First update from Chacapampa (the mountains)

Hi brothers and sisters

 

This is my 10th day in the mountains and there is a lot going on. I'm so privileged to be serving in this place, the mountains, the beauty, the daily hiking to get around is amazing. Concerning the mission work, it's humbling that i thought that I came to use my gifts and knowledge to talk about God's Grace but I see myself in more need of it. People are receptive because the culture here is mostly polite, but they are not willing to let their traditions go. 

The mission work to be honest can be exhausting, there may be days you will or won't do a lot but the spiritual burdens wears you out physically. Being here can also be hard and joyful, humbling and an opportunity to learn. In the little time I'm here there. Has been amazing things going on, and I will list them as pray requests.

1. Rita and Espiritu: they are a couple whom lives in Antacocha (another little village 20 minutes away in a bus from where I am). They had marital problems from years ago, and there is a lot of hurt from each other, mostly from Espiritu. I've visited them last Friday and I went straight forward the Gospel with Espiritu, it seems that he responded well, since then my other last 2 visits had been encouraging to see him changing a lot. There has been time when Rita and Espiritu has been together peacefully, there has been times where Espiritu has been praying. I can't affirm for sure in this little time I've been there if he is experiencing salvation, but if it is, pray that this becomes more real. Also Rita is a believer, and she has been hurt by Espiritu, but pray that she have a forgiving heart, because it seems that when Espiritu tries to express spirituality positive, she questions him and this is discouraging him, because he is trying. Also please pray for a married couple who can disciple them, because they need to see what a biblical marriage looks like, and that's a limitation I have. They acknowledge their problems also is because they haven't been taught different concerning relationships. 

2. Jhonatan and Franz: they are 2 high School guys that I'm connecting with, we are starting a bible studies on 1 John, we started today, then we watched a movie and had dinner together. They seem very receptive and they want to keep the meetings on, pray that they can come to repentance and faith.

3. Mission house: the lady who rents the mission house, is a lady who lives in the city with her daughter and most people in the town don't get along with her, and she is giving a lot of nonsense problems about the house, electricity, things. Pray that we can find another house, and that we can be encouraging to her and she can come to salvation, her name is Gilda and her daughter Christina.

4. Liz: she is a missionary lady who has been here for almost 7 years I guess, and she had some legs problems, pray that she can be healed. Also pray that she can still encouraged in the Lord and she can find another lady she can relate to and she can pray with, and have a friendship with. Something she is longing for. 

5. Henry: he is a married man who comes once a week and stay for 2 days, I do a lot of work with him when he comes, and as well we are going through a bible studies/ disciplining him in some doctrines of the scriptures. Pray for his marriage, he have a lot on him. 

6. Connecting with people: I've been here several times and is cool to see how God has preserved some of the friendships I had, and there has been a lot of good conversations about the Gospel, but pray that I can be bold, loving and humble. We are doing a church service (there is no church building here) tomorrow 8 am. Pray for me as I give the message and pray people may go and even if is one person whom just goes, pray that person gets saved. 

7. Spiritual warfare: there has been times where we had been sharing and there has been a lot of ongoing distraction that just showed up while we were sharing the word. There has been personally a lot of unnecessary worries, and discouragement and I believe this is part of the mission work. I see the need to keep spending in the study of the Word and prayer, because I need so much grace.

There is a work to do that is hard but also there is a fragility in ourselves, there is power In Christ but In Christ must always be our sight to keep doing the work that God has called us to do.

Thank for your prayers and feel free to ask any question.

Love you all

Edher

In the process of growing there is always learning

Hello brethren 

The last month has been a time of encouragement and learning for me. Coming out from school and being in the field has taught me a great lesson, I still know nothing, I still can't do ministry, I still no sufficient but all provision is found only in God. 

5 weeks ago Caleb (a classmate who graduated with me) came to Peru, we worked in missions together at puerto Maldonado as well in Lima for the last week. He gave a interesting perspective to the trip, because of how he saw his people in a different setting and as well my people. It was so encouraging working along with him, as well his encouragement to value what really matters, edifying one another as brothers in Christ. Sufficiency in Christ was a big theme, being surrounded by people with a balance of personalities like some where loving, bold and humble and a few were prideful. Serving and recognizing that your work won't be always recognizing by the people around you was a great lesson, my work recognition is not as important as the extension of the kingdom of the Lord.

Ministers are really fragile, and there is more people are looking at them because of their position. May some people say this is peer pressure to live a "holy life", but no, this is a task of love. To love enough so you live a life that leads others to Christ, requires courage. You can please yourself and do things that in your Christian life are just fine and not sin, and you may not care if others may stumbling with this, but if this is your mindset please DONT DO MINISTRY.  Seeing missionaries living in a loving way in puerto was a great encouragement. I love the mission field and as I get closer to it, I came to the conclusion that even if I teach, the times I learn are so much more. 

