View of unusually clear skies. That is the beautiful Pacific Ocean in the distance.
It's HOT!
Normally, by mid-April temperatures here in Lima slowly began to drop off as autumn arrives. By the time May arrives the skies are normally cloudy and the winter foggy season starts. However, this year an unusual weather pattern has left us with summer temperatures late into the year. This year skies remain clear and we are seeing distant views not normally seen in Lima's smoggy haze.
The local news media has been reporting that a current of warm water from Australia has moved in along the Peru coast. This warm water has caused the ocean temperatures to rise significantly and has greatly changed the climate for this fall season. Today our temperatures were near 90 and they may climb to 95 by the middle of May. (Temperatures would normally be in the lower 60's)
This isn't popular news with Debbie who is not enjoying the heat during her pregnancy! She will have an entire summer pregnancy due to our upcoming trip to the states.
Tonight, we return our church in Ate for Wednesday evening services. Elizabeth is looking forward to being back at "our old church" as she calls it. Looks like the windows and doors will all be open at church tonight!
The local news media has been reporting that a current of warm water from Australia has moved in along the Peru coast. This warm water has caused the ocean temperatures to rise significantly and has greatly changed the climate for this fall season. Today our temperatures were near 90 and they may climb to 95 by the middle of May. (Temperatures would normally be in the lower 60's)
This isn't popular news with Debbie who is not enjoying the heat during her pregnancy! She will have an entire summer pregnancy due to our upcoming trip to the states.
Tonight, we return our church in Ate for Wednesday evening services. Elizabeth is looking forward to being back at "our old church" as she calls it. Looks like the windows and doors will all be open at church tonight!
Classes Cancelled!
Our school classes had to be cancelled today. I thought I would never be saying this in Lima, Peru, but they were cancelled because of flooding!
When arriving at school this morning we realized that something was terribly wrong. The second floor classrooms were totally flooded with water and even more water continued to leak through the ceilings. A quick examination found the problem. There was a broken float in the water tank that sits on top of the school building. For several hours the tank pump had continued to run and basically flooded the entire roof of the building with water. Slowly but surely all of the water was seeping through the roof.
We managed to clean the water off the roof, and mop up the standing water, but it will continue to leak through the ceilings for much of the day. The high school section of the school was totally unusable, so classes had to be cancelled. I have to admit I felt much like a liberated student today thinking "good, no classes!" So, I will spend the extra time continuing to prepare for our furlough. I guess I never thought I would miss classes for flooding at Fetzer!
When arriving at school this morning we realized that something was terribly wrong. The second floor classrooms were totally flooded with water and even more water continued to leak through the ceilings. A quick examination found the problem. There was a broken float in the water tank that sits on top of the school building. For several hours the tank pump had continued to run and basically flooded the entire roof of the building with water. Slowly but surely all of the water was seeping through the roof.
We managed to clean the water off the roof, and mop up the standing water, but it will continue to leak through the ceilings for much of the day. The high school section of the school was totally unusable, so classes had to be cancelled. I have to admit I felt much like a liberated student today thinking "good, no classes!" So, I will spend the extra time continuing to prepare for our furlough. I guess I never thought I would miss classes for flooding at Fetzer!
A Place of Great Need
As promised here is our update from our weekend visit to Manchay: We enjoyed participating in both services at the Manchay church this Sunday. The church is growing and has an average of 60 people attending in every service. We were especially impressed by the good number of men in the church. In many churches here in Peru there are few men to take on the leadership positions. The church has five Sunday school classes, all being taught by the Peruivan members. This church is well on its way to being self-supporting.
We were welcomed with open arms by the people. Elizabeth was especially popular with the many children and she joined right in with them from the moment we walked in the door. We had a chance to talk with a good number of the people and to ask them about other needs in the area. They all had the same idea, that more churches are needed in Manchay. Tens-of-thousands of people still live in Manchay that have never heard the Gospel. Many areas have no church closeby. The area is of course very poor, and many of the people are new in Lima, having moved from the countryside or mountain regions of Peru.
