The Park of Love

One of the most famous spots in Lima is the "Parque del Amor," which is "The park of love!" It has a statue of a man and woman embracing.

Every Saturday afternoon, couples who are getting married line up in front of the statue for a wedding photo. It's fun watching the couples, all decked out in the wedding garb. You can feel the happiness in the air.

We went with our friends, Mike and Barbara Olejarz--the parents of our assistant Sarah. It was a great day and the perfect opportunity to celebrate love with a passionate smooch!

Hurricane Ike & the "goddess of the Sea"

I was looking at photos of Hurricane Ike on the Washington Post web site. Photo #33 caught my eye. It was of Cubans carrying statues that appear to be of Mary. The text alongside the picture says, "Residents of Batabano Surjidero in Havana, Cuba, participate in a procession to request the Goddess of the Sea, the Virgin of Iemanja, to move Hurricane Ike far from Cuba." That's it. People carrying a statue of a woman, praying to an ancient pagan diety. People ask us, "Why go as a missionary to a Catholic country?" The answer is as simple here as it is in the U.S.; i.e., no country is Christian or non-Christian. Rather, people are Christian or not. In Latin America, there is huge confusion because of ancient pagan dieties with Christian names. We're here to clear up the confusion.

There is only one person who has the power to calm the storm, his name is Jesus.


I couldn't include a photo of "the virgin of Iemanja," if you want to see the photo on the Washington Post site, click here and go to photo #33: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2008/09/08/GA2008090801274.html

Watching the olympics in Iquitos

Here's a quick little clip of some interesting footage that I didn't include in the previous video.

A cup (or toilet) of cold water -- Victoria de Jesus Well

In August, I had the privilege of spending 4 1/2 days in the jungle city of Iquitos, where I got to participate in the installation of two water wells at our Latin America ChildCare schools. I took video at each school, this is the first of the two.

Thanks to everyone who is on our team. The whole experience was powerful and I'm so honored to be part of this life changing ministry.

Bathroom Receipt 2

When we traveled to Panama last year, I received a nice bathroom receipt at the border. (You can see it here: http://billandlena.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-favorite-receipt.html) At the time, getting a receipt for using the bathroom was a new experience for me. It is a special experience to get a receipt for something so personal. Now, I have a new receipt to add to my collection, a receipt from one of the 7 wonders of the World: Machu Picchu! As you can see, it is a quality receipt with a little picture of the wonder right on it. As the 749036th person to use the bathroom at Machu Picchu, I'm happy to report that the bathroom, while not a world wonder, was very nice.

A funny story of my friend Joe Zickafoose

Having written about the loss of my friend, Joe Zickafoose, I want to share one of my favorite stories. Joe and I were leading worship during a XA meeting at the University of Louisville. There was a new student there that night—whom I will refer to as Tad. There was a pause between songs and Tad began to call down the judgment fires of heaven on every sinner on campus. He listed all the possible sins of college students and screamed out, “O God, let them burn in hell! LET THEM BURN!!!”

I interrupted and said, “Let’s break into groups of three and pray for one another.”

Joe and I ran to Tad. He looked at us and said, “Hey, I know where I’ve seen you guys before! It was in my vision. You guys were on the right and left side of Jesus.”

Joe and I looked at each other, then blurted out at the same time, “Which side was I on?”

Tad’s head bobbed like a person who had just gotten off of a corkscrew rollercoaster. He was struggling to focus and said, “Uh….uh…you were on the right and you were on the left.” We looked at each other and, again, blurted out together, “Your right or Jesus’ right?!”

Tad now looked like a guy who got off the rollercoaster and was about to barf. He said, in highly nervous tones, “Uh, uh, I don’t know!”

So, if there’s any doubt about where Joe is, I have good reason to believe that he’s at Jesus’ side.

(A couple of months after this encounter, I saw Tad again. He said that he felt God calling him to XA because the people in the group were misfits and social outcasts who needed his help. Thankfully, he was apparently called to help another group and never came back.)

Thanks to Marc Cauthon (http://deliriousjayhawk.blogspot.com/2008/08/joe-zickafoose.html) for the photo.

Thoughts about the loss of my friend--Joe Zickafoose

A couple of weeks ago, I lost my dear friend, Joe Zickafoose. Joe and I became friends when I joined him on staff at the University of Louisville Chi Alpha group in February, 1989. He was a friend, a ministry mentor and a great guitar player!

After he died, I struggled to make sense of it. He was young, with a family and an influential ministry. Theologically, I understand the promise of heaven and I’m glad for it. Emotionally, when you have to say goodbye to someone you love, it is hard to feel the good feelings of heaven. As one who believes in healing, it is doubly hard to say goodbye to a friend and minister who seemed to be in his prime. Since Joe’s departure, I have been mulling these thoughts over and reading the Gospel of John. I was convicted, encouraged and challenged. In John 14:1-3, Jesus says,

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

In this passage, the Lord knows he is about to leave and that his friends will be very upset, so he says:
1. Don’t be upset by this—trust in God.
2. I am going.
3. I’ll take you to be with me.

