Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

At this time of Thanksgiving I would like to thank each of you for your continued prayers, encouragement and support. God has blessed me by giving me the privilege of serving Him in various forms of ministry for nineteen years (soon to be twenty)! As I reflect on this blessing I am amazed by the love and patience He has shown me and how he has grown me and used people like each of you as instruments to disciple me. Ministry wherever you serve is challenging and often lonely. But God continues to show himself faithful in the midst of all these struggles and to him I am most grateful. So I want to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for being there for me and keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. I ask that you pray that God would make me into a “well woman” and to leave the “woman at the well “ behind. As I go through this process I see many Native women like me who are women at the well. Who are thirsting for the “true and living water” that only Jesus can give. I ask that as you pray for me you also remember these women. They all hold a special place in my heart. I do not know how God is going to use all this in my life but I look forward to His plans with great anticipation.  Jeremiah 29:11 continues to give me peace and encouragement: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Praise:

Thanks for praying for our recent trip to the Chippewa Nation of Red Lake, Minnesota. We had a great time of fellowship with the Pollocks and I was blessed with the opportunity to follow-up and pray with some of the women. In addition to the other ministries programs we do with the youth another opportunity we have is to work along side the Mokahum Ministry Center. This center is a Native Bible school whose focus is discipling Native Americans and training them for leadership in the church.  They currently have twelve students  (men & women enrolled) from various tribes. They have various needs and are open to qualified teachers assisting them with the training of these students. Please pray for the leadership of Mokhum School and those that attend. For more information on the school and how you can help contact Paul Straubel at 218-556-8661. Mike Peifer will be the project administrator for the Chippewa project, and will continue to oversee the Cherokee and Sells projects. John Carter will oversee the Lummi, Colville, Omaha, and the three projects in Canada: Hobbema, Moose Factory and Lethbridge. So pray for these guys and the projects. Please contact them if you have any questions concerning this information.

Prayer:

Continue to pray for me as I speak at some of the surrounding churches. The opportunities to present missions and show the new Native American DVD have gone well at both Hazelwood PCA and Webster Baptist church. Pray that through these presentations members of these churches will volunteer for some of the ministry needs in Cherokee.
My last speaking opportunity this year will be at the Swannanoa Presbyterian Church so please keep this also in prayer.

Another need we have in Cherokee is to get the Alpine Tower up and running so that we can incorporate it into our ministry here either in the summer or year-round. What we need are individuals who are trained or willing to be trained in the area of Level I System Specific Certification or Level II System Specific Certification for Alpine Towers. Once we get this program going it will be a great outreach ministry to the Cherokee community and others. This is also a great internship opportunity for someone seeking a degree in outdoor recreation. Please pray for God to provide someone for this role. For more information contact Mike Peifer 678-823-0004 ext. 2325.

Pray for the Native American Vision Day, which will be held February 7, 2012. It will be hosted at the MTW home office in Lawrenceville, GA and there is no charge for this event. This seminar is for those who are new to Native ministry and are interested in learning more about what MTW is doing among Native people, the needs and how to reach them with the Gospel message. For more information contact John Carter at the MTW home office 678-823-0004.

Pray for me as I make contact with some of the Cherokee programs seeking opportunities to develop new ministries with them for 2012 and that the ministries we are currently reaching will continue to grow and allow us more opportunities next summer.

Pray for Marcus Toole, MTW missionary among the Cree of Hobbema as he takes some much need time off from the field. Pray for Michael & Lindie Wadhams and Daniel Henry and his wife as both these families raise support to go to the Native fields they will be ministering in.

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving Day as you reflect on the goodness and greatness of our God.

For His Glory,

Tammy Jackson
PO Box 550
Whittier, NC 2789
828-508-3471
MTW Support Account# 013652

Women’s Bible Study

There were seven of us at the first two meetings of our new Women’s Bible Study group. The group is quite diverse, including several long-time church members who know the Bible well and a few others who have never before attended a Bible study and are just beginning to find their way around in chapters and verses. I think we’re off to a good start. We are studying the gospel of Luke.

Please ask God to be at work through His word in the lives of each of these women, that each would grow in knowledge and love of Him. Pray that God would grow sincere friendships among the women.

You prayed that God would give a thirst for His Word to these women and others in our church. Thank Him for the apparent thirst I see in those who are coming to the Women’s group.

Church Council Renewed

Thank you for praying for the church council elections. Several godly men were added to the existing council. Pray that God would protect and encourage them and give them wisdom as they lead the church.

