News from Mike & Tammy Riggs--Miguel & Becky's mission trip

November 2015 Gomez mission View this email in your browser The Riggs Report Pray for the Gomez Family Mission Trip Miguel, Becky, Abigail and Nicholas will be coming to the US on their mission trip this week.  They (and we) are so excited.  Even though Miguel and Becky have been married for 7 years this is the first time they have had the opportunity to come to the States.  Miguel, Abby, and Nicky will be seeing the States for the first time. They are in for some interesting experiences! They will be working with Elk Ridge Baptist Church and pastor Daniel McCabe in Stephenville, Texas for a year to start a Spanish-speaking ministry.  This also gives them the first chance they have had to share with U.S. churches about the church planting ministry that they are doing as full-time missionaries in Peru.   Prayer Requests: Tammy and I have learned through the years how very important prayer is to the whole process of Missions. We know that Missions work is plain impossible without sufficient prayer partners. And so, whenever a group or an individual is going out on a mission trip, no matter if it is a week or a career, it is so important there are people committing to pray regularly for them. Their home church in Peru has done this, and we would like to ask you to join us in praying for them.  Here are several specific areas for prayer. Pray that God will keep their family strong.  The stress of serving in another country is hard on relationships. Pray that they remember how special they are to one another.   Pray for their good health.  They will be exposed to new germs and different food.  The U.S. has its special health hazards: nearly everyone who comes here gains weight! Pray that God will keep them healthy so they can do their mission.   Pray for their financial needs. One of the heaviest burdens that a missionary carries is the burden of financial support.  While Elk Ridge will be taking care of their daily needs here, they will still have a few expenses in Peru and they really need to raise the support they need for the church plant in Lima, Peru when they return. And specifically right now they need for their trip – final and airport costs in Lima, money to cover a night's layover in Ft. Lauderdale, and 1 suitcase. Pray for good work relationships with all of the folks at Elk Ridge. Pray for good communications, love for one another, and a focus on serving the Lord.  Pray for clear words and boldness of speech. Pray for many opportunities to share the gospel, and favor with the Spanish speakers in the area. Pray for relationships that result spiritual growth. Pray for disciples that are able to carry on the ministry after Miguel and Becky go back to Peru.  Pray for how God will use you.  It might be to encourage. It might be to support. Maybe you are the next one He's sending! There will be many new and ongoing opportunities and needs for prayer as they serve the Lord this year. If you would like to be a part of their prayer support team – and I know how much that will mean to them! – please click here and fill out the form to receive their email prayer updates. I promise that they won't bury you in email! It would be great to have you on their team! In His peace, Mike Mike and Tammy Riggs teach in Bible schools and seminaries in Peru.  Their ministry team includes several Peruvian missionaries.   Miguel and Becky Gomez are highlighted in this letter.  Miguel is a Peruvian who has been working in church planting.  He is also our son-in-law.  Many of you know his wife, our daughter Becky. You can find out more about how to participate in their ministry in Peru at https://www.facebook.com/miguelangel.gomeznavarro.58. "specifically right now they need for their trip – final and airport costs in Lima, money to cover a night's layover in Ft. Lauderdale, and 1 suitcase."  Donate Online>> Select Riggs, Mike and Tammy then email so we designate the gift to the Gomez family Share Tweet Forward These prayer suggestions are based on the following terrific webpage: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/10-prayers-for-missions-or-mission-trips/ Copyright © 2015 World Outreach Ministries, All rights reserved. You are getting this email because you signed up for our prayer updates at our missions table or told us you would like to receive our email updates. Our mailing address is: World Outreach Ministries P. O. Box B Marietta, GA 30061 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

