Report #2 - Loreto Conference

Praise the Lord!  It is exciting be writing to you from deep in the jungles of Peru!  We had a wonderful opportunity to travel down the Ucayali river (a tributary of the Amazon) on a speed boat to a village called “Flor de Castana”.  The boat was fast, cutting 8 hours of time, yet took about 2 hours to get to this remote village.  We then headed up a steep ravine followed by a 20 minute walk on a muddy trail through the jungle.  The heat was intense and the humidity was very thick.  The 20 minutes took much longer because of all the water and mud on the trail due to the torrential rains the night before.  This is a very small, remote community, filled with banana leaf-roofed huts, no running water and the people have to take baths and wash their clothes in the river.  There are no fans and the electricity only runs 4 hours at night off of a big generator; and the church stands right in the middle of this community.  As we entered, the people of the village embraced us all with great joy and welcomed us and the expectation for God to move was unbelievable! 

The service was powerful!  The people were so open and in such a place of surrender and faith that the Holy Ghost took little time to start moving.  As Rev. Sanchez was preaching, the power of God started moving everywhere in that church!  During the message, Pastor Grandes, who pastors the church, leapt up jumping up and down, speaking in tongues across the whole front of the church.  People began to get up and shout and Rev. Sanchez moved in the Spirit, speaking to individuals throughout the church as God led him. 

EVERY ONE had a mighty breakthrough!  Glory to God!  Pentecost was in this church as teenagers, the middle aged and even the older fell underneath the awesome power of God.  Children that were only 5 years old came to the altar weeping, wanting the Spirit of God to move on them and they too were touched by the power of God!    There were people everywhere, basking in the presence of God; some on their knees, some sitting on the floor in tears as the Spirit of God overwhelmed them.  From the front of the church to the back, the power of God moved mightily.  This created a stir in the entire community and people began to come in from off the streets surrounding the church as God moved!  I have been to many nations and have seen many things, and I always stand in awe of how the Holy Ghost is the same Holy Ghost in the city, as it is on the mountaintop, as it is in the jungle!  If you could simply just take a hold of it and take God at His word; what He has done for others, He will do for you! 

The fellowship after was wonderful.  As we ate together, so many people greeted and talked with us.  There was just so much joy and excitement, from the youngest to the oldest.  And it was wonderful to see some of the young men and pastors work their way down the same muddy path to get on a boat heading to the convention, as we followed just behind!  Well, tomorrow begins the convention and we cannot wait to see the great things that God will do these next few days!  God bless you!

Br. Kenneth Erha