June 2003 Prayer Letter

Dear Friends & Family,

I rejoice greatly in what the Lord has done and is doing in our lives and the ministry here in Peru. This has been a very busy few months so let me share with you some of the highlights.

In May I had the privilege of going to Sucre, Bolivia with Missionary Jon Barr from Silent Word Ministries. We went to assist hearing missionary Carolyn Price who has been working for two years there with the deaf. She has been a missionary for 17 years in Bolivia and God has burdened her heart to work with the deaf. She is working in a local church there in Sucre. We had a tremendous time while there and God is working. While there eight deaf and two hearing people were saved. Please pray for Carolyn and the church there as they minister to the deaf.

The hearing work that I mentioned in my last prayer letter is going well. They just had their first Sunday morning service and we just completed a five day meeting with Missionary Austin Gardner there and the results are promising. Though no one was saved during the meetings, there were several visitors and we look forward to what the Lord is going to do there in Callao with national pastor Rubén Effio.

Also as I mentioned in my last letter, our church has now sent out my former asst. pastor Jorge Pozo and his family to the city of Ayacucho, Peru. A recent report that I received from him was wonderful. He already has seen three deaf saved. He and his wife are teaching sign language as well to hearing folks and they have between 13 and 20 deaf on Sundays. Pray for this wonderful family as they adjust to the new climate and surroundings as they are working for the Lord.

Our Deaf Pastor’s School went very well with Missionary to the deaf Jim Sloan from Deaf Outreach Ministries. We had a great week of teaching for our deaf national pastors. Jim stayed a couple of weeks longer and traveled to the different ministries here and preached in their churches. This was a great encouragement to the deaf.

Also I would like to inform you that Lisa and I are expecting our seventh child!!! The new baby is due December 25th! We have done some early checking and everything appears normal. Please pray for Lisa and the baby that she will be able to carry and deliver without complications.

With the coming of the new baby comes a great need. Our family lives in a small apt. on the Efata complex grounds. We are in need of larger housing. All four of the boys are crowded into one small room and the two girls share a room half the size of the boys. Access to the girls room is through the boys! As the children are getting older, this is becoming a greater difficulty for obvious reasons. I would like to ask for you to pray that God would provide funding for housing.

Joseph our oldest is now 13. He is a great blessing in the work here. He is learning to play the piano and is helping with the interpreting and is just an overall blessing. Julianne at 11 is working as well helping in Sunday school and really being a great help to mom and baby Joy. James at nine, loves to go out and pass out tracts and be a help in witnessing, Jared and Judson are growing like weeds and are really helping us eat the groceries!

Lisa and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this past May 20th. It was a very special time together. Hard to believe how fast the time has flown. I must say I am much more in love with her now than when we began.

Thank you, all for your prayers and support for my family and ministry among the deaf. Without you, our work would not be possible. We have some very great needs which I will be sharing with you in future letters. It is imperative that I raise more funds for the children here in the home and school. Costs have risen; we have more children in the home, thus more workers and increased need. Please pray that God will give wisdom to me to know how to best proceed. My God owns it all! He has the resources and He has given them to His people to meet the needs.

In Christ’s Service – In Peru

Joe & Lisa
Joseph, Julianne, James, Jared, Judson, Joy...?