God gave us a great chance to share the Gospel with others, many good conversations that we pray they may lead to salvation one day. Professions that prayerfully will be evidenced by a changed heart. I can talk about numbers and say this number of people got saved and get you excited but let's be honest I can't determine that in 3 weeks. I don't care how much you love numbers, I love people more than numbers. Pray that everyone who we had contact with be saved, those who doubt can be affirmed in Christ and those who professed faith can be assured by ongoing fruit in their lives not by their profession

I know there is things that I still learning and other that I'm not really good at, but this is evidence of God's grace in my life. I'm leaving to the mountains on August 19, I'm leaving to Chacapampa to help some local missionaries as well to evangelize. There is not church there, and there is people who still had not heard a solid presentation of the gospel. Pray for strength, love, humbleness, patience and joy. This first term will be until October, looking forward being there until December.

Pray requests:

1. Character: pray for my character, that I grow in maturity and likeness of Christ. I'm not enough for all I want to do, only Christ is. Also to be wise in some decisions that I have to reconsider for a long term. And for spiritual dependence always in Christ.

2. Chacapampa: it's going to be an interesting time to do missions but as well to keep using my time wisely to keep studying the word of God, and keep preparing myself for the mission life. Pray that I can do this please for the sake of God's name and others.

3. Puerto Maldonado: I'm praying about planing to go back next year to do a quick training program for 3 months, training pastors and leaders on essential matters like attributes of God, the doctrines of Salvation, and Christ's life, nature and the riches we find in His life. Pray that of the Lord confirm this desire in my heart.

4. My family: pray that the Lord saves them. My mom is doing well but things are getting slow with her. Pray that she may be hungry for discipleship, also my brother always ask questions about God. Pray for my relationship with my sisters Kyara and Nicole, I really love them and I want them to have a picture of a man according to the bible standards. Nicole and me are getting closer but is being a little slow because she is shy, and I haven't been most of her life with her. Pray that God's love and kindness be shown to them through me.

5. Visa and trip to the USA: I'm planing to go back and speak to present my missionary project in churches around the states. I will be posting the missionary project as soon I can, pray that I can have a visa to travel back, for churches interested in my project and if you think your church may be interested let me know.

6. Finances: has been really encouraging to see the Lord provide for His work. Pray that the Lord provides and I can be a good administrator. Also I'm doing fundraising by collecting old smartphones or tablets that people don't use, electronics take longer here to lose value so I could still selling them with a decent price, so if you would like to donate  them answer this email back. If you would like to support me financially, I strongly encourage you to pray first and make sure you are doing God's will by it. If so, you can donate by

PayPal: edhermanuelle@gmail.com

TD Bank account: ask the account info 

The great commission (tax deductible): ask for the address

Feel free to ask any question about this email. I won't be online for a while so if I take long to reply is because the lack of Internet. After Thursday 20 a good way to reach me would be Facebook or what's app

Thank you for your prayers

Edher

Because Joy comes in the Morning

Hi prayer partners and friends

After the first update many things has changed, being in missions last week was refreshing, as well being with people from the USA helped me a lot with my reverse culture shock. So as well seeing what God was doing on that little town down the mountains made me more sensitive to the need there. There is a lot more openness to the word of God but pray that people can make it a priority. 

So Caleb is coming today, and we are heading tomorrow for puerto, please keep us in your prayers and help us with your prayers to do the work that only God can succeed.

 Probably one thing is that I was very caught up with my needs and wondering how I would supply them. But I was forgetting  a promise that God has given me on His word: “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matthew 6:32-34 ESV

So suddenly I'm encouraged to press on, because God will supply of He wants me to keep doing missions and traveling  if He doesn't, He has provided me with a healthy body to work :) and I have a commandment to carry with life for ever if I truly been born again, which is Make Disciples. Let's rejoice for God's goodness today.

This are the pray requests 

Puerto trip with Caleb: pray that we have wisdom in how to handle things and how we can do things in the best way possible. To be a blessing to those who are already there.

Character: God gives me faithfulness to press on and as well build me in His word with gentleness and humility. Love be my reason, and honor to God be my priority for anything that I attempt to do.

Chacapampa: this is a little town up the mountains, I may be going there from August all the way to October. I still need to arrange details but is almost certainly that I will be going to help 2 missionaries already working there. I'm praying that I be helpful and learn to move out if I'm not being help for them.

Family: my mom seems to be a new convert yet but her character inflicts with herself. I haven't been able to go through baptism, I may encourage her to do it but not push her. Let her take initiative, pray that the new heart in her be more manifest. As well pray that my family gets saved and understands what I'm doing, I don't feel they always do because of their pressures.

