I trust you are holding up during this unprecedented time of uncertainty, containment and waiting. It has been quite a stretch for all of us but clearly the Lord is using every day of it to make Himself known and to examine our hearts. Many people are using this time to press into the Lord like never before and many are accepting Christ. For example, in the church that my brother attends online in Colorado he said that salvations have tripled during the virus shut down. In spite of the terrible consequences of this sickness God is still moving and people are being reached for the Kingdom.
Where I am the shut down has prevented any travel to the villages or even across the street! In the town of Yurimaguas where I live women are only allowed out of their houses on certain days and men on the alternate days and no one is allowed out on Sunday. Like the States all non-essential businesses are closed and people are starting to really feel the loss of income. We have the military and the police patrolling the streets and businesses to make sure everyone is following protocol. We have just recently learned that there are four cases in our town. As of April 14 Peru has a total 10,303 cases of COVID-19, 193 deaths and 1,739 have recovered. The authorities are enforcing a fine to anyone who would break the rules of isolation and so outside movement is very restricted.
While I have not been able to leave my house very much I have had the opportunity to talk to Maria, who ministers to the villages with me, on the phone and learned that she is able to visit some villages where she lives. This is a huge blessing because she has gone to some extended family members of her niece and together they have led them to the Lord. They also went to another family of a young girl who used to travel with us nd is now married and has a family and they also have accepted the Lord. All of these new believers need repeat visits to be discipled and so Maria and those who went with her are going again to do follow up. Fortunately, they are not restricted from travel as we are here in Yurimaguas and so can take full advantage of the extra time they have to minister.
Just today I also spoke with one of our new leaders in the village of July 6, a new church plant, and he said that although there is no river travel where he is his people are still meeting together in the name of the Lord. This is so very important for their growth and development and so very encouraging to hear.
I want to thank all of you who are standing with us in this work in spite of all that is happening around the world. God is and ever will be faithful to His people and supply all of our needs as we trust in Him. Please join with me to continue to pray for the villages to come to the Lord and for those who have received Him to continue to walk faithfully in Him. I pray the blessing of the Lord upon you in surprising ways during this time so that you may know Him more.
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