1527 days

July 25, 2007 we stepped on a plane and moved to Peru. We have now lived 1527 days without a car. It has become abundantly clear to us and all of our advisers that we now need one in Peru. We have found an incredible opportunity for a car that will suit all our needs, but we don't have all the funds. If you have any questions please contact us.

-john and heather


Tax Deductible Donations to www.egmworld.org click donate now, select the Chapmans.

New Photos of Jeremiah- 4 weeks!

Trey and Aunti Jen visit highlights!

Aunt Jen showed up with a surprise! Her son Trey!

We had a great two weeks together!

Josiah's Birthday!

Josiah is 5. 5 is our BIG Party year. Here are some highlights!

The family together on his special day!



A friend of ours does the "show" for children's parties. She was awesome, including the first song was a kids praise song.



Josiah Ready to blow them out. Loving the attention with us all singing to him!



Singing songs!



Trey was the special guest from the US!

It was clear Josiah had a great time!

With a few of some GREAT friends!

Ready for the party to begin!

Cake made by mom!

Four of his best friends from School. (Rodrigo is missing)

I found out what HOPE is.

Last Saturday was amazing. I went out to Santa Rosa, a very new community at the edge of Lima Peru. I have been there many times, but this time we went to find this boy that wants to tell the world his story of life change. His story you will have to wait for, but for now I will tell you of what I learned.

We had the chance to talk to many people, the pastor, his wife, some moms, grandmas and kids. The stories were always very similar. The story always started with: before I was timid, before they were timid, before my son was timid, before the entire family was timid...etc. The word timid is a direct translation of the word they were using. Timid? I thought- why does it matter that someone was timid! Then it began to dawn on me. Timid is what you see in the eyes of someone down on their luck, lost, without any future or desire to continue or HOPE.

HOPE is what these people have HOPE for a life with joy and love. Love from Christ and His people. Community in a local Church and community with fellow believers. Hope with a future. Not only a future beyond death, but a future now. Hope is my word for the week and I don't think I have ever experienced in my life how Hope can change a life. They are poor, working hard to have food for today and electricity. Working hard to advance their life. Most missing a true physical father in their life. Most living in a one bedroom dirt floor wood house, with no possibility of getting out of where they are at. That is not the Hope they are looking for. They are looking for the Hope in Christ.


This little Girl is the same age as Michaela. She is full of Hope. She was in my arms the second i arrived and did not want to leave my side. I have heard she has asked numerous times, when will I return. Her mom was at church because her other daughter (5 years old) insisted that they go. They were dressed in their best clothes having just bathed. Church for them is a place of Hope and special place of love.



These girls and I became attached in just a few minutes. They where full of smiles and joy. It is as if they lived for the moment to be together in the children's meeting where they could learn of the love Christ has for them and experience it through the community in the meeting.

Eliana asks for help?

Yesterday Eliana (6 years old) came to me with white copy paper cut into 4x5inch squares. She announced she was going to "Help the Ministry!". She then asked for the ministry stamps (that we had used for the recent conference in Peru). She took the two stamps with the ink pad and stamped all 25 of her papers. Then wrote the message at the top (photoed below). She came to me and said she was going to sell these to raise money for the ministry.



Nos ayudas con el ministerio? means "Help us with the ministry?"

Is it that simple? Has the passion and devotion that we have for the ministry seeped into my 6 year old? I can only pray that Eliana feels as much a part of the ministry in Peru as I do. I desire that she knows that the unknown sacrifices that she is making are for the ministry of helping the children in Peru learn about Jesus Christ.

Her message is my message. If you have been on the edge of thinking that you want to join us in helping children in Peru, Chile, Argentina and other South American Countries learn about the amazing love of Jesus Christ, I leave you with this question:

"NOS AYUDAS KON EL MINISTERIO?"

Jeremiah Emory Chapman Announcement

Jeremiah Emory Chapman

August 13, 2011
4:19 pm
8lb 14oz 21 1/4 inches

Fiestas Patrias

July 28 is Perú's independence day. It is a BIG deal with flags and banners everywhere, big sales at the stores and two days of vacation!

Josiah and Mica had a photo shoot at school. They brought in traditional clothing and dressed them up. I love them and wanted to share.


Josiah with Tali, our neighbor and at times his best friend!

Homemade Donuts

July Prayer Letter

Greetings from gloomy Lima, Peru. Yes the gloom has arrived, what in the past has been a 7-9 month period of no sun and no rain has given us a few surprises already this winter. We have seen more rain then ever before (not too much) and the sun has graciously shown its face a few times too. We’d like to share with you some things to pray about; if you would like to receive this in email form only, just let us know at mail@johnandheather.com.