The parts that really hit me were points 2 and 3. Jesus said he was going. It is clear from the context that he is not referring to the crucifixion. He’s referring to AFTER the resurrection. In 16:28, Jesus says, “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” So, it is clear that, even after Jesus defeated death, he had no plans of sticking around here. And, if he had not plans of sticking around, why do I think it’s such a great idea? That brings me to the point. Not only is he going away, but he’s going to take us to be with him. The key word in that sentence is “take.” The Father’s house is the destination that we’re all supposed to be looking forward to and I was. I always read this passage from the standpoint of my own encouragement. “Hey,” I said, “He’s coming to get me and one day I’ll be living the sweet life with my savior in the Father’s house!” I never ever thought, that he was talking to the person standing next to me—which in this case was Joe.

When Smith Wigglesworth’s wife died, he rebuked death and brought her back to life. She was not happy! As I recall, she rebuked her husband and said, “The Lord wants me and I want to go.” Wigglesworth said that he couldn’t bear to let her go. Even though she loved him, she had already tasted a bit of heaven. She said it again, “The Lord wants me and I want to go.” So, Wigglesworth let her go. That’s where the “Trust in God” part comes in. It is so much easier to do when you are not the one left behind. I want to live with Heaven as a reality—both for myself and those I say goodbye to. I don’t want to view it as a failure, when one of us moves into the Father’s house. I don’t think I’ll ever get to the place where saying goodbye will be easy, but I definitely don’t want to feel that we had failed as faith healers.

Revelation 22:3b-5 says, “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” That’s the goal.

The Birthday Bourgeiosie

Abi's fourth birthday came, and we celebrated it in a lovely, low-key American birthday party, with just a couple little girlfriends and some good dress-up. I just happened to mention it to Abi's teacher, her "Miss," which is pronounced with a thick Spanish accent, "Mees." (At first I thought that this was some sort of word I didn't know yet, but then I realized that they were saying an English word-instead of señorita; they have anglicized it, and the teachers are the "Mees"es.) She seemed a little surprised that we hadn't done anything with Abi's classmates in school, but I didn't think any more about it; that is, until she asked me if maybe we could have a party for her at the school. My first thought was, "Bill will not like this at all," because Bill is a sort of traditional birthday minimalist, preferring to send the kids out to the backyard with a new stick to mark the passing of another year.

Now, something you need to know is that Lima, Peru is the Happy Birthday capital of the world, especially for those who have a little bit of dough to spend. It is very common for us to look out onto our little park and see rented tents and tableclothed, color-coordinated tables, a huge inflatable, and rented musicians, or just the music from High School Musical blared through a sound sytem. This is just for little kid parties, too. Abi attends a preschool with the priveleged, and therefore gets invited to some major parties, but we don't usually go, as they are normally at suppertime and it can get a little disruptive, not to mention expensive, to keep up her busy social calendar.

So, to make a long story short, we had a party at the school. But I had no clue as to what I had to bring. I had to ask the "Miss"--and very sheepishly--what all "having a party" entailed. When I showed up, it was clear that I didn't really get it, as she had to cue me on all the way to do things. I felt like the representative for the Birthday Party Burgeiosie. Totally clueless. I had no tablecloths, no clown. If it wasn't for the "Mees," I would have been up a creek. But at least my jello went over really big. Abi hid her face in her hands the whole while they sang to her, but clearly enjoyed all the attention, getting up to do a little jig to entertain her public now and then. As for the ballet class she normally takes on Fridays, that went by the wayside, because she couldn't wait to get home to check out the hall of new toys to play with. As we made our way out of the center, balancing all the party makings and Abi's gifts, her "Miss" said to me, "See, how happy she is?" I think at least one of us will adjust just fine to the Latin birthday haul. Oh..., I mean culture.

Enjoying the call

People ask if we like living in Lima. The answer is yes, but it is not without costs. Obviously, being away from family and friends is tough. But, on the bright side, we have the joy of touching lives in a deep way. Recently, I spent four and a half days in the jungle town of Iquitos, Peru. Latin America ChildCare (LACC) works with two schools there. The schools did not have running water, so the kids had to carry buckets of water in each day. The water always ran out, leaving the bathrooms smelling horribly and there was no way for the kids to wash their hands. I was blessed to help put in two wells--one at each school. The picture here is of the Luz del Saber school. A few minutes after I took this picture, the water started running out beautifully clear. It was a total joy to see the kids soaked and happy. Many don't have the capacity to shower in their homes. As such, this school will have a shower outside on the playground, for kids who want to freshen up after playing. That means a lot when it's 97 degrees out! While I was there, I also preached at two churches and prayed for many hungry and hurting people at the altars. It was very fulfilling. So, today I am enjoying the call of God and grateful that I get to be on Jesus' team.

The Taxi Driver, the Checkout Girl, and the Rooftop Rescue

I have been in awe lately at how hard it is for the human nature to get a grasp on the core message of the gospel. I was talking to a taxi driver about the fact that Jesus died for his sins, and that he just had to receive the gift of salvation, and begin walking with Jesus, and He would do the rest--make him clean. He had such a hard time getting his head around that idea. There are no "few things" we need to clean up in advance, no preparations to be made. Just Jesus and a naked soul, waiting for the rescue on top of a house that has been flooded and will never have people living in it again. That simple, and that hard, because we so want to save our image of ourselves as capable, independent, righteous. But we are not.

