Dear brothers and sisters, warm greetings from Peru. 


The end of our school year is fast approaching, and we have only a month of classes left before we finish the school year.

 

We are thankful for the fruit we have seen.  Late last month one of the teachers was talking with some of the young ladies from fifth grade and had the opportunity to lead one to Christ and encourage several others who had made professions.  One specifically was concerned for her dad who is not a believer and is a heavy drinker, she wanted to see him saved.  This week one of the young volunteers started a young believers group for some of these girls.

 

Just a few weeks ago one of the babies from the children’s home was adopted.  This means a big change for the parents at the home as they have cared for her from a few weeks old to over a year.  There were tears of both joy and sadness as she left. 

One of the other young ladies from the home recently celebrated her fifteenth birthday – which is a big deal here in Peru.  She has been in the children’s home for around six years.  Please remember Maria as she looks to see what God holds for her in the future.

 

Last month we had our school anniversary, we celebrated one evening with a parade of torches. We followed this with songs and a message at the local sports complex (it had lights and seats so we could meet at night).  One family prepared a large Bible with Proverbs 22:6 written on it.

 

The end of the school year means that things are already underway for next year which starts March 2015.  I realized early on this school year that my oldest daughter was graduating from university in May 2015 and it might be a good idea to try to be there.   We had prayed for someone to come along and God saw fit to send a Peruvian who was hired by the school to take over as principal next year.  This new principal will take over the majority of my responsibilities and the rest will be taken on by Tom as I will not be returning to the school.

 

With this in mind we ask you to pray with us what God would have us do and where God would have us go.  God willing we will be in Canada for at least five months next year for a few important events and for some needed medical attention. 

We thank you for

remembering us in

prayer.

 

In Him

Mark Kim and family

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 

We would like to pass on a few areas of prayer and praise so you can better help us.

In late July our sister Gloria passed away.  She had battled liver cancer for over a year. We are thankful that she did not suffer a lot of pain and remained a faithful witness to the end.  Visiting shortly before she died, she told us how that day she spoke to a young lady who resisting God. We had several meetings for her funeral and were able to preach the gospel to a good number of unsaved.  Remember her husband Carlos as he adjusts to life without her.

Over the next few weeks we visited several more “wakes” and at most of them I had the opportunity to preach the gospel (I didn’t know until I arrived that I would be).  We have found that funerals are a good way to establish relationships – everyone attends, from the youngest to the oldest and they stay around talking for good period of time, so it gives a chance to meet and know them.

Recently I was asked to officiate at my first Peruvian wedding.  It was new for me, but a privilege to spend time with this couple and then see then participate in their Christ centred wedding.  The biggest difference – we started only one hour late (8:30 PM) and were eating at 12:30 AM.

Recently one of the teachers recounted the following.  She overheard a student talking with others about a tv program, when asked about it the young lady said “I don’t watch that anymore now that I am a Christian”.  The teacher asked when she became a Christian and she explained it was during the morning school devotions that she put her faith in Christ.  What was encouraging – her mother then took her to a local shrine where they worship a cross, they claim has miraculous powers.  She told her mother she the cross did not mean anything to her it was only a pole now that she is a believer.  We are thankful for the seed bearing fruit.

Shortly after this a young man from grade 1 professed faith in Christ after we thought he had to wait until he was older to trust Christ as his saviour.

Recently another young lady entered the children’s home.  She is the older sister of two children already in the home.  She is 13 and had been violated and earlier this year gave birth to twins.  She is sweet girl and is responding well to the security at the home.

Another little girl was abandoned in the village next to ours at four days old.  She was with Tom and Carol for the a few weeks but is now at the children’s home as Tom and Carol have left for the States to visit for six months.

Dear praying friends.  The Lord said behold I come quickly, if that was true then, how much closer is His coming today.  The Bible also says that because iniquity abounds the love of many grows cold. Both of these call us to be vigilant so we are ready and are found faithful when He comes.

The past month has been a month where we have seen evidence of the spiritual battle that is raging.  We have seen some whose hearts have grown cold turning aside.  One young lady who is only sixteen and was in fellowship has decided to run off with a young man. Her mother who has had a heavy burden has been left with even more to bear.

Recently a lady asked if she could talk to Kim – they set a date and met, and the lady poured out her life of trouble.  Kim was able to present to her the gospel after which the lady prayed on her own confessing her sins and trusting God for His forgiveness through the death of Christ.  Since then she has started attending the meetings.  We are encouraged for the profession but even more for the evidence of life.  Pray for her that she will be faithful – her name is Gladys.

We were also happy last week when one of the men with whom I had met for some time came out to the prayer meeting.  This was a big step as he would not even attend his wife’s baptism.  He is still not saved but we pray he will soon respond.

We are thankful that God has provided so Kim could return to Canada to visit her mother and our children.  It appeared that this would not be an option this year but God provided so it could happen. She will be gone for about six weeks before returning to carry on with us. She is missed by the people here while she is gone.

We are thankful for your prayers for us.  Last week Jonathan and I were returning from Chiclayo following a 15 passenger van, as it met a dump truck from the opposite direction a small car decided to try pass the dump truck and collided with the oncoming van.  The car and van were very damaged, but thankfully no one was injured and we were not struck but either vehicle – only by the debris.  When we went to check on everyone Jonathan discovered that one of the passengers from the van was from our meeting so we brought him home. 

We recently celebrated father’s day at the school with a program for the fathers.  A very good number attended the program and heard the gospel. We are now praying for fruit from the seed sown.

