Letters From the Missionary

Family Radio Mission To Lima, Peru

July 18 - 29, 2005

LETTER #1

"For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth." (Psalm 33:4)

Monday, July 18, 2005. Our group of twenty “Ambassadors for Christ” (10 men and 10 women) from various parts of the US and Holland arrived today in Lima, the capital of Peru, on another Family Radio mission trip. Nine of the 12 members on a late flight from Dallas lost their luggage along with about 40 other passengers due to a weight problem with the aircraft. Apparently, they had to lighten the load in order to take on more fuel to fly a longer route around Hurricane Emily in the Caribbean, so they off-loaded the luggage of many of the passengers. We hope to get the bags some time on Wednesday.

We are here to proclaim the True Gospel of Christ to the Peruvian people during the next ten days by distributing 200,000 “Does God Love You?” tracts in the Spanish language. We will also be handing out over 1,000 Bibles and many Family Radio Bible-teaching booklets and CDs in Spanish. The tracts have been printed here and contain the current short-wave schedules for Family Radio Spanish programming, School of the Bible information, and a reference to the multilingual Family Radio website.

Peru is located south of the Equator on the west coast of South America. Colombia and Ecuador are to the north, Brazil and Bolivia lie to the east, and Chile is to the south. This country of about 28 million people is divided geographically by the Andes Mountains into three sharply differentiated zones. The Pacific coastline is mostly arid and extends 50 to 100 miles inland. The central mountainous area comprises peaks over 20,000 feet, lofty plateaus, and deep valleys. The heavily forested eastern slope of the mountains drains into the Amazon River.

Lima, with over 8 million people, is the largest city and is centrally located on the coast. The principal languages are Spanish, Quéchua (pronounced KETCH-oo-ah), and some other Amerindian dialects. The literacy rate is estimated at over 90%, and over 90% of the population is identified with the Roman Catholic religion.

We are grateful for the privilege of serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in this country; and we are praying that we will be faithful to God’s Word in all that we do here. Could it be that God perform a mighty work of grace in the hearts of many of these dear people for His glory and honor?

Tuesday, July 19, 2005. After a few hours sleep, an early breakfast, and an initial orientation meeting this morning, we broke into five teams and walked to various locations in the central part of this bustling city. Many of the streets are for pedestrian traffic only, which gives us easy access to the people. Acceptance of the tracts was very good (over 80%), very few tracts were discarded, and the people were cordial and courteous to us everywhere we worked. Many people stopped to ask questions about the ministry of Family Radio and requested more information about the Bible.

We thank God for preparing the way for the Gospel here and are looking forward to what God has planned for us in the days to come. Please pray for God’s continued blessing on our work in Peru.

"Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land." (Hosea 4:1)

In Christian love, Family Radio mission group in Lima, Peru

LETTER #2

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

Wednesday, July 20, 2005. Today was our first full day of distribution, and the work progressed at a rapid pace in all of our assigned locations with the same good results as yesterday. We spread out from the downtown area by taxi, and none of us has encountered any significant opposition to our work or the message on the tract itself in any of the areas visited. As is typical of other trips, we have occasionally been asked to leave certain sites, such as shopping malls, by security guards doing their jobs; but, in general, that has been minimal and the guards and police have been very receptive to the tracts and supportive of our work.

One team worked at a busy hospital and was able to distribute tracts in the waiting rooms to many hundreds of people and outside to a constant flow of people coming and going. Other teams went to various bustling shopping areas and markets, and many Bibles and study materials were distributed to the grateful people. It is always a great pleasure and blessing for us to hand out the tracts when almost everyone takes them and keeps them. We see many people sitting, standing, and even walking along reading them intently, and we pray that God will open the spiritual eyes and ears of many to the True Gospel of Christ. We had two guests attend our Bible study tonight, and we are praying more will come in the future.

Because Peru is in the southern hemisphere, it is winter here, and the weather is pleasantly cool (in the 60s F) and overcast most of time. We received the second half of our initial order of 200,000 “Does God Love You?” tracts today and all but two of the bags that were lost by the airline. By the grace of God, things are going smoothly, and we are very thankful for this opportunity to minister to these dear people of Peru in such a personal way.

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)

In Christian love, The Family Radio Mission Group in Lima

LETTER #3

"But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God." (2 Corinthians 4:2)

Thursday, July 21, 2005. By God’s wonderful grace, today was another good day of distribution. We had excellent results in many new locations from the standpoint of high acceptance and throngs of people. Several teams were able to empty out of all their materials twice. One team worked at a large university with very good results. Another traveled about one hour by taxi to the small town of Chorrillos (pronounced “chor-REE-yos”) where there is a small women’s prison. They left about 400 tracts with the staff there and plan to return with about 40 Bibles later. They also gave out tracts in various areas of the town, including a market. Other teams distributed tracts at very high rates in huge, teeming markets.

