Hosting Mexican's at our house

We've had four Mexican's living at our house for all of November and December. Josue, Aaron, Berenice, and Karen came to assist the church with the Christmas Drama. 

 The Mexican's have been able to visit "Sondor" which are Inca ruins nearby. They have also been comparing the Peruvian food of cuy, ceviche, and pollo a la brasa with their Mexican food.

 They have been using their talents for the Lord in different church ministries such playing instruments, singing, sharing testimonies, teaching in children's classes, drama practices, etc...

 

They have helped passed out Bibles in the public school and plaza. 

 They've held rabbits by their ears, ridden on zip-lines, shopped at the Peruvian stores and markets, and  have eaten the Peruvian guinee pig (cuy).

Bibles given to the Peruvians

We had the priviledge of going into a public school and giving each student a Gideon New Testament Bible. 

 Before handing the Bibles out to the students, the teachers allowed us some time to share the Gospel with them and explain quickly how to use the Bible in their lives. The public schools are Catholic Goverment schools and require the Catholic religion to be taught. I have been told that some of the requirements for a grade is the participation in the Catholic church (mass).

 After passing the Bibles out to the teachers and students at the school, we went to the main plaza to hand out the remaining Bibles that we had left over. Over 1500 Bibles were passed out on this day. Pray that "God's Word will be profitable in the hearts of the Peruvians".

American Birthday party invite

There are four American families in our church. Our children were delighted to be invited to another American birthday party here in the mountains. They enjoy being able to freely speak "English" without feeling bad. 

Learning the Peruvian culture

Anniversary celebrations once again in Andahuaylas. These are pictures of parents celebrating their children's school anniversary with a parade through the town. 

 Peruvians dressing up according to their culture and history.

 Peruvians love to dance in groups as seen below.

Our dogs as part of everyday life

"Miracle" and "Max" have become such a vital part of our family. Our children have enjoyed taking on the responsibilities that come along with having two dogs. The dogs are inseparable as well.

 Okay, this is evidence that the dogs truly did eat our school work.

working in Andahuaylas

Nisha stays busy with homeschooling our children, running the office, and assisting in the private school at the church. 

 Much work is being done to finish the chicken farm on the camp land.

 Notice the log on the right side of the door to the chicken building, it has been made to look like a guard with pants and shirt.

Blacked out services

In Andahuaylas, there is no guarantee of  having electricity and water. This is the reason why many places such as the church and our house will have candles easily available along with buckets of back-up water in order to flush toilets, etc...
In the picture above, Ernesto, the assistant pastor at the church was preaching when all of a sudden we lost electricity and had to make it into a candlelight service.

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.