Missions- Devenney's Update
The following is a copy of William and Mayra’s email update sent on May 8th.
The Devenney Dispatch
What a whirlwind the last two months have been! First of all, we want to praise the Lord and thank you for your prayers, as William George Devenney V was born in good health on March 17th. The most dramatic part of his birth, fortunately, was the drama occurring around the world, as he was born one day after Peru was declared in a state of emergency and a mandatory quarantine was put in place. While we remain under strict stay-at-home orders, William (a.k.a. Liam) has been growing very well and Mayra has recovered from the surgery. Luciana has absolutely loved her new role as a big sister, as she always wants to care for Liam; "helping" us with baths, feeding, and changing diapers. We thank the Lord for good health this far!
While our strict quarantine laws have disallowed us from realizing our normal activities and planned events, as a ministry we have learned to be flexible and dependent on the Lord as we utilize new techniques and tactics to share the gospel and train disciples in Christ. Our Discipleship and Evangelism Training Center (CEED) has not been permitted to host the students on our property in Cañete, so we have (like many other educational institutions) have transitioned to an online format of learning.
We have been recording videos of the classes for the students to watch and learn from, accompanied by projects and classwork to reinforce the material. We utilize online meetings three times a week through Zoom for devotionals, interaction, and prayer. The missionaries "meet" with their students for one-on-one discipleship, allowing the same opportunity for them to grow in their faith and understanding of the Scriptures. Our hope is that the government will allow us to receive the students on the property for the second semester, beginning in August.
This is what our weekly meetings with the rest of the Word of Life Peru team look like! A new format, but it is a blessing to serve with a team dedicated to the glory of God.
As you can tell, Luciana loves her little brother, and they both have been a testament to the grace of God. (And she hasn't grown weary yet, the left picture was taken the first moment she met him, and the right picture was after 1.5 months of his antics)
Our local church here in Lima has been operating likely very similar to how you all have been worshiping over the last two months: online. While we are so thankful for the technological opportunities that allow us to continue to grow spiritually and train others, we also long for the privilege of being together in fellowship and worshiping our King corporally. This means we have also been able to continue meeting with our Young Adult group via Zoom; encouraging them in these difficult times to trust in the Lord and praying with some who have lost loved ones due to the outbreak.
Recent times have verily been strange and have forced us to change our daily lives and methods of service to the Lord. But with those changes also come new opportunities; to grow personally, to encourage mutually, and to proclaim globally the confidence of hope that we find in Christ. Be encouraged that the Lord "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:28-30
Thank you, sincerely, for your constant prayers and continued financial support; especially in a season where many face financial uncertainties and stressful circumstances. We can't express how much we appreciate your faithfulness in times of difficulty for the pursuit of making known the riches and depths of God's grace in salvation. As Psalm 98 proclaims:
"The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."
We pray the Lord will allow us to continue to "shout to the earth" the redemption of His people.
Prayer Requests
Pray for the CEED students; that despite a different format of learning, the Lord would use this time to work in their lives through the Holy Spirit.
Pray for our young adult group in Lima; that we would continue to encourage them and help them to grow in their faith. Many of them have lost their jobs and have family members that are sick due to the outbreak.
Pray for the many millions of Peruvians that have been left without an income, causing extreme poverty and desperate conditions.
Pray that we would soon be allowed to go outside (even for a walk). That simple change would help us as we haven't been able to leave (except for groceries) since March 16th.
Pray that the gospel would continue to spread across Latin America, as we pursue new ways to share our faith through social media!