We will continue to prayerfully consider a church-planting ministry in this area. Our burden for this area was increased and we are well aware that God could do a great work among these people.
We were welcomed with open arms by the people. Elizabeth was especially popular with the many children and she joined right in with them from the moment we walked in the door. We had a chance to talk with a good number of the people and to ask them about other needs in the area. They all had the same idea, that more churches are needed in Manchay. Tens-of-thousands of people still live in Manchay that have never heard the Gospel. Many areas have no church closeby. The area is of course very poor, and many of the people are new in Lima, having moved from the countryside or mountain regions of Peru.
We will continue to prayerfully consider a church-planting ministry in this area. Our burden for this area was increased and we are well aware that God could do a great work among these people.
Pray for Manchay!
View of the main road through Manchay.
(Remember you can click on any picture for a larger view!)
A Change for this Weekend
This weekend we will not be working in the Ate-Vitarte church. Instead we will be visiting some of our co-workers in a part of Lima called Manchay. Manchay is called a "pueblo joven" (meaning young town). About 4 million of Lima's residents live in this type of environment. These parts of town have no water or sewer. Most homes are shacks made up of scrap materials. Manchay now has 70,000 residents and is growing daily. City officials believe it could be one of the largest districts of Lima within ten years. As you can see in the photo, Manchay is totally located in a desert.
Several churches have been started in Manchay but the need is still great. Sadly, the Mormons, Jehova's Witnesses and Catholics have had a major influence already in this area. Each of these groups have highly-visible, strategic locations.
This is another one of the areas where we have been asked to go to start a church when we return to Peru. We visited Manchay during our first week in Peru and have had a burden for these people ever since. Will you pray that God will provide more workers to help spread the Gospel in this spiritually needy area? Also pray that God will bless our little "survey visit" this weekend as we consider where God wants us in the future.
Several churches have been started in Manchay but the need is still great. Sadly, the Mormons, Jehova's Witnesses and Catholics have had a major influence already in this area. Each of these groups have highly-visible, strategic locations.
This is another one of the areas where we have been asked to go to start a church when we return to Peru. We visited Manchay during our first week in Peru and have had a burden for these people ever since. Will you pray that God will provide more workers to help spread the Gospel in this spiritually needy area? Also pray that God will bless our little "survey visit" this weekend as we consider where God wants us in the future.
Think this is a good price?
Several people have written and asked what certain things cost in Peru. We thought you might enjoy hearing some current prices, here are a few things that come to mind:
- Gasoline- $4.65 per gallon (yes, the price is still going up!)
- Snickers Candybar-$2.00
- Can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup-$1.85
- 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips- $9.00
- 64 oz. Welch's grape juice- $8.00
- Can of Pringles Potato Chips- $3.25
Now you will see why we choose a healthier diet, let me give you some examples of the good prices in Peru:
- Fresh carrots- 10 cents per pound
- Watermelon- 10 cents per pound
- Romaine Lettuce- 30 cents per head
- Iceberg Lettuce- 8 cents per head
- Bananas- 15 cents per pound
- 24 oz. bottled water-30 cents
- Whole Rotisserie Chicken-$2.75
Plus, you can have your car washed and waxed, even the inside detailed for $4.00. A haircut is $1.50 and a doctor's visit is $7.50 (although neither are guaranteed to be professionals!) These good priced bargains we like to call "Peru Perks." Just some of the advantages for living in this wonderful land!
Time to start saying "goodbye"
We begin to feel sad when we think of saying goodbye to our new friends here in Peru. It will be difficult to leave for a year. In 36 days we board the plane coming back to the United States. There is much to be done in this final month. We make arrangements for our home, close out accounts, find replacements for our classes and other responsibilites. We also continue to make plans for the future. We are also taking lots of pictures and preparing our furlough presentation.
It is with great excitement that we plan for our furlough. We are happy about seeing our family and friends again. It will be interesting to see how things have changed in our homeland during the last four years.
Find out what furlough will be like for Elizabeth by clicking here!
