September/October 2008 Prayer Letter

Dear Pastors and Praying Friends,

Greetings from beautiful Arequipa, Perú, South America! It is hard to believe that we have been here now for more than 3 months. The time just seems to fly as we continue to get adjusted to cultural changes, language changes, and changes of just living outside the United States. Thank you to each of you who have personally prayed for us. We can’t tell you what a blessing that is. Thank you also for your sacrificial giving in the midst of tough economic times. Your giving allows us to stay and continue the work that the Lord has called us to do. Thank you for being our “lifeline” so that we can continue to share the “new life” of the gospel here in Perú.

Language Progress:
We thank the Lord for the help He has given us with the language. We have language classes  5 days a week for 4 hours a day. Both my wife and I hope to be finished with the 5 language school books by the beginning of the year, Lord willing. Probably the most important part of language learning, however, is simply talking with the people. We have both gotten to the point where we can carry on a pretty good conversation. Most importantly, I want to be able to preach the Word of God. Acts 22:2 says, “And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence…” When a person hears the Word of God preached in his own language, it is a very powerful tool! Please pray that the Lord would help me to learn Spanish well so that I can effectively teach the truths of God’s Word.

Family:
The Lord continues to keep us healthy and strong. Josiah is getting bigger every day and is continually exploring everything. His recent adventures have included eating dirt from the flower pot, shutting his fingers in various drawers, and learning to rock hard enough to scoot his crib across the room. (So far he has had near collisions with both the rocking chair and the changing table.) His favorite words are “no” and “Mmmm!” We also would like to announce that our family will be adding another member—another boy— in March. We are so thankful to the Lord for this blessing. Please pray for Sara and the baby.

Bible Study:
On Friday evenings we have a Bible study group in our home. I have the privilege to teach a short lesson and lead in a question and answer time. Most of the people who come are members of the Faith Baptist Church (where we attend), but our goal is to also get people who are not saved to come. Please pray that the Lord would bless these meetings and use us in a mighty way.

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf. You can stay up to date with all that is going on here in Perú through our blog: www.stovers2peru.blogspot.com. We appreciate each one of you!

Serving the King of Kings in Perú,

Robert, Sara, and Josiah Stover