Tears splashed across my Bible early on Easter morning as a single word danced through my mind. Hope. Such a small, little word, but its message has changed the course of history. He is alive, and because He is alive, we have hope!

One of the truly exciting things about working in a new church plant is watching new believers share the hope they have with others. A few weeks ago, a young mother named Cecy approached my wife and began telling her a story about her once party-loving cousin. The cousin was a teenage mother whose life seemed to be in shambles, but at the end of 2022, something changed. Now, her cousin was always talking with her about the Bible and about Christ, and although she could not put a name on it, she wanted what her cousin had. At this point, my wife was practically bursting with joy. Cecy’s cousin, Chayla, had accepted Christ with Jacqulyn in November of last year and had been meeting for discipleship with her since then. One of Chayla’s prayer requests had been for the opportunity to talk with her cousin about the Gospel. My wife began talking with Cecy about the Gospel, and as she talked, Cecy’s mom, Elsa, started listening as well. Later that week, after my wife met with both ladies again to talk about God!s plan of salvation, both Cecy and Elsa accepted Christ as their Saviour! God is so good, and what an amazing testimony that the hope lived out by one believer led to the salvation of two more.

This past weekend was a little crazy but unbelievably rewarding. It started with our first church work day on Friday. Since most of the church walls needed repair due to mold and water damage after a torrential rainy season, we planned to re-do the stucco and paint the entire church. I hoped for at least ten church members to show up, but I was amazed when we had thirty-five! When I expressed my amazement, one of the young men looked at me and said, “Why, of course, we’re here, Pastor. This is our church.” The weekend continued with our two-day special conference for Easter, where many visitors heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. Please pray for the large number of follow-up visits we have now. Our hope is real, but many still live in darkness. Please continue to pray for us as we reach Socabaya, Peru, with the hope of the Gospel.

Your Missionaries to Peru,
Mitch, Jacqulyn, Landon, and Ryan McCormack

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