Dear Friends,

This is a report of two of our orphans who have participated in our mentoring program. More of the same kind will follow in the next letters since we have many groups are in action all over the mountains. To the praise and glory of King Jesus.

I know this is a long letter, but it is worth reading... to be reminded in our generation that God is faithful as He was to Paul and others. Thank you, my brothers, and here goes the letter (with Ruthie's help) finally to your screen

Gerry and Ruthie Gutierrez

Before breakfast this morning, Gerry and I sat in the living room...with the shutters closed (to shut out noise from the street) in order to better hear the report of Ruben Pino, who had just returned from a trip back into the mountains. By the time he finished, our eyes wet with tears. It was a beautiful account of the Lord's working, and I will do my best to write it up for you to read.

Ruben is one our orphans. He is also one of the mentees of Gerry's group, who has sat under Gerry's teaching almost four or five hours daily for a few years. When some of the older boys, in a moment of rebellion, decided to leave Project Nehemiah last year, Ruben was sorely tempted to go with them to be able realize the dream that they shared as a musical group. Instead, he fasted and prayed and concluded that he would stay. The Lord has blessed and used Ruben to reach villages and communities way back in the mountains, where others cannot go.

The trip to the community of Cunya

Ruben and Eliseo (another of our orphans who has had Bible Institute training and recently returned from a "prodigal son" experience), started out at midnight as passengers on the back of a pickup that wound its way up into the high mountains. Arriving in the village of Cunya at 6:30 a.m., they were met by a man named Zenobio, who said, "Welcome to our village". He wondered why they had come, and Ruben explained that they had come to tell about Jesus. Zenobio said it was wonderful that young men like they would take the name of Jesus to the villages, and then he left to care for his animals...saying he would be back to hear about Jesus that night. The fellows went on up then to look for a relative of Eliseo's . He had been born in that village...and his parents had been slaughtered there by the terrorists. Now he was taken the Gospel to those people. His uncle, Felipe Rimachi was surprised and delighted to see them. With a big smile he welcomed them to his home and sat them down to potatoes and soup for breakfast while he and his family listened to their presentation of Jesus and heard of their desire to start a group in that place. Felipe offered his home for a meeting place; then rejoicing over God's provision, Ruben and Eliseo went off to call other people for a meeting that night. Several men, some young fellows and a woman agreed to come, so Ruben and Eliseo returned to Felipe's house to set up sheep skins and stools for the gathering and to spend time in prayer and study of the Word.

Ruben reports: "That evening the people arrived one by one, and I preached a message on Jesus, who brings reconciliation between God and man and between man and his fellow man, and I asked the folks if they would like to be part of the vision we had of planting a church there in Cunya. Felipe spoke up and said, "It's been a long time that we have been waiting for this", and then directing himself to those in attendance, he said, "As you all know, the churches here do not live as the Scripture teaches. Between the people there is anger, hatred, insults and some even go so far as to kill because of problems with their animals." He told how once he had been invited to a church where the people were shaking and where the pastor preached about his dreams and not about the Word of God. He said he left that place determined to gather a few people in his home to study the Bible...and that now this was the hour to start a new work and to give example to that other church of how to truly know Jesus and how to live for Him. He said, "We need to yank up the old plant and to put in a new plant and go out like the brilliant morning sun speaking of Jesus and living like He taught." "Now," he asked, "What do you all say in this regard?" The people responded that they were in agreement with one heart and that they would offer themselves to build up the walls for a church on some land that they had and that there would be a room there for visitors and pastors. The meeting was concluded with prayer for the vision of building a house for the Lord and of dreaming and struggling to make that a reality. There was a final "amen!" in unison, and everyone left for their homes, praising the Lord. Later Eliseo and I prayed for the blessing of God and thanked him for what he was doing in Cunya and that He was working this objective of starting a work for His glory in the hearts of each of the those people, who had the same desire as we did. With gratitude to God, we were able to rest in peace that night in the community of Cunya in order to continue our mission elsewhere the following day."

