Please, tell me if I have no reason to be Proud of my Ruthie. Be generous and drop her a line of encouragement and put a smile on her beautiful face. I will be indebted and most grateful to you my friend. Give her a blessing. "He who gives to the needy; lends to the Lord". Remember that He pays back with great dividends. Keep investing on us.

Pray, Pray, and Pray a little more.

Gerry Gutierrez

To Our Dear Praying Friends,

I never would have thought that that rabid young man being lifted high on the shoulders of his Marxist fans would someday be leaning down to rub my feet and massage my aching leg in a faraway country where HE would have to do the lifting of ME from wheelchair to car, etc.

My Gerry is a loving husband, and he cares for me – doing things that surprise even him. Those who knew him in the past would be amazed to see him now. He is serving the Lord in whole new ways as housekeeper, cook, nurse and caretaker of my needs. He sits and looks at me with my deep, dark eye circles and bald head and tells me that I am beautiful and that he loves me so much; and he writes touching words of tender affection and sends me messages of encouragement by e-mail.

Twenty years ago when doctors gave me a year to survive a very aggressive breast cancer, Gerry had to be gone a lot on his trips around the world. Fourteen years later, the breast cancer reappeared attacking my bones. We were busy then in the ministry in Huanta and thankful for God’s mercy in providing in a city an hour away a treatment that fortified the bones and let us carry on with the work normally.

But this return of cancer has totally incapacitated me and has taken us away from the ministry in Peru – though not completely; because Gerry prepares messages to later go out over the Andes and we write letters to encourage the believers and oversee the work as best as possible from this distance.

The doctors have concluded all treatment for me, but months after chemo I am still experiencing after-effects of tingling nerves, pain in the muscles and joints, continual gastric upset with nausea, burning sensations and lack of appetite. Gerry spoils me offering goodies he can cook or urging me to go out to eat.

Only the power of God can remove this deadly cancer and give me life. Leaning on Him has brought us together as spouses in a closer dependency and loving relationship that is deeper than anything we have experienced previously – not to mention more intimate communion with Him who loves us and watches over us so tenderly.

Our hearts ache to return to Peru to care for those sheep that we abandoned suddenly when my femur broke. Thank God our Nathaniel and his Alicia and two children lack less than 10% of their support in order to leave for the mission field (Huanta, Peru), where they will be of enormous help to the churches, who are waiting by the minute for their arrival.

I want to be there too. “My” ladies, teenage girls and children pray with tears for my healing and return. Is stage-four cancer too hard for the Omnipotent God? If He wills, this laborer is eager to return to work in His harvest – even if for the last days of my life. God gave Hezekiah 15 extra years at his request; and Gerry and I are asking Him for at least 15 years – and as many more as God should permit.

“To you, Oh LORD, I cry; and to the LORD I plead for mercy:
What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, Oh LORD, and be merciful to me! Oh, LORD, be my helper!”
      - Psalms 30:8-10

Thank you so much for such faithful prayer, dear friends.

Love in our Lord,

Ruthie Gutierrez