Dear Praying Friends,

We hope you each had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. As in 2003, so in 2004 it is a wonderful privilege to write you with news from here in Lima and recruit your prayers for the advance of the kingdom here.

We start 2004 with many hopes and dreams. We have come through a year of many unexpected changes and trials, and know that 2004 will have its share of difficulties as well, as our Father teaches us what it means to trust him in a fallen world. We are praying though and trusting the Lord for a growing solidity to our team's work here in Lima. By God's power in 2004 we hope to see our team expand to include a core group of Peruvian leaders engaged with us in gospel-centered mentoring and discipling, church planting and diaconal ministries. Here's how we'd ask you at this time to be specifically praying for us:

BIG PICTURE
1. WISDOM AND THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT. For Mark and fellow MTW missionaries as they meet with Peruvian leaders and to form a unified, coordinated vision for MTW's church planting ministry in Lima.

2. NATIONAL LEADERS. For God to raise up the right Peruvian leaders to be part of our broader team. We are praying for "FAT" men and women: faithful, available and teachable.

3. ALLIANCES. For God to forge alliances of trust and interdependence between us as MTW missionaries and our Peruvian brothers and sisters that will result in God-honoring, church planting, Kingdom-advancing ministry here in Lima.

4. CHURCHES PLANTED. Pray with us over opportunities to team with Peruvian leaders to plant three churches in three distinct districts of Lima: Santa Anita, San Borja and San Juan de Lurigancho. Pray with us for the right Peruvian leaders, for timing and for confirmation from the Spirit on when and how to move forward.

5. JUSTICE AND MERCY ESTABLISHED. Pray with us for "Hope for Lima", the diaconal arm of our team that will be devoted to mobilizing churches and church members to ministries of justice and mercy. Pray for continued formation of vision and structure for this ministry.

DETAILS
1. CHILDREN AT RISK. We're in dialogue with the pastor and session of the Presbyterian church in Huaycan, a district of Lima, about how we can help them reach street kids in their very rough community. They also have a vision for using the second floor of their church for a tutoring and study center for local students who often lack parental involvement and resources of books and supplies for their studies. Pray if it is the Lord's will that this "alliance" would come together and we could be a part of seeing kids reached practically with the love of Christ.

2. SHORT TERM TEAMS. We have a number of short term teams scheduled for the months of June-August and are meeting over the next two weeks to decide how and where to utilize them. Pray that we would have wisdom to place the teams in such a way within our ministry that they can really help us advance the work during their time with us.

3. CUSCO TRAINING. Mark and the two year missionaries on our team will be going to Cusco for Mark to finish teaching on living out of the gospel to MTW's Cusco's leadership network. Pray for Christ to gain much glory and for his Spirit to apply the gospel to each person's heart in a powerful way, most of all Mark.

4. PERU LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING. Feb. 5. Keith Powlison, Craig Gahagen and Mark will meet this day, Lord willing, to work further in developing a unified vision for MTW's work in Peru. Pray for God to lead us as a mission here in Peru, and for us as a team to be sensitive to his Spirit's leading.

5. BERRY FAMILY. Emmett 6, Anna 4.5, and Taylor 3 are on summer vacation. They are in swim lessons and Emmett is in a soccer camp twice a week. Abigail 1.5 is growing and developing in her personality daily, to our great delight. Everyone is around home more, so there's more tendency to fight and argue. Pray against this, and for us, especially Lori, as we referee. Pray that we'd be gracious and kind in the midst of the frequent conflicts. Always pray for Mark and Lori's marriage, for protection, for time together alone, and for deepening love one another. In general, Lori and I both are feeling dry spiritually, numb, a bit burned out. Pray for renewal for us.

We love and appreciate you and are so thankful for your investing in our ministry through your prayers. May the Lord bless you and give you each a great month.

In Christ,

Mark for all

Mark and Lori Berry  Apartado 1529  Lima 100, Peru  mberry@mtwla.org  011-511-435-6637