August 31, 2006

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Huánuco, the city with the best climate in the world, six thousand three hundred feet above sea level in the beautiful Andes Mountains of Peru. The city is located in the center of Peru, which makes it easier to reach by road for all of the Peruvian pastors that attend classes in our Bible Institute.

Speaking of the Institute, our next class will be in October. I have invited Brother Rodney Spears to teach for two days during the four day class. Rodney and his wife, Rebecca, are good friends and we are looking forward to his participation in our Institute.

Our Annual Bible Conference was held in Tingo Maria during the month of August and I was asked to speak on marriage and the family. Attendance was down some this year but there was a really good spirit among those attending. In the past several years attendance has been a little over two thousand but this year it was only around seven hundred. The services were held outdoors under a large canopy and a couple of nights we had some torrential rains that ran everyone inside the small church building designed for about one hundred people! Needless to say, it was packed out! The first night it rained, a young couple was singing a special and when the sky broke open the people started screaming and running for cover, but the poor couple just kept on singing. When they finished they had no more audience. I could not help but wonder if they will ever sing again!

Anita and I were delighted to have Jamie Sturm, a young man from Frankfort, Kentucky, with us for four weeks. We took him back to Lima for his flight home in the middle of the month. He will be starting college this fall and this was his Senior trip. We trust hanging out with two "old folks" wasn't too hard on him! We certainly enjoyed having him with us.

While in Lima I had the opportunity to preach for Brother Rodney Spears at his mission work in Lima. The Lord blessed the message with one young mother trusting Christ as her Savior and another young woman making a public profession of her salvation. Sister Spears had won her to the Lord only two days before. Besides these two, several others came forward reconciling their lives to the Lord (in the States you call it rededication).

The last week of the month I traveled out to the central jungle town of Pucallpa for a four day meeting with one of the young national missionaries Anita and I support monthly. Brother David Olortegui and his wife Deysi are faithful and doing a great job. David is currently working two different mission works. During the meeting the Lord blessed His Word with four trusting Christ as their Savior and several reconciliations. I also spoke to the opening assembly of the Pucallpa Baptist School one morning. The jungle seemed to be hotter than I remember (we lived there for seven years) but I guess I am just used to the beautiful weather in Huánuco now. Anita and I sure enjoy living here.

Come and visit sometime.

Serving Jesus in Peru,

Sheridan and Anita Stanton