One of this month’s most significant highlights is the Emerging Leaders Program. Two young ladies (20 and 23 years old) have been living with us for 3 weeks now and will finish their time in Perú on the 29^th of July. It has been a blessing to take them through Bible studies, book studies and new experiences in cross-cultural ministry. They will depart just before Heather gives birth to our final addition to the Chapman family - a little baby boy (Due August 9).

With the arrival of our new baby boy we also have an influx of exciting visitors, Nonnie (Heather’s mom) July 27-Aug 25, Grandpa (Heather’s Dad) Aug 2-15, and Auntie Jen (Heather’s sister) Aug 18-31. Wow, that is going to be a full, fun house! Plus Daniel Watts and Rick Fortier for the Conference in Peru! We are very excited to have the visitors.

Ministry wise we are moving forward with the ministry in Argentina, praying about a key leader there who will do all the footwork for founding EGM-Argentina. John has been able to work with a number of contacts during his trip to Argentina the first week in June, and in September he will return for the training of this key leader.

The ministry in Peru is keeping us all busy as well. EGM-Peru does not have a fulltime director and they are waiting to see how their major fundraiser will turn out August 4,5 and 6. Please pray as we have finished the distribution of 12,000 flyers and 1500 posters to churches all over Lima. We are praying that 1,000 children’s workers will come to the three day conference and learn about EGM, be encouraged in ministry and finally be excited to learn how they can receive support in the future.

Chile is an amazing place with hundreds of children’s workers being trained and supported over the last quarter. John will participate via Skype at the Board meeting on July 30 and return to Chile in September to help with a new Board training.

God continues to provide for our finances, however our travel and ministry plans are all tentative, pending the arrival of the funds we need to advance the ministry work.

We are all dependent on our Heavenly Father for His provision and we are humbled as His people continue to respond to the need. We are still short of our monthly giving need, please continue to keep this in your prayers.

As this comes to a close, we ask for prayer for the birth of our precious baby boy. That his brother, sisters, mother and father will all be prepared to receive this special gift from God.

Serving His Children,

John and Heather Chapman

Now we see change

Peruvian children at a camp last February.
The story below is not related to the above photo, except that they are all children in Perú.

David* was a troubled little boy. At only nine years old his mother would say of him, “He’s hopeless! He never obeys. I can’t control him.” She had resigned herself and so had he. Most days he left for school in the morning and never got there, wandering the streets aimlessly during school hours, “making trouble.”

The EGM-trained children’s ministry leaders from the church in his village started noticing him around on the streets. They would stop to talk to him, take an interest in his life and question why he was not in school. David began coming to the church’s children’s ministry programs. While there the leaders would hug him, show him affection and tell him that he was a GOOD boy and that he was truly wonderful. To this he would look up into their eyes and ask outloud, “Really? Are you telling me the truth?”

After a while it came to the church’s attention that one of the reasons David never wanted to be at home was because of the severe physical abuse he received from his father. At home it was a downward spiral of shame, abuse and increased disobedience. But at church, he heard about and experienced a love that saw through all of that. David heard for possibly the first time that someone loved him no matter what mistakes he had made.

His children’s ministry leader says, “Ahora vemos cambios.” Now we see change. Is it really that simple? Is it possible that to see Christ transform a child’s life, it only has to begin with a hug and a smile?

(*we always change children’s names out of respect for their privacy.)

Another calling realized

At the age of 20, I (John) experienced one of the most significant experiences in my life, an experience that would shape me forever. 5 weeks in Poland, studying, ministering and serving. Since that day I have felt the call to repeat the program for other young leaders. This week that has begun.


The Emerging Leaders Program has begun!
Two young ladies arrived at our house last Monday, June 27. Jill and Joy. Sunday night I told Heather, "I am not sure who is more excited, these girls who are visiting Peru for a month or me!". It has been an incredible time. We have started a bunch of different aspects of the program, starting to read a number of different books, studying different themes in the Bible, looking at leaders in the Bible, having a reflection/journal/prayer time each day and have grown closer as a community. Finally they are on their first adventure this weekend. Visiting a pueblo joven (young town) in the north of Lima. They are sleeping with dirt floors with no showers, seeing a ministry led by incredible Peruvians to minister to a very poor and forgotten group of people. We can't wait for them to get back tonight to tell us all about it and start another week of studying and reflection.

Joy in the patio for her hour every morning.

Jill at the park for her hour every morning.

Pray for them and us as we grow in the knowledge and wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ!

May Prayer Letter

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! We are initiating something new to communicate better to all of you – a good, old-fashioned prayer letter! If you’re on this list, you have participated in our ministry life since we moved here to Peru with Every Generation Ministries. Whether by praying for us, sending one-time gift or being part of our regular donations, you have invested in God’s work here and it’s our honor to keep you better informed of how God is using you. If you would like to receive this in email form only, just let us know at mail@johnandheather.com.

