A Grand Opening

Last week, Lena and I participated in the grand opening of a new A/G school in Peru. The pastor has applied for Latin America ChildCare help, but we're not yet able to do so, given the projects that have already been approved. Nonetheless, we've really enjoyed becoming friends with the Pastor and preaching at the church. Pastor Dionisia is a single woman, who has been pastoring this church for over 20 years. She is in the largest community of poor people in all of South America. It is San Juan de Lurigancho and has a population of more that 1 million. Many of them do not have water. When I first saw the community, it reminded me of pictures of Israel. As such, I was shocked to see that the church is named Palestina (Palestine) Assembly. Palestine is a great name, since it signifies a people in struggle who desperately need peace and salvation from Messiah.

Birthday of a different sort

On April 8, 1980, I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I remember it well. I was in a dorm room at the University of Cincinnati. It was a life changing experience that so impacted me, I have made it an emphasis of ministry ever since. I thank God for 28 years of the empowering presence of the Spirit of God.

Ciabatta Bread actually is better

There is a park near our house that I really love. It's called the "Malecon," which is a type of boardwalk. In this case, the boards are a nicely poured concrete sidewalk. I go there sometimes to roller-blade with Colton or to pray. It’s a really great spot for sunsets. One morning, I was there doing my devotions (prayer, Bible reading and journaling). I started talking to an older man who said that there was no difference between Christians, Muslims and Jews. He went on to say that missionaries are like bread salesmen who are hawking the same product. He said, "There are three different bread salesmen on the street and they each have the same bread, but each of them is saying that his bread is better." He went on to say, "All of the bread is the same!" He was, of course, talking about different religions.

I said that I could see his point, but that I had one question for him: “What if one bread really is better than the others?” I went on to say that, sometimes, one bread really is better. In that instance, the salesman isn’t trying to convince you of something that isn’t true. Rather, he’s just a guy who is stating a fact that may be in your best interest.

When I asked that, he suddenly had no interest in sharing his philosophy of missions with me. He immediately excused himself and walked away quickly.

I would like to state for the record that Islam, Judaism and Christianity are not the same piece

bread. To have a personal relationship with Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, and to be filled with the power of His Holy Spirit, it way better than all the other breads combined!
One last tidbit: In Peru, we eat a lot of Ciabatta bread. It is an Italian bread that is sometimes called “slipper bread,” because of its shape. It is really delicious. Ciabatta bread is better. If you see three guys selling bread, buy from the one who is selling Jesus as Messiah...or, the one selling Ciabatta bread.

Reflecting on Experience

We've been working hard and loving the challenge here in Peru. So, in lieu of a fuller blog entry, I leave my blog-reading buddies with two things I love: a picture of my kids (in a park near our house) and an unrelated quote:

"We really don't learn anything from our experience. We only learn from reflecting on our experience."

Robert Sinclair

Potato bread & the cost of living

During our time in Costa Rica, I was shocked at how high our food budget was. I thought Costa Rica was just expensive. When we went back to the states during the holidays, I realized that it wasn't just Costa Rica--it was everywhere. Our move to Peru has not lessened the sticker shock at the grocery store. If anything, it is worse. A recent CNN news article on the world-wide rise in food costs reported, "Partly because of the cost of imported wheat, Peru's military has begun eating bread made from potato flour, a native crop."

That's a bummer because it is motivated by high costs, but the good news for me is that I love potato bread. But, I'd love it even more if it were cheaper. The CNN article quoted Brian Halweil of the environmental research organization Worldwatch Institute, saying, "All countries are tied enough to the world food markets that this is a global crisis."

The increase in food costs is doubled when you consider the declining value of the American Dollar. The attached chart shows the decline of the dollar against the Peruvian Sol, over the past 6 months. All the missionaries that I know are concerned about their loss of purchasing power. But, it's also one of those problems that is a blessing. While I'd prefer to have cheaper access to goods and services, I'm not so enamored with it that I want to leave. To be called as a missionary is such a blessing and honor, it is worth eating beans and rice, instead of meat. If it's for the King, then it's worth it. The good news is that we have a heavenly reward coming, which has already been paid for! Amen.

San Cristobal and our 2nd tour of Lima

Last week, we joined a local Assembly of God youth group on a tour of Lima. We visited San Cristobal, the Parque de Armas and a park of fountains. Hannah has put together a slide show, which you can see at right. Or, click here to see this new show and all our photo albums: http://picasaweb.google.com/BillandLenaPics/SanCristobalTour

Unexpected Comforts and the Power of a Lawnmower

From Lena...in Lima:

One of the surprises I have encountered here is exactly which things bring me comfort in the sense of familiar things. I missed my garlic press, and I was too cheap to replace it for a year in Costa Rica. Love my bedspread from home. The familiarity of the quilts I have made through the house. But the most powerful instant comfort I have experienced here has been the hum of a lawnmower.

