8 years

This Sunday we will celebrate 8 years of Powerhouse Peru. Which also represents 8 years of us being pastors and missionaries here in Piura, Peru. It's hard to believe it has been that long. Sometimes it feels like we have only been here a year or 2. I've spent most of my marriage in Peru, my kids have all lived here longer than they lived in the states. I joke that I'm basically Peruvian now.

8 years ago we moved from Lima to Piura with nothing more than a few suitcases and a car full of things we accumulated from our year in Lima. We looked all over town for a house with a large living room, because that was going to be our sanctuary. Our first day in Piura we went and bought 3 mattresses. One for Jose and I one for Logan and Timothy and one for Victor (a friend who came with us for our first year and a half.) when we launched our church we had only one member that wasn't part of our family (Victor is part of our family.) The next week Jose went to a local store and asked the salesman for the "table with the most chairs." So we could use the seats for our church and for his mens meeting. Jose led the salesman to the Lord and he was our first member. We launched the church officially soon after that. A mission team came to support us that day. We had several visitors from the mission teams efforts. Three people were baptized that day. Jose's dad "Papi Pepe", the table salesman/first convert at Powerhouse Peru Quike (pronounced kee-kay) and my oldest son Logan.

So cool to see Jose baptize his dad

Our first member and the first person we led to the Lord in Piura, Quike

Logan

This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Jose and Logan

As I look back over the past 8 years and everything that has happened here I can see God's hand in everything. Even the hard times have had their purpose. 

Sometimes I question what God is doing here. I've mentioned before that I crave comfort. So what do I think I'm doing being a missionary. Pretty much every day I am pulled out of my comfort zone. But his strength is made perfect in my weakness. God gets the glory for the past 8 years. He has done some amazing things. We are able to be the light in a dark place and serve in a city that has difficulty retaining missionaries. 

Instead of just talking about our beginning I wanted to share a few pictures. These are some of our firsts and early projects. 

PHC Training Center in Huapalas. Ministering to the local "futbol" team and helped build their field

This is another of my favorites of Jose and Logan. Feeding people waiting to be seen at the ER on Christmas eve

Jose's first time preaching at an evangelistic crusade with 600 College students in attendance

Vision campaign free eye exam and glasses

cleft lip/palate repair medical campaign 

One of the kids from the cleft lip/palate campaign post op

Pepe Selem strongest man in Peru bending steel and preaching the gospel

(1 of 2) one of our first serve projects blessing a school in a shanty town near us 

(2 of 2) Free backpacks and school supplies 

Refrescate! Giving away cold water on a busy street corner

One of our early men's meetings 

Our first servolution! Christmas for 200 kids. We only had a few people in our church that year but God provided!

Caleb's birthday party. One year for Caleb's birthday we took gifts to all the new mothers in the hospital. Diapers, an outfit and a few other new mom necessities

Please keep us in prayers as we start this 9th year as a church. I believe God is about to do something really big here and we need all the help and prayers we can get.