered to pray. It was all I could do; I don't have $100 a month for the pills they said would prolong his life. I prayed, asking God to bless Mario. He interrupted me, "It's Mario RODRIGUEZ." He wanted to be sure God blessed the right Mario. I told God I knew he heard what Mario had just said. I asked for strength, peace, and healing. Before praying I asked Mario if he knew the Lord Jesus; he told me he knew him with all his heart. It's much easier to pray for a man who says he knows the Lord.

Then I wandered down a narrow alley till I found Judith. Judith is a beautiful 18-year-old (approximately) who just gave birth to an even more beautiful baby girl. "Come see my baby," she said, excitedly. I stooped and went into the small straw mat hut with dirt floors. Theirs is better than some; they have three rooms. It was warm enough inside (thankfully). There, in the middle of the only bed they own, lay that precious baby. Judith looked up with proud, but pleading eyes. "Please pray for Chris; she has a lung infection and a blood infection." I did. Chris cried all the way through, sneezing from time to time. I told Judith I would be back. Judith has her own health needs. I know some doctors who plan to help meet them.

Everywhere I went, God used me to meet some need in someone's life. Everywhere I went, the people asked if I would be there that Sunday. I told them I would try. And I will. After all, you cannot plant a church down here if you do not walk among the people, seeking ways to meet them where they are.

I walked back to the main road, ignoring the most recent bite from the winter winds that blew around me. It was a good day. It was a "God" day.

When God Speaks

Divine Grace Baptist Church is in the metro Lima area. It's over 30 years old. They have never started another church.

In recent months God has been at work in Divine Grace Baptist. The pastor has been stretched. God is challenging him. Recently, they took a group down to Ica to help in the recovery efforts there. All reports about their team were glowing; they did everything possible to make a difference. Someone working there challenged them to consider adopting one community and making it their field. The pastor, a good man, but young, was reluctant. The missionary reminded him to see if God was speaking to Divine Grace. She told him to find out where God was working and recognize that as God's invitation to join him (thanks, Dr. Blackaby, for that lesson on faith).

So, timidly, almost reluctantly, the pastor asked the church what they thought about taking on three (not one; THREE) communities: two in the Lima area, one in Ica. He was not prepared for the response. Men and women, young and old alike, stood to their feet to pledge their support and volunteer to serve on the three teams.

My friend Gamaliel (according to one of his church members) was surprised by the response. It overwhelmed him. He discovered that God was speaking to His church even while He was speaking to Gamaliel.

And when God speaks we have a choice: we either obey or we run.

What will you do?

Routing the Enemy

As I said in my last post, we are in the process of upsetting the opposition. The workers are finding such an openness to the good news of Jesus Christ. We have a number of areas where our workers are sharing the gospel, where we have been asked specifically by the people to start some kind of work. God is truly at work.

We are feeding over 18 thousand people, more than 4 thousand families. Each person our teams encounter have a moving story to share. Some of those stories are miraculous. Some are heart-wrenching.

I have been here in Lima for most of that. My presence here enables others to minister there. I want badly to be there; but things just are not working out to be there.

Still, I have a story to share. One of our newest works is Torre Fuerte (Strong Tower) Baptist Church. It's been in existence since April. Now listen: there are 30 - 40 adults attending each week. Most of them have made a profession of faith in Christ, but have not yet been baptized. Yet, they are there.

Strong Tower is in the community where we helped to build a retaining wall. That project earned its money the day of the earthquake. The residents there earn just about $100 a month. That's $1,200 a year.

They asked me last Sunday if they could participate in our disaster relief in Ica. This church of very poor people have collected food, clothing, and other goods. Next weekend six of them will travel to Ica to deliver these goods to our team; they will help distribute the food and minister in those ravaged communities.

It is going to be an exciting moment in the life of a brand new church. They are starting out right. They are thinking upward and outward, not inward and downward.

The enemy is being routed. What happened in Peru has resulted in spiritual and numerical growth in the Family of God.

To God be all the glory....

A Lesson in Faith

This story will be told in full at a later point. For now, get ready to be rocked. Our relief team in Ica found yet another community that needed help. They are already helping over 18,000 people. But it seemed that this community was one that the relief team needed to be in. So they went in to check it out. They found a group of very hungry people. There was no food to be had.

The missionaries told the people to get ready, that they would be back. When they came back, the pots in the common kitchen were washed; the people were lined up in an orderly line; there was firewood under the pot; and the lady in charge was holding a match in her hand. They were ready. Everyone present was moved to tears. It was a divine appointment.

How many times are we ready when we have asked God to meet our needs? How many times do we have the pot ready for the food and the match in hand?

Oh, to have such a faith every single day!

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.

Saturday News from Ica

The earthquake has changed the heart of Peru for the next few weeks, at least. I hope it changes Peru forever--for the good.

Today I heard from our base camp in Ica. The missionaries are working hard distributing food and other items in stricken areas. Then we learned today that there is one community that was almost completely destroyed and has not received any help from anyone. They have not eaten in two days. The research team that discovered them found a well-organized system; all they needed was the means to prepare the food and the food to prepare. Our team quickly prepared relief packages and are in the process of delivering them to this community.

Tonight another truck leaves carrying supplies to the base camp in Ica. Pray for their safe arrival.

The Peruvian Baptist Convention is preparing to enter into Chincha, another devastated city. They need to make a difference there, too. Their research team left out today to prepare a base camp to meet needs there. Next week, once the team has reported back, we will prepare supplies for that camp.

We are preparing and distributing supplies; their physical needs must be met. But we also desire to meet the deeper needs in their lives. We are spiritual beings. We must meet those spiritual needs. There is only one acceptable food for that spiritual need: the word of God, the Bible. We will minister this with as much passion, if not more, as we have demonstrated in reaching their physical needs.

