To the one whose dreams are falling all apart
And all you’re left with is a tired and broken heart
I can tell by your eyes you think you’re on your own
but you’re not alone
Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging sea
Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet
With a love so strong and never let you go
No you’re not alone

You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
‘Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms

Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life
Is the very same voice that calls you to rise
So hear Him now, He’s calling you home

You will never be alone
These are the hands that built the mountains
The hands that calm the sea
These are the arms that hold the heavens
They are holding you and me
These are hands that healed the leper
Pulled the lame up to their feet
These are the arms that were nailed to a cross
To break our chains and set us free

Lord, Lord let Your kingdom come
Lord, Lord let Your will be done in me…
Let the power of Your Holy Ghost be manifest in me
As You guide me living out Your perfect will.

So consume me like fire, I open up my heart to You
Consume me like fire, and leave no part of me untouched by You…

“Consume Me” (The Parachute Band)

Confronted by God
As people who are serving and following God, it’s crucial that we are constantly seeking to be completely open to Him and His master touch in our lives so that we are continuely being refined, (“consumed,” like the song says) and restored to be able to serve more effectively. And sometimes God himself has to confront us with things that are hiding in our hearts, things that He wants to heal and restore.

That is where I find myself today: God has pointed out some areas of my life that He wants to consume, refine, restore, and He is giving me an opportunity to return home to pursue the healing and growth that I need.

So, I will be returning to the States on November 10th, using the return plane ticket I’d purchased back in January, and I’ll be living with my parents temporarily in Beaverton. I’m very excited to see many of you, and I’m also excited to see what God has for me in this next step.

I’d appreciate your prayers. The series of circumstances leading up to this decision have been difficult, touching the lives of my pastors, Javier and Patricia, as well as the life of the congregation. Please pray for them, for God’s peace, strength and restoration in their lives as well as they continue the work here. Also please pray for God’s guidance and wisdom as I return home. I want to continue walking in the calling He has placed on my life as He opens doors, but I also know I need some time to process what He is asking me to process. Please continue to pray as well for financial provision, that God would provide using the means He sees as best.

If, after hearing about this growing church in Peru for over a year, you’d like to continue to hear their news and support their ministry, please contact me so that I can help you make contact directly with the pastors here. I know they would welcome your support.

I will be in contact with you, via email, and hopefully in person as well, and will keep you updated on what God does in the months to come!

Hello there!

In my last letter (sent Sunday 4 Oct), I asked for prayer as I continued to look for a place to live. Today (Thursday), I am writing to you from the new place where I am living! God is so incredibly good and has blessed me with a beautiful new home.

So, you want to hear the story?
I had been looking, calling places I found in the classified ads. On Monday, I had one “sort of” possibility that I was going to go see Tuesday afternoon. I didn’t have anywhere close to the amount of money I’d need to rent something, but I was searching in faith that God would provide.
Tuesday morning, I checked my email and found out that a good friend of mine from Trinity had sent a large check, more than enough to rent a place! Later that morning, I found a couple more options reading ads outside the grocery store, made some phone calls and arranged to visit two different places that afternoon.

The first place we visited (with Javier and Patricia) was incredibly ideal. The landlady showed us around and explained everything, then we went to the car to talk a minute and pray. While we were deciding, another potential renter came…and left. God was giving this place to me!

Because the gift from my friend wasn’t in my account yet, I called around frantically to all my family members until I found someone who could lend me the amount I needed to rent the place, she deposited the amount in my account, and I arranged to sign the contract on Wednesday morning. On Wednesday morning, I signed the contract and on Wednesday afternoon, I moved in!

I have a large room with a closet and a private bathroom (with hot water!) on the third floor of the house and I share a kitchen/dining room with three other single women. The family that owns the house lives on the first floor and they rent out the second and third floors. They are charismatic Catholics and really lovely people. Today, I went down to ask a question and they invited me for breakfast and I ended up staying for a couple hours, talking with them. I pay the equivalent of about $160 monthly, which is very reasonable, especially considering that it includes all the utilities (electricity, water, cable AND INTERNET!!!!!!). And I’m in a pretty safe area and much closer to where the church is meeting (a 10-minute bus ride for 50 centavos or a 30-minute walk) and to where Javier and Patricia are living (15-minute walk).

