New Grandson Has Arrived!!

Well, it took long enough but I am back reporting on another milestone in the Weaver Family's life. Back in February/ March it was "knu knees" for Kathy.


The latest "ed-/add-ition" is Chandler Grey Weaver who was born on October 20th. We are thrilled for Josh, Brooklyn, Madison and Brayden as we welcome the newest Weaver into the clan!


What a wonderful privilege I had to spend special time this weekend with Grey and his family. While I was doing this in one precious moment I took the opportunity to pray a "grandfather's blessing" over my grandson! What a special gift from the Father he is!!!






Well, I hope to be more diligent with reporting....but will not make any promises!!! The Lord continues to bless and we are just glad to be where He is blessing!!!

The Weavers pray that you will be filled with joy and the presence of the Son during this season whose purpose is that the gift of the Father to us be honored!! Celebrate His Birth by helping someone else experience it!!!


With much love,


Mike and Kathy Weaver
Lima, Peru

Kathy's Recuperation from Double Knee Surgery

Kathy is making wonderful progress after a month of recovery from receiving her "new knees" at the hands of Dr. Timothy Cool at St. Vincents East in Birmingham on Feb. 24th. We praise the Father whose healing and guiding Hands have been so very evident through every phase of this process.

From the two images placed here you can see her amazing progress from day two (left) to day 22 in the other one (right). The Lord is doing His work and Kathy is also "very" determined!!

We are so very grateful for everyone's prayerful support. Please keep it up! We hope to return home to "Lima" in a few weeks....as soon as she receives medical clearance!!

Blessings!

Mike & Kathy

Summer's End....and a beginning!!

Well, I have done it again.... promising to be better about posting and then letting you all down.

Here's another attempt to redeem myself....

Recent posts included an intro to a summer that changed everyone's lives....eternally-so!! July 5th.... just four days after 73 of us (60+ students & REAPSouth staff) gathered in Nazca for mid-summer "r and r"....a tragic mountain accident saw one of our summer missionaries...Greg Gomez...son, grandson, brother, friend, servant, colleague, BCM'er...Ol' Miss grad... and a fine and godly young man... called to the Father.

His dedication to the Lord....fruit of the work as a member of the summer research team and sacrifice of praise will forever serve as a testament to seeing the un-reached of the Andean villages he visited have access to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The remainder of the summer and especially the closing days were filled with an air of deeping commitment by a great majority of the rest of the students to renew their call to service and devotion to the Lord. Even months afterwards we continue to receive reports of this while anticipating our summer 2009 group to follow suit as well.

Thank you all for your continued prayerful support of the ministry the Lord has called us to finish.....that of seeing the indigenous unbelievers of the Andes Mountains have viable access to the Gospel. Please continue.....until all have heard!!

If you are a member of a church that is a REAPSouth partner....a student worker (campus or church) or a student we would like to recruit you as a recruiter for summer missions 2009. Arrival in Lima, Peru is May 25th…orientation and training with Dr. David Sills from Southern Seminary the 26-30 and departure for field assignments the 30th….mid-summer “r and r” June 27-29 and final debriefing July 30-August 1 with return to the States that last day. Call them out! There is still so very much to be done!!!

Mid-summer and more....

Our mid-summer get-together with our summer missions teams was a wonderful time of worship, testimonies, challenge and fun. Seventy-three of us gathered in the town of Nazca (home of the mysterious Lines of Nazca)...settled in the marvelous accomodations of the Alegria Hotel and privileged to, once again, use Marantan Baptist Church's facilities we enjoyed two full days of fellowship and interviews (individual and team). It was full but blessed!!!

After our time together we said "good bye" once again to our charges as they dispersed throughout the Andes Mtns. to continue the work that the Lord had given them the privilege of beginning and nurturing the first half. They were refreshed and re-charged....ready to go!!!

They made it.....

54 are here and three more "on their way"
later in the summer. We spent three days in
orientation and training and then launched 13 village teams, a creative ministry team, a research team and three Barnabas Teams. This last group will be traveling throughout the 13 "on-site" teams to encourage to and minister among the young adults serving. Please pray for their health, safety and that God would use them mightily. More "good news" to follow.....

They are coming....

In a matter of weeks "they"....over 50 summer missionaries....will be converging on Lima, Peru to serve the Lord. Just when we thought the numbers were going to be low we have seen the Lord "provide again". Several of our REAPartners have done a great job to recruit "their own" and as a result 50% or more of those serving will be as a result of their hard work. We are excited about what the Lord will be doing. Please pray for a great summer harvest!!

The first of August Nicole Yardley/GA and Lauren Michelle Gross/TX will begin their "semester of service" in the city of Arequipa where they will oversee the English Fellowship and Translators' Ministry. Pray that their ministry will bring the Lord the glory that He is due!

Also, we just received word today that the REAPSouth Team is getting three new members. Sometime around the beginning of 2009 Britnee Thompson/OK, Sarah Junco/GA and Ryan Northup/OK will be finishing up their language studies and beginning their service as the Enhancement Team.

This REAPSouth ministry provides our REAPartners with "on-site" attention to their people group as they live among them for one to three months with a focus on discipleship, church development and leadership training. We ask our partners to present projects as to the nature of their needs and request the EnTeam to come minister among their "un-reached" people.

We ask that you pray for this trio of young adults as they graduate in a few weeks from college....spend their summer preparing for the beginning of their missionary training in August. Sometime in October they will begin intensive language study in preparation for their arrival to Peru about 3 months later.

Sometime in the midst of all of this Steve, Miriam and Mark Christy will complete their language studies in Costa Rica and be arriving in Peru to begin their career as REAPSouth associate in Lima. Pray for their continued studies and advancement!

Let us hear from you....soon!!

The accompanying collage displays a very busy two weeks as our team was involved in greeting and launching new team members on their way to Arequipa to serve in the
English/ translators' ministry, a vision trip, getting ready for translators' language evaluations here in Lima and then a full day with 40+ of them in interviews.

The Lord has truly been good to our team. Those who have been on the "poorly" side are doing much better and for this we are very grateful to Him. We continue to see SMT08/Summer Missions' Team 2008 interest as well as with more potential REAPartners.

Please continue to pray for and with us as we enter into a very busy time for the REAPSouth Team. Most of us head for Santiago, Chile and our annual general meeting with other IMB missionaries. The day of our arrival back in Lima finds the Weaver's washing and packing clothes for a trip to the U.S. They will be involved in the South America Summit, a mini-training event, two missions conferences and several vision-casting opportunities. Arnold Austin will join us for one missions conference and some vision-castings.

We look forward to posting more in the near future with updates and praises.