|
Dear Praying Friends, My guiding principle for these updates is to magnify the Lord's work. I enjoy writing about God's faithful work in, through, and around us. May we consistently be marveling at all that he is doing. Today Kelly and I are happy to celebrate 14 years of marriage. It is incredible for us to think about all the Lord has done in these years. To him be all the glory! Psalm 115:1–3 (NIV) Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.  Investing in the Next Generation of International Disciple Makers: In our last update we asked you to pray for a BJU Cross-Cultural Service major who was preparing to travel to Puerto Maldonado for an eight-week internship. His desire was to be mentored by missionaries who are faithfully serving the Lord. We rejoice to tell you that God allowed Jacob to travel here and God accomplished a tremendous work among us. Throughout Jacob's time here, God gave him many opportunities to learn and put into practice what the Lord has been teaching him over the past few years through his college experience and service in a local church. Though he was not able to speak or understand much Spanish, God strengthened him to serve in any way that he could. God gave him a humble, learner's spirit. He now has a better understanding of the type of linguistic, theological, and cross-cultural preparation necessary to be an effective cross-cultural disciple maker. Kelly and I enjoyed sharing with him how God has prepared us for the way we are serving him now in Peru. We really enjoyed having Jacob with our family. We look forward to seeing how God will continue to use Jacob's life for the expansion of his kingdom and glory around the world. Please continue to pray that Jacob will have wisdom and direction from the Lord for the next steps in his life and service to our King. Disciple Making 2021: In our last update we also mentioned a large mission team from Texas that was preparing to travel to Puerto Maldonado to help host medical gospel outreaches in three locations. We thank the Lord for allowing the team to come. Several Peruvian Christians from Lima and Piura also came to help. Several doctors and dentists were among the groups. God gave us a very fruitful, full week of service to him last week. We really enjoyed serving alongside of the mission team members. It was encouraging to hear the stories of God's grace at work in their lives. We hope in the Lord to have more opportunities to work alongside of them in the future. We thank the Lord for opening many doors to share the gospel in the village of Santa Teresita and two locations here in Puerto Maldonado. The doctors and dentists were able to help many people. It was neat to see our church people jumping in to serve. We also enjoyed seeing our girls help translate for the visiting group and be ready to help in other ways. May our family always be committed to serving the Lord! God gave us the opportunity to teach the Bible and answer many questions in the village of Santa Teresita on the day of the medical outreach. We look forward to returning to the village in the coming weeks to continue proclaiming Christ and teach the whole counsel of God. We pray that God will save and equip those people to teach the Bible in their village. We thank the Lord for providing funds to make trips to Santa Teresita and purchase Bibles. We hope to have another shipment of Bibles arrive soon, so we can distribute them to the many people we meet that do not have a Bible. Peru Covid-19: Throughout the past few months we were having our Sunday services at a soccer complex. That worked well for those months, but we have been looking for a new place to rent. That way we would have a consistent place to meet for other Bible studies and kid's Bible clubs as well. God directed us to a new location; and over the past couple months he provided the materials and workers to build a building for our church to meet in. We thank the Lord for a man in the church, who is a construction contractor, who oversaw the project. God has given our church many opportunities to share the gospel with the workers and at a few points work alongside of them. May we be faithful stewards of this place to meet to worship the Lord and preach his word. We thank the Lord that through decreased Covid restrictions and our new location, we are now able to have all of our Bible studies and services in person. This has been a tremendous blessing! Lord willing we will be restarting our children's Bible clubs this Saturday. We plan to have one on Saturday morning in the neighborhood of Pacalito and another on Saturday afternoon in the building where our church meets. As things continue to stabilize after all the Covid restrictions, we should be able to add the soccer / Bible club back in as well. Pastor Daniel and I enjoy going out several days a week to visit people in the church and teach the Bible. We thank the Lord for the growth we are seeing in the church members and their desire to be a faithful witness for Christ in their home and at work. We are also encouraged to see many of the church members eager to help with the various facets of church ministry. Cultivating an Appreciation for God's Creation: God is so kind to give us things to enjoy in this world. May the dangers and hardships of this life not prevent us from recognizing the beauty of God's creation around us and thanking him for it. Psalm 145 (NIV) I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. Please let us know how we can be praying for you. Have a tremendous day serving our Lord! Jay _____________ Jay & Kelly Cross Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian
4 Comments
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you very much for your faithful partnership with us in the gospel. We thank the Lord for your consistent prayers and sacrificial giving. May he richly bless you for your faithfulness to him. 