So God continues to be in control and He is truly the Giver of good gifts. Thanks so much for your prayers, for celebrating with me and for supporting me.

October already? Wow!
If you’ve received the updates I’ve forwarded, you know a bit of what’s been going on in the life of the church and (by extension) in my life lately! And perhaps that explains some of why you haven’t heard from me much in the past month!
In September, we moved out of the house where the church had been meeting for 2 ½ years and where we (two pastoral families and me) had been living. In order to “finish well” and avoid paying more, we had to do quite a bit of work to leave the house painted, cleaned and restored to its original condition (i.e. dismantle the addition we’d made to the sanctury and return it to a garden area).

I am currently living temporarily with Álvaro and Luisa (the other assistant pastors) in an apartment generously offered by a family in the church. The church is meeting in the Club Pacasmayo, a community-center-sport-club facility just 2 blocks from our former location.

The church is a people…
In the midst of all this change, one of the most beautiful and encouraging things to see has been the unity in the congregation. If Satan wanted to destroy this church, he has failed miserably. Even though some members are still new in their faith, the congregation has remained faithful in attending and supporting the church. It is clear that these individuals and families have identified with the church – it is their church — an attitude that has been a blessing and encouragement to see. The attendence our first Sunday in the Club Pacasmayo was even higher than previous Sundays in our other location!

We are meeting for our morning prayer times in a large park nearby, which is a different experience. But it is a privilege to be able to meet in public and a reminder to pray for our brothers and sisters all over the world who are not free to meet publicly to worship or pray.

Five loaves and two fish…
Reading Matthew last week, I was struck by a familiar story, a story known as “the feeding of the 5000.” Here’s my quick paraphrase for you: It’s getting late and the hillsides are covered with thousands of people. The disciples are getting hungry and come to Jesus. “Send these people away to eat dinner!” They demand, adding under their breath, “We’re hungry!” But Jesus responds with what they least expected to hear, “That isn’t necessary – you feed them!” (NLT)
You can almost hear Peter coughing out a surprised laugh and see the little gears spinning in Judas’ head as he eyes the money bag. “Impossible,” they respond. “We have only five little loaves and 2 little fish!”
But then Jesus speaks the doubt-crumbling phrase that echoes across history, “Bring them to me.”
What followed is one of the most well-known of Jesus’ miracles – thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people ate and were satisfied…with a banquet of five small loaves and two fish.

I identify with the disciples. How many times have I felt overwhelmed, even discouraged, looking at the to-do list, the imagined future, and the responsibilities today, compared with my abilities, strength and wisdom. It’s like the Lord is asking me to feed 5000 with a tuna sandwich and I look at him incredulously and think, Yeah right. Don’t you see that all I have here is a tuna sandwich? Don’t you realize that I’m young, inexperienced, timid, afraid? Don’t you see that I still have so far to grow before I’ll really be able to do what you’re asking me? Don’t you understand my financial situation?

Jesus smiles, willing to patiently repeat the lesson until it is well-learned, and says, “And don’t you realize who you’re talking with? Bring them to me.”

We have developed the bad habit of deciding what is possible based on the resources and capabilities we have to offer. But fortunately for us (and for the world), our abilities do not define or limit the possibilities. Our responsibility is simple: we bring all we have, our limited resources, intelligence, willingness to Jesus and allow Him to work a miracle. What we have may be limited and puny…but we are in the service of a God for whom nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).

