On February 4th 2023, I received an email from a young lady in Ottawa who, along with her family, has been supporting CMRC for many years. This is what she said: “I’ve been praying about some upcoming vacation I have to take from work, and felt like the Holy Spirit put Peru on my heart. Is there any way I could contribute?” I was thrilled, and after some questions back and forth, I connected her with Karen, our associate in the Amazon. In March, Lindsay went down, and here is Karen’s report on their time together.
Doug Springer, Executive Director
Karen
Ministering with Lindsay Jo
Saturday March 18, I woke up with the expectation of meeting Lindsay Jo, the young lady with whom I had been communicating through emails for weeks before, I only knew Lindsay’s name and knew that she was coming to Peru to serve.
She stayed at my house during the ten days she was in Iquitos. I began to get to know Lindsay and her love for God, her big heart that she has for serving others and that sensitive heart for His work. On Sunday the 19th we began to serve in the children’s ministry of the Church “La Gloria de Cristo” We got up early to go prepare breakfast for the children, the two girls who received scholarships from our educational program accompanied us. In the afternoon we went to a Christian radio program where Lindsay was able to share with the listeners a brief testimony of her life, at night we were at my church where she was also able to share her testimony. That day we found out that her birthday was a few days ago, so we decided to prepare a cake for her and celebrate it at home Peruvian style.
The next morning, we went early to buy school supplies for the children at Genesis home run by Pastor Rodolfo Rojas and family. We are starting school after our summer holidays and these supplies will help them. In the afternoon, we were able to meet the 12 girls in the home. We have prayed, played, sang and helped with school homework “What a great time” and how much we learned and received from those girls. God is good!
Lindsay had the opportunity to meet our Education Scholarship girls and spend time with them. We interviewed two girls who were applying to the program and Lindsay’s contribution has been a great help for me in the selection process.
Later in the week, we have had the opportunity to travel by boat and visit four communities up the Amazon River (Washalado, Falcón, Velasco and Santa Rosa) during that time, we visited pastors and prayed for their comunity wells, we also showed films and ministered. We saw a church that CMRC built and prayed for the brothers ministering there. Sharing this time in the jungle with the brothers was a time of blessing and joy. Knowing those generous hearts serving others is a clear example of the reflection of God’s love in us. It is impressive to be able to see the face of gratitude and love of our brothers from those communities.
During the last three days, we went to help children’s ministry of “La Gloria de Cristo” church, as well as during Sunday services. Lindsay had the opportunity to pray, lead a young man to the Lord and baptize him. We thank God, that he used us as instruments for his glory.
On the last day before Lindsay left Iquitos and the Amazon we decided to go and see the pink dolphins. We visited two animal rescue centers where she was able to see the manatees, that she had seen in her dream a few weeks ago, and hold a sloth that was a wish that she always had in her heart, and finally we visited a butterfly garden.
In the afternoon, we went to our friend Viviana’s house to have lunch with her and her family celebrating her birthday, we prayed for Viviana and her family.
Before the end of the day, we went to say goodbye to the girls from the Pastor Rodo’s children’s home.
During this short time, Lindsay became part of my family. Every day was a learning experience and a blessing for my life and that of many others. Knowing that sensitive and service heart reminded me of the heart of a child, a heart full of love and compassion for others and reminded me of what the scriptures say in Philippians 2:3, 4 “Do nothing out of contention or vainglory; rather with humility, esteeming each other as superior to himself; not looking each one for his own, but each one also for the others.”
Thank God for Lindsay’s life!
Lindsay
March trip to Peru
Iquitos
Six weeks before getting on my flight, while in prayer, the Holy Spirit told me I was to go to Peru. And, I’m forever grateful that He did.
On March 18th, upon landing in Iquitos, I met my new friend and partner in ministry for the next twelve days, Karen. We returned to her home where I would be staying, and I got to meet her family, along with the two young women currently enrolled in CMRC’s Education program, Sindy and Roxi.
The following day was Sunday, and we had a busy agenda. First, Karen and I, and the young women headed to Keny’s home, whose family does ministry and builds churches and wells for communities in the Amazon, to help them prepare breakfast for the Sunday school program that they put on for the children in their community every Saturday and Sunday. Their home welcomes around 45 children every weekend, where they are fed and taught about Jesus through lessons and worship. We then headed to church, where the Holy Spirit brought revelation and direction concerning some of the churches being built, and we were invited to join them in the jungle in the coming days to minister. Following the church service, we headed to a Christian radio station, where I gave my testimony on the radio and Karen shared about the women’s education program. Later that evening, I was invited to share my testimony in another church (with Karen’s help), and to pray with the pastors.
The next two days Karen and I got to visit Pastor Rodo’s home, where he cares for 12 little girls. What a busy and blessed home! We also got to take Sindy to the Amazon Rescue Centre to see some manatees!
On Wednesday, it was time to head into the jungle with an amazing couple, Estir and Rosaria, and their two young children, to speak at some churches, pray for pastors, and inaugurate two new wells built for the communities. I had the privilege to speak at four churches, including one that was built by CMRC! We stayed in tents in peoples’ homes or on platforms in the process of being built, and everywhere we went, the communities were so generous and the food was delicious. In Velasco on Thursday morning, I even got to eat some fresh piranha, and the pastor and his family graciously invited us into their home to visit and his wife sent us off with some delicious fresh juice.
Back in Iquitos, I was invited to preach a sermon on Sunday morning and the LORD moved in a powerful way. The Holy Spirit ministered to hearts hungry for more of His presence, and after church a young man gave his life to Jesus and was baptized in a fish farm pond on the back of the property!
I am so grateful for so many incredible and humbling opportunities to see God move in Peru. There were so many pastors and ministers open and ready to receive or facilitate what God was speaking and doing throughout this visit. Iquitos is a special place with special people, and I look forward to future visits with my new extended family in Christ!
Lima
On my return home, I spent two days with Mary, a Canadian missionary who does prison ministry with women on parole.
I thank you all for your prayers for all of the ministries in Peru, and am so grateful to Doug for connecting me with Karen, and so kindly supporting my surprise time of Kingdom building in Peru. I very much look forward to any time God wants to send me again!
Prayer Requests
- Pray for the pastors and their families in Cuba. They are suffering economically especially.
- Pray for Douglas Springer as he travels to Cuba from the 15th to 22nd of May.