We were getting settled in, and as you have probably read here before, we live over a private park, when I noticed something, and without even realizing what was happening, my soul did a little, “ahhhh……………” I stopped, because it was a curious feeling of familiarity. After a second of attentive quiet, I realized that alongside of the sound of jackhammers and construction (they are building high rise apartments on either side of our building), there was the hum of a lawnmower. Summer in Ohio. Sending the kids out back to play. Watching them leave through the back fence to the cul de sac with their friends. Kids screaming as they run through the neighborhood with water guns. Much farther back, I see my dad in the front yard, yelling at us to gather up the sticks in front of him as he mows. We roll around in the grass and throw big handfuls up in the air. It feels like deep-pile carpet and looks freshly vacuumed from the rows he makes with the mower.

What a silly thing to carry so much power for me—so many good memories that help me feel at home here. I am thankful for each moment like this, and the unexpected comforts of Lima.

Wash your hands!

Last Sunday night two people got saved. (Praise the Lord!) I preached a message and then asked for those who want to give their lives to the Lord to signify it, "All you have to do," I said, "is lift your hands!" But I didn't say "lift," I said, "Wash!"

They stared at me, so I repeated myself, "If you want to live with the Lord forever and received forgiveness of your sins, then WASH YOU HANDS and let me see it!"

O well, they eventually figured it out.

What a Croc!

I wear crocs--those ugly, plastic clogs. A few weeks ago, while standing in line at a hardware store, I ran into a man who is mentally challenged. He didn't appear challenged at first, so I was suprised when he walked up to me and said, "Que bonito zapatos!," which means, "What pretty shoes!" He immediately tried to put my crocks on while I was still wearing them. I kept stepping back, while he tried to stick his foot into the small space at the top of the shoe. It was unnerving. I saw him again today. He didn't remember me, but as soon as he saw my crocs, he did it again. I had to hold him off and say "No!" very forcefully.

There's only one man who can wear my shoes...at least while I'm in them.

Contentment and Maturity

When you move to a foreign country, there are a lot of problems to solve. Foremost are your unmet desires and expectations. We tend to get used to the idea that if I can just have my coffee at 6:00 am, I can be happy. In regard to this exact example, I'm a thinly veiled version of Dustin Hoffman in the movie "Rainman." In one scene, he frantically chants, "Five minutes to Wapner! Five minutes to Wapner!" He was addicted to "the Peoples' Court" and had to watch it everyday; otherwise, his world fell apart and he threw a major hissy-fit. Well, there's no Judge Wapner in Peru. There also isn't peanut butter (!), Frosted Mini Wheats, "The Amazing Race," or the major network news programs (e.g., ABC or NBC) from the states. As for T.V. news, we have CNN, which I watch but don't enjoy. (Is it me, or does Wolf Blitzer keep saying the same things over and over?) As a news junkie, I've been forced to develop a contentment strategy. As such, I read the news on the web and in our local (Spanish) newspaper. I'm learning to enjoy CNN in Spanish; which, thankfully, doesn't spend all day tallying how many delegates Hillary needs to catch up with Obama. Of course, missionaries 10 years ago didn't even have CNN, so I'm "content" with what I've got. Content is a key word, because it's a major part of maturity. One aspect of maturity is the ability to be content when you can't get what you want.

Paul, writing one of his supporting churches, said this about the missionary life in Philippians 4:10-13: "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Paul also wrote to his disciple, in 1 Timothy 6:6-8: "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."

Today, I can say in all honesty and without any struggle that I am more than content. I'm bordering on a full fledged happy. Of course, we're still eating the peanut butter we brought from the states. I believe that before we run out completely, I'll have matured sufficiently to endure it with contentment and aplumb.

You are here

Lima is a big city. As such, it has some dangerous parts. We are happy to say that we don't live in one of them. We were blessed to find (actually, "be directed to") a beautiful apartment attached to a private park, where the kids can play without fear. We're also about 4 blocks from a park that overlooks the ocean. Colton and I have roller-bladed to this park many times in order watch the sunset. We feel truly blessed.