So what’s next?
Who would have imagined last year at this time that I’d still be in Peru in October 2009! I’ve grown during this year, I have seen God at work, I am being challenged and transformed and used in the kingdom of God, all at the same time. Many have asked me, “So, how long do you think you’ll be there?” My answer may vary from day to day, but it always stems from my desire to be here as long as God wants me to be here (another six months? A year? Five years? Yikes!) And wherever I am, I will continue to serve in full-time ministry.
In order to remain in full-time service, I depend on God’s provision and your support. That is why, in this season of change, I am praying that God will raise up individuals and familes who are willing to commit to support me on a monthly basis for six months or a year. My monthly budget for living expenses is about $280; this will include my rent (I am looking to rent a room or small apartment), food, transportation and my studies at Allegro Institute. And I continue to make payments of $670 monthly on my college loans.

Please prayerfully consider supporting me on a monthly basis. If you decide you’d like to commit to supporting (or continue supporting) me, let me know by filling out and sending me the bottom portion of this page, via email, or to my home address in the States.

The prayer of a righteous person is effective…(James 5:16)
I would greatly appreciate your prayers and I would also love to hear from you so that I can pray for you specifically. Here are a few prayer requests:

•    For God to raise up financial support as I continue to serve Him here.
•    For guidance and wisdom as I walk through the challenges of daily life (and specifically as I seek to renew my visa this month)
•    For provision of a more permanent living situation within my budget and close to where the church is meeting
•    For numerical and spiritual growth in the church

May the Lord bless you, keep you, make His face to shine upon you and give you peace (Num. 6:24-26).

Much love,
Anna Shimer

Hello again from Peru!
It’s hard to believe it’s already the end of August! Some of you are launching into a new school year, or enjoying the end of the berry season, and I know at least one person who is breaking out the Christmas music! Here, I’m still wearing my winter coat most days, but there are roses blooming in the parks and the sun came out a couple days last week.

I recently enjoyed a really wonderful visit from my good friend Bryna Hardy. We met while attending Trinity, but since she also lives in the Portland area, we had some good bonding time after graduating last summer and we’ve been in touch while I’ve been in Peru. She was here August 14-24th and it was a whirlwind week of good conversations, late nights, fabulous food, and some sight-seeing. For me, it was a privilege to be able to share my life with someone from home. It’s good to be able to share over email and the phone, but it’s a special blessing to be able to go through daily life with a good friend. One (of many) highlights from her visit  was our outing with the Ibáñez family to the “Magic Water Circuit” in downtown Lima, a series of gorgeous lit fountains, including one “choreographed” to lights and music. Hopefully you’ll be able to see some pictures, if you follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150076&id=616631150&l=b23e3c1c4e. I’m feeling a bit lonely, now that I have my room just to myself again and I have no excuse to go out for evening adventures! But I’m thankful that God gave us that time together. And thank you to those of you who sent little notes along with Bryna. That was a wonderful surprise!

In other news, please be praying for us this weekend. The landlady of the house where the church meets and where we are living has given us until Monday (August 31st) to pay the five months of rent that we owe ($5,000!) or leave the house. We continue to pray and trust that God will do His will in the midst of this situation. These circumstances have completely escaped from our control, but fortunately He specializes in what seems impossible. Please pray for God’s provision (because whether or not we are able to continue living and working in this house, we need to pay the debt) and also for His peace and guidance. In the midst of this, we are also praying that God would raise up 10 people who would commit to give $100 monthly toward the rent until the church is able to support herself. So far, three people from the church have stepped forward and commited to give for this purpose! It all seems a little crazy to me, but these are the perfect circumstances for God to show off His power and glory.

Many thanks to those who responded to my last letter, for your encouraging emails, your prayers, and your financial support. Please continue to pray for God’s continued financial provision for me personally, and prayerfully consider supporting me on a regular basis.

I’m encouraged by what Paul has to say in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT):

For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

We all face various troubles in life, Jesus guaranteed that (Jn. 16:33)! But these troubles and this life will quickly pass and we will step into the joy of eternity, which C.S. Lewis compares to the holidays after the difficult school term. I know for me sometimes what I lack most deeply in moments or days or months of crisis is hope, which is what these verses offer: a little life raft of hopeful perspective.

Thanks for being there for me and know that I also pray for you. Hold onto hope!

