It has been a very busy and productive first quarter of 2010. So much has taken place and we are grateful to God for each opportunity that he has given us.
In February we had our Fires of Evangelism conference. Many decisions were made and we had many souls saved during the week. One group of pastors came all the way from Ecuador. They were so excited and blessed that they wrote me and advised that they were going to come again next year and each was going to invite another pastor as well. Thank you to Pastor Ezekiel Salazar, pastor of the Montecito Baptist Church in Ontario, CA, Pastor Gil Torres, Spanish pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, CA and Missionary Pastor Kevin Wynne, of Iglesia Bautista Monte Sion in Mexico City, Mexico.
We praise the Lord for the many souls saved, the baptisms, and individual growth. God has done so much in the lives of both deaf and hearing, and we pray that He will continue to bless and work. Truly the HARVEST is plenteous.
The new school year is upon us and several new children have come. We are looking forward to working with our deaf children and seeing them grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.
Please pray for the kids at Efata, Satan wishes to sift them as wheat. We have had to send Miriam Kimberly, (12 years old) home because she could not adjust to being at Efata. She has a lousy life at home and does not want to go back, however, she does not want to study or do anything at Efata either. She is throwing away a tremendous opportunity because of pure laziness. She has had a rough life. Pray that the Word of God that we were able to teach her last year will take hold and she will desire to repent and come back with a teachable spirit.
In April we will be having the dedication service and opening of our Pregnancy Crisis Center at Efata. We have been looking forward to this for quite some time. We are working on final construction and maintenance issues. Please pray that we can get everything set for this big day. Lisa has worked very hard on this.
Pastor Victor, Pastor Henry and I flew to the States to participate in the mission conferences of Iglesia Bautista Buenas Nuevas and Gospel Baptist Church in Bonita Springs, FL. The Spanish church pastored by Vicente Herrera and the English church pastored by Bill Lytell and their staffs and members did wonderful jobs. Pastors Victor and Henry were the special speakers for the Spanish Conference, and Evangelist Hal Hightower for the English church. All of them did a tremendous job challenging the folks for missions.
Our Bible Institute will begin in April. We have several young men who will be training for ministry. Pray for our staff as we work together to prepare these men, both deaf and hearing, for full time ministry, and as we train dedicated members who wish to learn more about their God.
Cory and Melissa Ricker are finally in their home! It still needs finishing but they are thrilled to be in it. Pray for God to provide their needs. They are doing well in language school, and we are so blessed to have them as part of our Efata team. Sister Rebecca Houghton is doing a wonderful job teaching piano, working with the ladies and visiting. She is such a blessing.
Lisa’s pregnancy is going well. The baby is due on July 12th. It is a girl and we have named her Jennifer Ruth. We are all looking forward to this new addition to our family. Pray for Julianne as she works hard to graduate in May. We are all looking forward to our oldest son, Joseph visiting during his spring break.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Continue to pray for us as we seek to represent you on the field of Peru South America and beyond!
Joe & Lisa,Joseph, Julianne, James, Jared, Judson, Joy, John, Jenny, Joel, Jessica
