Dear Family & Friends:
As the title of our letters and journals states, life is definitely a journey! We continue to face new experiences, some more enjoyable than others. This month I asked Don what was his most memorable experience that I could relate to you and I’ve already written a journal on how we spent “labor day”. Please find excerpts of this journal below…
Here in Peru – We are spending our days studying, but our weekends are filled with cultural events, visiting the countryside, the city, and learning about life here in Peru.
Labor Day is celebrated May 1st. Today church bells were ringing in the morning, inviting all neighborhood residents to come to a special church service. We were privileged to hear the bells ringing and looked up to see a man standing in the belfry manually tugging on the ropes attached to the large bells which were pealing loud and clear. This announced the arrival of the worshipers and the statue of Virgin Chapi was respectfully carried down the street with a parade of Catholics immediately behind, reverently entering the church. Drummers kept the beat of the walkers in a ceremonious pace as they approached the wide-open church doors. However, being believers in Jesus Christ, and not the national virgin, we were going to enjoy the holiday away from the hustle and bustle of life. Spending time together as a family, not working, but ‘playing’ was the tradition for our host family. We headed out of town on an hour drive. We soon were in a totally barren desert area with rolling hills of absolutely not a thing but rocks and dunes formed from the winds blowing sand. The barrenness in itself, was quite colorful as the rocks were shades of rust, bronze and grey, both dark and light, according to different areas we travelled through and the sun shining brightly and reflecting off the hills, or the shadows of the clouds provided other color tones appealing to the eye. Although there was not a single piece of agriculture for miles after miles, the rolling terrain was still a thing of beauty to behold. It was hard to imagine that the metropolitan city was just 15 minutes of travel time behind us! The busily travelled two lane, well paved road, was windy and hilly, and a real man’s dream to drive! No guard rails were along the side of the road, and passing slower moving vehicles made the drive more thrilling for the two guys in the front seat!
About 45-50 minutes into the trip, we began to see acres and acres of garlic, cacti, vineyards, corn, and gladioli fields. We realized the area we were driving through was called LaJoya and that is the name of a dairy here in Arequipa. Homes were much like the poor areas of San Juan de Lurigancho and Jicamarca, suburbs on Lima. They consisted of thatched straw walled shacks spotted along the road side and in the hills. There were sheep, cattle and we even passed some dairy farms and yes, there were milk cans on the side of the road for pick up by the milk truck and transported to the dairy. We soon approached a sign reading “Sambambaias” with a gated entry. We had arrived at our destination. It was a resort complex and being the holiday weekend, it was the destination of choice for many. We were able to locate an available table under a thatched roof near the lawn for our dinner.
When we passed the home of the Virgin Chapi I couldn’t help but have a sense of sadness and recognize the many people on this annual pilgrimage were lost and dying, while believing they were travelling the right road to eternity. In contrast, as we came to a beautiful lush oasis, you can imagine the thoughts that quickly flooded my mind. We go through deserts in our lives; dry, barren seasons, which are dirty and undesireable. But as we continue the journey, we eventually come to an oasis which offers all that we might desire. Fresh water, lush agriculture, a resting place appear in the middle of nowhere. What a delightful surprise and much needed change of pace for us as we travel on. It is too often that we stay in the desert and complain, rather than continue on the course set before us to reach the pleasures we cannot see but are inevitably awaiting us! While we are in the desert we oft times lose focus of where we are going and why. The Lord continues to be by our side, but we don’t recognize Him and grumble, mumble the time away. It gets discouraging, doesn’t it? But we soon forget all the stress and frustrations, once we are enjoying what was ahead waiting for us. Why do we so often get hung up in the problems of life when we have the resources and power to deal with them?
There in Duluth -- Our family and friends have kept us updated on “what’s happening back home’ and it’s a thrill to hear that Bridgeway Church has new families visiting regularly, VBS is in the planning stages of an exciting program, the school has ordered the steel for the new gym and will soon graduate the first high school class! Our home will soon be available again for rent and we would appreciate your prayers in this situation.
We continue to be blessed by our TEAMs – our Monthly Supporters, Prayer Partners, and our extended family. Encouragement comes our way from in different forms from different avenues, and the Lord knows our strengths and weaknesses because the words always are what we need at that specific time.
We’ve missed out on 4 grandchildren’s birthdays JT (13), Gail (25), Kyla (11), & Maranda (4) but the internet has kept us in close contact and for that we are thankful!
Because He Lives!