Disciple Making and Peru COVID-19: It's tempting, isn't it, to think that we can predict the future? Something seems to be steadily heading in one direction with nothing apparent that would stop it from continuing on that path. Our very life, though, which at times may seem to be so full of energy and strength, is "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." We remember that nothing besides God is unchanging. God alone knows the future and is in complete control of everything. He uses passages like James 4:13-17 to align our plans, stewardship, work, and service with his sovereignty. Should we make wise plans, carefully steward the resources that God gives us, and zealously serve the Lord? Yes, and the way to do that is with a humble heart that acknowledges that the reality is "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
James 4:13-17 (NIV) Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. May our faith be firmly fixed in the Lord's sovereign will over all things. Our church had been able to enjoy in-person church services and Bible studies for about three and a half months. That was a joyful change from the many months before that. The COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths had greatly diminished and remained that way for several months. The government restrictions had also diminished. We were glad to have the freedom to move about and make disciples in ways very similar to pre-COVID days. It seemed like things would continue in that direction. Then in a matter of a few days all of that changed. COVID cases started to go up again in many regions of Peru and the government restrictions increased. Our church has had to go back to teaching and preaching online. Despite all the changes, we rejoice to see people continue growing in the knowledge of the Lord and obedience to his word. I have been enjoying preaching through 1 John and Proverbs.
Though we are disappointed to be back under extreme restrictions, we do understand why for the present time some drastic measures have to be taken. The medical infrastructure throughout much of the country was not set to handle a heavy influx of hospital patients. Having a simultaneous rise in COVID cases and Dengue Fever cases here in Puerto Maldonado has been taxing on our small medical system. We thank the Lord that no one in our church has been hospitalized from COVID. Those that have had COVID at some point over the past year had relatively mild symptoms. We have heard, however, about many Christians throughout Peru that have passed away over the past few months. Many people are hurting. Let's keep praying for one another and encouraging one another with the word of God. May we consistently be pointing others to the Lord who is our strength and shield.
Opportunities to spend time with believers in person have been very limited recently, so we are trying to make good use of technology to continue making disciples. One thing I have really enjoyed doing more throughout this time is sending voice messages to fellow believers. I will record myself reading an extended portion of scripture and give some words of encouragement. I have found it a great way to share the gospel with unbelievers as well. Reading the word of God out loud with expression is a beautiful way to hear the Lord speak. Most messaging apps have the built-in function for recording voice messages. For email I record a voice memo and then copy and paste it to the email. This ministry has been incredibly encouraging to me. From what I can tell by the responses I have gotten back is that it has been encouraging to others as well. Maybe this is something you would like to try!
Psalm 19:7–11 (NIV)
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Cultivating an Appreciation for God's Creation: Opportunities to travel far and wide to take pictures continue to be limited, but God gives us plenty of things to marvel at in the places we frequent.
Psalm 104:27–30 (NIV)
All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
Investing in the Next Generation of International Disciple Makers: The Lord has been so kind to work in our lives for many years. He used countless people during our years of preparation to guide us and prepare us for the ministry in which he has placed us. The investments that these Christians made in us continue to produce spiritual fruit for God's glory every day of our lives. We praise the Lord for his work and pray for his help to invest in those around us as well.
One such opportunity was recently presented to us. We were contacted about the possibility of hosting a Bob Jones University Cross-Cultural Service major for his summer internship. His desire is to be mentored by missionaries that are faithfully serving the Lord. Would you pray that God would do that tremendous work in us? In 2006 God allowed me to do an internship here in Peru. It was a fantastic time of learning and spiritual growth in my life as I saw God at work in those around me. The many new experiences also forced me to rely on the Lord's help. God used that trip to point me toward long-term service here in Peru. If it is the Lord's will, the intern will arrive to Peru in about a month and spend about seven weeks with us here in Puerto Maldonado. Pray for him during this time. He is finishing up the school semester and has many details to work on for the trip. If it is the Lord's will, we will help host a mission team from a church in Texas toward the end of July. For some of the team members this will be their first trip to Puerto Maldonado. They asked if I would make a video giving an overview of the ministries here and the work that the Lord is doing. I thought you might enjoy seeing the video. I had fun putting it together. It's always good to be reminded of what the Lord has done and prayerfully hope in him to see his work continue.
Please let us know how we can be praying for you. Have a wonderful day serving our Lord!