Much love,
Anna Shimer

Link to pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150076&id=616631150&l=b23e3c1c4e

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
Hebrews 10:35-39 NLT

Tightrope. The deep end. Canyon rim.
The images that come to mind as I try to describe where I am in life right now are images of challenge, of being pushed to the very limit of what seems possible…and then a bit more. I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite as stretched or challenged as I have felt lately. But perhaps that is the reality of life: we reach the end of our strength, and realize that God wants to take us beyond what seemed possible.
This month marks the one-year anniversary of my arrival in Peru last July (back when I thought I was coming for four months of missionary life before entering the work force) and God is giving me the opportunity to reaffirm my commitment to Him, guiding me into what feels like a new chapter. I’ve come a long way – my Spanish is improving, I am much better adjusted to the culture, I have formed relationships with the people in this church, I am more confident in the responsibilities God’s given me as worship leader, as an assistant pastor, as an administrative assistant. Despite the challenges, I know that God wants me to continue working here a while longer and I’m writing because you have been partnering with me, supporting me with your prayers and your finances. I pray that God will encourage you as I share and that He will continue to use you to support the ministry where God has placed me.

While I was here last year, God stirred me awake to His call on my life into full-time ministry, a call I’d pushed aside while exploring many other options. Despite the struggle and many fears, I embraced His calling as what would shape the future direction of my life.
I returned to Peru in January, walking in faith in the direction God had pointed out for me, without the guarantee of consistent financial support and responsible for significant monthly payments on my college loans.

Choosing again.
But it’s July again and I’m still here, by the sheer grace of God and the support of some dear friends (thank you!). I am deeply involved in the life of a small, but growing church in an area largely unreached by the Gospel in this huge city of Lima, Peru. But the looming question recently was if it was time for me to move on. Circumstances did not look favorable: the church where I am serving was going through difficult times and my own financial reality looked (and still looks) slightly impossible. Just over a week ago, I was praying seriously about what God’s plan was for me, and whether I should go home to the States or stay where I was. His response to me came through Scripture, encouraging me to continue forward with steps of faith, to  be courageous, and reassuring me that He would help me (Heb. 10:35-39, Is. 41:8-14, Jos. 1:9). God brought me here and He hasn’t finished the process I am in and a part of in this particular place. I want to be here until He moves me somewhere else.

So how serious are you?
Immediately after deciding to recommit to serving the Lord here, I faced the exciting challenge of renewing my visa. The apparently simple process turned into an adventure! I went to the immigration offices with all the paperwork they required, according to the information sheet I received, but learned once there that the laws had changed and they now required other documents that would take two months to process. With only two days remaining before my tourist visa expired, I was left with one option to continue legally in the country: leave and re-enter Peru!
I felt like the Lord was asking me, So, how serious are you about this following me business? Do you trust me with this detail too? I left Thursday afternoon, was on a bus for about 20 hours, left Peru, entered and exited Ecuador (officially, according my passport stamps, I was in Ecuador for three minutes!), and re-entered Peru. I arrived home to Lima on Saturday afternoon, now with ninety more days to do all the necessary paperwork for my official visa. See? God says. I’m faithful!

Press on to win the prize.
This is the God we serve. When He says He will do something, He does it. When He says to go somewhere, it’s because He has a purpose for us in that somewhere. If we allow Him to have control of our lives, He will put together the pieces in ways we would never imagine. I am learning to trust Him, although I am a slow learner. And He is using everything I am experiencing to prepare and equip me to continue serving in the future.

“Don’t lose hope,” the author of Hebrews reminds us, “press on, persevere and you’ll be rewarded.” So we walk forward, even though sometimes we must take frightening steps of faith, like the priests in the time of Joshua who had to step into the water before it parted to let the Israelites cross (Joshua 3:13-16).

Please consider supporting (or continuing to support) me in prayer and financially. Pray for the expansion of the church’s ministry in the district of Surco, where we are working, for God to continue His work in my life, for open and deepened relationships with my family and friends in North America, and for His abundant financial provision.
I am currently working in full-time ministry (it’s a full-time job without a salary for now!) and trusting the Lord to provide for all my needs: about $150 monthly for my current music studies, food, transportation and personal expenses and about $670 monthly to make the payments on the college loans I am responsible for. Please pray specifically that God would provide for these needs.

