Bill & Lena's Peru Update

Bill and Colton's Trip to Ayacucho - part 1

2012-02-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

Bill and Colton Traveled to Ayacucho, Peru, to give Christmas gifts to Latin America ChildCare children. Here's a taste of what they experienced. The best shots of the mountains are in the "Part 2" video.

Top 10 of 2011

2012-01-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

The Shrader Family’s

Top 10 of 2011

Greetings Friends & Family!

Dr. Bill & his lovely bride

Eachyear it is Lena’s practice to put together a Top 10 list of theyear. As we say goodbye to 2011, we have much to celebrate:

10. Bill graduated with his doctorate in Leadership and celebrated his 50^thbirthday with a rollicking, crazy, bigger-than-our-wedding party. Our dear friendsand long-term supporters, the Wolfs, hosted it all, and made several runs formore food. Many friends came from far away, and it was such a touchingmoment in our lives. We will never forget it.

9. The Shrader Family made it back to Peru on time and by the moving of God’s handin our favor. Thoughour missions support was below our projections, God spoke that we were to trustHim to get back on time and by a miracle. We did and He did—using ourcircumstances to put His “amen” on our return. I am so thankful for a Godwho takes us to the rollercoaster edge of faith and then comes through. Thanks, also, to all who have partnered with us!

Bill with LACC kids in Peru

8. We were home through all of the crucial moments in my dad’s illness and in hisconsequent home going. It is hard to explain to anyone who hasnot lived overseas how excruciating it is to think that important familymoments are clicking by without you, and that you are missing your own history. Of course, God is in control and brought us home at just the righttime. I was with my dad, Sam Bellitto, when he went to meet theLord. His last words to me were on his birthday, February 17^th. I had plopped myself on his bed in a funny way to try to lighten up thesituation, and he responded with a fuzzy, “Hi, Honey!”—the way he alwaysdid. Never, ever, ever have I questioned my dad’s pleasure in mypresence. Now I know what a gift that is.

7. Billand I celebrated 20 wonderful years together. Our marriage, like our calling,has been a blessed adventure.

Colton & Hannah

6. Hannah continues to soar musically. Hannah continues to growmusically and makes us very proud with her accomplishments. We love tohear her lead worship—she ushers in the Presence of the Lord in an amazingway—displaying an anointing that goes beyond talent. I think of the dayswhen I twirled her around during worship because I wanted her to loveexperiencing God, and my heart overflows with thanksgiving.

5. Colton becomes a handsome young man, but “keeps his head on straight.” Colton has growninto an enviable adolescence. He got a lot of attention from girls in theStates, but kept his eyes on the Lord and had a great testimony in our publicschool system. He is a wise young man and uses his gifts to influenceothers for theLord. He’s also passed the requirements for the President’s physicalfitness award.

Will

4. Will survives two school transitions and displays great rhythm. Will enjoysriding his brother’s skateboard and displays natural rhythm playing the bongos.He loves to read (especially super hero stories and Calvin and Hobbes).Previously he struggled to speak Spanish, but he has goodcomprehension—surprising us when we heard him translating a Spanish children’sbook for his little sister.

Abigail

3. Abiholds her ground and re-enters Spanish world. Abi was the bestSpanish speaker in the family when we left Peru for the States, but shesuffered the most upon our return—having forgotten most of it. Our firstSunday back in Peru, she had tears streaming down her face and said, “I don’tunderstand what they’re saying!” She has been a trooper and is regaining muchof the Spanish she lost. Nothing touches me like when one of our kids doessomething brave.

2. TheShrader family got to enjoy being home—including snow, blueberries, andAmerican food—but mostly FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

1.The Shrader family got to return to Peru—including sand, llamas, and Peruvianfood—but mostly the blessed adventure of walking with Christ! We’re excitedabout what God is doing as we preach, teach and direct Latin America ChildCarein Peru. Thanks to LACC and the Wonderful Ohio Women (WOW) of the Assemblies ofGod for raising funds to build a new High School in Catacaos. Thanks also tothe many teams who are coming down to join us in the blessed adventure that isshaping up for 2012!

Withmuch love in Christ,

Lena& Bill Shrader

Yellow Underwear and a Lucky New Year!

2012-01-01T16:09:00.001-05:00

Years ago, a friend asked me if it was true that Peruvians wear yellow underwear to celebrate New Year's. The answer: Yes! It is supposed to bring good luck, though whenever I've worn yellow underwear it's been because of unlucky circumstances. Perhaps being below the equator reverses all of that. Yesterday (New Year's Eve) we went shopping and saw underwear vendors out on the streets, hawking their "wears" for all those needing some fresh luck for the new year.

May God bless your new year regardless of what you're wearing!

Feeding Program Success Stories

2011-12-15T22:14:00.000-05:00

An omelet made with egg, rice, dried vegetables,
soy protein and vitamins.

This from Bill:

For a couple of years, we were able to feed up to 1000 kids threeto five days per week in our poorest schools. Thankfully, the food wasgenerously provided by two ministries: Fire Peru and Feed My Starving Children.Last year, while we were in the states, we had to close the feeding program. The mission of Latin America ChildCare is to transform the lives of children in need with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through education and ministries of compassion (like the feeding program). Closing the program down felt counter to our mission.

Saying Grace before eating lunch.

When we returned to Peru, we received good news. A containerof food was available. It would be enough food to feed the kids in our two schools inthe jungle—but it would cost $4500 to get it out of the port. How were we goingto pay for it?

We received a $500 donation lastyear, specifically marked for the feeding program. Ironically, when we receivedthe donation, we had already closed the program. So, it was a propheticfaith-seed donation. But that left us $4000 short. We did the only prudent thing to do in that situation: close our eyes and jump. That’s right, close our eyesand spend money we don’t have on an expensive program we can’t afford. Thereason I was willing to go out on a limb is that I know these kids personally.They’re not just pictures on a television screen. These are the kids thatscream “Missionary Bill!” and run to hug me when they see me walking down theirmuddy jungle streets.

Three stories haunt me and motivated my decision to spend themoney. The first is of a boy who grew two inches in two months. (That must havehurt!) The families in the jungle town of Iquitos only earn 71 cents per persondaily. They are literally starving. 35% of the children in Iquitos suffer fromstunted growth as a result of extreme malnutrition. He was one of them; but whenhis body got the nourishment it needed, it took off like a weed.

The second story is of a girl who gained ten pounds in onemonth. After finishing her own lunch, she went around eating the leftover foodoff of the other students’ plates. The teachers realized that she wasn’t eatinganything at home. It reminded me of my father, who was a prisoner of war duringWWII. He spent nine months in a prison camp on the island of Singapore. Whenthe war ended, he weighed less than 100 pounds. He said that for yearsafterwards, he never felt like he could eat enough. That is what this younggirl was going through. As soon as she got the chance to eat, she couldn’tstop.

The third story comes from Doris—one of the teachers inBelen, the poorest neighborhood in Iquitos. She spoke with me as we wereinstalling a computer lab in our school there. Doris thanked me for the feedingprogram and told me that before the program, the school did not have anybehavioral problems with the kids. She said that they all sat in class quietlylistening. But, when we started the feeding program, their behavior changedcompletely. They became like wild animals. They would not sit still. Theytalked in class. They were disorderly. She realized that before the feedingprogram, they did not have enough energy to be rebellious. They didn’t haveenough energy to move. Once they started eating, their behavior changed andthey became kids again. Her face was filled with tears and a smile as shedeclared, “Now they’re acting like kids are supposed to act!”

Kids are supposed to smile and play

When we returned to Peru, I asked God to get the feedingprogram back up and running. As such, I was excited when I heard that we couldhave food this year, if we could pay to get it out of the port. A $4000 expense($4500 minus the $500 I’d already been given) was not in the budget. But, whatcould I do? I thought about the kids with stunted growth and the ones who are tootired to play, and I made the decision to pay the money and feed the kids forone more year. On top of that, we paid another $3000 to buy Christmas gifts forthe children who don’t have a Latin America Childcare Sponsor. The outlay ofcash was making my Midwest conservative head spin right off my body! Havingsaid that, let me now ask for prayer—that God would pay for it all. Pray thatHe would open the windows of heaven and confirm our decision to spend themoney. And, if you feel God calling you to join us by making a special gift, pleasedo so! You can make a special donation by clicking the donations tab on thetop-left of the blog. Please send me a note, also, to let me know what thedonation is for. Thanks!

For another great story about the feeding program, pleasesee Lena’s blog entry: http://billandlena.blogspot.com/2009/11/land-of-living.html

For some pictures of the program click here: https://picasaweb.google.com/103355663653193891711/FeedingInIquitos

https://picasaweb.google.com/103355663653193891711/FeedingTheChildren

20 Fabulous Years

2011-12-15T18:35:00.000-05:00

Bill and Lena - Dec. 14, 1991

Yesterday, Lena and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. I'm grateful to God for a wife that is spiritual, fun and gets better looking every day. I'm a blessed man!

One of the funny "wedding stories" has to do with the eating of the wedding cake. Lena and I were blessed to have two receptions. The first one was in Cleveland, immediately following the wedding. As is my nature, we were very proper in that ceremony. I'm not a big fan of newly married couples displaying some kind of hidden aggression in their first hours of matrimony. The second reception was held in Cincinnati, the day after the wedding. It was for our Cincy friends who couldn't make the drive to Cleveland. My mother insisted that we wear our wedding garb to give it an official feeling. To add to it officialness, we replayed the cutting of the cake for everyone. But, this time it was a lot more relaxed. As I recall, my brother-in-law Bob lead the call for something more fun than our politeness from the day before. Others joined in and I began to see a playful gleam in Lena's eye. She went into a wide-up like a major league pitcher and I knew I was in trouble. Bob saw it too and had his camera ready. That is how we got my favorite picture from our wedding. After Lena pelted me with the cake, it was my turn. I couldn't smash it in her face. So, I rushed forward and kissed her--smearing it all over her face. It's a good image of our marriage--a mix of play and proper, fun and fancy. I'm looking forward to 20 more years of the same!

The pics below tell the story in order:

Lena contemplates the attack while the crowd is egging her on.

She makes her move!

Bill responds with a kiss, smearing icing on Lena's face.

It tastes so good, we opt for another kiss.

Here are some pics of the wedding: https://picasaweb.google.com/103355663653193891711/WeddingShots

In my FaceBook post, I dedicated a song to Lena. If you want to hear the song and view some really big hair, check out the Forester Sisters' youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpOwHifKxyc&feature=related

Waiting for Worship: Raising Kids to Worship with their Hearts

2011-12-03T12:48:00.001-05:00

This from Lena:

This morning we enjoyed a family time of worship together. These days it is harder to assemble, with sleepovers and busy teen social schedules, but we still manage to squeak out some time many Saturday mornings to worship together. We started this custom years ago with a promising vocalist of 12 years and novice drummer on a Costa Rican bongo. It was stop and start, especially with two toddlers, but we have been richly rewarded with Hannah showing great promise as a lead vocalist in worship, with a couple of instruments budding, and Colton is now an intrepid percussionist.

