Prayer Letter

Greetings to all from a very snowy, wintry Maryland! We would like to update you on Andy’s trip to Peru, let you know of our plans for returning to Peru,

and update you on the direction we believe the Lord would have us go in terms of our ministry there.

Iquitos Visit

-Andy’s trip to Iquitos was a very full one. He attended a family seminar that a group of churches invited our regional administrator, Bob Trout, to give. Also present, was Tim Farley, the future director of our Bible Institute. We were in 5 churches altogether.

Patton Postings

Jan-Feb 2010

“But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace.” Acts 20:24

In Iquitos, in front of the Bible Institute, after moving some stuff. :-)

-With the help of some local friends, Andy was able to move our little (non-running) van across a busy street- at 1 AM in the pouring rain! It had to be moved from the women’s dormitory (the “Annex“), to the Bible Institute property across the street. It was totally miraculous that the guys were able to push the van across the street, with little visibility, going the wrong way on the street, and having to go up and down inclines over impromptu ramps. The last drop was a big one. The front windshield did get cracked in the process, due to the wind hurling a metal pole against the car, but other than that, the worse thing that happened was that the guys got totally drenched.

-On another day, Andy, with a lot of help, was able to assist in moving across the street to the Institute property: furniture belonging to the Institute, some of our belongings that had been stored at the Annex, and our motorcycle.

Family conference at Belén Templo church

Family conference at Betania church

-Our missionary team, along with our administrator, met with 2 different pastor associations. We are looking to develop functional fellowships among their churches and fruitful ministry partnerships with them.

-Then, our field team had a couple of days of sessions to discuss a number of topics related to the future of the field. One outcome of the sessions was that we (Andy and Carol) have a much clearer view of what our ministry emphasis will be, upon returning to Iquitos. (See section below.)

(Back row) Lynn Porter, Bob Trout, Dee Donaldson (Front row) Tim Farley, Andy, Rich Donaldson

-It was good to see ABWE missionaries Rich and Dee Donaldson, Lynn Porter, and Tim Farley- all members of our Upper Amazon field team. We had some productive meetings facilitated by Bob Trout. We enjoyed the great cooking of Dee Donaldson, and food and fellowship at Lynn Porter’s. Yes, it was quite warm and humid, but a wonderful change for Andy from the Mid-Atlantic cold and snow.

Garage where our little van is now "staying."

Andy, with Jimena, holding her new Bible.

Andy, with Pastor Pepe

With Pastor Benjamin Álvarez, of Monte Horeb church.

Pastor Roger Teagua and his wife, of Peniel church.

Renovated Mariscal Cáceres street in Iquitos.

-This is Pastor Pepe in the picture with Andy (above). Pepe was still recovering from a hernia operation. Brother Pepe has a prison ministry, an outreach to street children, and he pastors a church. It was so great to see him!

-Andy was able to give away several Bibles to folks, like Jimena, and to deliver textbooks to Pastor Pepe to enable him to continue his biblical counseling studies. Andy also took vitamins and other dietary supplements, computer equipment, and supplies, that are not readily available in Iquitos, to other needy folks.

Arequipa Visit

Some of the guys at Arequipa meeting.

> Below, very briefly, are the three areas that we see the Lord leading us to focus on upon our return to Iquitos.

Ministry Focuses

> River Outreach Coordinators

Our mission used to have several couples and single missionaries working along the rivers for many years. Currently, there are none. Many believers have come to the city of Iquitos to tell us of their situations and to ask for help of the missionaries and believers from the city. There are hundreds of villages and towns along the Momón, Itaya, Tigre, Marañón, Ucayali, Tapiche, and Napo rivers that need to be re-visited, or reached for the first time. There is a need for evangelism, church-planting, discipleship, training, counseling and church encouragement in this large region. There are many national believers that are available and very willing to go. It will be our job to provide ministry coordination, logistical help, advice, and the training that they have asked for.

> The Bible Institute

We are embarking on a plan to revitalize and grow the Bible Institute. It will have a new director this year. Andy has been asked to teach and to lend a hand, where needed, in re-building and expanding this vital ministry. We hope to ultimately involve the Institute students in the river ministry and to offer extension courses from the Institute to those along the river. We see the Bible Institute as being a critical component in carrying out church-planting, discipleship, and building missions movements to reach the world.

> Church Care and Encouragement

There are at least 42 Baptist churches in the Iquitos area. There are 3 different associations that many of these churches belong to. The pastors and lay leaders of these congregations, as well as the other members, need encouragement, counseling, training, and fellowship. Carol will be a real help in assisting churches in their Christian education, (like Sunday School, VBS, and other children’s ministries), with her training and experience in those areas.

Target Date

With the approval and encouragement of our sending church and the mission, we have set a target date for our family to go back to Iquitos- no later than November 1^st. It would be great to get back even as early as the 3^rd or 4^th week of October.

Raising Support

Over the next 7 months or so, we are going to concentrate heavily on contacting churches to raise the 34% of the support that we lack and to seek to replenish our outfit and passage fund. We need wisdom in deciding who to contact and how to best use our time and the Lord’s resources.

A Word of Thanks

A special word of thanks to all of you have been unwavering in your prayer and financial support. It is truly humbling. We think of the Olympic relay speed-skaters who push their teammates forward to encourage them and help them get by the competition, so that their team can win the race. Your encouragement and support have really pushed us forward in our race to reach people with the Good News. Thank you!

Blessings to you all,

Andy and Carol

-Andy spent a week in the city of Arequipa- meeting with the Spanish-Speaking South America regional team. It was a very productive and instructive time. What a time of blessing to sit under the teaching of Jim Ruff and Dale Marshfield from our mission headquarters. It was also a huge blessing to share and hear updates on what God is doing in each country and region! The Peru missionary team shared the vision they, along with the national believers, have for their country, which is summed up in the theme, “Peru: Epicenter of Missions.” In our South America region, we want to see each of our countries become an “Epicenter of Missions” to reach the world.

<- Volcano in Arequipa as seen from the tarmac as Andy was leaving.