New Video Updates September 2021

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Bass Family News Greetings from the Bass family in Peru! We pray that each of you had a blessed Christmas season! We also pray that this new year might bring you many opportunities to serve our Lord in your home, in your church, and in your community!    We were blessed to have a busy Christmas and New Years! We had many guests with us during this time! Not only was Becky’s mom, Lana Whaley, able to be with us, but we were also pleased to host Bob’s mom and stepdad, Marlon and Terry Epperly. Additionally, Becky’s sister and brother-in-law, Tim and Barb Whatley, fellow missionaries in Peru, along with their seven children and their families spent several days close to us. The Lord blessed us with many special moments with family and friends, as we hosted several special activities, which included Colton’s third birthday party.   Ministry opportunities have kept us wonderfully busy, as well! We’ve been able to visit several area churches lately, and share with them our burden and plan to help reach Peru’s victims of abuse and human trafficking with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Most often we attend one church close to us, where we have been able to be involved in several ways. Bob filled the pulpit there and other churches, when the pastors had to be out of town. Becky was blessed to speak at a ladies meeting. Colton attends the kid’s program, whenever we are in town, and has made several friends! Also, the church came to our home for a special Sunday service and lunch. We squeezed over 50 people into our home that day!    During December and January, we put some of our family to work!  Marlon and Terry Epperly own a handyman company in the Kansas City area. They have also served with CBM, Continental Baptist Missions, as missionary builders. Several months ago, we shared with them some of the construction needs of our current home, which will also serve as our ministry office. They committed to come to help us for six weeks to help remodel our kitchen, which we had to completely demolish due to the fact that the house had been completely abandoned. They also helped us begin the construction of our ministry office. They were a blessing and help during their visit. Due to time and a community noise ordinance, we were not able to finish both projects but are so grateful for what was accomplished during their visit.

Becky, Colton, along with both of our moms took a ministry trip to the town of Iquitos in the northern jungle at the beginning of December. We were able to be a part of four different ministries during that time. Handmade crafts called “gizmos,” which were made by many of YOU, were given away to many children, some of which live three days travel by boat from Iquitos. We were blessed to go with one pastor to visit several families in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. We read Scripture, prayed with them, and encouraged them to to be faithful in their attendance to the Baptist church! We have many stories we could share with you about this trip, but suffice it to say that it was a huge blessing!

We are thrilled with the advancements that have been made in opening the children’s home in Salvación. Bob has been in countless meetings about Peruvian requirements for the home and about donation laws. Not only are we seeking support from the USA, but we are also seeking support from churches and Christian business owners here in Peru. Many people here understand the great need that we face and want to be a part of the opportunities we have to meet the spiritual, physical, and mental needs of these individuals in crisis. We covet your continued prayer, as we hope to open this home later this year. Both Bob and Becky have been busy with several Bible studies. Toward the end of last year, a local company who desires to support our first children's home, asked Bob to be their company chaplain. They often see 130 workers come to the weekly Bible study. It's a huge opportunity to share Christ and answer a lot of biblical questions from the workers about incorrect doctrines.

Would you like to serve with us?    Ministry Opportunities:   Construction Team and Medical Campaign in Salvación –   August / September 2020 In order to prepare the home we built in Salvacion to begin housing abused children, we need to finish a few construction projects. If you are a carpenter, electrician, plumber, or have mechanical skills and could help us for one week, please let us know. We would be glad to call you personally to explain specific needs. The week after the work team leaves, we are scheduling a Medical Campaign. As you have seen our photos and videos over the last five years, this area is very remote, and because of that, quality medical care is needed. We are looking for all available medical personnel who can come serve with us. Additionally, if you speak Spanish and would like to come help us on the evangelistic team during this week, this is another opportunity!  We have been given invitation in several remote villages down the road, so our time will be well used! One specific request from the community is eye care. Iif you are an ophthalmologist and could help bring down eye glasses and equipment for fitting the glasses, this would be a huge blessing to many people of this community. Even sunglasses would be a blessing, as many people in these areas have eye problems due to working in the sun without eyewear. Please pray about this opportunity and ask the Lord if He wants you to come serve with us during one or two of these weeks!

Prayer Requests: Health of our family. We passed around a lot of sickness during the holidays. We seem to be on the mend, except for Colton who has a lingering cold. Pray we can all recover after some very busy months.  Continued funding for the upcoming projects. For $50 a month, you can help feed one child in our first home for one month. But even a gift of what costs one cup of coffee per month, you can make a big difference in the life of these precious children.  Our personal support is at 80%. The is due to increased medical insurance and additional ministry costs.  If you would like to give toward the needs of the campaigns later this year, that would be a big help!  Pray as we continue to research laws, as we hope to open the home later this year.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. Here are some statistics that keep us motivated: In 2019 66.3% of trafficked individuals in South and Central America were children. Peru is in the top three counties in South America for physical and sexual abuse. The Venezuelan conflict brought with it a massive increase in human trafficking in Peru with the greatest increase being underage Venezuelan girls.

Last notes: We want to thank many of you who prayed for and encouraged Becky, as she made a quick trip to the States in December for the funeral of a dear family friend. We are grateful for the opportunity she had to be close to them during this extremely difficult time. We covet your continued prayer for the family. In our last email, we shared that we would be sending out a video. We want to apologize to you for not being able to send the video like we had planned. Between the busyness of the holidays, hosting our visitors, lots of house construction, Becky’s trip, and some technical issues, the video, that we began, was put on the figurative back shelf. We hope to get that done and sent to you soon! Thank you for your patience with us!

We hold fast to the promises found in Isaiah 40:31 and ask that you pray for us, both for our family and for the ministries here in Peru, as we depend on Him for our daily strength and guidance!