But the heart of this--the desire we had--was to nurture a heart of worship in our children. We raised Hannah and Colton in a constant environment of communal worship in Chi Alpha campus ministries, and when we switched ministry focus, we didn't want to lose that focus. I see a natural progression in the lives of Hannah and Colton, that now it is THEM who desire to worship and adore, and their own relationships with the Lord now drives their worship.

But I remember the squiggly days--especially because I see it lived out in Abi and Will. They struggle to stay with us. Many of the songs aren't familiar, as Sunday mornings are done in Spanish and apart from the parents, so they are learning other songs. We try to let the little ones do their thing. They can hit a drum, shake a shaker, dance a dance, or whatever, but they have to invest. Every Saturday that we manage to gather them up for worship, it is so similar. I see the little ones slip away in their minds, and have to call them back, and it is not exactly fun or worship-rewarding on my end, but I look at my two big ones, and praise God that they found their way to Him in the middle of this environment, and I keep setting them on the right track, waiting for worship to spill out of their little hearts. Some children are like open spiritual magnets, and draw the Lord into their hearts like sponges. They easily slip into His presence, and it is a breeze. Others are more cerebral, and require more patience, but that doesn't mean they aren't right there in worship. Just different.

But when worship arrives, and time stops, and they slip into that timeless place where God touches their hearts and they are talking to Him and walking with Him---that is the gold of parenting. Sometimes it feels like I am serving them carrots and peas for the umpteenth time, following that old principle that if you expose them to a vegetable enough, they will eventually like it and get used to the taste. Repeated exposure. But the moment that they find out that worship is like a fresh orange of life and refreshment, and not a rutabaga, there is celebration in the house. Don't give up. Wait for worship. It is worth it.

Reaching or Becoming the Lost

2011-11-01T17:04:00.000-04:00

Abi let's her light shine on the 4th of July.

This from Bill:

I wanted to share some thoughts that ran through my head this morning as I read the Bible. The following verse jumped out at me (don't worry, I'll translate it):

2 Cor.6:14 No se asocien íntimamente con los que son incrédulos.

There is a small conflict betweenthe concepts of reaching the lost through friendship and becoming the lostthrough friendship. 2 Cor. 6:14, in the NIV reads, “Do not be yoked togetherwith unbelievers.” It is often used in counseling couples against aninterfaith marriage (especially given the marital meaning of intimacy). But, it has also been used more generally, as in the example of entering into a business partnershipwith an unscrupulous partner. The Message(by Eugene Peterson) phrases verses 14 and 15 this way, “Don’t becomepartners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of rightand wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark?Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands?” Theinterfaith marriage or unscrupulous business partner are very real andappropriate warnings which can be taken from this verse. The NTV (the Spanishtranslation quoted above) jumped out at me as I was reading it. Mytranslation of the NTV sounds like this: "Don't have an intimateassociation with those who are incredulous (that is, with those who arecritical of the faith)."

Hanging out with people who rejectyou is painful. As such, some Christians try to hide what they think, feel orbelieve about many topics, in order to avoid the ire of their so calledfriends. I say, "so called friends," because I don't believe it ispossible to have a real friendship with someone who views the philosophical foundationsof your life as foolish or stupid. To pull that off, one would have to be ahypocrite—either not saying what he/she really believes or not really believingit. The Message’s phrasing of verse15 sums it up well, “How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong?That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? DoesChrist go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands?”

It is hard for an honest personto be friends with dishonest thieves. The latter keep stealing from the former,then laughing at him for his gullible foolishness. It's possible to be anacquaintance with theives, but you have to keep your doors locked. As the NTVputs it, one can’t "associate intimately" with such people. Anintimate friendship, in this case, is speaking about much more than mere acquaintanceship;rather, it's about opening up one's life, living without barriers, unlockingthe doors. The Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary supports this, stating, "Paulhas just appealed to the Corinthians for mutual openness in affection and inspeech. His own heart is open wide to them, but both he and they know why theycannot reciprocate as fully as they ought. Some of them have an uneasyconscience about their continuing pagan associations.”

Real friendship requiresreciprocal trust and respect. Real friends let their guards down and value oneanother. It is possible to be friends with somone who disagrees with yourfaith, as long as that person values who you are and respects you. But, if thatperson is opposed to your faith (incredulous), such that he/she speaks ill ofit and anyone who adheres to it, then you cannot be real friends with thatperson--unless you are a glutton for punishment or hide what you believe.

Thelatter is the option that many Christians take. They live and speak like peoplein the world, in order to reach those in the world. It is analogous to becomingdarkness to reach people living in darkness or to putting a basket over acandle. The latter example is rather funny, since it is nonsensical (you don’tlight a light and then obscure it). But it goes beyond nonsensical todangerous, since the basket will either snuff out the flame or the flame willset fire to the basket. In Luke 8:16, Jesus says, “No one lights a lamp and hidesit in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so thatthose who come in can see the light.” The bed statement would have been ridiculouslyobvious to Christ’s listeners, since beds were predominantly made out of straw.So, not only would the light not shine, it could end up burning down the entirehouse. That’s the danger of trying to hide the light within. If one tries tosnuff-out or obscure the fire within, it will only come to a tragic end. Itis also, as the verse points out, incongruent. Obviously, if one is trying to reach those indarkeness, at some point one needs to turn the light on. When that happens, afew will be grateful, but the majority will find that it hurtstheir eyes and they'll blame the light-bearer for their pain. In John 3:19-21,Jesus said, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loveddarkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evilhates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds willbe exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it maybe seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. (NIV)”

Inother words, “Ouch!” They are going to cover their eyes, scream that you arehurthing them, then blame you. In fact, those who dislike the light will eventuallygo beyond blaming to accusing. In Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus said, “Blessed are youwhen people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for yourreward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets whowere before you. (NIV)”

It is really hard to rejoice when people persecute you and “falselysaying all kinds of evil against you,” but according to Jesus (and I think Hecan be trusted on this subject), it’ll be worth it.

Today,those who have a strong opinion that is opposed to the politically correctteachings of the world (especially the part of the world that is located in Hollywood, California),are declared to be intollerant and irrelevant. As such, many Christians strayaway from such topics in an attempt to win their friends and co-workers.Unfortunately (as detailed above), it is a failed methodology. It’ll destroyyou. You can’t squash what you are in order to win others to what you are. That's nonsensical and dangerous. Whenyou put on a mask in order to suppress what you really believe, you endangeryour very being and may become that which you emulate.

I’m notsaying that we can’t be acquaintances with people who do not share our faith.We have to be. Who else is going to tell them the truth? (See 1 Cor. 5:9-13) But, there is a big difference between an acquaintance and an intimatefriend.

Itis important for us to take heed of Paul’s advice against being “unequallyyoked,” or (as the NTV puts it) having an intimate association with those whoare incredulous. We cannot hide the truth in order to make it known. In our attempts to reach the lost, we don’t want to become them.

Lessons from the tooth and toe!

2011-10-13T23:43:00.004-04:00

This from Bill:

Our firstterm as foreign missionaries had been successful, but was not without challenges.Some of the challenges tested our faith and nerves. They left us weary and ready to return to the states for support raising and recuperation. Others challenges did not looksignificant on the outside, but I somehow felt like they were. When our term was up and it was time to move back to the states, Isuffered three minor wounds that made me feel like the devil was trying tochase me away. They were a broken tooth, a bruised toe and a torn rotator cuff.

The toothwas a molar, held together by a combination of Elmer's glue and duct tape.(Actually, it was ceramic polymer, but it LOOKED like Elmer’s glue andduct tape.) In the midst of the move,the tooth exploded like Mount St. Helens. (I shared about this on a previous entry.) The dentist did not give me enough Novocain! I could feel everything he was doing. I wastotally tense, awaiting the moment when the drill would hit the nerve. The smellof the tooth/ceramic being drilled away was sickening. (Please see the attached photo, which is a 100% real recreation.)

Basking in the power of complete self-pity, I lay in the chairthinking, "Why do I have to go through this pain in the last few days ofour first term. Can't I get out of here without having to endure another stressful experience?"

Theanswer was no. The dentist put in new glue and fried it with a type of laser beam that is the dentist's version of an EasyBake Oven. I left the office with a certified case of PTSD (Post TraumaticStress Disorder), aggravated by PTDV (Peruvian Traumatic Dental Visit).

I decidedto recover by going back to our apartment and moving to the United States. Backat the apartment, two things happened. The first is that our cleaning womanwashed my running shoes. Our cleaning woman worked for us twice a week and wasobsessed with our shoes. Since Lima is a desert, shoes get dirty fast—but theywere no match for our cleaning lady. She had them looking like new in a jiffy.Unfortunately for our kids, they often discovered that their shoes were soakingwet just as they needed to put them on to go to school. The routine usuallywent like this:

Bill:Put your shoes on, we're going to be late!

Shrader child: I can't find my shoes!

Bill:They're in the laundry room. Quick, put them on!

Shrader child: Yuck! They're all wet!

Eventuallywe had to forbid the cleaning woman from cleaning the shoes, but not before shegot to mine. I thought, “Wow, these look like new.” But they didn’t feel right.After 20 trips up and down four flights of stairs, I realized what it was—theyhad shrunk. My big toe (on the right foot) began to ache as the shoe pushed thenail into the toe.

It takesmore than a bruised toe to keep this missionary from moving overseas, so I ignoredthe pain and bent over to pick up a mattress. That’s when the secondunfortunate event occurred. The mattress was not a California King or even astately queen. It was a humble twin. I picked it up a little off center, so I tossedit in the air, just a little, to get it better situated. As I did so, somethingin my left shoulder made a sound like a rubber-band snapping.

A friend sawme wince and said, “Let me help you with that.”

I said,“Thanks, because I don’t think my arm is connected to my body anymore.”

Technically,it was still connected, but not of much use. It was a torn rotator cuffand the mattress was, literally, the last straw. For months after that, I couldonly use my left arm if I didn’t have to actually lift it. So, I returned to thestates on June 28, 2010, with a gimpy toe, a useless arm and a fear of hot beverages. Thankfully,in a short amount of time, God began a restorative work in us that includedhealing my arm and my toe.

Big Bruise - Oct 31, 2010

Theinitial physical evidence of God’s restoration was the bruise under my toenail. It began to grow out. In October of 2010, Lena and I traveled to Yulee,Florida and had a great time ministering at Celebration Assembly. While walkingalong the beach, we talked about the bruise and joked that it was a sign fromGod; i.e., that when the bruise grew out, it would be time to return to Peru.Truthfully, I was only half joking. For me, the bruise had taken on theidentity of the difficulties we endured during our first term and of therestoration we were receiving from the Lord during our time in the states. My shoulder was another sign. Even though itwas less visible than the bruise on my toe, I was aware that it hurt less eachday. God was at work.

