18 Hours Closer to the Next Destination
Greetings friends and family!
It’s a blessing to be able to connect with you all again and share a report from these last few months! Since my last update, I have joined Saving Grace World Missions as a missionary. My updates will be sent out on a monthly basis. I am thankful that you take the time to read these updates and your prayers for the requests at the end of this letter are very much appreciated. This is an aspect of missions that I am learning the importance of. Missionaries need people involved in their lives that are outside of their mission field. Your encouragement, prayers and friendship minister to me and remind me that I am not alone and spur me to continue forth.
To quickly catch up with those of you who are new, I have been in Trujillo, Peru, for 3.5 years. In my time here, there have been a lot of transitions. What started as a desire to start an English club, turned into serving at Calvary Chapel Trujillo with Pastor Cory Kilgus, leading me to become a student at Calvary Chapel Bible Institute Peru, where I received a calling to be a Pastor and was sent on mission trips to the jungle. Now I am leading a team to plant a church in that same jungle in Moyobamba, Peru.
Moyobamba is a city about 18 hours by bus from Trujiilo. There are approximately 60,000 people that live there, with coffee plants, chocolate plants, and banana trees right outside the city. I will lead a team out there at the end of September to plant a Bible teaching church (which are either few or none). Our heart is to share the true gospel with all. We will be sent out by Pastor Cory, other Calvary Chapel pastors, and Calvary Chapel Trujillo.
This December I was able to return to Colorado and spend the holidays with my family. I met my 2-month- old nephew for the first time. I got him to half-smile at me, which brought lots of joy to my heart. My time in the U.S. was also used to meet up with other Pastors and churches to build friendships and share about the Moyobamba church plant. It was an edifying time, and several young adults said they were stirred up and were considering missions in their life. Pastor Chris from Calvay Chapel Tooele in Utah encouraged me with his testimony about how the gospel has reached hundreds of people in a predominantly Mormon area where he has lived for ten years. May the Lord do that same work in the Peruvian jungle, where there are lots of legalism, rules, and religion and little knowledge on who Jesus actually is.
One thing that has helped to solidify my calling was when a Christian man whom I respect in many ways challenged me and advised me not to do a church plant any time soon. I appreciated his good intentions and bluntness, and I left our meeting re-examining what I thought God made very clear. After scripture reading and lots of specific prayer, I am convinced that even though I am young (29 years old) don’t yet have a super team of elders, and even though I don’t know much Hebrew and Greek, God did indeed call me to plant here and has given me lots of evidence pointing to that. Primarily through Joshua 3, where Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan river and entered the Promise Land. When I was praying in Moyobamba, the Lord brought me to that verse and it felt like He said this verse is for the city of Moyobamba and what He’s calling me to do.
I am excited to be back as an intern at the Calvary Bible Institute campus in Trujillo. In the next few months I will be teaching the book of Proverbs at the Institute, as well as teaching in some of the mid week church services, leading a Bible study, gardening, and other ministry duties. I am continuing to grow in my calling by taking that Church Planting class through Calvary Trujillo.
Praise reports
- That I had quality time with many people in Colorado
- I am now with my brothers and sisters in Christ again in Peru
- There are many people in Trujillo and Moyobamba that desire to know more about Jesus and His Word
Prayer requests
- Wisdom and provisions in building a team to be sent out with me in September to Moyobamba
- Diligence in preparation for the Proverbs class I will be teaching in March at the Bible Institute in Trujillo, Peru
- Financial partnership
If you feel led to partner with me in this mission, you can do so by clicking the “Become a Financial Partner” link below. Also, if you would like to read more of my previous newsletters the button below “Missionary Blog” will take you to my ongoing blog.
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Soaking it all in
Hey everyone! This last week was church planting week. Various pastors shared how the most effective form to evangelize and make disciples is through planting churches that teach faithfully chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Planting churches is through out the whole New Testament of the Bible, especially looking at the book of Acts. I am fired up to return back to Peru and eventually be sent out with a church planting team to the jungle. God has made this calling clear. I was blessed to hear from several Mexican pastors whom shared their struggles as well as the blessings from planting churches to further prepare me. There have been over 45 church plants sent out from Calvary Chapel Rosarito in the last 20 years. We want the Holy Spirit to do likewise in Peru, and it is close to time!
My Pastor from Greeley Colorado, Jeff Figgs, was one of the main speakers at the conference. He shared about 5 keys that have helped him as a pastor, which are “watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love” from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. Many pastors have said that planting a church can be intimidating, opposed, and difficult. Even though there are many unexpecting circumstances and people who are out of our control and against the work, that is when we be brave and persevere. His message really ministered to my heart and encouraged me.
Workshop: The biggest take away has been a reoccurring theme this last week: discipleship. Planting a church is not just about the pastor’s impactful sermons, or the worship team leading everyone to a sweet praise to God. It’s also about investing in the people among you and getting them involved in the ministry. This requires hours upon hours, which is bigger than the idea of a couple hours a month that I had. In fact, our prime example Jesus spent over 3 years with His disciples, whom were going to be used by God in the book of Acts to bring spiritual revivals and turn the world upside down. Through discipleship, God can grow and call more people to be church planters and reach more people with Christ.
I then travelled south with the school of missions to Mazatlan and Culiacan. There are several church plants in these two mexican cities that we fellowshipped with. Our team has been helping in whatever way we can, including kids ministry, worship, and cleaning. It was neat to see their church planting schools, which were very similar to the church planting school I am a part of in Peru.