We have so many exciting things happening in our ministry and home life to share.
NATIONAL MINISTRY TEAMS: John just returned from Chile working to advance the ministry there. In Peru, ministry is moving forward as the Board of Directors of EGM-Peru (with Heather) is working hard to host the largest event ever organized by any EGM ministry. The Interdenominational Children Ministry Congress will host 1,000 children’s workers and Christian leaders to hear from Founder and President Daniel Watts in a ministry launch on August 4-6, 2011. Please pray with us for this event.

NEW MINISTRIES: John took his first trip to Argentina in April to meet all EGM’s past contacts and is making plans to go back in June 7-13th to advance the ministry there. Although many Argentine leaders are eager to start EGM-Argentina, we need your prayers as we search for THE person who will spearhead the work and drive the ministry forward. We are also praying for God’s leading on the other two countries (currently unknown) that ministries will begin to move forward in the coming year. Please pray with us!

On the Home front, Heather is doing well, as we anxiously await the arrival of our new baby boy on August 9th (yes three days after the major Peru event!). Eliana is enjoying 1st grade in her new school. Josiah is playing “Super Heros” at school. Mica is now 2 1/2 and working hard to get potty trained!

We had a rare opportunity to have a get away without the kids in May for our 10th wedding Anniversary celebration (Actually in July, but Heather would not be able to travel at that point). It was an amazing time to be together and see the Iguassu Falls in Brasil.

Please continue to pray for our ministry finances. We’ve expanded our ministry this year and it requires significantly more money than we were needing in the past. Our goal is $3000/month of new giving and we have reached $1200 so far. We are praying for another $1800/month. We know it is a huge amount, but also know that God has called us here and He is able. Thank you for your prayers about finances.

Winter has come upon us in Lima, the sun is now hiding and we will miss it for the next 6 months or so but we remain cheerful, grateful for your partnership with us here in South America.

Serving His Children,

John and Heather Chapman



Argentina Shirts from John's Trip to Argentina!



Heather and the Kids at the end of Summer, when there was sun. No more sun until November!

Is there hope?

Im sitting here this morning praying for Sara.


Sara is 11 years old. There are a lot of reasons why Sara's life should be without hope.
She lives in a small shack with a dirt floor, a straw mattress and one blanket to share with her mom, and her 14 and 2 year old sisters.
She is sullen and downcast, too timid to make eye contact for long.
She has been forced by her mom to exchange sexual favors for food.
She recently started showing symptoms of hepatitis.
She has no money to go to the hospital, and has no birth certificate to apply for the free insurance.

Yet I believe there is hope for Sara.
Despite all her wounds and pain Sara comes every week to "Children of Jesus" the children's ministry of her local church, seeking relief and a short escape. The EGM-trained children's worker there knows her, loves her, knows her life circumstances and can help.

I dont know in what way God will lead His people in that church to act; I don't know how long Sara will live in the valley of the shadow of death or if she will climb out of her pain, her suffering, her poverty or her illness. But I know that there is a glorious future that is only being glimpsed now. Glimpsed when her church leader holds her hand, when she stays up all night searching for the best solution to Sara's medical needs, and when the women of the community gather to strategize a plan and to pray.


Psalm 6:2-4 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long? Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.


*Names are always changed out of respect for those mentioned.

Where's the Beef?

What's the goal of children's ministry?

Most children's workers here in Latin America would not understand the question because it would be assumed that the entire point is to transmit information about the bible to a child so it will serve them later in life, or in order to gradually form "Christian character."

Recently I was assisting our Peruvian team in a training, teaching on the part of the lesson in which children actually RESPOND to the word of God. Suzanna asked why this is never included in her "teacher manuals." She showed me the one she was using. It included: a title, a bible passage, a narration of the passage, and a closing prayer. She explained that in an effort to be concise, people usually cut a lesson down to "the meat."

Unfortunately, the children present at that church service 1) will have no way to bring their real life into what they're hearing, 2) will have no way to bring what they learned mentally down into their heart and 3) will not be given an opportunity to respond to the word of God they have heard.

If your goal is to give data that will help a child in the future, by all means - cut it down and don't forget the beef.
But if your goal is to see real-life transformation for each child - now, while she is still a child - children's ministry cannot be about information.

EGM shows children's workers a way of ministering to children that:
Is based on RELATIONSHIP
Connects to real-life EXPERIENCE
Teaches the TRUTH of God's word
Uses DISCUSSION to connect real life to the truth, and
Culminates with a RESPONSE.

That's some tasty beef.

Relational Ministry

Education in Peru is really traditional. When we searched for a school for Eliana's first grade, we had very few expectations - we simply wanted a school that did not lecture at her for 6 straight hours and then send home 2 hours of homework.