Our trip to the Community of Uchuraccay

Ruben continues:
"Sunday, the day of the Lord, dawned in Cunya rainy and foggy. That day our mission was to go to Uchuraccay, (a town which made international news years ago, when 11 news reporters were brutally killed by the townspeople, who mistook them for terrorists.) For a minute, we were disheartened because of the intense cold and the rain, but the Lord Jesus was with us each moment.. We prayed for the trip and asked the Lord to show us his hand in Uchuraccay as he had done in Cunya. On the way, I prayed earnestly for the Lord to show us the first person He had prepared. The rain kept up as we climbed, but when we entered the town, we saw a familiar face...then we doubted that it was he, but he smiled and came up to greet us, and we realized that it was Tulio Morales, who used to work in the city of Huanta selling Popsicles. Now he was back in his village working the land. He wondered what we were doing there, and we answered that we'd come to present Jesus, and no one else could save. A lady approached...wondering what we were talking about, and we shared with her as well. Both she and Tulio offered their houses for a meeting place for later in the day when people would be back from tilling their land and pasturing their animals. So the Lord answered our prayers, but He would show us even greater things later on. So we began to descend in continuing rain to the village below. There in the village, we tried to find some protection from the rain under the overhanging of a roof, but a young man and a woman saw us and she called us to her house to find relief from the rain. They wondered what institution or office we were from, but we responded that we were there only to share about Jesus. The young fellow, Antonio, wanted to hear more of what we were telling so he insisted that we go to his house. He accommodated us nicely in his house, and we shared with him the vision we had of looking for a seed family to meet with them and begin a group. Antonio, without doubting, called his wife and children and even his mother-in-law, and he said, "Here you have a seed family with which to begin forming a work in Uchuraccay, and we are in agreement with your proposition. Eliseo and Ruben, let me tell you... a long time ago, Don Rufino, a good friend of mine had said to me that we should raise up a new work in Uchuraccay to demonstrate to these churches how they should be followers of Jesus and how they should behave. Rufino told me to be thinking about it and that when he returned from the jungle, I should give him my decision. I did not know what to do or how to begin a work; but he said that he had gone to visit a church that caused him terror, because the people there were shaking and the pastor blew on the people and they fell to the floor yet continued to seek more of the same. He told me that he ran out of that church and never returned and that for that reason, we needed to start a new work where we would talk of Jesus and not call it by any name that would be divisive." Eliseo and I thanked the Lord as we prayed with Antonio's family, and we concluded our time there in the village of Uchuraccay as one united family."

As they said farewell, Ruben mentioned that they would be going the next day to the community of Waychau, and Antonio immediately responded that he had a friend, Lucio, there who didn't know the Lord but that they could go in Antonio's name to speak to him of Jesus and to share the vision of starting a work in that place. Ruben said, "I was very grateful to the Lord Jesus, because He places people in His time and when we most need them, and He knows all of our needs before we even ask Him. This is the way the Lord worked marvellously before us in the community of Uchuraccay.

Our Trip to the community of Waychau, Monday, 2nd of February, 2004.

Monday dawned as a beautiful and tranquil morning with the mountains clearly outlined and the clouds white and lovely. Eliseo returned to Huanta, and I left on my journey after having a time with the Lord in much prayer, asking God to show me once again his powerful hand in the community of Waychau. I walked along singing-- over mountains and through rivers....talking with Jesus and remembering the wonderful way he had worked in the villages of Cunya and Uchuraccay. Before arriving to the place I was heading to, I climbed a mountain overlooking Waychau. There, as I read the Word, the Lord spoke to me through Proverbs 28:26...that a fool trusts in his own ideas but that he who walks in wisdom will see his way prospered. As I meditated on that passage, I knew I was not taking my own ideas or what I had studied...but the wisdom of God, and that was why things were going well; because the Lord is faithful to His Word and never fails. Then, greatly encouraged, I descended into Waychau, and as I walked I asked the Lord to place somebody in my path. As I walked, there was a young fellow playing a harmonica. I asked him how to find Luciano, and he wondered what I was doing in that area. I answered that I had come to tell him about the true God and that I wanted to announce to him too that Jesus was the Truth and there was no other; and he blurted out, 'brother'. Alejandro invited me into his house to pray for his aunt, who was very sick. I accepted his invitation to enter under his roof and was invited to eat. Nearby me sat a man and a woman who asked me who I was and what was my business in that area. I responded that I had come to bring Jesus and to speak only of Him. The man informed me that he was the pastor of the assembly and that the lady beside him was the president of the feminine league, Alejandro was the deacon and the sick lady was one who congregated with them in their church. I thought, "Well, here I have a whole church", but his denominational views get the best of him and he reacted very badly and asked for my identification and a letter of recommendation and the name of my pastor. I gave him my I.D. and he seemed to calm down a bit, but I decided to leave that house after praying for the sick lady. As I went my way looking for Luciano, whistles began to be blown all over the community, which scared me and caused me to walk more quickly. I stopped near a family and asked them about the whistles, and they explained that it was because no one was to go out to work in their fields...so I asked if that was because everyone was going to sleep. They laughed but did not explain what the problem was. I asked one of the young fellows how I could find Luciano Velasquez, and he said, "I am he." How joyful I was to see the hand of the Lord, and immediately I thanked him from my heart for leading me. To Luciano I presented the Gospel of our Lord, and he listened contentedly until his brother came near and also listened to my desire to find a seed family in Waychau in order to form a group, later a presbytery and finally a synod and even be pert of an international movement. The two brothers and their family said they would like to be a seed family and offered their house for whenever we wanted to start. I told Luciano about his brother Antonio who was listening there, he was pleased , and he said, "Antonio said: If my friend is in this; So will I. Great!"