Finances: my spirituality is more important than my support, if I'm a man who's character will honor God, then He will supply for His work, if not I will do what I'm called to do, work. As well if God open the door to keep working as missionary, I'm thinking in the possibility to make a business to become self sustaining at long term. Now is this the wisest decision? Only God knows.

Visa: I'm planing to come back at the end of April next year, so pray that I get my visa paper done work by January of next year. (Conforming the time goes by I will be updating more about this)

Thanks for your prayers and keep asking questions and feel free to dig more into this email, curiosity doesn't bother me.

Love you and Miss you all

Edher

What's wrong with my tongue?

The following post, is a compile of thought process on life experiences which has impacted my life. My intention with this post is to edify, so if you have any constructive critic or commentary feel free to post it or write it down to me. 

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (James 3:5-12 ESV)

Where to start? Apologizing, regretting? I guess I'm going to go by praying that the Lord use my foolishness to warn others. What is wrong with my tongue? Is a question that often has made me lose my sleep and to be honest lead to a secret depression. I don't confess this for the sake of you feeling sad of me but you can see how painful this is. One of the greatest challenges in my life which I face is my tongue, and I dare to say this is a today's church serious problem. When we talk about purity we often related to just sexual purity or sexual disciplines which are not wrong. But what we don't realize is that there is other kind of actions that stains the purity of the church. This is gossiping, now gossiping is not just talking negatively of other people but is as well spread unnecessary information that often is true. 

My case is not just being participate of gossiping but of being a receptor of them, the amount of things that I know are sometimes unhealthy. Why? Because this makes you look at people with other eyes. I won't deny this, there are things that must be told in order to be cautious of certain things in people, as persistent sin, or unhealthy behavior, things of which we can do nothing, but pray for it. Always looking this people with eyes of love, grace and mercy standing in our position giving them a chance of repentance and acceptance that will follow. But there is things that affects peoples relationships, and interactions. Things that can start a little fire but at the end becomes a hell of fire, things that you heard that will make you think unnecessarily of other people. 

First, be cautious of hearing bad commentaries about friends- if you have a good relationship with someone don't let the first thing that people tells you about it change your view about them. Pray a lot for them, and look at their lives and see if this commentary match with the lifestyle of this person. Let  us not forget that gossiping are not always truths but misconceptions that create bad concepts of people. The danger of assumption may hurt, mutilate and burn the body of love for the sake of selfishnes. If this happens to be true, pray about confront this person or maybe talk to someone older that confronts them, seeking their repentance in love. 

Second, measure their maturity- this is a tricky one, for that define what maturity is according to what the scripture says and seeking for godly counsel (preferably older people). Sometimes the things you hear from people is a display of their lack of maturity, their lack of self control makes them say things that they ought not to. Pray that God gives them maturity to be in a stage where confrontation will beedifying  for them.

Third, be careful who knows things - there is nothing wrong in keeping secrets with friends, but if your friends are immature is better for you to not say anything to anybody rather than things about you end in wrong hands, be careful because there is people who will say things about you in order to get attention. That happened to me and I think this person have no problem with doing the same over and over in order to gain attention. 

Fourth, test the spirits- sometimes information comes to our ears so we can be praying or be a tool of edification to others, but sometimes it comes as a slaughter to others. It may be that we have to be careful with a kind of behavior in others who are not willing to submit to discipline or listen to godly counsel. Whatever this is, test the spirits, what is the outcome of this situation. Also this can be done by looking at the lives of the people, are they leading me to Christ or leading me to worldly things ? 

Fifth, Love, Godliness and Holiness- increase the image of Christ in our lives is the purpose of sanctification, any deviation of this is wicked and ungodly. May what we hear of others don't change our reponse of love. Being gentle, humble and loving, but let us not ignore that sometimes there will be cases in which our interaction will change and we will need to be less open with others but let us not forget of praying for them, being educated before them and praying that they get help from someone more mature than them.

Sixth, God is able- whatever it is, if it is truth. Trust God for the situation, if it will change it will be because God is working and He will do a miracle in that situation. Yes humans fail, but don't diminish the power of God on His creation. He is able to change them and to make them fruitful.

I must confess that I did put in question the character of friends out of gossiping, and I regret it. For some reason some of them still love me and I'm grateful of God for that. Others keep their distance, but I pray that God gives them faithful friends that can makes them happy. Be possitive in talking about others, I have not been the best example of this but please do it. And if there is something negative, seek their edification, don't just get stuck with the negativity.

May the Lord bless you

Love hall

Edher

It is Christ Enough or you keep trusting in your own works for your salvation?

Below you are going to read the sermon that i wrote for my homiletic class, if you have any question of something is not clear please dont doubt in send me an email to edhermanuelle@gmail.com i will joyfully answer any question that you may have.

Test Yourselves: 2 Corinthians 13:5

2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?