The children’s home now has some new additions.  There are five new children since the last time I wrote. A group of three were taken from a home (ages 8, 4 and 1.5) and turned out they were not all family.  There situation is being cleared up in court meanwhile two more siblings were brought in – ages 2 and four we think. The eight year old boy had never attended school  so we have contracted a teacher to work with him.

We are thankful for the little things God brings along.  We discovered recently that there are blueberries in the mountains.  So we have enjoyed some blueberries in Peru.

Thank-you for remembering us.

In Him

Mark Kim and family

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Each day God by the Holy Spirit is working in our hearts to change us to be like Christ.  This means that some days we are captivated by the glory of the risen one and other days we see the awfulness of the flesh, both to the same end that we would walk a holy life in communion with Him.

We have seen this challenge in our own life and in the life of those around us.  We have seen some saints tested and grow and others are floundering in their own personal desires failing to deny themselves and follow Christ.  Please pray for wisdom as we counsel some and seek to correct others.

We were reminded how short time is yesterday.  A little bit ago we went in to town on a Friday night to do a bit of shopping and have some supper together.  We had just sat down to eat when I was called and informed that a sister had died and none of the leaders from her meeting were in town, would I come and give a word.  This was 6:30 and by 8:30 I was at the home where I discovered that this sister (whom I had never met) was the only believer in her family.  The house was full with people seated around the casket and outside a makeshift frame had been set up to accommodate another 100 people.  My wife and a few brothers and sisters came along and so we sang amazing grace and then I preached the gospel of grace to these lost people.  It was chaotic with people walking in and out of the kitchen and children running back and forth, but many listened. When I finished I was asked would I have something ready the next day for the funeral.  So the next day we met at the graveyard surrounded by people weeping. A false priest was there who gave the family and friends no hope, but when he finished the husband and father of the children  (an unbeliever) stepped up and asked everyone to be silent and respect what I had to say – I waded through the people and standing in front of the family again got to give the good news of hope and life.

A few days ago we received news that the husband had died. A week before he died he called some of leaders from his wife’s meeting and told them he had been convicted since his wife’s death of his own sin and he repented and was saved.  No one knew he was sick and a week later he died.

 We recently started a Bible study at our house.  Both Kim and I were carrying on several Bible Studies with individuals and it seemed to be wise to bring everyone together, so every Thursday we meet together.  They are all young believers and are hungry.

Please continue to pray for Segundo that he will repent and be saved. Due to pressure from his mother he has stopped meeting with me, but I was encouraged when I spoke with him recently and he showed me his New Testament he carries with him in his mototaxi and reads when he has a chance.

Friday we had a mother’s day program at the school and the school patio was nearly full of mothers who came to hear their children but they also got to hear the good news.

This week God willing, we will present our request to the ministry of education to start teaching high school in 2015.  We were told it could take until November to finish everything.  Please pray we will find grace with the government representatives who approve these documents.

Lindsay has been with us since December and will be returning to Canada God willing June 12^th to work.  She has been working with the three year old class since classes started in March.  This past Friday they sang boisterously that they had peace like a river (we pray that before too long they will know they do). We will all miss her as she returns to Canada.

We have been thankful for the many volunteers who come to help, some for a short while some longer.  Recently Crystal has showed up and is working with the three year old class.  She is from an assembly in Ontario and is with us until December. We are thankful for all the help God sends us.

Hello from sunny Peru.  We are thankful each day as we see God’s faithfulness in action.

We saw it as He has brought along several teams from North America.  One group from PEI came down to help prepare the school buildings for the New Year.  They were followed by a group from the states who have continued with the classroom preparations.  It was encouraging to see familiar faces and to be able to have them help us out.

The new building is mostly ready for the start of school on March 6^th.  The second and third floors were added to a building that had two classes and the office.  We now have two more classes completed on the second floor with some work still to be done on the third.

We are thankful for the 220 students from grades K3 (3 years old) up to grade 6 who are attending.  This is the first year for grade six.  We are already working on the paperwork to start secondary next year.  Please pray as we pray that each child comes to Christ and that we can visit each family to speak to them about the Lord.  We had our first parent teacher meeting last week with a good turnout and gave them the gospel.

Please continue to pray for Carlos and Karina.  They had professed salvation a while back but we were not able to connect since our return and they had not been out to the meetings.  However since January they have made it to several of the meetings.  They are babes in Christ so pray for them to grow and to show the nature of a true baby – the desire for milk (the Bible).

Three weeks ago, a young lady from the meeting was baptized.  She professed salvation in November and several weeks ago asked to be baptized.  Her husband is not saved and I have been meeting with him going through the Word.  Please remember him, his name is Segundo. 

Our sister Lesvia was saved a few years ago and has been growing in the Lord.  She has been under enormous pressure as she cares for her four children.  In January she fell ill and has struggled to recover it.  Please remember her as well as Gloria and Carlos.  Gloria is still going through cancer treatments for her liver although the prognosis is not good.  She and Carlos have kept their eyes on the Lord throughout this time.

As you might have heard little Daniel has been adopted.  He was the little boy who showed up at the home with multiple health problems shortly after birth.  God graciously provided the needed care and he has had surgery for most of his problems.  Last month he was adopted by a Christian family from the States. He is four and was very excited.

We ask for your prayers as we stay busy with many different things and for wisdom as we encounter situations and challenges which demand God’s wisdom.

In Him

Mark Kim and family