Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you for your continued prayers. We really needed them over the last couple of months and we can see that God has provided because of you.

We had two wonderful camps in Mexico. The first camp was our northern deaf camp called Campamento Henson, named for Bro. Ron Henson who was a missionary to the Deaf in Mexico for several years. There were 95 who attended camp and we had 1 accept Christ as his Savior. I was pleased to see some new groups attend this year that I had not met before. I was also very excited to see the future leadership of the camp take over my responsibilities this summer.

Our second camp was in Merida where we lived and worked from 2004 to 2008. It was great to be back at the church after a year and see how much it has grown. There are Deaf who now attend the church regularly whom we never met while we were there. I loved seeing the maturity level increase in many of the church people and to know that they are inviting their friends to church. At that camp we had 26 in attendance. That is a few more than we had last year.

When we left Mexico last year we were not sure if we might be going back to work in another area of of the country. We kept many household items that we did not want to re-buy. On this trip were able to sell off the items that we no longer needed in preparation for the trip to Argentina.

After selling everything and enjoying time at camp with our friends it was time for the trip home to the US. We pulled a trailer with the items that we wanted to take back. The trailer was more than a little over loaded. In the process of the 6 day trip we ended up buying 3 new tires and having the trailer welded twice while sitting on the side of the road. God provided the money and the welders at the right time to get us going again. At one breakdown we pulled off the side of the road where a road construction crew was working and they were able to weld the trailer right there at the edge of nowhere.

Previously our plan for going to Argentina was October. Timing works out better for the pastor we are going to help if we go in January. It works out better for us as well. Please pray that I will be able to fill up our travel schedule with the meetings we need between now and then.

We praise the Lord that the man who robbed our house in April was caught last week. We were able to recover some of the stolen items.

With my new position in the mission board I am able to enjoy some of the blessings that supporting pastors, churches and individuals have long enjoyed. It thrills my soul to get reports from missionaries with whom I work telling me of the spiritual victories and salvation of souls on the field. I know that they are able to do their ministry because of the support I am able to provide. I am a partaker in their fruits. Because of you, our supporters, I get to reap benefits from their work. And you receive fruit to your account (Philippians 4:17) as well. What a blessing to be on God’s team in His harvest field!

September 2009 Peach Prayer Letter [PDF]

Categories: Ministry Update, Prayer Letter
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A few of the attendees

Recently one of the missionaries with whom I work as Director of Deaf Ministries for Baptist International Outreach had a wonderful conference. While I did little more than help make a couple of minor decisions going into this conference and bathed the weekend in prayer, I am very excited that God used my small part to accomplish His task.

Pastor Bizuayehu and recent converts

Bizuayehu Assefa is an Ethiopian deaf man who works with BIO in Addis Ababa. Each year one of the ministries he pastors hosts a conference for the Deaf in Addis Ababa and the surrounding region. This is an evangelistic time as well as a time of fellowship. Even though it is just 3 days, I imagine it is every bit as packed as a week of Deaf camp.

Bro. Bizuayehu (we call him Biz for short) organized the weekend in which they had about 250 Deaf attend from 11 different cities or villages. There were 15 saved over the weekend.

Bro. Biz has asked for continued prayer as they are now involved in discipleship of these new believers. Already they have baptized 6 of the recent converts.

This conference took place about three weeks ago and when Bro. Biz wrote me to tell me the results, I became very emotional with the thought that though I could not be there in person to work in the conference, I am able to be on a team that accomplished this great work for the Lord. It struck me at that time that pastors and individuals who support missionaries doing their work around the world get to have the same involvement as I did in a project such as this. You may not be able to directly help a conference like this by cooking a meal or preaching a sermon in Addis Ababa, but through your prayers and financial support of our family you are involved in a real way in the work that the Lord uses us to do.

Tags: Addis Ababa,Bizuayehu,conference,Deaf,Ethiopia
Categories: Spotlight
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Campamento Henson 2009

We finished our northern deaf camp in Mexico, officially known as Campamento Henson, on July 24. We had a wonderful week with 95 campers. There was 1 decision for salvation, and 2 dedication decisions that I know of.