With 2 more weeks left in Mexico, I am STOKED to come back to Peru! I will continue to help at the bible institute and live on campus with over 30 staff and students. There will be a church planting conference in November that Pastor Cory started and that we are hosting. It’s time to reach all of South America with the gospel through church plants, and I want to be part of one.
Thank you everyone for taking out the time to read my letter and for your prayers. I love you all. In December I will be in Colorado, and would love to connect!
Prayer requests
1. Prayer for a church planting team for the jungle.
2. Prayer for growing in leadership
3. Prayer for confirmation on planting a church in Moyobamba.
4. Prayer for financial support
Andrew Weakland
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Missions in Moyobamba
We finally arrived to the jungle of Peru after a 16 hour bus ride and another 2 hours in taxi going even deeper! This is something we had planned as a church for a long time. Our teams desire was to bless and serve the community, connect and fellowship with the local church, and share about the hope there is in Jesus.
There was a man that I met who was on a motorcycle right outside the church. As he opened up, he shared how he was hurt by a church that burdened him with a bunch of rules that he was failing to follow. They weren’t even biblical. We turned to the bible, and found the verses about how God can forgive our pasts, and how we don’t have to wear certain clothes to please God. He was somewhat relieved, but still carried a heavy spirit. Our time concluded with prayer and I invited him to church service the following day. He entered hesitantly, and I waved him over to sit next to me. After the worship, Pastor Cory gave a message on how it’s important to forgive and move forward in the freedom that God gives. The perfect Word God had for him without any of us even planning it! He was very impacted, and was reminded of the importance of hearing and living God’s Word in our daily lives. My prayer is that He can allow God’s Word influence the way he lives instead of religious men.
I also had the privilege to get to know more about the personal lives of some of the many energy-filled kids. One boy shared how his Dad died when he was a baby, and he grew up with his Mom and step-dad. They would verbally-abuse him, which resulted in him living with his grandpa who was mellower. As he shared, it was obvious that he has been hurt a lot in his childhood. His story is one of many from the children who dwell among the villages around the Amazon.
I am at a point of life where I believe the Lord is leading me to start a new chapter and complete my time as an intern at the Bible Institute in Trujillo. My life’s aim is that more people can know who Jesus is, and all of the riches that He offers to those who receive Him. In this, I have been considering and seriously praying about being a part of a new church plant in the Jungle
Currently, I am with the Calvary School of Missions in Rosarito, Mexico. It is a 6 week program to stir people to be part of the great commission (which is a command, not a suggestion). We take classes that study missions as we see throughout the Bible. Also, we interact with many missionaries that share their testimonies and teach us, whom have come from far away countries. Us students are seeking God’s direction as to what role He has for each of us in the great commission.
- Prayer for absolute surrender to God for what He wants to do with my life.
- Prayer for the step of faith and God’s leading to be sent out and pastor a church.
- Prayer for a longterm team and financial support.
- Pray that I would grow in love as I learn how to die to myself and embrace other cultures.
“We aren’t called to fill the pews with members, we are called to fill the world with disciples.” – Author unknown.
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Trujillo and beyond
Hello family and friends.
Thank you so much for following my newsletters and staying updated with me. It´s a blessing to share my life and be connected with people who care. Back in December when I was in Colorado, I was reading Philippians, and came across this verse that and made me think of all of you. Paul told the believers in Philippi that he thanks God ¨for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now¨ ( Phil 1:5). It’s relieving to know that I am not alone in Peru because I have all of you.
I believe God has called me to be a pastor and to plant a church in the jungle of Peru. This seems to be confirmed by people around me, being given a peace and passion for it, and especially through the Bible. A verse I am convinced that God has put on my heart, for which I foresee being for me for the rest of my life, is Colossians 1:28-29 ¨Him (Christ) we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.¨ Prayer request: Humbleness and a love for people.
With a team of about 20, we will be heading to Moyobamba, Peru, from July 11-18, God willing, to teach jungle leaders how to teach the Bible, as well as run a kids camp. It’s possible that it will be here where the Lord wants me to stay long term. Right after this trip, my flight goes north to Calvary school of missions in Mexico where I will receive training, make connections with others interested in church planting, and be reminded of the importance of living out the New Testament. Prayer request: Clarity on where God calls me and financial provision.
The last few months, I have had the privilege of leading and teaching the teenagers and young adults groups at our church Calvary Trujillo. Teaching 2 messages in Spanish for 30 minutes has challenged me with pronunciation and finding the correct words, but it has also been a great experience. One thing that I am learning is that the time with the youth is so much more than giving a message, but also having fellowship with them and getting to know them better. Last week we went out and ate pizza and played games, which was a great way to enjoy time together. Prayer request: That the youth would continue to have a personal devotion time with God and completely depend on Him.
Since graduating from Calvary Bible Institute of Peru in November 2021, I have been an intern on campus. While the new students take their classes, I am often in the kitchen with other interns cooking about 22 plates of food and making juice. It’s fun to learn how to prepare Venezuelan and Peruvian plates, and a joy to serve the students. We have never eaten a bad meal! Additionally, I am in charge of gardening, which includes planting flowers, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. It is theraputic for me and makes the campus look maintained and vibrant. Prayer request: That I serve with joy in the Lord and continue to be faithful with where I am at.
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