Greetings to my dear brothers and saints in Jesus Christ our Lord!
It is 7:00pm. The last brother has just left. Before going home and facing the chaotic traffic of the capital, when each brother who arrived here will surely be in his home, others enjoying themselves in their churches with the services around the Holy Word of our Lord Jesus Christ, my good God permits me to start this weekly report, certainly tired but satisfied from having attended to everyone in each one of his requests, expectations, and desires that they arrived for. Now in the reigning silence, I think on Him and give thanks, because it has been one of the busiest days at this office. I give thanks for each brother who arrived from the provinces, places of much elevation, inhospitable places, from extreme poverty and devoid of many things, with needs, but God has provided them the means to be here, meeting with brethren of the capital where we have much, and/or too much, of the things that there are in the great cities. Everyone arrives with good cheer and is satisfied to be in this place, satisfied to meet with brethren whom they haven't seen for a long time. Others are satisfied to meet each other for the first time, to shake hands in fellowship with one another, and to embrace each other like sons of one single Father.
Permit me, brothers, to tell you something about the comments and testimonies of this day as they happened.
Expressions of a deacon:
Our Brother Manuel, a deacon in a local church, was here today in our office, interested in how we are doing. Upon seeing so much attendance of brethren, suddenly with a great smile on his lips, he says to me, "Sherman, I will tell you something that I feel in my heart: each day I am definitely convinced that this is the consulate of God in Peru. Everyone arrives here, and we meet each other after a time, and refresh our souls with the fellowship that God permits us to have."
A phone call:
From Chiclayo, "the city of friendship," came Brother Jaime, to whom last week we sent his portion of Spiritual Food. He called us, and what I heard through the phone line impacted me. He said this, "Brother, I am ashamed to admit it, but I never prayed upon receiving the shipments. But this time, I felt strongly to do it. Upon finishing and giving thanks to the Lord for all that He gives me, I opened one of the boxes, and the first thing that I saw was the message “Pardon.” Brother, tears ran from my eyes, thankful for His pardon. I felt like the first day that I received this glorious Message. I would like for some words to arrive to our Brother Joseph. Tell him that I am praying for him here with my small group from the city of Chiclayo. I thank him for continuing to put forth the effort and collaborate with the dressing of this Bride of the Lord. Thanks for the informative Catch the Vision. On other occasions, I took it lightly. But this time, I felt part of the Great Machine of God, to see and to be able to feel the movement of its gears, of which I form part, perhaps as a small, but an important bolt. Pray for us, please."
To the purpose of the Iron Curtain:
I wish to introduce you to Brother Teodoro, an old soldier of Christ, who the Lord has kept and sustained him until today, a seasoned man, serene. He is a son of a famous Communist politician of the south of Peru. He was very loved in those places, since he always identified himself with the poor people. His older brothers before him were granted scholarships to Russia to study, presently being professionals of renown. But when it was his turn to go to be trained, professionally and doctrinally, by "Mother Russia" and to be a politician of renown, his father died suddenly. Not being able to fulfill his dreams, he fell to the deepest knowledge of socialism. He began to frequent the Young Communists of Peru, but there was something in his heart that frequently bothered him. He let it pass until he was presented a tract with the title of The Great Harlot. (This tract, for a long time, was considered as subversive and political by the authorities because of its red letters with white background. This was in the time of the armed battle that was waged here between Sendero Luminoso and the Peruvian State in the decade of the 80's and part of the 90's. I myself am a survivor of this war.) It is thus that he arrived to the feet of the Lord, a widower with three children. He fell, not into the socialist doctrine, but the Doctrine of the Holy Gospel of the Lord and of this glorious Message. Presently, he dedicates himself to selling books to the public in general in a place of his property at the gate of Callao. His presence is owed to the fact that he brought, for the first time, a love offering from him and his children. I asked him how it is that he suddenly felt to do this? He told me, "Brother, today God spoke to me through my son Carlos. He said, 'Dad, it is necessary to invest in the work of the Lord?' That is why I am here."
On this day I bid you farewell, my dear brothers, remembering these words that we jokingly say, "The last one to leave turns off the light." Well, tonight I will feel happy once again to be the last to turn off the light, to go out on the street with its hustle and bustle and to give thanks to God for having given me two wonderful eyes to look up to Heaven and to know that it is time to lift up my face and feel that total redemption of my being is nigh, and I will finally be able to rest in Him (it is a promise).
Until next week.
Your brother in Christ,
Sherman Napurí