While we were down in our number if missionaries this year, we had a great group of national pastors, both hearing and Deaf, who stepped up to the plate to make this year a success. Out of our normal group of missionaries there are 10 who regularly attend and help teach classes and run the program. This year there were only 4 of us.

Knowing this was my last year as camp director, we asked a couple of the national pastors to work with me this year to get everything ready. In reality, when I got to the planning meeting during Easter week this year, they already had the teachers and schedule all planned. I helped polish up the details and made sure the little things were cared for, but they did the bulk of the planning before hand. Going into camp I felt like I had done so little to prepare and that we might suffer some consequences from it. While there were some hiccups along the way, the preparation work done by the pastors went a long way to making this year’s camp a success.

I am going to miss being part of the camp each year, but I doubt we will be total strangers to this group who has meant so much to us.

Categories: Ministry Update, Personal
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Dear Praying Friends,

We are thankful for the Lord’s hand of protection and provision over the last couple of months. As you know from our last prayer letter thieves stole some items out of our house in March. Through generous gifts from a couple of churches and individuals, we have been able to replace the stolen items. We really appreciate the kind gifts that helped us replace the items we needed.

Last week we were in a week-long training school for missionaries. Stephanie and I had a great time learning in the sessions as well as fellowshipping with the other missionaries. I taught a few sessions during the week.

One of the things that was mentioned several times during the training school was that our ministry while we are home is to promote the vision of world missions. This is something that God has been teaching me this year. While we are home reporting to our supporting churches and raising new support, our goal should be to promote the work that God is doing through missions and missionaries. If I can encourage a church to be more involved in spreading the Gospel, then I have accomplished that goal. Even if the church never supports us financially. The particular way that the Lord has burdened me this year is to help churches know how they can pray for missionaries.

We are excited about our two camps for the Deaf in Mexico coming up in the next few weeks. This week I am preaching in a camp for hearing children in Pennsylvania and then we go to Ciudad Mante, Mexico for our first deaf camp. That will be July 20-24. After finishing that week of camp we will drive to Merida (where we lived the last 4 years) to prepare for the camp down there on August 11-14.

There are a couple of weeks between the two camps. We will use that time to pack up the items we still have in Merida that we need to bring back to the US. We will also be selling items that we don’t need to take to Argentina. Pray that we will have wisdom in each decision. Also pray that we will sell the items at a fair price (for the buyer and us) and that we will be a blessing to some people with items that we can afford to give away to other ministries.

When we return from Mexico and our deaf camps, we will be working towards the final preparations for Argentina. There are some pieces of the puzzle still not in place. You can pray that God will give wisdom in each step and that we will know the right timing for the things we must do to get there. Through different missionaries God has given us a much better picture of the need in Argentina and clarified some of the work that is before us. I believe this is the result of your prayers. God has brought us in contact with missionaries from Argentina as well as missionaries who have knowledge of the situation of deaf ministries in the country.

Each day is ministry; whether we are in the trenches, preparing to go, or supporting those who are there.

David Peach

Categories: Ministry Update, Prayer Letter
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We spent last week in a training school with missionaries. This was a training week put on by our mission board. We had missionaries representing 10 different countries (if I counted right) as well as the support staff from the office.

The sessions were taught by missionaries, pastors, a financial planner, the office bookeeper, a medical doctor and a lawyer. We had a good mix of very practical sessions as well as spiritual enrichment. Classes included “Writing a prayer letter,” “Putting your important paperwork in order,” “Overcoming anger,” and “Understanding what a pastor expects from a missionary.” We were in classes from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. It was like being back in school! Somehow I enjoyed this much better than I ever enjoyed school. Maybe the coffee and cookies all day helped with that.