A few days later, in another conversation about the Lord in the checkout at the supermarket(this is a lot easier here than in the States. I LOVE THAT ABOUT THIS COUNTRY.) , the girl asked me if I was religious. I told her that I was a sinner who was saved by the sacrifice of Jesus for my sins. I like that answer a lot better than, "Yeah, I'm an evangelical."

I really want to say to all the world that Jesus came for the sick, and not the healthy, and only those who can see their own need for help can receive it. Praise God who saved me from the consequences of my sin!

And if there is some precious soul out there who reads these blogs but who has not yet given their life to the Lord, please understand that there is nothing you can do to help or heal yourself so that you are ready to recieve Him. You are on the top of the flooded house, and if you don't let Him rescue you, the results are obvious. Please let Him rescue you.

Cincinnati Chili Fiesta

We've been through some tough challenges lately, but we are not without the things that bring comfort to the human soul. For example, we have the hope of salvation, the power of the Spirit, friends who love us and ... cheddar cheese! Thanks to the team from Cincinnati, we have Cincinnati Chili mix and the cheese to put on top of it. As the Lord said when He created Cincinnati Chili--it is good.

Abi's 4th birthday

Abi turned 4 on August 9th. She celebrated with a tea party. It's important to celebrate #4, because by the time you reach 44, the crown doesn't fit as well!

Willy's first day of kindergarten

Willy just started kindergarten. Here's a shot of him going off to conquer his first class. A few days afterward I woke him up and said, "It's time for school!"

He replied, "Again?!!!!!"

Back in the jungle

I'm back in the jungle town of Iquitos. I'll be visiting two of our LACC schools, preaching the Gospel, thanking our teachers, meeting local pastors and filming the installation of two new wells for the schools. It's very exciting and I feel blessed to be a part of it.

The damper on my feelings of blessedness comes from the news that my great friend, Joe Zickafoose, has passed away. Joe and I worked together at the University of Louisville back in 1989. He was the senior pastor and I was the new guy. He was a close friend, brother-in-the-Lord and ministerial mentor for many years. Please pray for his wife, Jayne, and their two boys, John and Andy.

He is coming soon.

This entry is from Lena:

About a month ago, I saw a rather home-made movie of the testimony of a Peruvian man who was brought back from the dead. His descriptions of heaven and hell were so real. I felt such an urgency to warn people. Heaven is awesome, and no one who goes there ever wants to come back, even with loved ones back here on Earth. This is hard for us to imagine, because our view just isn't quite big enough to keep eternity in our hearts and minds all the time. Frankly, we don't think enough about the reality of hell, either. It is so uncomfortable, even stressful to think of what really is at stake when we share the gospel.

Not long after, some missionary friends of ours were moving into their new place. I felt the urge to share the gospel with their new maid-- a young lady with a baby--smiley, pleasant. But I thought twice, because I didn't want to look like I was trying to out-missionary anyone, and I was certain that they would begin sharing with her soon.

About a week later, we received the news that she had gone to the hospital, and within just a few short days, she had gotten very ill and died. I couldn't believe it, and more than that, I couldn't believe that I had missed my chance over perceived territory issues (which I am quite certain were nonexistent--really awesome folks).

I wish this was a happy note, and that I had led her to the Lord. But I believe that every day, we are passing people who only have a short time left. Mostly, I think of Peruvians in this, as their health care is such a thing of faith from first to last. There are no guarantees of the medical community going to great lengths to save a life here where there is a lack of funds. Even when there are... you get the picture.

The truth is that this very week, Bill's brother and a very dear friend have their lives hanging in the balance, and they have great health insurance and the best the States can offer.

I did take the opportunity to witness to my taxidriver this week, though. He was amazingly open, but unwilling to make a commitment to the Lord. I warned him that Jesus is coming back soon, and in that moment, all who have not made Him Lord will perish. He was well-warned!! I am not willing that any should perish.

And if there is anyone out there reading this who has not yet given their life to Christ, I need to tell you that you are in serious danger. You must be found safely under the protection of Jesus Christ if you are to escape Hell and find Heaven. You do this by surrendering your life to Jesus, admitting that you can not pay your debt of sin, and receiving his gift of salvation. There is no other way to get in. Only through his sacrifice. Please do it now, because you do not know when He is coming back-- to the whole earth, or just for you.

Blessings to all of you, our friends! may He help us all to walk awake to the fact that He is coming back soon.

Witnessing in Cusco

One blessing of being in Peru is that the people are open to talking about their faith. When the First Christian Missions Team was with us, our time in Cuzco and Machu Picchu turned out to be a significant ministry experience. Everywhere we went, the Lord opened doors of witness for us. The team brought Bibles and we gave many away--showing people important verses and explaining that salvation is the gift of God. The team encouraged me to be more aggressive in personal witness. Two guys I talked with were our guides for the Machu Picchu tour and the Sacred Valley tours--one named Renato and the other, Augusto. Both are of Quechua Indian descent--the mountainous people most closely associated with the Inca empire. Both mentioned worshipping "Mother Earth" while we were there. I asked Renato who Jesus was in his life. He said, "He's a great guy, ... a really great guy."

