Hey everyone!

David and I have made it back to Lima after a week long research trip in the department of Huanuco.  We left last Sunday and made the drive from Lima out to the city of Huanuco in a record of 8 hours.  Traffic was very light and I think the police only stopped us to check our documents once.  We spent the night in our destination city and hit the road for the "country" in the morning.  We traveled around all week in the west section of the department.  We were traveling with team member Christine Jackson- REAP North's best researcher and learning the ropes from her and leaning on her Spanish- which is better than ours:) 

Basically we traveled from tiny pueblo to tiny pueblo asking people if there were evangelical churches in the town, how many people attended and how many people live in the town.  We talked to pastors when we could, but many times the pastors were out in the fields working or didn't live in the towns they ministered in.  It seems like a simple task but its really not.  We are searching for places that have little to no evangelical presence in the area.  We didn't find any Baptist churches but found a lot of Assembly of God and Alianza (a sort of pentecostal church- but pretty close to Baptist).  Our days were long- and we went on some roads that really weren't roads.  At one point we were driving up a stream and it was still the "road".  Yikes.  David has done an amazing job driving- I am so grateful for that- however, there are still times when I shriek and close my eyes.  I'm working on it ok?  I'm not quite Peruvian yet. 

We were out in the middle of nowhere most of the week, though every night we made it to a larger town (2000 people) and stayed in hostals.  We saw some amazing places- that I doubt few gringos have ever seen.  We ran into a lot of road work- they are paving a section of road (gracias a Dios) and we found an alternate route to Lima.  Its quite a bit longer from Huanuco - about 12 hours- but from a possible adoption site- only about 6-7 which would cut a teams travel down considerably.  Plus its a nice road!  David actually got to drive in 5th gear.  He was excited about that.

We also moonlighted this week as a taxi!  When you are out in the boonies- people flag you down for rides constantly- so we packed the backseat with all kinds of people, teachers trying to get back to the city for the weekend, a Quechua lady with a baby (who needed a diaper change) and a young teenager taking some produce into the city from his grandparents farm.  Don't be alarmed- we aren't picking up strange men- we are being careful-but its a good opportunity to help someone and talk to them a little.  I was able to explain what David and I are doing here to three ladies at one point.  It really stretched my spanish- but was good to try the best I could.   Peruvians for the most part are good about looking out for us- especially if you've helped them or bought something in their store:)  But we met an especially nice man who owns a gas station in a town we spent the night in.  We got some gas one morning and asked for some directions.  We came back through several days later and stopped there to use the bathroom.  He was kind in helping us with more directions, telling us where and why some places were not safe to go, offering some very good advice, letting us park our truck there while we went to a store and use the bathroom for free.  David tried to give him a little money for helping us- but he wouldn't take it.  Might not sound like much- but you don't get anything for free around here- its hard to get information, a bathroom and a parking place for nothing- not even buying anymore gas from him... We got ripped off at the hotel in that town and it really just made my day seeing the kindness of this man. 

We have a signed lease for our apartment in Huanuco now!  Horray!  I expect we will be moving out there in about a week.  We've got to get our Peruvian ID's this week and get some paperwork completed and then we are off.  I'm very excited- every trip to Huanuco has resulted in a higher level of excitement about living there.  Its a great city- and we are getting more and more familiar with it.  

Please pray for us!  We are so blessed that you go to the Father on our behalf!

Prayer Requests:

• The ever-present homesickness for me
  
• Language!!!!!  Can't stress this enough
  
• A good relationship with our new landlords and neighbors
  
• An upcoming vision conference next month we are preparing for
  
• An abounding love for Peruvians
  
• Praise for our new home, safe travel and new friends
  

Love you all- please let us know if we can pray for you!!!

Sorry its been so long- but we've been on the go go go here. About 3 weeks ago or so, we left on a vet clinic trip with Crossroads church from KY. David, I and 2 translators: Mijail and Reuben headed out from Lima to Huanuco on Saturday morning. This was David's first driving adventure over the mountains. He did a great job and I think he might be part Peruvian. I made new rule that if I have to shut my eyes for more than 20 seconds he shouldn't be doing that. We saw a lot of snow on Ticlio and when we passed through Pasco (a very high section) we all fell deep asleep (except David of course) curtesy of the altitude.  We arrived in Huanuco after about 8 1/2 hours on the road.  We stayed in our familiar hostel and did some apartment hunting.  The next morning we attended the Baptist church and then picked up the team from the airport.  We headed straight out to Panoa, about 2 hours on dirt roads, yet another driving challenge for David.  We made it into Panoa- but the town was so busy that it took us a while to make it to the hotel.  The streets are only big enough for one vehicle and they are two - way streets.  They are also full of people.  But we finally made it and checked into the Hotel.  That evening we met up with Edmin and Maura for dinner and got ready for the next day.  Some of the team was having some trouble with altitude and we turned in early.  

