Goodbyes to Wichanzao

 

Our last lunch with the Wichanzao clinic staff, pastors, and Sinergia staff

Marcus with Cory, Willy, and Abel

Pastor Juan, Myriam, and the cutest little boy you've ever seen, with number two on the way

Don Jose, a sweet little man we have been praying for this year, and he actually lives in a room in the church

Our Sunday School class that we started teaching a couple of months ago

Time for Packing

There is a time and a season for many things, and the time now is for packing and saying goodbyes. In so many ways it seems like just yesterday we were packing and weighing our 12 suitcases to move to Peru. As bittersweet as it is, the time has come for us to pack our bags to return to the US again. We are busy packing our 12 suitcases again, this time with our hearts quite a bit changed from how they were 15 months ago.

Our original plans were to live in Peru about 18 months, and as we prepared to leave for Peru we originally planned to sell our home, but the Lord provided for us to lease our home instead. And rather than leasing it for the full 18 months, it worked out to lease it only for the first year, and since July we have been praying for our house to sell again. We truly do love our house, and are thankful to return back "home"...

and look so forward to seeing our parents and friends and neighbors and our church. But as excited as we are to see family, we are equally as sad to be leaving Trujillo and the work here. We trust this is God's plan for our family and for the mission, and we don't doubt God's sovereignty. We are committed to continue our ties with Peru Mission, and want to help with fundraising for the Arevalo clininc campaign, as well as return with short term teams.

We are leaving behind some great friends, a special group of people with our mission team, a medical clinic and the Wichanzao community that is dearly loved, our neighborhood and parents of the preschool that I have a desire to see come to know Christ, and this beautiful country of Peru. It has been a wonderful, difficult, growing, fun, learning, challenging, and great 15 months here, but now it is time to say goodbye.

We had a wonderful time last week spending time with our team, and they were such a blessing to encourage us with words as we prepare to leave.  We are thankful for the words they shared, and that perhaps God used us to share His love with others during the short time we were here.

Our team praying for us, "commissioning" us back to the mission field of Mississippi

Marcus sharing about our good, fun and difficult times here, like our gas oven exploding in our first month in Peru

My friend Alleen and me

We are busy spending our last days doing last minute packing, spending time with friends, visiting our favorite places, and planning for our family vacation to the Amazon jungle before we head to the US!    It will be a great time for us to have time together after leaving Trujillo, and learning about a completely different part of Peru!

Please pray that we end our time here showing Jesus in all we do and say with our unbelieving friends, and that we will not be overwhelmed by all of the change and "reverse" culture shock as we return to the US.  Also please pray for travel safety as we travel overnight by bus from Trujillo to Lima, by plane from Lima to Iquitos, then our flights to the US.

There is a time for everything...

and a season for every activity under the heavens...

a time to plant and a time to uproot...

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2, 5

Great Week!

First, something or someone has hacked my blog!  If anyone has any tips on undoing this, I'd love to hear from you.  It may have something to do with reaching a storage limit on graphics, but I'm no expert.    But regardless of how awful it looks, I do want to go ahead and post about what a great week we had last week!


Marcus wrote an email to some of our friends that sums the week up much better than I ever could put into words:

"Greetings from the Peruvian coast where things were shaken a little this week by a 7.0 earthquake.  It was an interesting experience to feel the ground start to tremble for a few moments, but truthfully we have been "moved" much more over the past few days by the workings of God's Spirit that we see happening around us.  We were so blessed by the visit from our friends Chad Brown and Kris Whitehead from Tupelo.  They were able to bring the skills in urology and physical therapy that the Lord has given them to serve the community in Trujillo. 

 

Kris delivered a medical presentation to nearly every urologist practicing in Trujillo.  He was invited by them to attend urology patients and even participate in performing surgery in the regional hospital.  One of the Peruvian pastors served as a translator in the operating room, and he was providentially used by God to minister to a critically ill patient and his family during this time.  We are excited to see the relationship between our mission and the medical community here growing stronger through this kind of partnership.  Chad was able to treat numerous patients with musculoskeletal problems and teach our clinic staff better skills to continue this in the future.  Both guys also helped us to host a group of Peruvian medical students in our home for dinner and discussion about how we can serve Christ in our profession.  This is the third meeting we have had with the students, and it confirms what a bright future is coming with more Christian physicians in Peru. 