Later that afternoon as I was returning to Cunya praising the Lord for what He was doing, I went down to a stream to wet my hair because I was tired. Looking back, I saw 2 men, who I thought were passing by to their village, but when I looked again, I realized that they were coming after me...walking faster and faster. Arising, I began to walk faster than before until I lost my way in a small ravine. Looking back over my shoulder, I could no longer see them; so I slowed down (because I was very tired)...but continued on my way singing to the Lord. When I was only about three blocks distance from Cunya, the men shouted to another man who was tilling his field, ŒCatch that thief'' But the man was Zenobio, who had first welcomed us to Cunya, and he yelled back that I was a man of God, who had come there to share about Jesus. The two fellows caught up to me and began to shout ugly words and to call me a thief. They told me to stand where I was and not to move, so I stopped and in my heart I asked the Lord to help me and to put tranquillity in me. The guys came up to me and demanded to know why I had run from them. I answered that I had not run, and they said, "Do you think we are going to believe you....that you could walk faster than us, who know this area well?" They required my documents and asked what I was doing in that area. I told them that I was taking the Word of the Lord, speaking of Jesus.

As soon as they heard the name of the Lord Jesus they calmed down and told me that the problem was that two young men had stolen weapons that were used for protection of their community from terrorism. They had caught one but the other one had escaped, and they had been looking for him for 3 days without having much to eat.

Since I had some crackers in my backpack, I gave them to eat, and they apologized to me. Then I told them that I was going to Purus and to Carwahuran, and they warned me that they had filed a complaint in those cities and that any unknown person would be shot at upon approaching...so to be careful. Later, when I told one of the ladies in the house in Cunya about what had happened, she said that the Lord had protected me because those fellows could easily have robbed or killed me when I was alone on the heights. I was so thankful to the Lord for taking care of me and for walking each moment by my side. Only the Lord knows why they were not able to "see" me or to catch up with me up in the heights.

Trip to the Community of Purus...Tuesday, February 3, 2004.

Tuesday morning I was in doubt as to whether to go to Purus, because of the complaint that had been filed there. Struggling within myself, I prayed to the Lord and opened the Word, where He assured me, "Son, do not be afraid, because I will go before you". That confirmation was what I most needed from God, so I grabbed my backpack and headed off to the village of Purus, because the Lord Jesus was going before me, there was no reason to fear. I climbed mountains and passed through ravines until I could see Purus before me...waiting. I prayed the same prayer as in the other places...asking God to place in my way someone to listen and to accept Jesus.

Well, I descended into Purus, where there was not even one single young person...only a lady; and when I asked her where everybody from the village had gone, she said that they were out on a community project but that I could wait 2 hours until they returned. So I sat in the little main square of Purus until a tall young man approached to ask if I was looking for the governor. I responded that I had come to talk of the Lord Jesus Christ and only of Him .When he asked of what denomination I was I told him that I followed the Lord , and he said he was a long-time Catholic and went on the offensive to defend Catholic traditions even though I spoke only of Jesus and His death on the cross. Then I went over to share with a lady, who refused to hear me; so I climbed a hill to sit and pray until the young people of the town should return. After an hour, they began to arrive...one by one, but the "Catholic" fellow reached them first....warning that I was "Christian brother" and calling me by many other ugly names. When I tried to witness to one of the guys, they all began to mock and to make fun of me. I realized that my peace could not rest on that town but decided to make one more attempt to see if someone would receive the message of Jesus. The person I had approached, also refused the Gospel. My heart was grieved that they would reject such a great gift and I left the town in tears with the pain of rejection, but in my heart I knew that God was by my side. As I walked back in sadness, with my heart broken, I saw a lady collecting firewood as she climbed up towards her house. When I got near, she smiled and came towards me to greet me saying, "Son, you look tired. Come rest." And she had me come into her home. It was as though I heard Jesus Himself speaking to me. I told her of the total rejection in Purus and how she had filled my heart with the encouragement that God had put on her heart to show me. Señora Catalina introduced me to her husband, Marcial and to her daughters. I shared with them my vision to start a work there, and Catalina told how some time ago her daughter had suggested that they seek the Lord and try to find a church in the village of Purus, but when they entered they found the people shaking and rolling on the floor like children. They took off out of there and never went back but said they had held hope that someone would come some day to speak of Jesus. They wanted nothing of religion or denominations, because they said that all kinds of people came to them saying that their church or group was better, and that they were sick of it. They were happy because I was speaking only of Jesus and said that their house would be available to hold meetings and to demonstrate how to truly follow Jesus by giving good example. I was very consoled by the Lord, and I returned with joy, praising the Lord, because He had given me success in all the places I had been; and He kept His promise of being with me all the time.