Unfortunately, I can't figure out a way to show you where we live. In the real world, there are no "you are here" arrows, like on the map at the mall. So, I'll describe it verbally: Go to the center of the map and go strait up. When you reach the diamond shaped park, we live at the top of the diamond. The white stuff on the bottom left corner are waves in the ocean. The green strip above the waves are mountain cliffs. The yellow line is a side-walk we roller-blade on. The blue dot on the left is a sports stadium.

Name that food

Seafood is a big part of the Lima identity. Consequently, every restaurant (except McDonald's) sells "mariscos" (i.e., sea food). The interesting thing about the phrase "sea food" is that it doesn't tell you what kind of food--only that it comes from the sea. There are a lot of edible things that you can hoist out of the great deep. In Lima, they like to combine them in various, nondescript forms for your dining pleasure. Knowing this, I decided to dive in and order "Arroz con mariscos" (sea food with rice). It was fabulous! I could eat it every day. I suspect that the samples below are octopus or squid. I've eaten both before. I like squid best when it's battered and fried. Octopus is, in my opinion, tasteless. Both are like eating industrial rubber bands. The bottom picture is how the meal looks with the identifiable stuff removed for inspection. After taking the picture, I dutifully ate the evidence and went back for more.

Tastes like chicken

I debated naming this entry "Name that food." People ask us about exotic food all the time and when you speak with people from Lima about life in Lima, they always list the food as one of the major benefits. I have to say that the food is good. Here are two of the more exotic selections that we have eaten since we arrived:

Cuy (cui ?) otherwise known as Guinea Pig. It's a delicacy. It was very good, though the claw is a little unnerving. Thankfully, ours was without the head.

Ceviche--raw fish "cooked" in cold lemon juice and served with a ton of onions. This is the Peruvian version of sushi. It was delicious. The flavor is very strong. We all tried it, then went back for more. As the picture shows, it is often served with sweet potatoes.

No Internet & the frustration of waiting

We've been without internet and cut off from all the world--except for Peru. It's been painful. Thankfully, Peruvians have gotten along well for a long time, by just talking to each other. For our part, we're surviving and even thriving. But—without internet. We waited a week to get internet, then had it for a few days before they cut us off. It appears that the guy who installed it, didn't file the paperwork. As such, after a few days, we looked like people who were stealing our connection--rather than the law abiding, internet addicted North Americans that we are. Getting the internet company back out to our house, to do another install, has been a frustrating experience.

Waiting for service is a big issue here. Let me share an example. We asked an electrician to re-wire our dryer. We said, "This is really important to us."

He said, "I understand, so I'll get right on it!"

We waited. Then we waited some more. We waited a few days. Nothing. So, I called and he said, "I'll be right there."

So, we waited some more. In all, we waited about 5 days. I called again and he said, "Oh yea, when I was supposed to be there, I had an emergency and couldn't come. After that, I decided to rest; but don't worry, I can be there some time next week."

I said, "Thanks, but I've got a someone else doing the job for me."

He said, "Oh that's great. Well, give me a call the next you need me and I'll be right over!"

I've saved his number, because he wasn't being rude or irresponsible, by Peruvian standards. There are people here who have a North American concept of time and service, but there are many more who don't. So, to live happily in Peru, I'm going to have to learn to wait. I am capable of waiting,... unless it's for an internet connection!

New Address

We’re still unpacking boxes. It has been a frustrating move. We’ve found ourselves feeling like we’re in an alternative world, trying to do something which is normal in the states, but is much more difficult here. Our new address is:

Av. Jacinto Lara 465
Dpto. 400
San Isidro, Lima, 27
Peru

Here, the addresses are backwards, so in the above address, you start with “Avenue” then the street name “Jacinto Lara,” then the building number, “465.” Dpto is an abbreviation of the word for apartment. Our apartment is on the fourth floor, therefore #400. San Isidro is the city (which is actually a suburb of Lima), Lima is both the name of the city and the "state." and 27 is the zip code.

Our phone numbers are, from the states:
Home: (011-511) 422-0496 (the last 7 digits are our number)
Bill Cell: (011-511) 9-457-2241 (the 9 represents a cell phone toll call)
Lena Cell: (011-511) 9-457-2245

Our voip numbers are now connected (as of last night):
Cincinnati: 513-407-5412.
Cleveland: 330-294-0955

First tour of Lima - slideshow

Lima - First Tour

We took a tour of Lima under the tutelage of Gwen Kovac (an experienced missionary and extremely courageous woman). Gwen has worked for many years in the city and the jungle. We really appreciated gleaning from her insights. The slide show at right displays the pictures from our tour. To get a better view of the shots and read the comments I wrote about each picture, please visit our on line photo album. To see the slide show of our tour, just click on the picture above. That will take you to our photo album. You can hold your cursor over the pictures to read my comments, or just click the slideshow tab at the top. You can also follow the links at the top to view our other photos. I recently updated the albums to include shots of the city I've taken from the condo we're currently staying in.

