Location and Times
Dear Pastors and Praying Friends,
It is always exciting to look back on the month and write about all that God has been doing here in Arequipa. I think the greatest lesson that I have learned here on the mission field is this: God’s time is not my time and God’s ways are not my ways. Just when I think things should happen, or people should come to Christ, they don’t. Just when I think that now is the right time to make a move, it’s not. I am learning that it is crucial that I listen to God’s voice and pay attention to His will.
Earlier in the year I had the opportunity to lead this young lady to Christ named Ana. She heard the gospel for the first time and accepted Christ as her personal Savior, with all the enthusiasm in the world, I wanted to share the gospel with her sister in hopes that she would receive the gospel with just as much excitement as Ana! After I shared the gospel with Jenny she said, “That’s really nice David, but not now. I need to know more.” I was met with that same answer time after time for the next seven months. I would explain the gospel in different ways, the different effects of salvation, the condemnation she was under and any other thing I could use to make her understand Jesus, Christianity, the gospel and God. She never met me with resistance, just doubt.
After seven months, of people in the youth group sharing, loving, witnessing and praying, she came to me after our Saturday night youth meeting. She gave me a big hug and just said one word “tonight”. I said “tonight what? You want to be saved tonight?” All she did was nod her head to let me know she wanted to be saved.
My wife and I proceeded to talk to her a little more about salvation and then prayed with her. She wanted to pray in her own words. I hope that one day in heaven I can hear the beautiful prayers of the people that have come to Christ with me. I can only imagine the beautiful words they express to their Lord and Savior.
Please continue to pray for all of these young people that have been saved. They must grow in the love and grace of Jesus Christ and know Him more every day.
Thank you for enabling us to do what we do. I could never imagine any greater privilege than to serve God in the way he created me to serve.
A few months ago, we had the privilege of hooking up with the great people from Faith Baptist Church in LaGrange, GA. They have a ministry that is focused on the end times events. They do a real life drama that really brings all of those events to life. Faith Baptist brought a team here to Peru to help us host our very first Judgement Journey, although we called it “Revelación” in Spanish. It was one of the greatest tools I have seen to make people sensitive to the gospel. We did this event for three weeks and saw 2257 people come through the door with over 300 people making professions of faith.
I wanted to thank everyone from Faith Baptist Church for all of the time and money invested. We have had very few groups that have been so humble and have worked so hard. Thank you.
For His Glory,
David, Katie and Chloe Gardner
Missionaries to Peru
Macedonia World Baptist Missions