Posts on Shilo & Racquell Stratton

MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 21:30:38 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving from the Strattons!

We are praying you be blessed, wherever this newsletter finds you. We thank God for your partnership in His gospel, and your friendship with us. Keep reading for recent personal testimony of the work here in Trujillo, prayer requests, and announcements!

God provided for us to purchase a car! I (Shilo) went to Lima about a month ago, with some great referrals of some mechanics, and some options. I was in no rush to buy a vehicle, but with high hopes of finding something. Long story short, we bought a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe. Praise God!

One year in Perú!

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 21:43:36 +0000

One year and some change living here in Perú full time. We would like to thank you ALL so much for your prayers and support both leading up to our move, and throughout our time overseas so far. The fact that you are even reading this newsletter means so much to us. Like most great things in life, our first year on the foreign mission field has been a rollercoaster with a lot of: fun things, difficult things, learning experiences, sweet successes, humbling disappointments, huge opportunities, and many, many divine appointments.

Jesus the Builder

Tue, 07 May 2024 19:02:18 +0000

Hola!

We pray this newsletter finds you well! We’ve got updates and pictures from CBI Peru, Calvary Trujillo, our recent mission trip to Moyobamba, and of course some prayer requests and praise reports to share with you.

"…and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." (Matthew 16:18)

Jesus really is the One who builds His church. He is adding to the church here in Trujillo – we’re now at two services on Sunday mornings, and the home fellowships and midweek Bible studies are often full. Calvary Bible Institute Peru has also been growing – two new students signed up to live on campus midway through the semester, along with a few others who are living off-campus.

Happy +6 months!

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 02:54:53 +0000

Hola!

We pray this newsletter finds you well! We’ve got updates, pictures of some highlights and daily life here in Trujillo, and some prayer requests and praise reports to share with you.

We are only a few days away from our next semester here at Calvary Bible Institute Peru! We’ve got a batch of returning and brand new students from Peru, Venezuela, Honduras, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Bolivia, Mexico, the US, and Italy. There’s a great lineup of teachers who will come teach 1-2 week block classes through different topics and books of the Bible, and a missions week planned in April. There’ll be three teams of staff and students headed to different parts of Peru to share the love of Jesus and help other Calvary Chapels, and we get to lead one of the teams!

Gracias for this GRACE!

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 18:32:25 +0000

Skateboarding, dancing, and sharing the love of Jesus at school assemblies. Hosting a missions conference that connected and encouraged over 400 people from South America and all over the world. “Invading” a jungle city with eighty people, to make some noise and help our friends plant a Bible-teaching, grace filled church in an area full of apostasy and loosely practiced religious traditions.

Those are a few things we’ve been graced with doing since we’ve written you last! The end of September and all of October were eventful to say the least. Please enjoy photos and captions of some highlights.

What's it to ya?

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 21:52:43 +0000

Hello friends and family!

We wrote to you last when we had just landed in Trujillo at the end of June. Since then, we’ve moved into a new place! We live in a nice neighborhood with a small park, a few small grocery stores, and pharmacies all within walking distance. And we’re not too far from the church and Bible institute.

In the short time that we’ve been here, we’ve been acclimating to the city and trying to learn as much as we can. We’re like babies in a world we’re not really used to. It’s been six years since Racquell and I have been in Peru! We have a lot to learn and relearn.

CRASH LANDED!

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 17:52:07 +0000

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Luke 24:46-47

Felicidades! Thank you for opening our newsletter! We’ll catch you up on some things from the past two months, and include prayer requests and pictures below, as always!

A Mind to Work

Wed, 03 May 2023 04:55:20 +0000

These past two months in California have been an absolute blessing. Some of our biggest prayer requests from our previous newsletter were: that we’d be focused, that we’d cultivate new and old meaningful partnerships and friendships, and that we’d be bold in sharing the gospel. I can confidently say that by the grace of God, He’s been granting these prayers.

Since moving, we’ve had the opportunity to meet with our friends at Saving Grace World Missions, the organization who is helping send us out to the mission field. At SGWM’s Preaching and Teaching classes, Racquell and I share 15 minute messages that we’ve prepared beforehand (once from Philippians and twice now from the Book of Jonah). The critiques and feedback we’ve gotten from pastors there will only continue to help us sharpen the gifting of teaching we see God has charged both Racquell and I with. We’ve also gotten to sit in on other Bible & Apologetics classes and times of missionary testimonies. All these things have helped us maintain that focus that we’ve been praying for!

Full Send

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 22:23:11 +0000

The month of February was a busy and exciting month for us! We established a Care Team, had a moving sale, taught at CBI Kauai for their Missions class, MOVED from Kauai to California for a time of transition, AND Amalia turned 4 months old!

We experienced many “lasts” or “not for a whiles.” One of those “lasts” was actually a first and last time meeting with our Care Team in our home base of Kauai. We ate dinner, prayed, and worshipped with them. We also got to share more specifics about the ministry with Calvary Trujillo, CBI Peru, and general things about the country of Peru. It was very encouraging to meet with our team before leaving, knowing that they will be praying for us every step of the way, and meeting with us once a month over Zoom to pray with us. If YOU are on Kauai and are interested in joining us once a month, contact Trevor or Carissa Tadiarca for more details! We are so blessed already by our friends who are partnering with us in this way.