I want to give a public welcome to the new missionaries with BIO. We had none who was completely new to the BIO team, but there are a few who have been with us right about a year. I was serious when I said you are welcome to contact me any time about some of the things I taught. Also, if you just need a friend to talk with, please give me a call or send me an email. I don’t guarantee I will have the answer to all your questions, but I can try to point you the right direction, or listen patiently to your needs. I am excited about my new position with the board that allows me to just be a friend to you.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be in many churches as well as a week of camp in Pennsylvania. Then we go home for a couple of days while getting ready to drive to our camps in Mexico and also pack up our things to prepare for our time in Argentina. We appreciate your prayers as we travel and minister.

Categories: Ministry Update, Personal
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We have had a great, but busy travel month. We were on the road for 4 weeks. Part of that time was spent with family at a family reunion. We have not been able to attend a family gathering (other than one funeral) since we went to the field in 2004. It was good to see everyone.

Though we are home currently we will be leaving tomorrow for another long trip. We will be in a couple of supporting churches as well as several new ones.

It is hard to believe that our camp season is coming up soon too. We will get home from this trip just in time to head out 3 days later for the camp in the northern part of Mexico. We will be in Mexico for a month for the 2 weeks of camp and have time to sell and pack up the things we left in Merida. It will be good to be with friends in Mexico once again. The church is going well and we are eager to see the members.

I know many of you prayed for my mother earlier this year. She had pancreatitis and has had a rough time getting her strength back. However, she was progressing well. She had a physical setback a couple of weeks ago when she got an infection that sent her back to the hospital for a few days. She is home now and recovering slowly. We would appreciate your continued prayers for her.

We will be in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York on this trip. We covet your prayers as we travel.

Categories: Ministry Update, Personal
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Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you for praying. God is working and we are excited to be in His ministry. It is thrilling to report that we have had some great meetings and are excited about the new prayer and financial support we have as we head towards Argentina.

Recently we returned home from some meetings to find that our house had been broken into. We were thankful that the thieves did not take any personal or sentimental items and that they were not destructive. What they took amounted to be tools for our ministry. While the cost to replace the items will be close to $3000, they can be replaced. Because we were traveling, we had all of our jewelry and most precious items with us.

During Easter week I flew to Guadalajara, Mexico to conduct our yearly planning session for the upcoming summer camp for the Deaf in Mexico. Because this will be my last summer as camp director I was pleased to see one of the national pastors take charge during the planning week to help us prepare for the camp in July. Please pray that this summer’s camp will be effective in giving the gospel to many Deaf who have never accepted the Lord and that God’s Word will become more personal to the Christian Deaf in churches across Mexico. The camp week will be July 20 to 24.

After camp this summer we will return to Mérida for a couple of weeks to collect the items that we need to bring back to the US with us as we prepare for the trip to Argentina. While in Mérida we will be selling some items and spending precious time with our many friends in the church. Because of your prayer support we know that this church will continue to reach many Deaf in the Yucatan peninsula.

The Lord has opened many doors and opportunities for us over the last several weeks. Of course we are going to Argentina later this year to start that new work, but then we have been invited to be more actively involved in the ministries of other missionaries with the Deaf through our mission board. I am looking forward to assisting missionaries in other parts of the world as I take on the responsibilities as the Director of Deaf Ministries with Baptist International Outreach. Pray that I can be an effective help to missionaries and nationals around the world who are reaching the Deaf with the gospel.

We are getting much closer to our goal of 100% financial support before returning to the field. Pray and ask the Lord what He would have you do to help us reach that goal. When you pray, God will provide.

Categories: Ministry Update, Prayer Letter
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We returned home from a long trip last week to find that our house had been broken into. We noticed this immediately because the thieves were not real careful in putting stuff back where it belonged when they finished ransacking the house. Fortunately we were able to get the police to the house pretty quickly, before we touched anything. They looked for fingerprints and clues, but did not find much that will be a help.

We are finalizing a list of items stolen to give to the police, but they have a short list they are working from right now to check pawn shops.

Somehow we expected this to happen in another country, not right here at home. We were initially shaken up a bit and very saddened at the loss of some items. Thankfully, with the exception of Stephanie’s computer, most everything taken we consider to be tools. There was nothing of sentimental value taken (that we have discovered so far). However, we did lose some valuable tools. We will be adding up the value of everything in the next day or two. But initial estimation is that they took between $2000 and $3000 worth of equipment.