Jay _____________ Jay & Kelly Cross Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian Dear Praying Friends, Thank you very much for consistently holding us up in prayer. Though this year, I would imagine, has turned out much differently than any of us expected; I know that we can all be encouraged by what the Lord is doing in, through, and around us. We know, as King Nebuchadnezzar came to realize long ago, that our God is sovereign over the entire universe. May our faith be firmly placed in our sovereign God. May our every thought, word, and action be submitted to our great King. Daniel 4:34–35 (NIV) At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”  Disciple Making 2020 & Peru COVID-19: We thank the Lord that for several months the COVID-19 cases and resulting deaths in Puerto Maldonado have been on a steady decline. Kelly, the girls, and I have not come down with COVID yet, but many people in our church did over the past few months. By God's grace, they recovered quickly and had relatively minor symptoms. Since March, the COVID-19 restrictions have been very tight; but we thank the Lord that the church is now able to meet again in person after many months of exclusively teaching the Bible online. We have had in-person church services for the past five Sundays. We have had a very enjoyable time meeting with the church again to worship the Lord. God answered our prayers by having the government change the restriction that would prohibit children from being in attendance at church services. We thank the Lord for preserving the church through this time. Throughout the months of lockdown, several people were wanting to be baptized. A couple weeks ago we enjoyed having a baptismal service at a small creek at the Christian camp property. A man and his wife were baptized. It was very encouraging to hear and see the believers give testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ their Savior. The fruit of the Spirit is evident in their lives. Praise the Lord! Lord willing, at least two others will be baptized soon. Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Christmas in the jungle 2020: We praise the Lord for giving our church the opportunity to share God's love and kindness with others during this Christmas season. We were able to have two gospel, Christmas outreaches in Puerto Maldonado. The Lord also permitted us to have a third outreach in a small village that we visited last Christmas as well. It is about a 45 minute boat ride from Puerto Maldonado. This outreach was in partnership with another church in town which is pastored by our friend Buddy Fitzgerald. We praise the Lord for these opportunities to encourage the believers and plead with unbelievers to be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ. We had plans to visit villages like this one more frequently during 2020, but the lockdown prevented that. Would you pray with us that God would give us more frequent opportunities to visit villages throughout 2021 to proclaim the gospel and disciple the believers there? Many of these villages are in great need of clear, consistent Bible teaching. Cultivating an appreciation for God's creation: We thank the Lord for allowing us to see and enjoy his creation here in Peru. The whole world is filled with different creatures that bring glory to the Lord their Maker. In 2021 let's take the time to notice them and praise the Lord for creating them. Psalm 104:24 (NIV) "How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures." Family life in lockdown: We thank the Lord for helping us to steward our time and resources this year for his glory throughout the lockdown. As you all know, daily family life is not always smooth and peaceful; but God's grace has been evident as he helped us through this year. We thank the Lord that the lockdown restrictions recently changed, and children are permitted to go out more. This has allowed us to get out of the house as a family and spend some time with friends. We recently enjoyed a fun family day with some friends at a park with a nice creek to play in. Kelly and I have enjoyed many Bible teaching opportunities over the past few months. Kelly has recently been teaching the ladies Bible study on Elizabeth (Luke 1) and Proverbs. I just recently finished teaching through the book of Job and have also enjoyed preaching in Jeremiah, 1 Timothy, the gospel according to Mark, and other themes throughout the year. We thank the Lord for helping us to manage our schedules to find adequate time to prepare for each of the opportunities we have to teach the Bible each week. Job 42:1–6 (NIV) Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” We pray that as 2020 comes to a close and 2021 begins that your desire would be to worship and serve our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, in all things! Jude 24–25 (NIV) To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Please let us know how we can be praying for you. Thank you for your prayers and financial support! Jay _____________ Jay & Kelly Cross Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian Dear Praying Friends, We thank the Lord for daily opportunities to spend time with our girls and point them to the Lord. We thank him for his grace during these several months we've had to spend at home. Kelly is an excellent wife and mom! We praise God for the work he is doing in our family. Alexia recently made a profession of repentant faith in Jesus Christ! We praise the Lord for his power to save lost souls from sin! We know that "to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children . . . born of God." We pray that the Holy Spirit will mightily work and produce his fruit in us throughout our entire lives.  Disciple Making 2020 & Peru COVID-19: When I last wrote, Peru had just recently been placed on a national lockdown which the government began implementing in two-week segments. Initially it seemed that it would only last for a few weeks. Today, however, is the 111th day of lockdown here in Puerto Maldonado. On July 1 some regions of Peru were able to lift many of the lockdown measures. Puerto Maldonado is in one of the seven regions still under more strict measures until at least July 31. In Puerto Maldonado hospitalizations and deaths have recently increased which has put a strain on the limited infrastructure of the healthcare system. As of July 3, the hospitals in Puerto Maldonado have reported 135 COVID-19-related deaths (111 of those deaths occurred in the month of June). We pray that God will continue to use the church to spread the good news of Jesus Christ here in Puerto Maldonado through this time of fear, pain, suffering, and grief for so many. Many people have not been able to work during the past few months, so we thank the Lord that some of them have been able to get back to work recently. We, however, are still not permitted to invite people to our homes or gather together in person for church meetings. How then have we been able to continue making disciples of Jesus Christ? While the circumstances of our lives or the laws of the country we live in might drastically change, the mission is always the same--to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We praise the Lord for the work he is doing during the COVID-19 lockdown. Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV) "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age'." During these months, I imagine the "go" part of making disciples of all nations has felt different for most of us. Here in Puerto Maldonado, we have had to almost exclusively carry on the disciple-making ministry through technology. Our church has used this as an opportunity to have daily Bible studies using Zoom and Facebook Live. We have been incredibly encouraged to hear about Christians all over the world that have responded to the recent crises by sacrificially showing love to others and continuing to make disciples of Jesus through the wise use of technology. God has used the extra time that people have had to listen to his word to draw them to himself and strengthen them to serve him. Just before the lockdown went into effect, several more families had begun attending church services. We praise the Lord that several from that group have recently professed their faith in Jesus Christ! We look forward to the time when the lockdown is lifted, so we can enjoy seeing those people follow the Lord in baptism. We praise the Lord for using this time to remind our church of the importance of caring for the physical and spiritual needs of those around us. It has been especially encouraging to see new believers step into these important roles of service to the Lord. Several young men who are growing in the Lord have also stepped into teaching opportunities. Praise the Lord! Also, at several points God has provided resources to meet the needs of church members and provide some care for local, needy communities. This has opened the door to show and proclaim Christ's love and God's provision. God has been gracious to meet our physical and spiritual needs. May we always be eager to share what he has given us with those in need around us. May God's grace be at work in all of us as it was in Paul and others in Ephesus 2,000 years ago. Acts 20:32–35 (NIV) "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'." When will the church again be able to meet together in person? Based on what Peru's president, Martín Vizcarra, has recently announced, it appears that churches in Peru might not have the privilege of gathering together in person for the rest of this year. We pray that God would give our church wisdom, unity, and grace to respond appropriately to each changing circumstance for his glory. We pray that, sooner rather than later, the church would be able to officially gather together with appropriate health protocols in effect. The lockdown restrictions have not permitted JR and I to do any work at the camp property. He was able to go to the property just the other day to check on things. The gravel road seems to be holding up well even with a lot of rain over the past few months. The wooden bridge over the creek at the start of the camp property, though, might need to be fixed in some places. He hopes to have a concrete, steel bridge built at some point in the future as the Lord provides. We had asked you to pray that friends, family, and mission teams that had scheduled trips to Peru in May, June, July, and August would still be able to travel to Peru. Travel into and out of Peru has been extremely limited for the past few months and will likely be that way for at least another couple months. Therefore, all the trips either had to be postponed or canceled. We trust that God’s timing is perfect in those situations. Along those lines, would you please pray with us that God would allow us to travel to the USA in October for my older sister’s wedding? Right now Peru's borders are closed and flights out of the country are very limited and very expensive. We trust God’s timing is perfect and he will do what is best. We never know when might be the last time to talk with someone. God has been bringing different people to mind over the past few months. People that I knew I would not have the opportunity to see in person for a good while. One of those people was Alfredo, our mechanic here in Peru. A couple weeks ago we got word that he had passed away. This was shocking and sad news. I began to think back on the gospel conversations that God had allowed me to have with him over the past three years. God had providentially had me visit his repair shop (frankly more times than I was looking for) when seemingly unfortunate and random things got broken on the truck. Like the time when a rock broke a back window when a neighbor was using his string trimmer nearby. Each of these visits, though, had been part of God's plan to allow a friendship to develop, so the gospel could be seen and heard. God also placed other Christian friends in his path like a missionary friend in town, Buddy Fitzgerald. Though I never heard Alfredo give a clear confession of repentant faith in Christ, I know that God was working in and through the situation. Our responsibility is to be faithful ambassadors of Jesus Christ who plead with people to be reconciled to God through repentant faith in Jesus Christ the Savior. The night I heard he passed away, I looked back at the WhatsApp conversation that I had with him several weeks before. I had sent him an audio message. It had been an opportunity to thank him for the great work he had always done, to assure him of our prayers for his family during these difficult times, to offer to help them in any way we could, and to remind him of the gospel truth he had heard before. That was the last time I talked to Alfredo. A couple days after he passed away, I noticed that his family had been on his WhatsApp account. The conversation with Alfredo has ended, but it continues with his family. God has been using his word to soothe the broken hearts of his wife and daughter. We never know when the last time will be that we will have to talk with someone. May God give us the grace to wisely use each opportunity and every word we speak or write to build people up and point them to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pray for the gospel to spread to Alfredo's friends and family. Pray that I will soon be able to locate another reliable mechanic. Continuing to cultivate an appreciation for God's creation: Opportunities to go out and take pictures around town have been limited, but God has brought some of his beautiful, interesting creatures to where we live; so we can enjoy them. Revelation 4:11 (NIV) 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Happy 4th of July! Kelly and I thank the Lord for the privilege of growing up in the USA. Living abroad has only given us a greater appreciation for the way that God worked in our lives during our many years of preparation in the USA. So many of you had a tremendous impact on our lives. Thank you! May you enjoy a gratitude-filled day with friends and family wherever God has placed you. We have been saddened to hear about the strife, pain, and suffering that is being experienced across the USA. We pray that these words from Philippians 2 would be true of all of us Christians around the world for God's glory: "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life." Thank you so much for your consistent prayers for us. Please let us know how we can be praying for you. May the Lord always find us faithfully serving him! Jay _____________ Jay & Kelly Cross Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian Ambassadors for Christ in Peru
|
|
|
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you very much! We can't thank you enough for your kindness to consistently pray for us and give toward our financial needs. God provides for our needs through you and opens up opportunities for us to be a blessing to others. Through the various Christmas / year-end gifts that came in we were able to help a Peruvian missionary family of eight move from northern Peru to Puerto Maldonado. They are currently serving with the same local church as us and would like to help take the gospel to other needy areas in this part of Peru. We're glad to partner in the gospel with people who desire to see God glorified in them. Thank you for your part in making that a reality!
