Dearest Friends,
PERU
Very early tomorrow morning, Tuesday, June 14th, we will be leaving for Peru. I am very excited to be working with my friend Donna Saune and her childern. This trip, we will partner with her daughter Kusi and her husband, Pablo. We will planting a new puppet team in a place called Huancayo. It is in the mountains and much like the town of Ayacucho where we have worked in the past.
Some of you may remember my friend Donna’s story. Nineteen years ago this August, Mike and I were having a conversation on the phone with her husband Romulo. We were planning for him to come visit us and share about his ministry in Peru with our friends. Mike and I were very concerned for his safety because we knew he had been targeted by The Shining Path. This is a comunist gurerilla group that is less active today in Peru, but still causes great difficulty in the high mountains and in the jungles.
I still remember the words of that conversation. We begged him not to go back to Peru at that time. Romulo said "You don’t understand. Most of my people cannot read. Now that they have the Bible in their own language, I need to read it to them. I have to go." On Mike’s 40th birthday, we received a phone call and found out that Romulo had been martyred. I often think of that last conversation. So many times I am asked not to go by friends who are worried for my safety, but I always remember Romulo’s passion for Jesus and his lack of fear. He was a very good example to me. My friend taught me to trust God deeply and to follow Him without fear.
It is an honor to work with his family. They love Jesus deeply and I expect God to greatly bless this time of ministry. Please hold us in your prayers. As always, please pray for the safe arrival of all of our equipment. Please ask the Father to call many Quechua Indian children to faith in Jesus. Thank you for praying!
FLORIDA
After a lovely twelve hour drive on Saturday, we arrived home from a week of puppet shows with Northside PCA in Melborne, Florida. It was an incredible five days of shows. We did many programs for children in a housing project and also many programs for children who were attending a soccer camp at the church. I heard so many children calling on Jesus, both loudly and in soft whispers. Two children even got down on their knees and began to pray. It was so sweet! This was a very special time and we are eternally gratful to our friends at Northside for their invitation. Please continue to pray for these friends as they work to establish an ongoing ministry in this low income housing area near their church.
Love in Jesus,
Linda for Jacob and Susan Burnett, Heather and Mykayla Kelley, and Billy Salinas