Happy Thanksgiving from Mike & Tammy Riggs

We're thankful for YOU. View this email in your browser We're Thankful for YOU! From Mike and Tammy Riggs MISSIONARIES TO PERU WITH WORLD OUTREACH MINISTRIES We love what you've done. You've prayed. You've given. You've read our letters. You follow us on Facebook.  You've invited us to speak at your church.  You've had us to dinner. You've let us stay at your house. You've helped us write letters.  You've made copies. You've been our friends through thick and thin.  You've been alongside us, helping train pastors and teachers in Peru. God loves that, and so do we.  Happy Thanksgiving! For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. Hebrews 6:10 English Standard Version (ESV)   Copyright © 2015 World Outreach Ministries, All rights reserved. You are getting this email because you signed up for our prayer updates at our missions table or told us you would like to receive our email updates. Our mailing address is: World Outreach Ministries P. O. Box B Marietta, GA 30061 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

2020 Vision in a Nutshell (12 Things You Need to Know)

1. 2020 Vision is our plan to help start 20 fully Peruvian Bible Colleges in 20 cities in Peru by the year 2020.

2. We will start with 3 years of Bible-teaching seminars in the cities that have invited us.  To do this we are starting a new seminar ministry in Peru. We're calling it "Recursos para Capacitacion Pastoral."  (RCP) 

3. RCP in Spanish is the same as CPR in English. We could have a cool slogan like Reviving the heart of the church. 

4. We will be sharing the teaching duties with other qualified teachers. Some from Peru and some from other countries.

5. We will be cooperating  with other missions and ministries to conduct the seminars.  And the host for each seminar is a local board created by local churches and pastors. They will be handling the logistics of the actual conferences.

6. The first seminar in any location teaches the marvelous Biblia Devocional de Estudios. This is a wonderful tool, with a ton of resources and  a hard , durable cover. 

7. We will be able to offer these Bibles at  extremely reduced prices,  thanks to the Bible League.  We can charge between $5-10  depending upon the economy of the location.

8. The Miami International Study Centers organized into a Peruvian group in May. This formed 6 new Bible colleges. Mike will also be teaching in these colleges. 

9.  Students who have completed 3 years of seminars can work with the local board to form a Bible college. A group of 8 or more students can enter the MINTS organization.  MINTS will provide teachers and classes, while the local group does the administration. 

10. There are invitations to do conferences in far too many places in Peru. We also have opportunities to reach out to some surrounding countries and to Cuba. 

11.  The biggest problems we are facing are how to equip and organize the ministry to meet the demands. 

12.  We are going to start making DVDs, course books and booklets. We will also be experimenting with online courses and seminars. These will reach people who can't attend the seminars or the Bible Colleges.

