Published on February 27, 2006
in peru.
We had the opportunity to spend time with 4 church leaders from different villages. I asked them how folks back in the U.S. could pray for them.
Here’s what they said:
Nicanor Policio Perez - lay leader in Corongo church - Pray that God will use me and form me according to his power. Pray for my spiritual life. Pray that God will bless me economically. And pray that God will fill my heart with his power and love.
Milagros - 30 years old - missionary from Lima - starting a church in Aco - Pray that I will recieve financial support to be able to stay more time in Aco. Pray that the new Christian in Aco will become prayers. Pray that God will bless Aco and raise up more believers from the village.
Roger (31) & Betty (25) - youth leaders in Cuzca - Pray for his wife and their marriage. Pray that he will grow spiritually WITH his wife. Pray that God will bless his ministry with the young people of Cuzca.
Julio - pastor in Corongo - pray that God will bless the Corongo church with devoted believers.
Published on February 27, 2006
in peru.
—– Original Message —–
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 11:46 AM
Subject: Trina - blog
Ryan & Amanda,
You know our newest one is named Trina, so it really caught my eye and I had to read this post first.
It got me to thinking…
As I was teaching Cubbies this week the lesson of the good Samaritan, God revealed to me a little more of what His love is and how we show can/should show it. You know the story. The first two guys, probably important , educated, church people saw the injured man and maybe even had feelings of ‘oh, that’s too bad’ and then went on about their life. The Samaritan gave of his resources and his time – the only thing we can never get more of – to take care of this guy.
The first of two big things that dawned on me was that love is responding to the need. Just feelings of pity mean nothing.
The second is that God expects us to do what we can do. Nothing more, and nothing less.
May God richly bless you both, as he is blessing many others through you.
Good words!
Published on February 22, 2006
in peru.
The scenery here in Corongo has been amazing. It´s rainy season, so everything is green . . . but that also means washed out roads and bridges.
In the mornings the clouds literally cover the mountians. At times we can only see a few meters in front of us!
Published on February 22, 2006
in peru.
I wasnt prepared for the cold weather here in the deparment of Ancash!
Mike and I and Daniel (from Markham St BC, Little Rock) have been travelling between villaged in the Corongo area. The purpose of this trip is to evaluate the health of the churches in this area. Also, to spend time training pastors. We finished up our evaluation today and will start training tomorrow morning here in Corongo.
It has been a huge blessing to be able to meet the believers in Corongo and here their stories and pray with them. It´s awesome! God is the same here as in Lima, Little Rock, where ever.
Please pray for the leaders that will attend the training. The God will use us to encourage them and help them grow closer to God.
Published on February 18, 2006
in peru.
A week at home . . . . and now I’m back on the road again. Except this time to the Andes in Ancash. Mike and I, and a guy from Markham St. in Little Rock will doing some onsite assessment and training national leader. That is, if he made it out of LR today . . . I heard the weather is a little rough there.
Send Amanda some emails . . . she’ll be home alone this week.
Published on February 14, 2006
in peru.
We’ve been in Peru for almost a year now. And we have learned so much! God has stretched us more this year than in our maybe our whole lives. We’ve had to learn to function in a new culture and a long way from what we’ve always known as home. God has been so faithful to us. So patient with us.
It’s so strange. We seem to always forget to important stuff. And then, God will show us again what we’ve known all along, but just let get out of view.
- That we’re his kids. And as our Father, he calls the shots.
- He wants us to spend time with him. By talking to him. And reading the letters he wrote us.
- We’re supposed get a long with eachother and love eachother, especially our brothers and sisters.
- We’re supposed to be at work. But not just any work, the work he asks us to do daily.
That’s why we’re here. To know him. To obey him. God did not send us here to save Peru. He sent us here to . . . . well, obey Him. And today that might mean letting a fellow missionary stay at our house. Or spending time with kids selling on the street. Or spending hours reading his word. Or shedding tears praying for those around us who need him.
That’s liberating! Freedom. That our Father is calling the shots . . . . and that our job is to be with him and obey him! That’s life!
