Therefore Go‌
Testimonies from April 2012
Therefore go…. Hi there! Thank you so much for your prayers this month! Although on the surface things have not been any easier and the challenges continue to come (life is never boring in Peru), I, personally, am feeling much stronger. God is teaching me to be patient and to trust in Him, even when things don’t turn out as I would hope or expect. I am from a Jewish family and I have always treasured our celebration of the Passover—it is so full of shadows of what God would one day do through Jesus. This is a tradition that I have been able to share with my family here in Peru and this year we celebrated a special Passover meal together with our pastors and a family from my in-laws’ church. It was amazing for all to see God’s sovereign plan of salvation so clearly pictured in the Exodus story. Over Easter weekend Jaime and I were also blessed to go away together for a few days. We travelled to Lunahuana where we did white river rafting, a cuadbike expedition and were able to visit a 300 year old wine farm. It was so good to be able to get out of town a bit and to spend time together. We returned refreshed and strengthened for this next stretch.
Saints in Cells‌. Last month I asked for prayer that God would bring new people along who can be a part of our ministry to the ladies in Santa Monica and Fatima. Well, God heard those prayers! This last month Mary and I have met with four ladies who are interested in joining us in this ministry. We are not sure yet in what capacity they will be able to be involved, but it is so encouraging to see how God is responding to our prayers and is bringing people alongside us. Above left is a photo of Dorcas, one of the ladies, who on Tuesday helped me to put together clothing packs for the ladies in Santa Monica. In Santa Monica we are doing a series called “Saints in Cellsâ€? in which we are studying the lives of the various bible characters who spent time in prison. We are currently studying the life of Joseph. We pray that the ladies will be encouraged as they see how God can use even the most desperate of situation for his glory. Things at Fatima remain a challenge. Last week permission to hold a group bible study there was refused. We were told that we need to obtain permission from the regional prison authorities before we can go in. This is a new rule and an administrative nightmare. Please trust with us that God will give us wisdom in how to proceed. The girls themselves have also been struggling. With all the changes it has been really hard on them. Please pray that they will continue to look to God for their strength and support!
our request for
In the Community‌. This last month has been a good one in our two little libraries! Thank you so much for praying that God would give me wisdom in how to work with the kids, I think I have discovered a strategy that works really well! For the past few moths the children attending our library in Simon Bolivar had been behaving very badly. From kicking, to scratching, to the knocking out of teeth, the children had become quite rough with one another and I did not know how to get them to calm down and read and participate in the library activities. And so I set them a challenge. I awarded each child 20 points for good behaviour and told them that if they managed to keep the 20 points over four weeks, they would receive a prize. If they misbehaved they would loose a point, but if they helped the other children they would gain points. If they got to 40 points, they would receive a super prize. Oh my goodness, what a transformation! At one point 22 children were attending the library and all them of them were reading quietly and behaving themselves. Two weeks ago we had prize giving and all but two of the children managed to keep their 20 points. Better still, in the subsequent weeks they have continued to behave themselves. God has given me such a love for these little ones. I really pray He will help me share His love with them.
The photo on the top right is of the kids with the prizes they received after their 4 week good behaviour challenge. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who contribute to the Peru mission fund back in 2009. The remaining funds were sent to me to help with our ministry here in Peru. It was this finance that I was able to buy the prizes for the children. Thank you! The remaining funds will be used to help fix broken windows, replace light fittings and to buy some stationary for the libraries. More to come in my next newsletter ď Š
Some prayer requests…. Prison: please keep trusting with us that God will grant us favour as we process our requests to hold Bible Studies in both prisons. Pray that God will give us wisdom and favour with the prison officials. The libraries: While things have settled down substantially in both libraries, I am now trusting that God will show me how to make Him more real to the children. I pray that every time the children come to the libraries, they will experience God’s love and acceptance in a tangible way. Church: Please trust with us that God will give Jaime and me wisdom as we serve in our church. May He work through us to bring His heart, His ways and His purposes where ever He places us.
Thank you…. Thank you so much for standing with us in faith and prayer for the work that God is doing here in Peru. Jaime and I are so thankful for all that you sow into our lives and ministry. Thank you for every encouraging email, every prayer, every gift. May God honour your faithfulness and fill you with joy knowing that lives are being impacted on this side of the world because of you! Much love,
Jaime and Kim
Jaime and I would love to hear from you: please write to us at kimmysol@gmail.com or you could call on +51 990 50 1552. My skype name is kimmysol.