Rain, Wind, and Hail, Oh MY!

After a beautiful sunny afternoon in Andahuaylas, a dark cloud came over the mountain and the climate quickly changed into rain, wind, and than hail. Jon was driving home while singing "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas".  We lost electricity many times throughout the night which the children didn't mind because it allowed them to play with matches and candles. They had competitions of who could put the candles out the fastest only using their fingers. Dinner by candlelight as a family provided some enjoyable memories.

 The picture below is of some Peruvian children playing in the rain puddles outside of our house.

Making Friends

 Our children really enjoy interacting with the kids in our neighborhood and in the church.

Owning an Eagle

We received an invitation to visit someone's house who just bought a baby eagle and wanted to know if we would like to buy one. Jon's favorite animal is the eagle because of it being the national bird of the United States, the mascot of his school, and a tremendous example of strength in the Bible.

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

And even though it would be really neat to own an eagle; Jon could not at the time. 

The Peruvian went on to say that they raise them along with the other birds (chickens, ducks, etc..) and have even used them for food as well as a pet. I went on to explain how that would not be permitted in the States. 

Special Music at the Church

It's exciting to see those who come to the church, get saved, baptized, desire counseling, and getting involved in the church. Two of the girls singing in this picture for special music in the church are being discipled weekly by Nisha. 

Taking the dogs to the vet

Our dogs needed to be taken to the vet for their shots. This is the second trip for them and I think they remembered the first trip. I can only imagine their thoughts from the pictures below would be something like this...

Do I have to get another shot from this guy? I promise to obey right away if ...

(Jon says "oh stop it and just take your medicine")

Okay but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

Getting time off of the Mountains

The first week of October presented an opportunity for us to take our son, Matthew, with us to Lima. 

We needed to complete some paperwork with our lawyer concerning our residency as well as get some wanted supplies. It also happened to be our son's 14th birthday on October 5th which gave us a reason to celebrate in a special way.

Matthew loves it when he is able to go to starbuck's for some coffee which isn't often since his parents don't drink coffee at all.

I had to take a picture of the things that my wife was checking out with at the grocery store. Notice all the candy bars and than a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Nisha makes good home-made pizza but that doesn't stop us from finding a Pizza-Hut stuffed crust when we come into the city (which is 22 hours by car off the mountains).

Matthew asked for the opportunity to spend time with his friends at the ministry EFATA where we received tutoring in our Spanish.

How far can you stretch your cheese stick before it breaks?

Cake and ice-cream on his birthday accompanied by waitresses singing to him.

A Peruvian food wrapped in bananna tree leaves that is cooked in the ground with hot rocks is called "Pachamanca". We enjoyed our meal with chicken, potatoes, and variety of other vegetables cooked for us from the spot pictured below.

Notice that upon returning to the mountains, Matthew picks up some Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's food to take back with us.

One of the traditions in Peru for teenage birthdays is to crack eggs over their heads and throw flour on them. Another tradition is for that person to eat a bite of his cake without using his hands which many times results in another person pushing his face into the cake.  Of course Matthew's brother and sisters didn't want him to miss out on these traditions. Matthew took it all with a good spirit. 

Motorcycle racing in Andahuaylas, Peru

Just a couple of blocks behind our house is a race track. Each year the town hosts races with drivers from other countries coming to face each other. We were able to witness the races this year up close. They had four wheelers and motorcycles all throughout the day competing in all different ages and experience. The girls even enjoyed it for a short while. They are pictured below watching the races from a tree and talking with new Peruvian friends. 

 Nathan is by far the most interested in racing of all our family and was not shy about getting up close to the action.

 The more experienced riders entertained the crowd with tricks.

Overall a good time with my children. Taking advantage of the few events throughout the year that come into our area. The Valley here can make you feel secluded from the outside areas after awhile.

Baptisms at the lake in September

We rejoice in hearing of 21 salvation professions within the last three months. Some of them were college students who went back home or others who were just visiting the area. Nine of them were baptized at the lake in September after sharing their salvation testimonies with those from the church who came out to witness the baptisms. 

 It's always an enjoyable time at the lake especially with other Christians to fellowship with games, food, singing, and baptisms. The picture below is of Katie using her paint to paint rocks and shells with other Peruvian children.

Fun past times with the church family

We weekly have activities at our house and it has helped in building relationships with the church teens and neighbors.

We have recently put up a boxing bag for those who need to let off a little steam or just have some fun

 Outside patio lights allow us to play volleyball for our evening activities now!

 For those few who don't like to play sports, there is always the dogs who enjoy the attention.

Jon and Matthew play some foosball at a park and gather attention.