Unfortunately, as the name implies, "Sunday School" is often the same. People are creatures of habit, so when a church member is given the responsibility to lead a group of children, they do what was done with them. What results? A Sunday school class-room where the teacher lectures, children listen, information about the Bible gets memorized, and efforts are made to diminish the inevitable boredom.

EGM shows children's workers a different way. A way that is evidenced in scripture and practiced by Jesus himself. A way that results not so much in the transmission of information, but in the transformation of a child's life.

It all starts with Relationship.

EGM shows children's workers in every country where we serve that the foundation of all ministry is relationship. 1)our relationship with God 2)our relationship with the child. If a child doesn't feel loved and accepted by his leader, nothing the leader does can break through to him. If a child doesn't respect and admire her leader, nothing the leader does can make her want to follow that example.

An EGM-trained children's worker was at church one Sunday and 8-year-old Sebastian didn't want to go in. He pouted, refused and defied his parents. Finally he entered, but only to dramatically throw his bible to the ground every 5-10 minutes. Every time, the children's worker picked it up and calmly returned it saying, "Here you go, buddy. You must have dropped this." And every time the leader squeezed his shoulder or showed him some affection and said, "Im so glad you're here today." Time after time this was repeated. By the end of the service, Sebastian was smiling, participating in class and hugging his leader goodbye.

What changed? Relational ministry teaches us that love breaks through to people. Not information. Not stories. Sebastian was given the opportunity that day to hear from the word of God, apply it to his life and respond to Him - because his leader thought that loving him was more important than anything else she was doing.

This idea is new to a lot of children's workers here in Peru and throughout South America. But every time we see that lightbulb go on in the eyes of a children's worker, we know that more children are about to experience Christ's love. More children are about to have the opportunity to really hear the word of God and be changed by it.

Fatherless

In a taxi last night the talk radio was discussing the Peruvian reality that more homes than not are fatherless. Divorce, abandonment, rape, poor working conditions... too many factors that lead to children never knowing the love of a daddy.

One EGM-trained children's worker tells of a poor mother and her two-year-old daughter, Mariela. When asked about Mariela's father, she averts eye contact and states, "She has no father." Rumors in the town spread that this mom prostituted herself in exchange for a small shack to live in, and 9 months later Mariela arrived.

Gratefully, this EGM-trained children's worker knows that what the mom said is not true. Mariela has a heavenly father who is longing to embrace, love and care for her.

So in His name, this children's worker is doing so. Mariela may never have a father who pays the bills, puts her to bed at night and buys her a teddy bear for Christmas; but she has something greater.

Thanks to this EGM-trained children's worker, she'll know Him. She'll be loved by Him. And her life will be different because of it.

Summer Ministry at a Glance 2011

The ministry of EGM-Peru is moving forward with the greatest answer to prayer then we could have ever asked for. The ministry is depending on its own leadership to lead the ministry. The attitude is that this is their ministry given to them by God and that Heather and I and EGM in the US is here to help them. This was our number one goal when we moved to Peru. That a group of Peruvian leaders would catch the vision the help every church in Peru with their ministry to children and figure out how to do that.

Board meetings:
There have been 4 board gatherings already this year. Heather is serving on the Board and loving it.



Church Visit-
The highlight of our ministry is seeing teachers in action. These two teachers had attended a EGM training and were implementing the new ideas in their class. I was able to talk with them for 40 minutes after class. Encouraging them in their attempts to make the Bible come alive to children in their every day life. They talked about one of the first stories in the Bible when Daniel decided not to eat the food of the kings table but of the Food that God had told them to eat. The conversation with 10-13 year olds turned to peer presure and the things that God tells us not to do and how can we not listen to the same music as our friends or not watch Terror movies....
It was amazing to see how God's word has something to do with thier lives today.




Volunteer Training:
The Board got together to take the lead in taking 5 attendees of trainings on the journey to be the first 5 volunteers with EGM-Peru. EGM-Peru's vision is to make their impact in the country through volunteers like this. We were excited to host them at our house.

Some faces you might recognize. Pastor Daniel is the first in the row, I have visited his church.
The third from the left is Lisset, again there is a previous blog about her church visit. 4th from the left is the director of the Sunday school of the teachers from the Church visit above. 5th from the left is Arlette- sweatest lady ever, directs her kids in an underground Garage on Sundays.
Then you have the Board with Charo, Heather, John, Christina, Marcos, and Samuel.



Camp was fun for the family but also amazing for the ministry. We saw two board members lead the EGM model in a camp setting.

I, John, was invited up to share about how God calls us to serve from a young age and we can answer that call. We have to be ready to go wherever HE leads us.

Trainings are happening and being planned. We are excited to have Board members who not only lead the ministry but are skilled at leading the material with teachers as well.