The next day we headed out to a smaller village and set up shop.  The team did a lot of house calls and stayed pretty busy de-worming sheep, cows, pigs, horses, donkeys, and probably a few others that I am forgetting.  We did this for 3 more days in different villages.  It was a neat way to minister to the people there and most of their animals were in surprisingly good condition.  David jumped right in like he'd been doing it his whole life.  I liked doing the sheep especially.  

The last day we saw more chickens, dogs and guinea pigs than we had earlier and I spent most of the day explaining in my rotten spanish how to administer the medicine to their animals that they couldn't bring to where we were working.  That proved challenging.  I also held a few pigs, so I could say that I did.  But I don't really like pigs.

After we finished that day, we headed back into Huanuco for the night.  We had Italian food, but it still tasted Peruvian...

The next morning David and I and the translators headed back down the road to Lima.  Traffic was a little slow coming down some of the mountains and we hit Lima right at Friday night rushour.  It took us about 9 1/2 hours to get home.  We dropped Reuben off and we and Mijail made it to the hotel to give the team their luggage and supplies for their trip home the next day.  

We checked into the Martinika and got as much sleep as we could.  The next morning we woke up and greeted the team from our home church who arrived late the night before.  David's brother Daniel was part of the team and it was a huge blessing to see some family.  That morning we packed up the trucks and vans and got back on the road, heading this time to Huancayo- about a 6 hour drive if you don't stop.  We stopped.  So it took about 9 hours to get there.  The first part of the trip is the same for going to Huanuco, but the road forks at one point and if you go north you get to our city, if you go south you get to Huancayo.  We spent the evening in Huancayo and attended church the next morning.  We then headed out to San Jose de Quero and got settled into Maruja's hostel.  That night we prepared for the "True Love Waits" presentation the following day.  The next day we went to the high school and presented to the older kids.  I'm still not sure how I feel that this went and how well it was received.  I think overall we all agreed that the gospel presentation needed to be more clear and central.  

That night we had Bible study in SJQ and a small group held one in Usibamba as well.  The group was using storying and I felt that the study went well in SJQ.  It was good to see familiar faces and have some people remember us.  It was also really great to be able to talk to Maruja this time.  The next day we presented again in Usibamba and held Bible study again.  The last day we spent prayer walking in Usibamba, exploring a new area, visiting people in SJQ and having the last Bible study.  

We had unusual weather, including rain and 2 hail storms.  We woke up one morning to white peaks- beautiful.  That morning David and I got up very early to drive into Huancayo (we left our computer charger in the hotel) and it was a pretty drive.  I had my first driving lesson on the way back so I can now say that I've driven in Peru.  We picked up a man and gave him a ride- so that was a little intimidating, but I made it through! 

We headed back to Lima the next day- and we went the "back way".  Last year we took this same shortcut that more than doubled the driving time.  However this year we were assured that the road was more than half paved and was a lot faster.  So we decided to try it out.  It is one of the most beautiful drives with awe-inspiring views and a lot of llama herds.  But we got to the exact same spot that we had our first flat tire last year, and they were in the process of paving the road and we had to wait for over 2 hours for it be drivable.  There goes the "faster" description.  We enjoyed the layover though and David went swimming in the river there- freezing cold, but you know David, he said it felt wonderful:)  Some of the other guys got involuntarily wet, but thats another story for another day.

We made it into Lima and enjoyed a shower and dinner out with the team.  The next day was spent typically in the Inca Market, eating Papa John's Pizza, and all that jazz.  The following day we got some errands done and then took an overnight bus (our truck was in the shop) to Huanuco with Daniel and a translator friend of ours, JP.  We were planning on apt hunting.  We arrived early the next morning and after a few mishaps (like falling in a hole in the sidewalk) we made it to the hostel and started the search.  Long story short, we've found an apartment and have a deposit on it.  We are waiting for the office to work out the contract and hope to move in Sept. 1 or near to it.  We spent the rest of the time walking around, price checking appliances and furniture and scoping out new places to eat.  We found one restaurant we will not be returning to.  If I told you about it- you would swear I was making it all up.  Daniel and David ate cuy- which is guinea pig, and JP bought us emoliants- some sort of tea with alfalfa in it. Not too bad...

We took another overnight bus back and arrived in Lima yesterday.  Since then we have been doing some errands and remarkeably... resting!  AHHH!!!!!  wonderful.  We are supposed to be heading out on a research trip Saturday for a week or so in the Pasco area.  After that- hopefully we will be moving to Huanuco.

Please pray for us :

for continued language learning

for relationships with nationals

for the paperwork on the apt to go through

praise God that we were able to get plane tickets home for Christmas

We love and miss you all, please keep sending us updates on whats going on with you and how we can be praying for you.