October Prayer Needs/News

October 15,  2015 View this email in your browser This trip shows how (and why) to pray! October 2nd through 4th we were driving from De Ridder, Louisiana to Fredericksburg, Virginia for a three week stay in Virginia visiting churches.  This trip really showed how and why to pray for travelerers. Pray for provision We discovered the day before we had to leave we had to buy Mike an affordable suit.  God not only provided one in our price range.  The shop owner did not wait on us, but he was listening in.  He gave us a dress shirt free, saying, "God bless your ministry!" The seamstress was able to do the alterations in the short timewe had and reduced the price because we were in ministry.  (Without being asked.) Pray for safety We discovered one of our tires began to leaking suddenly while we were suit shopping and it had to be replaced.  the inside of the tread was almost entirely separated. If it had blown out on the road it would have been very dangerous.  Pray for smooth travel  We got into a giant backup in Mississippi as a result  of a big accident.  And again in Chattanooga. And we drove through a lot of rain and wind.  We thought it was because of the hurricane but it was actually a different storm. We would up spending many more hours on the road than we had intended or expected. Pray for accommodations  We had to stay in hotels on this trip, and on our last leg of the trip it proved nearly impossible to find a decent hotel at a reasonable price.  We wound up getting one much further down the road than we wanted. We ended up driving until past midnight in a torrential rain.  We must have reserved one of the last rooms, because when we arrived there were no vacancies! Pray for contacts   Remember the clothing store owner and the seamstress above?  At one stop we also met a young girl planning to go on her first mission trip. There are always people along the way that God wants us to meet. We did get there when we planned and had a wonderful times of worship at Mt. Zion Baptist and Children of Light churches in Fredericksburg.  It is always great to worship with longtime partners in the ministry.   Fall 2015 Ministry Needs   (The full list with details is published at riggsreport.org) Let this list be your prayer strategy guide as you are praying for our ministry. Bibles for conference attendees  and for needy Christians. Christmas gift donations for poor children in the mountains who are not reached by other ministries. Projectors and laptops for conference presenters that work with us. A conference ministry coordinator to handle the logistics of a nationwide conference ministry. Camera and reproduction equipment for Skype and DVDs to expand the reach of the ministry. Furniture, equipment, and a location for our  household and ministry office in the city of Cusco. US Health Insurance Return tickets to Peru. Good health. Ability to clearly articulate the needs. Sensitivity to the Lord's leading as we talk with US churches, both new ones and longtime supporters. Mike and Tammy Riggs are missionaries to Peru who prepare Peruvian Christians to be Biblical leaders for Peruvian churches through their conference and teaching ministry. You can find out more about their ministry and how to participate in it at Facebook.com/missionarymike or at their website riggsreport.org. Donate Online>> Select Riggs, Mike and Tammy NOTE FROM MIGUEL & BECKY GOMEZ Dear brothers, sisters and friends, We want to share with you a blessing that God is working in our lives. By God's grace we will be leaving Peru for a time to go to the USA. We have been invited by a church in Texas to work with Latin Americans in their area. As a family, our desire is to serve God full time wherever He leads. We need your prayers. This is a step of faith for us as a family, and we trust that God is leading us. It will be a major change of country and culture and everything that goes with that. Pray for us: as we prepare for the trip , for God's wisdom in the decisions we make,   for our kids,   for our paperwork,   and for God's provision here and there.  We are very excited to see what God will do and also to see friends and family that we haven't seen in a while. We ask you to be part of sharing the Good News and doing God's work with us through your prayers. Thanks to all!   Copyright © 2015 World Outreach Ministries, All rights reserved. You are getting this email because you signed up for our prayer updates at our missions table or told us you would like to receive our email updates. Our mailing address is: World Outreach Ministries P. O. Box B Marietta, GA 30061 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

False Teaching Kills

I get so mad when people ask, “Don’t you do anything useful?” 

I mean, they may put it nicer than that—as in, "Don’t you do anything to help victims of child abuse?” Or “Don’t you ever plant churches in remote villages?” But what they mean is “Why do you just teach church people the Bible?  Why don’t you do anything useful?”

So now I tell them the story of Sister Primitiva. She suffered greatly and died because of false teaching.

She and her husband were members of the church in Talavera.  We had seen them at church, but didn’t know them.

Then one day the man came to our house.  He was what the Peruvians call a “humble” man. He wore a pair of unhemmed dress pants and the rubber tire sandals that are called yanquis.  He had urgent questions and also wanted us to pray for healing for his wife.

His urgent questions were a list of Bible verses.  He had been taught, (like many others) him that these verses meant that it was a sin for a Christian to go to the doctor. And he had been taught that you should just trust God for healing, because sickness is always caused by sin.

Mike went over each verse, explaining what was happening in the context. (Remember, a text without a context is a pretext!)  The man was more and more glad to see that sickness isn’t
just a result of unconfessed sin.  And that the Bible doesn’t forbid medicine.

Soon we left to go pray for his wife, Primitiva.  The house was fairly close by.  A half hour's walk led to a cluster of adobe houses that had grown one room at a time.  These maze-like houses had dirt floors.  Clotheslines hung across some of the rooms. There were few tables and chairs, and chickens ran in and out.

All the neighbors greeted us with kisses.  The man was eager to tell them what he had found out—sickness just happens, and God loves you anyway.  It is OK to go to the doctor. It is OK to take medicine.

Primitiva was sitting outside on a step in back of her house.  Her whole body was clenched tight because of the pain in her stomach.  My heart fell when I saw her.  

“How long has she been like this?”

“Six months, maybe.”