Upcoming Travels

October and November are busy travel months this year, especially for Mark. At the end of October we both travel to the GEM camp (Camp des Cîmes) in the French Alps where Mark has a three day GEM France training meeting, and where I am doing the morning devotions and organization. Immediately following the training is the GEM France Field Retreat which takes place every year during the French “All Saints Day” holiday. Mark will be away for two more several-day meetings for the French church denomination with which we work – a regional synod meeting and the national pastor’s meeting.

Last of all, we will have the joy of joining our families in the United States over the Thanksgiving holiday. We are so glad to be able to visit, but I think Mark will not want to budge for a long time once we get back to France at the beginning of December! Please pray for us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Christ and on God’s grace in the midst of all this busyness. It is so easy to be distracted from what is most important and true.

THANKSGIVING

Just a note of thanks to each one who prays for us (many daily!) and to those who give financially in order that we may commit ourselves entirely to this work. We thank God for you!

2 lot des pins Mark – mdm955i@gmail.com
82230 LEOJACMarti – mhm82fr@gmail.com
France

http://mmylin.blogspot.com

Your partners in the gospel,

 Mark & Marti

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!! We hope that it was a day of reflecting on Christ and the blessings that we have received through Him. Romans 8:14-18 says: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, „Abba! Father!‟ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I (Paul) consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” It is very encouraging to know that although we will experience difficulties and suffering in the brief time we are on this earth it cannot compare with the glory we will experience for all eternity as our inheritance in Christ. Hallelujah!!!

The following is a parable given by a friend of ours, Mark Bean, recently:

A rich man had a bunch of sheep. He left them in the care of a hired man while he took off for a distant country. Before he left, he and the hired shepherd carefully counted how many ewes there were, how many lambs, how many rams, and how many sheep were of a special breed.
Well, those few special breed sheep were very special. The hired shepherd treated them like pets and did everything for them: gave them the best food, doctored them, fed them salt, and pampered them in general.
To be sure that the other normal sheep stayed out of trouble, the hired shepherd kept them locked in a corral. The grass in the corral was soon nibbled down to nothing. The sheep got hungry, skinny and sick. Some died. But the shepherd continued to only pay attention to the really special sheep.

After a long time, the rich owner returned. How do you think he reacted when he discovered the state of his flock?

In this parable the ordinary sheep represent the common Quechua speakers. The really special sheep represent those who speak and understand Spanish. The hired shepherd represents the typical pastor of a church filled with Quechua speakers.

You may wonder why there aren‟t teachers and pastors willing to teach in their own language. First of all, it is humbling because the people will know if they are making mistakes or don‟t really know what they are talking about which shows how little they understand of Spanish. Also, culturally it is simply more “cool” or more educated to do things in Spanish. As Larry teaches and preaches in Quechua we pray that it will encourage others to do the same.

Serving the Quechua together with all of you,

Larry, Sandy, Mackenzie and Jonathan
Los Chasquis de Cristo a Los Quechua
The Messengers of Christ to the Quechua
Rockwell’s News, Praise and Prayer
November 2011 Huaraz, Peru
PRAISES For the time of fellowship we enjoyed with other missionaries on Thanksgiving. That Lynae was able to travel to Philadelphia with a friend for the holiday. For the continued opportunities to share God‟s word in Quechua with the people in Ututupampa, Huallcor, Collahuasi and Jauna. For new contacts that Larry is making in the community of Huaripampa and the surrounding villages. For safety on the roads. For Larry‟s continued progress in Quechua. For God‟s faithfulness that we see through each one of you.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• That Larry would be able to encourage Quechua pastors to not fear using the Quechua New Testament.
• The rain started for about a week and has stopped again. The people are getting to a point where it is critical for their survival and the survival of their animals.
• That the people in Ututupampa would unite in their desire for us to start regular services in their village and make their wishes known to the President of the community to get his approval for us to do this in a vacant building there.
• That we would stay continually focused on God, confessing our sins and allowing Him to work in us, perfecting our faith.
• Please pray for the salvation of Odilio, Larry‟s former tutor, and Leonel, his current tutor.
• As we correct and teach Jonathan that he would desire to be pleasing to us and to God.
• Mackenzie is staying busy with a craft class and dance but still has a desire for a friend her age.
• That Lynae would finish well in her final exams.
• That God would give wisdom and guidance as we begin a 5-month Home Ministry Assignment on December 15th.

Larry and Juan in Ututupampa
reading Scriptures in Quechua

FYI

How to Drive in Mud Season

1. Drive as fast as you can (without bottoming out).
2. Stay in the ruts whenever possible (unless your front wheels are in a different rut from the one your rear wheels are in, in which case you are going sideways and will likely need to move on to step 3.)
3. Hitch up the bulls.

