Mark and Kim DeJager

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, thank-you again for your prayers on our behalf.  There are so many things I would like to share with you but I will limit to this page.

Kim is staying in Canada longer than anticipated due to some incomplete medical work.  Lord willing she will return August 18^th.  She has been missed by many of the people here and especially by me.  Jonathan has been thankful for a bit longer break but will be returning as well the 18^th with Lindsay following in early September.

I would ask you to pray for Carlos and Karina a father and his thirteen year old daughter.  I have been meeting with them every week studying the Bible.  Neither is saved but the daughter has a good understanding and both are seeking.  One challenge is that I don’t go there until 8:30 pm when Karina finishes school, which means after small talk and all we don’t finish until at the earliest 10:30.  Unfortunately Carlos gets up at 5:30 so he’s dosing off by the time we wrap up.  Please pray for their salvation and for Carlos to stay awake.

We live in a poor community and part of this is evident in the sad state of the family.  So many families are torn apart, and the children pay the price of these divisions.  Recently I heard how a fourteen year old young lady who comes to youth group but is without a father in her life was being pursued by a thirty-two year old married man, and sadly she was interested in his advances.  Fortunately it was stopped but it shows the hunger for attention and love. Just last week the youth group hosted a evening at a local soccer field and invited a number of young people.  During the meeting several professed salvation.  Please pray there would be an evidence of their salvation.

Recently the mother of one of the men of our meeting died.  He has 10 siblings and his mother had eight.  I went to the vigilia (wake) to pay my respects and discovered that he is the only believer in his family.  I went back for my first Peruvian funeral the next day.  He with his siblings carried the casket the two kilometers through the town first for the funeral, and then on to the cemetery for burial.  The rest of the family, friends and neighbours followed along behind.

We have begun planning for a work project in January of 2013.  Please pray for wisdom as we consider what it is God has in store.  We are considering removing the temporary roof and adding a second floor to the school building that was started last year.  This would give another two classrooms and staff area with the goal to add a third floor for housing for volunteers who come to help out. Several people have asked about coming to help and we can only say that there will be work, what that work is depends on what God provides.

Several people have also asked how about my health and weight. The answer is they are a little bit better.  I have gained a little.  I had been for the most part fine from late February to July but have experienced the Lord’s grace for stomach problems again in the last month. We do thank-you for your prayers for this and in every aspect of the Lord’s work here.

In Him

Mark Kim and family