Peru update, 10-26

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