Address: Casilla 207, Huaraz, Peru Phone: 011-51-43-426901 MTW Account #: 16524
ALSO SEE OUR BLOG: HTTP://LARRYROCKWELLJOYANDESPERU.BLOGSPOT.COM
Email: LRockwell@mtwla.org or Larry.Rockwell@gmail.com Website: http://mtwla.org/people/lrockwell.htm

The Carriage Lane teen monthly Bible study follow up ministry is going well. The number of youth continues to grow each month they come to Cherokee. Please pray for them as they continue with this much-needed ministry.

My trip to the Lummi Reservation was such a blessing. Jackie, Lisa and I had a great time of fellowship with the Lummi. The weather was beautiful and it was good to see Paul Jefferson and his family. Paul is currently investigating colleges that he would like to attend next year and Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC is one he is highly considering. He is still not attending church so please continue to pray that God would put Christian people in his pathway to disciple and pray for him. Pray for God to open opportunities for ministry for Christ Church Bellingham, (PCA) and Terra Nova Church who would like to go to Lummi to host various programs in the fall and winter months. If this happens Paul has agreed to assist them and these relationships will be a great encouragement for him. He has also expressed an interest in returning Cherokee again next summer.

This month I also attended an Apologetics Conference hosted by Pastor Rich Sneed and Christ Fellowship Church. A seminary out of Charlotte, NC led the conference with various speakers addressing various topics on how to defend you faith. I thoroughly enjoyed this conference and each speaker. Because this was something new to the Cherokee community not many Cherokee attended but I encouraged the leadership to pray about hosting another one next year. Introducing new things takes time and now that some of us have attended we know what the conference is about and we can help promote it in the community. Pray that God would open the door for more conferences like these to be hosted in our area.

Praise Report:

In September Michael & Lindie Wadhams completed MTW’s Interview & Orientation process to become two-year missionaries to the Lummi Nation. They have five girls ranging in ages 4 – 14.  Please pray for them as they begin the task of raising support and transitioning into this new field. Pastor Nate Walker and Christ Church Bellingham (PCA) are very excited that the Wadhams will be joining them on the field. Michael served as the pastor of Acquoni Baptist Church in Cherokee, NC for two years before moving to Charlotte, NC to pastor a church there.

** Don’t forget to continue praying for the development of a missionary team here in Cherokee.

The Living In Grace seminar that we hosted September 15 – 17th went very well. We had seven Cherokee attend and everyone enjoyed the materials presented and learned a great deal about God’s wonderful grace. Ron Shaw did an excellent job in condensing and presenting the materials. Thanks to Ron, Scott & Ruth Hill and Rita Wilcat for assisting with hosting this program. Pray as we discuss and plan future seminars like these.

Prayer needs:

Mike Peifer, John Carter and myself will be visiting the Chippewa Reservation in Red Lake, Minnesota this weekend. As most of you know I usually visit Red Lake each year to follow up on the women I have met over the previous years. I didn’t think I would be able to go due to my trip to the Lummi Nation but God was good and provided an opportunity for me to go. Please pray for us as we travel October 21 – 24. This trip will give both Mike and John an opportunity to meet Tom  & Becky Pollock and see the ministry that they currently oversee, hear how MTW teams are assisting with this ministry, and discuss what other opportunities we can provide to reach the Chippewa people with the Gospel.

As I stated in my previous prayer letter the ministry here in Cherokee is going through an evaluation process to determine what ministries to continue with, what ministries need to change, and what new ministries to add. At this time, I am also going through the same process. With only a few mission conferences to speak at this fall & winter these past three months have been a time for me to be still before the Lord and seek His face on what I should be doing. I have been busy but not so busy that I have not had time to pray, study and learn more about God and myself. Difficult at times but a blessing as I go through this process. It has been a process of healing for me physically, emotionally and spiritually. Please continue to pray for me as God takes me through this journey. A journey that is hard to look at, at times, but a journey that is much needed. I do see how God will and is using this time of growth to better equip me for ministry and I must remember that God does not call the equipped. He equips the called. And that is what I believe he doing with me at this time in my life equipping for a new ministry. What that will look like only he knows but as I learn to trust him more I know whatever it will be it will be good and for His glory.

God is also opening up opportunities for me to present MTW’s Native ministry work to various churches surrounding our reservation. This I believe is the beginning of the reconciliation process that will encourage and draw these churches to want to reach out to their Cherokee neighbors. Please pray for these congregations and me as I prepare and speak to them.

