One of BRBC’s supported missionaries is visiting Bangladesh on behalf of Smyrna Ministries International.  Follow his progress on Captain’s Log as he experiences the sights and sounds of the Indian sub-continent.  He’ll make reports as he is able  and give us a flavor of the trials of several ministry partners in the region.

Sermon August 22, 2010

Presented by our Missionary to Pakistan

This link to Sunday’s sermon is on the password protected section of the website, so if you don’t have an account to view this content already established, please send an email request to missions@brbible.org.

Read the update from China on week 4 of Jon’s mission trip. This post is on the password protected section of the website, so if you don’t have an account to view this content already established, please send an email request to missions@brbc.org.

• China

Read new updates from China, and a recap of the trip to Ireland. These posts are on the password protected section of the website, so if you don’t have an account to view this content already established, please send an email request to missions@brbc.org.

• Ireland
• China

Be sure to view these YouTube videos from China, too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVN7uNP61uw&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS1_oskNKCY&feature=channel

THE APUTARA’S CHRONICLES (MINISTRY NEWS OF STEPHEN AND MERCY APUTARA)

Dear Prayer Partners,

Greetings in the most precious name of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His name is very Excellent.

Today saw me attending meetings with parents and staff of Navrongo senior high school. This ended very successful and trust God to bring peace and understanding between students and staff.

Tomorrow Friday, will be speaking in Mirigu church. Pray that God’s name will be honored.

Saturday, 24th July, we will be having a meeting with all our pastors and leaders from our 18 churches in the Kassena Nankana area of the upper east region. This is a crucial meeting where we will take stock of our ministry, strategizing to meet the daily issues that confronts us in our ministries. There are many communities still without the Gospel. Pray with us as we strategies to meet this need.

Will be speaking in Kologo church, 12 miles from Navrongo.

On Monday 26th July, I will be in Tamale to hold a meeting with church leaders.

On Tuesday 27th July, I leave Tamale to Accra. Hold meetings in Accra on 28th July.

On 29th July, will be at Ethiopia embassy for a traveling visa to Ethiopia.

Burden Bearers Academy schools vacate on the 29th July for 6 weeks holiday. Pray for funds to be able to organized a party for the children and also sponsor radio programs at the FM stations here in both Bolgatanga and Navrongo. This gives the children opportunity to recite poems and scriptures on air.

Pray for the recruitment of teachers and nursery attendants for the 2010/2011 academic year which begins on the 15th September, 2010.

Leave Ghana on the 30th July to Ethiopia for a meeting on Discipleship from the 1st August to the 9th August. Will return to Ghana on the 11th August.

Pray for our denomination national Pastors and Leaders Prayer Retreat which comes on the 16th August to the 20th August in Kumasi. Pray for the venue, the speakers, the participants traveling from the length and breath of Ghana. This year prayer retreat is mandatory for all pastors and leaders attending the retreat comes with their spouses. This year attendants is expected to grow in number.

Pray the funds needed to pay for venue, accommodation, feeding etc.

Pray for me as I will be joining the Pastors and leaders in Kumasi as soon as I arrived in Accra, Ghana. Fortunately, my wife Mercy will be joining me in Kumasi for the prayer retreat.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Praying and Serving Him Together.

Stephen and Mercy Aputara

Sermon July 25, 2010

Joe Holman – Bolivia Missionary

Read new updates from Peru and Mexico, plus an update on the short term trip to China. These posts are on the password protected section of the website, so if you don’t have an account to view this content already established, please send an email request to missions@brbc.org.

• Peru
• Mexico
• China

Read new updates from France and Ireland. These posts are on the password protected section of the website, so if you don’t have an account to view this content already established, please send an email request to missions@brbc.org.

• France
• Ireland

Read the updates on this summer’s short term missions trips to China and Ireland. These posts are on the password protected section of the website, so if you don’t have an account to view this content already established, please send an email request to missions@brbc.org.

• China
• Ireland

Stephen from Ghana, who recently returned from his trip to the U.S., provides a report on his subsequent ministry activities:

THE APUTARA’S CHRONICLES (MINISTRY NEWS OF STEPHEN AND MERCY APUTARA)

The months of May 11th through June 15th saw me visiting the States. It was a wonderful time of meeting friends, partners and also speaking to individuals and group of people, sharing the needs of the ministry in Ghana.

