Pruebas

Seems like we've had so many tests in connection to the work in Los Olivos. First Oswaldo, who was helping us some died in November. Then we saw the main family we were working with go through a lot of major things. Then there's Angel, a Christian brother from the church in El Agustino who has faithfully come to the new church plant in Los Olivos every week to lead music. He had a bad accident at work 2 weeks ago and has permamently lost all vision in one eye. So he's been out and will be out for a while. And yesterday Rufino, the man who's been coming from El Agustino to preach was hit by a car. He's ok, but his leg was hurt pretty badly and he can't walk. I'm not sure how long he'll be unable to go.

On to better news, Amy and I have started working in a new area. We'll still go to Los Olivos 4 days a week, and we'll now go to Canto Grande 2 days a week. Canto Grande is in the district of San Juan de Lurigancho, the most populated district in Lima. We spent our first full day there yesterday, and a full day it was! We left the house at 8:30am and got back at 8pm. It's a very poor area, and the people do not even have running water. Trucks come by and fill up some barrells, then the people go out with pitchers and get their water. We are working with a man named Juan, and it's humbling to see him work. We visited about 10 homes yesterday and spent probably an average of 30 minutes at each place. The people are much more open to listening than they are in Los Olivos. Juan is not afraid to share the gospel with people, and I saw huge burden in him for people who are separated from their spouse (which is the case of almost every home out there). 1 man and 1 woman prayed to receive Christ as their Savior yesterday, and many heard the Gospel. Juan is also good about getting Amy and me to pray and to share as well. This makes me nervous, as praying in Spanish is about the hardest thing for me to do, but I know God will provide the words. When I am with Christian Peruvians, I pray in English, but when with those who aren't Christians, I have felt like I should try to pray in Spanish. I know the prayer is to God and isn't for them, but I think it can encourage them to know what I am praying for them. And I'll get better with more practice.

While we were in one home yesterday, the lady's daughter and 3 other kids of course followed us inside (the gringas always bring out the curiosity in people). The kids started to be distracting, so I took them outside. I used the evangecube to share the Gospel with them, and they were asking a lot of questions. Then this 7 year old girl starting crying and telling me that the wound on her leg is the result of punishment from Jesus. She said she's been asking Him to forgive her but He doesn't want to. She also had one of her fingers bandaged up, so I asked if that happened when she fell too. There was another story for how that happened, but it was also "Jesus punishing her". Then she started telling me about these dreams that she is having (crying the whole time). In her dreams the devil wants to be her father, but then Jesus comes in and wants to be her father also. So Satan and Jesus are "fighting, fighting, fighting", and this scares her. She also said one night she saw Jesus raising the door of her bedroom.

This was all so strange, I've never heard a 7 year old talk like this before. She couldn't have made it up I don't think. It was good to be able to talk to her and calm her down. I'm so excited about the following Thursdays that we'll get to spend in this place.

Tomorrow we are having an all day volleyball tournament in Los Olivos as a way to evangelize. We don't know all the details, but we are trusting in God on this one!!! Please be in prayer.
Sorry this post is so long!