Hundreds hear the Gospel

The Lord was faithful to confirm His word with signs and wonders as He showed up in the busy market a couple blocks from our apartment. Many people heard the gospel for the first time. Never having heard of the love of Christ. Jesus is so personal. Many in the market had direct words from the Lord as we prophesied and prayed for them. "How did you know that" was a common remark as the Lord would reveal personal things about a persons life. "God knows everything about you" was our reply. "He is waiting for you" A simple message for a simple people. Why change the message of Jesus? It is so pure, so gentle, so loving, so simple. We are honored to be in His presence as we see Him the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jenson Goes to Jail!

11-year old testifies of God's love in a maximum security federal prison.

A first in the prison's history! As we waited in line to enter the prison, Jenson asked me if Sunday was the only day people visited the jail. "Yes". This got him thinking how many people only visit God on Sundays. He shared this revelation in the prison to a group of 100 gathered to hear us speak. He also ministered the "sin chair"- a short skit based on the sticky nature of sin in our life. Many were touched. We also shared that God wants to clean and fill even our deep areas....areas that we still have sin in .....several in the crowd were seeking revenge and were freed by Jesus's freedom. We spent 4 hours at the prison, encouraging, and praying for the inmates. In the picture below Jenson is leading a group of children in a prayer of repentance. They all made a decision to follow Christ.

Religious spirit manifests in Market

Never in the history of this ministry have we encountered what we did on Feb. 5, 2009. At the central market of Ayacucho, we asked a group of vendors if we could share the love of Christ and pray for them. This simple question invoked a spirit of rage and anger we have never seen. "get out of here" one yelled. "what religion are you " another asked. "we don't want you here" "leave...we are catholics!!!!" They cursed us in Spanish, they cursed us in Quechua (the local language)....by this time, we had actually gone deeper into their section of the market and they got bolder, angrier, and the yelling continued. Then "she" stood up....an older woman carrying a cane. I thought she was coming for healing but Javier said "lets get out of here she's going to beat us with that cane!!" We escaped that area and dusted off our feet, not letting anything attach to us from this encounter.

15 Miracles in an Hour!

After we were kicked out of one section of the market, we went to the next. We offered to pray for the sick and a woman with pain in here arm was instantly healed. ( pictured below with her new bible. She couldn't read but she insisted God would speak to her as she used bible for a pillow!) She started sharing with those around her what the Lord had done in her life and within 5 minutes we had a dozen people wanting prayer with faith in Jesus Christ for their healing. Yes, every single person that day was healed. Backs instantly healed, headaches gone. Knees, toothaches........a mighty outpouring. 20 or more wanted to be saved from their life of sin and follow Christ. It seemed the religious spirit, even the spirit of anger and murder was no match for the love, grace, and forgiveness of our savior. We give Him glory for His goodness.

Bless those that curse you.

Three days after we were cursed in the market, we returned with the entire family with the sole intent to "bless those that curse you". We bought a huge basket of the best fruit and a few toys for the children in that area of the market. It was amazing to see conviction come upon the people without us even saying a word. "We love you, forgive you, and bless you" was our only message in that place. The people were obviously touched. This act of obedience (trust me it wasn't easy to venture back INTO the lions lair) opened up that area of the market to the gospel and many of the older generation embraced the message of redemption and forgiveness of sins through Jesus's death on the cross. For if we preach the cross, why would we be afraid of one!

20 Hours With the Street Children

We spent a week ministering each day at a community feeding center for orphans and street children. Too poor to afford food, the children come each day. The directors asked us to teach the kids about Jesus. We thought it best to introduce them to Him instead. The glory of God was manifest several times during the meetings and many of the children testified of God touching them. Some felt heat come into their bodies, some felt the sin actually leaving their bodies. Others received a direct word from the Lord Himself. By the end of the conference, the children were praying for us!! Wow. It seems the Holy Spirit is the best teacher so we best get out of the way and give Him freedom to run the show!!!

11-year-old drug addicts come to Christ

Isaiah 58 "this is the fast that I choose....to loosen the bonds of wickedness." This was an encouraging scripture as we befriended 3 street children that were hooked on drugs on the street. These are 11 and 12 year olds that have no home. Homeless children that must beg, sing or steal for their every meal. I asked one of them "If you could ask God for anything, what would it be?" He replied, "to not have to live on the street and beg for food." We fed them and then prayed with them to receive Christ in their lives. We trust that these children's bonds were "listened". If there is enough loosening, eventually they fall off right? We met them the next day for lunch, new shoes, and a water balloon fight. It was wonderful to see my own children being the light and loving the ones that society has rejected. Why are these young ones on the street? I asked the pastor. "No one will take care of them.....We have space but no volunteers." "you mean no laborers" I replied. Please keep asking the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers into the harvest field. Keep asking for Gods will, keep seeking Gods will, Keep knocking on Heavens door, for God is faithful. Please keep praying for Jose and Angel.

Use of Oil prohibited in Church.