I arrived in Ghana on the 17th June and realized that my baggage remained in New York. I was assured of their safety and transfer to Accra, Ghana. Delta Airlines did not keep their promised, however, I got my baggage. This was not without some financial and time losts.

June 13th saw me preaching in All Souls Church in Navrongo. Visit our outreach preaching place in Paga in the late afternoon.

Monday June 21st saw me having meetings with Navrongo Senior High School management over student uprising on the the 30th May.

Tuesday had meetings with the District Church Council members. Visited our pre-schools to meet with staff and to greet the pupils who missed me for six weeks. They were happy their Daddy was back. The kids called, Daddy.

On the 23rd June had to travel back to Accra by bus (15 hours) for Bible Church of Africa Board of Trustee meeting. Had meeting with our theological education committee on the 24th. Had board meeting on the 25th in the morning to 2:30pm. Met with the scholarship committee of our denomination on the 25th in the evening.

On the 26th June visited my daughter Phoebe in senior high school in the eastern part of Accra, 2 hours drive by bus.

Spoke in the church on the 27th June. Visited flooding area in Accra that claimed 35 lives and properties amounting to thousands of Ghana cedis.

Left Accra on the 28th by bus to Navrongo.

Today 3rd July, I have just returned home from a long meeting with the board and management of Navrongo senior high school. The students rioting on the 30th May destroyed property worth many thousands of cedis. The committee that was set to find out the cause of the uprising did not actually do their work properly with tensions still growing. It is alleged that some of the students were having deadly weapons (AK47 raffles etc). The well behaved students are being targeted by these students. Lives are being threatened. These leaders of the uprising are from our other brothers. And some of the committee members set by the government were also our other brothers. Their recommendation did not include any disciplined to be meted on the students suspected to be the cause of the uprising. Another committee is being set today to speak to both staff and students and also meet with the mayors and the minister in charge of this region. I am on the committee to meet with the students, staff, mayor etc. This is a big task.

I would appreciate your prayers on this. That I will be favored by God.

There was a Big Joy in my heart after our meeting this afternoon. The chairman of the board of trustee asked for a volunteer to do the closing prayer. This is what one of our big brothers, who is a prominent member of our brothers said, “Since we have the man of God who has been away and is back with us, he should do the prayers”. I was thrilled and praised God silently in my heart. Anyway, I did the closing prayer. May God’s name be Glorified.

I have this Task on me now to bring peace and reconciliation at a time lives are being threatened. But one thing I know is, “With God all things are possible”.

Dear brothers and sisters, what a privilege to have met you and known you. In the words of Augustine, “Without God, we cannot; but without us God will not.”

In His sovereignty, God has voluntarily linked Himself to human cooperation, (You and I). He has bound Himself to the prayer of faith of His children. He merges His working with man’s praying.

Joshua’s day in battle would have gone poorly without Moses prayer (Exodus 17). Jacob’s place in Israel’s history would not have been the same without Penuel (You) (Genesis 32). The cross would have been intolerable without Gethsemane (Luke 22).

THINGS TO PRAY FOR

1. For Wisdom as I lead the committee.
2. For the Favor of God upon me and the committee members. One of them is the other brother.
3. For protections from the enemy
4. For the protections of the well behaved students (the X)
5. For my family and the ministry
6. For our preschools.

Thank you
Your brother and His servants,

Stephen and Mercy Aputara

Smyrna Ministries, which encourages Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith under Islam, recently introduced its new website at Smyrna Ministries International. New items include

an expanded blog section and a Persecution Map that shows recent persecution incidents monitored by Smyrna.

Many Christians persecuted under Islam experience resultant financial hardship. Smyrna has established several Funds to collect needed resources for these Christians. Be sure to check out Smyrna’s current list of Funds and individual Fund projects at the SHARE Fund.

And, or course, please pray diligently for the persecuted church worldwide.

You prayed for the conference in Paris earlier this month . . . now read the encouraging recap!

Our missionary in France has requested this information be password protected for security reasons. If you already have a password please proceed to the link below. If not, you can request one by sending an email to missions@brbc.org.

Read both posts . . .

Romania Reborn invites you to come enjoy an evening to benefit the children of Hope House and Living Hope Center. While you sample coffee and an array of delicious desserts, learn how the lives of Romania’s most vulnerable children are being transformed by our national-run ministries. Hear the moving stories of formerly-abandoned children, and get a firsthand glimpse of their world through their new ministry video. There is no cost to attend, but donations are welcome and will be accepted at the event. Bring a friend and join them!

