We were working in an area virtually uninhabited by the authentic gospel. No serious evangelical church or work is going on currently in the towns of Masma, Molinos, and Julcan. And they are under the power of the evil one, and he wasn't happy about our assault. This picture is of Geoff, John, and Ander, a man who chased us down to ask us about "our gospel" wanting to know how he could pursue Christ and be born again.At first we didn't even really notice the severity of the attacks against us. We had a member of our team get sick the week before we left, and he was prohibited from going. Then we had another member of our team's mother get put in the hospital with a potentially serious illness. And he being the only person responsible had to stay behind. Then our flight was delayed 2 hours, and we almost missed our connection, but it was delayed too. And then it was no surprise when our baggage did not arrive in Lima with us. All of these things were assumed to be rather routine...
Then on Monday then attacks became much more violent. First, Geoff's stomach had not really been right since we came, but it wasn't getting fixed--one kinda down. Then Margaret, who was a trooper last year, really began having difficulty with a knee that was going out--two kinda down. Then Kayla, who was the life of our team (pictured above with Don), and also an asthmatic, began to have serious difficulty breathing. This landed us in a Peruvian hospital, not once but twice. The second of which we were really worried that she was having heart issues as well. Then back home, Erika was called back from the Dr. to inform her that the ectopic pregnancy that we thought was resolved was not. And she was in the hospital, then home sick from the effects of methatrexate. Her mother came to take care of her, then she began having chest pains, and they took her to hospital. She came home a couple days ago with a stint, after having bypass surgery six weeks ago!
Like the fog that covered the tops of the Andes, we had days where we could not see His face. And with the Apostle, we were troubled but not crushed, frustrated but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. But we were trusting in an all-wise, all-good, and sovereign God, whose grace was sufficient, and whose gospel was worth this momentary, light affliction, and whose faithfulness was new every morning! We heard from God who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and He gave us Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. 21 For behold, the LORD comes out of His place...
And so we hid in Him, and Margaret made it through, Geoff made it through, neither Don nor I got sick, and we didn't have to send Kayla to lower altitude before our scheduled departure. And most importantly hundreds of people in spiritually dark towns hear the life-giving gospel! God was so sufficient for us during these times! And we are continuing to trust that God will use our suffering and efforts to transform hearts in Peru.
More to come...
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