The Ricker Family

June 2009 Prayer Letter
October 2009 Prayer Letter

Dear friends and family,

Let me start by saying that I am very late in getting this letter out. I have been sending e-mail updates monthly, but have not sent any letters in quite a while.

We have now been in Peru for a year! It has been a very busy but productive year. Melissa and I have nearly completed Spanish classes. I believe that we have adjusted to the culture fairly well. Melissa has her English school going full swing. Also we are slowly taking on more responsibilities in the ministry.

We have started an institute for both the deaf and hearing to teach them more about the Bible and to eventually help men go out and start more deaf ministries. We are starting very small, but as God leads and provides we are praying that it will grow. I most likely will be teaching classes in August. I still need to improve my Spanish in order to be able to stand and teach a two hour class.

Please pray for a little girl named Angie. She is new here at Efata. She has never been in school before and knows very little Sign Language. I do not think that she has ever had any discipline in her life before coming here. She is eight years old. She constantly causes problems and gets herself in trouble. Lisa Kotvas (the other missionary wife with whom we work) is pregnant and Angie has threatened to hit Lisa in the stomach to hurt the baby. She does this in rebellion against the authority. She has improved some, but still has a long way to go. The biggest thing she needs is to understand the gospel and one day accept Christ as her Saviour.

Our family is doing well. The girls are on the Peruvian school schedule. We are a little behind, but should catch up by the time the new year starts next March. Amanda is now in 3rd grade, Elaina is in 2nd grade and Olivia is in K4.

We will be taking a quick trip to the states from the middle of May to the middle of June. This trip will serve several purposes. We will be able to bring down much more of our belongings such as clothes and study books. Also Melissa’s grandmas are neither one doing well so she would like to see them. Also my brother is getting married, so we will be going to Wyoming also. We will spend two weeks in Texas a couple of days in Louisiana and then two weeks in Wyoming. We will then return here just in time for the Missions Conference in Efata.

Just a quick note: our sending church (Cross and Crown Baptist Church) has moved to a new location and now has a new PO Box address. The new address is PO Box 1002 Cantonment, FL 32533. Cross and Crown Missions Worldwide uses the same address.

Continue to pray for the deaf around the world. We know that we do not have much time and the gospel needs to be given before it is too late.

In Christ,

Cory, Melissa, Amanda, Elaina, and Olivia