Saturday, May 1, 2010, at 7:00 pm
Blue Ridge Bible Church
770 South 20th Street
Purcellville, VA
RSVP to (304) 535-1555
or info@romania-reborn.org

If you need any more info on the event, you are welcome to contact Jayme or Christian, or go to their website events page.

And while you’re at it, check out their Facebook page:
Romania Reborn on Facebook

Mercy is coming!

Yes, that’s right and you have a chance to help Mercy get here. Plans are underway to have Stephen A. and his wife Mercy visit BRBC in late April.

Stephen is President of the Bible Churches of Africa in Ghana and he lives in the north – near the border with Burkina Faso. Last year, our church started regular support for Stephen and his ministry.

His work is varied and very busy:

§ pastor “All Souls Bible Church” in Navrongo
§ mentor and teacher to many other native pastors
§ many building and farming projects
§ at the frontline of the spread of Islam in Ghana
§ takes in and supports orphans
§ widows ministries
§ transports people to hospitals
§ always looks to the needs of others

Now, he is asking us to provide so that Mercy can travel with him this April. She has never been out of Ghana and hardly ever gets a vacation or meal in a restaurant. This is a great opportunity to bless this magnificent couple!

The Aputara’s will be staying in this area for much of their visit to the USA. Take a look at what Stephen says about how involved Mercy is in his ministry:

Dear Heidi,

Trust you are doing well with the family.

Mercy’s dream is to see those who have contributed to the ministry.

She desires to meet as many women as possible to partner in raising children from deprieved families and communities. She is at the moment helping to provide food and shelter for many kids in the communities, especially children from single parents. Many of these kids are often taken by people and forced into hard labor. Especially the girls never have access to education. Some are given into early marriage at age 14.

Having come from the same background (single parent) denied education, taken as a maid, work without rest, she is so much concern of the plight of kids like that.

She is so excited going to the U.S.A Mercy is soooo excited and already dreaming of it. She is wondering how the flight will be. She has never traveled by air. It will be a wonderful experience for her. We are praying and trusting the good Lord to make this happen soon.

Please. I would like you to pray and see if God might prompt you to donate money for Mercy’s plane fare. If so, please write checks to Blue Ridge Bible Church with the memo “Mercy Aputara plane fare.” I thank you so much. I can not wait for everyone to meet Stephen and Mercy in person. You will know that they are wonderfully warm people.

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Arequipa! This will be the last update before we arrive in West Virginia on March 12. We are looking forward to hearing from our churches about setting up meetings as well as visiting with our individual supporters. We will need to raise $530.00 a month before we can return to the field. We have lost 30% support because of the drop of the dollar, but we are confident the Lord will raise it up.

We are in the pains of packing up our house and getting ready to head back to the US. Zack and Caleb are having a very difficult time going back to the US, so we would ask you to pray for them. This is the life they have known for a long time and now, at least for Zack, it is a more permanent good-bye. The majority of his friends are here and he is more Peruvian than American, so please pray for him. He turned 18 the 14th of January. Pray that he will be able to find work once we arrive back in the US. His plans are to attend Liberty University in the fall, providing he receives some financial aid. He wants to come back to Latin America and work in youth missions. Caleb will be attending a Christian school while we are in the US. He too is having a difficult time with the packing and getting ready once again for all the sad goodbyes that are soon to come. As for Debbie and I, we are struggling with leaving but are looking forward to fellowship and ministering in the US. We are hoping to serve in our home church and that some friends will allow us to have Bible studies in their homes. If anyone would be interested in hosting a home Bible study using the “Story of Hope”, please let us know.

Yes, we are planning on returning to Peru, Lord willing, once our furlough is up and our funds are raised. However, we are open to do the Lord’s will be that in Peru, the US or another country. For now, the plan is to return to Arequipa.

December was filled with a lot of activities and opportunities to share Christ. There were church dinners as well as our Christmas cantata. We opened up our home on Christmas Eve and had several people stop by for food and fellowship. We also had a special New Years Eve service that was filled with fun, fellowship and praises to our God.

The home Bible study that Aaron has been involved in is going great. He is hoping to finish the “Story of Hope” before we leave for the states. The Bible study is a highlight for Aaron because he believes some of the people have given their lives to Christ. Two weeks ago one of the ladies just came out and asked “What do I have to do to be saved?”. That was like saying “stick-em” to a bull dog. When Aaron finished the presentation of the gospel she said “I believe”.