There was some kind of political activity near the government buildings at a large central plaza with many military personnel providing security. Someone gave a tract to a soldier who was standing guard inside a military tank, and he noticed the man was still intently reading the tract when he returned a few hours later. Thankfully, there were no problems at the event.

One of the two missing bags arrived today, and the attendance at our evening Bible study increased to about 10 guests. We thank God for all He is doing for us and through us as we present the True Gospel to the people here.

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17)

In Christian love, The Family Radio Mission Group in Lima

LETTER #4

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," (Ephesians 1:13)

Friday, July 22, 2005. Tract and Bible distribution continued at a rapid pace in many new locations today, and there was much activity in the large plaza by our hotel related to an upcoming national holiday. Our last day of work here will be next Thursday (July 28th) on Peru’s Independence Day, which will be a day of celebration for its declaration of independence from the rule of Spain in 1821. (However, the Spanish were not finally defeated until 1824.) It will apparently be a day of parades and great pageantry to reenact the events of that day.

There was a noisy ceremony in our hotel this evening with people in traditional dress, and the President’s wife put in an appearance at the hotel during our evening Bible study. Two members of our group distributed many hundreds of tracts to the people gathered inside and outside of the hotel for the event, including the First Lady’s entourage of dignitaries and security personnel. Several people who received tracts joined our meeting and received Bibles, booklets, and other Family Radio information. Some actually had tears of joy for the Bibles and the fact that we were proclaiming the Gospel in their city. We have been conducting the meetings in both English and Spanish for the benefit of our guests and about 20 people were in attendance tonight.

Saturday, July 23, 2005. We continued to travel further away from the center of the city to spread the tracts into outlying areas with the same good results everywhere we worked. We distributed tracts and Bibles in several markets in the poorer areas, and we are always looking for opportunities to hand out the Bibles in the most orderly way. If we start openly handing them out to people, we are quickly surrounded by a clamoring crowd that is hard to manage.

One team employed a novel approach today. They took several boxes of Bibles in their taxi to four different market areas, and handed out Bibles with one tract inside through a slightly open window to keep from getting swamped by the crowd. That technique allowed them to drive from one market to the next and distribute the Bibles evenly to all four markets. Then they were able to come back and continue normal tract distribution in other locations within the markets without causing a commotion.

Another team used the Bible to communicate to a man who had already read the whole tract and wanted to ask more questions. He spoke no English, and the team had no one who could speak Spanish; but they eventually were able to understand that he wanted to know how he could give money for the Lord’s work now that the Church Age has ended. They explained that he could donate to faithful ministries operating outside the institutional churches like Family Radio that provides the Gospel without charge and showed him some verses in a Spanish Bible to explain their point. That seemed to answer his questions more than anything else they tried to say.

We ordered 50,000 more tracts for delivery in three batches on Tuesday and Wednesday, and we plan to reserve about 20,000 for distribution on Thursday as God allows. Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" (Ephesians 5:2-4)

In Christian love, The Family Radio Mission Group in Lima

LETTER #5

"For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;" (Colossians 1:5)

Sunday, July 24, 2005. After our worship service this morning, all teams went out to several church and market areas in the central and outlying areas of Lima with the same good distribution results. We scheduled the work to correspond to the times that most of the church services were completed so that the people could take the tracts home with them. Some of our members were harassed by security personnel near a large charismatic church, but in general the acceptance of the tracts was very good. We have essentially handed out all of the initial order of 200,000 tracts but have reserved a few thousand for two teams to take outside of Lima tomorrow.

We have met several people who listen to Family Radio by shortwave, and one man from Argentina said he has been listening there for many years and has received much comfort from the programs. Family Radio programs are also broadcasted on about 14 local AM and FM stations in 11 Peruvian cities (the closest of which is about six hours away by car). We have given out many broadcast schedules for those stations as well.

Monday, July 25, 2005. We finished distributing all of the tracts today and most of the group got a break to rest and attend to personal matters this afternoon. We have a very hard working group of twenty ambassadors here, who range in age from under 20 to over 80 years and represent nine different countries by birth.