 

Chad and Kris also transported a custom wheelchair from the US for a young girl with spina bifida that Whitney has been treating.  This was made possible through the generous efforts of Jim and Misty McCoy Thompson of Tupelo.  It was incredibly moving to hear the patient's mother testify how the Lord had answered her specific prayer for this need in her daughter's life.  We saw God using this event to impact all of Peruvians at the school where she attends as well as some of the parents who were present."

Meeting of Christian medical students in our home

A highlight of our time here so far...

Maria de los Angeles, a little girl in Luke and Sam's school, who has spina bifida and is unable to walk, being surprised with the new wheelchair

Happy girl sitting in her new chair!

Also on our hearts right now is the timing of when we will return to Mississippi, which primarily depends on our home that we still own in Tupelo.  We were so grateful that the Lord provided for our home to be cared for during the last year, but as of mid-July it has been unoccupied.  At this point in time God has not provided a buyer or renter for our home, which is leading us to believe He is ending our time in Peru.  We have mixed feelings about this, as we are content continuing to work in Peru as planned (through Jan 2012 - or longer?).  And here we are, with Him leading, perhaps on a different schedule than we thought.  We are praying for direction and clarity, and praying that we will be diligent in focusing the work here in the meantime, not twiddling our thumbs waiting on an answer.  Sometimes that's easier said than done, because I do love a plan, and love to be settled, but this whole venture hasn't been about being settled.  It's about following where we feel led, and resting in the security of God's plan.  And thankfully it's not up to me to make a choice - my emotions couldn't be trusted to make a decision - one minute I'm devoted to our friends and new relationships here, the work Marcus is doing, then the next I'm missing family and friends and get excited about the thought of wrapping my arms around everyone we've missed!  Then my mind is back to Peru, and I have fears about how we will re-adjust to life in the United States, and wonder if it there will be a reverse culture shock, or what decisions we'll have to make, and can't we just prolong all of that a bit?  So, ALL of that to say, we are praying for GOD's will, not our own, to be made very clear in the next few days! 

 

"Come to Me with positive expectations, knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish.  Do not be discouraged by the fact that many of your prayers are yet unanswered.  Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark.  The more extreme your circumstances , the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation.  Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention.  Keep your eyes and your mind wide open to all that I am doing in your life. "  

taken from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,  faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Daily Sighting

Look what came home from school today with Luke and Sam!  I've had some happy and busy boys today!  Now, what to do with them??

Good Times and Goodbyes

This blog post is ridiculously too much at once, but maybe that's how life is at times, right?  Here I go:

We had a great 10 day visit with my sister and brother in law, but at the end of their trip we also said goodbye to Taylor, the most precious 17 year old girl who has been living with us since the first week of June.

Taylor spent two months with our family helping us with homeschooling, giving me a break from our daily routine, volunteering in the medical clinic, playing the guitar in the Wichanzao church, and volunteering in the orphanage two afternoons a week.  It  was such a blessing that the Lord sent her to us at a time when I was exhausted, burned out with our routine, and overwhelmed with the challenges of homeschooling for the first time.  She was a joy to our family, and feels like one of my own children now.  Her sweet spirit was so refreshing to us all, and she was such a godly influence on our children (and me, too),  but especially Sarah Caroline.  We were so sad to say goodbye,  and are missing her terribly, but are so grateful for the time we had her living with us.  

Also at the end of July we had to send to the US our amazing friend Lydia Rice.   She worked alongside Marcus in the medical clinic, and we started our journey to Peru with her last July, when she was kind enough to fly with our family and help guide us and all of our stuff through three airports on our way to Peru.  

Lydia recruiting patients for a medical campaign

Lydia with her precious parents during their March visit to Peru

We were so sad to say goodbye to her last month, but excited to see how the Lord will unfold great plans to use her for His glory!  Here are some words that were said to describe her at her "despedida" (going away party), that pretty much sum things up in describing her: 

- carinosa - caring

- con mucha accion - with much action 

- de pocas palabras - of little words

- trabajadora - a hard worker

- amorosa - loving

- tiene empatia -has empathy

- calidez humana - warmth

We had a great visit with my sister Rebecca and brother-in-law Justin the first week of Aug, and it was so much fun seeing them after ONE whole year!  Thankfully the vonage phone has kept us in touch, and it didn't feel quite as long as it really has been.  But I am missing her boys terribly, and the kids are missing their two cousins, who are almost 4 years old and 13 months old now!

