Do you REALLY understand what happened on the Cross?? A MUST hear!!!

Something to think about this Easter...

March Updates

It's been exceptionally busy for me this month. The Lord by His grace has been allowing me to spend more time in prayer, and studying His Word. He's also given me the opportunity to minister to and disciple different people.

Among the other things I did at church this month, I was able to help out a team of believers that came down from Florida to continue the construction in one of the churches we have in Puente Piedra, a poor, desert-like part of Lima. I helped translating and a little with construction. In about 6 days we managed to put up a concrete roof in one of the rooms and a concrete floor in another. Though I didn't labor nearly as hard as the rest, it was still very physically demanding work for me, especially since we were out in the sun all day.


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Last week my aunt came from California to visit, bringing much love, blessings, and goodies from the States. She's in the middle, with my grandma and my other aunt.
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Yesterday, a group of us from Koinonia hit the streets to do evangelism. Many of us had the day off because of Easter weekend. We went to a huge market area in the district of Gamarra. We witnessed to many, preached open-air, and handed out hundreds of tracts. It was really awesome to see the Lord work through us in His mighty power. He united us in one spirit and filled us with boldness and compassion for the lost. He has been working in the hearts of many of my brothers and sisters lately, giving them great zeal to exalt His glorious Gospel, and more of a passion and desire to know Jesus more and to see Him glorified. I praise the Lord for what He did yesterday.

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God has been opening many doors for me this month. Pretty soon I'm going to start an evangelism class for the youth of our church, God willing. Also, either this month or early next month I'm hoping to travel with a friend to the city of Huancayo, which is in the mountains. God has been speaking to us about going there; from what I've heard there is great spiritual need in that city. Our purpose in traveling there is mainly to spy out the land, to see what kind of spiritual giants we're going to be facing. Then later on (God willing) we'll be able to return with a team of armed and equipped evangelists to wage war on the principalities and powers of the city.

Well, that's all for now. Please pray for me for much wisdom in making decisions, for the Lord's help and presence to always be real in my life, for the Spirit's fullness, for boldness, and for more open doors for the furtherance of the Gospel.

Some thoughts on prayer...

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."
1Peter 3:12

The Lord has been so faithful during these past fews months. He has used many different circumstances to demonstrate to me that He not only hears my prayers, but that He also answers them! I can trust Him and stand firm in His promises. Not like I didn't know this before, but all this year it has been a constant REALITY in my life--I've seen Him accomplish both supernatural and seemingly ordinary things as answers to prayer.

(Among some of the "ordinary" things, He has provided me with a new digital camera, which means I'll be able to post more pictures up soon.)

Lately He has been filling me with an ever-increasing passion for Him--to KNOW Him more, and that my Lord and Savior be exalted and glorified. One of the verses that He has been showing me is Philippians 3:10:

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death"

I'm getting more and more of a holy desperation for His presence and power to be REAL in my life. I've been spending much more time with Him in adoration, prayer, and intercession. One of the things He does not allow me to forget is that the most important thing we can do as believers is pray. And not just pray, but really pray: to come to Christ, absolutely surrendered, and draw close enough to Him to become a partaker in the "fellowship of His sufferings." To feel what He feels. To pray the prayers of His heart. To come into His holy presence, boldly before His throne, and agonize in intercession, wrestling with Him until we have received the blessing. That is true prayer.

Oh, but there is a high price to pay for such a type of prayer, as God has shown me. It'll mean loss of food, of sleep, our reputation, our time...it will cost us our very lives.

But can we afford not do this in such a wicked and perverse generation as this? In the light of eternity, what will our petty little necessities matter? Souls are being damned to eternal torment by the minute; the name of God is being blasphemed daily by the heathen; Jesus is not receiving the glory He so rightfully deserves; most of the Church in the west is limping; and multitudes in Christendom today are in danger of being spewed out of the very mouth of Christ!

Brothers and sisters, the time is urgent! We need to pray!

Paul Washer on the Will of God

The Secret of an Intercessor

John Hyde was a missionary to India in around the early 20th Century. His life, like the prophet Elijah, can be summed up in two words: "He prayed."
He spent days and nights in agonizing intercession, weeping, sighing, and groaning in the Spirit for souls and for the Church, sometimes going without food or sleep for days. His travail of soul increased to such a degree that his heart-cry became, "O God, give me souls or I die!" He was used of God to bring down many outpourings of the Spirit in North-West India, beginning in 1904 in Sialkot. Shortly before he died at the age of 47, a medical examination discovered his heart had moved to the right side of his body, worn out by years of intense intercession.
Hyde's life serves as an example of a believer absolutely surrendered to God, who has drawn near enough to Christ to feel His heart, and through whom we may have a glimpse of the very prayer-life of our Lord.


