October 2015 - video update

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!  Here is a short video update that one of our supporting churches asked us to make for their missions conference.  We thought you all might enjoy "hearing" from us!

October update - click here for video

July update!

Dear Friends and Family,

Judah Nathanael

We are so thankful to those who were praying for us during the birth of our fourth child and the days that followed.  Judah Nathanael was born by C-section on June 22nd at 36 weeks.  He spent a few days in the NICU with some complications and jaundice but now both he and mom are happy and home. We also praise the Lord for the provision of all funds needed to cover the hospital bills. Pray for us as we adjust to life with four children, for balance of family life and ministry, and for our personal sanity!

With an increase in family size we have been praying for God to provide the right vehicle to meet both our family and ministry needs. Just this past week God met both our need and the need of some friends who needed to sell their 2006 7-passenger SUV!  We have the car in our garage and have saved up the majority of the asking price.  We have about $5,000 to go to fully pay it off.  Please pray for us as we begin the paperwork of changing titles and both learn how to drive a stick-shift.

Church news - With the more faithful members we finished up the first part of a discipleship course right before the baby was born.  While taking the course we have worked on encouraging them to be faithful in church attendance, reading the Word, praying and meditating on a daily basis.  Many have expressed a new found desire to take these steps of obedience.  Please pray for continued spiritual growth.

Two weeks ago we celebrated a baptismal service together with our church plant.  One lady from our church, Perpetua, and three people from the church plant followed the Lord in believer's baptism.  Please pray for their continued spiritual growth and commitment to Christ.  Several more are on the waiting list and are working through Bible studies and resolving personal issues that need to be dealt with beforehand.

Coming soon our church will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with a weekend of special services, a soccer tournament among some Baptist churches in the area and a special meal. Please pray for us as we seek to minister to the sheep who have gone astray and to bring them back into the fold.

In August several people from the church will accompany Eric and Joshua on a missions trip to the jungle region of Quillabamba.  We also look forward to a visit from Arthur Raske, a Creationist who will be teaching a course on Genesis at the seminary and sharing a Biblical Worldview of creation while Eric translates.  Pray for him as he prepares to translate this course and also to teach a course on Spanish grammar coming up in October.

We appreciate your prayers and sacrificial gifts on our behalf and know that without God's help we could not do what we do! Keep praying for the United States as well.  These are the last days, Brethren.  But God is still on His throne and Jesus is coming soon!

Love in Christ,

Eric and Casandra Pardine, Joshua, Steven, Gabriela and Judah

Talk about hitting the ground running!

In my first two months as pastor of the Iglesia Cristiana Bautista in San Sebastian, I baptized two teenagers, preached a funeral, was the expositor at an evangelistic meeting in a church plant born from the church we serve in, and have begun a pre-marriage counseling class (for a couple whom I will be marrying next month!).  Incredible how God just gives you the ability when you need it! Certainly God girded me with strength for the battle (Psalm 18:32).  Casandra and I were just talking the other day, and it is so clear to both of us that God has brought us to serve in this church “for such a time as this”.

                Here´s just a brief timeline of some highlights from these past months:

Dec. 22 Joshua’s K-5 graduation (on the Peruvian schedule)

Dec. 29 I was installed as Pastor.

 

Q & A with the Ordination Counsel

January

                God provided 2 moving trucks for us to get down to Cusco and a 3-bedroom house for us to live in.

                Two teens were baptized! Pray for Brian and Merlin and their spiritual growth.

  

Merlin and Bryan

February

We had a 5-day Vacation Bible School in our church where 21 children learned how Moses´ life and ministry parallel salvation.

I began preaching a series from Philippians and James. One of the young men is preaching on Sun. PM from Malachi.

Casandra took over the monthly ladies meetings and continues to employ her amazing gifts of teaching and baking to bless others.

We found out that Casandra was four months pregnant!

We used the same Moses series to hold another 5-day VBS in the town of Saylla where 32+ kids showed up with amazing enthusiasm to learn!

 

VBS in Saylla

March

Baby Gabriela turned ONE!

Our church plant in Saylla had its 4 year anniversary.  We had an evangelistic campaign in the church plant born from our church, where they showed the movie “Fireproof” and I preached from Romans 5:8.  Near this area of Cusco (Saylla) witch doctors have been known to have regular conferences.  We pray the Lord will bring forth the fruit.

Sunday school classes began anew in San Sebastian with some new teachers.  I am co-teaching adults and young people with another young man as we study the Gospel of John.

Discipleship Part I began with about 15 (among men and women) excited to learn more of the Word and grow in their spiritual lives. 

The seminary in Urubamba (where we used to live) just had its opening service to begin a new academic year. I will be teaching two classes (Doctrines 2 during the first 3 wk of Apr. and Spanish Grammar in October. Also a former professor of mine, Arthur Raske, will be accompanying us in Aug/Sept teaching a class on Genesis and giving several mini-conferences in churches on the weekends.)

On the 21^st and 22^nd of this month our church will be having its first missions conference! We have two missionary families lined up to be with us and we WILL be taking them both on for support.  For how much remains to be seen.