May we all be more concerned with the eternal!

News from the Quake Zone

I just returned from Ica, Peru. Ica is the largest of the cities that fell victim to the August 15th 's magnitude 8 earthquake. In some ways we were pleasantly surprised; but in others, we could only weep with those who wept.

The surprise was how quickly the government had the Pan American Highway up and repaired enough for regular transit. There was this one bridge, though, that we did not relish crossing. On the way back even that bridge had been closed and a by-pass set up; this confirmed our earlier reluctance to cross it.

We arrived in Ica in a relatively short amount of time. There were still plenty of closed roads all over the city, but the main thoroughfares were open and well-transited. Up and down the deserted side streets, one could see house after house, store after store crumbled; it was as though a boy stomped on his sand castle and kicked the pieces all over.

But the government agencies were hard at work, cleaning up the rubble that littered the streets.

Meanwhile, our team was hard at work, readying the damaged church property to serve as our base camp for relief in the Ica area. We had to finish tearing down a damaged wall; we had to tear down the collapsed roofing structure; and we had to clean up pounds of dirt, bricks, and adobe.

Yesterday some of us went out to coordinate our first attempts at food distribution. We walked among shells of adobe houses. The initial panic was over, but the people were still hungry. The Peruvian Government is slowly and systematically delivering primitive stoves and gas bottles, along with a large cook pot. The rice and other goods had already arrived. Their spirits were good. One father and his little boy approached me with a big smile, thankful for our attempts to help them.

No words and no still photos can truly capture the essence of what we saw and experienced in the past week. We need your continued prayers. We need your prayers for lives to be radically changed in Peru. Of the nearly 30 million who live in Peru, close to 27 million live a Christ-less life. We need Jesus to make a difference.

Setting Up Operations

Our lead team has determined that Ica, Peru will be the base of operations. We can set up there for housing purposes; but please pray for the relief team to find a place to store the goods we will obtain to distribute to the earthquake victims. Today they tore down the front wall of the church property. It was leaning, about to fall out into the road. Tomorrow we will purchase plywood and put up a temporary wall.

Two trucks of us will head out tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. Our purpose is to help set up the base camp and begin the tedious, but very important, logistics coordination.

Pray for a safe trip for those traveling.

Quake relief efforts

Fox News carried an interesting story this morning. You can read it here.

Baptist Press also carried an interesting article. You can read that here.

We are trying to find drinking water to take down with us tomorrow; it's for our teams. It's a challenge. Most water companies have sent their boxes of water down to the relief effort. Yes, they sell water in boxes here. Naturally, it's in a thick plastic bag with a spout, and only contained inside the box; but it makes it easier for transportation.

We are making progress; but we can't seem to make it quickly enough. God grant us patience and endurance to run this long race...

You can follow other updates at our relief information site.

Quake Response

Tomorrow, a team heads out to "ground zero" to find a place to set up a base camp for our relief operations. The team will also be looking for contacts among certain groups that will enable us to coordinate the relief the most efficient manner possible.

On Wednesday, a second team will head out with much the same purpose. Some of them will be going down to try to counsel us as to how extensive our response should be. Others will be part of those who will dedicate the next couple of weeks to the establishment of the base camp and the logistics network in the quake area.

In addition to this team, another one will depart from Arequipa to travel to Nazca, a city south of Ica, to research the availability and prices of basic items for more immediate relief. It will be easier to get some things shipped to Ica from there than from Lima.

On Thursday, a team will travel down to aid in both relief and perhaps equipping the base camp. Since conditions are nowhere close to optimum, those going down most likely will be roughing it for the duration of their time in the area.

Thank your your overwhelming response and encouragement to us closest to the disaster.

The Tragedy of the Michael Vick Saga

This is a respite from the constant news about the earthquake. My mind needs the break.

Mr. Vick is in trouble. He reached an agreement with law officials. His crime? Dogfighting. Mr. Vick may go to jail for this. He can spend up to five years in prison for his crime. What he did is ugly. It's despicable.

The tragedy is this: Mr. Vick will probably go to jail for killing dogs. That's probably something he deserves. Killing dogs for sport is a sick-minded thing. Yet, hundreds of men and women who murder babies through abortion walk the streets of America as free men and women. Kill a dog and go to jail; kill a baby and make a few thousand bucks.

That is the tragedy of the Michael Vick saga. His crime is worse. Dogs win. Babies lose. America loses.

God help us.

Planning and Preparation for Disaster Relief

The Mission has already sent one team down; their job was to assess the damages from last Wednesday's earthquake, give some immediate relief to the few they could help on short notice, and then return with a report. We meet today to form the response teams.

There are several teams in place all over the stricken area. But there are so many communities that were affected that no single entity can do this alone. We plan to be as strategic as possible, sending help where we can make the most difference.

Meanwhile, the aftershocks continue; with them, death continues to sting the survivors. Yesterday's 5.7 aftershock claimed a 12-year-old boy when a cement beam fell on his head. He had gone over to that part of his fallen house to pick up the sledge hammer and bring it to his father. It was his last act of obedience.

Heart-wrenching stories like this can be replicated a thousand-fold. There is no way to paint an accurate picture.

One local paper showed hundreds trudging out of the city, looking for other places to live. Hunger is driving them out. There is no food to be had. What food is available is under lock and key for fear of looting and robbery.

On the positive side, one pastor lost all he had. His house was completely destroyed. Yet, this man of God ignored his and his family's needs for shelter to help his and surrounding communities with their needs. His selflessness is astounding. May we find many more like Pastor Cesar before this tragedy ends!