It is with great excitement that we plan for our furlough. We are happy about seeing our family and friends again. It will be interesting to see how things have changed in our homeland during the last four years.
We do look forward to eating some of our favorite foods like NC BBQ and Little Debbie cakes! It will seem strange hearing so much English. It will also be hard to start following real traffic laws again!There is lots to be done, so we continue to appreciate your prayers during this busy time. We look forward to seeing all of you soon!
Find out what furlough will be like for Elizabeth by clicking here!
It's a girl! (Well, probably!)
What an exciting doctors visit we had today! First, the doctor informed us that the earlier "placenta previa" problem has been totally corrected. The pregnancy is totally healthy and without problems at this point. This was a real answer to prayer. Then, we were able to find out that the baby is probably a girl! We have a name picked out, but will keep it a secret for now!
Below you will see a picture taken from the ultrasound video. Elizabeth is super excited to know that she will be a big sister and have someone to share her room with in a few short months!
We appreciate your continued prayers for both Debbie and the baby. More updates to follow in the days ahead.
Below you will see a picture taken from the ultrasound video. Elizabeth is super excited to know that she will be a big sister and have someone to share her room with in a few short months!
We appreciate your continued prayers for both Debbie and the baby. More updates to follow in the days ahead.
Possible Home for a New Church
The picture below is taken from our apartment. Needless to say, many people live in our neighborhood! There is a real need for a church in this area and we feel God leading us to consider this area. It would be a real blessing to minister to the folks that we call neighbors.
It is difficult to imagine that this area was barren desert wasteland 7 years ago! Now thousands of families call this area home. We are happy that we are one of those families!
We are happy to report that we are all recovering well from the terrible stomach virus. So far Elizabeth seems to be immune to it. Thanks for your recent prayers.
It is difficult to imagine that this area was barren desert wasteland 7 years ago! Now thousands of families call this area home. We are happy that we are one of those families!
We are happy to report that we are all recovering well from the terrible stomach virus. So far Elizabeth seems to be immune to it. Thanks for your recent prayers.
Here we go again...
Earlier in the week we asked you to pray for Debbie. She was suffering with a terrible stomach virus. Well, now its John's turn! He has been terribly sick and says he hasn't felt worse in his entire life. I know John would appreciate your prayers today as he tries to recover.
Also, pray that Elizabeth will stay healthy. This is one sickness she needs to avoid.
Also, pray that Elizabeth will stay healthy. This is one sickness she needs to avoid.
Think you've seen crazy drivers?
We have read several studies that have shown Lima's streets and highways are the most dangerous in the world. Every trip in Lima is an experience to say the least! We actually get used to the crazy driving and it almost seems normal to us now.
LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Anyone climbing aboard a bus or taxi in Peru should think twice because many drivers have psychopathic tendencies, a university study said on Wednesday.
Some 40 percent of the 640 taxi and bus drivers surveyed by Lima's San Marcos University suffered from psychological problems and showed psychopathic tendencies, such as aggressive, anxious and antisocial behavior, the study said.
"Drivers showed they would not feel any guilt in injuring or running over a pedestrian," the study added.
Peru's capital, Lima, is crowded with aging, pollution-pumping taxis and buses, many of which do not obey traffic rules or stop lights.
Hundreds of people die each year in bus and taxi crashes in Peru because of bad roads, poorly maintained vehicles and recklessness by drivers. In just the last three months of last year at least 85 people were killed in crashes, according to police figures. Prosecution is rare.
We do enjoy the screams from the backseat whenever visitors are with us!We recently read the following article that once again confirmed the craziness of driving in Lima:
LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Anyone climbing aboard a bus or taxi in Peru should think twice because many drivers have psychopathic tendencies, a university study said on Wednesday.
Some 40 percent of the 640 taxi and bus drivers surveyed by Lima's San Marcos University suffered from psychological problems and showed psychopathic tendencies, such as aggressive, anxious and antisocial behavior, the study said.