Little Bruise - March 22, 2011

Thenext toe picture was on March 22^nd – nine months after the move. Asyou can see, most of the bruise is gone. The nail, where the bruise had been,was no longer connected to the toe. A few weeks later, it was time to clip itoff. The date was April 15^th. We had received the word from the Lordthat we would return to Peru “on time and by a miracle,” a month or so before.The toe nail was a ridiculous, but real, confirmation. It was time to return.

No Bruise - April 15, 2011 - Time to return

Butone thing was necessary to do before leaving Cincinnati—visit the dentist. So,the day before we moved out of our house, we all went to the dentist’s office. Thefirst thing he noted was that the duct tape and Elmer’s glue were not holdingup very well. (This was not the fault of the Peruvian dentist. Rather, it was asad fact of the state of the tooth.) He begged me to come back later, to try torepair the tooth. But I could not. We had people waiting at the house to beginthe move.

Ironically,as my toe and shoulder pain got better, Lena got worse. She had experienceddebilitating pain in her jaw. For months she had been on a powerful painmedication to relieve what was thought to be trigeminal neuralgia -- a debilitating nerve disorder. On July 20, the day before our move, Lena went to the dentist. He discovered a cyst in Lena’s gum, just below her bottom teeth. It needed immediate treatment. Therefore, on the day of our move, Lena got an emergency root canalto flush out the infection. Though it added stress to our move, it was an answer to prayer. The pain from the cyst had plagued Lena for months. We prayed forrevelation and God revealed the cause. He also provided an excellent oral surgeon whowas able to take Lena in the very next morning.

Themove out of our house and the return to Lima went very smoothly. (Thanks to all our friends who helped!) But, a few daysafter arriving in Lima, two things happened: First, Lena smashed her thumb inthe car door. It was extremely painful and all of the observers said, inunison, “She’s going to lose that nail!” (I would show you pictures of her nail,but it would require a warning label.)

Bill's understated street credibility

Atnearly the same time as Lena’s semi-thumbectomy, Mt. Saint Helens erupted once again--my tooth exploded. Thankfully, I was able to get to the dentist the next day—though notwithout immense fear on my part. (I could feel the nerve with my tongue!) The dentist bulldozed the remaining shards of the tooth and rebuiltit with a gold crown. (Please note in the photo that A) they werehaving a two for one sale, and B) the street credibility that goldteeth gives a man. Since the teeth are molars, one can’t really see the gold innormal social settings; but, just knowing they’re there gives me a sense of confidenceamong those for whom gold teeth is a powerful fashion statement.)

This is where I reveal, with some apprehension, the part of me that feelslike something spiritual is going on. I realize that my tooth, toe and tendoncould have all been coincidences or the result of a lack of wisdom on my part.I realize that I’m at fault for not getting the tooth checked out sooner or forlifting the mattress in the wrong way. But I feel like there is more to it. Just before leaving Peru, I had tohave emergency dental work. Just beforeleaving the states, Lena had to have emergency dental work. Then, just afterarriving back in Peru, I had to have emergency dental work again. Just beforeleaving Peru, I had a damaged toe nail. Just after returning, Lena had a damagedthumb nail. Is it just coincidence or is God or the enemy trying to write astory with too much poetic parallelism? My suspicion is simply that the enemy hasbeen trying to attack us and wear us down. That is, we've been fighting a spiritual battle tooth and nail!

A few things are apparent from theseexperiences:

1)Lena and I put off visiting the dentist until the last possible minute.

2) Oneshould never wear shoes that are too small or close a car door when you’reexhausted and in a hurry.

3) Theenemy will try to attack and wear you down by all sorts of tactics, but he willnot win. God is there, providing miracles along the way. The cyst in Lena’smouth was so painful, it caused literal despair--but God revealed the cause. That’sthe part we need to keep reminding ourselves. We tend to get caught up in our pains. When it happens, it ishelpful to remember the times when God got us through. When I was in the dentist’schair or was experiencing pain from my toe and shoulder, I was tempted to feelthat the enemy was going to keeppoking us until we gave up. But that was not the case. God did not let thathappen. There are a lot of things to be afraid of in life (especially formissionaries). It is easy to walk in fear. But, that’s no way to live! It’ll suckyou dry. So, let me state the obvious for my own encouragement (and for thosefor whom this story resonates in some way): Though we may experience pain andfrustration, God answers our prayers and brings about restoration.

Be the Olive Tree

2011-09-21T11:02:00.000-04:00

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.
I will praise you forever for what you have done;
in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you in the presence of your saints. (Psalms 52:8-9)

This verse is planted in the middle of one of those psalms whose composition was clearly provoked through some difficult trial of the psalmist in which some powerful, deceitful person was weilding influence. The psalmist sees injustice, imagining the justice that God himself will carry out against this man once all is said and done. At the end, he refocuses himself, as we all must do, and ends his poem with this declaration of faithfulness.
I became curious about the olive tree after reading this passage. There are some things that probably everyone in Israel knows about olive trees that many of us do not, and so I wanted to investigate. It was encouraging, so I thought I would share.

Cool Stuff About Olive Trees

1. Olive trees can live for thousands of years, continuing to give fruit!

2.Olive trees can survive great hardship--even a fire that destroys the tree above ground will not destroy the root. Within days after a fire, an olive tree can send up new shoots. Talk about resilience.

3.Olive trees can be killed by over-watering. Apparently, babying an olive tree can produce disease that will end it's life.

Cool Stuff About People Who Plant Themselves in the House of God

1. We can give fruit for many years, producing an impressive yield. It is the location that makes the difference. In the house of God, the soil is just right, and when we live there, the fruit follows.

2.We can survive great hardship when our roots are deep in the House of God. You can't grow roots where you only sit once a week. We have to live there. But if we do, we can expect there to be shoots coming up, even after the greatest trials imaginable. Olive trees with deep roots are survivors, and so are those who make the Almighty their home.

3.Our growth can be stunted if life gets too easy, and we can even spiritually die. Have you ever seen a person for whom life is too easy? When things are too easy, we seem to be able to create problems to obsess over. We weren't created for ease, but for God's pleasure, and conflict and diffuculties are His pruning tools.

I want to be the olive tree. Olives are delicious(I grew up eating them as a little Italian-American), and the oil that comes from them is really good for you. They are strong and durable, showing off their best quality in the face of trouble--their resilience. They were not created as something delicate, but as something enduring. I want to send up shoots even in the most difficult season, signaling to all around that I WILL survive, even when the fire or pruning has been severe. I will accept that an easy life could very well be the death of me, and so I will accept the turbulence of my life, whatever it may be, knowing it is serving the purpose of keeping me very close to the Savior, with deep roots in the house of God.

Standing on the Promises

2011-09-09T21:05:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine recently raised the issue of Christians who claim O.T. promises that, with a closer reading of the text, cannot really be claimed by a Christian in Ohio. For example, back in the 80’s, it was very in vogue to claim the promises of Deuteronomy 28. In so doing, people never mention the curses for disobedience in the same chapter, nor the fact that to receive many of the promises one had to be “in the land” of Israel. Having said that, I don't want to squash to faith of anyone who is looking for the good that our Heavenly Father has for us. So, here's a defense for claiming a few of the really good promises.

1) Gal3:16 states, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. TheScripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”meaning one person, who is Christ. (NIV)” If I am Part of Abraham's seed, thenI am heir to his promises. Ephesians 1:4-6 says that we were chosen (in Christ)to be adopted as sons and daughters. Even though I am not a Jew, I am part ofGod’s “Chosen people” by the rights of adoption through the legal payment ofthe Messiah. Legally adopted children have the full rights of heirs. If I amadopted as one of God’s sons, even though adopted, I am no less an heir.

2) Romans11:17-24 explains how Gentiles (of which I am one) are grafted intoIsrael. If I am grafted into theoriginal tree, then I am heir to the promises.

3) Somepromises are very specific about place, time, and the activities that one mustdo in order to appropriate the promise; e.g., Deut. 28. Others are more generaland serve paradigmatically as expressions of a positive relationship. Forexample, promises that flow from God's character may be appropriated by anyoneat any time because God does not change. 2 Chron. 7:14 (which Joe mentionedabove) occurs in time, but Solomon's prayer is intentionally irrespective oftime, as is God's answer. While Solomon's prayer is specific about place, God'sanswer is noticeably devoid of a place reference. The only limiters in God'sanswer are 1) those who make up "my people" and 2) the attitude ofthose people. Again, since I have been grafted/adopted into that people/familyand am an heir to the promises provided by the Messiah, the only limitingfactor is my attitude. The promise is a clear reflection of God's character. Itwill never change. If I humble myself and pray, if I seek His face and turnfrom my wicked ways, He will hear from heaven...

4) Again,in the vein of O.T. promises that are based on God’s unchanging character, thereare promises that may be appropriated by God’s children by virtue of His roleof father. Matthew 7:11 states, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how togive good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven givegood gifts to those who ask him!”

There are some who mis-claim promises, rewriting them to suit theirselfish desires; but they are a small number compared to the millions who donot know of (or do not appropriate) the glorious "riches of ChristJesus" that come with a restored relationship to God and the joy of beinggrafted into His people and adoption as His child.

Two more scriptures to consider:

^{Ro 15:8-9} For I tell you that Christ has becomea servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made tothe patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it iswritten: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns toyour name.”

^{2Co 1:20}For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so throughhim the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

The Purpose of the Law

2011-08-26T14:40:00.000-04:00

This from Bill:

Back in 1985 or 86, I had aconversation with a friend at Seminary that has bothered me ever since. She contendedthat one could be saved by obeying the O.T. law. From her reasoning, she feltthat God would have been unjust if He knowingly gave people a law that wouldn’tget them into heaven. I countered that the law could not save anyone and thatit was never intended to, quoting Galatians 2:15-16 “Wewho are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is notjustified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in ChristJesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because byobserving the law no one will be justified (NIV).”

In spite of mypersuasiveness, she did not budge. Herposition has bothered me ever since—which is another way of saying that after25 years, I still can’t let the conversation rest. The crux of the argument hasto do with the real purpose of the law. Was it a list of things that peopleneeded to do to get into heaven? The answer is no. The purpose of the law wasto reveal to arrogant people that they are not as holy or righteous as theythink. So, every time I see this topic addressed in the Scriptures, I yell, “Aha!”and highlight it in my Bible. Today is one of those days.