Willy and his wife have still not made a profession of faith. Aaron took them the “Fire proof” video and the “Love Dare “ book, but obviously they need the Lord first before they can work on their marriage. Their salvation is a huge burden.

We hope to complete the discipleship classes we are currently holding. The students are so full of questions that at times it is hard to get through a lesson. Debbie actually spent 3 weeks on one lesson because of all the questions. We should be able to finish the “Way to Joy” with both of our groups before we leave.

The first Sunday in January, the church held its annual business meeting and elected the first deacon ever in the church. Pastor Abraham has been doing a great job with the transition, stepping up to the job of pastor while we take the role of assistants. We are still meeting with him and his wife offering discipleship and counseling. We are confident in his ability to take the church forward.

The 2nd week in January we had our annual field team meetings and Bible conference with our missionary partners. It is always a blessing for us to see and fellowship with our colleagues from all over Peru. Our conference speaker this year looked at the 7 miracles of Christ in the book of John. It was so refreshing to hear English preaching/teaching as well as singing praises in English.

Right after the Field team meetings, we took a group of five teens to Lima for the Word of Life camp. They made some wonderful decisions for the Lord that week and came back and shared their hearts with the church. We trust that the teens in the church will carry the youth ministry forward since Zack will no longer be here to lead them. José, who has been working with Zack for the last year, has taken over the responsibilities of the youth group and has done a fantastic job so far.

Next week, our church will be joining with another church for family camp in Camana. Aaron will be teaching on purity in the life of a teen as well as on the armor of God. Debbie will not be going with us this year as she is overwhelmed with the packing and final details that need to be done before we leave.

Before we leave, we have planned three weeks of baptisms. We are so thankful for all that the Lord is doing in the church and other ministries we are involved in.

Aaron had the privilege of speaking to a group of ladies at our coworkers’ church on overcoming depression. He does not feel that he is an expert, but having learned so much through his ordeal, he is anxious to share it with others. There were 28 ladies present and the study was a big success. Aaron would love the opportunity to help other people with what he has learned on the subject.

Pastor Julio, who was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, is doing very well considering. The Lord has actually given him the strength to preach in his own pulpit the last couple of weeks. We pray that the Lord will continue to give the whole family strength to deal with this trial.

Update — Feb. 4

First off, Pastor Julio was given just 3 months to live in November, 2009. The cancer had spread to all his vital organs as well as his bones and the end looked imminent. He took three chemo treatments and yesterday went to the doctor for a progress report. To the amazement of the doctors the cancer that had metastasized is gone, his kidneys are clear and his liver is clear. The large mass he had on one side of his backbone is gone. They are not sure about his bones so they are doing tests to see how they are. There is still some residual cancer so they are going to continue the chemo for a while longer. The doctors told Julio’s wife that there was no way the chemo could have done this and she simply replied “I know it wasn’t the chemo, it was the prayers of God’s people and God who did it”. Churches all over Peru have been praying for his healing and God has answered in a powerful way! ALL things are possible with God. Julio has felt so well, he has even been able to preach the last three weeks without coughing, although he is exhausted when he gets done.

Secondly, the Bible study Aaron has been doing with The Story of Hope has brought much fruit. Last Saturday, three of the four ladies in the Bible study placed their faith in Christ and are now part of the family of God. While they had believed for a long time, they realized that they had never received Christ’s forgiveness, like the thief on the cross did, and confessed Christ as their Savior. So right there in their home, they bowed their heads and prayed for Christ to save them. It was such an awesome time to see them repent and to be used by God in this way. I have prayed for their salvation for months and the Lord brought in the harvest.

Third, Sunday was a very special day in our church. We had a missionary from Chile in the morning and a missionary from Columbia in the evening service. Sunday morning after the morning service we baptized a teenage girl that had received Christ some time ago. We are planning 2 more baptisms before we leave!

The boys left for camp in Camaná on Wednesday and Aaron is leaving to join them today. Pray for Zackary as he is a counselor this year and there are at least 2 unsaved boys in his room. Debbie is staying home this year to finish packing and supervise the painting. We only have 24 more days here and are trying to make them all count for the glory of the Lord.

Can I get an Amen! Glory, hallelujah!!

