On last August there were three events that I have to emphasize.

First event: Calling a Pastor for La Esperanza Baptist Church.

As many of you know, my local church has no Pastor since February 2011.  Since that moment, part of my ministerial life was dedicated to pastor and manage the Church.

On July, during mi visit to the USA, our Church invited Pastor Juan Valderrama to visit us.  That time together was part of the process to know him better and, Lord willing, be our Pastor.  August 11 was the date appointed for voting on him.

Our business meeting was held on that date, and Pastor Juan Valderrama was called to be our Pastor.  When Pastor Valderrama was a child, he attended to our Church.  As a young person went to study at Baptist Seminary of Peru with recommendation of our Church.  After graduation, Pastor Valderrama was called to work with Pastor Enoc Principe at Bethel Baptist Church as Assistant Pastor.  Now, thanks to that election under God’s direction, he will come back to our Church and he will be our Pastor.   Lord willing, he will be installed as our Pastor on January 1 this coming 2014.

Second event:  Ministerial trip to Requena.  This time I traveled with Pastor Raul Vargas from Bible Baptist Church (Puente Piedra, Lima).  It was his first time in that area of Peru for Pastor Vargas.

During our visit we taught two courses. Pastor Vargas taught “History of the Church” to 14 people during 4 days.  On evenings, Pastor Vargas preached at Bethesda Baptist Church.  On my side, I taught “The Book of Revelation” to 7 people, who faithfully attended to learn the Word of God.

Pastor Vargas and I enjoyed so much that experience, serving together to our brothers.  This trip also was useful to know more each other and share our vision for ministry.

Pastor Raul Vargas came back to Lima with vision to start, Lord willing, centers of training similar to Requena Center in other Peruvian areas: Huanuco and Tingo Maria.  Let’s see how God bless this plan, and how my partners and I could help to run this plan.  Traveling and teaching with Pastor Vargas was a tremendous blessing to me.

Third event: Teaching the Book of Acts at Baptist Seminary of Peru.   This year, after several years, I restarted to teach Bible courses at this Seminary.  In the first semester I taught “Life of Christ” and “Daniel”.  This semester I am teaching “The Book of Acts”.

I taught “Acts” 14 years ago at Baptist Seminary of Peru.  On that time I could write material until chapter 12.  This year, I have the challenge to write material until chapter 28.  I am working on that goal.  Lord willing, at the end of September I have to finish my notes on that important book of the New Testament.  Please, help me by praying.

These are remarkable news on August.  Thank you very much for reading my update and for praying for me, for my family, and for the ministry God has given to me.

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”  (Col. 4:2-4).

My visit to the U.S. – July 2013

On July, the most relevant thing was my trip to the US.

I visited my friends at Hispanic Action Baptist Church, Miami.  I spent a wonderful time with Pastor Mario Rodriguez and Pastor Arodys Garcia.  Please pray for them; may God keep, encourage and use them in powerful ways to spread the gospel.  The Church in Miami is new, but it is growing.

I also was in Texas.  I visited several good friends.  I was in Dallas and Forth Worth, also in Wichita Falls.  Praise the Lord, Wichita Falls Baptist Church is a Church which supports my ministry with prayers and gifts.  I enjoyed fellowship with them.  I am blessed by them; they provided a very warm welcome.  Preaching to them was a great blessing to me; their attention to the Word encouraged me and showed to me their love to God and His Word.

Two important things in regard to Wichita Falls Baptist Church: 1) I met Pastor Lukus Love, who is now the new Pastor of the Church.  He is a young man with a great potential to serve God.  I beg may God bless and use this young servant and his family.  2) I was encouraged with Susan Stevens’ testimony.  She is a young girl in engagement with plans to be a missionary.   She said that our Lord touched her life for ministry when she was a teenager and I visited there.  Her words caused tremendous encouragement in my heart.

The last stage of my trip was Utah, specifically, I was in Salt Lake City, where Pastor Lukus Counterman and his family, making a team with other three servants & their families, are planting a church called Gospel Grace Church.  God is blessing their work with fruit.  They have a growing congregation over twelve months of work.

My time with Lukus and his co-workers reminded me about the four missionaries who were killed spreading the gospel in Ecuador rain forest.  Now, especially in large cities as Salt Lake City, there is no danger to be killed by preaching the gospel, but it is necessary the same courage and determination of those who died in Ecuador.

Praise the Lord, Pastor Lukus and his co-workers have that kind of resolution and bravery.   They really love Jesus and went to that city in obedience to their Lord to make true Disciples of Christ.  May God bless those modern and valiant missionaries in that metropolis.  May God produce abundant fruit for eternal life.

The Project of Lukus Counterman and his co-workers includes to plant several churches in Salt Lake City and around.  It is a good plan, I am sure God will be highly glorified with plenteous children of God and disciples of Christ.

You can know more about it visiting at:
http://www.plant4thegospel.com/

The Bible says: “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!!” (Romans 10:15). Lukus and his co-workers have beautiful feet because they are preaching peace through Christ to people in Salt Lake City.  May God richly bless that team of His servants!

You can watch a summary of the first year of Gospel Grace Church at:

http://vimeo.com/72666772