Happy New Year!
As I reflect on all that God has done in this last year, and more specifically for the purposes of this letter, all He has done in the last few months, I am overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed with joy in the prayers that God has answered and the needs He has provided for; I am overwhelmed with excitement in the ways He continues to teach me and gives me understanding in His Word; and I am overwhelmed with grief and burden as He answers my prayers to make me more aware of the needs around me, the ones I can help alleviate, and the ones I personally can do nothing about but seek God’s grace, mercy, and intervention through prayer.
In December I was speaking with an 8 year old boy who attends our Thursday evening Bible club faithfully and occasionally (when his father permits) rides one of our bus routes to church on Sunday mornings. I do not remember the instigating incident for this particular conversation, but this young boy had done something that wasn’t acceptable and needed to understand that. At one point in the conversation the following took place:
Me: Daniel, Are you a Christian?
(Yes, I purposely asked that question in a vague way.)
Daniel: Yes.
Me: How do you know?
Daniel: Because I’m Peruvian.
Daniel and I continued to talk for another 5 minutes or so, but despite the fact that even in that moment he was in trouble for his actions he still did not (and to this day does not) believe he is a sinner. His answer broke my heart, but it didn’t surprise me. So many here in Peru equate Catholicism and Christianity not with what they believe, but with nationality, culture and identity. As I teach in different classes and Bible studies I find most of the children I work with assume they are Christians, until they understand enough Bible to know they are not. Please be praying for Daniel, that he will settle down long enough to hear the Bible (yes, he is an extremely active kid), and that he will understand his need for a Savior.
Another young man (11 years old) has brought me great joy in the last several months. He came to live in the orphanage a few months ago and so he started attending several of the different kids classes that I teach. On Wednesday nights my kids have been studying through the characteristics of God, how those characteristics can be seen in our lives, and how we ought to imitate those characteristics in our own lives. Each week the kids are given a sheet with several memory verses for the following week. This 11 year old boy had never memorized a Bible verse before coming to the home, yet he has shown a great hunger for God’s Word and what the Bible teaches. Each week he diligently studies all the verses and each week he says every single verse, word perfect, without hesitation.
I love to know that God is still working on me. Sometimes He wallops me upside the head with something and other times He gives me gentle reminders to never take His goodness or provision for granted. That’s one reminder I receive at this time each year in various ways. In the last several months a few unexpected needs have arisen for different individual and within the different I am involved in. Because of your generosity in giving over and above the norm at a time of year where giving tends to slow down, myself as well as people around me were able to see how God provides once again. Thank you so much.
Please continue to be in prayer for Daniel, as well as all of the children touched by the ministries here. Summer has begun which brings new children into the ministries I participate in as they stay with different family members over the summer for vacation, and starts other ministries back up again, such as Bible memory clubs and English classes. Please be in prayer that I will have the energy to keep up with a busy (but wonderful) schedule and the words I need in each place. Thank you so much for your support – financially, prayerfully, and relationally. Have a wonderful new year!
~Pam Drout~