Another part of the money that was gifted helped purchase a high-powered Stihl trimmer. It has been a great tool to help our friend, JR Dudeck, clear a 27 acre piece of property that he purchased 8 months ago. We are working on developing the property into a Christian camp. I'm glad to help JR with the workload and give input on administrative details that come up.
Thank you for praying for the Lord's provision. The camp will need more tools as time goes along. To learn more about the camp project you can click here to visit JR's ministry website. At this point JR has two large mission teams scheduled to come in June and July to help with some construction projects at the camp.
Thank you also for praying for protection. There are some venomous snakes on the property as well as plenty of stinging insects. We are taking necessary precautions and are working hard to develop the property into a space that can be safely used by the churches in Puerto Maldonado. It is a beautiful piece of God's creation. We'll see what the Lord has planned for the future!
JR recently hired a crew to cut a road into his property and put gravel down. This added traction will be very helpful. Previously that part of the road was impassable by vehicle when wet.
Disciple Making 2020: We thank the Lord for his help as the church we are partnering with here in Peru (Iglesia Evangélica Bautista Vida Nueva) coordinated several specific gospel outreaches at the end of 2019. We were glad to also have the help of believers from a church in Lima and believers from a church in Puerto Maldonado that is pastored by our friend Buddy Fitzgerald. The gospel was clearly presented and the Lord gave us many opportunities to show the love of Christ. One area, the neighborhood of Pacalito, is where the church holds a weekly Bible club. The gospel seed is sown to those children each week. The other area, the village of Santa Teresita, is about a 45-minute boat ride from one of the "ports" here in Puerto Maldonado. We are making plans to revisit that village in July with a medical mission team - should the Lord allow. We will probably make a visit or two to the village between now and then.
We thank God for sustaining and encouraging us to serve the local church during the two months that the Nuñez family was in Lima serving in churches and a Christian camp. We thank God for giving us wisdom as we have many opportunities to teach the Bible each week. I have recently really been enjoying teaching through Job, 1 Timothy, Proverbs, and other selected passages.
We thank the Lord that the Nuñez family made it safely back to Puerto Maldonado. Pray for them as they adjust back to life in Puerto Maldonado. Pray for their family as Beki’s father (a Christian) recently passed away from cancer. Beki was able to be with her family in the USA at the time of his death.
Family life and quarantine status: We thank God for strengthening us through some mild sickness that has recently passed through our family. We thank God that he is providing for all our needs and giving us grace to help others during the 15-day quarantine that Peru is in. To this point, there have been relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Peru. We thank the Lord for allowing us to make the most of in-the-house family time and work hard with the extra time at home to prepare well for upcoming preaching / teaching opportunities - should the Lord allow.
Pray that God would open more doors for the gospel message during these times of fear and uncertainty for so many. We thank God for giving us hope in him.
Pray that God would help the men of our church to lead their families in worship during these weeks that we are unable to meet together in person as the local church. We are using various means of technology to stay connected with the church and encourage them to follow the Lord.
Pray that God would allow mission teams and family that have scheduled trips to Peru in May, June, July, and August to be able to travel here and serve the Lord.
Pray that God would strengthen, heal, and save the handful of people in our town that have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
Cultivating an appreciation for God's creation: One of my favorite hobbies is to investigate the beauty and detail of God's creation all around us. Paying attention to the created world is a great daily reminder for adults and children alike that God is the creator of the universe. Though this world is marred by sin, it still brings glory to the one who created it.
Nehemiah 9:5–6 (NIV)
"And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: 'Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you'."
Sometimes it's just a quick picture with my phone and other times I'm able to take the time to get out the camera with longer lenses. Either way I enjoy the adventure and challenge of documenting the creation around me. I hope you'll enjoy the pictures of the interesting things we've noticed lately.
Just as we finished the men's Bible study one night this beautiful and delicate insect landed on my hand and got blown around by the fan. I was able to pull my phone out and get a quick video before it flew away.
Thank you so much for all you do for us. We are glad to be ambassadors for Christ here in Peru. Please let us know how we can be praying for you. What a great comfort it is to know that the Lord is in control of all things. May we use all our days for his glory!