We are praying that we will get the computer back with the data. While we have most things backed up, there were some items that were not.

The big items taken were the computer, two LCD monitors, a DVD player and a bicycle. Some of the “jokes on them” items taken were some computer equipment that I keep around for parts. They may be surprised to find that all the things taken from the laundry room were actually broken. The funniest (yes, we can laugh at some of this) thing taken was our $20 bathroom scale. I guess they wanted to work on a weight loss program.

We do appreciate your prayers over the next few weeks as the police search for our items. Our personal best hope of tracking down the criminals is through the stolen bike. While it is not unique, it will be easy to see and may lend a clue as to who the theives were.

Categories: Personal
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Dear Praying Friends,
The Lord has blessed with great meetings over the last few weeks. We have picked up some new support and are excited about returning to the field before the end of the year. We have recently had meetings in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Currently we are on our first big trip of 2009 with meetings in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. As soon as we return home from this trip I will be going to Mexico to meet with other missionaries and national pastors working with the Deaf to plan our summer camp. It will be a very busy time for us. We covet your prayers for health and safety during these weeks. We will finally be home to rest a few days in April before heading out again.

In our last letter I mentioned that we were planning to start a ministry in Peru. As soon as that letter went out, I got an unexpected phone call from a missionary friend there. He gave me more information about a ministry opportunity in Argentina we had previously considered participating in. The Lord has shown us that, while the need in Peru is great, there is a greater need in the country of Argentina.

Through several phone calls and a lot of prayer over the last few weeks, the Lord has given us peace about going to Argentina to work with a national pastor, Manuel Caceres. Bro. Caceres has already started a church for the hearing and knows how to work with the Deaf. We will be working to assist him in getting a Deaf work started near the city of Buenos Aires. The focus of our ministry there will be to evangelize the Deaf and lay the foundation with Bible teaching. Our goal will be to help Bro. Caceres build a core group with which he can continue the ministry.

We are thrilled in that God has blessed with new support over the last couple of months. We also covet your prayers for our current supporters that they will be able to faithfully support us during our time in Argentina. Also pray that we will raise our needed support as we travel this year.

As we look forward to the upcoming months we know there will be several expenses that will not be covered by our normal monthly support. These expenses will include our camp needs in Mexico this summer as well as our move to Argentina. In the next letter I will know more about what will be needed for camp. If you are able to help with these expenses please mark your donation for the specific project you want to help with.

My (David) mother was in the hospital since just before Christmas. She had pancreatitis and really struggled to beat the infection. Last week she was released from the hospital and will now be under Dad’s care at home while she works to regain her strength. Since we will be gone so much over the next couple of months, we won’t be able to help Dad nurse her back to health. Both Mom and Dad would appreciate your prayers.

David Peach

Categories: Ministry Update, Prayer Letter
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We had a few meetings in January. Most of the churches we have scheduled for the first half of this year are new churches. As a result we have picked up 2 new supporters already. Our support level currently sits at 67%. We lost support due to the economy and there is a need to raise a bit more monthly than what we needed before. Pray with us as we are in new churches seeking support over the next few months.

My (David) mom has been in the hospital since just before Christmas with pancreatitis. Though she was able to leave for a few days she had to return for some emergency surgery. She is getting better daily and we expect that she will be back home within another couple of weeks. We would appreciate your prayers for her physical needs. We are able to be with her during the week when we are not traveling.

My grandfather on my Dad’s side passed away early in the month of January. Dad and I attended the graveside service. It was a blessing to meet the people in Grandpa’s church who have actually had a  closer relationship with him than we have been able to over the last few years. They were encouraging to us and gave wonderful testimonies as to Grandpa’s salvation and how he lived out his love for others.

Most of February we will be traveling close to home. We won’t have to be away for more than a week at a time until March. We will use this time to help Dad prepare to take care of Mom over the next few weeks.

Categories: Ministry Update, Personal
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