Hey family, hope everyone is well as we are in the thick of winter here in Iquitos, Peru. Of course, being south of the equator and in the Amazonian jungle, winter is quite different for us than we are accustomed to. The evenings are mild, the rain is sporadic, but it is still the jungle and there will be no snow anytime soon. We are acclimating to the culture and the climate, thank you Jesus! Here is a quick update on life and ministry.

It has been a very slow month for us. We are very excited to be completing our residency process here in Peru, but there have been some complications that have prevented us from going to Cochiquinas, where we will be living and starting the ministry. Please pray for our patience and perseverance through this process. It has been slow and frustrating, but let us not grow weary in doing good, for in the right time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Ryan has had the opportunity to share at local churches and it is a blessing to fellowship with the body of Christ. This month he shared at Calvary Chapel Iquitos on Father’s Day.

We are blessed to be in our ninth week of Inductive Bible Study training. There are a group of 10 people who are really starting to understand the value of observation, interpretation and application, in a Bible study context. As a teacher, it is always so exciting to see the light go on when the student really begins to understand the subject. This study has been eye opening for all of the students, we are all excited. Praise God for His provision to provide glasses to one of the local pastors in the class.

As we are preparing to move down river to Cochiquinas, we have been very interested in learning how to grow fruit and vegetables in the jungle. The soil is terrible, too much rain, not enough sun, because of cloud cover, etc, etc. It is not the garden of Eden. The Lord connected us with an ecologist, horticulturist, named Dennis. He is a Peruvian native who has spent years in the Peruvian Amazon, as well as Africa and other countries. He is a wealth of knowledge for us. We have learned about pigweed, yucca leaves and many more leafy greens that are high in protein and vitamins, in spite of the bad soil. He has committed to come to Cochiquinas to help us get started on a garden and further educate us in the nutritional and medicinal values of natural plants here in this great region.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” (Psalms 105:1-4)

Thank you for partnering with us!

Love,

Ryan & Karen Gause