Published on February 14, 2006
in peru.
If you’re ever in Iquitos, you’ve got to stop by “The Yellow Rose of Texas” restaurant. Run by a real live Texan. I had Gator nuggets, bbq ribs, and some of the best mashed potatoes in my life there. Check out these stories about it.
http://www.geocities.com/yellowroseoftexasiquitos/about-us.htm
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/media/paper410/news/2004/09/15/Focus/A.Slice.Of.Texas.In.Peru-719126.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.dailytexanonline.com
Published on February 14, 2006
in peru.
We saw several of these monkeys as pets.
We also saw several of the parrots as pets. One was riding a motorcycle.
Published on February 14, 2006
in peru.
Most of the Yaguas we visited were wearing the same kind of clothes we were. However, we did come across a few of the older people who still maintained the traditional Yagua customs. This picture shows traditional Yagua dress.
We also came across many people who did not speak Spanish. Just Yagua.
This is a typical village. All the houses are build up on stilts. This is to protect from flooding.
The boats they use are usually carved out of one log.
These boats are used for transportation to other villages, to gather food, etc.
Published on February 14, 2006
in peru.
Because my camera is probably drifting along the bottom of the Amazon towards Brazil . . . . I found some pictures online taken in the same general area we were.
This is the Amazon river. As we flew into Iquitos early Sunday morning we were able to see the Amazon snaking through the jungle . . . . which of course made me think of all the snakes snaking through the Amazon.
Published on February 14, 2006
in peru.
Here are a few of the more memorable occurences of my time in the jungle.
- The kids at El Sol catching a big snake while we were there.
- The hugeness of the Amazon river.
- The jungle is HOT!
- Sacuda! It’s a type of mosquito. Lots and lots.
- Catching an Amazonian catfish.
- Getting to share with people who had never heard of Jesus.
- Seeing river dolphins. They’re pink.
- Finding ourselves in a village that barely spoke Spanish. They only spoke Yagua.
- The masses that came out to be treated by the doctors.
- Praying with the team.
- Kids. They’re the same everywhere!
- Rain. It’s rainy season in the jungle. Which was a nice relief from the heat.
- The monkey that drank coke out of a coke bottle.
- Random Spanish-speaking parrots.
- Playing soccer with the kids.
- Colombia!
- Many many hours on a boat.
- Hearing stories of Spiritual warefare in Iquitos. (ask me if you want to know more)
- Very revealing tribal dress!
- Fixing the guy that missed the log and hit his big toe with his hatchett.
- Hiking through the jungle. Crossing creeks on very slick, muddy logs, with a 30 lb. pack on.
- It’s HOT in the jungle.
Published on February 13, 2006
in peru.
I learned a lot last week in the jungle. Thanks to God, I won’t ever be the same . . . for the better. God amazed me last week. With his creation. With his forgiveness. With his mercy. With his power.
Last year a this team came to Peru for the first time to visit the Yagua tribe. In a village called Nueve de Octubre (9th of October . . . probably the date it was founded) they met a woman very near death. Her intestines were eaten up with parasites and a few weeks earlier she had had a very complicated birth which made things a lot worse. She layed on the dirt floor as they prayed for her healing. Her two young children along with the baby were there too. That’s were God laid it on their hearts to bring doctors down next time . . . maybe Sarah would still be alive. Sarah wasn’t alive when we arrived February 6th . . . neither was her baby.
As we set up the medical clinic, Norvel (the team leader) carried in Trina. Trina is Sarah’s daughter. Trina and her brother now live with their blind grandmother. Trina, the day before, had dropped hot water on her feet as she was trying to cook. Trina is 6 or 7 years old.
The doctors cleaned her foot with water. They cut into the blister that had covered most of her foot to drain the fluid. They pulled off the loose skin. Trina never flinched. She never cried. She never spoke.
I couldn’t help to think of the fact that the pain she felt from that burn was nothing compared to what she had been feeling since her mom had died. And I couldn’t help thinking about God’s mercy. How he sent two of the best trained doctors in the world to take care of her burned feet. How he sent a group of His kids to hug her, to tell her that Jesus loves her, to tell her that everything was going to be ok.
