July 1, 2002

Dear Friends,

Anita and I have had a month of joyful blessings and also extreme sadness. Let's start with the blessings. Brother Geider, a young man here in Huanuco, has been faithfully attending church and serving the Lord for many years. He was always asking for prayer that the Lord would save his wife, father, and his other brothers and sisters. Well the Lord answered those prayers within the past two months! His father and brother trusted Christ last month, and last week during the invitation his wife came forward making a public profession of her faith in Christ Jesus as her Savior. Needless to say, Geider is a very happy man.

Last night (June 30th) I preached on baptism and what it symbolized. At the invitation five grown men and one young college girl all came forward making a public profession of faith in Christ and asking for baptism. Most of the men that came forward are husbands of some of our church ladies. While I was home on furlough I mentioned in a lot of the churches we visited how that our church here in Huanuco was full of dysfunctional families. It appears the Lord is changing that by saving the men (husbands) of many of these homes. I thank all of you for your prayers on our behalf. Our Lord is still on His throne and continues to do amazing things in the lives of his children!

Our mission work in Chasqui is going very well. Attendance and interest continues to climb steadily. The mission work in Challana is holding its own in attendance. However, I have seen a lot of spiritual growth there. I believe we will be organizing this work in the not too distant future. The work in Huariaca is not doing so well. Attendance is down and the few left are discouraged. We are praying the Lord will raise up a couple to go and live there and take charge of the work. Please pray with us about this.

We will be organizing the Faith Baptist Mission of Huaral into a church on Saturday, the 13th of July. Huaral is located on the Pacific coast about one and a half hours north of the Capital city of Lima, on the Pan American Highway. This work is five years old and has shown steady growth, numerically and spiritually since it's inception. However, we still have the great need to help them with the construction of a suitable building to meet in. We have the lots and we have dug the footers; now we need to build. Pray and ask the Lord's leadership in this matter and if you would like to help out then designate your offering to the STANTON BUILDING FUND. Thanks.

Now the sad news: a dear friend of ours, Sister Joanne White, passed away from heart problems this past week. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth, and three daughters, Kathy, Charlotte, and Brenda, and many grand children and great grand children. They have been faithfull supporters of ours and of Baptist Faith Missions for many years. For those of you that have had the priviledge to know Kenneth and Joanne, you know what a model they have been to all of us as honest, faithful, loving Christian friends. They have been very close friends to Anita and I and we will certainly miss Sister Jo very much. She is gracing the Lord's presence now and not ours. We do appreciate your prayers especially for Brother Kenneth. They had been married for 52 years and you hardly ever saw one without the other. May God grant understanding and peace of heart to the family.

And so that's life for another month; souls being saved, the Lord's work going forward in most places, having difficulites in other places and when we least expect it HE calls some of HIS choicest saints home to heaven. Are you ready to meet the Lord? Are you serving HIM with all your heart? Are you helping to reach the World for Jesus Christ by supporting missions? Why not take time now to give a special offering to the GENERAL FUND of Baptist Faith Mission. This is the fund that supplies the bulk of the missionaries monthly income, buys the cars, pays the health insurance and travel expenses, etc. May our Lord continue to bless each of you as you remain faithfull to HIM. Until next month.

Serving Jesus in Peru,

Sheridan and Anita Stanton

Kenneth and Joanne White on one of their mission trips to Peru