We are in town for just a few days and are heading out again Tuesday!

We just got back from San Jose de Quero where we spent the last week. Our team is grateful to have a team of students staying in Quero for 2 months! Our job this week was to get them started: familiarizing them with the people and area and strategy, teaching them how to cook, and as always enjoying being up there. The student team is GREAT! Go - getters and very grounded in the Word. We are confident God will use them mightily this summer. I enjoyed holding "cooking classes" every day and teaching them to shop in the market in Chaquicocha. If anyone needs some tips- I found a much faster way to cut up a whole chicken. I'm a beast.

Please lift these students up in your prayers as they minister "on their own" these next few weeks. We will be up to check on them in a few weeks with Larry Pumpelly, but until then they are holding down the fort.

We are enjoying Huanuco and the warmth very much today! We had a great time of worship at church this morning and had a visit from our friends Lindor, Zoila and Samuelito this afternoon. What a blessing to have been able to live here and make friends. We will surely miss Huanuco come September. However, we are excited about living in Lima as well- being close to our team will be good and make us more helpful to them. Please pray for us as we say goodbyes these next few months to our friends here though.

Our schedule peaks this month and I've listed it below so that you can be praying for us in "real time". I may not be able to update the blog again until mid-July. Your prayers are definately needed and we earnestly ask for them. We can not do the work here- we desperately need God to do it for us.

Tomorrow is David's 28th birthday and I have made Betty's famous Mocha Chocolate Torte Cake to celebrate the occasion. We are glad to spend the day together and in a warm climate:)

Here is our schedule- please be praying for us~

June 15-18: Research in Pasco area

June 18-20: Travel via bus to Lima to meet New River Team

June 20-22: Minister in Jauja with New River

June 23-24: Meet Larry Pumpelly in San Jose de Quero

June 25-26: Return to Lima with New River Team and Stay the night in Lima

June 26-July 2: Return to Huancayo with team from New Orleans Seminary for Pastors conference in Huancayo

July 2-July 8: International World Changers Medical team: I will be leading a team to the Quero/Usibamba area and David will lead one to the Jauja area.

July 9: Return to Huanuco.

As you can see its a lot of traveling and a lot of work- so lift us before the Father that we may have the endurance and right attitude to do all this well.

Thanks! Love to you all! Please send us updates on how you are doing and how we can be praying for you!

These past few weeks have certaintly been busy ones! We waited in vain for our new tires but the daily excuses added up to zero & so we left town and headed for San Jose de Quero. We made it with only 1 flat tire-not bad considering. There we met up with Mindy, Larry Pumpelly from our home church, and 10 South Carolina college students. They had already been there for five days or so. It was a great trip and a great team. We did some painting in Usibamba and some discipleship in Quero. We attended/led Bible studies in both of those towns and met with believers in Porvenir again. It has been a true blessing to be able to be in this area so many times this year. David and I are really seeing the difference that consistency makes in our relationships with the people there. We are looking forward to going back in a week or so to help get some suumer missionaries started. They will live and minister there for two months.
David and I had a really neat thing happen this past trip-the believers from Porvenir attended a Bible study in Quero one night and one of the couples wanted to dedicate their child that night and asked us to be godparents! So we are now godparents to a beautiful baby girl named Thaiza. What a sweet blessing for us!
Straight from Quero we along with translator JP split off from the Lima-bound group and headed to Huancayo. There we coordinated details for the upcoming pastors conference in June. Afterwards we went to Jauja to coordinate upcoming June and July trips there with our friend Miguel. We also enjoyed another flat tire (3rd of the trip) so we spent the night in the very nice Xauxa House and headed out the next morning for Tarma. There we met with Pastor Paul and planned for their upcoming pastors conference in July. We also awaited the arrival of the Southside Baptist Church team. We spent the next few days with them ministering in a town called Huasahuasi (wasawasi) focusing on evangelism. Now we are back home in Huanuco enjoying some much needed rest before we head out again.