More Pics from our Temporary Condo

For the last three weeks, we've been staying in a temporary condo on the 16th floor of a high rise in Lima. The condo costs $250/week, so we feel really blessed to be here. It is much cheaper and larger than a hotel would have been and it has allowed us time to look for an apartment to live in. We've found an apartment and will hopefully be moving on Monday. Before we leave here, I wanted to take a few more photos of the awesome view. It's usually foggy over Lima, but yesterday was very clear. So I took the opportunity to take a few shots. The first photo is of a real pyramid! It is the most successfully restored pyramid in all of Peru. It is an ancient burial ground and was probably a place of sacrifice. It's both very cool (from an archeological standpoint) and also a reminder of how Peru needs to turn from false religions and come to salvation through faith in Christ. On the south side, the condo also has a view of the ocean...Well, actually it's a view of the fog over the ocean, but it's still lovely. We're pretty far from the ocean, so I took the shot here using the camera's zoom.

The north side has a view of the mountains. We feel blessed that there are some trees and grass to be seen. Lima is in a dessert, so the usual ground cover is just dirt. But, we're blessed that many in this part of town have taken care to plant and water some beautiful things. We feel that the Lord has been truly kind to us. I pray that we can bless the Lord by planting and watering the Gospel in a way that changes the Landscape for all to see.


To see more photos from the condo please click on the following link:




http://picasaweb.google.com/BillandLenaPics/LimaPeruViewFromOurTemporaryCondo

Dis-phone-tional communication

One of the most frustrating things I've encountered in Lima is the cell phone. Our short-term rental condo did not come with a land-line phone--that's one that you plug into the wall. Rather, it came with a pre-pay cell phone that I could use if I was willing to put minutes on it. Since we needed to call on apartments, that sounded like a good idea. Unfortunately, I had no idea how expensive the service was and how cheap the phone was. The cost of the service is really high--sometimes as much as $.50/minute. Also, the keys on this phone don't work. Consequently, I’ve been paying about $10/day for a phone that cuts off calls, sucks money out of my wallet like a vacuum and won’t let me dial the numbers. When I was trying to call on apartments, I would start talking with a landlord (in Spanish) and the phone would cut off. I’d try to call back and the keys wouldn’t work. I had visions of throwing the phone in the ocean or in front of an on-coming truck. I’ve purchased new phones that function properly, but they are still expensive. I hate paying the money, but we don’t yet have a land-line to make calls from. The cell phone is all we’ve got. I studied Spanish for a year so I could communicate. I had no idea the most frustrating part would be the actual phone.

Blog reading level

A friend of mine (Dave Godzwa) tested the reading level of his blog and found it required a genius to read it. I'm happy to report that my natural writing style is that of the common man. To read something a little more challenging, you can check out Dave's blog at http://disciplemexico.org/

TV Reviews

House Hunt

We’ve been in Lima, Peru for 2 weeks now and are loving it. (That's us in front of the President's Palace.) It’s like living in New York City in the middle of August—congested, noisy, smelly, extremely humid and full of adventure. We're really grateful to the Lord for calling us here and grateful to everyone on our team for partnering with us. Thank you!

We've had five items on our agenda over the past two weeks, each of which has involved getting lost in city traffic. I've written a new proverb for my life: Never get lost in a big city during rush hour. Here's a rundown of our 5 agenda items:

1) Finalize our residency visas. This involved trips to Interpol (the international police agency) and Immigration. We were fingerprinted in both places. At Interpol, a doctor drew a picture of our teeth, while we lay inverted in a dentist's chair. It's hard to tell, but I think he was very impressed with my teeth! We received our "you can live here now" cards a few days ago. Praise the Lord!

2) Meet with the National staff. The Peruvian Assemblies of God were having their General Council meetings the week we arrived. So, we met with the General Superintendent (the top official for the country) prior to those meetings. Later we were presented to all the ministers. After the meetings, I met with the superintendent again. Since all of the Assembly of God missionaries were in town for the Council, we had a chance to go out to dinner with them. This is important, because some of them live 1000 miles away or on the other side of the mountains. It was great to meet them all, but it was a double blessing since one of them (Gwen Kovack) offered to take us on a tour of Lima and fill us in on some of her experiences in ministry. That was invaluable.

3) Find a car. We're in the process of buying a Kia Grand Carnival (known as the Kia Sedona in the states). I'll write more about that later.

