Bill & Lena's Peru Update

2009-12-10T20:06:00.005-05:00

This from Lena: Merry Christmas, friends! We have been very busy these last few weeks, bringing Christmas presents to the kids of our Piedad schools. It is our pleasure to purchase a gift for each child in our project schools, regardless of if they are enrolled in our program or have a sponsor. Birthday gifts only arrive for a few, but Christmas brings a little for all! The shot above was

The Knife (or Tears in the Airport)

2009-12-15T08:50:00.003-05:00

My dad died on June 21, 2006. The last time we had a good conversation was on June 18. It was Father’s day. Lena, the kids and I were driving to a church service in western Kentucky. We had our pop-up camper in tow and were planning on camping for a couple of days after the service. I had a great conversation with my dad, on the cell phone while driving to the service. We talked about camping and

To All Our Chi Alpha Friends!

2009-12-01T08:31:00.009-05:00

Wright State group, led by a very smiley Steve Brannan with some helping friends from the kids' school.This from Lena:Last night, the last of our little midnight visitors (all but one seems to have mostly passed through that 4-7 year-old phase of waking up with a lot of nightmares) popped into our bed for a little late-night comfort, thus making me sleep a little lighter than normal. It is

Land of the Living

2009-11-02T10:11:00.007-05:00

From Lena:Recently, our family had a rousing discussion of the phrase, "land of the living" as used in the psalms of David. Was he speaking about the here and now land, or heaven?I believe that David had prophetic insight into the nature of God. Life is at the core of God's identity, and whether we are speaking of life here on this earth, or life eternal, God is at the heart of it, doing His

A disturbing dream

2009-10-26T20:07:00.004-04:00

From Bill: I'm reposting this, having had problems previously.Last month I had a very disturbing dream which I’ve not been able to forget. I dreamt that I was in a room in a high-rise building. There were other people in the room with me. My journal (a steno notebook) was pulled out of my hand by an invisible force—as though it had been jerked up by a hook and line. It hit me in the chin, shot up

Buying Christmas gifts in Lima

2009-10-12T21:25:00.002-04:00

Buying Christmas gifts for 1500 poor kids is both fun and hard work. To accomplish our task within our budget, we went to the "bowels of Lima!" (It's important to say this like a dramatic movie announcer.) The "bowels of Lima!" is the dark underbelly of the city's merchandising district. My helpers were Phyllis Rose, a missionary who works with us in the Latin America ChildCare office, and

Over the mountains with Mike 2

2009-10-08T14:20:00.004-04:00

Mike Files and I went to Huancayo, to check out a school for LACC. Huancayo is at 10,800 feet--twice the altitude of Denver. The families of these children earn about $100/month.To see the complete collection of photos from this trip, please check out the link for "Bill and Lena Pics" (at right) or follow this link:http://picasaweb.google.com/BillandLenaPics/ The school day always begins by

Over the Mountains with Mike

2009-10-08T14:06:00.003-04:00

My friend, Mike Files, is South American Director of LACC (Latin America ChildCare). He and I traveled over the Andes Mountains, at 15,000 feet, to visit Huancayo, Peru. Here's a shot of Mike near the top of our journey. This is a shot of a train coming out of a mountain tunnel. Below is a shot of me. I'm standing with my legs far apart, because we were dizzy. At this altitude, the air is

What I Love About My Country...

2009-09-30T10:26:00.009-04:00

This from Lena:Periodically, in our ministry, the sponsored children write a note on a given theme to their sponsors, letting them know a little something about who they are, and what their lives are like. It is my special job—which I really love—to translate these little slices of Peruvian school children’s thoughts, hopes, and dreams. I laugh at their honesty, cheer them on in their dreams

Quality untrusted by animals

2009-09-27T17:55:00.002-04:00

On my last trip to Iquitos, in the Amazon jungle, I forgot to bring the charging cord for my cell phone. (I'd like to interrupt this blog entry to say that the idea of using your cell phone in the jungle is pretty funny right from the start. When I was itinerating through Pennsylvania, my cell phone frequently had no coverage; but in the heart of the Amazon Rain Forest, I get perfect coverage

Crazy White Lady Up Front, Trying to Speak Spanish

2009-09-22T09:22:00.000-04:00

Last month, Bill was in the jungle when I got a phone call from the head of Women’s Ministries for the Assemblies of God of Peru. She was asking me to come speak at an event—clearly there had been some scheduling conflict, and the national superintendent had recommended me. I was in total shock. No Bill. Two days to pull it together. Obviously an important event. How many times have I

Resistance to "foreign" water

2009-09-23T23:54:00.008-04:00

A friend of mine is in Haiti. He asked if it's possible to build up a resistence to bacteria and parasites in unclean water and food. I all this the "foreign water fallacy." People often think that your body is used to the water in your area, but not in other areas. The truth is that your body prefers clean water. I've read much on this subject, since we deal with it every day. The basic answer

Yea, Parasites!

2009-09-17T21:04:00.007-04:00

From Bill:This is a follow up to the "Secretions" post. I took the medicine and had some minor relief for two days, then the secretions returned. A friend called and asked, "What kind of secretions are you talking about?"I said, "You know ... like mucous.""You mean, like, from your nose?""Yea. Like from my nose, ... only not from my nose."I started to be afraid. I had ulcerative colitis 25 years

Secretions.

2009-08-26T23:24:00.007-04:00

From Bill:It all started a month ago, when we returned from the jungle. It was just a little upset stomach and diarrhea -- I was sure that it would be over in a few days. Most of the symptoms disappeared, but then a new symptom came to light. It was a symptom that you don't talk about in public. That's why it was a difficult scene, when I found myself in a packed pharmacy, with a line of

Forgiveness Pressed Down and Flowing Over

2009-08-26T10:37:00.003-04:00

A note from Lena:But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:35-6)Give, [of your forgiveness!] and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken

Do You Like to Walk?

2009-08-17T09:39:00.009-04:00

Last night,we packed up the whole family to go and minister in a church plant somewhere in San Juan de Lurigancho--a huge community within Lima of some of the poorest people of the city. We arranged to meet the young pastor at a grocery store,and would go on with him from there.He approached the car, all smiles, a truly engaging young man. I was already thinking that the evening would be a

Salvations & Salud (Timberline Medical Clinic)

2009-07-19T09:35:00.005-04:00

Salvations & Salud

2009-07-18T18:30:00.006-04:00