Jay
------------------------------------
Jay & Kelly Cross
Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian
Ambassadors for Christ in Peru
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you so much for your consistent prayers for us. We thank the Lord for bringing us safely back to Peru.
Finishing stateside ministry and arriving back in Peru: We arrived back home in Puerto Maldonado on Wednesday, November 13, around 5pm. We thank the Lord that the transition back to life here in Peru has been smooth. The thirty-two months that we lived in Peru on our first term have helped us adjust quickly to life and ministry here in the city of Puerto Maldonado. We thank the Lord for allowing us to reconnect with Peruvian friends and fellow foreign missionaries over the past few days. It has been enjoyable to share with one another what the Lord has been doing in, through, and around us.
We thank the Lord for placing so many encouraging people in our path. Family and friends did so much to help us as we prepared to fly back down to Peru. May he richly bless you for your service to him by serving us.
Thank you so much for your consistent prayers for us. We thank the Lord for bringing us safely back to Peru.
Finishing stateside ministry and arriving back in Peru: We arrived back home in Puerto Maldonado on Wednesday, November 13, around 5pm. We thank the Lord that the transition back to life here in Peru has been smooth. The thirty-two months that we lived in Peru on our first term have helped us adjust quickly to life and ministry here in the city of Puerto Maldonado. We thank the Lord for allowing us to reconnect with Peruvian friends and fellow foreign missionaries over the past few days. It has been enjoyable to share with one another what the Lord has been doing in, through, and around us.
We thank the Lord for placing so many encouraging people in our path. Family and friends did so much to help us as we prepared to fly back down to Peru. May he richly bless you for your service to him by serving us.
Always amazing to see the work that parents do for their children!
We thank the Lord for giving us a very encouraging stateside ministry over the past four and a half months. He allowed us to visit thirteen churches which are in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was encouraging to reconnect with Christian brothers and sisters and hear about what the Lord is doing through the ministry of each church. What Kelly posted on Facebook a few days ago sums up really well our thoughts and prayers for each of you. "We are all packed and headed to the airport! We are grateful for all our supporting churches / individuals who are dear friends to us. Thank you for your friendships and encouragement these past four and a half months - keep serving God and being faithful where God has you! We are eager to, Lord willing, get back to Puerto Maldonado tomorrow afternoon! Hasta pronto amigos!!” We look forward to the opportunity to be with you again in the USA in God’s timing. Please know that you are always welcome to come visit us here in Peru! You are in our prayers also. Please let us know how we can specifically be praying for you, your family, and your church.
I really enjoyed preaching about the privilege that we all have to make disciples in our local context and at times around the globe. May we always have confidence in God’s powerful work to shine the spiritual light of Jesus Christ into the darkness of human hearts as we boldly proclaim the gospel to all.
Sickness, healing, and schedule changes: Some of you might have heard that at the end of September I had a fever that lasted for about eight days. During that week we had planned to spend several days with First Baptist Church of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. God, however, had other plans for us. What at first seemed like a common virus turned out to be Lyme disease when several Lyme disease rashes appeared on my skin. I never saw a tick, but one must have found me at some point during our time in Pennsylvania.
We thank the Lord for his healing and for the great medical attention he allowed me to receive in the USA. I took an antibiotic for three weeks and have been feeling fine since the fever left. Through the whole situation, God has opened up many doors to share the gospel and talk about his providential work. Our youngest daughter, Lilian, had also had a fever that lasted for two days just before I came down with the fever in September. No rashes showed up on her until about a week and a half ago when a Lyme disease rash appeared on her arm. She is now on antibiotics and seems to be fine as well. May God be glorified in us through every trial and blessing through which he leads us. We thank him for allowing Kelly and me to fly up to Pennsylvania in October to be with the church that we had missed during my sickness.
We were looking forward to being back with our local church here in Puerto Maldonado this past Sunday, but Alexia and Lilian had a stomach virus. We thank the Lord that they are feeling much better now. We look forward to more opportunities to spend time with Christian friends this week. We really enjoyed being at the Bible study and prayer time last night.
Below is the first-term-ministry-overview video that we showed in churches.
Disciple Making 2019: We pray that God would use the time he gave us in the United States to raise up many more workers in his harvest fields. He has used many faithful Christians along the way to direct us to service for him here in Peru.
We have enjoyed being able to participate in the evangelistic, disciple-making opportunities here with Iglesia Evangélica Bautista Vida Nueva. The boys and girls at the youth and soccer clubs are just as silly as ever, but they listen as JR Dudeck, Daniel Nuñez, and I preach the gospel to them. We pray that God will cause the seed, that has been planted and watered in many lives, to grow and produce fruit for his glory.