"Drivers showed they would not feel any guilt in injuring or running over a pedestrian," the study added.
Peru's capital, Lima, is crowded with aging, pollution-pumping taxis and buses, many of which do not obey traffic rules or stop lights.
Hundreds of people die each year in bus and taxi crashes in Peru because of bad roads, poorly maintained vehicles and recklessness by drivers. In just the last three months of last year at least 85 people were killed in crashes, according to police figures. Prosecution is rare.
Just a quick note:
Please pray for Debbie today. She apparently has a stomach virus. She was up all night and is feeling terrible. It came on quickly and she is hoping it leaves as quickly as it came! She had terrible pregnancy related sickness for about three months and was just starting to feel better.
I know she will appreciate your prayers today. Thanks!
I know she will appreciate your prayers today. Thanks!
Happy Birthday...
Today is a very special day for our family! Just four short years ago, Elizabeth came into our lives! She is so happy to be celebrating her birthday. For many months she has been asking, "When will I be four years old?" This morning she woke up and said, "Am I four now?" When we confirmed the good news, she said "Oh goody, say Happy Birthday to me!"
Elizabeth is very tall compared to Peruivan children. She is often thought to be 5 or 6 years old. She is happy not to be a "baby" anymore!
If you would like to see some current pictures of Elizabeth and some other news in her life, be sure to visit her blog by clicking on the "PoeKids BLOG" link on the right.
Elizabeth is very tall compared to Peruivan children. She is often thought to be 5 or 6 years old. She is happy not to be a "baby" anymore!
If you would like to see some current pictures of Elizabeth and some other news in her life, be sure to visit her blog by clicking on the "PoeKids BLOG" link on the right.
Death of Pope brings Questions
Only a few hours after the Pope's death was announced we began to receive questions. Several young people at the church asked, "Do you think the Pope is now in heaven?" We took the time to explain that our good works can never merit salvation. We also explained that only God knows the true heart of an individual. Sadly many realize the Pope may have tried to earn his way to heaven on his own merit. In Sunday school, while discussing the church, we explained that as Christians, Christ is the head of the church. We are blessed to have Christ, not the Pope, as our mediator with God the Father.
Peru has basically shut down today as the start of three days of national mourning starts. All schools, government offices, banks, and many public businesses are closed. All Catholics are urged to spend the next nine days praying for the "eternal rest" of Pope John Paul II. Special events have drawn thousands into local Catholic churches. Most people are wearing black ribbons or armbands as a tribute to this hero of the Catholic church.
As always, it reminds us of the great spiritual need here in Peru. Will you pray for those folks searching for the truth?
Peru has basically shut down today as the start of three days of national mourning starts. All schools, government offices, banks, and many public businesses are closed. All Catholics are urged to spend the next nine days praying for the "eternal rest" of Pope John Paul II. Special events have drawn thousands into local Catholic churches. Most people are wearing black ribbons or armbands as a tribute to this hero of the Catholic church.
As always, it reminds us of the great spiritual need here in Peru. Will you pray for those folks searching for the truth?
A Sea of Candles
The death of the Pope is a major event in Peru. This picture from Poland shows the impact of the Catholic church around the world.
Land of great History
Everyday there are new and interesting things to learn about Peru. Peru is a land with a rich history. Dozens of cultures have made Peru the country that it is today. We are especially blessed here in Lima with hundreds of archeological sites. All over the city ruins are constantly being uncovered. Nearly every part of town has a major archeological site. We have a set of ruins visible from our apartment balcony.
These ancient groups were often known for their great search for religious truth. They looked to the sun, the stars, the weather, and to nature for answers about the living God. Unfortunately few found the true and living God. Things haven't changed much. Millions of Peruvians are still searching for God. We are happy to be helping share God's message in this great country.
These ancient groups were often known for their great search for religious truth. They looked to the sun, the stars, the weather, and to nature for answers about the living God. Unfortunately few found the true and living God. Things haven't changed much. Millions of Peruvians are still searching for God. We are happy to be helping share God's message in this great country.
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