Gardner Paper Prayer letters

I want to thank each of you for all you do to make it possible for us to be on the mission field. We love what God has called us to do! Here are the next paper prayer letters that will be getting to your church in the next few weeks. I look forward to hearing from you. Write me at agardner@mwbm.org

The last article is one of those funny emails you always get but I liked this. I hope you enjoy it.

Austin

Hungry to get home!

Dear Pastors and Praying Friends,

We thank God for all that he has done. This month we are much closer to returning to Peru. We had a home study. We were questioned for close to 3 hours as she asked us every question that we could ever dream of being asked and then some that we couldn't imagine. After the questions our house was inspected to be sure it was safe for children. Now all we lack is the following:.

1. Have to wait for the FBI check to come back
2. April 27th at 1 pm we have our court date
3. File for and wait for the birth certificates
4. File for and wait for their passports
5. Get their Peruvian visas.
6. Buy plane tickets and leave

We thank God for the people that he has given us as supporters. We have lost 5 supporting churches since the beginning of the year, yet others continue faithfully in the support that they have promised. We had a couple in North Carolina send us some special money this month to help with the expenses of living in the states yet still having a house in Peru etc. We thank God for couples like this that have really been the key to us being able to adopt our children. I hope and pray that one day the people that have helped will be excited in knowing that they helped us adopt a child that is changing the face of missions.

We ask you to pray with us that the Lord would help us to raise the money necessary to buy some property for the Faith Baptist Church. The church is busting at the seams with no room for growth. The church is raising money as best they can but we will need a miracle to get the needed funds. Please pray with us about this great need..

God continues to bless the TV station and its ministry to help us reach souls and build the churches. If you know of any place that we could go to present the ministry in Peru, please let us know. The increase in the size of our family and the burden of maintaining a house in two countries requires that we raise additional support. If you know of any open doors please let us know. Pray that God will help us finish everything quickly so that we can be back home!

Yours to evangelize the World in our Generation,

Chris, Andria, Jacob and Hannah Gardner

Thank you for all you do!

Dear Pastors and Praying Friends,

Great blessings were ours this past month as we were able to participate in two different conferences on World Evangelism especially for pastors. God blessed with a large number of pastors and great meetings. These two meetings are already on the calendar for next year again. I will give you information in future letters and on our web pages so begin to make plans now to attend.

The Peru Bible College is experiencing great blessings both physically and spiritually. The buildings are coming along nicely and the student body is growing. This was our first year to have classes year round so that we could train more pastors and leaders quickly. The Peruvian men are opening new churches right now. I know of at least three that have opened since the beginning of this year.

The Baptist Camp for World Evangelism is already being planned and prepared. Last year God used the camp to see many young people settle once and for all that God wants them on the mission field. I hope that you and your church will make plans now to have your young people seventeen and above participate in this very special life changing week. The dates are June 6-10, 2005. The camp will be held in Fort Bluff, Tennessee. Please go to www.bcwe.org for more information.

Last year many people asked why we did not have a camp for high schoolers. This year we have planned the Faith Factor Camp which will be for those 13 to 16 from June 13 to 18 in Dawsonville, Georgia. This camp will help you stretch your faith to believe that God can use you to do anything. Make plans now to attend.

The work in Spanish South America is progressing wonderfully. Jason and Lori Holt have now arrived on their field of Santiago, Chile and have begun to work with Aldo and Maruja Asto. The church is growing. The Jeff Andrews family has arrived in Peru to begin their language studies. More missionaries are surrendering to the field and we know that God is moving in a mighty way. Thank you for praying and supporting so many great young men and women as they go forward to do the work of God.

The Faith Baptist Church in Arequipa is experiencing great blessings. Every service there are many visitors. In the last month over 10 people have followed the Lord in believer's baptism. We desperately need a piece of land for the church. Since this church is in the center of town land is much more expensive. Pray for a miracle. Souls hang in the balance. We are asking God for something only He can do.

Your missionaries in Arequipa, Peru

Austin and Betty Gardner

THE 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live in us forever.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk- takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!