4) Find an apartment. House hunting in Lima is a daunting task. The real estate agents work word-of-mouth. If you want a house, your agent calls all of his/her friends and asks about what they've got and if they've heard anything. While your agent is calling, you go driving around the neighborhood you want to live in and look for "For Rent" signs. We were really frustrated in the process. We wanted an apartment that was close to the kids' school, since we'll have one car and I'll be all over the country. The ability to walk to school or to a grocery store was a high priority. Unfortunately, we couldn't find one in that area that was large enough for us and still in our price range. (If we wanted to pay $3000, we could have found one or two.) For me, calling people and talking real estate over the phone has been a challenge. We should have had a class in this in language school!

We found one apartment that was small and expensive. We were about to take it, when we met a teacher at the kids' school. He knew of another apartment about 1/2 mile away. It's connected to a park where the kids can play and it's within walking distance. It's more money than we wanted to spend, but it's the best thing we've seen so far. When I was asking the Lord for his perspective on it, I felt like he said, "It fits all the criteria you asked for, doesn't it?" So I said, "Yes,...Thank you!" We'll get the keys on Monday and (hopefully) get our furniture on Wednesday or Thursday. We're really grateful for a place to soon call home. We've been living out of suitcases for a month and a half. We're all looking forward to a larger wardrobe selection.

While we were home over Christmas, we visited friends at Akron-Springfield Assembly. Here's a picture of our "looking for an apartment notebook" with the pen I've been using. We we tell our partners that we couldn't do it without you, we really mean it!

5) Grocery shopping, learning the city and surviving. Whenever you're in a new town, this takes time. For us, in a new town that's 10 times larger than our old home and where everyone speaks a new language, this has been a stretch. But, it's a blessed stretch!

How and what we're doing in Peru

We're wrapping up our 10th day in Lima and the adventure is still a good one, though not without the kinds of nicks and bruises that are required for a real adventure. For instance, I'm grappling with a bad case of welcome-to-South-America diarrhea.

I recently had a meeting with the General Superintendent of Peru. Since one of my dreams is to teach in a Bible college, he wanted to know how soon I could teach at the Seminary here in Lima. That's the kind of invitation I've wanted for years. Unfortunately, I couldn't take him up on it right away. I don’t think it is wise to start teaching at the Seminary, too soon, for four reasons: 1) I’m serving as the country coordinator for Latin America ChildCare and have much to learn in order to do this job well. I need to fully understand the financial/administrative aspects of the ministry, as well as making relational connections with the pastors and directors of each school. 2) I have yet to complete my own doctoral studies. I have one class left to take and the project to complete. Of the latter, I’m about ½ way through. 3) As a family, we don’t yet have an apartment or a car. The kids aren’t enrolled in school yet. So, I need to smooth out the rough waters of transition so my family can feel more at ease. Figuratively speaking, we are like transplanted trees in buckets. We still look good, but we need to take root in the ground. 4) My Spanish is not yet strong enough—especially with regard to understanding the Peruvian accent and idioms. I told Pastor Espinoza that I needed 6 months. Rich Ferguson, another A/G missionary in Peru, advised 1 year. I probably need to sit in on a class or two before teaching, so that I can understand the dynamics of education in a Latin context. Personally, it’s disappointing to have to wait before stepping into a position I have long dreamed of. But, taking on too much too soon could be the disastrous. So, I’ll keep plugging away, jumping one hurdle at a time.

Unexpected Encouragement

On New Year's Day we had the pleasure of stopping in at the XA SALT conference in Cincinnati. What a great joy it was to see our friends! It was really surprising to see the daughter of one of my XA friends from when I was a student. I remember when Lisa Potter was born. Her mom and dad, Steve and Cindy, were major influences in my discipleship.

I knew that Lisa was attending XA at Ohio State, but it was still surprising seeing her at SALT--but it was even more surprising running into her dad (Steve) at the airport in Miami, Florida! We had just gotten there and pushed our pile of luggage into a corner, where we could spend our 5 hour lay-over on the way to Lima. (That Lay-over ended up being 7 hours.) I looked up and there was Steve! He was flying out of the same gate as us, only on an earlier flight. Steve was on his way to help a ministry in Haiti. He has always been a great encouragement to me, so I took this encounter as a sign from the Lord to be encouraged.

I wrote about Steve and Cindy previously in this blog. You an read that entry at:
http://billandlena.blogspot.com/2006/09/discipleship-through-years.html

We've Arrived!