Post from Lima:

Just a short note today! We are in Lima for a few days for meetings and training and are having some fun hanging out with our team here. We just got back from 4 days in San Jose de Quero, Usibamba, Chaquicocha, and Santa Rosa. We had Pachamanca twice- a traditional Peruvian special occasion meal. We met with believers in Por Venir (near San Jose), San Jose and Usibamba. We spent some time in discipleship as well. Here are some prayer requests for us these days...

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for encouragement for the believers in these areas, especially for Arminda (Godofredo's wife). Pray for us as well as meeting with her can be very discouraging.

Please pray for us as we make decisions about the future- it appears an extension is very probable in our future.

Please pray for the intense months ahead of us! And the exciting work ahead!

Well, we are back home for a little while anyway! We just finished up with a GREAT trip. A group from the South Carolina Baptist Convention came to provide medical treatment and counseling and widespread gospel sharing. We spent a day in Cansejos...

A camp of about 20-25 tents for the victims of a recent mudslide that completely destroyed this small town. Dr. Mark said that some of the older people had probably never had medical attention their whole lives. One young boy decided it was safer in the tree than seeing that doctor- poor fellow. We should have told him we weren't giving shots...

Even in the midst of suffering, these people showed their characteristic hospitality. After we had visited everyone, 2 men took us up to the hydrangea fields. Yes, fields of hydrangeas that they are growing to export to the US. He insisted on stopping to pick us "a few" and came back looking like this...

I think I might have swooned a little at these blooms:)

We were also blessed during the day seeing a group from Huanuco with our friend Edwin minister to the kids- they did a phenomenal job!

The next day- we enjoyed worshiping in the town of Ambo- site of the another tremendous mudslide that has left hundreds homeless and over 70 dead. We joined the congregation of the Alianza church and had a sweet time with them. After lunch we moved to one of the camps and shared the gospel and provided tent to tent medical attention. These days were challenging and sad, but joyful in being able to share the hope we have in Christ with these hurting people.

Monday was a travel day to Huancayo where we spent the night. The next morning we went to San Jose de Quero to minister there for 2 days. In this rural community, the house call method was more challenging and time consuming. But all around it was very effective. We know now where folks live and how to find them to check back up on them. We had a number of people pray to receive Christ and a full Bible study Wed. night.

One of my favorite stories is Elizabeth's mom. Elizabeth is a young mother we've developed a relationship with in de Quero. We stopped by to visit her and she asked if the team could see her mother who lived in a different town 15 minutes away. We agreed and picked up Eli. and her 3 kids later that afternoon. Her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer 14 years ago and had been living in fear of "death any day now" from it. The doctor was able to assure her that she did not have cancer and this relief opened her heart and she prayed to receive the Lord. What a blessing:)

We heard some sad stories these few days too. Please be praying for a 91 yr old lady who is still traumatized by the terror of the Shining Path, her murdered husband and disfigured daughter as a result of their terrorism. Also please pray for a young 8 year old boy who had fractured his thigh and received insufficient medical attention. He is now dealing with infections in his leg and chest due to being bed ridden. He has also become withdrawn and rarely will speak. Pray for his total healing.

This volunteer team was one of the very best I've ever worked with. They were truly hard working, servant minded and were a huge encouragement to us!

We welcomed a team from Crossroads Baptist Church to Huanuco yesterday. Today they headed out for a pastor's training in Panao- where we will join them later in the week.

But for the next few days we are going to kick back and catch up and sleep!

A piece of good news... we heard that there is a very high likelihood that we will be extended for another year! Thanks for praying about that for us!

Hey there! I'm writing this in between batches of muffins and cookies- Cameron's Bakery is open today folks! Actually I am getting ready for a team coming into Huanuco this evening. This is a medical and evangelism team that is coming to serve in Consejos & Ambo- locations very near Huanuco that have recently suffered from devastating landslides. Hundreds of people are living in tents, having lost everything. We won't spend more than a day in each location, but we are hoping to encourage and help the best we can in that time. We have been told that the greater need will surface in 2 weeks when government aid pulls out. David and I will re-evaluate needs at that time and plan accordingly. After the 2 days here, we'll head out to San Jose de Quero to work for a few days as well.

