It is official! We received our five year visas for Peru! Praise be to Jesus!
What does this mean for us? We are able to just focus on the mission without having to leave the country every 3-6 months to renew our visas. We now have the ability to stay in Peru for 5 years without leaving the country during that time if we choose to.
This is such a wonderful blessing for us and the communities which we serve. Why is it such a blessing for them? Because when we have to renew our visas the people are without missionaries for a week. For people who only receive mass once a month or once every two months this is a big deal. We bring Jesus to them weekly through Bible studies, music, and encouragement.
Imagine how this would impact your life! Imagine yourself as someone who has just heard about the Good News of Jesus Christ! You long to know more. Each week you attend class to hear more about Salvation. You are excited to hear that you have a part in it. You received a Bible for the first time. You are learning to praise the Lord with song. You have also been taught the Lord's prayer and the rosary for the first time. Each week is new and exciting. You look forward to celebrate with one another.
Now imagine that the missionaries will not be in your town for two weeks. This can be difficult especially for people with a new found faith. Living in a community where your faith is not practiced is discouraging. For a community that is so new celebrating the Liturgy of the Word is foreign and scary. It is also difficult when you have questions and no one to ask.
"We are a sheep without a shepherd. Please be patient with us." This is what we were told by the people of Nuevo Chimbote. When I think of this I am drawn to the passage from John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." When I hear this passage I think back to the days we raised goats. When a new kid is born you spend time with it and you talk with it. You want it to trust you and to follow you. This can only be done by spending time with it. Gradually the kid learns your voice, begins to trust you, and will follow you. But how does this pertain to Jesus? To be able to recognize the Lord and to follow Him you need to spend time with Him. This is done by studying the Bible, daily prayer, and also attending mass or Liturgy of the Word celebrations. Just like with our goats, through implementing these steps in your life you learn to recognize God's voice, you trust Him, and you follow Him. We desire to help the people come to know Christ and now we have more opportunities to do so!
Great news. God is good!!!! Love the advent pics! :)
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