I said, "Yea, but is he your Lord?"

Renato said, "Yea, ... a lot of the time."

I laughed and said, "I think this whole thing works a lot better when he is your Lord all of the time."

Renato said, "That's really difficult because I'm Quechua."

He was implying that it was incongruent to be a Native American Indian and to also be a Christian. There are two reasons why he thinks that. First, the Spanish conquered the Quechuas and tried to assimilate them--changing their names, their worship practices, their theology, culture and language. The Spanish failed. To this day, the Quechuas lead double lives. They speak Spanish in the market place and Quechua in their homes. They are Catholic in name, but continue to follow the ancient worship practices of their ancestors. To Renato, to become Christian means becoming Spanish. Since the Spanish conquistadors were very cruel and failed to exemplify proper Christian living, becoming like them is not an acceptable option for him. The second reason is Jesus, himself. Romans 9:33 says that Jesus is "the stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." Since Jesus demands exclusive worship and the identity of the Quechua Indians is integrally tied to their worship of the sun and the earth, it is painful even to be confronted with the name of Jesus. I tried to share with him that Jesus created us (not mother earth), and that when we worship him we do not lose our identities. Jesus loves the Quechua Indians. Nonetheless, he is the "name above all names," and does not permit us to even play games that imply we are worshipping the earth or the sun.

He listened, then said, "You know, when I was a teenager, I attended an evangelical youth group."

I thought this was interesting, because it implied that he wasn't a closed to the idea as he had implied previously. I said, "Why'd you quit?"

He said, "Because they were all hypocrites. They sang worship songs in the youth group, then went out drinking afterward."

I told him, "A lot of people talk about being Christian and others can see that they're not, but their failures don't change the truth. Jesus really is the Messiah and we can't tell the Lord that we didn't serve him because other people were phony."

He agreed. He would have talked more, but our train came and the rest of the team were already on it. It was one of those scenes where I had to run and catch the train before it left the station.

Please pray for Renato and Augusto. I think about the book of Revelation, which tells us that there will be people from every tribe and tongue worshipping Jesus. I want Renato and Augusto to be two representatives from the Quechua Indians in that glorious choir.

Prayer Requests

Having a missions team from the states produces many effects, one of which is spiritual warfare. When the team was here, I was sick with digestive problems and cramps. When they left, I got a bad cold. The night they were leaving, I found out that both my mother and brother were at the hospital emergency room. They both stayed in the hospital a couple of days, then returned to their respective homes. Today, my brother went back for emergency surgery. Last week, he had arterial bypass surgery on his leg. It clogged and developed a staff infection. Today, they removed the bypass and left the wound open to heal. I'm grateful that he's alive. The news I received this morning made his survival seem questionable. My worries for my brother were compounded by the ongoing problems with my mother's health and a serious blood-pressure problem with a close friend here in Peru. I also found out, from the team, that a good friend in the states has terminal cancer. I currently have 5 friends, all roughly my age, that have cancer. I found out tonight that a friend of Sarah Olejarz is in critical condition in the hospital. We are all worried about our friends and, at the same time, are struggling with the knowledge that we can't just run home and be with them. So, I ask for your prayers for: My mom, June, and my brother, Jan. Also for these friends: Joe, Scott, Russ, Lisa, Edith, Oscar and, Sarah's friend, Fern.

John McCain & my cousin

I read my local newspaper, The Cincinnati Enquirer, on the internet. Today, I saw a great story regarding my cousin, Janice Karl, and John McCain. During the Viet Nam war, people would wear bracelets with the names of men and women who were MIA's (Missing In Action). I remember my cousin wearing her bracelet, which had the name of an American prisoner of war, John McCain. My cousin kept that bracelet all these years. Last night, she got to give it back to him. Here's the story from http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080807/NEWS01/808070370/:

Janice Karl of Landen has waited more than 30 years to give something to John McCain - a POW bracelet bearing his name.

Today, when McCain, now the Republican candidate for president, comes to Four Bridges Country Club in Liberty Township for a campaign fundraiser, she will get that chance.

"I wore that bracelet for a long time and after he came home, I kept it in a box," Karl said.

"I always intended to return it to him but just never got around to it. Now I can."

Karl was one of millions of Americans in the early 1970s who obtained bracelets from a national POW/MIA organization. Each had the name of a prisoner of war or missing serviceman and the date he was captured or went missing.

Many of them have presented the returning POWs - or their surviving family - with the bracelets they wore to honor their sacrifice.

The bracelet Karl wore is etched with his name and rank - Lt. Cmdr. John McCain - and the date of his capture, Oct. 26, 1967.

McCain was a Navy aviator in October 1967 when his plane was shot down over North Vietnam.
McCain was badly injured in the crash and was held prisoner for the next 5½ years, during which time he was frequently tortured and beaten. He was released in March 1973.