4 years and 2 weeks after we received the call to Peru, we are finally in the Land. Praise the Lord for this awesome blessing! Our time in the states was great, though full of travel. We're looking forward to putting down some roots. Currently, we're in a condo in San Isidro, a suburb of Lima. We're renting this condo for two weeks, while we look for a perminant house or apartment. We were supposed to arrive last Saturday, Jan 5, but were delayed by the processing of our visas. We traveled to Chicago last Wednesday and went to the Peruvian Embassy. Everything was worked out and Lena and I are now card-carrying residents of Peru. Praise the Lord!

Thanks to all who've been praying for us. Our flight out of Miami was delayed 2 hours last night. As such, we arrived in Peru at 1:00 AM. It took 2 hours to get through customs. Consequently, the kids got to bed at 3:45 and I hit the hay at 4:45. Before going to bed, I opened the shades and the window in our bedroom. The breeze was great and I enjoyed looking at the lights of the city. I thought I’d sleep that way, then I remembered that the Sun comes up at 5:30 AM. Sometimes darkness is more beautiful than an impressive view. Abi, who slept through most of the flight, got up at 9:00. As such, so did the rest of us.

It is sunny and hot here. We just took a walk to the grocery store. It was lovely and expensive. Expensive is a small bummer, but the lovely part is a big upper. Hannah said, “So far, I love Lima.” We reminded her that our vacation rental condo is in the pricey part of town. I suspected when I rented this place that being in a nice part of town would be a good idea for our first impression of Lima. We’re on the 16^th floor with a great view of the city. In theory, we can see the ocean from our condo. In reality, we can only see the mist that resides over the ocean, which is very far away. I keep telling the kids, “There’s the ocean!” And they keep saying that they can’t see it. So I say, "Where's your faith?! Open your eyes!" It doesn't really help them, but I like saying it.

There is a life size replica of a pagan pyramid outside our bedroom window. I’m guessing that it’s a museum.

We love you mucho, mucho,

Bill

A short delay

We have not left the country yet. We were supposed to fly to Peru on Saturday morning (Jan 5), but the government agency that approves visas for missionaries in Peru was not able to approve ours in time for our flight. We could have gone ahead and entered the country as tourists, but it would have meant flying out of the country again to receive the proper visas. As such, we were advised to post-pone our flight so we can have our passports stamped in Chicago. We hope to have that done on Wednesday. We found out about the delay this past Thursday night, leaving us 1 day to change our plans. I was heartbroken. I wondered if it was the enemy keeping us from our calling, if it was God teaching me patience or if it was just circumstance. I prayed about it, asking the Lord if we should just go and start the visa process over in Peru. The Lord reminded me of a time when I was a kid and my uncle gave me a fishing tackle box. He offered to take me out to see “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang,” on that night, then we’d go fishing the next night. I was too anxious to go fishing with my new tackle box, so I pushed for us to go fishing on the first night. It was a frustrating experience for my uncle, because we only had 30 minutes to go fishing. Of course, 30 minutes of fishing with my new gear was insufficient for me also. Afterward, I realized that I had pushed for the wrong choice. My uncle tried to warn me, but I was too enamored by my new tackle box to listen. As I prayed about our visas for Peru, the Lord brought this memory to my mind. I took it as the Lord’s advice to sit tight and get the proper approval. So, we’re visiting my in-laws in Cleveland and plan to drive to Chicago on Tuesday. After we get the visas, we’ll drive back to Cincinnati. I’ve changed our airline tickets to next Saturday (Jan 12). We’ll be arriving in Lima at 10:50 PM.

Please keep us in prayer for the successful completion of the visa process. Also, please pray with us that all that God has planned with be accomplished for his glory during these “bonus” days we have with family and friends.

Mucho Agape,
Bill

Transition

We're half way through the transition from language school in Costa Rica to our full-time appointment in Peru. We’re currently in the states, so we can ship our belonging to Peru. I've attached a photo of our luggage in the airport. (O.K., that's not our luggage--but it's close!) I thank God that our container shipment of furniture has gone out well and will arrive in Peru 2 or 3 weeks after we do. We've visited family in Cincinnati and Cleveland, and are currently in Gatlinburg, Tennessee (spending time with Bill's sister's family from Atlanta). Getting to see your family after a year overseas is beautiful and fills you with the knowledge that you are loved and wanted, but it is always tinged with the knowledge that your departure is imminent.

We are six days away from Peru. We land at 11:40 PM on Jan 5. We're all excited to get there, but trying not to be so excited that we miss what we're experiencing right now.

