We have several things we hope you will be praying about. Your prayers are a vital part of God's mission!

1. I have been invited to preach at the Downtown Church of Christ in Mexico City. Please pray I can deliver a message that will encourage the
saints.
2. We will be starting language school on August 2nd. Pray for our language learning.
3. A prayer of thanksgiving as God used our team to expand His kingdom. Lourdes (Garcias' landlord) was baptized for the forgiveness of her sins
(Acts2:38). Please pray for her daughter Karena, our team plays basketball with her every Monday and we hope to see her become a Christian.
4. Please pray for God's continual protection over our family (especially spiritual health).
5. My daughter Deasha may need a root canal.
6. Pray for my wife (she has a small boil on her arm that may need to be drained).
7. A prayer of thanksgiving for our smooth transition. Our family really likes it here in Mexico!

Even though Larry is having confusion and balance problems, He was able to make it to Easter Sunday services with the aid of a wheelchair we were able to borrow.  Even then, his confusion was such that he continued to try to get up and walk when nobody was watching and came close to falling. 

This past week has had a marked increase in confusion and decline in balance.  Three nights in a row, Larry tried to go to the bathroom without waking me up.  I would wake to the sound of Larry stumbling in the bathroom or falling on top of me (since he sleeps on the bathroom side of the bed, this was quite a feat!)  Last night he did fall into a laundry basket of clean clothes.  We are in the process now of moving his bed downstairs.  We hope this move will improve his safety since he has, on several occasions, made it down the stairs without anyone knowing and without his cane.  Needless to say, I am no longer sleeping until this move happens.

On a nice note, Larry and Alyssia have arrived home from Texas to spend this time with their dad.

Hi All,

For some of you this is a repeat that you have already received in email from me. Larry Warren is the preacher from antrim NH. He has terminal brain cancer. You can read what has gone on at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/larrywarren/mystory Larry and I graduated from SIBI together in 2006 and he went back to Antrim NH to preach. This is where he is from. this family needs all the prayers we can give them right now.

God bless,

Jay Repecko
Caribou Maine

Greetings.

We rejoice in letting you know that Jacob Achinefu, the Director of NIATS in Nigeria (an associate school of SIBI), has been released and returned his family.  A ransom was paid, he was beaten and bruised, but he is grateful to be back with his family and the school there.  We rejoice in his release and pray that God will bring a measure of peace to this area so filled with conflict.  We at SIBI appreciate your prayers on his behalf.  There is a fund to help with the costs incurred in releasing Brother Achinefu.  If you are interested, please contact me.

In Him,
Chris

March 12, 2010
Dear Christian Friends,
Since our last update on Armando Alaniz's health condition on February 16, Armando has been in and out of the hospital. In between hospitalizations, he has made trips to the emergency room.  They did put in a port to give him chemotherapy.  A week later when he visited the doctor on March 9 to begin his first chemotherapy treatment, he was told that chemotherapy would not be effective against his cancer.  The doctor shared with him they did not know anything they could do and gave him a projection not to exceed two months to live.
Armando is scheduled to go back to the doctor in two weeks, and if his blood work allows, they may give him a new experimental drug.  Armando shared this information  with the Angleton elders March 11. 

Dear Brethren,

Your prayers are needed.  Jacob Achinefu, the Director of the Nigerian Institute for the Arts and Theological Studies our SIBI associate school in Nigeria, was kidnapped and is being held for ransom.  Jacob lives and works on the same compound as Dr Bob Whitaker who was kidnapped earlier and they suspect that it may be the same group of kidnappers.  Jacob and the NIATS van were taken while he was on the road to Aba, Nigeria.  No demands have been given yet, and I will update you as I know more.  Jacob is a faithful preacher, a capable leader and a faithful husband and father of 8.  He is also a good friend and co-worker. Kidnappings and tensions have escalated again in this region of Nigeria and prayers are needed for the Christian of Nigeria.  I will relay more information as I receive it.  Please pray for Jacob and the Achinefu family.

In Him,
Chris

Dear Brethren,

We serve a truly amazing and powerful God!!  He will use this tragedy in ways beyond our imagination...we need prayers to have the courage to let Him use us as He sees fit.  Already the congregations in Santiago are uniting to help our brethren in the most affected areas south of here, Concepción, Coronel, Chiguayante, and Parral.  After several days of trying to communicate with the brethren there we were able to make contact and learned that not one single member of the churches was killed or has disappeared!  They have suffered damage to their homes and are needing food and clothing and such.  There are congregations all over Chile collecting things to be sent to help their brethren in need.  If you are able and willing to contribute to the effort you will find information on how to do that on our website at www.chileperk.org.  Thank you so much for your concern and for your prayers.  God bless you!

In His Service,
Zane, Tae, Naomi, Isaac, Simeon, and Enoch Perkins

3-1-2010

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to give you all an update on the situation in Chile.

Family: The family is doing well. The kids are back to sleeping in their rooms but still ask if the earthquake will happen again. The house still doesn’t have electricity but the word is that maybe today or tomorrow. The kids are beginning to ask how they can help those in need.

Church: Almost everyone from our church and the churches in Santiago are accounted for without major damages, but the are three churches in the south that we have not been able to communicate with. I know many have desires to help but we will keep you posted as soon as we have an ideas of how to help we will let you know. Please be patient. Also one of our members works with the Red Cross. He is going to call me this afternoon with more information.

God is good. My prayer is that the church will shine in the darkness for the Chilean people growing the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We will be on Skype at home as soon as the electricity come back receiving your calls.

Love you all,
Zane, Tae, Naomi, Isaac, Simeon, Enoch

I continue to be thankful for the opportunity to minister to the needs of people in Haiti.  The need is overwhelming and resources insufficient for all that could be done.  What we have we are using, and people are so very thankful for anything that we offer.  It is hard to describe the devastation that has come into these people’s lives.  They have endured so much, and yet they are unbroken.  They are a remarkable people.

Monday morning came early as we arose at 3:30 for our drive to Port au Prince.  We were able to secure a box truck, for security reasons, to take us and the food we had purchased.  The tons of rice and beans we had acquired fit very well in the 20 foot cargo area.  There were, however, six of us in the cab.  The trip took about eight and a half hours.  Portions of the road are good and afford a steady speed, but most is gravel wash-board and filled with “cauldron holes,” my word for bigger than pot-holes.  It was pretty rough.  This is the main highway from the north.  Many have wondered why more aid isn’t flown in to Cap Haitian and then transported to the south.  This is one of the reasons; it’s impractical.