Maruja's hostal will definitely be our second home this summer, well ok, maybe our first home and our apartment will be our second home.:)
We actually just got back from San Jose, where we spent a great week discipling, leading and participating in Bible studies and teaching in the schools a little.

Going there is always an encouragement to us- its the kind of place you can just go walking around and not worry about safety or unfriendly people.

Anecdote: We went to visit Rosa, Maruja's mother. She and her husband live outside of town a ways. Eugenio usually rides his horse to the store to see us, but he was visiting in another town when we came calling. Rosa was standing in her doorway, hand on hip, peering out to see who the group of gringos was. She welcomed us warmly as always. I'm always taken aback at how short she is. I swear she only comes up to my rib cage! SO tiny- we could just pack her up in a bookbag and carry her around. I'll bet she'd love that! She always invites us in her house which is a big deal culturally, not at all common. We came in and sat down and Rosa began show and tell. We started with her football sized potatoes, which she insisted on giving us a bag of. Then she brought in an apron full of abas, beans that is, which she promptly put in the potato bag, insisting that it was only a few. It was more than a few. Then she tried to give us some of her freshly sheared- yet unwashed wool. Thankfully, we convinced her not to give us that. But she did show us how to spin with nothing but your fingers. In about 10 seconds she produced a string of yarn nearly a foot long. She then showed us old photos she had, one of her as a young woman- probably early 20s, her brother and a few others. That was really special. She is 78 years old, sharp as a tack. She remembered a joke she made back in January and added to it this time. She sent us on our way with detailed instructions on which way to go to avoid the mud and huge smiles for all of us. Rosa and I have the same hat. I love that.

The next, oh I don't know, 5 months are going to be a little crazy, but we are excited about upcoming trips.

Please pray for us:

As we still seek an extension,

Keep up with logistics for teams,

Ministry for the summer,

That our current renters will renew their lease or we will find new renters without missing a month

Thanks so much to all of you, we miss you and love you. Keep us updated on whats going on with you! We love hearing from folks back home or wherever this finds you!

We are just back in Lima for a few days now, enjoying the warm humid weather and the occasional sunshine! We had a great past week in San Jose de Quero and Usibamba with our home church, Grace Community Baptist, and some guest visitors from Asheville, NC.

After a night in Huancayo, we set out for the higher altitude of 13,100 ft of San Jose. This trip's purpose was discipleship and we saw God do some amazing things this week! Teammate Mindy McCord and I were the only ladies on the trip and we were able to spend some great time with a few of the women. We went through a few old testament stories with Maruja, one of the key people in town (store and hostel manager, mayor's sister). It was wonderful to see her read the stories for the first time ever, her excitement about the Word, and her insight into application! We were encouraged with her eagerness to share the stories with others, without any prompting from us. God really used us despite our limited language skills and spoke through the power of His Word. We also spent a few evenings with Arminda in Usibamba. Arminda has been difficult in the past due to her tendancy to dominate the conversation and overwhelm us with unrelevant questions. She has also expressed in the past a lack of regard for Mindy's and my ability to teach the Bible because we don't have kids. Yeah...

Well this time, we really saw a softening in her and more gentleness for which we were grateful. We had two great nights working through some discipleship material. God taught me a lot through this- showing His power in my inadequecies. It constantly amazes me when I give it all up to Him, readily admitting that I am not able to do anything, how sufficient He is and how gracious. The men had a great week as well, spending very concentrated time with Teodoro, Godofredo, Rolando, and a new member of the group, Manuel. They had great results in teaching them to lead a Bible study using a passage of scripture and 3 simple question, what do I like, what do I not like, and what can I apply? I think the leaders were encouraged through this week and we are looking forward to seeing what is going when we return next month. We had a Sunday night Bible study in both towns, and both went really well. We were blessed to have 2 of the very best translators with us: Hector and Mijail, and they not only translate, they minister and pour into the people as much if not more than we do.

