April... ICSL...May/Training... Oyolo

Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings unto you all in the name of our Lord and Savior, our God the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whom by the riches of His mercy and grace we have been set free from eternal punishment and have even seated in celestial places with the Son of man, our redeemer, Jesus Messiah.

He allowed His servants serve in Conima, Puno in the month of April. This place immersed in its traditions and old passed-down Aymara views, presented the need of the Christ found in Scriptures. We were able to minister for just a very short period of time with the primary and high schools students and locals around. We can only again lean to scriptures, His Word will never return empty.

A delayed flight made his servant miss his bus to the high jungle. The International Christian School of Lima ICSL middle-school super kids were worth fighting for a later arrival. The Lord allowed us to see a bit of His doings and workings on a different area and taste, the lives of His children from many countries in one place.
As classes are introduced and taught every day on a classroom, these students experienced a different hands-on type of science retreat to live and breath the high jungle air, grab the dirt, analyze the water, pick up insects and even draw plants.
How wonderful is our God, how in His infinite intelligence He has made all things work and function in perfect ways. The Word was a vital tool being used on this week. It was neat to see how the Word was presented and read to these kids every single day.

Matthew de Rose arrived about a week before Summer Missionaries Training SMT11 began. With his arrival, a week full of coordination and running around started overlapping SMT11. Once again, going through training with all the college-aged students was very refreshing and up-lifting. Looking at these very young people's desire to serve Christ is very encouraging, there is no better thing than to serve Christ while we are still young.

Mat and his servant will be serving in Oyolo, Paucar del Sara Sara Region, Ayacucho for a period of twelve months. The first month, we will have six people on our team. Jenna Swift, Charlie Norman, Ayla Mae Whittaker, Josh Aleman, Matthew de Rose and myself. On the second month Josh will not be with us. Then from the third to the twelve month it will be Mat and myself only.

Let me go ahead to say that we do not know how much access to the internet we will have so keeping you guys updated will have to be played by ear.

On a complete different topic, the chosen one of God, Jessica Lauren Stephenson, whom which the Lord has graciously selected to be the suitable helper-to be and your servant would like to ask your special prayers support since distance will be a test and trial of our faith.

Matthew 6:33 says: " But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

I have asked several members of the flock of Christ what this verse means. Having heard different opinions and ideas on this, I would like to share with you what I found on what according to the limited human intelligence through just a little research has to say.

The verb "to seek" might mean as it follows below:

To worship God = to seek
To begin to do = to seek
To endeavor = to strife to achieve = to seek
To inquire = to investigate = to seek

All of the above might be summarized into this : "To worship God, to begin to act upon and to seek to apply it in our lives, to love our God with all our strength, to diligently dig into, through, with and in only His Holy Word"

For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and narrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

Final salutations: And the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14