Dave and Michele Mahon
October 2024
Learning Together Is A Beautiful Thing
I (Michele) am sitting at my desk having just completed a virtual class with my cohort at Anglia Ruskin University. We learned about important milestones involved in our doctoral studies and I am feeling a lot more reassured about my next steps. We have all been in an exciting season of learning as we gather together with others and consider different perspectives on what we might have once taken for granted. During a recent school holiday period, the whole family recently visited Piura in the coastal north of the country, where Dave was part of a teaching team on awakening the DNA of missions within our community. It was a 7 hour journey by road through the night; the first such experience for the children. They enjoyed it, especially since the seats on the coach recline to horizontal, so some sleep was possible!
We spent some quality time catching up with Laura Lee Lovering our colleague who lives here. Many churches attended and more people are approaching the Missions Board to express an interest in becoming national and international missionaries. Praise God! Ruy Olivera, a Brazilian pastor was also one of the speakers; he has been working in partnership with the Peruvian Baptist Convention and BMS to enable mission in the region. He is also a BMS Trustee.
On our way back from Piura in the car, we stopped to visit Fernando, a pastor based in Chiclayo, to encourage him and his family in their new role at Emanuel Baptist Church.
The same missions conference was repeated in Lima, where it was fascinating to see the contrast in delegates, with many Venezuelans and Afro Peruvians in attendance. Please pray for many more missions projects to be launched and for the existing ones to be well cared for and strengthened.
Dave was due to teach at another conference in Huancayo in the mountains, however due to a nationwide strike protesting against widespread extortion and high crime rates he was unable to travel. He ended up teaching virtually. Please pray for President of Peru, Dina Boluarte and her government, to be led by God in their leadership and for corruption to be rooted out. Psalm 33:10-11 'The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever; the purposes of his heart through all generations.' We know that even though the news doesn't give us much hope, God's purposes for each nation will be fulfilled as we pray 'your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven'. Amen?
Michele recently had a meeting with Cynthia Sundman, a mission worker with Swiss Indian Mission based in Lima, to discuss our plans to share some training here on Gender Justice from a biblical perspective. The training is called Restorations and was created and taught by Open Doors, who are working in partnership with BMS. Please pray that our plans will take shape and the training will be well attended by women and men from all over the country. Pray for much fruit to come from this.
The children recently had a festival of poetry and storytelling at school, a tradition held every Springtime here, and Ruth publicly shared a story about a princess who learned the value of work and kindness. She and Phoebe also performed a song with their classmates. Jonathan enjoyed his friends' poetic recitals which were very dramatic!
We are all looking forward to Home Assignment, and we will be visiting some new churches this year, as well as renewing existing friendships with some of you that have been like pillars to us for some time. Your support for us in prayer and giving means the world to us! Thank you.
Much love,
The Mahon Family