We are thankful for a wonderful time that was refreshing and encouraging. God highlighted this time with 2 clear nights where we saw His handiwork in the stars! You've never seen stars like this back home- trust me! You look up into the sky and you get dizzy because you see so much!

We will be in Lima for a few days until Saturday when we travel with a church to Jauja to help out with a baseball camp! Looking forward to this! We will leave this team early and head up to Ambo to see College Street ministering there before heading home to Huanuco for a few days. Ahhh home.

Blog Update:

So sorry its been so long! We have been on the move and when we stop- we still feel like we are moving...
So this blog is a recap of February!

After the great time with the team from College Street Baptist Church, we had a few restful days at home which were a blessing to us! I have been sewing and reading, David has been roof gardening and reading as well!
We headed into Lima around February 10 to meet an incoming team from Hesperia Baptist Church from Hesperia, CA. We arrived a few days early to meet with our bosses and discuss the near future and to sketch out our calendar for the next 6 months. We are going to be very busy- but are glad for that! More opportunities to see what God is doing here in Peru! We have also discussed the possibility of a relocation to Lima around September. While we love Huanuco so much, we have realized that it is not the most strategic location for us as our team changes. I would say that the move is pretty much a sure thing- but I wouldn't set it in concrete just yet.
We went with a team of 4 from Hesperia to a town called Tarma, nicknamed the city of flowers. Sounds pretty good huh? We drove into this mountain town that is located more or less between La Oroya and Cerro de Pasco, through fields of chrysanthemums, gladiolas, baby's breath and others! Que bonita! We stayed the week in the apartments above one of the Baptist Churches in Tarma. Hesperia is partnering with this church to reach a nearby town called Acobamba. Pastor Paul of Tarma was a great encouragement to us- to see his heart for the lost and for discipleship and training were remarkable. We spent the week partnering with Peruvian brothers and sisters from Tarma, evangelizing door to door 8 hours a day, for 4 days. At night we showed the Jesus film and the Hope film and had a Bible study.
They were one translator short for the trip, so David, Pastor Paul and I made our own team (no english allowed). We were stretched way beyond our comfort zone, in not only the language, but hey, the door to door thing. I think there are few who would say that is easy for them. But God was so faithful and was able to work through our shortcomings and fears show Himself powerful that week. David and I were able to share the gospel with over 50 people who received Christ as their Lord. As always its NOT about the numbers, but it was an encouragement to see their desire for a Savior. There are trained local leaders already in place for follow-up discipleship. WOW! Thats amazing! What a blessing to serve along side of these faithful brothers in Christ who desire to see their neighbors realize the love of Christ. We returned to Huanuco following this trip- thoroughly stretched, tired and refreshed. We spent a few days at home, during which time David helped a semi-local VBS by playing chauffer. So he didn't get a good rest from time in the truck. I did. Anyway. A few days later we headed back into Lima to pick up David's folks. We tried an alternate route which ended in a mudslide, detour, and a total of 13 hours on the road. But we made it to Lima nonetheless and spent the next day recouping while the truck had its day in the spa getting tuned up. We spent the next day on the beach! Rough huh?
That night Betty and Jim arrived. We spent 1 day in Lima, drove to Huaraz, drove to Banos, drove to Huanuco and stayed there 2 days, drove to Jauja, San Jose de Quero, and then to Paracas! Ahh Paracas! A day on the coast and we took a boat tour out to the Ballestas islands to see sea lions, pelicans, penguins and much much more! How fun for us! We went back to Lima and spent the night and got them on the plane the following morning. We had an adventerous time that morning, as our side mirror had been stolen the night before. So we set off on a quest to find a replacement. After 3 hours of fighting Lima traffic, we are not city folk by the way, we had the mirror replaced. We drove to the hotel to pick up the team from Santa Cruz from our home church Grace. I am writing this now from San Jose de Quero- but will post it in Lima- and will write more about this trip soon!

Pray for us as we go go go!