Hi Everyone!
Sometime in the middle of May I had an idea for the central theme of this update; I wrote down the single word, “helplessness,” on a notecard and set it to the side for later. We were at the beginning of our third month of a very strict quarantine. We had just lost two men very close to the ministries here (the pastor of one of the churches and our bus driver for missions group season), I personally knew or knew of 8 other pastors here in Peru who had Covid-19 and were really struggling, I was seeing physical suffering all around me as families couldn’t afford food or rent, (a few friends who were working but there wasn’t the money to fully pay them for the work they were doing had to move in with other families as they lost their homes), I couldn’t get to Manchay to check on my kids, nor did I have contact with many of the kids from my other ministries, and on top of all that I was watching my hometown flood and then dams break causing more flooding and many people I love dearly lost their homes and/or most of their belongings. So, I jotted down the word, “helplessness,” as a reminder and kept going.
I look back at that little note now, and it was actually hard at first to figure out exactly why I wrote it. Yes, the tragedies and situations above all happened within the last two months, (along with several others), but some amazing things have happened as well. While yes, over the last two month my physical reach has been limited, I cannot imagine applying the term, “helplessness,” to these months at all.
Even though Peru’s strict quarantine continued through May and June, I still had several different opportunities to share the gospel one on one with people. One of the newer kids in the children’s home came up to me one Sunday after our Bible lesson at the home and started asking questions. Lots of questions. Eventually we got around to what makes a person a part of the family of God and through that question I was able to share the gospel with him. We went through the gospel point by point and he acknowledged his belief of each point, but towards the end of the conversation when I asked if he wanted to accept the gift of salvation for himself, he said he wasn’t ready. He appeared quite distressed saying he didn’t know if he could know for sure it was all true. I took him back through each point, and again, he said he believed them, but he wasn’t ready to apply it to himself. Please be praying for him as he has such a hunger to learn and continues to ask me Bible questions on a daily basis.
In May and June it was still illegal to use personal vehicles (to help the government in preventing people from going places they weren’t allowed to) so I had a government approved taxi driver taking me to the bank a few towns away when needed. One day something came up so he called a friend of his to take me instead. This driver knew nothing about the children’s home or our church so through the plastic sheeting separating us we talked the entire way. As the conversation continued he began to tell me he believed in God that he believed it didn’t matter how or where he served, worshipped, or learned about God, only that he did; mentioning several places he went which taught very differing things and did not at all teach the gospel including Jehovah’s witness Bible studies and even learning from the Israelitas here in Cieneguilla.
That statement led to a conversation on authority, then God’s authority, God’s Word and then to God’s desires for His followers into the gospel. He said I had given him a lot to consider and he is still asking questions of a common friend of ours. I don’t mind planing seeds. The increase is God’s responsibility and I am more than willing to lay that at His feet. There were several other times I did get to share the gospel in the last two months, in person and virtually, and see God give the increase, but I mention specifically those situations where your prayers are most needed.
I mentioned earlier about associating the feeling of helplessness with seeing the suffering all around me, the people who are struggling to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. It is true, Peru is full of suffering right now as people haven’t had the chance to work, and yet somehow I focused on how great the need was discounted the things we were doing to help. Through the Bags of Hope project Chelene Kennedy started and that many of you have given to as well, we have been able to help more than 650 families with food as they need it. Some of these families live so far back in-between mountains that the help the government has been offering hasn’t made it to them. Through other gifts you all have given which were not designated specifically for Bags of Hope or food relief, but for my discretion I have been able to continue helping my families in Manchay as well as a few other people I know with food, but also with other necessities such as warm clothing as winter has begun. While there is so much more that can be done, because of God’s grace and your giving we are far from helpless.
Please keep praying for our ministries here, and the people of Peru. Pray that we can be a light in the midst of this very dark time, and that we will be sensitive to God’s leading in where to go and who needs food – spiritually and physically. Please also be praying as I will have to make decisions regarding a furlough I had planned for late this year and early next year to report at my supporting churches. Pray that our international borders will open here in Peru and that I will make the right decisions regarding the timing of that furlough. Please also pray as through the Bags of Hope God has opened my eyes to some new areas in Cieneguilla I am burdened about getting into to minister. Thank you all. ~ Pam Drout ~