I just can't express enough the incredible Peace that God has given us that passes all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus as we continue to serve here and invest our lives in the brethren.  Thank you so much for your prayers and continued financial support!  God truly is blessing His church here through you.

Birthday girl!

Blessings:

·         Francisca (mother of one of our members) recently trusted Christ through a hospital visit.

·         Isaac (son of one of our members) recently trusted Christ after an evening service.

·         Two young people are interested in Baptism.

·         We are able to see the same doctor who delivered Gabriela with this new pregnancy.

Requests:

·         Safe pregnancy—this one has been fairly unpleasant for Casandra as she has dealt with an uncommon amount of nausea/vomiting and discomfort especially this last month.

·         As the amount of “Pardines in Peru” grows, we contemplate more often the possibility of purchasing a vehicle.

·         We will be in the States from May 4-16 to support my younger brother Jeff as he marries on the 10^th, and also to visit with family. Pray for traveling safety.

·         For the ministries of the church in San Sebastian, the church plant in Saylla, and the Seminary in Urubamba.  Three different locations where God is at work!  Pray that we would a help and not a hindrance to His plan.

Eric and Casandra, Joshua, Steven, Gabriela, and baby Pardine

“Teaching others also” 2 Timothy 2:2

Here is our recent video update!

Playing catch-up!

There is no way we could summarize a year's worth of ministry with one blog post....so I guess it's a good thing that we have been sending out prayer letters this past year!  Here are the links for those who have "missed out" on the exciting life and times of the Pardine family.

May 2013
July 2013
July Jungle trip update 2013
October 2013
December 2013
April 2014
July 2014
Quick prayer request Aug 2014

So...that's it in a nutshell!  We now have internet at our house and pray that we will be able to keep the blog more current.

Striving to teach others also!
The Pardines

Prayer Update March 2013

Psalm 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

In just under two months that we have been in Peru we have seen seven specific answers to prayer! Six, we received in the affirmative, one in the “Not right now,” and several others in the “Keep Praying” category.

 

Joshua and Steven strolling the streets of Urubamba

Prayer Request #1: 183 days—Yes!

·   

We asked you to pray for 183 days to be stamped in our passports upon arrival; the guy behind the counter gave it to us with no questions asked!  He was humbled that we had been praying for him for a month ahead of time.

Prayer Request #2: A safe trip—Yes!

·         We praise the Lord that my (Eric’s) mom could accompany us down to Peru to help us take suitcases and watch the boys.  We got the “red light” going through customs (which meant all 11 suitcases, 4 carry-ons and our personal items had to go through the conveyor belt and x-ray machine, but in the end I think they had mercy on us and didn’t make us take anything out of the suitcases. Aside from that our trip was smooth and Mom was a great help!

Prayer Request #3: Our residency—Not right now, Keep praying!

·         Our status here in the country is still “TOURISTS.”  The law that required a 10,000 member minimum for religious groups has been declared unconstitutional (PRAISE THE LORD!), but what will be done remains to be seen. After having been in Urubamba for almost a month, we returned to Lima to work on getting our visas once again.  We will be heading into the lion’s den in the next few days with a lawyer friend to see if they will grant us residency.  Please keep praying!

Prayer Request #4: How do we get all this stuff up to Urubamba?—No problem!

·         One of our friends in Lima had been storing our belongings from our previous term in Peru (3 yrs. ago), and we had no idea how we would move everything up to the mountains nor how much it would cost.  In the end, we found out that one of the parents of a student I had taught at La Molina Christian Schools (LMCS) had a trucking company and offered to send our things up to Cusco (1 ½ hr. from Urubamba) FOR FREE on the next truck going that way. THEN, another parent from LMCS told us his father had a truck in Cusco and that God had laid it on his heart to get our things up to Urubamba FOR FREE!  Thank you for praying.  We are living in a 3-bedroom apt. 4 blocks from the Christian school where my wife and I are teaching. (We looked at the house next to the seminary director’s house, but the uphill trek between the farms to get to the house especially now in the rainy season was a little much for us with the kids.)

Prayer Request #5: A quick and easy transition to the altitude change—Yes!

Boy, were we huffing and puffing the first week in Urubamba!  Yet in the days that followed, we slowly began getting used to the thinner air. By the way, we did find out why they call this town Urubamba (Land of the spiders).  We have been taking pictures of the spiders we’ve been finding (and squashing) and were going to make a border on this prayer letter of the various types, but decided against it. (Most were Daddy Long Legs anyway…)

One of many little friends who like to "pop in" and visit us

Prayer Request #6: Open doors to share the gospel—Yes!

