Dean and Debbie live in Searcy, Arkansas where Dean is an Elder at the Cloverdale church of Christ, the church that supports Chase and Briana Froud.
Given the opportunity to partner with other sponsoring congregations in a visit with Team Arequipa was a life-changing opportunity in our lives. During the first week of the month of March we were honored to visit the team with Jeff and Chantelle Taylor from the Central church of Christ in Little Rock, Steven and Kelly Hovater from the Cedar Lane church of Christ in Tullahoma, Tennessee, Bill Richardson from Harding University, and Shawn and Donna Daggett (special guests as new grandparents and the Cloverdale church of Christ in Searcy).
The visit was a wonderful induction into the culture that the team has been experiencing for the past 2 years in Peru. We experienced the beauty of God’s creation surrounded by a gorgeous view of snow capped mountains. We experienced the bustle of a city of 1,000,000 people longing to find purpose in this life. We experienced the love and passion of fledgling house churches living to be a light in a dark world. We experienced the love of many family members within the Lord’s church in Arequipa. We experienced the love of the members of Team Arequipa by fellowshipping, eating, laughing, playing with children, rocking babies, listening, sharing, singing, praying, and learning about the daily activities and programs that this team experiences.
The team has done a wonderful job during the past two years learning the language and the culture of Peru which has allowed them to develop strategies to reach the lost in Arequipa. With these two years of learning under their belts it is encouraging to know that God will continue open doors in the future to find those souls that are seeking to find Him.
We were able to experience first hand the way that CUDA is an integral part in making contacts within the community. The Living Libraries program has had an impact in improving reading levels for elementary students and has also allowed the team to have inroads into meeting teachers, administrators, parents, and community members. The health clinic has helped with physical and emotional needs of many members within the community.
We were encouraged to see the commitment that the team continues to show even during times when their faith is tested by obstacles that get put into their way. They continue to show the love of Christ to the people they come in contact with on a daily basis. The members of the team will all soon be coming to the States for a furlough before they go back home with a renewed spirit to the beautiful city of Arequipa.
May God continue to bless the work of Chase, Briana, Evan, and Abigail Froud, Jeremy, Katie and Adileen Daggett, Justin, Sarah, Lorenzo, and Maya Morgan, and Jake and Jaclyn Blair (we missed getting to see you) as they serve the Lord as Team Arequipa!
So, on behalf of all of us that visited and your sponsoring congregations……..Thanks for the hospitality and Thanks for your work for the Lord in Arequipa!