Thank you for your time in reading this letter and thank you for your prayers. It is a blessing to be able to share this journey of faith with you. If you want to contact me, please note the change of address in the States (my family has moved). My email and physical address in Peru are unchanged.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, be gracious to you, and give you peace (Num. 6:24-26). Know that you are in my prayers.

Anna Shimer

This has little to do with being in Peru, but a lot to do with enjoying life. I found this recipe online, tried it out last night, and it was quite successful! So I thought I would share it in case you were looking for something new and yummy to try.

Spiced Apple Banana Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 13×9″ pan (I actually used two large loaf pans).

Beat together:

• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

Add and beat until just blended:

• 2 c. flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Stir in:

• 2 c. chopped apples
• 1/2 c. mashed banana
• 1 c. chopped walnuts

Because the batter seemed a little thick and dry to me, I added a small amount of oil. You experienced bakers will probably find other solutions. But the batter was very heavy and yet it still rose nicely while baking.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until top browns and tester inserted in center comes out clean (about 55 minutes). Cool in pan. Cut cake into squares and serve warm with freshly prepared hot coffee.

Yum!

Last month, I read a biography of George Müller that my dad sent me called George Müller: Delighted in God! (by Roger Steer). In the life of Müller, I discovered an example of the kind of life I would like to imitate.

Müller was German, but spent most of his life in England, where he pastored a large church and founded a group of revolutionary orphan homes (his approach to ministry was revolutionary for his time) and a ministry that published and distributed Christian literature worldwide.
Müller and his wife were moved by God early on to take a risky approach for their ministry. They decided they would never mention their physical or material needs to anyone, except the Lord. They experienced difficult times, but God was faithful. When Mülller died, he had received over a million and a half pounds over the course of his life, all without ever mentioning to anyone his specific needs. He had cared for hundreds of orphans, distributed huge quantities of Christian literature, and traveled extensively to preach the Gospel. And all this without ever having a steady, predictable source of income, without ever asking for money.

The God that I see  through Müller is the One that I want so much to experience on an even deeper level: a God who is deeply interested in the details of our lives, who is close by and ever so willing to help.

The following is a quote from pages 101-102  of George Müller: Delighted in God! (Roger Steer), where Müller describes the way of life God had called him into.

“The chief end for which the Institution was established [he recalled] is that the Church of Christ at large might be benefited by seeing manifestly the hand of God stretched out on our behalf in the hour of need, in answer to prayer. Our desire, therefore, is not that we may be without trials of faith, but that the Lord graciously would be pleased to support us in the trial, that we may not dishonour Him by distrust.
This way of living brings the Lord remarkably near. He is, as it were, morning by morning inspecting our stores, that accordingly He may send help. Greater and more manifest nearness of the Lord’s presence I have never had, than when after breakfast there were no means for dinner, and then the Lord provided the dinner for more than one hundred persons; or when after dinner, there were no means for the tea, and yet the Lord provided the tea; all this without one single human being having been informed about our need…
It has been more than once observed, that such a way of living must lead the mind continually to think whence food, clothes, etc., are to come, and so unfit for spiritual exercises. Now, in the first place, I answer that our minds are very little tried about the necessaries of life, just because the care respecting them is laid upon our Father, who, because we are His children, not only allows us to do so, but will have us to do so.
Secondly, it must be remembered, that, even if our minds were much tried about the supplies for the children, and the means for the other work, yet, because we look to the Lord alone for these things, we should only be brought by our sense of need, into the presence of our Father, for the supply of it; and that is a blessing and no injury to the soul. Thirdly, our souls realise that for the glory of God and for the benefit of the church at large, it is that we have these trials of faith, and that leads again to God, to ask Him for fresh supplies of grace, to be enabled to be faithful in this service.”