Some prayer requests:

1. Safe passage for us and our stuff.

2. Saying our goodbye's all over again.

3. God's provision and wisdom regarding where to live in Lima.

4. Favor with customs.

5. Approval of our visa applications.

¡Ya terminé!

¡Ya terminé!

That's Spanish for "I'm done!" Today, we'll go through the graduation service for our year at language school. Wow, what a year! The last two weeks, I've been in nervous breakdown mode. Preparing our final projects and taking tests, while trying to pack, has been one little nervous breakdown after another. It's good to know that, no matter how many little nervous breakdowns we have, God is still in control! We have a lot of questions yet to answer regarding where we'll live and what we'll drive when we get to Peru, but those things are all in God's hands. For now, Lena and I are rejoicing that we're graduating and that we know how to say goodbye (in Spanish) to our friends here. And when my nerves rise up within me, I keep saying (nervously, but by faith), "God has it all under his control!"

Some prayer requests that are a little urgent:

1) We haven't received our visas from Peru yet. It would be good if we received them before we leave Costa Rica on Monday, Dec 17.

2) Shipping our stuff to Peru--there are many details yet to be confirmed.

3) All the travel that will take place over the next three weeks--flying to the states, traveling in the states, flying to Peru and knowing where to go once we get there.

Those are just a few of the things for which I have to say, "Be still my soul!"

Latin America ChildCare Kids

These pictures are from one of the Latin America ChildCare (LACC) schools I've visited in Costa Rica. The teacher pictured here is an LACC grad, who returned to teach.


This is a picture of the community that the school is located in. The picture below is the inside of the school. You can see that it is a heaven for the kids within a really rough neighborhood. Those two gringo kids are pretty good looking too!

Anger Management

Here's an interesting article from Fox news:

Vince Hogg of Wormit, Scotland was arrested after tearing out the hair of his live-in girlfriend and slamming her against a wall. The Daily Record reports the two apparently have had a stormy relationship and he became incensed because a leaky shower was causing the carpet to get wet. All of this has caused Hogg problems with his job, as an anger management counselor. But Hogg is still on the payroll of the National Health Service, which runs the "zero tolerance campaign" against domestic violence, where he worked. Hogg was, however, demoted and reassigned.

The article can be found at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312006,00.html

Veteran's Day

I'm a fan of veteran's day, because I'm a fan of vets. It takes incredible character to put your life on the line to serve others. So, thanks all you vets out there!

My dad is my favorite vet. He served in WWII--including spending 9 months in solitary confinement in a prisoner of war prison. I'm also proud of my brother, Jan, who served in in Viet Nam. I came of age during a time when we weren't at war. I'm one of the blessed who has been able to enjoy the fruits of other people's sacrifices. So, thanks Buster, Denny, Jon, Terry, Paul, Nathan, Andy, Frank, Dawn and all the rest of my noble friends. I'd salute you, but since I was only a cub scout, it would look a little silly.

Bothered

You know how some actors are really good at playing the bad guy (i.e., James Woods). We might say something like, "They picked that actor because he likes playing the bad guy." That's the kind of conversation we had recently. Except, when you speak two languages it's easy to get your languages confused. The word "moleste" in Spanish, means "bothered" or "bugged" in English. So, even though it sounds just like "molested," it is not what it sounds like. Recently, we were all watching T.V. and there was a girl on the screen who looked bothered--a little bit angry. Consequently, Colton said something like, "Boy, they must have picked her because she likes looking molested."

There was a moment of silence, then I said, "I think you mean she likes looking bothered."

Ah, we make those kind of mistakes in Spanish every day!

Questions about a missionary's life

Our good friend Jonette McMasters leads the BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade) group at Akron-Springfield A/G. She's teaching the kids to have a heart for missions. We are grateful for Jonette's friendship, support and the legacy she's building in the kids. (Thanks Jonette!) In order to educate them about missions, the kids wrote some questions to Lena. Here are a couple of her answers:

What is Costa Rica like?

Costa Rica is a really lovely place to learn Spanish. We live in San Jose, which is about halfway up the mountains, and it is almost always in the 60s y 70s. We can drive 2-5 hours to the beach once in a while, but most of the time we stay here and do our homework! We live in the city, so we don’t get to see all the cool animals who live in the jungle much, but that is pretty normal for a Costa Rican, because they don’t normally have the money to travel and see their beautiful country the way we do! Most Costa Rican people don’t earn as much in a week as a poor American does in a month, and cars are way more expensive here. We take taxis everywhere, and they mostly don’t have seat belts, so that was a big thing to get used to—not being able to put my kids in car seats. I pray a lot more now when we go somewhere as a family!