I’vebeen reading the book of Romans in my quiet times—comparing the NuevoTraducción Viviente (NTV, the Spanish versión of the New Living Translation) tothe NET Bible. (For an explanation of the two, please see the boring footnotebelow.) The verses that would have confirmed my victory in the discussion areRomans 3:19-20. Since I’ve been reading in Spanish, I’ll include for you (at noadditional cost) my quick and easy Spanish translation.

Rom.3:19-20--19 Obviamente, la ley se aplica a quienes fue entregada, porquesu propósito es evitar que la gente tenga excusas y demostrar que todo el mundoes culpable delante de Dios. 20 Pues nadie llegará jamás a ser justo anteDios por hacer lo que la ley manda. La ley sencillamente nos muestra lopecadores que somos. (NTV)

Bill’squick and easy translation: Obviously,the law (of Moses) applies to those to whom it was given, because it’s purposewas to keep people from making excuses and to demonstrate that the whole worldis guilty before God. Nobody will ever stand before God justified (or righteous)because of their obedience to the law’s mandates. The law simply shows whatsinners we are (or, that we are sinners).

In my opinion,this is one of the most theologically significant quotes of scripture. Somethoughts include:

1. The law was never intended tobring one to salvation; rather, to open one's eyes to the condition of his/herheart, soul, and (lack of) character. 3:20, in the NET Bible reads as follows: 3:20 For no one is declared righteousbefore him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledgeof sin. Or, as the NTV puts it, “The Law simply shows us what sinners weare.” The revelation that we are sinners, the awareness that we’re not as goodas our excuses make us out to be, is the impetus for running to the cross. Thelaw reveals that we are sinners and that revelation makes us desperate for thegrace that Jesus gives. So, in this way, the law really does have a significant(though painful) part in bringing us to salvation.

2. BobComfort is a famous evangelist who argues that we should bring the 10Commandments into the evangelism discussion whenever possible, to reveal topeople that they are not as good as they think. He makes a great point.Otherwise, people define "good" in self-serving ways. It fallsclearly in line with Hebrews 4:12, which says that God’s word discerns thethoughts and intentions of our hearts. That is, God’s word clearly reveals our hypocrisy.As such, our evangelism discussions would be benefitted by memorizing the 10Commandments and the Romans Road. (I tried this with a taxi driver last week andfound that I could only list 8 of the 10 commandments—and only with greatdifficulty.)

3. Somesay it is better to keep people ignorant of the law, so they won't beaccountable. But, Rom. 2:11-16, especially verse15, shows that of the law iswritten on the hearts of all people to justly hold them accountable. “They showthat the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bearswitness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them... (NET).”

So, to my friend in Seminary(whose name I can’t remember), I say “Take that!”or “Touché!” (which looks alot like “touchy,” pronounced with a French accent). To the rest of us, theseverses remind us that God gets to decide was “good” is. The fact that we don’tcuss or smoke anymore is great, but it is not the same as achievingrighteousness in the eyes of God. True righteousness is the gift of God, whichwe receive by putting our faith in Christ. So, it’s time to put a smile on ourfaces and look like the refugees that we are. We are people who, by grace, havejust walked out of a burning building without getting singed. St. Paul says inRomans 5:1-2, “Therefore, since we have beenjustified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, throughwhom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice inthe hope of the glory of God.”

(Caution—thefollowing discussion is boring and technical and may be skipped by those whoprefer pithy conversations over technical ones: The NET Bible is a moderntranslation that can be accessed for free on the web and which gives a lot of footnotesabout the translation process. For example, the NET Bible may discuss why thereis a variation between two common translations (e.g., why the NIV is differentthan the King James) and why/how the NET translators chose their version. Interms of dynamic equivalency (the translation philosophy of trying toaccurately convey the meaning of wholephrases, rather than a word for word translation), the NET bible is the latter(i.e., more didactic—being closer to the NASB). The NTV is the opposite—sometimesgoing too far in their attempt to clarify what the text is saying. I’ve enjoyedreading the NTV and the NET, together, because the practice of translating the NTV’sSpanish has produced a lot of questions about what the original Greek or Hebrewis really saying. As such, the NET’s translation footnotes have really come inhandy.)

On-Time and by a Miracle

2011-08-22T01:36:00.000-04:00

We are back in Peru! Thank you to everyone who helped us returnto the land of our calling!

We returned to the US last summer to re-raise support andencourage churches to participate in missions. Our plan was to return to Perubefore the new school year began in August of 2011. Planning how long one’ssupport raising is going to take is great—as long as the support raising follows the plan. For many missionaries, themoney and the calendar collide—causing them to delay their return until thenecessary funds are raised. A few months prior to our return, we were $1800away from our support raising goal. I knew that God called us toPeru, so I did not doubt that He would get us back—but I wasn't 100% certainabout the timing. I began to contemplate a four month extension, but I alsobegan to pray. I asked Lena, our children and our friends to ask the Lord whattime He wanted us to return to Peru.

Almost immediately, Lena received a word from the Lord. Hesaid that we would be returning “on time and by a miracle.” Shortly thereafter,Lena received a confirmation. At a missions service for Ohio ministers, aprophetic word was given, saying, “Do not say four months more and then theharvest!” Four months more … the exact time of the itineration extension I hadin mind.

Since God said, “on time and by a miracle,” I began topreach and pray with fervor, and we saw God answer. We received $1300 in newpledges in one week; then, another $300 in pledges a few weeks later. By faith,we received permission from Headquarters and bought our tickets. Friends in Perubegan to call us with possible places to live. God was working out the details.

We were two weeks from departure and still were $200 awayfrom the goal. Lena and I began to joke that we would receive a call fromHeadquarters that our budget was complete just as we were getting on the plane.We did not receive a call as we got on the play; rather, an email! God raisedour budget and sent us back “on time and by a miracle.”

Our initial call to Peru was very miraculous and, now, wefeel that this miraculous return has been a confirmation of God’s will. Pleasepray that God’s anointing and miraculous presence would go with us—to thesalvation of Peru and the Glory of His name. Please pray, also, for ourfamilies. Being a missionary is a costly sacrifice,not only for the one who is sent, but also for the ones who do the sending.Pray also that God would send us close friends to walk with us on this greatadventure!

Much love, in Christ,

Billand Lena Shrader

Our U.S. phone number in Peru: 513-407-5412

Bill gets a doctorate!

2011-05-20T16:38:00.000-04:00

This video takes one minute to watch, but it took seven years to make! I started working on a doctor of ministry degree back in 2003--about three months prior to receiving God's call to Peru. The doctoral demands and the move across the equator combined to create God's arduous boot-camp of life transformation. I'm grateful to God, my wife, my kids and a whole lot of friends for dragging me across the finish line. It is a dream come true.

2011-05-20T16:19:00.000-04:00

This video was taken on March 25, so I'm a bit late in getting it posted. Nonetheless, each time we encounter something as beautiful as a real mother bird feeding her chicks (as opposed to the high definition TV version), it is amazing.

The Power of Expectancy

2011-04-26T09:51:00.000-04:00

Often while we are at the dinner table, I will glance out the front picture window of our house when there is movement on the street. We live on a busy street, so I am always gazing out there, especially when we are expecting company. The kids get frustrated, because they all look out, too, trying to figure out what is so attention-getting out there. Sometimes it is nothing at all, but it is always a little joke between us. "Mom! Why are you looking out there?!!!"
I read a book recently by Beth Moore (and yes, I love all the stuff she does, and I hope she will google her name and find this here and ask me out to coffee!), called Get Out of That Pit, that talks about the power of expectancy in our deliverance. She makes a powerful defense for the idea that once we have done all we can--repented of anything we have brought on ourselves, committed ourselves to the pit-extraction process--we must add to that an expectancy that God is going to show up. Metaphorically speaking, we are lifting up our face, expecting God to walk in to the situation any minute now.

There is something so powerful in the expectancy that God is going to move. The people that I have known who are the most powerful in the things of the Spirit are like this. They are always looking for the miraculous. I always find it incredibly refreshing to be in the presence of a person like that. No matter what happens, they find comfort in placing their faith firmly in the court that God WILL move! Sometimes I even giggle, finding their perspective such a different way of seeing something than what I have been looking at--but my heart says that they are closer to the truth than my cynical perspective.
I am learning that sometimes we are the biggest obstacle to our own salvation. We keep snatching things out of God's hands, all the while our words saying that we leave it all to Him, while we have a death grip on the matter. We are like a two-year-old who says, "Yes, Daddy, I will put my blanket away"," all the while clinging to it and hoping he won't notice. But He does. And He doesn't call it surrender when it is still clutched in our hands.
There are so many "blankies" we need to leave on the altar. The salvation of a spouse. The drug addiction of a child. Horribly difficult things to surrender. And yet, if we do in fact take our hands off of it (quit nagging, quit rescuing)--something amazing can happen. We make space for a rescue. Our attention is all on God--because we have quit making it about what I can do to change the situation, and put all our eggs in the God basket. Something in our heart struggles to leave it there--the illusion of control. "Oh, God!! I call out to You! Come to rescue! Come help!!!!" When we get out of the way, and He is the only hope--there are some glorious things that can happen. Intercession takes center stage in the matter--and our eyes are lifted up. We are looking out the window, waiting for our salvation. Would you disappoint your child who is trusting you like that? I think God finds it irresistible.

Watchbands, Worries, and Worship at the Throne

2011-03-23T14:01:00.000-04:00

In my purse I am still carrying around a watch band that my dad gave me a few months ago, before he became too ill to do such things, to give to Bill. It was made out of leather, and Dad always hated leather bands. He was a thick, meaty Sicilian who preferred the stretch metal link bands, so the practical thing to do was to pass it on.

It has been three weeks now since Dad went home to be with the Lord, and I don't really want to put it away, because it reminds me that Dad was "just here." Just here meant a few days ago for a while, now it means a few weeks ago, and later it will mean something else. The impression that I get when I go home to Mom and Dad's house is so strong it is painful. His shoes are still at the door. The winter coat that I carried home from hospice without him in it--I hung it in the closet as though he would need it in just a few days.

Now all this sounds very sad, and I hope I haven't lost you yet. Because there is another side of this coin! I also find myself thinking about all the things he was concerned about in the last months. The mortgage? Still an issue, but he probably forgot about it by now, as he is worshipping the Lord! My son Will, who reminded Dad so much of himself that he was always giving me advice about how to handle him? In the Lord's hands, just like before. Leaky kitchen sink? We are all here left to deal with it, but he has long forgotten it. I could go on--so many projects he had set aside, plans to fix the house, the garage to clean. None of it matters at all now.

Jesus told us not to worry about anything--and especially not to worry about anything that is not today. Don't have a lot of money or a fancy position? The Word says that a man's life does not consist in what he has and does. The project in the garage? You will get to it. Or you won't. ( Either way, you win!)

