Q: Do you guys have a home church in the US?
Q: What mission organization are you with and who are they?
Q: What is your Statement of Faith?
Q: When are your birthdays/ anniversary?
Q: Can we send packages to you in Peru?
Q: How do I know if you received something I sent by mail?
Q: What are your long-term plans?
Q: How do I get involved in short or long-term missions?
Q: Do you need help with your ministry?
Q: What are your needs/ how can I help?
Q: How do you guys raise support?
Q: Do you guys have a home church in the US?
A: Yes. Jaime and I are members of The People's Church, a Baptist church in Franklin, TN about 20 minutes south of the city of Nashville. People's Church has a huge heart for reaching out to their community and for national and international missions.
Q: What mission organization are you with and who are they?
A: We are officially missionaries with Commission to Every Nation (CTEN), an inter-denominational mission organization based out of Kerrville, TX. Although we are pioneering a new ministry, we will continue this new venture as CTEN missionaries. All of our support goes through CTEN. You can also view our profile here on the CTEN website.
Q: What is your Statement of Faith?
A: You can view our Statement of Faith here (adapted from People's Church). If for some reason you have any specific questions, always feel free to ask!
Q: When are your birthdays/ anniversary?
A: Jaime's birthday is September 9 -- Jed's birthday is April 13 -- Our anniversary is May 31, 2003
Q: Can we send packages to you in Peru?
A: Yes and no. The best way to get something to us is to contact us and we can give you the mailing address for the next person visiting here from the US or Canada. If you do want to send a small package, keep it under 2.5 pounds and to put it in a mailing envelope (any size) that can be delivered directly to our address in Cusco. Just about any item is okay to send that way. Check out our Contact Us page for addresses. Heavier items mailed in a box have to go through Customs inspection and there is a list a mile long of things that are heavily taxed or confiscated, so it is best to avoid that as we may not receive them at all!
Q: How do I know if you received something I sent by mail?
A: Typically mail takes 3 weeks to get here and vice versa. Packages could also take longer than 3 weeks. Don't be shy to ask us if we got something. It is always our habit to recognize any packages or mail we receive by way of e-mail to let you know that it arrived and that we are very appreciative. Also, if we know something is coming, we can be on the lookout for it.
Q: What are your long-term plans?
A: As of July 2007 we have been in Cusco, Peru pioneering a new ministry. We plan to stay here for a minimum of 5 years to work with both foreigners and Peruvians who come through Cusco. We plan to start a cutting edge church, work with youth and young adults where they're at using music as a medium, and in the future we have plans to open a coffee house. We have also begun partnering with short term teams coming down for adventure/mission's trips. Check out our Ministry page for details.
Q: How do I get involved in short or long-term missions?
A: We're glad you asked! Our heart is to see people excited about missions. We think that everyone should experience the things that God is doing in other countries. It's hard to be excited about something you've never seen. Short term missions is the best way to expose yourself to missions and experience what God's doing around the world. Global Frontier Missions for example, has ten day missions trips for around $450! (Airfare not included) These trips include hands on training, working among the unreached of Oaxaca, Mexico, any necessary training/construction materials, learning a little Spanish, food, transportation once you're here, and an experience that will change your life! We’d be happy to give you plenty of other ideas as well.
Wanting to do long term missions? If you haven't done any short term missions, most mission organizations will be hesitant to accept you for long term missions. Plus, you'll want to know what you're getting yourself into, and be able to experience your gifts and where God is leading you. In the future we are hoping to able to host some teams here in Cusco to help with our ministry. Click here to see our Ministry page with links to opportunities to serve with us.
Q: Do you need help with your ministry?
A: Yes. Right now we are looking for a team of dynamic individuals who will help us pioneer our ministry. Those working with us will be required to go through an application process and also raise their own support. We can help with contacts for visas and legal details. We are specifically looking for someone to help pastor, musicians (guitar, bass, singer), and other leaders. Check out our Ministry page for details as well as our Statement of Faith. If you have more questions, feel free to write us at jedbenoit@gmail.com.
Q: What are your needs/ how can I help?
A: Prayer! We need people to pray for us. Drop us a line and let us know you’re praying—it’s a real encouragement! Our biggest physical need is finances. Like most missionaries, we are not independently wealthy and we rely solely on the support of our friends, family, and church. Although the cost of living in a Latin country is somewhat lower than living in the States, we have all our basics like housing, food, transportation, as well as medical, travel, emergency money, and all the extras that you never can plan for.
Whether in supporting us or any other missionary, many people feel that if they can't give big, then they can't really contribute. At this point, we couldn't meet our support needs every month without every single dollar that comes in. If you'd like to consider partnering with us to be a part of our team and the exciting work God's doing, check out our Donate page for details of how you can get involved financially.
How are we doing now? At present, we are living below budget to meet our basic needs, but we are trusting God, as He has provided for us every step of the way! For those of you who are already supporting us, we appreciate you very much and are excited that you have decided to partner with us! You can also write us if you'd be interested in helping us with a specific need.
Q: How do you guys raise support?
A: We raise support through our friends, family, church, and even people who have never met us! All our finances go through Commission to Every Nation (our sending mission's organization) and are tax deductible. We do not get "paid" to do missions, so we raise our own support by raising awareness and having people partner with us. Also check out the "What are your needs/ how can I help" Q&A above for more info.When you give us money through CTEN, that money is put directly into our bank account at the beginning of every month. We give CTEN a small percentage of all funds received which helps them help us by visiting our home church, staffing to do things like take care of our finances, newsletters, etc. and includes ongoing visits on the field to help us with challenges we may face.