Así que no pierdan la confianza, porque ésta será grandemente recompensada. Ustedes necesitan perseverar para que, después de haber cumplido la voluntad de Dios, reciban lo que él ha prometido…Pero nosotros no somos de los que se vuelven atrás y acaban por perderse, sino de los que tienen fe y preservan su vida.
Hebreos 10:35-36, 39 NVI

Change is good; but it includes situations that don’t seem very good at first. Change is good; good for faith-growing, not for comfort-securing. Change is good; it also hurts. Change is good; but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
The problem is, it’s really my fault that I’m walking, sometimes trudging, sometimes skipping, through this dense maze of challenge and growth. I’m the one who has so often prayed and sung songs of worship, using dangerous words and phrases like, “I surrender everything,” “Take my life, Lord,” and “Make me humble, make me like Jesus.” These words have sometimes become cheap and casual in our version of Christianity, but there is nothing cheap or casual about them when spoken before the throne of God. I’m learning that God takes us very seriously. If we ask Him to take control of our lives, examine, refine, mold and use us, He will. It doesn’t always look the way we expect, however, and it is rarely, at least in my experience, the satisfying emotional consumation of whatever etheral worship experience that provoked our (my) rash, bold and passionate words.

Lately, it seems that every day brings new challenges, small changes and adjustments that stretch my patience, flexibility and character. And then there are the big changes, the ones that land decisively like Dorothy’s tornado-blown house, crushing the old, releasing the new.

This is a journey that requires faith – taking the next step into the “seeming void” – learning to believe that God continues to hold every detail safely in His very capable hands. Moving through change is a practical exercise in trusting that nothing is an accident.

One of the places I am practicing faith and experiencing change is in the very practical, important, daily reality of food. Beginning in June, we began to purchase food and cook separately, each family for itself. This is an important and helpful step into another stage of development and living together, just like the season of handling the food together was an important stage of growth. There’s a time for everything. For me, this means I’m cooking for myself, which is much easier in some ways and I enjoy the independence, and it is also an opportunity to learn to trust in God’s provision on a very practical level. Sometimes when I experience change, I am aware again of the importance of not taking anything for granted. Everything comes from God.

And then there was a big one…no, I’m not getting married…my family moved. I’m not surprised that it happened this year. God had graciously prepared my heart in some ways. And being so far away, it doesn’t really affect me in a practical sense. But it was my house as well, a place where I grew, where I shared many tears and even more laughter, a whole lot of movies, a fair share of arguments, Biblically-named kittens, a rabbit that took after Methuselah (in life-span), dogs who believed they had been hired to protect the neighborhood with their ferocious barking, homework, piano practice, celebrations, laundry folding parties (more laundry folding than party), slumber parties (more party than slumber), years of walking to church…and yes, borrowing church ovens, utensils and even furniture, when the occasion demanded it.
Remember the day we arrived? I was nine, Gabrielle, just 2. The Danielson boys put together our new bunk bed, while Nancy and the other church ladies fed us spaghetti and I tried to keep my unruly sisters in line. We thought we were coming to a town of 5000, but it was really a town of 500.
How many times have I driven there, going home from the airport, from school, from vacation? How many different ways have we discovered to get there from wherever we were? How many times have I given the address, described how to get there?
But the strangest part in all of this is that I am not there to close this chapter with my family. I am in the middle of my own chapter, another volume of the same series, near the beginning of what I hope will be an interesting tale. This is what it means to be growing up, then, that we continue to grow and experience big changes, but not the same changes and no longer do we experience everything together.

When the growing, the changes become overwhelming and I, sometimes cowardly or simply tired, want to give up, I am reminded…

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we see.
Hebrews 10:39

On the hard days, I talk to myself, reminding myself of the truth: No matter how hard it seems, no matter how crushing the weight of change may be, we can, we must walk forward. This is where faith kicks in, driving us to embrace whatever God puts in our path, believing that it is for our good.

This is a powerful video, and a helpful reminder of the power of prayer. Don’t stop praying for your brothers and sisters, the Church around the world, especially those who are suffering persecution. And thank you for praying for me as well.