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.)

Missionary Adjustment

An old friend wrote me today and asked how our transition was going. I wanted to share some of what I wrote him:

Our lives here are going well. We like Lima. We miss our friends in Cincinnati and in Costa Rica, but if you have to live in a foreign city, Lima, Peru is a great place to live. We especially appreciate the orderly structure and amenities of this big city. Nonetheless, it’s not home and there are many aspects that are less than comfortable or simply hard to understand. It’s funny that some people make this move solely for the adventure or for financial gain. It seems costly to do that without the greater purpose of the kingdom. I once heard that ex-pats consider their original country to be home up until the 2nd year away. At that point, they don’t feel that either country is home. They simply don’t fit anywhere. After the 4th year, their new country is home. We’ve been gone from the states for 1 ½ years and we are definitely feeling the sense of a loss of identity. We’re not Cincinnati people and not XA people. We’re like Abraham, marching into a new land, a land of promise, based on faith and the call of God.

(This cross sits atop San Cristobal--a tall hill overlooking Lima.)

Arequipa

We are in Arequipa, Peru, on our way south to Arica, Chile. We're on this journey to complete the process of getting the children's residency visas. It's a blessing, because it has allowed us to visit friends who live in Arequipa--which is in the southern portion of Peru, high in the Andes mountains. Arequipa is famous for 4 things: 1) The snow capped mountains--including the famous volcano "El Misti." 2) The Cathedral and the city's staunch devotion to the Pope. It is often referred to as the Vatican of South America. 3) The white volcanic rock used to construct many of the buildings, giving the city the name "the white city." 4) Their independent spirit, giving them the titles of "The independent State of Arequipa" or "The Texas of Peru."