A letter from Simón Bolívar
Ronny and Rocio Tipismana are based in the Simón Bolívar district of Arequipa, Peru, where Ronny pastors Iglesia Evangélica Bautista de Gracia. Ronny has written to express his appreciation for the prayerful interest of GBM supporters, and to share news of trials and joys in the work.
Dear brothers and sisters of GBM, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
It is with great joy that I send my greetings to all of you, beloved brothers and sisters. I would like to thank God first because he allows us to serve him in his work. I also want to thank all of you for your great love and for your desire to see people coming to the Lord Jesus Christ here in our country.
Protected through a great crisis
I would like to send you news of the work we are doing in Arequipa. Each year that goes by, things are never the same, as we can see more and more clearly the hardness of people towards the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. But the Lord, in his great mercy, is still working in people’s lives through his glorious gospel. The church has gone through a great crisis that we had never experienced before. Some people entered our church, posing as believers, as the Lord Jesus had already announced to us: ‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves’ (Matthew 7:15). They tried to divide us, but the Lord, who cares for his sheep, did not allow it. The Lord used this crisis to make us love each other even more, and to be more united than before. Today our church is very united with a single purpose—to continue announcing the good news of the gospel.
Open hearts amidst hardness
We are evangelizing in Simón Bolívar, which is our community, and also in Tiabaya, which is another community nearby. We have preached outdoors in the markets. Every end of the month, the entire church comes together to knock on the doors of homes and announce the gospel. But people’s hearts are no longer the same as they were in previous years. May the Lord help us continue to do his will.
This past year the Lord has blessed us with new believers, including Irene and Roy. They have heard the gospel, and the Lord has opened their hearts. They come from leading very sad, empty lives, but the Lord has given them new birth. The Lord has also blessed us with a family—José Luis and his wife Raquel—who were already believers, but have been looking for a church where Christ is preached. They have been faithful in their attendance all year long, and they continue to be so. The Lord has also guided a brother named Victor who was looking for a church where Christ would be preached. Our brother is always helping the church, and we are already using him in different areas.
New opportunities
This year we want to announce the gospel throughout Arequipa. And we want to use all the communal premises in each district of Arequipa to be able to spread the gospel. Every week I spend some time searching for premises. It is not easy. We have to obtain permits and prepare many invitations in order to gather people and teach them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We ask for your prayers so that the Lord may open doors for his word.
This year we do not want to neglect the church. We want to work more with families. We have seen in recent times many attacks against families and against children. That is why, in the month of March, we devoted more time to families in the church. We are also printing a catechism for children with the help of Pastor David Rivero from Spain, who has provided us with material so that children can acquire a biblical foundation, and parents can fulfil their responsibility to teach their children.
At the beginning of every year, we always have a great concern to prepare new teachers for the children of the church. This is because we have a Sunday School, and the teachers, for work-related reasons, sometimes have to leave the position. We must pray for new teachers and spend some time to prepare them. We ask you to pray so that the Lord may provide us with new teachers.
Continuing to care
There is also a great concern in the church for the elderly brothers and sisters. We have many who are already sick and we have to take care of them and help them. They can no longer attend because of their illnesses, but we cannot forget them. That includes brothers like Rut, Francisco, Benita, Clara and Lucrecia. Yesterday, two of the elderly—Lucia and Eulogio—underwent surgery. May the Lord help us be with them as long as he wills.
Thank you, dear brothers and sisters of GBM, for all your help and prayers. May the Lord help you in this great ministry of taking the gospel to the whole world. In the midst of struggles and trials, may we all remain firm in the work of the Lord.
I send my warmest regards to all of you, and may the Lord bless you.
From your brother in Christ,
Ronny