One team of four took 40 Bibles, as promised, to the women’s prison at Chorrillos (pronounced “chor-REE-yos”) that we visited last Thursday and distributed about 2,000 more tracts and some Bibles and other materials in that city. Another team of six traveled southward by bus for three hours to Chincha, which is a suburb of a city called Ica. They arrived there just as hundreds of children of all ages were coming out of several schools, and they all eagerly accepted the tracts. The group was able to distribute about 4,000 tracts and 30 Bibles there and reported the following incidents:

One little shoeshine boy received a Bible and hid it under his shirt to prevent its being taken away by the bigger kids, and later he was seen with his shirt pulled up over his head and reading it under the shirt. Another man seemed to be deeply distressed by the Gospel message on the tract and kept referring to the title and asking one of our ambassadors, who speaks Spanish, “How can I know for sure if God loves me?” Our lady told him to study the tract, and she gave him a Bible and a booklet; and she told him to read the Bible and ask God to save him and give him the assurance he was so desperately seeking.

We are now out of tracts and plan to receive the first batch from the printer tomorrow morning, as the Lord permits. We are thanking God that attendance at our evening Bible studies continues to increase and many of the guests are repeat attendees.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 9:2-8)

In Christian love, The Family Radio Mission Group in Lima

LETTER #6

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Tuesday, July 26, 2005. We purchased 500 more Bibles yesterday afternoon and received the first batch of 15,000 “Does God Love You?” tracts this morning. Three of our teams rented taxis for the day to take tracts and Bibles to the very poorest barrios in outlying areas of the city where people live in shacks on the sides of steep mountain slopes. The living conditions there are very dusty and difficult with no running water or electricity. When word of our presence spreads through the communities, some came running for the Bibles and others were afraid and hid inside their homes because they are not accustomed to strangers and are wary of the authorities here. One of those team leaders contributed the following comments:

We took about 250 Bibles with us and tried to find the poorest people who, in all likelihood, could not afford to own a Bible. We tried to keep the Bibles in the trunk and with the help of our driver were able to give them out in an orderly manner.

We spent the whole day driving to different locations and stopping where we saw groups of people to distribute the Bibles and tracts. The people were very friendly and appreciative at every stop. We also went to a trash dump area along the coast just outside of a very upscale tourist area called Miraflores. Many men, women and children were combing through the trash looking for anything they can recycle for money. Those dirt-covered people were extremely grateful for the gift of the Bibles, tracts and booklets.

On our way back to the hotel one team member found a Bible in a backpack, and we prayed that last Bible would go to someone who really needed it. Then, while stopped in heavy traffic, an old woman came up to our taxi and asked us for a Bible. Needless to say, we were overjoyed for the opportunity to give our last one to her.

We see those kind of things happen quite often on these trips, and we thank our Great Lord and Savior for the blessings we receive when we see His hand on our work.

Another team was able to get into the maximum security area of one of the largest and notorious men’s prisons in the country called Lurigancho. There are about 8,500 inmates plus 500 staff there, and they only had about 120 to give them. We ordered 400 more this afternoon and plan to take about 300 back to the prison tomorrow. God willing, we will give a more detailed report on that prison experience in our next letter.

Since the teams that rent taxis by the hour have to pay about US$40 daily out of their own pockets, we encourage any Family Radio listener who would like to participate in this work to donate funds specifically to cover these extra transportation costs. By God’s wonderful grace, we received the second batch of 15,000 tracts this evening for distribution tomorrow and expect the last 20,000 to be delivered tomorrow afternoon.

"Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen." (Ephesians 6:23)

In Christian love, The Family Radio Mission Group in Lima

LETTER #7

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

Wednesday, July 27, 2005. We received the last batch of 20,000 tracts this morning and plan to hand them out during the Independence Day festivities tomorrow when hundreds of thousands of people are expected in downtown Lima.

A team of four men returned to the Lurigancho prison this morning with about 5,000 tracts and Bibles as a follow-up to yesterday’s visit, and the team leader provided the following report:

The prison is a sprawling, fortress-like complex that is sometimes referred to as the “graduate school of criminality” here. Many young men who are sent there for petty crimes, such as pick-pocketing and purse-snatching, quickly learn how to commit more serious offenses, such as armed robbery, kidnapping, and murder.

It was originally built to house about 3,000 inmates, but it now contains about 8,500; and due to such severe overcrowding, many have to sleep on the concrete floors in the corridors. The average sentence is about a year or two, but many are incarcerated for 10 to 20 years or more. Their families are usually required to provide most of their basic necessities, including food; and needless to say, the conditions in there are very harsh and diseases like TB and AIDS are rampant. The empty cardboard Bible boxes were sought after as a special luxury item for those who have to sleep on the floors.

As it turned out, God set up our visit to coincide with a visiting day for women and children; and we were afforded a unique opportunity to share thousands of tracts and hundreds of Bibles to the family members in an orderly manner as they entered the prison.