I am not suggesting that we stop doing purposeful things in life, but I AM thinking that we all need to stop worrying about them. I think of all the ridiculous worries that flow through my head in the course of the day, and the countless little misunderstandings or imperfect exchanges I have with people that rob me of peace, when there is very little really that we must concern ourselves with.

Think about heaven and what goes on there. After all, that is what all of us who believe in Jesus and call on His name are longing for. I think from Dad's perspective right now, he sees how important relationships with the primary people in his life mattered. I think he probably wishes he and Mom had snuggled more and struggled less (even though they clearly loved one another!). I think now that he sees the Lord in all His glory, he can understand why he should let God be in control of his grandchildrens' destinies. The garage has gloriously disappeared from his remembrance-- (even though it is very real to my Mom, my sisters, and myself still!). All these things are in the Lord's capable hands, and we can add NOTHING--not even a minute to our own lives--by worrying about it. (Jesus said that!)

I am keeping the leather band in my purse a little while longer. I am not in a hurry to ditch it, and I REALLY don't want to be the one to take Dad's coat out of the hall closet. But I am not sad for him. I do wish I hadn't held on to irritations between us. I wish I had been more unabashed with my affection for him, as his hugs and sweet touches on the cheek (always given so freely) are now gone from me for the rest of my journey here. I want to trust God more with my life, and I want to enact a One Day At a Time policy on concerns. One day will be my last day. The gas bill won't get paid that month. My closet probably won't be orderly, if my pattern so far is any indication. And the Lord will still be on the throne... and I will get to see Him face to face.

In memory of Sam Bellitto

2011-03-02T11:35:00.001-05:00


Sam & Ginny with Hannah and Abi. This was taken shortly after we returned to the States.

This from Bill:

Today’s update begins with a prayer request for our family. Lena’s father, Sam Bellitto, passed away last Sunday, February 27. He was 74 years old. The showing and funeral were March 2 & 3 in Cleveland. Sam valiantly battled lung cancer for two years. They discovered the cancer and began chemo therapy while we were serving our first term in Peru. When we came home for itineration last July, Sam was doing extremely well. It was great to see him working on the house and yard, just like old times.

Sam and I were very close. He was a friend who was easy to be close to. In a family otherwise dominated by women, we had to band together to do macho stuff. Sam was there for me when I wanted to watch an action-adventure movie instead of a romantic comedy; or, when there was a very urgent need to spend two hours wondering through a hardware store. If, on the way to the hardware store we happened to spot a garage sale with used tools—that was like winning bonus points.

Sam was a devout Catholic with an obvious love for the Lord. He served his local church community St. Barnabas for over 40 years. He taught CCD classes, helped on retreats (renewals) and served communion. One of the ways he served, even after he was diagnosed with cancer, was in taking communion to the local nursing home. He was a natural for that ministry because of his love for the Lord and his gift of gab. He had a way of making one feel appreciated. As his son-in-law, that meant grabbing my head and kissing me, mafia style, and patting my cheeks (again, like an old Italian) with his huge hands.

Once, Willy said, “Men don’t kiss men.”

Colton and I responded, “Except for Grandpa Sam!”

Willy said, “That’s different.”

I said, “Your right, Willy. That’s because Grandpa Sam kisses like an old Italian.”

My favorite memory of Sam involves our call to be missionaries in Peru. As a grandfather he was not pleased with our call, but as a Christian he was very supportive. Lena and I told him and Ginny about our call as missionaries before we told my parents. I delayed telling my parents because I feared my mother’s reaction. I often share that the call to be a missionary has very little to do with the difficulties of eating difficult foods (like bugs, which is what most people fear) and much more to do with leaving family and friends. Many times, those who stay behind pay just as heavy a price as those who are called to go. As such, I was not eager to tell my parents about our call. It eventually became critical and I feared that someone else would ask them about it, so I had to muster my courage and tell them. Coincidentally, in human terms, Sam and Ginny were visiting us at that time. I say “in human terms” because I don’t think it was a coincidence from God’s perspective. My mom bought a recliner at a local furniture store and asked me to pick it up in my van. Sam offered to go along. I said something like, “You’re going to want to reconsider that offer, Sam. I’m going to tell my parents about Peru and it’s not going to be pretty.”

He looked into my eyes and said, “That’s OK, I'll go with you.” He said it in a tone of voice that communicated that he understood what I was facing.

I said, “I should do this alone.”

He responded, “No. I’ll go with you.”

That was a tense ride, filled with all the great feelings of driving to the dentist’s office for a root canal.

When I got there, my brother-in-law, Tim, showed up at the same time. That was another “coincidence.”

I told Tim, “You might want to turn around. I’m going to tell mom and dad about Peru.”

Tim said, “That’s alright. I’ll go with you.”

So, the three of us carried in the chair. For my part, the chair was light in comparison to the weight of breaking my parent’s hearts by saying I’m about to take your grand-kids to a country you’ve hardly even heard of.

I told my parents, with Sam and Tim standing behind me. They were, of course, flabbergasted. My mother looked at Sam and said, “What do you think of this?”

Sam’s voice never took on more sincerity than in that moment. He looked down at the carpet and said, “We’re upset by it. We don’t like it. We’re worried about their safety and especially about missing the grandkids.” The he looked up at my parents and said, “But if God has called them. I’m not going to stand in His way.”

Sam spoke the very words that were on my heart, too. But he spoke them as one who was going through the same sacrifice that my parents were also being forced to make. His presence defused an extremely tense moment. I will never forget it. And I will never forget how God supplied my need through Sam. He was a faithful husband to Ginny; a faithful son to Lena’s grandparents, a loving father to Marie, Lena and Gina; a wonderful and affectionate grandfather to my children and a great friend and father-in-law to me.

When I think of him entering heaven, I like to think of him looking like he did when he was a young man, like his days in the Army, with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He’s walking up a small hill to the pearly gates. Standing under the arch of those gates is Jesus, dressed in white. He grabs Sam’s head and kisses him on both cheeks, like an old Italian. Then He pats him on his face and says, “Welcome home, Sam.”

My Nervous Valentine

2011-02-14T11:22:00.000-05:00

Bill & Lena at the Parque del Amor in Lima, Peru

This from Lena:

He slid what was obviously a wrapped book across the table to me. I was thrown a bit by the Cow-Jumping-Over-the-Moon wrapping paper. Bill could be so poetic one minute, and so utilitarian the next. We had been dating for a year now, and the wise pastor who had counseled us recommended a due date for us to decide whether or not to marry. We had agreed on the end of summer, and here we were on Labor Day Weekend, out for a special dinner. One of us had to decide. Bill had to decide.

I opened the gift, feeling a bit weary. A book. To this point, he had given me no indication that a decision was imminent. When I opened it, I saw that it was "The Mystery of Marriage," a comtemplative book that Bill had decided not to share with anyone but his bride-to-be. Hmm. It was something, but it felt more like a request for time than a promise of marriage. Then the second package came. It was wrapped in the same ridiculous nursery rhyme paper. It was little ... Ring box little. I looked up, and with tears in his eyes, Bill asked me to marry him. Of course, I agreed. That was close to 20 years ago. I remember recounting everything to my sister over the phone later that day, telling her how Bill cried when he proposed. Bill piped in, "I cried because I was afraid you would say, 'Yes!'"

You have to know Bill to understand that that was not an insult. It cost him a great deal to risk making a forever covenant with me, and it's significance was not lost on me. I told that story yesterday to my teenage daughter, and as I did, I thought about how many of life's decisions to love involve sacrifice. It almost isn't love if it doesn't cost us something. Maybe it is time listening or giving a backrub when we are dead tired, or his favorite magazine instead of your favorite cookies at the checkout, or holding our tongue and praying for our mate when we want to lecture instead. Proposing wasn't easy for Bill. In fact, no big decision is easy for Bill. A major purchase can send him to the internet for ~~hours~~ days, scouring for the best deal and the best product. Consumer Reports magazine was made for him. Imagine what a sacrifice making the ultimate "big purchase"--a lifetime covenant--was like for him. In the end, proposing was not a romantic experience for him. It was pure labor.

This note today has two purposes. First, I want to say to my husband, "Honey, thank you for all the little decisions you make to serve me, the kids, and even the rest of my family. I see and take note of more than you think. You are probably the most faithful and loyal person I have ever known."

The second is to say something about love to everyone; that is, that even when you are not "feeling it," you are sowing seeds of love that will CERTAINLY BEAR FRUIT IN ITS TIME. Your mate is more aware than anyone else in the world of what it looks like when YOU are selfless, and no one else (who isn't Jesus) has more power to demonstrate the love of Christ to your mate than you.

The Lord bless and help us all to sow selflessly into the lives of our mates today, so that we can reap a huge harvest of love--one that starts coming back to us sooner than we think. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Nokia needs an ecosystem

2011-02-09T11:39:00.001-05:00

This from Bill:

Recently, www.PCWorld.com ran a story about Nokia’s position in the smartphone market (http://www.pcworld.com/article/219107/burning_memo_from_nokias_elop_sets_stage_for_os_shakeup.html). It was very insightful and I want to comment on it. Everybody who owns an Apple iPhone is really proud of it (and with good reason). Others own a Blackberry or an Android phone. I have one friend who has a new Windows Phone 7—the latest offering by Microsoft. Nobody owns a Nokia anymore—except me. 10 years ago, Nokia was tops in the U.S They still are in other countries—making up as much as 50% of the world’s cell phones—as much as all the other cell phone companies combined. Those are great stats. Nokia has a lead on everyone and an enviable distribution chain. What they lack is something worth distributing. They make great phones, including world-class smartphones; but they lack one thing—an ecosystem. Here’s an excerpt from a memo written by Nokia’s CEO, Stephen Elop.

"The battle of devices has now become a war of ecosystems, where ecosystems include not only the hardware and software of the device, but developers, applications, ecommerce, advertising, search, social applications, location-based services, unified communications and many other things," the memo says. "Our competitors aren't [concerned about] our market share with devices; they are [concerned about] our market share with an entire ecosystem. This means we're going to have to decide how we either build, catalyze or join an ecosystem … This is one of the decisions we need to make. In the meantime, we've lost market share, we've lost mind share and we've lost time.”

I have a great smartphone. It does all the stuff it is supposed to. But, it’s not part of an ecosystem. It just stands out there all by itself, doing phone stuff. It works great, when I need to talk on the phone. But it doesn’t do all the stuff that an iPhone or Android phone can do. For example, an iPhone or Android device can tell you how much is in your checking account at any moment. You can also use them to scan the barcode of a product and receive Consumer Reports’ evaluations. My phone could do those things too, but nobody is writing that kind of software for it. Nokia stands alone. Unfortunately, no matter how strong Nokia is (having huge market share and great products), they are getting smaller every day. They look strong for now, but they are getting weaker by the minute. The writing is on the wall for Nokia—join a team (an ecosystem) or die.

