Terry Long’s plans to go to Peru in July ended the same way many people’s travel plans did this year — with an empty plane seat.
It was sad for Long, associational missions director for Choctaw Baptist Association. For the past several years, he and others have gone to the South American country to partner with local pastor Manuel Castello and help spread the gospel in the region.
“We’ve come alongside him and encouraged and taught and trained,” Long said.
And as they’ve done that, they’ve found a group of pastors and laypeople eager to learn.
This year’s topic was one that Castello thought was particularly needed — how to have a biblical marriage.
“Pastor Manuel asked for training on that because there’s so much superstition built into their culture that doesn’t fit well with a biblical picture of marriage,” Long said.
Adapting to online
That was the plan, and then COVID-19 happened. But even though they didn’t get to hold the conference in July, Castello came back this fall and asked Long if he would be open to having a virtual conference.
And Long said yes.
“Over three days, we honed in on the permanence of marriage, how to work through your problems and not run out on your marriage and how to forgive each other,” he said. “We also talked about God’s purposes for marriage, how a husband can love a wife her way and how wives could build up their husbands.”
Renewal of vows
And on the last night — with several dozen couples and their families present to watch — Long led them through a candlelit renewal of their marriage vows.
“It blessed me — they took it so seriously,” Long said.
The partnership with pastors in Peru is one he said he’s grateful for. He and others who have gone with him from Choctaw Baptist Association in recent years have been able to see people there catch a vision for sharing the gospel in new ways. A godly marriage is the latest way they’ve learned to model for others that life in Christ looks different.
“We have seen people saved along the way, and it’s been such a blessing to be a part of,” Long said.
To read more about missions partnerships like this one, click here.
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