Karl said she remembers watching the television reports when McCain arrived back in the U.S.
"I remember thinking how awful he looked," Karl said. She recently decided it was time to give the bracelet to the former POW. When she heard that McCain would be coming to the area today for a fundraiser, she began making calls to McCain's campaign and Senate offices to arrange to meet him.

A Taste of Home

The youth missions team from First Christian Assembly of God (in Cincinnati, Ohio) just left. First Christian is our home church. As such, their departure has caused my heart to be flooded with emotions. We had a fabulous time when they were here. We painted part of a Latin American ChildCare school and did street evangelism (while handing out invitations to attended an evangelistic service) in three different districts of Lima. We also did street witnessing in Cuzco. There were 13 teenagers and 5 adults. The adults were already friends. Of the teens, 9 or 10 were the children of our friends. They were all like a sweet taste of home. It was a joy to hang out with people who knew us and with whom we could express our thoughts and emotions. It was also a thrill each time someone on the team had a great witnessing experience. I'll be adding pictures of their visit, and the work they accomplished, over the next few days. For now, I want to thank God for old friends and the chance to advance the Gospel. I also want to eat the Cheddar cheese they brought, spread over a nice hot bowl of Cincinnati Chili.

Team Update & CNN

Our team coming from Cincinnati hasn't arrived yet. They were in the air, when a loud popping noise made the flight return to Atlanta. Please pray for them. They've been up since yesterday and are not scheduled to arrive until tomorrow.

Here's the CNN article on it:

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A Delta Air Lines flight en route to Peru was forced to return to Atlanta, Georgia, after attendants heard a loud "popping sound," a Delta spokesman said. Flight 351 had taken off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after midnight Sunday and was heading to Lima, said spokesman Kent Landers. Landers said attendants heard a loud popping noise when the plane was south of Fort Myers, Florida.
The pilot returned the plane safely back to the Atlanta airport about 2:45 a.m. ET. It was not immediately known what caused the sound. Landers said passengers would be flown to Peru on a different flight.

(These pictures are from my last flight from Atlanta to Peru--possibly on the same plane!)

Sharing the Gospel & 2 prayer requests

Here's the text from our latest email update:

One of the blessings and curses of being a missionary is the fact that I stick out—but God has a way of using that. Last week, I was in Piura to preach, to make friends and take pictures of the kids in our Latin America ChildCare school. I was leaving the church, when I was stopped by two teenage boys walking down the street. One of them spoke, while the other just listened. The one who spoke asked, "Is that church Christian?"

I said, "Yes."

"Are you a missionary?"

"Yes."

The area I was in was not entirely safe. There are gangs there and I was afraid the two teens were going to harass me. Instead, he asked, "Why did Jesus come to the earth?"

"To pay the price of our sins. Sin separates us from God, but God loved us and wasn’t willing to be separated. So, something had to be done about the sin. That’s why Jesus came—to pay the debts we had incurred by sinning."

He continued, "If God loves us so much, then why is there suffering in the world?"

I said, “That is a great question. It’s not really easy to understand from our perspective. The short answer is that, for now, suffering is part of having the ability to love freely. God wants to have a relationship of love with real people, not just with robots. So, people have to have the right to make choices. When people make a choice to sin, they set off a chain reaction that hurts innocent people. God could stop it and take away everyone’s ability to make choices, but he couldn’t really have a relationship of love that way. Nobody wants that. But, it’s important to remember that this place, along with the suffering, is not the end of the story. Jesus said he’s building a mansion for us in a place without suffering and that he is coming back to take us there. But in order to go, you have to be his disciple. Is Jesus your Savior and Lord?

The two young men stared at me and fumbled to find an answer. So I continued, “Are you in a relationship with Jesus where you show your love for him by obeying him?”

One young man looked down without speaking. The other said, “No.”

I said, “Do you want to confess your sins to the Lord and ask him to be Lord of your life?”

“How do you do that?”
That is the very question all missionaries want to hear! I said, “You say, ‘Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner, but I want to walk with you. I’m asking you to forgive me, to save me and to give me your Holy Spirit.’” I then asked, “Would you like to pray that prayer right now?”

They both looked down, silent. I waited, but they wouldn’t look up again. That’s a common way of ending a conversation in Peru. I had to change the subject. I told them that the church I was at was having a concert that night and I invited them both to come. They smiled and asked what time, then they left. I don’t know if they came, because there was a huge crowd at the church that night. I don’t even know their names. So I’m asking you to pray for them.

I have a second request. This week, we’re hosting a team of youth from our home church in Cincinnati. Please pray that the whole team will have conversations like the one I had with those young men. Pray for safety, salvations and life impacting ministry for all.

Thanks for being part of our team!

