Peru / Richard / Summary

Training Group in Tingo María

I returned home from Peru a week ago Sunday, exhausted but satisfied. There were 134 leaders who attended the Person of Jesus trainings in Huancayo, La Merced, Pucallpa and Tingo María. It was exciting to watch 115 leaders teach a whole lesson. They now are prepared to lead Person of Jesus groups in their churches and neighborhoods, as well as in jails, hospitals, and schools. My pray is that many will begin new groups where friends and neighbors will see and reflect the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

If the 115 leaders start groups with 10 people in each group, there will be 1,150 people seeing Jesus in new ways. Their lives will be transformed by hanging out with Jesus. If each person from the groups start loving like Jesus in sacrificial ways, they will affect at least 10 other people in their communities. The impact of the Person of Jesus training has the potential of changing 11,500 people!

Discovering Jesus

Some ask me if it is worth going to a country like Peru to train leaders. Boy, I cannot think of anything better to do than to have 11,500 people seeing Jesus and loving others in new ways! Whole communities can be changed because of two weeks in Peru. This trip has been the hardest on me health-wise. I had altitude sickness, spent a night in the hospital with intestinal infection and returned home with a severe cold that still lingers on. I rode in planes, buses, vans, motorcycle taxis, and cars…sometimes all night long. But, I would do it all over again to have 115 leaders ready and willing to help others see and be like Jesus.

I finished the trip teaching in Tingo María with Gabe. There were 40 leaders who taught a full lesson. I led the training on Friday (May 20) and left that night by bus for Lima. Gabe observed and evaluated the leaders after they taught on Saturday in Tingo María, while I met with leaders in Lima setting up the next trip to Peru. I will return in September to train leaders in Lima, Chosica, Piura and Tacna.

Overnight Bus to Lima.

What is my biggest need to return to Peru in September? Some may say it is health. Certainly I want to be healthy and not have more infections, colds and altitude sickness on future trips. Ellen and I also want to continue to grow closer even while we are separated during the trips. It is hard on her as well as on me. The thing that hinders me the most in making more trips is financial support. If I was fully supported, I could make 6 or 7 trips each year to train more people to disciple others. My current support status is 69% with a monthly support need of $2,409.

Please pray that more people will become financial partners in training leaders around the world. We are helping them to be disciple makers so others will see and follow Jesus.

Thanks for sharing in this ministry,

Richard