Martin's Peru Mission Update View this email in your browser Teams, Teams, & More Teams August 2017 Newsletter Hello friends! Greetings in the Name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you! We are ending a summer season of many visiting mission teams. At the end of June, Donna traveled to Lima to pick up two gals who stayed with us for the month of July -- pictured above: Kaylee Wayner & Canaan Craig. Kaylee is a SAM missionary, who has recently been assigned to join us here in Ayacucho!! Praise the Lord! She will arrive for her 2 year assignment with us mid-september of this year. Canaan was a summer intern with SAM.
She would like to return after she finishes college to help teach English at the Johannes Gutenberg school located in Huanta. Antoinette Hendrickson, another SAM missionary assigned to our team, joined us for a month of ministry. She is pictured here with Alí, our atheist friend who has many questions about Jesus. She joins us Sept. 7th. Our first team to come was from Gayton Baptist Church in Richmond, VA. They brought down some hot dogs and decorations to help us host a "4th of July" party in our home. We have discovered that many Peruvians love to experience American culture.
The Gayton team helped us do interviews during our month long focus to understand the culture better in order to more effectively share the gospel. They also provided an opportunity for English conversation practice one-on-one with our English students. The Gayton team left one morning, and that very same afternoon our 2nd team arrived from the Sandhurst Church in Florence, SC. They were on a vision trip to Ayacucho. Here we came upon some High School students who wanted to ask us a few questions & practice their English! Before the Sandhurst team left, fellow SAM missionary, Nico Ticonas, arrived for a
two-week stay. It was needful to hear his insights on Peruvian culture. He enjoyed a breakfast devotional gathering in our home with his former church members from Huanta, Yuri & Nilton! The Sandhurst team left one day, then the next day our fellow Peru SAM missionaries, John & Minori Lucas & Olivia Algood (serving in Pucallpa) arrived along with their 3 summer interns. Sue Post, from the SAM Home Offices also arrived! The team from Pucallpa helped us do more interviews and they also helped us to host a Bible Study & Game Night at our home. This game was a Charades type of game called "Fishbowl." We had loads of fun! The day after Nico left, a dear friend, Tatiana Sanchez, arrived -- along with 2 friends from her church in New York. They helped us do more interviews on the street & at San Cristobal University. Rafael & Nilton (below) also helped with University interviews.
We are so thrilled to have these two guys from Ayacucho helping in our ministry. Another fellow, Gonzalo Moises, (below, left) our friend from Lima, came to help us compile the results from our interview work. While he was here, we enjoyed the festivities of Peru's Independence Day (July 28th). Several took advantage of the new "thrill" in Ayacucho -- the Zip Line!!
The zip-line place is called "Canopy." Notice the white tower in the distance at the top part of the "C" in the red Canopy sign. That is the landing site across these mountains! (This attraction was not here in March of this year!!) Ayacucho is trying to build up its tourism reputation here in Peru! After this first succession of teams left, and before the next team arrived, we made a quick trip to the USA to take care of a tough, personal matter. The family home in NC, where our belongings were being stored, was robbed. Though some precious things were taken, or destroyed, others were not. By God's grace we were able to view these things as just that -- "things." We, and our family, were safe and sound. Praise the Lord! We returned to Ayacucho early in the morning on August 11th, and that afternoon, Pastor Wayne Sibrava and his translator, Joel Hurtado, arrived. Two days later, our next team, from Lakeview Baptist Church in Vermilion, OH arrived! Pastor Cliff Morris, and his wife, Valerie, are long time friends from our New York ministry days.
The Lakeview team came to do both medical & construction work -- partnering with local, Peruvian entities.
We all had some new experiences! We did a LOT of translating & learned many new "medical terms." (Some translations were from Quechua to Spanish to English!) Several learned how to sling concrete up onto the ceiling. And Dr. Cassie even got to perform an operation by flashlight while many of us watched! One of the most precious experiences was praying with several of the patients who were overcome by their burdens. This sweet lady in the pink sweater survived an assault by the Shining Path terrorists.
The Mayor of this district of Luricocha was so impressed that he wants us to return and hold an expanded medical clinic in the main Health Center. He's requesting a doubling of efforts, and more specialists, in order to reach more people in his communities next July. He's offering to pay for the transportation of more medicine from the United States. We Praise God for these answered prayers: Our team is growing We found a nice, safe, affordable apartment close by for our teammates Deepening connections & friendships with Peruvians Please join us in prayer for these requests: Another locale for ongoing ministry events and classes More Peruvians to join our team Wisdom for sharing the gospel & ministering effectively with the data collected thru the interviews we did in July Healing for Rick for some ongoing sinus, allergy, & stomach issues As always, we want to say "thank you" to our prayer & financial supporters. We continue to be blessed by your support of us and our gospel ministry. If you feel led to partner with us in this ministry here in Peru, here is the link: http://southamericamission.org/about/our-team/rick-donna-martin/ We leave you with this challenging verse: "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" In Him, Rick & Donna Martin An outing to the waterfalls at Millpu with our new friends! To Financially Partner with Us: www.southamericamission.org Click on "Donate" and then scroll to our names. Or contact them directly: 803-802-8580 1021 Maxwell Mill Rd, Suite B Fort Mill, SC 29708 Thank you very much!