Greetings from sunny Lima, Peru!!! Yep, while you guys are all bundled up sipping your warm drinks, we are entering into summer and the sun and heat that comes along with it! I’ll be honest, it took some getting used to, but now I don’t quite mind celebrating it this way. As I am sure you are also experiencing, there are many activities going on as we close out this year with celebration. We want to thank you again for helping us make it possible to do the things we get to do to serve people with disabilities and we give God ALL the glory and honor. Here are a few quick updates. Next week we will be sending out our year in review and plans for 2024!
YOUTH MINISTRY END OF YEAR SERVICE
This past weekend the church hosted a church service for all 3 youth ministries combined to celebrate the end of the year and encourage the youth for the next year to come. The event included youth from ages 13-35 (a large age difference, but with the purpose to encourage the upcoming generations to live their life with Jesus as their center. It was a very beautiful night of worship, teaching, and community.
We had a team of 15 volunteers who were able to receive and accompany 12 people with disabilities for this event.
Ps. Robert (our head pastor) called on the young people to give their lives to serve God from wherever they are. He invited those who had made this decision to stand up to declare this publicly. The entire auditorium of youth stood to proclaim their decision.
Among them was Aylli, a teen who has a physical disability and uses her wheelchair for mobility. She is new to church and at this event she gave her life to Jesus!
What a privilege it is to be in the front row to get to see the miracle of restoration and healing in her heart as she made the decision public.
We are thankful for the opportunity to be a bridge for people like Aylli to have a personal encounter with Jesus. And we thank you for allowing us to do it.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
This past weekend our children’s ministry sang a song in front of the entire congregation. This is the second year we have done this and each year more kids with special needs have participated as well. This year 10 of our kids were able to participate (with volunteer support) in this special moment as they sang for the church. Tears of joy and surprise were expressed by the parents who were able to see their child on stage just like any other child. Many of these kids have a difficult time with changes in routine. Going to sing on stage is a huge change in routine, but with preparation from our team, each child was able to participate and enjoy the moment! It was a really special moment! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this as we continue to make the church shine brighter as we make it more accessible for people with disabilities to be included and belong.
Once again, we thank you for allowing us to help make the church more inclusive for people with disabilities. These 2 stories today is a testament to God’s desire for his church to be full with all of His people and there is purpose for every single one of us.
As you know, as missionaries we rely 100% of our income from generous supporters like you. Thank you for continuing to support us in our efforts to have an inclusive church here in Lima, Peru. If you would like more information on how to make a donation, please connect on the give button to make a tax deductible donation. Thank you again for your support so that we can continue to see His church shine.