As I continue to grow in my relationship with the Lord one thing that I have come to appreciate more and more is the body of Christ. How much we need each other and what a blessing it is to have brothers and sisters like you who pray for me and support me in this ministry.

For His Glory,

Tammy Jackson

Over the next 11 months S spent lots of time with each of the leaders separately, and before God’s throne. Finally, beginning in April each of the leadership except for the man in question softened and began to listen and apologised to me and confessed the need for direction, accountability, and a better grasp of shepherd leadership. A rift opened up between those who had re‐engaged with S and their ringleader. One of the leaders who S is mentoring was particularly honest, and energetically so, with the ringleader as to his lack of wisdom, grace, and personal insecurities. In effect the leaders did to their former ringleader what they had done to us, which wasn’t any improvement on the situation. That so shattered this young man and his new wife that he came to S and asked him to help heal the breech, as S was “the only one he could trust to do that.” Ok, so the first thing that popped into S head was not kind or pure. Then S remembered how gracious the Lord Jesus has been to him over the years when he just didn’t get it. S has taken the opportunity to move deeper into this young man’s life to be a repentance‐restoration agent and not a poison dart. The guy has not yet admitted wrongdoing, but God’s got his attention now. Pray for the young man and his wife.

God doesn’t waist us even in our sin, and who are we to trash this guy when we’ve done the same things when we were younger. Pray for the leadership as God shapes them in the midst of the forge of His Spirit’s fire. As S reflects on 2011, this whole thing was God teaching him! God was asking him to apply the gospel to his own heart by working through this with the leadership relationally and remembering the cross. We believe God’s grace toward us as sinners provides a model of grace under pressure to the leadership. B threw a small B’day bash for me in August. She asked the group to share something personal about their relationship with S. He felt so very honoured and humbled as one of the attending churchfreo leaders and his wife shared how S’s leadership in this situation was an important example to him. In the end it was God’s work in S’s own heart through the demonstration of grace and caring relationship in the heat of the breech that won them, even though S would have been justified if he had gone thermonuclear in my response to the situation. He did not have to insist on his position as an elder or “get back control.” He only had to ask God for the strength and grace to be Jesus with skin on, as Chuck Linkston often says. Jesus bore in his own body the marks of our sin so that we can find restoration with Him. God did that even though he didn’t have to. Learning that has been a very powerful thing to get hold of for S. Pray God will help us to redeem this terrible time of testing to help cultivate a culture of leadership that mirrors the grace and severity of the Lord Jesus among a sinful church.

God has been faithful and merciful in and through the 408 congregation. People are still being touched by the gospel. Pray for the mercy of God toward the gathering of the churchfreo community. Those who know and love Jesus, and those who don’t yet know Jesus but are being drawn by God’s Spirit. There’s Rob, the Christian who once trained as a manservant in England, and who runs the boarding house that is a feeder for our streeties. There is Thomas, a streetie who threatened to kill S one week and the next week tearfully asks my forgiveness and wonders why we would ever let him come back to churchfreo. He said, “I love this church.” S replied, “We love you man, because Jesus loved us so much. He laid down his own life to pay for our sins, and He didn’t have to. How could we not love you too when we are full of sin.” There is Davo, alcohol soaked and weeping and crying out in the service to give his life to Jesus. While we were at an MTW leadership meeting in Turkey we received an Email from Chuck Linkston, our fellow planter for churchfreo 408, newly returned from HMA. Chuck writes ‘One of the leaders texted me mid‐afternoon with the bombshell: “Someone has evacuated their bowels on the floor, in the 408 building. What should I do?” I have a short list of replies and when I came for the gathering, it is clean as can be. Phil tells me that several of the streeties helped clean up. Never had that happen before! I overheard a stranger asking “What is this?” before the service began. Two of our streeties welcomed him and gave him a remarkably accurate account of who we are and what we’re doing. I had no idea they even knew that stuff! Amazing! Some of us are blown away that there is, at least in small ways, a sense of ownership. Thank and praise God for His work in the homeless community of Fremantle. May He continue His work in all of churchfreo “to the praise of His glorious grace”!’

The churchfreo “Areopagus” Church Plant‐ Churchfreo is mobile and we are looking to reach a wider and wider collection of people than the 408 congregation. We have called The Areopagus community of church for people with Big Questions”. I had a conversation with a man who is a banker. The setting was a churchfreo style wedding. The man told me he just didn’t get church or Chrisitans. He was so amazed at the feel of the wedding service and how meaningful and wonderful it was. He said that it just didn’t feel like church, and these kids weren’t like the Christians he knew. I know that sounds bad, but he was actually complimenting the church. There was hope in his tone. Our churchfreo culture opened the door, and S shared the gospel with him. Pray the Holy Spirit doesn’t let him forget what he saw and heard and tasted among us.

