Update on the school and our missionaries at the orphanage

Praise God for His provision for the school at the orphanage, through the generosity of members and friends of Southmont!
The second floor of the school was completed in time and is being put to use. Two of our own, Lauren and Nancy, are teaching in the very school that your gifts helped to complete. God is amazing in His provision and plans!




Lauren and Nancy have now been teaching for about a month, and things are beginning to settle into a routine of sorts. Things in Peru just don’t work the same way as they do in the States, especially in regards to scheduling and time. Both Lauren and Nancy have blogs of their own; the links are posted later in this post.


Here’s an update from Nancy, excerpted from her blog:


The school indeed was finished in time for the government to pick up the teachers’ salaries, so of course that called for a celebration. Actually, it called for TWO celebrations!!! The ministry of education (education department) came out to the school and they had a fun celebration and then came back and did a formal celebration on Saturday. I got the worst sunburn of my life during that celebration. We are A LOT closer to the equator here...

Please pray for spiritual and emotional strength for both Lauren and I.

-That our lives would constantly be pointing to Christ and that everything we do would be glorfiying to Him

-That Satan would not distract us from the goals God has set before us, and that we will only use the energy God has given us on things that really matter.

-For continued opportunities to share the gospel.

-That peoples’ minds and hearts would be open to the Lord and that the Holy Spirit would draw them toward Himself.

-That I would be able to learn Spanish quickly.

-That the Lord will give me wisdom on how to plan my classes and most importantly, how to integrate the Bible into my classes.

Nancy's blog address: http://www.iwanttobeinperu.blogspot.com/

And here is an update from Lauren, excerpted from her blog and an email from her:


Thanks so much to everyone that cut out all of my laminated things and helped me get ready for this school year. Things were so much better because people in Denton helped me get prepared before hand.

On Wednesday of that week (their first week there) there was an official opening of the school. All of the government officials came and had a formal celebration on the soccer field. The government brought new clothes for the children and manipulatives for teaching. The community’s band played a few songs and then they officially cut the ribbon and broke a jar of wine for the school to open. A plaque was also presented that is on the wall of the school. This was I am sure a very exciting day for Miguel, the orphanage director, because now his school is a certified school and he can receive funding from the state which is very helpful when it comes to paying the bills.

Praises from the past couple weeks:

We have had great favor with the Peruvian translators, Miguel - the director of the orphanage, and all of the teachers we will be working with.

The new school is now being put into use, and all of the new materials that Southmont brought are in the principal’s office for any teacher to use at their convenience

We have had many opportunities to share the gospel from taxi drivers, to translators, to people in town, and of course to the people living in the community.

Prayer Requests:

Emotional, spiritual, and physical strength. We are in great spiritual warfare here.

For God to raise up leaders in the community of children to come to know Him that will have a catalyst effect in the rest of the community.

For Joy for me personally

For the school schedule that is still in the works that God would have us in the right places at all of the right times

Lauren's blog address: http://www.laurenservinginperu.blogspot.com/


Please also pray for the group from Southmont’s college department who will be traveling to the orphanage in May. They will be working on some projects around the orphanage as well as holding Bible studies and English classes. If you would like to support them financially, gifts can be made through Southmont Baptist Church.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 8:8-9