It is an analogy for life! It could be applied to almost any arena. Soldiers on the battle field must be part of a team. Lions and dogs hunt in packs to survive. Statistically, single people don’t live as long as married people. Students who study in groups get higher grades and have higher graduation rates. Human, animals, bugs and multinational corporations are stronger and last longer when they are part of team. It is the same for Christians. Christians who don’t belong to a church are in dire trouble. Sure, they may personally be able to quote the Bible; but if they’re not a part of a growing team, they’ll soon be picked off by the enemy.

I’m watching Nokia the way kids watch a mouse in a cage with a snake. In this case, the mouse is really big; but it is nonetheless in grave danger. Someone is going to eat them for lunch.

What I long for

2011-02-02T15:47:00.000-05:00

This one from Bill:

People often ask us, “What do you miss when you're in Peru?” The answer: Cheddar cheese. It is unforgiveable to serve Cincinnati Chili without it. People think we miss Cincinnati Chili, but we don’t. We take it with us. But, we can’t take 4 years of cheese with us. Peru has all the great cheeses from Europe, but muenster or gouda doesn’t cut it on a Coney! So, anyone coming down to visit, must pack their luggage full of cheddar bricks. The same goes for peanut butter. Thankfully, peanut butter lasts a long time. So, we usually had a well stocked American peanut butter library. When we left, I gave a big jar of Crunchy Jiff to a missionary friend. He immediately recognized its value and the strong statement of friendship such a costly gift entailed. There are a million other things that we used to miss, but we’ve learned to live without them; e.g., Snyder’s Pretzels or American Ice Cream. You can buy them in Lima (which is really amazing), but they’re too expensive for daily consumption. So, one learns to live without. Eventually, one’s love for American food is supplanted by a love for Peruvian.

The question of what one misses is very telling. It reveals, in part, the condition of one’s heart—perhaps, even one’s identity. Are you happy on the mission field or are you longing for home and defining “all that is good” as that which is from the U.S.? If the latter question is true, you’re going to suffer as a missionary. It’s like the stages of grief. To be healthy, you’ve got to reach the stage of acceptance. After our first six months, we began to accept our lives in Latin America and adapted our desires, so as to be happy in our calling. But, six months before returning to the U.S. for support raising, our hearts began to stir with a hankering for things American.

I was looking forward to shopping at my favorite grocery store and eating one of my favorite flavors of ice cream. I dreamt of shopping at BIGGS (Home of True Minimum Pricing) and eating Trauth’s Denali Moose Tracks ice cream. I told Colton, “As soon as we hit the ground, I’m off to Biggs for Moose Tracks!”

Then my mom delivered the news—Biggs was bought out. When we arrived at our home, it was late. About 11:00 PM, Colton and I headed off to Biggs. They were always opened. Now, they close at 10:00 PM. If my longings from Peru were a collection of balloons, you could have heard the first one popping. We had to go to Super Wal-Mart. The Super Wal-Mart was built a couple of months before we left for Peru. Knowing we wouldn’t be around long, I never flirted with it. I stayed true to Biggs and hardly gave Super Wal-Mart a glance. But, at 11:00 PM and in need of breakfast cereal and toilet paper, the lights of Super Wal-Mart beckoned me.

A couple days later I went back to Biggs to look for Moose Tracks. Everything was different. They had changed the layout of the store. Pop! There went another balloon. I found the ice cream isle and began to look. They had a huge selection of ice cream brands: Bryers, Edy’s, and Homemade Brand. They even had Greaters, which is the best ice cream on the planet--costing slightly more than imported caviar. They had lots of good brands, but no Trauth. One large section of the freezer case was taken up by Mayfield Ice Cream. Who ever heard of Mayfield before? Pop! All that I had been longing for—a specific experience and a specific flavor—was gone. It reminded me of the time I took Lena to see my childhood home, only to find that a local hospital had bulldozed it for their parking lot. I couldn’t even tell where the house was. No house. No trees. No swing in the back yard. Nothing but a fading memory. I was a man without at home.

A few weeks later, I spoke to the manager of Biggs. Emotionally, I blamed them for bulldozing my dreams and my sense of home. I told him that I missed Trauth’s Moose Tracks. He told me that Trauth quit making ice cream a few years ago. In the last year, Trauth’s Moose Tracks was made by Mayfield and sold under the Trauth brand. Then he showed me the Mayfield Moose Tracks. I put it in my cart, making sure that no one saw me. It was Super Wal-Mart all over again. I was an unfaithful customer.

Beware of what you long for, because it likely isn’t there anymore. Kids grow up. New highways are built. The local barber shop is bulldozed to make room for Starbuck’s drive-through. The world changes and we do too. One can be careful about what we long for, but not about the act of longing. Our hearts have to long for something. It’s encoded in our genes—a longing for home, a desire for the perfect Christmas or a hankering for your grandmother’s soup. Paul, a missionary who was always away from home, felt it in his friendship with Timothy. In 2 Timothy 1:4, he writes, “Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.” He also experienced it in his longing for heaven. He was torn between the longing to go to his new country (heaven) and the desire to keep working his mission field (earth). In Philippians 1:21-24 he writes, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”

When we’re in Lima and I miss something from Ohio, I remind myself that these are small sacrifices to make, in order to bring heaven to Peru. And when I’m home in Ohio and I feel like my old identity was bulldozed under by progress, I remind myself that I have a new identity in Christ—it’s just another sign that I wasn’t made for this place. I have a real home in heaven and Jesus is getting it ready for me.

So, what do you long for?

Wounds that Fester and Giving up the Right to Remember

2011-01-18T10:20:00.006-05:00

This from Lena:

A few years back, I had developed some emotional wounds from the bumps and bruises that happen in church life (if you don't have any, you haven't delved very far into community!). In fact, I had a list of them. I was able to recite them. And as a fairly dramatic Italian, I could even get you to cry along with me.

It isn't that those injuries were not real. But there comes a time when the wounds begin to emit a certain smell. They get beyond their expiration date, and the telling doesn't bring the same catharsis. In the place of the sense that you have lightened your load a bit, you begin to sense that some unpleasant things are happening in your spirit. The end of your emotionally-spoken sentence finishes with a bitter note, and in your spirit you can sense that your time at the sidelines is over, and that you need to suit up and get back into the game.

Back then, I developed a sort of test to determine how "loosed" my past actually was. I had to give up the right to tell the story. I had to let myself even forget the details that I had rehearsed so many times in my head. I had to cut off the influence of those painful events on my now, and in their place, I had to create--with my hand in the hand of the Lord's--a new interpretation of my past.

Looking back now, I can see how those old wounds led me to a place where I could let go of old roles that the Lord had given me, but was now exchanging for other tasks. I couldn't have released them, and I had no idea how important for my future it was that I was able to love the Master more than the Post. In my mind, they were almost one in the same, but as any mature believer learns, they are NOT. The Lord gives, and He takes away; BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!

Honestly, I find myself in that place again. Once again, I am challenging myself to let go of the difficulties we faced in our first term in Latin America. The wounds were even scarier than the last time, but the Lord has spoken. Time to lighten the load. This past Sunday during a marvelous worship service (how I thank God for times like these--I pray you attend a church where those happen!!), the Lord showed me a picture of myself at the edge of a high cliff, where these burdens were tied to me. I took a sharp knife and cut them off, watching them careen crazily into a canyon below, then crash to a million pieces, never to be recovered. I even pictured myself returning to the bottom, starting to try to gather them together again (old habits are hard to break), but finding it impossible, and being relieved. Never again was I going to carry that load. It won't be the last time that I am tempted to meditate on these things; but I will remind myself that they are smashed into a million pieces, and there is no sense gathering them up again. As far as I am concerned, they can join all my sins in the bottom of the sea of forgetfulness!

My prayer is that today, if you find yourself in the same place; if your wounds have begun to have a certain sour note to them; that you would cut them off and let them smash into a million pieces. God has wonderful tasks for you to do that you cannot manage while your hands and your mind are full of what was done to you. Let them smash on the floor of the canyon into a million pieces, let the Lord reinterpret for you the events that caused you so much suffering, and then let Him give you new songs and dreams that are so much easier and pleasant to carry than putrified pain.

Groundhog Bill peeks out of his cave

2011-01-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

This from Bill:

I’ve been gone from the blog-sphere for a long time. Apart from our Christmas greetings, I haven’t blogged since August. For those who check here to see how we’re doing--sorry for making you wait and we are doing well, thank you.

The reason I’ve been away is the doctor of ministry degree. I started it 7 years ago and made great progress the first three years. I even completed work during our last itineration. Then we left for language school. My experience is language school was truly formative. The language school’s name is Cincel, which roughly translates to “chisel.” And that is exactly what it felt like. I learned to speak Spanish the way one learns to be an Olympic runner—by being dragged behind a horse. When we got to Peru there was a lot of work to do. I found that being a missionary was a full time job.

After being in Peru for one year, I finally completed a class that had been on hold since I left the states. Then I finished chapter one of the doctoral project (the doctor of ministry version of a dissertation). A few months passed by and I turned in chapter two. I still had one class left to take and, by grace, I finished that in May. (It was on Biblical Theology and I loved it!) Then, we moved back to the states. Our first term in Peru was excellent, but not without significant challenges. Both Lena and I needed to thaw-out from the stress of it all. Our house in Cincinnati needed work, which is a great way to thaw out. It was also time to start re-raising our budget. So, the doctoral progress slowed down—but it didn’t stop. We rearranged the bedrooms in the house, which gave me an office upstairs. It became my sanctuary—otherwise known as “the cave.” One evening, last summer, I took a couple hours off and went to the pool with the kids. Willy asked me, “Are you done writing your book, Dad? … Cuz you don’t go to the pool with us.” Ouch! I told him I wasn’t done yet, but the end was in sight.

Time went by and chapter three was finished. I believe that chapter three is the nail that sealed the door of blogging creativity. I was not able to think about the doctoral work and also write something creative here. My devotional journal also took a vacation during those months. I was still doing my devotions, but there wasn’t a lot of creative reflection going on. It was a worthy trade off. Getting a degree is not easy, but it is worth it. Real learning challenges one to go way outside of one’s comfort zone in the uncomfortable growth zone. That’s where I’ve been.

Over the Christmas holidays, I was able to turn in Chapters four and five—the final chapters. I’ve also compiled most of the appendices. I’m not completely done, yet. There are more edits to do, to get it right. I also have to present the project in Springfield, Missouri, at the end of April. Then I walk the line and officially become Doctor Bill. Working on this degree has been an incredible journey. The classes have transformed my thinking and the friendships I’ve made have been wonderful.

Now, I’m like a groundhog, peeking out of my cave. I’m writing today to say to my family and all my friends, “Thanks for your support.” Thanks for not feeling dissed when I didn’t call or come to some gathering. Thanks for understanding. Thanks for letting me press through and grow.