Fear

Our trip to Piura and Trujillo was really long--20 hours of driving north, then 20 hours back to Lima. One friend said it sounded "crazy long." It was crazy, but not because of the length,...rather, because of the fear! For a large part of the driving, I was very afraid. Early on in the trip, we were stopped by a cop who wanted a bribe. He had an accent that was unbelievably thick. So, I was nervous, not knowing what my rights were or what the proper response was. He was applying pressure for me to pay him off. At the same time, I had to keep asking him to repeat himself. That frustrated him. When Lena told him that we were Christians who do not pay bribes, he backed off of his extortion attempt, but was still agitated. He told us about bandits attacking cars on the highway at night. He did this to frighten us, but it is nonetheless a legitimate warning. The bandits wait until the dark of night, then put logs or rocks in the highway to force you to stop. If they can blow out a tire, they wait until you get out of the car to change the tire. I have a friend who was attacked in this way. He and his wife lost $800, all their jewelry and nearly their lives. When the cop stopped us, we were still many hours from our destination, meaning that we had to drive on a deserted highway in the dark. Once the sun set, I was filled with fear. I’m not accustomed to being afraid and it was an unpleasant experience. It left my body full of nervous chemicals that clouded my brain when I needed to think clearly. The good news is that we made it to our hotel safely and were not stopped by bandits or extortionists. (Praise the Lord!) After a few more days, with more time on the highway (during daylight), I eventually got to the point where my fears lessened. At that point, I started to enjoy the trip and felt more capable of handling the challenges ahead.

The kids asked, "What are bandits?" The kids had never even thought of the possibility of being robbed on the highway. It made Lena and I aware of how blessed people are in the US. We've driven all over the US where, apart from the inner city, I never feared of being robbed. But, now we’re not in the US anymore and are much more able to empathize with the Apostle Paul. He traveled all over the middle east and Europe—on foot! In 2 Corinthians 11:26-30, Paul wrote, “I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”

Becoming a missionary definitely reveals your weaknesses. So, I’m going to take this opportunity to proudly boast, “I was afraid!”

(The pictures are of the road. That's me driving. The first picture shows desert brush; the second, desert sand that goes on for miles and, finally, a fort left over from an ancient civilization.)

A long journey

We just returned from a trip to Catacaos (near Piura). It took about 20 hours to drive there--all of it on a two lane road with an average speed limit of about 40 miles per hour. It reminded me of what it must have been like when my parents drove from Ohio to Florida in the early 50's. The good news is that it was hot. It's currently winter in Lima, so the sun and the heat were welcome. Here are a couple of shots of the kids in the Betel school in Catacaos.

Dunkin Donuts -- Nutricious!

In Hebrews 11:1, the Bible says that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." That is definitely the case with the Dunkin Donuts stand at the Lima airport. The receipt says it all: "NUTRA -- Dunkin Donuts." I had the hope, a long time ago, that donuts were actually good for you. Now I'm certain of it!

The currency on the receipt is Peruvian Nueva Soles, which are about 3 to 1 against the dollar. Therefore, our 10 donuts and 2 cups of coffee cost a little under $4. That's not too bad when you're hankering for a taste of home.

The Cross of God

There is a large lighted cross that sits atop a big hill in the Lima suburb of Chorillos. You can see it at night from the highway that runs along the Pacific coast. It's so bright that it hurts my eyes. The other night while driving along, Willy said, "Look! It's the cross of God!"

Today, Abi said that the God in the sky loves us and that's why we don't need to be afraid. She went on to say, "He died on the cross of God, but he got up by himself."

I said, "That's right, he did get up all by himself."

She said, "Yea, ... and he looks better now."

Gotta Dance

So we were preparing to close the meeting, a little bring-a-friend tea at my apartment, and one of our friends from church leans over to one older lady in particular who was a guest in our meeting, and says, “Would you like to receive Jesus as your Savior?” Sarah (our missionary assistant) and I both had to cover up a wave of culture shock, as back in the States, we tend to make our altar calls a little less “outing.” Then the relief came when she said, “Yes!” Then not only her, but 3 others after her. Wow.

The whole night was a series of cultural shock moments for me. Hosting a tea in Peru was a bit of a risk, as I had only been to one so far, and it was less formal. I was mostly guessing with what to serve and how to do it. I had good help from the ladies, but there were moments when I felt like I was on another planet. How do you serve? Can people help themselves? How do you politely help people to hush? How direct can we be? How do you pray for people in a group setting when there are visitors?

I found myself thinking a lot through the night about part of the teaching I had prepared for the evening. I was talking about what it means to be truly beautiful as a woman, and I told them about Abi’s ballet class, and how all the girls there were so sweet, and their feminine beauty was showing, even as they were trying (and mostly failing) to do the little jumps and follow the teacher. One was crying because she didn’t have a plush toy to dance with. Another was sulking because she didn’t want to dance. They were less than graceful as they bumped into each other and made lines that looked more like squiggles.
Anyone watching them could see that they were only beginning and that it would be some time before they would do anything that looked like the graceful ballet they aspired to. Still, with time, the squiggles will straighten, and graceful gestures will replace the awkward ones I saw that day.

It is the same way for me. I found myself doing something I love to do—talking to women about the things that really matter in our lives in a small group setting. Yet, in this new culture, and with this new language that sometimes leaves me grasping when (as women do) someone gets emotional about what they are sharing, or speaks through tears. I feel sometimes like I am dancing ballet with steel-toed work boots. It’s awkward. I am unsure of things that come easily in the States. With time, I’ll work my way out of those work boots, but the only way to get rid of them is to wear them out. There is no other way to get to the place I want to go without taking the risk of dancing a pretty crazy- looking Swan Lake. If you want to dance in a new culture, you gotta dance. It isn’t possible to learn any other way. If I am the one who doesn’t get the plush toy, or someone knocks me in the head, or I can’t seem to do the little jumps how I want to, so be it. I am going to dance. And people are going to meet Jesus, because He wants to meet them, and because we were willing to look a little silly to risk it.