Jesus says, "My sheep hear My voice..."

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:21:15 +0000

January has been a fun month for the Stratton family! We have been blessed with so much love, support and aloha from our home church, Calvary Chapel Lihue. They have really come around us as a family in an incredible way. Recently God has been blessing us with many divine appointments and times to share the gospel with new friends and also to share about the Great Commission and reaching the lost for the sake of Christ.

Family of Three!

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 22:07:25 +0000

After this summer’s school of missions Racquell and I were accepted officially as Saving Grace World Missions Missionaries! This means that along with our sending church, Calvary Chapel Lihue we are being sent out with this missions organization. They will help us with facilitating funds, sending newsletters, as well a support spiritually.

We have been back in our home on Kauai, Hawaii and have been sharing updates with our church Calvary Chapel Lihue and serving in several ministries. Huge answer to prayer we welcomed our baby Amalia Esther Stratton on October 29th she is happy and healthy and keeping us busy.

Churches That Plant Churches That Plant Churches...

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 16:52:06 +0000

Hello friends and family! We are back in Rosarito after 10 days in Mazatlán and Culiacán. This is our last week of the School of Missions, and we have learned, grown, and experienced so much in such a short time of six weeks. Thanks for taking time to read and partner with us through prayer.

"Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing."" (Acts 15:36 NKJV)

During our time in Mazatlán and Culiacán, we visited several church plants and got to both enjoy the fellowship of believers there, and serve God in various areas right alongside them. The first church our team had the privilege of serving at on the trip was one of the church plants out of Calvary Maranatha, Mazatlán. We did a “church take over” and both of us were able to serve in the children’s ministry: Racquell led worship and Shilo helped in translating and doing games with the older kids.

And We're Off...

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 17:54:05 +0000

Hola! We write to you from Mazátlan, Mexico! We have been so blessed this past week of ministry and learning. We finished up our classes in Rosarito our Pastor Cory Kilgus (missionary to Perú) taught our last classes as well as another missionary, Pastor Wes Bentley, to South Sudan. This week the team gathered for a time of evangelism at a nearby park. Our last couple days there were spent attending the Church Planting Conference that was put on by Calvary Chapel Rosarito. They gathered all the churches that they have sent out so far (around 45) and also invited many other pastors and leaders to catch the vision of Church Planting around the world. Right after the conference we caught a flight out to Culiacán and drove from there to Mazatlán to attend church at Calvary Maranatha on Sunday morning and an evening service at Calvary Isla de Piedra.

Hide it under a bushel? No!

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 23:32:05 +0000

Family and Friends, we are so blessed and encouraged by all of you who are part of our Newsletter and partnering with us in prayer during this School of Missions. We have entered into the fourth week here in Rosarito and have continuously been blessed by the missionaries (from Mexico, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa) who have come out to share their wisdom with us. We’re encouraged by their stories of how the Lord Jesus has used them and grown them in their contexts.

The Great Physician

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 22:02:01 +0000

Aloha friends and family!

We have been at the Calvary School of Missions for three weeks now and have continued to participate in classes and meet missionaries who have served in countries like Nepal, India, and Mexico. We have also been able to engage in multiple ministries and serve at some of the local church plants from Calvary Chapel Rosarito.

This past week in our classes we’ve finished looking at the Purpose of the Church and started looking at cultural matters. We’ve looked at maps and charts of the “reached” (areas where the Gospel is largely accessible) and “unreached” (places with little to no accessibility to the Gospel) areas of the world. We’ve touched on topics like “worldview,” and seen how there is a great deal of difference between Western and Eastern ideologies.

How will they hear?

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 23:41:11 +0000

Hola! From Rosarito, Mexico. We have been so blessed to continue this journey into week two of Calvary School of Missions. We are being strengthened and encouraged in our classes, getting to hear directly from missionaries on the field, and witness the work of God in several church plants here in Baja California. We’ve also had the incredible opportunity to reach out in the community and connect with local churches.

New Opportunities Same Mission

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 23:48:12 +0000

Week One: School of Missions Update

Family and friends, hola from Rosarito! We’ve flown from our home in Hawaii, spent a few days with our family in California, and arrived safely in Mexico. Today marks the second day of our six-week training at Calvary School of Missions!

Thank you for taking a minute to read this update from us. We’ve been reminded already in this time, and want to remind you, that our lives are not our own but rather, they belong to Jesus. A verse that represents that truth and that the Lord has ministered to us so far is,

Bienvenidos!

Fri, 13 May 2022 22:46:56 +0000

June Update:

Thank you for your fellowship in the faith and for your prayerful support. We are continuing to prepare for the CSOM term that is coming up. We recently shared with our church body CCLihue, our plans to go to the training and hopes that we will be sent out as foreign missionaries in the near future. Along with that vision we also shared with them that Racquell is pregnant and we will be welcoming a baby into this world in November. The Lord has been preparing us in multiple ways.