Don & Joy
Saturday, May 30, 2009
April 2009 newsletter
Life: a journey, an adventure with Jesus
Here in Peru, There in Duluth
Dear Family & Friends:
The cross is empty. The tomb is empty. He is risen! Yes, we serve a risen Savior! This is Easter and we have been to a rooftop sunrise service, the morning worship service and are in the process of reading “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus”. What more could I ask for!
Here in Peru – We are still studying and have begun to realize, we CAN speak the language when we have to! It’s not easy, it’s slow, it’s complicated. It’s far from fluent, we don’t always use the right sentence structure, but we are capable of getting a point across. Our Peruvian friends are so patient (and tolerant) with us and for that we are truly thankful. We have so much to learn – but we’ve come a long way baby! Catching a cab, riding the bus, shopping at the local grocery mart, and walking through the mercardo no longer makes us fearful. We are adjusting well and enjoying it.
We covet your prayers for us as we enter the second half of our studies here in Arequipa. Time is quickly passing. We are beginning to understand and speak more words, but want so much to be able to communicate intelligently. We have a great deal of respect for this new language and struggle quite a bit with it being so complex.
Having just returned from a week in San Juan de Lurigancho and a visit to Pat’s Place we are looking forward to getting back to classes. However, it was a much needed break. We flew to Lima to start the reapplication process for our visas/resident cards (keep praying about this!) and visited with co-workers from Pat’s Place, Hope House, a summer Team Leader, friends who are translators, Pastor Gino and his family, Percy the contractor, Rory the taxi cab driver, Edgar the bus driver, and although the time passed very quickly, we enjoyed the change from studying. It was such a joy to hear the children (and their mothers!) at Pat’s Place call out Mama Joy & Papa Don upon arrival and each time they saw us. We felt like we were home with our own grand-children running for hugs and kisses.
During an AWANA meeting with Pastor Gino, we learned another church is ready to start a club in May. Problem is there are no funds to start the club at this point in time. We ask that you pray about this need. If the Lord is continuing to bless you even in these days with an unstable economy, why not consider investing in young lives for Christ and help with the needed funds. $550 US Dollars will provide training, materials and register the club for a year. We need your help. Please pray for the yet-to-be-determined avenues we will need to research and develop to help the Peruvian Christians become financially capable of maintaining their AWANA Clubs. It would be a shame if they had to be terminated or could not have a club due to lack of funds. Our desire is to feed them and then to teach them to fish so they can become independent of USA funding.
There in Duluth -- We’ve heard that it’s spring and all the bulbs are bursting forth and showing their beauty. It’s now autumn in Peru, although the days are still very hot, the evenings cool off to a pleasant temperature. Our family continues to keep in touch with today’s technology serving as our primary resource. Our Bridgeway family, square dance family, and town friends all send emails which bring us up to date with what’s happening in Georgia. Thank you to each and every one of you. It brightens our day to open our inbox and find a new message from one of you. Please keep them coming. You cannot imagine how much we appreciate hearing from you.
This past month I received a devotion from Robin (A Time To Build Ministry) a friend Beth’s. She was forwarding it to me because another friend (J. L. Lacey) writes a daily devotion for their ministry mailing list. I’m forwarding a little bit of it because we want you to know that we feel much the same way. Remember, these are not our words, but could very well be and we echo the comments highlighted in bold. Thank you to our prayer partners!
"About ten years ago, While in Arequipa, I met a couple that had just moved to Peru as Missionaries. A few months earlier they had come to begin working with the poor and down cast. When I met them they could barely speak Spanish yet they knew that God had appointed them for this time and for this people. A beautiful couple in their forties who loved God so much that they wanted to give their lives fully to make a difference. They gave it all up for the sake of the call. They were not content to just sit and wait out their golden years in retirement; they wanted to do something great before they died. By and by, I'll fly away wasn't an option. In a news update she told of some other struggles with the weather, authorities looking for bribes and difficulties in traveling, among other things and then writes; "Have I told you all lately how much I appreciate you and your prayers? Life can be difficult everywhere, in various ways; but here in Peru we are so protected and cared for. I am sure that angels sit on each corner of our property, keeping watch. "
May each one of you have a great day--thank the Lord for what He has done, or will do, in your lives; because He is faithful in caring for His children! If you are not a child of God, if you haven't accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, please consider it. He gave everything He had for us to simply accept Him and leave behind the things of this world that always trip us up. I'd like each of you to be cared for as we are in Peru"
Excerpts from devotion by: J L Lacey www.attb.org
Because He Lives!