Things have gone very slowly with this new gathering during the months of distress with the 408 leadership.  The relational network at the core of The Areopagus is strong and growing slowly. We have reconnected with a young couple that had wandered away from churchfreo in the early days. Their growing family alerted them to the need to have a church community to help them grow and shape their lives and the lives of their children. Currently we are meeting periodically for diner and praying and dreaming the dream together. As 2012 dawns we, along with B’s intern Shannon and the Colemans will be working on gluing together those relationships and introducing elements of worship into that gathering to give it the shape it needs to be a worshipping community.

Because a number of the people in our relational network are not yet believers we want to develop our worship culture in a way that speaks their heart language and invites them in, and does not require something of them that says, “Unless you do this religious stuff you can’t really be a part of this community.”  We are encouraging the believers in our burgeoning congregation to always tell their stories with God in it so that their relationships are not sanitised of God, but full of the gospel. Pray God’s wisdom and love draws relationships together in a gospel soaked way.

Lucy is a choreographer and a great prayer warrior. She is prepping for a big dance event put on by the local government. She is also helping B with her FUSE internship. What an encourager. David recently wrecked his motorcycle but was spared serious injury. They have 3 awesome kids who know us as Aunt B and uncle Sparky. Pray for the planting of The Areopagus as it is proving very hard to get the interested people all in one place at one time. May God move them to invest themselves, and give us the grace to encourage them.

FUZE‐ We are very encouraged by our FUZE Art and Culture intern Shannon Johnston. Shannon has quite a faith and life discourse through her art, and some great opportunities to share the gospel and show the gospel in her life and art practise. She has become a huge encouragement to the churchfreo 408 community in ways that are helping shape our young people. Early on, the decision was made not to base Shannon’s practise at the 408 building, but to put her in where the artists gather in the studio spaces of Fremantle. The relationships and open doors are how the gospel gets around. Being in the middle of the arts neighbourhood puts the gospel in proximity for continuous effect. One of Shannon’s studio mates‐ an atheist‐ has engaged Shannon on faith and spirituality. He has let Shannon into his life and gradually she can see his heart opening to the gospel.

B ran a group study called “The Art’s Way” with a couple of artists who don’t know Jesus yet. The study opens the discussion about creativity in relationship to the creator. That spiritual dimension opens up into the way artist are made and allows the faith discussion to expand into relationship where the gospel can be grounded in culture making. I mean what is the use in believing in the “Cultural Mandate” if you won’t commit to the implications? This is enormously useful in opening the doors that have been closed for evangelicals with the culture making community, which has dismissed Christians and the church. Relationship with believers in community, authentic gospel demonstration, and spoken word does the rest in the power of the Hoy Spirit. An important outcome of the study is that it actually facilitates creativity in a way that shows that theology is very practical and very real and not just someone’s beliefs. The study used what is known as “third language” which avoids poisoning the well with theological specialized jargon. The husband of one of the artists in the study told B that it has impacted his wife’s life so much that he directly attributes his wife’s explosion of making new work and exhibiting to the study and the relationship B and Shannon have with her. Pray for Leena, who seems so close to the kingdom.

B is now the unofficial facilitator for MTW people and teams who are employing strategies in the Arts and Culture. The senior leadership at MTW invited her to take part in the MTW leadership quintannual held in a sensitive country this September. Teams were very interested in dialoguing with B and the FUZE internship and how creatives benefit church planting teams. Pray for B and she mentors Shannon and cultivates the next intern. B will be assisted by Shannon and Lucy from the new Areopagus church plant. Pray also for B’s progress on her PhD.

S.O.S $ Progress Report‐ Thanks so much to all of you who gave above your pledge to return us to black ink. Some of you may not have known that we lost the support of some churches and individuals either in part or the whole. That and a flagging US dollar caused a very rapid plunge in our support that meant we received $1000 less salary in August. Ouch!!! We sent out an S.O.S. to try to not only return us to the black, but also to fill the gap In lost pledged support needed to tide us til our next scheduled HMA in order to keep us from having to return to the USA early to raise support. It is proving difficult to nail down my true support position, but one‐time gifts are holding the line even though we are well and truly under pledged.