That night we met to talk about the day. Norvel sobbed. His heart was broken. He wanted to do so much for that little girl. “I had to lay her on the dirt floor, right where we left her mother last time.” he said.
The Lord raises the poor from the dust, and he lifts the needy from the ashes. He lets the poor sit with princes and receive a throne of honor. 1 Sam. 2:8
What a wonderful maker. What a wonderful Saviour.
Published on February 12, 2006
in peru.
We made it back to Lima this morning around 11:00am.
The trip was absolutely amazing! I learned and saw so much!
I never found my camera . . . . . so the pictures might be a little late coming, but I’ll get some up ASAP.
Tonight, Amanda and I will be teaching class, then we’re going to Starbucks to fill each other in on our weeks.
Published on February 12, 2006
in peru.
We made back to Iquitos. We spent a long, rainy day on the Amazon today. We fly back to Lima first thing in the morning.
It was an absolutely incedible week. Hopefully I´ll be able to post some pics soon, but that kind of depends on whether or not I am able to locate my camera!. . . . it´s been missing since yesterday morning. Who knows . . . . maybe it´ll turn up.
Published on February 6, 2006
in peru.
I met the REAP North team this morning at 3am. We flew out of Lima International at about 6am. Now we are in Iquitos. Iquitos is Peru’s largest jungle city.
It is HOT! Wow! I don’t know exactly what the temp is, but I haven’t felt heat like this since my last Arkansas august . . . .
We’ll get on a boat early tomorrow morning and start our 10 hour ride up the Amazon, almost to Colombia.
Tonight we ate at restaurant called ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas’. A Texan moved down here a few years ago, married a Peruvian and started this restaurant . . . . I had the alligator nuggets and french fries. Very yummy!
Now, a lot of the team is trying to find the Super Bowl on a TV here. I heard Seattle just got a field goal.
Published on February 4, 2006
in peru.
It has been an shamefully long time since we’ve blogged! Sorry!
Things are going well! We made back to Lima after a whirlwind visit in the U.S. over Christmas. We immediately went to AGM after that . . . . and now we’re settled back into hour apartment here in Lima.
Amanda is now in her second trimester. We went to the doctor yesterday for a checkup. He said everything was going well. We heard the heartbeat again. . . . wow, it’s amazing. I’ve got to tell you that I am very excited about this kid getting here.
We’ve been spending a lot of time getting things ready for all the teams that will come in this year.
Also, I will be going to the jungle to work with the Yagua tribe starting tomorrow. Amanda is going to stay behind in Lima. The risk is too high with her being pregnant. I am going with the REAP North team. We’ll fly into Iquitos and then ride a boat hours on the Amazon River until we hit the Columbian border. I am very excited about it! I’ve never been to pure jungle. And it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to get out of Lima and out of the office to be around the folks of provincial Peru.
Published on February 4, 2006
in peru.
I wanted to fill you in on what is happening with Maria.
As you know, she was pregnant. She was due somewhere in the middle of January. The Doc had planned a c-section for her, because her previous two kids were c-sections. She had an appointment for the 12 of January to find out what day they would go ahead with the surgery. Well, when they got there they couldn’t find the baby’s heart beat and it wasn’t moving at all. Of course, the Drs. were very concerned so they did an emergency c-section right away. Maria said the baby seemed normal when it was born. It was crying and and looked fine. It was a little girl . . . Maricielo.
A few hours after the delivery the baby’s chest started caving in. The drs. determined that one of the lungs was not functioning properly so they did surgery on the baby. It went really well.
The baby went into intensive care. I went with Maria one day to visit. She was going twice a day to see it. It’s a beautiful little girl. They barely let me in. I had to go through three check points. I put on the hair net and mask and gown. She was in an incubator. There little holes in the sides where one could talk to and touch the baby. Maria asked me to pray for the baby through the hole so she could here me.
Maria called me this morning very excited. She was at the hospital and they were allowing her to take the baby home.
She said the baby is still on a lot of meds, but things seem to be good.
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