Good free medical care had been available all this time from the German mission hospital.  If she had gone to the doctor, something could have been done. But she had spent months in needless agony.

Because of false teaching.

Her husband touched her on the shoulder to get her attention and told her the good news. "Sin brings spiritual death, not physical sickness. It's OK to go to the doctor."  But I knew in my heart that it was too late for her.  She would be having her healing in heaven.

Because of false teaching.

We prayed for her, but when my turn came to pray, all I could pray for was for a relief of pain and the promise of heaven.

They went to the German hospital.  She had stomach cancer, and it was far too late to do anything for her.  

She died a month later.

Because of false teaching.

So that’s why we “just teach church people the Bible”.

Videos Page Added!

Looking for the road video?  Look no further!  I've added a whole page of videos.  Just click on videos on the tab above, under the map of Peru.

“We got him!” | Christian History Magazine

“We got him!” | Christian History Magazine

Here is a link to story of one of our own personal missionary heroes, a man who served in the Andes of Peru, and whose legacy lives on even today.

Christmas Project

In the Apurimac area the poorest children are not reached at Christmas by any ministry. There has been a longstanding problem in the area that diverts Christmas gifts to other locations.

Because of this Missionary Becky Gomez Riggs (our daughter) and longtime ministry helper Yesenia Rivera are organizing a program to go directly to these children with gifts from the US and from Lima.

If you want to support their ministry you need to contact us directly. In addition, it is listed on our Fall Ministry Needs page. Here is a presentation that explains the program:

Don't miss out!

March 5, 2016 - You wake up and think of that upcoming Missions Sunday at your church.  Who were you going to contact?  Oh yeah!  Mike Riggs.  You've been wanting to hear about his ministry in Peru.  You hear that great things are happening there.

You get on your computer and go on Facebook. Let's see, Mike Riggs...  Aha!  There's his post.

"So glad to be back in Peru!"

Too late!  But he was in the US all year.  You thought there was plenty of time.

Don't let this happen to you.  If you are planning to have us speak at your church, you need to contact us and set up a date for us to speak to your church or group.

NEW: the calendar posted at the right shows what dates are currently open,

New Presentation Introducing Our Ministry and Peru

We designed this presentation for camp ministry, but it's also a good intro to the ministry and Peru for anybody.  It could be used in a missions moment as well, or possibly in Sunday School. You can  get it to play with speaker notes by clicking on the gear and selecting that.  If you want to use this and need any help please email us at missionarymike@gmail.com .

We also have presentations on the geography, transportation, and foods of Peru.  Let us know if you would like to use or see those!

Now you can help Miguel Gomez spread the gospel in Lima

MIGUEL GOMEZ is helping to plant a church in the Jose Galvez area of Lima and will be starting a children's ministry in an impoverished area in late May or early June.  He needs more support for these ministries.  Also several supporters seem to have gotten lost in the transition, so if you have been supporting Miguel (or want to start) please let us know and send your support to World Outreach.
Please pray for these new ministries and for his financial needs.

How to help. . .Cayo Cardenas run the seminary

CAYO CARDENAS is Academic Director and in charge of the seminary while we are gone.  He needs a little more support and a lot of prayer as he is also serving as Vice President of the synod of Apurimac in the Peruvian Evangelical church.
Please pray for wisdom with all of his responsibilities.
To support click here or mail to World Outreach Ministries.

Alert for supporters of Cayo, Miguel, and Walter

We've noticed that there has been a drop-off in support for Peruvian missionaries
Cayo, Miguel, and Walter.  Several people have asked where to send their support now. The answer is to send it just like our support (designate Riggs, Mike & Tammy #400), but email us one time to let us know that you are sending it for Cayo, Miguel, or Walter.

Don't send it to Believers Bridge, which is currently only handling donations for their Brazil missionaries. Send it to World Outreach Ministries, P. O. Box B, Marietta GA 30061 or donate online.  Either way, designate it Mike & Tammy Riggs, #400.  Just make sure that you notify us that your support or a portion of your support is for them.