Greetings from the Mathews Family!
It is exciting to be writing our very first newsletter! Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to it and committed to pray for us! Thank you also to those who have already committed to invest financially in our ministry in Peru!
I just wanted to write a very brief update to fill you in on what we are doing and how you can continue to pray for our family. Again, I just want to say thank you and that you’re an encouragement to us!
Jessica and I have had the busiest month of our life. We have been trying to get all of our belongings packed and sold and our house ready for sale. All of this while working a full time job, preaching, having meetings with pastors and leaders about our future ministry and getting all of the administrative aspects of our ministry worked out. Life has been busy!
We are currently almost completely moved out of our house. We have some of our belongings left and still some final cleaning to do. Many of God’s people have come along side for help. This has been such an encouragement and blessing to us.
Jessica’s parents have graciously allowed us to live with them until we raise all of our needed support and leave for language school in August. This is a huge sacrifice for Jessica’s parents and we are truly grateful for it. We know that this is a big adjustment for everyone and our prayer is that the Lord would be gracious and make this a very sweet time. I am grateful that Jessica gets to spend our last few months in the U.S. with her parents. I know them getting to see their grand babies this much is a plus!
Our house, God willing, will be up on the market by Friday. Our hope is that we would be able to sell it for a good price and use our earnings to purchase a vehicle and furnish our new home in Peru. In Peru, you have to completely furnish your home whether you rent or buy and buy a car upfront due to the interest rates being 40-50% for car loans! This part of missions can be very expensive. We are hoping we can make enough profit from selling the house to cover those expenses so that all other support can go to our language school and salary needed in Peru.
Anyways, this is brief but I at least wanted to share what has been going on with us. I will be in touch and write more soon.
In summary, here are a few ways you can pray for us:
1. Pray for God to give us the strength and endurance we need to accomplish all of the tasks before us.
2. Pray for our family during this transition: for our children, our marriage, and Jessica’s parents as they host us for this time.
3. Pray for God to send us to those who would want to partner with our ministry both in prayer and financial support. (Side note: If you would like for us to come and do a presentation at your church our small group, please let me know!).
4. Pray that God would build his church in Peru to biblical health and for the unreached to hear the gospel and be saved.
Thank you so much for all of the love that many of you have shared to us already. Seeing people take interest in this work and commit to pray and give has encouraged us tremendously.
How can I pray for you? Feel free to email me at cody@themathewsinperu.com. I’d love to hear from you and pray for you.
Thank you for standing in the gap for our family and the people in Peru!
Serving with Jesus in Peru.
Cody, Jessica, Jane, Noelle, and Heidi