Wanna dance, too?

What Is In a Gift?

What is in a gift? I have thought about that a lot as I have carried out one of our very enjoyable jobs of purchasing birthday gifts for sponsored children on behalf of their sponsors. I agonized over the pink purse or the rust-colored one (earth tones are very big here), which scrunchies to go with them, what to get for a 14 year-old boy, and all the same thoughts one has when buying for a nephew or a birthday party for one of your kid’s friends.

I thought a lot about my mom through this process. My mom was an orphan who had the blessing to be born in the US, where we have a fairly adequate system for dealing with such delicate matters. She received her first birthday present when she was 16, from the daughter of her foster mother. I remember Mom talking about it like it was the most incredible thing at the time—I think it was a necklace. Someone thought about her, and it made a difference. She always talked about it—and it came up quite a few times—with tears in her eyes, and much love for the sweet young woman who had bought it for her.

And I have been thinking that although most of these kids are not orphans, the majority of them do not live in easy situations. If I was their mother, I would be thinking about how to get enough money to feed them, not if there was sufficient funds to take them out to a movie to celebrate with their friends or buy them something pretty that makes them feel thought about. These gifts may be the only ones they get to celebrate that they were born. How incredible, too, that it comes from someone they don’t even know, who does it in the name of Jesus. I think you can say a lot with a gift. You can say, “You matter to someone.” You can say, “Don’t give up.” You can say, “Jesus loves you, and I do, too.”

Buying gifts for these kids--it’s a good job.

Like a seed

The #1 question I get is "How are the kids doing?" The kids have handled this transition very well, in spite of the challenges. Living in a foreign culture where you struggle to speak means that you are always two steps behind the rest of the crowd. Willy's experience is an example. We put him and Abigail in a pre-school, so that they could meet friends and continue learning Spanish. Willy's class had planted seeds as a science experiment some time before he joined the class. After a couple of weeks, the other kids plants were sprouting, but Willy's was nowhere to be seen. He compared their plants to his dirt and was sad. I was sad, too. It was an image of his life in Latin America. I encouraged him, saying, "Don't worry Buddy! The other kids got a head start on you. Your plant is coming. Just wait."

When I left, my heart was breaking. I felt his pain. At times, I'm fed up with waiting. People do not want to wait for us. They understand social situations and speak quickly. So, one minute you are with a group of people in a circle and you are thinking, "I'm starting to fit in." Then, they all laugh at joke you didn't understand, then they all turn and leave at the same time. Everyone caught a social cue that it was time to do something else. You're left standing alone, wondering, "What was so funny and where am I supposed to go now?" That is tough for adults, but it’s twice as tough to watch your son go through it. Why couldn't his plant grow like everyone else’s?

Time passed. We had to travel to Southern Peru and Chile, in order to complete the kids' residency papers. When we returned to Willy's class, his eyes opened wide and he ran to the window sill. His pile of dirt had become a lush, green plant. It took time, but it happened. He was so happy. I silently prayed, "Thank you, Father, thank you!"

In Hebrew (and in Spanish) the word for wait and hope is the same. Isaiah 40:31 says, "those who hope in (wait for) the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." By faith we are waiting and hoping for the day when God makes us truly fruitful in this foreign soil. He has called us and is faithful to do it.

(By the way, Willy is doing very well in school. Thanks to all who ask!)

Science Projects

Hannah and Colton did some science projects this year.

Colton's was on the effect of fat (in the form of butter) on Snicker Doodles. He made batches with 1/4 cup of butter, 1/2 cup and 3/4 cups. As you can see, they get flatter, darker and stickier. 1/2 cup, as the recipe called for, is the way to go.


Hannah won second place for her grade. Her study was on the effect of High Fructose Corn syrup on Hamsters (named Sydney and Vanessa). The result: Vanessa lost 30% of her body weight. Who knew Hamsters don't like corn syrup?

Iquitos 3

Final pics of our trip down the river. Please visit our Picasa on-line photos album for some great pics and captions. The pictures here are of Ceasar--a wood worker on the Amazon River, who also has served as a Pastor of a River/Jungle church. On our web album, there is a video of Ceasar making sugar cane juice. Click here: http://picasaweb.google.com/BillandLenaPics/Iquitos3JungleRiverTour

4 salvations

I feel very blessed today. I preached two services this morning. Preaching in Spanish requires a lot, since I have to write the sermon in English, translate it, have it corrected by a friend (Thanks Pablo!), then read/memorize it. Today's sermon came off well. The best part was the end, when 4 people gave their lives to the Lord. I was a bit shocked, since my altar call wasn't very emotional. So, I said, "This is for first timers only, not just for those who feel guilty when I preach." The four looked at me, their hands still in the air, and shook their heads yes!

