Mark Rader Prayer Letter:  Open-Air MeetingIn December God demonstrated a dominating display of His power here in Peru. The Gospel was preached in our services, on the streets, in public buses, at the parks, at the fire station, and at our first open-air meeting. In our institute we taught on prayer and had a small revival. Four families participated in our Baby Dedication Sunday. Many of our families sang for our Christmas cantata, and two visitors were saved that night.

Our first visit with our firemen was a great success. Gonzalo Valverde, a retired Peruvian Police Force colonel, took responsibility for this event. He did a fantastic job with preparing us and the firemen for the event. During our visit we presented them with gifts, Christmas carols, and a message about suffering ending with the Gospel. They were so appreciative of our visit and the message that they mentioned both on their Facebook page and in their quarterly newsletter.

While we were at the fire station, another team of men from our church, led by Walter Arango, was on the mountain behind our church setting up a portable roof on a concrete soccer court. Walter, along with Ivan Gallarday, was preparing for our chocolatada event that same afternoon. A chocolatada is a Peruvian Christmas treat of hot chocolate and fruit bread. Our church also invested in a very large battery-powered speaker that performed very well on the mountainside. That afternoon 200 children, parents, elderly, and neighborhood representatives heard the Gospel, and many were saved. Because our event was well organized, the neighborhood representatives said that we could use the soccer court any time. What captivated my attention the most that day was the incredible initiative and teamwork displayed by our church members. We had tackled two brand-new major events in one day. I was so honored and humbled to be their pastor that day.

Christmas morning our church enjoyed Peruvian steak breakfast sandwiches that my wife had made. During the preaching, our church gave incredible testimonies of the past year. Many had shared the Gospel with coworkers and associates throughout the year, and many made mention of how God was using our institute to change their lives. During our evening service, 3 visitors came, and 2 were saved on Christmas Day. We were so happy to have been at our post serving the Lord that night.

Thank you to so many of you for your Christmas offerings, and we are thankful always for your investment in our family and our ministry. Please pray that God will continue to do a great work here in Peru in 2017. Thank you for your love, your support, and your prayers. God bless you, and Happy New Year!

In Christ in Peru,
Mark, Sarah, Savannah, Paul, Samuel, & One More Rader