In His Grip,
Aaron, Debbie, Zack, and Caleb Karr
Vonage (304) 521-4330
Skype name is aaron_karr

Please only use our akarr@abwe.cc from now on.

Where have nearly 300 people been brought to faith in Christ in the midst of Muslim dominance during the past year? Why, Ghana, of course! Read about it, as well as the over 10,000 kids served in day care, the 800+ women building hope for the future in a micro-enterprise development program, and much more in these 2 updates:

Johnson & Lydia
Stephen & Mercy

(Both posts are in the secure area of the BRBC website, so you’ll need to log in to view them. Need to set up an account? Email us at missions@brbc.org.)

Looking for a ministry to channel your money for relief work in Haiti? Consider Samaritan’s Purse. They mention that their local partner is Baptist Haiti Mission which is just up the road from the orphanage I visited a month ago. I have not heard any news yet on how that orphanage is doing but will update this post when I do.

Please pray for the people of Haiti and for God’s church in that already impoverished nation.

Update: The orphanage I visited is doing fairly well considering. They had no known damage to their building and also received their monthly delivery of food just two day before the earthquake hit. Praise God that he has provided and protected. We trust him for our provision and care and know that “all things happen together for good to those that love God and are called according to His purposes.”

Another Christian orphanage that you might consider learning more about and supporting is God’s Littlest Angels. They’ve gotten a lot of news coverage in the US.

Adi and Lavinia report that the Lord has raised close to three-quarters of the funds needed for the roof repair to the Living Hope Center. Another $2,500 is still needed to complete all the repairs, however, and winter weather is fast approaching.

They report, “We would highly appreciate your help and support in dealing with this because there is a lot of activitiy going on in this house, a lot of children coming every day, a lot of women and parents.” If you are able to make a special gift for this need above and beyond your regular giving, please consider doing so.

Gifts may be made either through BRBC or Romania Reborn. Please specify that the gift is for the Living Hope Center roof.

This post includes updates on Willy, several financial needs, news of a pastor friend’s cancer diagnosis, and much more.
Holy is the Lord God almighty. We say Holy, Holy, Holy is He.
It is with mixed emotions that we end November and begin December because our time for furlough is coming up very quickly.

That makes us both happy and sad. We love the people and the work, so it is bittersweet now that we just have three months left. It is also bittersweet as we think of Zack graduating this month. Where did the time go? Zack and Caleb are not looking forward to going to the states, but they know it is necessary. We still have no vehicles or housing lined up, but know that “the just shall live by faith” and that God will provide in His time. We are beginning to book meetings so if you would like for us to share with your church, please contact us. Our Vonage phone number is (304) 521-4330 and our email is akarr@abwe.cc. You can also contact us through Facebook. As of right now we are $150 under supported.

November was a wonderful month of service to our God. We started out the month with an evangelistic campaign followed by our church’s third anniversary. We had a special speaker from Lima who challenged our people and shared the message of hope in Christ. The Saturday before the anniversary service, we held our first sports tourney among the churches. Eight sister churches participated in volleyball and soccer competitions all day. It was amazing to see the fellowship among all the different churches and what was more amazing was that we, as missionaries, had nothing to do with the planning or carrying out of the event. On Sunday, we were excited to have an attendance of 90 people celebrate our anniversary with us.

The second week of November we had a retreat with our ABWE co-workers to Arica, Chile. Arica is just across the border from Peru, only about six hours from Arequipa. However, like so many of our stories this trip wasn’t without its adventure. When we arrived at the Chilean border, we learned that there was a country-wide strike and as a way of protest, the border agents were working extremely slowly. After nearly three hours standing outside in a line along with our luggage, we finally made it across the border. The time in Chile was a great time of fellowship, prayer and Bible study with our co-workers.

On the 19th we hosted a group of fifteen people arrived from Pennsylvania. They were here for 10 days working with Peruvian pastors on work projects and ministering every night in different churches. It was a blessing to have this group here since their leaders were our friends and former co-workers, John and Aimee. Two of their kids were also with them so Zack and Caleb had a great time catching up with old friends.

On November 21, the pastors’ fellowship planned a men’s conference for both single and married men. The theme was “purity”—purity in marriage as well as before marriage. We had 90 men, young and old, come from about ten churches. Aaron taught a seminar on purity to the single men, ages 14-30. It was a great blessing and he has been asked to come and teach the same in another church to all their teens.