Mentoring‐ Stephen continues to mentor the guys. Nathan has taken a call to Buderim WPC church in Queensland. We feel he needs more time in mentoring but they feel God is in it. Pray God will help him remember what he has heard, and will fill up what is lacking, and protect his heart as he takes up the mantle of leadership in the East. Clint and Michelle have asked for their infant son Elijah to be baptised. Clint and S are going through the book, “Total Church” together. S hopes to cultivate greater discernment between truth and error through reading and discussion the book since it is such a popular book. We are grateful to God that He is giving Clint insight understanding and a gracious spirit. Pray also for Clint and Michelle as they try to find a way to continue doing periodic community aid trips to a sensitive country. It exacts a toll on the baby and Michelle given the harshness of the environment. Del, a churchfreo leader, is such a different young man from the guy who started this journey of mentoring with S a year ago. We have suffered through so much in this leadership struggle, and the old Del would have blown up and walked away particularly given how he has been affected personally. We are amazed at God’s work in his heart and how he takes criticism and instruction from me. Del’s bride Laura is so wise for her few years, and has come from a very hard background to be so loving and full of grace. Pray God protects Del and Laura as he trains to be a psychologist and she works in aged care.

Brett seems to be working all the time now but still wants to be mentored. Pray God keeps him from falling through the cracks as he struggles with depression. Also pray for Grant. He is visiting his girlfriend Ana’s family in Chile.
You might remember Ana was converted through the ministry of churchfreo, and her family is still trying to understand the change since she stared to follow Jesus. Pray God will protect them in every way as they travel.

Some Highlights of 2011 from June‐Oct‐ S was asked by our denomination (WPC) to become a sort of pastor at large for presbytery, to encourage churches and ministers as well as mentor TE candidates. He has focused more attention on encouraging the presbytery church planting council (CPC), which was formed to oversee mission works and plant new works. We are hoping to get away on a planning retreat with the CPC guys in the 1st ½ of 2012 to help bring build their ministry DNA and look at the future. Pray for the CPC as they grapple with the ministry of planting new congregations that are relevant and full of grace. In August we were encouraged to take annual leave since we hadn’t in 2 ½ years. We went away for most of August to recharge. In September S opened the General Synod of the WPC, preaching and serving the Lord’s Supper. Then we got on a plane for the MTW Area Retreat in Oct for 10 days. During that time we traveled to a near by city to encourage some MTW families that were unable to attend the retreat for security reasons (a sensitive country).

The national church leaders in that city have asked for links to our team and expressed a desire to eventually send their candidates for the ministry to TTC.

Trinity Theological College‐ By the way, 70% of the Anglican diocese of the North West has TTC graduates in its parish ministry. 40% of the Perth Diocese are TTC grads and are the only ones planting churches. The 5 largest Baptist congregations are now reformed and have nearly doubled their staffs with TTC grads. TTC has also born more fruit in the formation of the Perth Gospel Partnership, which is a facilitational group of ministers from several denominations in Perth who are closely aligned with TTC. We are so very grateful to God that the planting of the seminary has facilitated the drawing together of denominations to work together to help each other to be more effective in their respective ministries. That would not have been possible prior to the formation of TTC.

Blessing to you all as you minister there so we can minister here.
In His service and on your behalf,
Stephen and Berenice Rarig

“In Jeremiah 4:3, the Lord says ‘. . .Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.’ This verse teaches a spiritual principle which is emphasized continually throughout the Scriptures, and it highlights one of the greatest failures in most evangelism. The majority of evangelists, preachers and teachers at home and on the mission field do not spend sufficient time preparing the minds and hearts of people before they offer the Gospel to them. The Gospel seed is usually sown into hard, unploughed, poorly prepared, thorny ground. In many cases, the results are professions which last only for a short time. There is little permanent growth and fruit.”

When we read this it resonated with what we have and are experiencing among the Quechua. Since arriving in Peru this is exactly what we have been doing by building relationships with the people in the various villages. This looks different here in the mountains than in a city setting. Preparing the soil may mean driving up into a village and talking with anyone that may be around. It may mean fixing a water pipe that supplies the village with water. It may be putting up a door in someone’s bathroom. It may just be returning time and time again and being visible. All of this is done in order to get to the point where they people themselves express a desire to hear and learn from God’s word. As you can imagine this takes a lot of time, even years.