While they were here we were invited by my friend Pia (whose son goes to school with Luke and Sam) to try out sandboarding, about an hour outside of Trujillo.  It was a beautiful place and a sunny day!

This is really how it's done - our new friend Enrique, and the one who showed us what to do 

Luke and his friend Salvador

We also took a quick trip (which involved two overnight bus trips) to Cajamarca, in the mountains.  We saw this beautiful view...

 and this:

scorpion

We visited the orphanage...

And while they were here the Smith's hosted the most fun Birthday Benefit Talent Show ever!  They raised 200 soles (about $70) for the medical clinic, in place of having everyone bringing gifts.  Everyone was so precious and full of talent, and the emcee (Allen Smith in many costumes) made it so much fun.  My brother-in-law Justin even got to make a debut performing the Chicken Dance.  And Ben took away the grand prize with this performance of a hula hoop dance.

Happy Birthday to Mary Allen, Adeline, Abigail, and Baby Eva

Luke did "cup stacking" and a card trick

Now after a three week break from school for Luke and Sam, and a week and a half break from homeschooling, we are back to our routine (whatever that really looks like?)....

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! 

Ephesians 3:20-21

Daily Sighting

This little bird will be our dinner...

why did I forget to ask for the chicken without the head and feet??

July in Peru

It's winter here in Peru, and we have gotten out our fleece jackets and warm socks! Some days have been mild, but others are freezing and bleak!  We have had lots going on, as usual.  One thing that never changes here, is that things are never the same!  

A few things that have been going on this month....

This weekend is "Fiestas Patrias" for Peru, which is their Indpendence Day.  To celebrate, Luke and Sam's school had a program.  I'm sure all of the songs were very patriotic, but unfortunately, I did not recognize them. 

Despite the difference in culture, kids are the same everywhere!  Some have a lot of expression, some are crying, and some (like my Sam), look like they would rather not be on stage in front of all these people!  

Luke taking part in a traditional Peruvian indian dance.  

I love that they have all of the children serve the adults at the school parties! 

Marcus started off the month working as a translator for a few days in Cajamarca, a mountain city about 6 hours from here.  First Presbyterian Jackson, MS was there for their annual mission trip, and this is what Steve Hill had to say about the week, "After one week of our medical/mission campaign in Jesus and Cajamarca we saw their doctors serve around 1,366 patients and their VBS team shared the Gospel with more than 700 children in 4 schools and two cities. Peru Mission supplied 9 translators for this task. All told they left the fragrance of Christ in more than 2,000 lives here."

We loved having Dr. Glover, a surgeon from Jackson, MS work with Marcus and Julton in the clinic for a week in July.  He  was able to do minor procedures in the office, and was a big encouragement to the community of Wichanzao.  He also was a huge encouragement to our family, and we were sad to say goodbye!

Our most recent team from Christ Covenant Pres in Hernando, MS.  They worked with cell groups of Cristo Rey church, worked in the medical clinic, and worked on the construction site of the church and future clinic in Parque Industrial.  I was able to go work with them one day, and use a shovel myself!  They were a great team, and we appreciate their friendship and their hard work!

This is the future medical clinic in Parque Industrial.  For now, one of the clinic doctors comes to work in this area once a week, but they are working towards providing more consistent medical care to this impoverished community.

The hole that was dug to hold a cistern for water to serve the clinic.

with my friend Julianna, Pastor Percy's wife, in front of the little church in Parque Industrial

These children were wandering around the work site, and one had a terrible fungal infection on her foot.   She was taken to the medical clinic for treatment, while the older sister stayed behind caring for the other little ones.  Pastor Percy was able to find some shoes for the little girl.  Their mother was in another neighborhood working in a restaurant, and they were on their own.  The little boy second from the right had dirty clothes on, with no diaper, and when we asked if he could be taken home and changed the older sister replied that there were no diapers or clean clothes at their house.  Thankfully someone found some wipes and was willing to give up their clean t-shirt for this little one.  

Parque Industrial

Miriam and the ladies from the Wichanzao church who cook lunch each day for the visiting teams