Thank you, Jesus!

In the dead fish

On Easter Sunday, we were singing a Spanish hymn (sung to the tune of "From the fount of every blessing). Hannah turned and asked me, "Dad, why are we singing about a dead fish?"

Bill: Where do you see that?

Hannah: Up on the screen. It says, "In the dead fish, I am dead!"

The word for dead fish (i.e., the kind you would buy at the market to eat) is "pescado." The word for sin is "pecado." The way to remember it is that both dead fish and sin are stinky. So we were actually singing, "From now on, regarding the world and sin, I am dead." You've got to give it to those Spanish hymn writers. They're a chipper bunch.

Lesson gleaned from a jigsaw puzzle

I was working on a jigsaw puzzle recently, and something that I noticed was that there were several points in which I thought, "There is no way that this piece fits here." Time passes. I piddle with other pieces. The easy ones come together. I think, maybe in the factory something happened, and this piece fell into the rest. I seriously think that, as if that were the truth. At points I would play with it a bit, return to the rest. Sometimes I hit a point where I go a long time without getting a piece to fit, and I realize that my color expectations are affecting my ability to move on to the next stage. Then I look at the picture again, and think, "Wow, of course, it's changing to purple!" And then I move on. Sometimes I find myself trying to figure out where one of the kids must have taken the piece I have been searching for, but it isn' t their fault. I just hadn't put the pieces together yet.

Life is like that, isn't it? We work on this puzzle of life, and we keep going until we don't. And all of a sudden things aren't working so good. We are surprised. Shocked. In denial. It must be someone else's fault (child, boss, husband, friend who has been more distant lately....). But if we are wise, we press in until the Lord shows us that the color has changed, and it requires a new strategy-- a new way of looking at life, a new skill that we didn't have before, but can have if we are willing to change and learn. And then somehow we move on, and it comes together. And it wasn't a lost piece in the factory, not an errant child, or anything of the sort-- just a change of scheme that is part of life, and an opportunity to grow.

Our Apartment - photos

One of the difficulties of being a missionary is the loss of connection you feel with family and friends at home. Of course, that is also a two way street. That's why I've included the apartment videos below and these photos of our apartment. It's a bit of overkill on this one theme, but it gives those who are interested a snapshot (or video) of an important part of our lives here. I've included three shots here: our living room, dinning room and kitchen. If you'd like to see more, just click the link below: http://picasaweb.google.com/BillandLenaPics/OurApartmentInLima.

Apartment tour

I took this video in February 2008, just before we moved in to our apartment. The beauty of our apartment is the security. We never fear for our safety. The other is this lovely park, which the kids can play in. The third blessing is our proximity to the kids' school. We frequently walk to pick them up. In a big city like this, when I'm often away traveling, it is a blessing to not worry. We thank God for our call to Peru and for providing this apartment.

Bad Album Covers

It's important to know that I really like to laugh. I stumbled upon this link while reading the news: http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-worstalbumcovers-pg,0,531818.photogallery

It is a photo collection of the 50 worst album covers. Not ironically, many of them are from Christian albums and all appear to be from the 70's. A word of caution: humor is subjective and can be dangerous. Therefore, if you are easily offended, then just skip this and enjoy the example I've provided above, that great album of uplifting songs: "All my friends are Dead." Otherwise, click the link above and make sure you view a few of my favorites; e.g., 9 (seen here), 27, 29, 42, 48 & 50.

Prince Caspian - Review & Thoughts

Hannah, Colton and I saw Prince Caspian on Saturday night. Thankfully, it's in English with sub-titles. It was a solid OK. It wasn't great, but I enjoyed it. If I didn't know the story, I'd probably rate it higher; but, since it is one of my favorite stories of all time, it had a lot to live up to. I rate the opening sequence a A+. The movie opens better than the book, with an exciting chase scene. After the kids get into Narnia, the movie diverts from the book and starts to fall apart. The last third gets back to the book and ends well. One aspect I hated was that Susan kisses Caspian at the end (which was unbefitting a queen). If he had kissed her hand, and looked into her eyes, it would have worked better. Also, following the kiss, there is a pop music song. Up until then, the movie had a nice symphonic score. The pop music & the kiss seemed to turn a classy movie into a TV show.

Two thoughts:

1) We watched the BBC version (from the 1980's) a month ago. In that version, when the kids retrieve their original gifts from Father Christmas, Edmund has none. He didn't get a gift because he was a rebellious traitor and wasn't with the rest when Father Christmas arrived. When Willy saw this, he was very upset and asked if Edmund would get a gift now--after he says that he's sorry. We explained that he would not; i.e., being forgiven does not erase the past and there are lasting consequences to rebellion. This effected Willy greatly. It's worth remembering for all of us.

2) In the book, when Reepicheep's companions pledge to cut off their tails, Aslan says, "You have conquered me!" I love the idea that noble companions can greatly touch the heart of God--like the four friends who dug through the roof. The new movie contains this scene, but not the emotional confession from Aslan. (By the way, in the new movie, Reepicheep is a mouse to be feared! He's not quite as pompous as in the book, but is nonetheless one of the great literary characters of all time.)