This is what we see happening in one village called Huallcor (why-core) which you have been praying for over these last four years. There is still much soil preparation to be done but we see a new openness and desire on the part of the people there to hear God’s word and understand it in their heart language. One of the families there has given an open invitation to Larry to stay at their house and teach them and anyone else who desires to hear. This is a wonderful opportunity especially since rainy season is beginning and it becomes very difficult to get up into this village (or back down as the case may be). Larry hopes to stay in the village for several days at a time, sharing the lives of the folks there (soil preparation) and opening the truth of God’s word with them (planting the seeds) and by God’s grace in the future, reaping a harvest to God’s glory.
Thank you so much for partnering with us in this agricultural adventure to the Quechua.
Larry, Sandy, Mackenzie and Jonathan

PRAISES

•  For our wonderful supporters.
• Getting Lynae settled at Covenant College and all the evidences of God’s care and provision in that process.
• For the movement of God’s Spirit in Huallcor and resulting openness.
• For the progress being made in the translation of the New Testament in various dialects of Quechua.
• For the opportunity Larry has had to be somewhat involved with this.
• That Larry can now teach in Quechua.
• For a good start to school with Mackenzie and Jonathan.
• For safety in our travels.
• For our health.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• As we begin our eighth year here in Huaraz (8 ½ in Peru) please pray Galatians 6:9 that we would “…not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”
• The president of Ututupampa denied our request to have a regular meeting there. Please pray that God would change his heart if this is a village where we should be dedicating our time.
• Pray for the people of Collahuasi, especially the few believers in that community, as they are about to begin their annual festival usually accompanied with lots of drinking.
• Pray for the people of Huallcor as they learn more about God’s righteousness and justice that they would see their need for a Savior in order to have a relationship with Him.
• Moises is a young man who has recently been doing some maintenance work at the Center. He has expressed interest in being discipled by Larry. As they study together may God’s Spirit move him into a new and growing relationship with Him.
• We are planning a short HMA to the United States from mid-December until the end of May. Please pray for wisdom as we schedule visits and open doors to share what God is doing among the Quechua.
• Rainy season is beginning which means that the roads we travel will be even more dangerous. Please pray for safety as we travel.
• Larry continues to progress with the Quechua language. Please pray for continued improvement in his fluency.
• Please continue to pray for Larry’s language tutor, Odilio’s salvation.
• For our family as we adjust to Lynae’s absence.
• That God would provide a close friend for Mackenzie as she is feeling somewhat lost without Lynae.
• For Sandy, Mackenzie and Jonathan as they do school.
• For wisdom in managing our time between maintenance needs at the Center and our desire to be out in the villages.

Matthew 3:8:
“And others (seed) fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
If you would like us to visit your church during our time stateside, please call or send an email:  Los Chasquis de Cristo a Los Quechua
The Messengers of Christ to the Quechua
Rockwell’s News, Praise & Prayer
August 2011 Huaraz, Peru
Address: Casilla 207, Huaraz, Peru Phone: 011-51-43-426901 MTW Account #: 16524
ALSO SEE OUR BLOG: HTTP://LARRYROCKWELLJOYANDESPERU.BLOGSPOT.COM
Email: LRockwell@mtwla.org Website: http://mtwla.org/people/lrockwell.htm

FAMILY:

We are happy to announce that our daughter gave birth to a healthy baby boy on July 14th. In the area where we work when they call someone “healthy” (pronounced more like “healty”) they mean “plump”; and at 9 pounds 14+ ounces Joel certainly is “healty.” And then on August 19th our daughter-in-law Laura delivered her first baby – Marcus, at 8lb 9oz. They also are home and doing well. We now have 10 grandchildren! We praise God for His gracious care for our family even as we are so far away. Barbara was able to spend two weeks with Julie after her caesarian; but both of us were back on the field by the time Marcus arrived. We look forward to seeing them when we return at the end of the year for our Home Ministry Assignment.

VISAS:

The other really good news we have is that we have been granted 5 year multiple entry business visas! That will give us much more flexibility in staying and in going and coming. (Recently we were required to stay out for two months whenever we left; and we had to leave every 6 months.) We are so glad to be able to stay and continue our work here. This is a great encouragement. We thank God for His provision and thank you for your prayers!

EQUIPPING RURAL CHURCHES:

The stated purpose of our business visa is to promote micro-economic development. Our approach is to train communities to identify their own resources, pool and administer those resources, and then find ways to invest them for the development of their communities. We have linked up with a couple of organizations that have done a lot of work in this field in other parts of the world, whose training resources we are planning to use.

From our starting to provide theological training to equip rural churches, we have been concerned about the economic development of these areas as well. Strengthening the economic condition of the believers easily contributes to the financial stability of the church. And being able to address the economic development of the whole community is a natural way for believers to reach out in love to their non-believing neighbors, and open doors for the Words of life to be communicated more effectively. So along with continuing teaching seminars in theology and ministry, we are beginning to examine materials and identify potential locations for training in micro economic development. Pray with us for guidance in this new area.