Ya mean they ain't got no bed?!

2011-01-03T11:40:00.000-05:00

This from Lena:

There are moments for me when the day to day realities of the children we work to help become much more real. I will never forget the time I was distributing Christmas presents at a school, and none of the children would open their gifts. I couldn't make it out until I asked a teacher who gently explained to me that this was probably all many of them would receive, and that they didn't want to ruin the paper or open it yet. The girls all watched as the teacher carefully opened one, and slid it out to show the rest, then put it back together again.

Recently, I spoke to a class of four year olds at our church, and I very much wanted to communicate to them how different these children lived from even the humblest who attend our church. I was telling them that in Iquitos, the houses are up on stilts, and many times, if you look into the house as you walk by, you see that there is nothing at all in them--maybe a hammock or something like that. I explained that the children don't sleep on mattresses like we do (most sleep on a pallet of some sort, with a sheet). The children sombered up considerably, and one sweet little one, eyes wide opened, said, "Ya mean they ain't got no BED?!!!"

It was amazing how they suddenly understood how poor these children must be. They got it.

I must admit that I tend to bristle when well-meaning folks say something like, "We got poor people here, you know! You don't need to go so far away to find poverty!" Of course, that is true. But there is the kind of poverty that makes you be careful at the checkout, put back things you are going to need later, and worry about making your mortgage payment. Even then, many of us still have our education, our way of seeing ourselves, which elevates us and makes us eligible for moving on and achieving a brighter future. We usually have some resource, even if that is moving in with our parents until we find our footing again.

There is a kind of poverty that crushes. It keeps kids from getting a decent education because their lives are chaotic. It keeps their brains and bodies from developing as they should because they are malnourished. It isn't fair. Sometimes I just can't get my mind around how many of our students are forced to live. I see something that sets off that "Ya mean they ain't got no bed?!!" sort of reaction. I don't have anywhere in my mind to put a child who doesn't have a bed, or who doesn't have any love or affection in their lives, or gets nothing for Christmas. I hope that I never get used to it!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T00:44:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Four years ago, we celebrated Christmas in our home in Cincinnati. We had a little tree because we had packed our belongings for the mission to Peru. Now, four years later, we’re happy to have the chance to celebrate Christmas with our families and friends, again. We’re back in the states, hugging loved ones and raising our budget for another tour of duty in Peru. It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve attached a Christmas photo from four years ago and one from today. As you can see, the kids have grown—especially Colton! I believe that Lena and I have grown just as much on the inside. I can say with certainty that we’re grateful for what the Lord has done in us and through us in Peru. We feel honored to have the chance to serve Jesus on the mission field.

We have two important prayer requests:

1. Healing for Lena’s father. He’s recovering from lung cancer and recently had surgery to remove a brain tumor. So far, he’s doing very well.

2. God’s blessing in raising our budget to return to Peru. We hope to return this summer. Please pray for a full schedule of church services and for new financial partners.

We’re blessed by the many friends who’ve made it possible for us to go on the mission field and for those who’ve welcomed us now that we’re back in the states. May the Lord bless all of you richly this Christmas.

¡Feliz Navidad!

Bill, Lena, Hannah, Colton, Will and Abigail

Keeping My Cloak Tucked

2010-11-19T09:53:00.005-05:00

I keep running up against a wall of reality here in Ohio during our year of itineration. It goes something like this: "Oh, what a nice something-or-other! I like that something-or-other! I would like to have it!--Oh, wait. No something-or-other for me. It won't fit in the 12 boxes going back to Peru, so there is no use having that." Hmmm.

Now, I want you all to know that I do NOT feel bad for myself for not amassing something-or-others. And I have already taken on so many somethings that there is no room for others. As a matter of fact, I view the need to live simply as a great blessing, because this is the way us believers need to live. We must hold loosely to the things of this earth, and I have great reminder that I am on a journey that will end with me leaving this earth the way I came into it--without something-or-others. Twelve boxes for six people is a good little preliminary preparation.

I have been reading in Exodus, where the Israelites were told, in anticipation of their flight from Egypt, to eat the sacrificial lamb or goat and the unleavened bread "with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand." (Exodus 12:11). In other words, they were to have their jogging suits on, their tennies tied, and be poised to leave at a moment's notice.

The problem is, my cloak keeps untucking. It is so easy to sit back and lose my awareness that the days are short here, that I am to be about getting back to Peru, and not focused on settling in here. But I am not the only one who needs to tuck their cloak. There is a growing awareness in the Body of Christ that these are serious days, when the fates of men are being sealed, and that our windows of opportunity to reach people for Christ are closing. The earth itself seems to be stirring in anticipation of the return of Christ.

Keeping my cloak tucked means that my greatest investment is in knowing Christ and doing the work of the Gospel. It means that I act like someone sending their treasures on ahead, not storing them all here. That my heart is to progress in the journey, not to settle into a lifestyle of comfort.

My prayer for all of us this holiday season is that our hearts be set on pilgrimage. When we do, we will look different from the rest. Hebrews 11 lists heroes of faith who "admitted they were strangers and aliens on this earth" (Hebrews 11:13). "They were longing for a better country-a heavenly one"(Hebrews 11:16). Lord help us to eat our Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas ham with our cloaks tucked. Fill our hearts with longing for the heavenly country that you have waiting for us. The best is yet to come!

Our Secret Weapon

2010-09-07T10:05:00.003-04:00

This from Lena:

"So, how did you all land in Peru?"

This question is one that could launch us into a long recital of all the miraculous things that God did to get us to Peru. I never get bored of telling it, because every time I do, I feel the awesomeness--the undeniable way the Lord sent us there. The day-to-day of being a missionary can be a trying experience at times. You don't understand so many things, and as you are there longer, you start to see how YOU and not THEM will have to do the adjusting! It can be exhausting, although rewarding, even if your reward is simply that you know that you obeyed when the Lord told you to go.
There is something profound that happens when we tell our story-- I lose focus on the struggles we have faced, and in it's place, His face comes into view, and I know that He is with me. My own testimony encourages me, causes the lies of the devil to lose their power, and gives the glory to the Lord.
Revelations 12:11 says "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." The sacrifice of Jesus for our sins paired with our testimony of what the Lord has done for us is our key to overcome the devil. The more I declare that God is good, the more that I pass on to others of how God has revealed Himself to me, the stronger and bigger threat I become.
Our testimony is so important. Bill and I have always tried to keep track of the miraculous things that God does for us, and tell these things, like we are looking through a picture album of our lives, noting all the important moments. I believe with all my heart that all of God's children have a testimony, and that some are beaten down because they keep forgetting all that He has done for them. Slowly, we can become weary because we have quieted our testimonies and have listened to "alternative translations" of the story that erase the miraculous.

We are blessed, because it is part of our job to tell the story. I pray that the Lord touch your heart and mind even now, reminding you of all that He has done for you, and that it will mean so much to you that you do not "love your lives so much as to shrink from death" because of how much it means. And if you never felt like you had a very special story of how the Lord rescued you, I pray that He would touch your mind and show you the true story of how you came to be His. Blessings!

Prayer Request for 33 trapped miners

2010-08-28T23:57:00.000-04:00

Please pray for the 33 miners who are trapped underground in Chile. As I read the news about them, my heart is sad and fearful. The experts say that if they are successfully rescued, it is not humanly possible to do so for 3 months. They're telling the guys that they will hopefully be out by Christmas. It may not be humanly possible, but God is greater than a drill. Let's pray that God sends wise, gifted engineers to figure this out in a matter of days, rather than months.

From my perspective, this is looking like the gulf oil spill, where greedy corporations (the men are trapped in a gold mine) have created a mess that can't be fixed in a minute--and average working people are suffering. Unlike the oil spill, we have videos of these guys trapped underground, while their families hold a vigil 1/2 mile above them.

Here are the names of the 33 men:
Alex Vega Salazar, Ariel Ticona Yanez, Carlos Bugueno Alfaro, Calros Barrios Contreras, Carlos Mamani Solis, Claudio Acuna Cortes, Claudio Yanez Lagos, Daniel Herrera Campos, Dario Segovia Rojas, Edison Penaa Villarroel, Esteban Rojas Carrizo. Florencio Avalos Silva, Franklin Lobos Ramirez, Jimmy Sanchez Lagues, Jorge Galleguillos, Jose Ojeda Vidal, Jose Henriquez Gonzalez, Juan Illanes Palma, Juan Aguilar Gaete, Luis Alberto Urzua, Mario Gomez Heredia and Mario Seplveda Espina. Omar Orlando Reygada Rojas, Osman Isidro Araya Acuna, Pablo Amadeos Rojas Villacorta, Pedro Cortez, Raul Enriquez Bustos Ibanez, Renan Avalos Silva, Richard Villarroel Godoy, Samuel Avalos Acuna, Victor Segovia Rojas, Victor Zamora Bugueno, Yonny Barrios Rojas

The Blind See

2010-08-11T20:19:00.001-04:00

This from Bill:

I believe in and have seen the gift of healing in operation. I also believe that God has given us doctors as a gift and that sometimes, God chooses to heal through his faithful servants who work in the medical profession. Therefore, we've had the incredible joy of praying for individuals and seeing them miraculously healed at the church altar. We've also had the joy of taking someone to the doctor who couldn't have otherwise gone. Cindy* is an example of both. She attends one of our schools in the Andes mountains. The pastor who oversees the school called and and told me that she was going blind, but that her conditon was treatable. The only problem, her family lives in extreme poverty and going to Lima for an operation would be impossible for them. The pastor asked if Latin America ChildCare could help. I said yes! With help from the Extreme Poverty Fund, LACC paid for Cindy to come to Lima for surgery and glasses. I saw Cindy after the surgery and she was incredibly happy. The picture above is her "before" shot. The one below is after the surgery, wearing her new glasses. She's not smiling in the picture below, because she's incredibly shy! But, when the camera wasn't on her, she was all smiles and was grateful for the gift of sight.

Thanks to all our LACC sponsors for your faithful giving. You've brough the gospel, hope and a better future to Cindy and her family.

Spirtual Gestation

2010-08-09T09:39:00.006-04:00

This from Lena:

"Mom, I really want to go to South Africa."

I had noticed that most of Hannah's old friends from church were going on the trip, and I realized that she would feel lonely and a bit left out of things while they were gone, but I hadn't once considered her going. One of the moms, an old friend from church had broached the topic with me (of Hannah maybe going), and I brushed if off quickly and easily. After all, Hannah was only just coming from the mission field, we were exhausted from having only recently arrived in the States, and were struggling to make our old house living-ready, watching the earnings from having rented it disappear. So I went with my first instinct, and said a resounding "No!" Bill, always the less impulsive parent of the two of us, gave a more reason-centered answer. He said that she could go if she could raise the money. Almost as good as a no.