The home bible study that Aaron is doing is going great. Every Saturday evening he meets with six ladies to teach them “The Story of Hope”. They are soaking up the teaching like a sponge and we believe they are close to making a decision for Christ. Please pray for them. The other Bible study that Pastor Abraham is leading is also going well; they have about 6 in attendance there as well.

The news about Willy is basically the same. He had an operation to clean out the infection in his hip. Aaron visits with him weekly but he still has not made a decision for the Lord. What a huge burden – knowing a dear friend is still without Christ. We still have three more months; Lord willing he will be saved before we leave for furlough.

The ladies ministry is going well. The retreat in October was a great time of fellowship and learning. Debbie is about to finish the course “The Christian Family” with 6 ladies in the church. She is also continuing to disciple two other ladies. The ladies are planning their last outreach of the year, a Christmas outreach with the theme “God’s Gifts to Us.” Please pray that many unsaved will come and hear the gospel.

It is hard for us to believe that Zack will be finishing high school on December 18. We plan to have a small celebration with his friends here before we leave. He is excited to finish, but he knows that this means his time in Peru is getting shorter. He has a great burden for his friends in his tennis academy. He is trying to set up a Bible study with one of his friends, Sebastian, who is not even sure God exists. Please pray for Zack as he tries to reach his friends. He is also still helping to lead the youth group. This month they will begin a study on how to apply God’s principles to everyday decisions. Steve, our co-worker, will be heading up the study for them.

Caleb will be finishing 10th grade and is very excited to be almost done with school for the year. He is also playing tennis and just played in his first tournament two weeks ago. Caleb loves working with the children at church and is a great help in Sunday School and Bible Club. We are beginning to see more of a desire on his part to reach out to his unsaved friends as well.

One of the national pastors and a dear friend, Julio, has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. The cancer was very silent but very aggressive; there were no major symptoms until the cancer was already at stage four. After several tests, they concluded that the cancer has mastisized and is in his lungs, liver, kidneys, thigh bone, back bone, and collar bone. They are only giving him between 3-4 months to live. Julio and his family came from the Amazon jungle 25 years ago as missionaries to Arequipa. He and his family have lived in the church for a number of years and do not have much. We are asking that our churches and friends help this godly man and his family with the bills they are incurring. God has raised $450 so far but they will need about $3000 for medical bills and, if God does not perform a miracle, more to help with funeral costs. If you would like to help, please let us know and we will send you the information on how to send a tax deductible gift.

November ended with a time of Thanksgiving with our co-workers. It is wonderful to think about all that the Lord has done for us and how much we have to be thankful for. We are very thankful for the ministries God has given us, for our family and friends and for each one of you and the part you play in our ministry in Arequipa. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless you as you bless others.

In His Service,
Aaron, Debbie, Zack and Caleb

Adi and Lavi in Romania have a critical situation with the roof at the Living Hope Center. The tile roof, probably the original landlord house roof, is leaking badly. They have pots and pans distributed throughout the whole top floor and the water is now beginning to come down the walls as well. This critical situation will become even worse this winter when the snows come, which will be soon.

Full repairs will likely cost around $10,000.00. Please pray for the provision of these funds so that repairs can be made in the small window of time before the snows pile up on the roof and cause even more damage.

Please also consider making a special financial gift to the Living Hope Center to help repair the leak. If you can contribute any amount that is above and beyond your regular giving to BRBC, we would be most grateful.

Dear Partners,
Trust that this email finds you in a good health. We are fine here.

Last week Friday to Thursday this week saw me with Francis K. and his sick wife in the hospital in Accra. My trip to Accra was to attend our national church meetings and also visit Francis and his wife. Her conditions went so bad that I had to canceled the meetings in order to be with them in the hospital.

The Lord called her (Anna) home on Sunday midnight. Her body was send back to Chiana in upper east region on Thursday at 3:am and buried at 9:30 am. I have been a close family and ministry friends with Francis and Anna for 26 years now. I thank God for giving me His grace to to stand by her sick bed as she took her last breath and also to preach at Anna’s funeral.

I spent the day with Pastor Francis and so happy he is picking up gradually. On Sunday I will be preaching in a joint service in Chiana organised by 8 churches. I will appreciate your prayer support.

I have been invited to be a co-speaker at an Evangelistic Campaign in Ougadougou in Burkina Faso from the 15th November to the 21st November.

