May 2002 Gutierrez Update

Huanta, May 4, 2002

From Gerry, Ruthie, Ben and Caleb

To our friends in the USA whom we represent in the mountains of Peru. Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus. May His peace rest on you firmly in an ever-changing World. We feel a renewed gratitude toward you for allowing us to represent you in a partnership that could not be (in our view) more pleasing to and out Lord's heart.

One of the most difficult things for us was to leave Nathaniel at Covenant College. He was a key element of the Mentoring program, as well as a "wise friend" to fellowship and work together. But thanks to your prayer and our behalf the Lord is rising our Caleb (14) to come along side to fill the gap.

In a recent meeting of sharing and fellowship where kids are tested on how much the mind of Christ has getting hold of them... Caleb though only (14) was invited to the "big group to share of what was on his heart. Caleb said: "Recently I have been reading a book; but what impressed me the most was what I read in the Gospel. When Jesus was spit, hit and flogged ... He did not offend himself. "Jesus was very humble". From the cross He prayed for those that insulted Him and divided His clothes among themselves. "When you are humble you don't get offended. "

Even in the cross, one of the thieves insulted Jesus and made fun of Him, yet He did not defend Himself and a stranger who did not know Jesus defended Him. A humble man makes friends even from strangers. A humble man makes friends easy. A humble man does not need to defend himself. Others defend a humble man.

Rev. German Santillana was in the meeting and spoke up. "In the last 2 days I have developed a back pain that almost kept me from coming to this meeting. I came slowly, but I came. I praise and thank God for being here. Caleb has spoken to my heart. I am a person who takes a very long time to open up to others and to make friends. I have been convicted of my lack of humility. I hope to do better from now on. Caleb is the youngest of the Friday night group but at 14 he is getting pretty close to being a six-footer. But that Friday he sure was head and shoulders taller than the rest of us all. Caleb is learning to focus on the cross and wanting to have the mind of Christ.

Oh! How I pray that as you read this letter, you may stop even for a moment and contemplate the cross afresh. "The cross, the wisdom of God". Then say to yourselves, "Ï am crucified in Christ, I no longer live but Christ in me, the hope of glory". From the cross, take a look around and look at the world, no longer with your own eyes and feelings but with the eyes of Christ and may His feelings flood your hearts and minds. The cares of this world "will grow strangely deem in the light of His wonderful love" The toughest kids of our orphanage have found in Caleb some sort of a friend and intercessor. The fact that Caleb has come to their lives "to be with them" have made them forget the 4 or 5 year of difference they have with Caleb.

Caleb is an effective mediator between Freddy, Cesar, Edgar, Richard, David and me for their needs and wants. We go to the stadium at 6 a.m. for soccer and to the river to celebrate Edgar's birthday and out to Huaywas with the bus. Please pray for the mind of Christ for Caleb as he is naturally moving into becoming a mentor to these kids. The next four years our family has a motto to focus on "To have and to teach the mind of Christ" Ruthie´s surgery on Diverticulosis has "solved all her health problem" for the time being PTL. As for me I am wonderfully busy and feeling muscle pains and getting black and blue marks all over my legs playing soccer ­ refusing to get old ­ and paying for it dearly, but keeping proudly the title of the highest scorer of my team against that of Hectors team.

Some R.C. friends have asked me to give their dying mother the extreme unction. A young couple has just lost their love one to cirrhosis to the liver, four people got killed by a band of assassins thirty miles from here; the smell of death is all around me in Huanta. There are to many funerals for a small town, weekly. But as some worker from Canada working in Calcutta said to her mother in a letter, (I say the same thing to you,) "I have never felt so alive in the midst of so much death. I have never felt so close to heaven in the midst of such a hell. " Drug trafficking and terrorism without ideology has replaced the formers culture of violence in Huanta.

One Saturday at 5 a.m. I read Jn 15 18-29 about the hate of the world to the follower of Christ. At six thirty I shared with Ruthie what I read. At nine I went to the market with German to buy fish. As I met with two teachers in the market a man that I have never met crosses the street and hits me from behind with a closed fist without any reason at all. When I turned around, German, (as usual) had him under control already. The man's eyes were full of rage. He looked more like and idiot than a normal man. I knew instantly that this was not a flesh and blood encounter. So I just smiled and told German to let him go. For no other reason but as confirmation to whom I belong. The experience was worth it. But as a testimony to German, the two teachers and the people around it was an added blessing. Not for a moment of thought in hitting back. "Count it as pure joy when you are under different testing"... came to mind.

Recently I was in Lima being tested by the Peruvian burocracy that can be sickening. Now I am back in the mountains. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf. May our Lord Himself remind you to intercede for us as often as you can. Our Osman is getting married the first of June to a find girl from Huanta (Janet). They have known each other for the last four years. After that, they plan to attend to Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis Mo. Please pray that a family or a church in St. Louis may be found to help them get established. Thank you again.

In His love,

Gerry Gutierrez
(For the family)

- Sunday, May 5, 2002