I softened (like I usually do) and told Hannah that she at least had to write to pastor Dele and find out what we would have to do to get her on that trip. She was scared, but I told her that this was good practice--that anything worth having in life requires a little fight from us. Little did I know that her letter would move the hearts of our pastoral staff and others to get behind her and put her on that flight with her friends. All of this happened in the space of a week and a half, from start to finish. At one point, we were even grappling with the possibility of putting her on a flight by herself, to catch up with the rest of the team in Johannesburg. Oh my.

My point? At some point in all of this process, I felt the control of it completely leave my hands. Hannah was praying, seeking God's will, fasting. And as I continued to "raise issues" with the process, explaining why it couldn't happen, or wouldn't be prudent, the Lord seemed to be turning to me and saying, "Thank you for your services. I greatly appreciate your input. Hannah's roots have now matured to the point that she and I can have private conversations that don't involve you. So, I'll take it from here."

We know that when a child turns 7, they start losing teeth. When they turn 16, they get a driver's license. But when does a child reach their full spiritual gestation period? When they start going to the Lord on their own, hearing His voice for themselves. At that point, even though I may be kept on as a "consultant," my full-time job as interpreter of God's will for their lives is over. And they might be 15 or 20, but when that happens, it is over. I was shocked, and yet I knew it was true. My baby girl was working out her own salvation.

So, here is my celebration of Hannah's spiritual independence. Like all those other benchmarks of growth, I will adjust to the changes it brings, but I know that this one is supremely important, and will guide all the rest of the decisions of her life far better than if I stayed that "contact person" for God. She went to South Africa, blessed a lot of orphans, and even received some words from the Lord for her life. It will be a pleasure to watch it unfold.

On Coming Home

2010-07-31T22:24:00.003-04:00

This from Lena:

The first thing almost all our friends ask us is, “How does it feel to be home?” In one sense, it is easy to answer. I cannot deny that on cold, dark Lima days (of which there are many), I often dream about Ohio summers, truly hot days that drive us to the neighborhood pool, being home with our family. It has been fabulous to be with all our old friends. We were quite established in our lives when we left to follow the Lord’s leading to Peru, and so there are many with whom we want to meet and catch up.

Still, there is a part of us that knows that we are going back, and there is a yellow caution light in our emotional wirings that lets us know that it is dangerous to care too much about WHICH new flooring to put down, how we decorate our old house, even warning us that connecting with all the things and people we love will make leaving home a lot like it was the first time we left….hard.

So, the house is looking good, and we are going about renewing our investment in it. The old girl was sorely in need of some repairs and maintenance, and we are doing all we can to get it done right. But it won’t get our hearts the way it did before. It is, after all, just a house. But about those friends and loved ones….

We just keep on loving them. With a number of my best girlfriends, I burst into tears when I first see them. It is like I was waiting until it was safe to release my feelings about needing to leave them in the first place, and this was the first time in four years that I could. And now things are complicated, because I have friends back in Lima who I am missing!

So how does it feel to be home?

Great! But home has started to morph into somewhere that doesn't exist in the earth, but does in my heart, where my dear friends and family both here and in Peru somehow meld together into one place, and I don't have to miss any of them. It is a place where I know I am called to work and love, and still can be with those I share so much history and have loved a long time.

Work while it is day

2010-07-20T15:44:00.000-04:00

Since being back in the states, we've been asked two questions: How does it feel to be home? And, are we going back? The answer to the first question is "Great!" Being home is fabulous--it is warm here, my mother is a great cook, and people all speak the same language. We're also enjoying how clean and green Ohio is. The transition has been somewhat difficult physically, but very rewarding emotionally. So many friends and family members have helped us, I don't know if I've ever felt so loved and supported. (Thanks everyone!)

So, if it's so great being home, are we planning to return to Peru? Absolutely! There is yet much work to be done. Our first term was very successful, in terms of accomplishing our ministry goals, and that gave us a rewarding sense of accomplishment. But it wasn't a complete sense of accomplishment. Rather, the first term now feels like it was a prelude to the real victories that are yet to come--especially now that we know much more of the language and culture. Some missionaries who feel like I do, feel constrained or hindered by the need to return to the states, but I feel very much the opposite. Rather than feeling like itineration has taken me from the work, I feel like it's part of the work. I'm eager to share about the miracles that God is doing and I'm eager for our friends and supporting churches to understand how valuable their partnership is. So, I feel blessed to be a part of the work and blessed to share the fruit of it with those who've sacrificed to make it possible. And, as much as I'm enjoying being home, I'm aware of the continuing harvest that awaits us in Peru. The Holy Spirit is transforming the lives of hundreds of families in Peru. I want to put my hand to the plow with Jesus and work while it is still day!

Prayer Requests

2010-07-16T11:51:00.000-04:00

1.       Our AC/heat pump is dead.
2.       Our daughter (Hannah) is going on a missions trip to South Africa with the youth group from First Christian Assembly. The dates are July 18-30. We’d like to ask for prayer for Hannah, for protection, spiritual fruit, and financial support. She has not had much time to raise pledges for this trip, since she found out about it when we arrived in the states two weeks ago. Lena and I could use prayer, also, for calm nerves. Letting Hannah go on this trip is far more frightening than our trips in the jungle!
3.       Inspiration for me as I write chapter three of my doctoral project. I need big inspiration, fast!
4.       Favor in booking services for our itineration and the completion of our new budget.
5.       Friends for our four kids—Hannah (15), Colton (13), Will (7), and Abi (5). Also that they’re transition into public school (Kings) would go smoothly. May the Lord give them kind and considerate teachers.
6.       Wisdom regarding our auto situation and over all the financial decisions that we have to make to live here for a year. It’s difficult figuring out what justifies an expense.

It's a snack cracker

2010-07-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

I snapped this picture while driving through Lima. "Kraps" is a snack cracker. I think they were going for something that sounds like "crisp" or "crackle." Even though everyone in the marketing department studied English in High School, no one took a class in street lingo. So, the next time you're on your way to a party and someone says, "I brought the cheese." You can say, "Great, because I got the ..." Well, maybe you should just say, "...snack crackers."

Home ... for a time

2010-07-14T21:06:00.000-04:00

From Bill:

We returned to the U.S. two weeks ago. We're here to share the adventure of God's glorious calling with the individuals and churches that have partnered with us. The transition back has been good overall. The weather is very hot, near 100. Our A/C is out of commission. Nonetheless, I love the heat. I like taking a cold shower before going to bed and feeling the night air blown in by a window fan--it feels like camping!

We've moved back into our old home. We rented it to a family while we were gone. Before we left for Peru, I asked them how long they wanted to rent it and they said, "Until you get back." It is another demonstration of how God takes care of so many things. Coming back to our old house and the friends in the neighborhood has been a huge blessing. We're very grateful that we don't have to start over from scratch. Nonetheless, in our time away, the house has aged and so have my kids. This created the need to freshen things up considerably. When we left, Abi was sleeping in a crib in our room. At the age of 5, she's a bit big for that. We needed another bedroom. As such, We hired a contractor to convert the laundry room into a bedroom and to put a shower into the half bath. That work is still being completed. The unfinished part of that work and the fact that we have no furniture has left us a little bit in limbo, but each day we're closer to completion. There's something fulfilling about working on your house in the summer. I remember in our early years of marriage, I would take a week off in the summer to repair/paint the old house we lived in. It was always a fun time of teamwork for Lena and I. This project has brought back those memories.

It's been great seeing our families and enjoying summer. I inherited by father's old grill. It's a Weber gas model with a porcelain grate. It's been in storage for 4 years but still works great. We've grilled some mighty tasty burgers--at 10:00 PM. The time change and late sunsets have totally confused our bodies. In Peru, the sun sets before 6:00 pm (which is a sign that it's time to eat dinner). Here, the sun does not set until 9:30! Abi keeps protesting, "How can it be bed time ... it's still light out?!"

Do we love being home? Yes. Do we miss Peru? Yes. This aspect of the transition is like the time change and the late sunset. It confuses the emotions. It feels great to be back, but always with the knowledge and hope that we're returning to Peru. We have a purpose that is greater than enjoying the beauty and warmth of hom. Ohio is far cleaner and more beautiful than Peru, but I can't hold it too tightly. I know that we are here to advance the calling the Lord has given us for Peru. Knowing that enables me to both enjoy my time here and also to carry the hope of what God is going to do in and through us when we return to the land of our calling.

Feeding the Children

2010-06-17T23:52:00.000-04:00

A good education can be lost due to the ill effects of malnutrition. That's why we're so grateful for the generous help of Fire Peru and Feed My Starving Children. Those ministries have enabled us to feed nearly 800 children daily. Here are some shots of the kids eating in one of our schools in the Amazon jungle.


I suggested that these two look like they were on a romantic date. The class laughed so hard I almost couldn't take the picture.

Preparing to say goodbye -- for a year

2010-06-13T14:18:00.000-04:00

Normally, I post stuff here then put it on facebook. Today, it's the other way around. Earlier this week, I was in Iquitos--the largest city in the world that you cannot get to by car. It is in the Amazon jungle and can only be accessed by plane or boat. I was there to take pictures of cute kids, so that we can find sponsors for them when we return to the states for our year of re-connecting with churches and supporters. The year back home is obviously welcomed, but it comes at a cost. We'll be leaving behind the friendships we have here, to strengthen those we left behind 3 1/2 years ago.


The streets are made of sand and mud.

Some experiences are harder to leave behind than others. One of those is my love for the jungle and the friends that I have there. I posted one of those experiences on facebook a couple of days ago: "I had a tear in my eye as I rode through muddy streets on the back of Jose's motorcycle. This would be my last day in the jungle town of Iquitos for at least a year. Close by, half-naked kids were playing marbles in the mud. It began to rain and I looked up to see black storm clouds hanging over the Amazon river. I thank God that I get to serve Him in Peru!"


The sewer ditch in front of one of our schools.

Yesterday, I spoke with one of the pastors I work with in the northern coastal region. Like all the pastors I work with, our friendship is deepened by the need to resolve difficult problems. Trying to build an evangelistic community of transformation in a context of poverty will either make or break a friendship. For the most part, we've made some great friendships. Yesterday, as I spoke with my friend about our return to the states, he understood that our departure was necessary for the ministry to continue, while at the same time lamenting our departure. The conversation ended and I was about to hang up, when he called out, "Bill!"

"Yea?"

"Un abrazo. (A hug.)"

"Egualmente, Hermano! (Same to you, Brother!)"


A taxi-boat.

Motorcycles are the transport of choice in jungle towns. They are shipped in boxes and assembled on-site. This is a great picture for this blog entry, since it has motorcycles in Iquitos and also contains a shot of my friend Tim Wolf (whose last name is wild, like the jungle).


These houses are next to one of our schools and display how the children live.