Last month I joined Nick and Ujjwal in teaching the 8th (of 10) 3 day seminars in a city two hours from here. Although the topic was church government taught from our Presbyterian perspective and the participants were from independent and hierarchical churches the teaching was very well received, with participants saying how helpful these principles were in addressing some issues they are facing right now in their own congregations. The local organizer (who is the president of the local pastors’ organization) is excited about starting another series of seminars for new people who were not able to attend the first series.

VALLEY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP

We continue to be encouraged with the life and ministry of our church. Last week I visited a new Bible study that one of our staff, Lawrence has just started for staff and students at the local Forestry Institute. A dozen attended, and another dozen were not able to attend that week.

Church Hike

How did we suddenly have 24 people coming to a Bible study where we only had a few contacts before? Lawrence and Mike (a student in another institute) had started visiting the men’s dormitory regularly with their table tennis rackets, to get to know the students and draw them into the study. We praise God for faithful workers like Lawrence and for guys like Mike who voluntarily sacrifice their time and energy to reach out with the gospel to others!

Mike

Before leaving last semester one of our graduating students wrote us a little poem: “There was a time when I saw darkness at every turn of my life. There were days when I was walking in shadows. Never did I realize that Christ is so gracious, despite all the ugly sins of mine. It’s easy to say thank you for all your care, love and God’s wonderful words. But it won’t be easy to show the gratitude I feel for everything….” She is from a community with hardly any Christians. She started coming to church because Mike kept inviting her and her friends. During that time she faced the death of her 7 yr old brother who had Down syndrome, whom she loved very much. It was a time of deep darkness… but also an opportunity to hear the Words of Life. We praise God for His gracious work in her life.

Thanks for standing with us in this ministry.

Chuck and Barbara

Recently, a friend and our neighbor shared a video with us that reminded us of just how powerful our God is. The speaker showed various slides of several stars that are billions and trillions of times bigger than our planet and then reminded us of the scripture in Psalm 33 verse 6 where it says “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” By the breath of His mouth these magnificent stars were created. It certainly makes you think about how amazing it is that God is involved in our lives down to our very thoughts as individuals. Psalm 139:4 says: “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” When you meditate on these truths and the scientific evidence in creation all around us it changes the way you think about yourself in relationship to this awesome, powerful God. It also has impacted the way I pray.

With those thoughts in mind, we would like to share some praises and prayer requests. Amazing as it may seem, this almighty God desires that we come to Him in prayer.

PRAISES:
* That God desires to have a relationship with us.
* For the completion of the renovation of the two dorm rooms and the new bathroom including new tile floors, renovated beds, new curtains and new paint.
* For a special visit from our friends and mentors the Gahagens. We are thankful that they had safety in their travels and that they had no major health issues while here.
* For Lynae’s graduation celebration made extra special by having Don Gahagen give her graduation message.
* For the celebration of Mackenzie’s 14th birthday.
* For God’s blessing of two short-term teams that came and ministered in Jauna and Huallcor.
* For the teaching that people from several of the churches in Huaraz received during the seminars held each evening while the teams were here.
* That with the help of one of the teams we were able to help the families in Jauna and Ututupampa with clothing donated from teams over the years.
* For the well attended pastor’s conference led by a brother from South Carolina.
* For sweet good-byes for Lynae.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
* For safe travel and good adjustment for Lynae as she starts her college career at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA.
* For our family as Lynae’s leaving will impact each of us greatly although in different ways.
* For Larry as he is preaching through Romans during August and September at Divine Redeemer church in Huaraz.
* As Larry continues to consistently share the Scriptures with the people in Huallcor, Jauna, Ututupampa and Collahuasi that God’s Spirit would move within their hearts confirming the truth and calling many into a saving relationship through Christ.
* For the children that Sandy teaches in Collahuasi to be changed by the things they are learning through the work of the Holy Spirit so that they would be the world changers in that community.
* That God’s Spirit would convict Jonathan of his sin and draw him to Himself.
* We continue to pray the same thing for Larry’s former Quechua tutor, Odilio.
* For God’s provision of workers to expand the vision He is giving for use of the Center for other opportunities to minister to the Quechua.

We are serving the Quechua together with you,
Larry, Sandy, Lynae, Mackenzie and Jonathan
Los Chasquis de Cristo a Los Quechua
The messengers of Christ to the Quechua
Rockwell’s News, Praise & Prayer July 2011 Huaraz, Peru