Be aware the next time you use your anointing oil. We were preparing to take a group of young people to the streets and markets to share their faith and pray for people. As we were praying for the young people at the church, we felt the leading of the Spirit to anoint a few of them and pray and we were told not to do it. The use of oil and laying on of hands caused such a rift that the pastor also told us he would not let his people go to the market with us either. "Everything must go through me" he said as he escorted us to the door. Sadly for the local church, in the next few weeks we saw dozens of healings, and hundreds commit their lives to Christ just a block away from "his" church.

Word of knowledge releases restoration!

Jesus touches a backslider in the Kodak shop!

"You've been hurt by the church and that is why you've fallen away" I told a complete stranger. She broke into tears behind the counter. Again it was asked "how does he know that?" "God wants you back with Him" was our reply. "will he speak to me again like He did in the past?" she asked......7 years she had been away from the Lord. We visited her shop several more times, in the next couple weeks, encouraging her and praying with her. "I will never step foot in another church" she said. "you don't have to" we told her. Kathy Mckentyre is now friends with the woman (Sonya) and she is ministering healing to her spirit and lavishing love on her.

Orphans touch Gods Heart!

new shoes, new playground, beanie babies, movie night, three fruit trees, and lots and lots of hugs, love, encouragmet.

¨Tio, Tio, Tio¨ rings through Casa Luz orphanage as our our family and Javier show up. Tio is uncle and that is what we are to these kids. Family. Here to help and here to be part of their lives. The stories are nearly unbelievable. Elizabeth and her three siblings were locked in a dirt floor room for up to 2 days at a time without food or water...so hungry they ate dirt to satisfy their hunger as their mom was hooked on drugs......Ada, a sweet 18 year old girl who lived in a cardboard refrigerator box for most of her life......Elena, (picture above in the middle) had to sell candy on the street for her food while her mom prostituted her body. If she didnt come back with money, she would be beat and would not eat. She ran away from home to the orphanage. And then theres Santa, Milagro, Jonney, Josey,.....The list goes on and on.....When you look at their face, you would never know the story........but when they hold on to you, and hug you, you know. We are blessed to be part of thier life. We are family to them...evry time we leave we are asked, ¨When are you coming back¨..... ¨a coulple days¨ is our reply...we eat with them, bring them candies, watch tv, and play with them. After a few visits to Casa Luz they begin opening up more and we are able to pour encouragement into them one on one. Some conversations are so sweet, like a father to doughter talk....you know what I mean.........Wow, what if we hadn´t come........We have been here in Ayacoocho for 3 weeks and have also done work at the orphanage. We bought enough material to pour a slab for a 800 square foot play area. We also planted 3 fruit trees.....Actually we just bought them and when we tried to plant them, the kids would have nothing of it.......you could tell they were excited about the trees, after all the orphanage is thier home....

Spending time with drug addicts on the street...

When the children came into the restaurant, we thought they were like any other kids selling candy...Where do you live? On the street. Where are your parents? We don´t have any. It was then that Javier smelled the glue........yes, street kids addicted to drugs.....precious children......one of them was obviously out of it, high as a kite. The other talked to us. I asked him if He could ask God for anything what would it be. ¨to not live on the street¨ was his reply. Jenson and Miles encouraged them to stay away from the drugs, and then asked them if they would want to turn their lives over to Jesus. They said yes and even pulled the bags of glue from their pockets. Thier faces lit up as Jenson prayed for them. We invited them for lunch the next day, and bought them lunch and new shoes...One was wearing a shoe on one foot, and a sock on the other. We asked the director of the orphanage about this and his reply was sobering....there was simply no one interested in helping these kids.....The city offered a home for free but there were no laborors. In a city of 100,000 with over 100 churches.........what is this religion called Christianity.............

Even Baby Graham suffers for the Gospel....

Yes, we have confirmed that Graham has contracted ring worm. Most likely from the orphanage. You see, everyone likes Graham and most kids have never seen a Gringito baby. Crespo (curley) is what we call him now. His hair is halarious. The condition is not terminal thank God and we have medicine for the outbreak.

Dozens are healed instantly and hundreds come to Christ in spontaneous open-air meetings!!!

We call it ¨church in the Park¨ or ¨church in the market¨....The gospel being proclaimed in its simplicity...We bring a simple message, the one Jesus brought. Peru doesn´t need more religion, it needs more of the kingdom of heaven.....manifesting in love........ Many respond, many weep, many turn their hearts over. So far, 11 have been freed from curses of witchcraft put on them by local witch doctors. One day, the spirit of prophecy broke out in the market and several women were astonished.....How did he know that? they would ask the Javier (our interpreter) ¨God knows everything, ¨He would reply. We have been mocked and cursed in public...we openly pray for those doing it. No bitterness. Get rid of that. The majority of Gods people are defiled by bitterness......Ask God if you have any hiding out somewhere in the depths of your heart.....come on.....be honest...........take care of it......God is a God of love...........love and bitterness living in the same house makes for some serious confusion.................Los Amos.