October Update!

Dear Praying Friends,

Greetings from Lima! Here in the Southern Hemisphere we are enjoying slowly warmer temperatures and increased amounts of sunshine each day. This can only mean one thing...spring has arrived! Even though this time of year brings along with it the occasional craving for a Pumpkin Spice Latte (which, alas, cannot be found here in Peru), the prospect of summer outweighs this minor loss. :-)

This weeks finds us officially starting the second half of the semester here at Fetzer. To unofficially celebrate this event we are holding a "Fetzer Family Fun Night" this Friday in which any family and/or teacher may participate with music or skits. The school choir has been working hard to prepare three songs as well, and the evening promises to be an enjoyable time for all.

God has continued to bless with many opportunities to serve, particularly at my church. I mentioned in the last letter that we have been working to start a Saturday night service for our Adolescentes and Jovenes groups at the church. This began three weeks ago and we have had an attendance of around 30 or more each week. Praise the Lord that many new teenagers have been attending. Many of these kids either do not know the Lord as their Savior or are lacking discipleship and we are grateful for the opportunity to reach out to them. Please pray for their continued attendance. Each week we have a different theme for the game time and we have already had many hilarious moments from "Candy Night", "Backwards Night", and "Crazy Hair Night."

One of the greatest upcoming opportunities, for which I greatly appreciate your prayers, is a missions trip that our church will be taking in two weeks. I have the privilege of going, along with Pastor Jim and Becky Carlton and five or six other members of our church, to Chinchil, a small village in the mountains. We will be leaving on October 31 and returning on November 7. The trip itself will be something of an adventure as it requires a bus ride of approximately 24 hours and then another 6-7 hour hike on foot through the mountains in order to arrive at this village. Once we arrive in Chinchil on November 1st we will be holding Bible Clubs two times a day for the children as well as evening services at the church. I am told we can expect around 100 children to attend the clubs. Currently we are in the middle of planning games, songs, skits, Bible lessons, and crafts to do with the children. While most of us are busy with this throughout the day, Pastor Jim will be teaching men's Bible studies. He will also preach at the evening services and the rest of us will help with special music and skits. Please be in prayer for the trip as we make the final preparations. Also pray for safety during the long hours of travel. Most of all, pray that God would work in hearts through the power of His Word and His Spirit. I look forward to sharing with you of our adventures and what God is pleased to accomplish through us in this endeavor.

In closing, I would like to share a verse that God recently brought to mind...

"He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord."
Psalm 40:3 (ESV)
It is my heartfelt prayer that my life would be a "song of praise" to God which, when seen/heard by others, would point them to Him. Thank you for your prayers to that end.

Serving the Savior,
Heidi Robbins