Test yourself, examine yourself. 2 corinthians is a letter of comfort to the church of Corinth after the first letter, the apostle Paul see the repentance of the church in Corinth and he claps them because of that, but as well there was some issues arise. There were false leaders, who were questioning the apostleship of Paul.

So Paul at this point after encouraging the Corinth for their repentance and giving some instructions, and defending his apostleship says:

test yourselves, examine yourselves, the idea of testing here is this: in peru to recognize a false bill, we learn to know how the genuine bill looks like, so when we are exposed to the false one we are not deceive because we know how the genuine looks like, this is what Paul had in mind, test yourselves, examine yourselves,

you must know the genuiness of your faith by knowing what Genuine faith is.

There is a lack of discernment today in so many believers in recognizing real faith because they don’t know what real faith is all about.

We are so outwardly minded that we think because people do this or that, they are saved, that is absolutely false.

 So the first call is to discern what real faith is all about, and real faith can’t be discerned by looking at outward performance but the main inner motivation for what we do, our supreme passion that consume us into do what we do.

…….”If you are in the faith”, Paul is not questioning performance or Christian disciplines, but faith; faith is to trust God and distrust ourselves, is to acknowledge and believe that we are incapable in our own performance to satisfy the demands of the Justice of God, but that if in any way we can be acceptable before Him is because of Christ.

A good way to rephrase this verse would be: test yourselves, are you trusting in your performance or in Christ for your justification? People can be deceived by their performance.

A good example of this are the hypocrites in Matthew 6, they would pray publicly, fast, give offerings, and even pray secretly but give a prayer that says: thanks God that im not like that sinner.

There is nothing wrong with Christian disciplines, they are healthy, but you must ask yourself this question, what im living for, why im doing this, for the Glory of Christ or for my glory in Christ’s name?

 One of the most frightening things is not that there are self-deceivers but that this kind of person may be you and the only reason why you hearing this sermon are because God is having Mercy on you, so you may not perish.

Maybe you say there is people that I know who needs to hear this, but let me ask you this question, Isn’t God Sovereign and that in His goodness He is allowing you to listen this because of you?,

You may ask yourself, edher, are you judging me? No im not. Then why you say that I may be not saved, because you maybe not if you think that your performance makes you acceptable before God. And this is demonstrated by a self-loving heart that does any kind of Christian outward performance or discipline to feel better than others.

 Look I can’t judge you, some people use this word in matters of condemnation but a judge in itself have the authority to declare someone innocent and guilty therefore I can’t say that you are saved or you are not but to call you to examine yourself so God may confirm you.

For the believer this is a pleasure, because if you are a believer abiding in the light, walking in the light motivated because of Him and His love for you and the demonstration of His love through Christ death and resurrection, then you won’t be afraid to examine yourself because if you abide in the light, the Light of the Word of God through the Holy Spirit will affirm you.

But if you are in darkness, the light is going to scare you because you don’t belong to it. But don’t let your sin keep you from this truth God is abounding in loving-kindness and mercy and He is able to forgive you but please Stop trusting yourself and your own definition of righteousness, but trust Him.

Test yourselves in this matter, expose yourself to the law of God, and it will smash any kind of superiority in your performance. What make our obedience acceptable before God, is Christ not you, your human righteousness are filthy rags before Him, Only Christ could satisfy the demands of the Justice of God.

What we need to know is this: the good father will be in the same place that the bad one, the good son will be in the same place that the bad one, the soldier will be in the same place than the terrorist; the policeman will be in the same place than the thief. Why? Because for God, they all are the same. That’s why Paul says, are we better than them? By no means, absolutely by no means.

You disrespect God, when you look at your performance as something better than His son, You spit on His face when you look at your works as more acceptable than Jesus. He loves you my dear friend, He loves you, He emptied Himself, leaving His throne and Majesty, taking human form to be like you, so He lived the life you couldn’t so His death on the cross may be acceptable before the Father, and He rose at the third day overcoming death in your behalf.

If this doesn’t motivate to live the Christian life, then nothing will. It is all about Him. Look to Him, Trust Him, repent of those silly thoughts but trust Him.

One scary thing about matthew 7 is that in the final day some people will say in your name we cast out demons or we did miracles, this people were so secure of their salvation because of the things they were able to do, but God will say to them: I never knew you. You can be so secure that you are saved because of what you may be able to do but you may not.

I need no other argument I need no other plea, it is enough that Jesus died and He died for me. Tell me is He enough or you feel you need to add something to it? It is He enough? Please don’t say yes if you don’t believe it. Don’t deceive yourself, it is he enough? You can be so agree with me and this may not be a reality in your life. Please. It is he enough? Look unto Him, Seek Him. He won’t reject you, He loves you but don’t you dare to trust yourself but Him.