Dear Friends,

Greetings now from Peru!  I write to you now from a city in Northern Peru, called Piura.  We have now begun the outreach portion of our DTS and will be in Peru for the next two months, working with the churches and preaching the Good News to the people of Piura, as well as Lima (the capital of Peru).  My journeys so far (since my last entry) have taken me to Santiago with Benhur, where I had a very relaxing and enjoyable Christmas break with Ricardo´s family (the director of Santiago/YWAM Chile) and all of their friends; then on to Vina del Mar with good friends from the base, where we had a great time exploring this beautiful coastal city; then on to Arica (Northern Chile) with the girls, where we were refreshed in the Lord by a dear friend of one of the girls in our school; then on to the Andes mountainous region of Peru to visit the ancient cities of Puna and Cusco.  My time in Cusco (solo) was essentially my baptism into Peru and will be an experience I will not forgot - struggling to overcome altitude sickness and spiritual oppression, isolated and alone/God proving His faithfulness in the end.  Quite a fascinating city, though!  I look forward to returning some day.

Christmas and New Year´s break was a lot of fun, but it is good to be reunited with the team, and to be back in the work of the gospel (past 4 days).  We´ve been spending the mornings going from house to house to invite the people to come to the evening events held at the local church - where we do dramas/music/preach, etc.  (I preached the other night to a mid-sized church of about 200 members/ "Who is Jesus" / 2 aspects: Lion and the Lamb/Revalations 4 and 5/message received well.)  There are only 7 in my small group - 3 Chileans, 2 Equadorians, and 1 Uraguayan - all spanish speaking.  My biggest challenge now lies in gaining an understanding of the hearts and minds of the Peruvian people.  They are very different from the Chileans.  They seem to be somewhat more passive and indifferent than the Chileans, but friendlier.  They have a different look too - darkers skin color and many with distinctive Incan facial features.  Also, the standard of living is much lower in Peru, much more like Mexico. 

I am praying for God to give me more and more love for these precious people that my work here would truly come from the heart of God.  As we have become more comfortable going door to door, we have become more bold in our speaking/invitation.  It is a blessing when we are warmly received and the people are open to our message, at times inviting us in and serving us food.  There is definitely more spiritual opposition to the truth of God in this country, that has a deep tradition of idolatry and witchcraft.  But the people do have much respect for "gringos" (North Americans/Europeans) and have been very friendly toward me, which has been nice.  So, now it is just a matter of communication:  1) understanding the Peruvian mindset, 2) improving my spanish (the good news is that Peruvian spanish is "better" than Chilean spanish, so it is easier for me to communicate with the people here).

But it is truly a joy to be here in South America doing the most noble and holy work that one could be doing.  I truly want to give my body to God as a living sacrifice and allow Him to conform me to the image of Christ so that I would truly become a reflection of Him.  What a priviledge and honor it is to be given the opportunity to serve Him who the angels now know as the Great King and Lord Supreme!  Very soon all the world will also come to know Him.  In the meantime, let us aspire to be faithful and dedicated to the Calling.

Miss you much!  Be encouraged!  Rejoice in the Lord!  Learn to abide in Him.  His plan for you is perfect.  Trust in Him, and you will find peace and joy.  Love you all and look forward to seeing you again soon! 
Your brother,
Alex