March 3, 2005

Dear Friends,

Pray for Tanya, twenty nine year old, single mother of a seven year old, two year old and twin girls, six months old. She came to talk with my wife, Anita, and me about giving the twin girls up for adoption. Tanya lives in a small town about twenty minutes from Huanuco, where she lives with her children in a small room about ten feet by eight feet with no electricity or bathroom. She has no job, no skills and she's desperate. The father of the two older children turned out to be married (he had lied to her) and when she broke the relationship off with him he got drunk, raped her, and the twins are the result. Tanya made a profession of faith two years ago while we were on furlough, but then she just disappeared. Our church had heard from time to time she needed help and we sent food and clothes, but we were never aware of the real seriousness of her situation until today. We are trying to help her find a Christian family to look after the babies until the Lord guides us as to how best to help her and these two precious little ones . We gave her food, and paid for the seven year old to get into public school (she could not even afford that). We will continue to look after her. We are not asking for any help, only your prayers. I will try to keep you up to date from time to time as to how the Lord is working in her life. Thanks.

Well, Baptist Youth Camp 2005 was a great success. Even though we didn't reach the number of campers we were expecting we still saw four saved and around fifteen young men surrendering to the ministry and at least a third of all the campers made commitments to use their talents and gifts for the Lord's work in their respective churches. It was a glorious week, as well as exhausting. Anita was in the kitchen from seven in the morning until nine at night, non-stop. No one got sick during the week (a first for youth camp!) and all the campers said the food was great and a few declared it was the "highlight" of their week (teenage boys, of course!). All in all it was a real blessing and we are already making plans for Baptist Youth Camp 2006! Thanks to each of you for your prayers and for you help in purchasing the tents.

Two of our three mission works are suffering at this time. In Huariaca two of the key families moved to the capital city of Lima for work purposes, leaving our missionary worker, Jonel Quijano, with two new families that we had recently baptized. Jonel became sick and then discouraged but he is doing much better now that he found out his wife, Judy, is expecting their first child. We ask for your prayers for Jonel and Judy, and the Huariaca Baptist Mission. Thank you.

The work higher up in the Andes mountains is about to close down. Do you remember two years ago I wrote about dealing with a case of incest? Well, it involved some members of the Chasqui Baptist Mission and they have never gotten over it. It has gone from bad to worse. The mission work has a bad reputation in the farming community there as a result of the incest situation. We are seeking the Lord's leadership. Be assured my friends, Satan, is alive and well and working hard in Peru!! We need your prayers.

Here at Central Baptist Church in Huanuco the work is going very well. We have a full house at every service with folks responding to the preaching of God's Word. The church is solid and growing. We are preparing for our thirty-third anniversary service next with one of our Peruvian missionaries, Roosevelt Hermitaño. We are praying for a great harvest.

We are looking forward to a visit from Pastor Darrell Messer and a group from his church, Emmanuel Baptist in Bellbrook, Ohio, the 4th through the 14th of April. Pastor Messer is a good friend and we plan on having a great time.

Remember all the mission works in your prayers. Until next month.

Serving Jesus in Peru

Sheridan and Anita Stanton

Brother Stanton baptizing in Peru.