Dear Praying Friends,
There
is something very special about the name Pastor. With all the joy and excitement of starting a
church, very quickly comes the reality of the name Pastor. Pastor is more than making visits and soul winning. Pastor
is more than writing sermons and preaching.
Pastor is usually always said
by hurting people, people who need prayer, people who need counsel, people who
need to be loved. That is the greatest
part of being Pastor.
In
the short life of IBI San Genaro, I have made two hospital visits and preached
one funeral. For the last three Saturday nights, I have been preaching on
trials and temptations to help our people realize how God is working in their
lives . . . and He is! It is amazing to
watch and be a part of this. God has
blessed our young church.
Recently
Arnol, a young man in our church, was released from the hospital after being
stabbed seven times and spending seven days in a coma. I went to visit him with Jhonny Farfán, one
of the men who helps me. While visiting
him Jhonny was able to lead 5 of his family members to Christ! We took him home that day to meet many more
of his family members and neighbors. God
opened an amazing door for us, and in the next week, Jhonny should be starting
a Bible study in this home. God is
always working.
Of
course, things are still booming at our main church in Villa Marina. It is hard to believe this Sunday we will be
celebrating our one-year anniversary as a church. God has blessed us in a great way. We are still averaging over 100 in all of our
Sunday services, and all three of our satellite churches are seeing
growth. In the month of June, all of our
ministries saw a total of 222 people come to know Christ.
One
more story I have to share. One of the
families we recently reached in San Genaro has three children. After our Saturday night service, they asked
if they could come down and attend the children’s church in Villa Marina. “Of course,” I said. So, for the last three Sundays, I have been
picking them up and
taking them home each Sunday morning.
Last week we were heading to their house after church, and Alexandra was
talking to my wife. “Were you here in
Peru last year?” she asked. “Yes!” said
my wife. “We have been here exactly one year.”
“You don’t remember us, do you!?” she said. Very surprised, my wife said, “What do you
mean?” She began to tell us a story
about when she and her two cousins followed a white lady around the market. She received a tract from our church and was
told one day there would be a church in her neighborhood. She got her picture taken with the “white
lady” and went home and wished that one day the “greingos” would have a church she could go to with her famiy. Immediately with amazement, my wife
remembered! It was us. When our San Genaro church was only a dream,
we met Alexandra and her cousins, never knowing our paths would cross
again. Later that afternoon we found the
picture taken in September—eight months before our church started! Now Alexandra, Piero, Esther, Benjamin,
Ysabel, Sandra, Cristina, and Gresia are all on their way to Heaven. What an amazing God we serve!
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July
is going to be a great month. My
birthday was today and our church’s anniversary is the end of this week. I am tempted to let you know all the
blessings I have experienced already, but you will have to wait till next
month! I know you love suspense (or you
are already reading everything on Facebook).
Besides there will be many more blessings to share.
Thank
you to everyone who makes what we do possible.
Your influence is making an incredible difference here in Lima and is
felt in our personal lives every day. Thank
you for your faithful giving and praying.
Each of you are a great blessing to my wife and me. God bless you, and I cannot wait to tell you
about July!
Your
ambassadors to Perú,
Junior
and Jessica Martin
Romans
9:3