The following is from the book Praying Hyde: Apostle of Prayer, edited by Captain E.G. Carre:

"Let me introduce here a gem from the pen of Paterson: 'What was the secret of that prayer-life of John Hyde's?' he asks. 'This, that it was a life of prayer. Who is the source of all life? The glorified Jesus. How do I get this life from Him? Just as I received His righteousness to begin with. I own that I have no righteousness of my own--only filthy rags, and I in faith claim His righteousness. Now, a twofold result follows: As to our Father in Heaven, He sees Christ's righteousness--not my unrighteousness. A second result as to ourselves: Christ's righteousness not merely clothes us outwardly, but enters into our very being, by His Spirit, received in faith as with the disciples (see John 20:22), and works out sanctification in us.'
"Why not the same with our prayer life? Let us remember the word 'for.' 'Christ died for us,' and 'he ever liveth to make intercession 'for' us,' that is, in our room and stead. So I confess my ever-failing prayers (it dare not be called a life), and plead His never failing intercession. Then it affects our Father, for He looks upon Christ's prayer-life in us, and answers accordingly. So that the answer is far 'above all we can ask or think.' Another great result follows: it affects us. Christ's prayer life enters into us, and He prays in us. This is prayer in the Holy Spirit. Only thus can we pray without ceasing. This is the life more abundant which our Lord gives. Oh, what peace, what comfort? No more working up a life of prayer and failing constantly. Jesus enters the boat, and the toiling ceases, and we are at the land whither we would be. Now, we need to be still before Him, so as to hear his voice and allow Him to pray in us--nay, allow Him to pour into our souls His overflowing life of intercession, which means literally: FACE TO FACE meeting with God--real UNION and COMMUNION."

Heartcry Conferences

Me with Charles Leiter, Paul Washer, and a local pastor in Sullana, Peru, Aug '07 :

Perhaps the highlight of my stay so far has been being able to attend, and participate in, the Heartcry conferences held here in Lima. Heartcry is a missionary society started by Paul Washer, a preacher and missionary who lived in Peru for many years (infamous in America for his "Shocking Youth Message" and powerful sermons that urge the sleeping Church and nominal "christianity" to repent and get back to the Bible--see videos on the right).
The conferences were held in the Baptist church Mr. Washer founded in the district of Barranco. The first one I attended was a pastor's and leader's conference in August. Arriving, I expected to just sit somewhere in the back, unnoticed, and listen and take notes, and maybe even get a chance to meet brother Paul and ask him some questions.

But the Lord had other plans.

I met Mr. Washer all right, and when I did, he informed me that they were in dire need of a translator for the other preacher that had come, Charles Leiter. And as it turned out, with the exception of brother Paul, I was the only one at the entire conference who could speak Spanish and English fluently (though anything but perfectly). So, praise God, I got to spend the entire 4 days of the event translating brother Charles' messages on Justification and Regeneration (they recorded them and even put them up on sermonaudio.com!). And not only that, but I also got to travel with them to Sullana, a city in northern Peru, where they were holding another conference in a Baptist seminary. It was awesome to be able to spend time with these men of God and glean from them spiritual wisdom.

The second conference I attended was in January of this year. Brother Paul came down again, with his family and several other preachers. I got the privilege of helping translate again. This time it was a bit easier for me, and I did a way better job, in my opinion. I translated for a pastor named Andy Wisner, who talked about Biblical counseling. This conference was a bit more diverse in the topics discussed. While the last one, which was only for pastors and leaders, concentrated mainly on the Gospel, this conference covered other issues like the family, knowing the Word of God, and counseling, and was open to all.
I thank the Lord that I was able to even be a small part of this great work that He is doing in Peru through these worthy men. The Church here is in desperate need of biblical Truth; I pray God will raise up more Spirit-filled laborers who will preach the uncompromised Word of God, regardless of the cost.

Jan 08

The following pics were taken when I went to the city of Arequipa last month to visit some relatives:

I went on a guided tour/hike outside the city to check out the scenery.

Pointing to a waterfall that's not there.



Great view of one of the many volcanos in Arequipa from the house where I was staying.