We thank God for opening this special door for us to provide the True Gospel of Christ to those people, which is their greatest need. We pray that God will perform a mighty miracle in the hearts of many and grant them repentance unto eternal life.

The other teams took the remaining 10,000 tracts we received last night to various places, including the poor areas in the outskirts of the city as was described in yesterday’s letter.

Here is a report by one of those teams: We went by taxi to a remote town in order to give tracts and Bibles to the poorest of the poor. As we climbed up through the mountains on rough and dusty roads, the driver told us that taxis never dare to go up there because it is a very dangerous area with much crime and poverty.

Finally we found an area to get out. We put some Bibles in our arms and began to climb the steep steps between the jumble of shacks made of tin, wood, rock, and whatever other materials that could be found.

Then we heard a sharp whistle and saw a lone woman blowing a whistle of warning from a high hilltop. She watched us give out the Bibles to several families and blew an “all clear” signal when we got back in the taxi. This brought to mind the many references to the “watchman” in the Old Testament.

At another location, we came upon a parade of children marching in preparation for tomorrow´s big Independence Day celebration. As we began to pass out tracts to the adults lining the street, we heard the words “Americans” and “Bibles” over the public address system and people came running to our taxi begging us for Bibles.

The demand for the Word of God is so great and our supply is always so limited in those places. It is always sad when we run out and have to leave so many people standing there disappointed and empty-handed. But we know that God is in charge and that He will use His Word according to His perfect will in those communities.

After many such stops, our driver said that God has protected us while we were there, and he patted the Bible we had given him.

Please pray that God will grant many of these dear people, who so little of this world’s goods, the eternal riches of Jesus Christ.

"Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." (James 1:18)

In Christian love, The Family Radio Mission Group in Lima

LETTER #8

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18)

Thursday, July 28, 2005. We had over 30 visitors attend our final Bible study last night, and the people expressed their great appreciation of our work to bring the True Gospel of Christ to Peru. One man was at every meeting, including the two on Sunday, and several others had attended almost all nine Bible studies.

Today was Peru’s much anticipated Independence Day and our last day of work here. Many of the streets were blocked off to vehicular traffic, and there were thousands of police, military, and other security personnel with attack dogs and on horseback to keep order. Hundreds of thousands of people thronged the streets to watch parades, speeches, and other colorful ceremonies in celebration of Peru’s proclamation of independence from Spanish rule in 1821. We easily handed out the remaining 20,000 tracts that were delivered yesterday, and we have completed the work that God sent us to do here.

In one area where Peru’s president was to make an appearance, a wide street was cordoned off with about 60 policemen dressed in combat gear standing shoulder-to-shoulder and holding clear plastic shields and various kinds of weapons. No one was allowed to get within about 20 feet of the line, but one of our group walked up, handed a tract to one of the officers, and then proceeded to give everyone in the line a tract without any opposition or refusal whatsoever. We have often seen God working in similar marvelous ways at these kinds of events all over the world.

One of our ladies provided this account:
I was working on a street corner near a market area where many alcoholics and prostitutes were gladly taking the tracts from me. Suddenly, five teenage boys came charging through the crowd with some policemen in pursuit. They were shoving people out of the way as they ran and even knocked some to the ground. Two of them were caught as they tried to board a stopped bus; and as the boys were being loaded into a police car, I noticed one was still clutching a “Does God Love You?” tract he must have received from one of my team members. One wonders where that tract went and how God might use its message in that boy’s life?

This is the last letter for this trip. By God’s grace, we have placed a total of 250,000 “Does God Love You?” tracts and about 1,900 Bibles in the hands of these gracious Peruvian people. Please pray that God will grant repentance unto salvation to many in this part of the world and that He will raise up faithful men and women here to continue the work of the Gospel through the use of the biblical resources that Family Radio freely provides.

Our veteran missionaries, several of whom have been on many Family Radio trips to various places in the world, have all rated this trip as one of the best they have experienced. Every aspect of the trip – the hotel location, accommodations, and assistance by the management and employees; the wonderful acceptance of the tracts and the friendliness of the people everywhere we worked; the visitor attendance at our Bible studies; the orderly Independence Day crowds that God provided for our last day here; the weather, etc. – have all been great.

We thank God for His guidance and protection and give Him all the praise and glory for what He has done with us, for us, and through us on this trip. We also thank the listeners and supporters of Family Radio for their prayers and financial support that make these mission trips possible. We consider our being “Ambassadors for Christ” in this manner a great privilege and honor and highly recommend it to others.

May the Lord’s perfect will be done in the hearts of the people of Peru.

"He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4)

In Christian love, The Family Radio Mission Group in Lima