Trip to the Community of Carwahuran; Thursday, February 5, 2004

Wednesday night, Don Zenobio Huaman came to where I was and said to me, "Ruben, it's probably best that you not go to Carwahuran, because there's been another problem involving robbery of some cattle and you might be blamed. So it would be better that you travel out of here tomorrow, back to Huanta." So I thanked Zenobio for letting me know that.

Thursday I woke up not knowing what to do. I had decided to returned to Huanta and was determined to do so, but on the other hand ...I didn't know if I should go to Carwahuran so I left it in the Lord's hands and sought His will.

So in the morning I waited for transportation to head back to Huanta, but no cars came by. Mrs. Albertina told me to go to Puca Jassa to get a car back to Huanta from there since cars from the jungle passed by that community. I got my things and hiked up the mountains to Puca Jassa and waited for transportation by the side of the road for more than an hour until I saw a vehicle coming from Huanta. I went up to the driver to ask him if he would be returning, and he said, "Yes". Well I had to keep on waiting until he came back and then I asked him again if he was going to Huanta and he said that he was but that first he was on his way to Carwahuran. Then he said, "Why don't you come along? Put your stuff in the car." I got so full of joy, because the Lord was taking me where I had wanted to go all along and also (inside the car) there were three people that were from Carwahuran. They asked me what I was taking along with me (since they were unfamiliar with backpacks and my sleeping bag). I proceeded to tell them, for the purpose of building up trust between them and myself. That allowed me to continue on and share about Jesus with them. They listened and so did the driver and his helper. We went along singing (a Quechua chorus that I taught them with my guitar), until we arrived to Carwahuran. All six of us in the car got out and the two young men showed me from a distance where they lived and invited me to comeback and visit them; then we said our "good-byes". On the way back to Huanta, the driver, his helper and I went on singing. Further on up, another 15 young men got into our van; they were on their way to work. They, too, started singing along with us. At first they had asked me to play carnaval music, but I told them I'd teach them something better than carnaval songs. Among the 15 fellows, around 10 of them heard about Jesus. Farther on, the fifteen guys, now my friends, got out, saying their good-byes -all smiling big. (Those were good contacts for the future.) We continued our trip to Huanta. Afterwards, high up on the "puna" (above the timberline) in Chaca, more passengers got on -two of whom were from Purus; the same two youth who had rejected my sharing the Gospel with them in their town. They recognized me and asked me, "Excuse me, are you the young man that came to Purus bringing Jesus?" And I answered, "Yes, and I had to go elsewhere, because you all threw me out." The rest of the passengers in the small bus listened to our conversation with interest as the young fellows explained that they had been afraid of what the people of the town would say about them if they followed Jesus. I told them that they should fear God and not men; and from then on we rode in silence to the community of Huayllay, where two policemen stopped us to check the passengers and the car. I recognized one of the police, who had attended church in Huanta at one time. He came around to my window and chatted with me for quite a while as the other passengers listened in. I was able to talk to him a little about the Lord Jesus, and he told me about the things that were going on in that area. There were many drug traffickers who used that route, and he warned me to be careful. When we arrived in Huanta, I went to pay the driver , who said that he was unwilling to charge me and decide to charge me only six soles instead of the usual amount -that I could keep the difference for myself. We parted as friends. And he offered to transport me the next time I needed to go there.

The Lord Jesus blessed me greatly on this trip to the different places, and He watched over me with His powerful hand...to Him be the glory.!!!

Signed,

Ruben and Eliseo, servants of Jesus Christ

PS As I write this letter, Ruben, Eliseo and Richard are preparing themselves to return to those five communities for a period of 3 weeks....looking forward to meet many young people who are back in their villages for the Summer vacation, and they will also continue in their church-planting efforts.

Prayer requests:

Safety and success for the three young men

Pray for a second-hand vehicle (preferably a Willy's Jeep) to facilitate their trips in this rugged and rainy terrain.

Pray about a tent-making possibility in which the orphans would like to work together to support themselves through the work of carpentry as they serve the Lord. Whereas there is not work available in Huanta, carpentry, which the boys enjoy, is in great demand. Lawyers and teachers are driving taxies, because there are too many of their profession and no work

Gratefully, Gerry and Ruthie Gutierrez