Pray that we will be able to fixed a date for the next national church council meeting
Pray for Pastor Francis and his sons, Samuel and David
Pray for my son Kenneth as he starts his national service soon
Pray for my trip to Ougadougou in Burkina Faso.
Pray for safety and and protection as I travel
Pray for my family good health

Thank you

Yours Partner,

Stephen Aputara

We have a report from our missionaries in France regarding the recent conference we’ve been praying about. Read it here.

Please join the missions team that ministered to orphans this summer in China for a presentation this Sunday after the worship service. Potluck will precede the presentation. Please bring a main dish (crockpots work great) and either a salad or a dessert to share.

Dear friends,
I know it is not normal to get a letter from us right after receiving our update, but there is a very important matter that I am asking you to take to the Lord in prayer.

My good friend Willy is in bad shape and getting worse. He had run a fever for the last week and this weekend they found out that he has a major infection in his hip where they operated on him in August. They will open his hip back up tomorrow to attempt to and get all the infection out. The wreck happened 2 months ago yesterday and he has been in bed ever since. I spent most of the day with him and his family. He said all he wants to do is be able to walk again. I told him I wanted him to walk again as well, but more importantly I wanted to see him give his life to Christ and become his child. I prayed with him and he wept. I felt like I really needed to share the gospel with him, so I asked him what would happen if he did not make it through the operation and he said he didn’t know. He then allowed me to share the gospel with him. Although he did not make a decision at that time, he wept again and said he was so scared. I am scared for him as well. His daughter and son also heard the gospel; please pray for them. I have developed a great relationship with this family and love them greatly. I am want to see them come to Christ so badly.

Please remember us and our team in prayer as we have all been under a tremendous satanic oppression all month long. There is so much I would like to share with you regarding this, but our Lord knows the details. Please pray for the Woodard family, the Douglas family and, of course, the Karr family. This has been a very difficult month on us personally, on our co-workers and our respective church plants.

God Bless,

Aaron

Dear Friends,
Eph 5:16 – Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Where does the time go? After almost five years in Peru, it is almost time for our furlough.

We will arrive in Huntington, WV in March, 2010. We still do not have a house or a car, but we have faith that the Lord will provide. We are actually going to need more than one vehicle this time. If you have any ideas or leads on a car or a house, please contact us. Zack will also need a job and would appreciate any leads he can get. We are also starting to book meetings for 2010-2011. If you would like for us to come and share with your church, please contact us as soon as you can since we already have some meetings lined up. Our Vonage number is (304)521-4330 and our email is akarr@abwe.cc . We can also be contacted via Facebook.

As we finish this term, we want to redeem our time so that we can reach as many souls as possible. As the verse above states, the days we live in are evil; however, we are grateful for the privilege we have of serving the Lord in Peru. It is amazing to see what the Lord has done and is doing in our lives and the various ministries that we are involved in. He is to be praised and glorified. We are learning is to give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God. We have much to be thankful for as we look back over the last month.

Ps 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
First and foremost, two people put their faith in Christ—a teenage girl and an adult man. We are planning a special baptism service for the last weekend in November so these, and hopefully others, will be baptized.

It is amazing how God works. Aaron met Willy, a Peruvian business man, 7 years ago. He is a very rich man and sees no need for God in his life. Aaron talked with him about the Lord and how he could have a new life in Christ over the years. He would always make fun of the “new life” in Christ but Aaron still kept up the friendship. Aaron tried to get in touch with him in September and found him in the hospital—he had had a major car accident and had been in the hospital for 3 weeks. He had had several operations and still has a crushed hip which is trying to heal. Aaron immediately went to the hospital to visit with him and took him the book “The Story of Hope.” While visiting with him and his wife, Leonora, he asked if Aaron would pray for him. Aaron assured him that he had been and would continue. Before leaving, he asked that Aaron come visit him at his house as often as possible since he will be in the bed for at least 2 months. Aaron has been to visit him at least once a week since he arrived home and has begun to share with him and Leonora about God’s plan of salvation. Two weeks ago, we invited his daughter, Viviana, to the youth group and she came. We didn’t realize until the following week that he was upset that his daughter went to a Christian church. His wife reminded him that his daughter was with us, and “We can trust Aaron, he cares for us.” Praise the Lord! Please pray for their salvation; we have a tremendous burden for them—the kind that makes you weep for their souls.

