The Long Awaited Update

Since I am not sure where everyone is at and what you may have already read or heard, I will start from the begining. Our flights were great and we were actually on time without having to do any running. The kids were very well behaved which made the flights (3 of them) much more comfortable. We also had at least a third of the plane empty on the flight from Miami to Lima so we had some room to stretch out a bit. While we were disembarking the plane we realized they has broken our double stroller, the wheel was broken right off! We were a bit disapointed about this as we were depending on it a great deal but there are a few praises to report. For one, we were granted a six month visa. Pastor Brian says we are the first people he has known in ten years here to be granted this length of time (it is usually three months ). This is a blessing because it will save us hundreds of dollars in visa renewal fees. Secondly we got the "red" light while passing through customs. The way this system works is that you walk up to this button and push it, if it turns green you can go without them checking your bags. In the event that it turns red they search your bags and can tax you on different items that you have brought in. Since we brought in many items for family here we were somewhat worried about this. Praise be to God, they just sent our bags (not even all of them) through the x-ray machine and let us go, not one was opened!!

Our room in the church

Pastor Brian, Lucho and Denise met us in the airport. We returned to the church were we stayed for one week. This was a great starting point for us and helped us gradually move into our new apartment. We were blessed with a wonderful place from some friends of ours in the States but we had a lot of purchasing to do before we could move in. Apartments here come with absolutely nothing... not even light bulbs but we were fortunate in this case. There were a few pieces of furniture here and some dishes. We had to buy the appliances and mattresses as well as a bed frame and assorted items for the kitchen. Eddy's family helped us out a great deal with the cleaning and all the running aorund we have had to do. His brother Oscar is going to lend us some furnature and between him and His other brother Kike we now have pretty much everything we need to live here. His brother Kike also graciously offered to cook for us everyday until we get settled in, this is an absolute blessing!!

The kids trying out the new mattresses.

Our building is the yellow one... the second floor (the one with the window open).

We are blessed that the owner is allowing us to use the above furniture.

The kitchen

Eddy's brother Kike preparing Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado.. muy ricco!!

We have settled into somewhat of a daily routine now. Every morning Eddy wakes up at 4 AM to walk to church for the mens morning prayer meeting. Starting next Tuesday I will be attending Spanish classes Monday through Friday directly after Eddy returns home. I have to take a bus for about a half an hour and then I will study for another hour and a half. After I return we will have lunch (here the main meal is lunch with just tea and a light snack later on) and then have a few hours for whatever needs to be taken care of. Monday nights Eddy is part of a discipleship class that Pastor Brian leads for some of the men in the church. This is exciting as it has been on Eddy's heart for awhile now to be able to be discipled in this way. On Tuesday evenings Eddy attends the weekly prayer meeting at the church and then on Thursday nights he joins the rest of the fellowship for the mid-week bible study. Last week he served with a team that went to minister in a very poor neighborhood about an hour or so from Lima (it is called Santa Rosa). He will continue to go here on Sunday afternoons while Pastor Brian and his family are away in the States. He will also get his first opportunity to teach the bible study to the small group of believers there. He said there are many children, sometimes as many as 40 and eight or so adults. Please be in prayer as to where the Lord would have us to serve on a permanant basis. Eddy was touched on his visit there and so I hope to join him on the next trip. The kids will have to stay behind with Betty, Brian's wife as the van the church takes is filled to capacity. Pray that they will adjust to having a sitter here, I think they will be fine as they already enjoy her company on Sunday mornings.

Family gathering... we seem to have a lot of these!

Yet another family get-together.

This past Tuesday I was able to attend the ladies prayer meeting (my only chance since the Spanish classes will be held during this time) and was blessed to stay after with them for a time of fellowship. Every week after prayer they make a candy called Chocotejas which are chocolates with pecans and carmel or other fillings. They then sell them for one sole (about 33 cents) each to raise money for church mission trips. We are really excited about this church's heart for missions. There are many other outreach opportunities that I have not mentioned. On Saturdays a group of believers head out to a few poor villiages to share the gospel as well as do dramas. In the future this is something that both Eddy and I would like to take part in. They have outreaches in places called Canete (there is actually a church there now) and Ica (where the earthquake hit last year). These both are places that Eddy would like to visit as we discern just where the Lord would have us. Eddy has also been working in the church doing some organizing and repairing. For those of you who know him, this is one of his areas of expertise and it just so happens that they needed somebody like this.

Pilar heating up the chocolate for the Chocotajes.

Chipe, Angie and Pilar filling the molds with chocolate.

The art of Chocotejas.

One other thing that I am excitied about. I will be helping Denise (a missionary from Boston) to teach an English class at the church on Wednesday nights. They are doing this as a form of outreach. Pray for students and that the Lord would bring those whom He is already drawing close to.

Last but not least... Josiah is crawling. Here he is escaping from the bedroom!

There is so much to tell but time never permits me to do so. I want to post this as I know you all are anxious to hear what is happening. I'll also list here a couple of prayer requests:

• For the complete healing of Josiah. The infection (if this is even what it is) almost cleared and then returned again, now for the fourth time. I'm noticing more spots on his face so I think we will need to take him to the doctor. We have yet to even think about insurance, but doctors are not as expensive here. Please pray the Lord would give the docotor wisdom.
• Continue to pray for God's guidance here. There are so many opportunities to serve and we want to make sure that we apply ourselves in the areas where He would have us.
• Continue to pray for His peace as we settle into this new culture. Praise the Lord we are all doing great but we know that it is on account of YOUR prayers!
• Protection from sickness and traffic. Yes traffic. I've almost been hit already and the day we arrived we met another Peruvian missionary who had been hit by a motorcycle the day before. There is no "yield to the pedestrain" here. If you are in their way... your fair game... at least that is what I've witnessed so far. I think it is even worse while riding in the car, but we are getting used to it. Also, Eddy has been driving here as he is one of only four people who can drive in the church. Everyone here takes public transportation and that will include me soon as well. This is a great place for those interested in snatching your belongings, to do so. This is an area that you can pray for protection in.
• Our witness to Eddy's family. We see them quite often and they have many questions and also many forms of advice... some of what are conflicting with the way we have choosen to lives. May the Lord guide our conversations!
  

Thank you all so much for praying for us and staying in touch. We miss you all but at the same time we are enjoying the life the lord has for us here.

GLORIA A DIOS - GLORY BE TO GOD