It has also been very encouraging to reconnect with our neighbors. Some of them are Christians, and we have enjoyed great times of Christian fellowship with them. Others are not Christians and God has already opened up some doors to tell them again of salvation by repentant faith in Jesus Christ alone. The verses below give us great confidence to continue planting and watering the seed of the gospel while trusting in God’s power to give the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:5–7 (CSB)
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
We have enjoyed being able to participate in the evangelistic, disciple-making opportunities here with Iglesia Evangélica Bautista Vida Nueva. The boys and girls at the youth and soccer clubs are just as silly as ever, but they listen as JR Dudeck, Daniel Nuñez, and I preach the gospel to them. We pray that God will cause the seed, that has been planted and watered in many lives, to grow and produce fruit for his glory.
It has also been very encouraging to reconnect with our neighbors. Some of them are Christians, and we have enjoyed great times of Christian fellowship with them. Others are not Christians and God has already opened up some doors to tell them again of salvation by repentant faith in Jesus Christ alone. The verses below give us great confidence to continue planting and watering the seed of the gospel while trusting in God’s power to give the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:5–7 (CSB)
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
December Gospel Outreach: We thank the Lord for the growth that is taking place in the members of Iglesia Evangélica Bautista Vida Nueva and their desire to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ around them. There is a need to take the gospel and sound Bible teaching further into the jungle. We are glad for the opportunities that God is opening for the church to be a part of that work. The church is planning to take a couple special trips in December to a nearby neighborhood where we have a weekly children’s Bible club and a village along one of the nearby rivers. I look forward to sharing with you what God does through those trips. Please pray that the people of the church would be able to free up their schedules to be able to participate. We look forward to seeing what Christ will do to build his church in these needy areas. We pray that these trips would build a bridge to further gospel outreach in those places.
Thank you again for your consistent prayers and financial gifts. We are glad to have you “holding the ropes” for us as we are down here in Peru. May the Lord always find us faithfully serving him. By his grace let’s finish this year with our eyes on Jesus.
Jay
______________
Jay & Kelly Cross
Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian
Thank you again for your consistent prayers and financial gifts. We are glad to have you “holding the ropes” for us as we are down here in Peru. May the Lord always find us faithfully serving him. By his grace let’s finish this year with our eyes on Jesus.
Jay
______________
Jay & Kelly Cross
Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian
Ambassadors for Christ in Peru
and for a few months here in the USA too :)
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you so much for your consistent prayers and encouragement. We thank God for allowing us to have a good finish to our first term of service for him in Peru. It was sad for us to leave our friends in Peru, but we look forward to arriving back in Peru on November 13, 2019 to continue being a part of the disciple-making work that God is doing in Puerto Maldonado and the surrounding jungle. Please continue to pray for God's glory to spread in Peru. As is the case wherever you live in the world, there is much spiritual darkness that needs the light of Jesus Christ the Lord.
 |  |
God has also been so kind to give us a great start to our first furlough. We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with churches, family, and friends here in the USA. So far we have spent time with these churches:
Calvary Baptist Church in Winter Garden, FL
Holiday Bible Church in Holiday, FL
Calvary Baptist Church in Lutz, FL
Centerpointe Baptist Church in Huntersville, NC
Harvest Bible Church in Lancaster, PA
It has been encouraging to see and hear about what the Lord has been doing in these churches since we moved to Peru in October 2016. We have enjoyed reconnecting with friends and meeting new people that have become part of the churches. We thank the Lord for their partnership in the gospel and for the opportunity God has given us to encourage them to keep proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Below are links to two messages that I preached to our sending church in Florida. I've enjoyed preaching from passages that teach us about our work as disciple makers to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Lord and the spiritual light that shines into the darkness of human hearts.
Matthew 9:35-10-7
2 Corinthians 2:14-4:7
Calvary Baptist Church in Winter Garden, FL
Holiday Bible Church in Holiday, FL
Calvary Baptist Church in Lutz, FL
Centerpointe Baptist Church in Huntersville, NC
Harvest Bible Church in Lancaster, PA
It has been encouraging to see and hear about what the Lord has been doing in these churches since we moved to Peru in October 2016. We have enjoyed reconnecting with friends and meeting new people that have become part of the churches. We thank the Lord for their partnership in the gospel and for the opportunity God has given us to encourage them to keep proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Below are links to two messages that I preached to our sending church in Florida. I've enjoyed preaching from passages that teach us about our work as disciple makers to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Lord and the spiritual light that shines into the darkness of human hearts.
Matthew 9:35-10-7
2 Corinthians 2:14-4:7
Questions and prayers answered to the glory of God! Our biggest questions before coming back to the USA were travel schedule, housing, and vehicle. God once again showed his sovereignty over all things and provided for those needs in a way that only he can. The schedule to visit our twelve partnering churches came together very easily after we prayed and emailed each of the churches about a specific Sunday. Eleven of the twelve pastors responded by saying that the specific date would work, and with a slight tweak the twelfth church was on the schedule as well. We praise God for working that out for us. The schedule God provided gives our family some stability by being able to spend several weeks at a time in our geographical hubs - Florida, the Carolinas, and Pennsylvania.
We asked you to pray that God would provide housing in Florida. He did that by directing us to an airbnb rental house that we rented for our first stay in Florida and have reserved for the last few weeks that we will be in the USA. It is less than a minute drive to our sending church's property and very close to family and friends. Thank you, God!
We asked you to pray that God would provide housing in Florida. He did that by directing us to an airbnb rental house that we rented for our first stay in Florida and have reserved for the last few weeks that we will be in the USA. It is less than a minute drive to our sending church's property and very close to family and friends. Thank you, God!
He provided us with a very nice Dodge Caravan from First Baptist Church in Bellefonte, PA. And it "just so happened" that a couple from the church had a trip planned to Florida that took them very close to where my parents live - making it relatively simple to drop the van off for us before we arrived in the USA. Kelly's parents plan to drive the van back up to Pennsylvania from Florida when we head back to Peru in November. Only God could bring all those details together in just the right way and timing. We thank God for providing safety for us in our travels.
Disciple Making 2019: We thank the Lord for spiritually and physically sustaining us through the travels, transition, and reverse culture shock from Peru to the USA. Through it all, God remains faithful and has been daily encouraging us through his word to keep persevering in disciple-making work for his glory. That disciple-making work begins with our family and expands out from there. We thank God for giving us daily opportunities to teach our girls about the Lord. We thank him for family and friends that help in that work.
We are also praying that God would send more laborers out into his harvest fields. God has given us specific opportunities with each of the churches to encourage others to continue following Jesus. When we were growing up, God used the testimony of visiting missionaries to direct Kelly and me toward serving the Lord in South America. We pray that he would use us to direct others toward that type of service as well.
We thank the Lord for giving us opportunities to proclaim Jesus as Lord. Would you pray that he would open up some doors like that with our neighbors here in Pennsylvania? Thank you so much for praying for us and supporting us financially. We look forward to seeing you soon as we visit your church!
Jay & Kelly Cross
Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian
"For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us."
2 Corinthians 4:5–7(CSB)
We are also praying that God would send more laborers out into his harvest fields. God has given us specific opportunities with each of the churches to encourage others to continue following Jesus. When we were growing up, God used the testimony of visiting missionaries to direct Kelly and me toward serving the Lord in South America. We pray that he would use us to direct others toward that type of service as well.
We thank the Lord for giving us opportunities to proclaim Jesus as Lord. Would you pray that he would open up some doors like that with our neighbors here in Pennsylvania? Thank you so much for praying for us and supporting us financially. We look forward to seeing you soon as we visit your church!
Jay & Kelly Cross
Alexia, Isabel, Esther, & Lilian
"For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us."
2 Corinthians 4:5–7(CSB)
2019 USA Church Visits
6/30 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
7/7 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
7/14 Holiday Bible Church (Holiday, FL)
7/21 Calvary Baptist Church (Lutz, FL)
7/28 Centerpointe Baptist Church (Huntersville, NC)
8/4 Harvest Bible Church (Lancaster, PA)
8/11Harvest Bible Church (Lancaster, PA)
8/18 First Baptist Church (Lebanon, PA)
8/25 Community Baptist Church (South Riding, VA)
9/1 Temple Bible Church (Elizabethtown, PA)
9/8 Harvest Bible Church (Lancaster, PA)
9/15 Open Door Bible Church (Middletown, PA)
9/22 First Baptist Church (Bellefonte, PA)
9/29 Collierstown Baptist Church (Collierstown, VA)
9/30 BJU Global Opportunities Week (Greenville, SC) 9/30 - 10/3
10/6 Iglesia Bautista de la Gracia (Hendersonville, NC)
10/13 Grace Baptist Church (East Flat Rock, NC)
10/20 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
10/27 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
11/3 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
11/10 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
7/7 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
7/14 Holiday Bible Church (Holiday, FL)
7/21 Calvary Baptist Church (Lutz, FL)
7/28 Centerpointe Baptist Church (Huntersville, NC)
8/4 Harvest Bible Church (Lancaster, PA)
8/11Harvest Bible Church (Lancaster, PA)
8/18 First Baptist Church (Lebanon, PA)
8/25 Community Baptist Church (South Riding, VA)
9/1 Temple Bible Church (Elizabethtown, PA)
9/8 Harvest Bible Church (Lancaster, PA)
9/15 Open Door Bible Church (Middletown, PA)
9/22 First Baptist Church (Bellefonte, PA)
9/29 Collierstown Baptist Church (Collierstown, VA)
9/30 BJU Global Opportunities Week (Greenville, SC) 9/30 - 10/3
10/6 Iglesia Bautista de la Gracia (Hendersonville, NC)
10/13 Grace Baptist Church (East Flat Rock, NC)
10/20 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
10/27 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
11/3 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
11/10 Calvary Baptist Church (Winter Garden, FL)