Paola and Maybet started coming to church about 6 months ago and were baptized in August. They are so excited about reaching their families for Christ. Paola asked if Aaron would start a Bible study at her home for her family because they will not enter an “evangelical” church. Saturday evening we met at her house with 4 other ladies that are all unsaved and pretty skeptical. What a tremendous opportunity! We expect 2 to 3 more in the coming weeks. We started with the video “The Hope”, which leads into a chronological study of the Bible, and then shared how the Bible is the word of God. We will be working through the Bible chronologically using the book “The Story of Hope.” Our prayer and burden is that these ladies will put their faith in Christ very soon. The co-pastor, Abraham, will be starting another home Bible study with Maybet’s family in September.

The seminary is going well. Aaron loves teaching and this semester he is teaching Evangelism and Discipleship from a chronological point of view. Zack, a senior, has decided to take this class. It is fun for father and son to be studying together.

The youth ministry is doing great and growing. Zack has spearheaded this ministry and is doing a great job. The teens are inviting their friends and taking an interest in helping out. They have many ideas about how to make the meetings more exciting and appealing to the youth. Several of them are working towards camp in January and February. Pray that those who want to go will be faithful and will have the funds needed.

Zack is doing well. He has had many opportunities to share his faith with his friends and seems to have a real burden for missions. We can’t wait to see what the Lord has planned for him. Zack has applied and been accepted to Liberty University for the fall of 2010. Pray that he gets some scholarships.

Caleb continues to amaze us with his ability to work with children. As soon as the kids arrive at church they ask, “Where is Caleb?” He is really special in that area. He is also making more friends at tennis and starting to invite people to the youth meetings.

The ladies ministry is going well. We had an informal meeting in September where we all got to know each other a little better. It was amazing to hear how some of the newer ladies came to Christ. The Bible study is going well—we are studying the Christian family—and there are always many questions. Our next ladies meeting will be in a couple of weeks with the theme, “God Speaks to Me”. Our emphasis will be how God speaks to us directly through His word, since most Catholics are taught they cannot understand the Bible therefore, they should not read it. Pray that this will be a blessing to those who come.

The New Life Baptist Church has invited our church ladies to a retreat on October 30 and 31. The theme is “What do I do with My Feelings?” Pray that many will be able to go and it will be a blessing to all. Debbie will be sharing a devotional and is also in charge of preparing a craft for the ladies to do.

In November we have a full schedule. Nov. 5-8 we are having an evangelistic campaign, ending with our church anniversary. Usually the anniversary is the most attended service of the year. The church members are again doing most of the planning and work. The 10th-15th, we have a retreat in Chile with our missionary partners. The 19th-29th, our friends from Pennsylvania are coming for a missions trip. The 21st, the national pastors are hosting a purity conference for men. Of course, we will also be celebrating Thanksgiving. Please pray that we will be able to get everything done and that the Lord will be glorified in it all.

In His Service,
The Karr Family

Prayer requests:

Willy, Leonora, and Viviana – salvation
Virginia and Catiana – salvation
Maycol – young father & husband fighting cancer
Scholarships for Zack’s college
A job for Zack
A house to live in during furlough
A car for furlough
We need to raise about $400 a month in support

Romania Reborn has posted an important video message here on Facebook. And if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign up for Facebook and follow the news of Hope House and the Living Hope Center at Romania Reborn’s Facebook wall.

Read the latest prayer request from our missionaries in France regarding an upcoming conference.

We at BRBC have been invited to register with a new website hosted by our ministry partners in France. Please visit this link to learn more about their ongoing work and future plans. Registration and authorization is required.

From Stephen, needing prayer for recovery from malaria . . .

“For ten days now, I have been taken ill. I went down seriously with malaria. I went to the hospital and had lab test which shows I had malaria parasites (mps 2 plus). And also Stress. I am still on medication and will be seeing the doctor on monday for another test to see if the parasites has come down. It is the worse malaria I have ever had in my life time. According to the doctor, it is the stress that cause the parasites to go high.

“I am thankful to God for His healing. I will also have to slow down with some of the activities.

“Our days of fasting and prayers in the churches had been very beneficial. One young girl gave her life to the Lord during the period of their fasting and prayers. Three young men in one of the villages gave their lives to the Lord two weeks ago. These young men age between 24 and 30 are noted thieves in the communities. It is amazing how the Lord touched them and they gave their lives to the Lord. I send them three Bibles.

“I will appreciate your prayers for total healing from malaria. It has taken away my energy and appetite for food.”