Don & Joy
Here in Peru, There in Duluth
Dear Family & Friends:
The cross is empty. The tomb is empty. He is risen! Yes, we serve a risen Savior! This is Easter and we have been to a rooftop sunrise service, the morning worship service and are in the process of reading “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus”. What more could I ask for!
Here in Peru – We are still studying and have begun to realize, we CAN speak the language when we have to! It’s not easy, it’s slow, it’s complicated. It’s far from fluent, we don’t always use the right sentence structure, but we are capable of getting a point across. Our Peruvian friends are so patient (and tolerant) with us and for that we are truly thankful. We have so much to learn – but we’ve come a long way baby! Catching a cab, riding the bus, shopping at the local grocery mart, and walking through the mercardo no longer makes us fearful. We are adjusting well and enjoying it.
We covet your prayers for us as we enter the second half of our studies here in Arequipa. Time is quickly passing. We are beginning to understand and speak more words, but want so much to be able to communicate intelligently. We have a great deal of respect for this new language and struggle quite a bit with it being so complex.
Having just returned from a week in San Juan de Lurigancho and a visit to Pat’s Place we are looking forward to getting back to classes. However, it was a much needed break. We flew to Lima to start the reapplication process for our visas/resident cards (keep praying about this!) and visited with co-workers from Pat’s Place, Hope House, a summer Team Leader, friends who are translators, Pastor Gino and his family, Percy the contractor, Rory the taxi cab driver, Edgar the bus driver, and although the time passed very quickly, we enjoyed the change from studying. It was such a joy to hear the children (and their mothers!) at Pat’s Place call out Mama Joy & Papa Don upon arrival and each time they saw us. We felt like we were home with our own grand-children running for hugs and kisses.
During an AWANA meeting with Pastor Gino, we learned another church is ready to start a club in May. Problem is there are no funds to start the club at this point in time. We ask that you pray about this need. If the Lord is continuing to bless you even in these days with an unstable economy, why not consider investing in young lives for Christ and help with the needed funds. $550 US Dollars will provide training, materials and register the club for a year. We need your help. Please pray for the yet-to-be-determined avenues we will need to research and develop to help the Peruvian Christians become financially capable of maintaining their AWANA Clubs. It would be a shame if they had to be terminated or could not have a club due to lack of funds. Our desire is to feed them and then to teach them to fish so they can become independent of USA funding.
There in Duluth -- We’ve heard that it’s spring and all the bulbs are bursting forth and showing their beauty. It’s now autumn in Peru, although the days are still very hot, the evenings cool off to a pleasant temperature. Our family continues to keep in touch with today’s technology serving as our primary resource. Our Bridgeway family, square dance family, and town friends all send emails which bring us up to date with what’s happening in Georgia. Thank you to each and every one of you. It brightens our day to open our inbox and find a new message from one of you. Please keep them coming. You cannot imagine how much we appreciate hearing from you.
This past month I received a devotion from Robin (A Time To Build Ministry) a friend Beth’s. She was forwarding it to me because another friend (J. L. Lacey) writes a daily devotion for their ministry mailing list. I’m forwarding a little bit of it because we want you to know that we feel much the same way. Remember, these are not our words, but could very well be and we echo the comments highlighted in bold. Thank you to our prayer partners!
"About ten years ago, While in Arequipa, I met a couple that had just moved to Peru as Missionaries. A few months earlier they had come to begin working with the poor and down cast. When I met them they could barely speak Spanish yet they knew that God had appointed them for this time and for this people. A beautiful couple in their forties who loved God so much that they wanted to give their lives fully to make a difference. They gave it all up for the sake of the call. They were not content to just sit and wait out their golden years in retirement; they wanted to do something great before they died. By and by, I'll fly away wasn't an option. In a news update she told of some other struggles with the weather, authorities looking for bribes and difficulties in traveling, among other things and then writes; "Have I told you all lately how much I appreciate you and your prayers? Life can be difficult everywhere, in various ways; but here in Peru we are so protected and cared for. I am sure that angels sit on each corner of our property, keeping watch. "
May each one of you have a great day--thank the Lord for what He has done, or will do, in your lives; because He is faithful in caring for His children! If you are not a child of God, if you haven't accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, please consider it. He gave everything He had for us to simply accept Him and leave behind the things of this world that always trip us up. I'd like each of you to be cared for as we are in Peru"
Excerpts from devotion by: J L Lacey www.attb.org
Because He Lives!
Don & Joy
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