They eat a LOT of rice and black beans here, and I have been perfecting my version of it. Why? It is really cheap to eat rice and beans—and many Costa Ricans eat it for every meal and only get meat once or twice a month. And Costa Rica is one of the richest Latin American countries.

Would we rather be missionaries or billionaires?

Missionaries! I think it is more fun.

What made us want to be missionaries?

When God calls someone to be a missionary, He lets them know! He speaks to your heart and is very patient. Every person’s story is different, but we felt the call in our hearts first, and had it confirmed many, many times, in ways that were little miracles in our lives. It was a very exciting time. God wanting us to be missionaries made us want to be missionaries.

Do missionaries get killed telling people about the Lord?

This is definitely something that everyone who decides to become a missionary has to think about. It is true that people sometimes give their lives for the gospel, but more of them die because of difficult or unsafe conditions in the places they live. The biggest risk for us in Peru will be the traffic. There are very many car accidents in Peru, and we will have to be very careful. The air is really dirty there, too, because the air isn’t able to go over the mountains, and the pollution stays in the city. Sometimes we will go to the jungle, and that will have other risks, but most of our time will be in the city. We will need your prayers for our protection from thieves, too, as this is another real danger.

(The picture at the top is of our family in a traditional Costa Rican cart. The picture at the bottom is one I took on a city street in Lima. You can see how compromised the air quality is. Perhaps even more dangerous, though, is the taxi. It's a 3-wheeled motorcycle with a tent on the back!)

What's that smell?

I'd be the first to admit that a men's bathroom might need an air freshener, but strawberries and cream is not a fragrance I associate with the bathroom. Nonetheless, this is the fragrance that sits atop the urinal in the men's bathroom of our language school. This is an example of culture shock. Culture shock is what happens when you spend all day asking, “Why do they do it that way?” Culture shock leaves you wondering if you'll ever be able to embrace it or if, as a missionary, you’ll just endure it. I have experiences of this nature every day--experiences that seem incongruent with my north American sensibilities. This is especially the case with fragrances. Latinos love strong fragrances. They wear a lot of cologne and buy cleaning products that smell more like bubble gum or flowers than bleach. Being North American, I want my bathroom to smell sanitized. I want a bathroom that smells like harsh chemicals. Latinos want everything to smell beautiful. Neither preference has any effect on the actual cleanliness of the toilet.

Just as I was contemplating culture shock and my inability to embrace a strawberries and cream bathroom, in walked one of my professors (Alex Garro). His expression said it all—it wasn’t culture shock and Latinos don’t like strawberry scented urinals! It just happened to be the air freshener that was around when the air needed freshening. Mmmmmm, that smells sweet.

Note: Alex’s expression is a reenactment. No actual bathroom usage was taking place during the photo journalistic phase of this blog entry.

How we are

We're at an interesting place in this process, we're able to communicate (which makes life much easier), but we're also aware that another huge move is only 6 weeks away. As such, on the outside, we're happy and content; while on the inside, we're fairly anxious. I’ve observed how all of us missionaries have responded to culture shock, and I've concluded that it is a horrible experience no matter how prepared you think you are. Anger, anxiety, depression, low self esteem and negative interpretation are the daily fare here--and they're confounded by the late night hours spent doing homework. After 9 months in Costa Rica, we're beginning to feel more comfortable. But, it is a short lived comfort, since we’re moving to Peru in January. I no longer think it will be a smooth and easy transition. I suspect that we’ll have a repeat of some of the same emotional and physical responses. It's ironic to feel stress when the weather is so nice. I've learned here that being a missionary in a lovely place is still very stressful. No matter how beautiful the place, the missionaries still pay the price of being far from family and friends. You can't quickly replace friendships that were forged over 20 years. So, beautiful weather aside, being a missionary is emotionally costly. If we didn't have a personal relationship with the living God, then it wouldn't be worth it. But, since our call to Peru has been so miraculously confirmed, then we have to believe that these light and momentary troubles will produce eternal fruit!

On the bright side, I preached my first Spanish sermon for the students and staff this past week and it went so well that I was invited to preach at a church this Sunday. Just before I went up to preach this past week, I became emotionally overwhelmed. The reality of fulfilling our call felt very near. We received the call to Peru four years ago. Preaching in Spanish became a realization of the nearness of fulfilling that call. By grace, it was a great experience.

(The picture, above, was taken just after my first Spanish sermon (this week). I'm chatting with one of our professors, Rosita. Lena is behind me, chatting with our friend and fellow missionary, Sherri Mattix.)