·         On our first night in Lima, the Lord opened the door for a redemptive conversation and allowed me to meet a young Christian baggage carrier who had been discouraged and away from church for a while because of false doctrine. Thankfully one of the churches I had attended in the past is close to the airport and he knew where it was.  The next seven weeks were also full of open doors as well! From taxi drivers to friends waiting in hospitals, the Lord was so faithful to lead us to searching people. We pray He will bring forth fruit.  The friends who were waiting in the hospital to receive news of their teenager (who had been in a car accident with her mom) were especially attentive to the gospel message.  The teen, Tammy, was one of my former students and one we had seen upon our arrival in Lima.  She passed away recently.  Her mom, who had to undergo surgery, and her father who is close to salvation are both heartbroken over the loss of their only child.  Please join us in praying for God’s comfort and direction for her parents, Eliana and Juan.

Prayer Request #7: God’s leading in educating our kids—Yes! But keep praying!

·         In the 2-year old Christian school “Heroes of the Faith,” Casandra is currently the lead teacher of 15 children ages 3-6, one of whom is our oldest son, Joshua.  She teaches in Spanish, and has an assistant who has taken charge of the 3-4 year olds.  She supplements the Spanish teaching (of which Joshua understands little to none) with the curriculum we brought from the States.  Joshua has been having a very hard time adjusting to hearing Spanish all the time. Since the assistant teacher in Joshua’s class does not speak English, she cannot give him the individual help he needs. The result has been an increase in misbehavior.  We continue to discipline him for outright rebellion yet try to be understanding of his plight.  Steven on the other hand is being cared for in the nursery during the school day and seems to be adjusting well to hearing Spanish spoken and responding to commands. As for the prayer request, we will keep Joshua in the Christian school for now and continue to seek God’s face as to how to best educate our sons.

 

A parade of Quechua speakers promoting education for all

Prayer Request #8: With so much need, where do we serve?—No Worries! Keep praying.

·         We have been praying about where specifically to attend church and invest our time.  The Lord has led us to New Life Baptist Church (whose property the Christian school is using).  Here we have already made contacts with several brethren who go out once a week to preach in church plants on the outskirts of Urubamba.  Several of these are in Quechua.  So we seek a Quechua teacher and ask the Lord to lead us. 

·          

THERE ARE SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE HERE! At New Life, I will be teaching a teen Sun. school class and my wife and I will be serving in AWANA with the teens as well.

·         I am currently teaching English and Bible (4 hr./wk) at Heroes of the Faith C.S. in elementary.

·         One of the opportunities I am MOST excited about is a discipleship class with one of the teachers at school.  He is a three year old Christian who is excited to serve God. He has a strong background in education, but desires to integrate his spiritual life with his teaching career.  We have been meeting for three weeks now, and I am so thankful to be training another ME. =)

·       

          The seminary officially began its school year on March 11.  I spoke at the opening ceremony and am in the process of preparing for the classes I will teach in July and August.  We have around 30 students this semester, one of whom is a friend from our previous church in Lima.

So as you can see, we are off and running. As I have mentioned, serving God can turn into a ritual very easily if one is not careful to guard THE HEART.  Please intercede for us to keep our heart in the right place and serve in love.  We love you guys and thank our Father so much for your prayers and partnership in His work!

Update January 2013

The time has come!

We are leaving for Peru!  In a few days we will board a plane with about 10 suitcases for an 8 hour flight to Lima, Peru, where we will begin visa paperwork, pack up our household belongings that have been in storage, take another flight to Cuzco, and then take a two hour trip to our new hometown of Urubamba.

For three years we have been praying for this day to arrive and it finally has!  We still have not reached our full support level; but, due to some pressing needs on the field, the door was opened for us to leave early this year.  We have prayed about it, and through God's leading we sought and received godly counsel from our sending church and mission board.  We will be leaving on January 28th with their blessing, and ask for your prayers for several important requests.

1. Pray for the religious visa situation in Peru.  New laws have gone into effect causing problems and delays all around.  Pray that we would receive an 180 day tourist visa upon our arrival in Peru in order to begin our residency paperwork.  Also, for God to move the heart of the king (president!) to change the current visa laws in our favor.
2. Pray for our 8 hour trip to Lima with the boys and Eric's mother, 10 suitcases, and about that many carry-ons!
3. Pray for the packing up and relocation of our household items that have been stored in Lima for the past three years.
4.  Pray for our family to adjust quickly to the higher altitude of mountain life in Urubamba.
5. Pray for the lost of Peru to be receptive to the message of the Gospel and that they would allow Christ to change their lives!

Ministry opportunities that Lord willing await us...
Eric-
1. Teaching/translating seminary classes
2. Teaching a few high school courses in Heroes of the Faith Christian School
Casandra-
3. Helping lead the 3-5 year old Kindergarten program at the same school
4. Homeschooling the boys
Everyone-
5. Becoming involved in the local church plant
6. Reaching out into the surrounding villages as the Lord leads

More than ever we need your prayers as we venture forth to fulfill God's calling on our lives!  Thank you for your faithful support as we have been traveling on deputation, and for your future support as we reach the field.

If you are interested in joining our support team and helping us reach our goal, click here.

As we cannot possibly say goodbye to everyone in person we have made a short video for you and/or your church to enjoy! 

 Thank you for your prayers!


Click on the picture below to watch the video: