Field Facts for Prayer

Tomorrow we will be heading to our prayer retreat, only a couple of hours away. I wanted to share with you the location in Peru where my team will be assigned along with some information and names of those in the town that you can commit to prayer. The town is called Matucana and it is small town a few hours east of Lima. Our team will be the group closest to Lima because one of our members has to fly back to the states on March 1 and I am scheduled to head back March 11. Most of the others are staying in Peru until May, so they are being placed in more remote areas.

Matucana location (Google Maps):

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Earlier this month a state-side sponsoring church out of Florida made a Vision trip into Matucana and surrounding villages where they contacted several believers in the area. With information from their report and following their instructions, we will be continuing their work and over the next month or so using all of the tools we have learned these past two weeks.

In the town of Matucana there is a small family of believers who were holding regular weekly meetings when the Vision team left them a couple of weeks ago. Elizabeth and Jose are hosting the meetings along with their daughter Keyla. Janadit is their daughter-in-law and a new Christian. The state-side church believes that she may have a heart for evangelism in the community. Pray for this family as they mature in their faith and leadership.

We also know about 5 new believers in Matucana - all women - who need help getting started in their Christian walk, including baptism. Our training included baptism and administering the Lord's Supper so we will get the opportunity to teach them these ordinances as well.

In Matucana there are several groups (or neighborhoods), two of which were contacted by the stateside church: Huaripachi (pronounced war-i-potchy) and Huariquina (pronounced war-i-keena). Huaripachi had 18 women to visit one of the study sessions and Zoila and Maria were noted as being possible leaders - no believers, but many interested. There is apparently some resistance from other religious/deviant groups in this area, so pray for these women and their salvation and pray for our team's wisdom and discernment regarding the resisting groups. In the other neighborhood, Huariquina, there is little activity - no Bibles, no believers found. Pray for open hearts in this area and that our storying will spark further interest in the Word. Two names mentioned in this area are Marleny and Rosalina - not believers, but helpful to the stateside church team.

There are about 10 villages surrounding Matucana and it has been suggested that we visit Marachanca first. Hector from Huaripachi has fields up in this village and they are receptive to storying. Pray for their hearts to be prepared for our visit.

As you read this post you may be thinking to yourself that this level of detail and the specific names I mentioned are not really necessary for you to pray about. As long as you pray for "the mission" then it's all covered. Paul says in Colossians 4:2-4 that we are to "devote" ourselves to prayer and be "watchful" in prayer - especially regarding spreading the gospel. Praying for names is praying for souls, praying for detailed needs is a demostration of the devotion and watchfulness that Paul is talking about. The scripture continues with Paul's request "And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message".

This is my request as the REAPsouth teams in Peru move to the fields. I will try to update this blog as often as possible with specific names and requests that you can lift up to the Lord in prayer - in devotion and watchfulness.

As a post script.. I had mentioned earlier that I am scheduled to return to the states in March. I am exploring the possibility of staying until May so that I can experience more of church planting and spend more time in training up new leaders in these villages. I have committed this decision to prayer and I am working to make it happen logistically, financially, etc. As I am not yet sure of His will regarding my stay, your prayer support for over this decision would mean the world to me! "Wherever he leads, I'll go!"

In Christ-
Greg