Home again...ahhhhhhhhh!!!

Well, it has been a busy few weeks, but I want to focus on last week. Sixto is the District President for Youth in Mission, and last week we had the privilege to go to Huancayo (where it is really cold!!!). We spent two days traveling to Huancayo, three days working to help the church there, a day of tourism, and a day and a half returning to Campanilla. I don't have pictures right now, because we used Sixto's tablet to take pictures and forgot to bring it with us to Juanjui today. However, I will give you some word pictures of our time in Huancayo.
On Monday night when we arrive, after traveling through all extremes of weather (okay, no snow, but for someone who lives in the hot jungle, 40 degrees is cold!!!), I was told that I wouldn't be helping with the VBS as was first thought, but that I would be teaching the older kids. Wow!! Shock!!! I had materials prepared for smaller kids, but nothing for older kids...ages 11 to 17. Fortunately, the first day of VBS was in the afternoon, so I had the morning to look up pictures to use with the stories for the week. We had Elijah being fed by ravens, staying in the house of the widow, and his contest on Mount Carmel for the first day, Elisha and the Healing of Naaman for the second, and Jonah for the third. I was able to get materials together (thanks to the fact that the church had great internet!!!).
On Wednesday and Thursday, the VBS was in the morning, so in the afternoon on Wednesday, I went with Sixto and Judith, one of the young ladies at the church, to an orphanage to get permission to come the next day and have some time with the kids who live there. I was highly impressed by the orphanage, as I have been by all the orphanages I have been to in Peru. When we walked in, it is like an oasis in the desert. Outside the orphanage, the streets are dirt, the houses are run down, and though there is vegetation, it isn't well cared for. When you step onto the orphanage property, there are lots of nice brick houses, with well maintained yards, beautiful flowers, sidewalks, and just an overall pleasant atmosphere. The coordinator of programming talked with us because the director was on vacation. He invited us to come the next morning at 10 am until noon.
I was a little disappointed because I was schedule to help with the VBS. And in the afternoon we were scheduled to go to the prison. I had hoped for a change in the schedule. Anyway, when we got back to the church, we prepared for an evening in the plaza of sharing "From the Dark" along with singing and preaching. We got everything ready in the rain (which was freezing cold!!!), and then ran to the church to get last minute things. Wouldn't you know, in God's plan, the rain stopped about a half hour before our program and didn't start again until we were finishing! God is AWESOME!!! At the close of the time in the park, there was one convert. We returned to the church and ate a late dinner.
On Thursday morning, the leaders of the team said that Gladys and I could ask our helpers to take over our classes of VBS because they wanted us to go to the orphanage too. I was happy to go, but was going to miss the group of kids a little. So we all got to the orphanage at 10, but they weren't ready yet, so we waited until about 10:30 am to start. We had a good time with the kids, singing, sharing a skit, making bracelets, and just talking with them. Then we hurried back to the church to eat lunch, change our clothes, and got to jail...hahahaha. When we got to the prison, we were standing outside waiting when a gentleman came up to us and asked if we had received our permission yet. We said no, we were told to come to the gate to receive it. He then said, "Well, I am the director of the prison, and I will send my secretary right down with the permission." We said, "Thank you!" and as he said, his secretary was there in just a couple of minutes to give us our permission. We also met a group of 4 local Gideons there who brought New Testaments to give out. In all, there was our group of 10, the local pastor, and the 4 Gideons. We shared with two different groups of prisoners, and unfortunately, we only had a set of speakers for a desktop computer (not very loud), because we were only permitted to bring in a laptop and a projector. However, the prisoners were so interested in the movie, that there was no doubt to the last row what was being said in the movie! We showed "From the Dark" about Felix Vargas. As we were finishing in the first group, Sixto and Pastor Wilmer took the equipment to the second group to get set up. The prisoners were so happy to receive the New Testaments and at the end, several of them gave their lives to Christ.
Friday, we went to a Huanca Ruin (sounds like Wonka, but there was no candy!!!!), and a lake in the morning, and in the afternoon, a rainbow trout farm...imported from the USA in the 40s...Yep, so I was close to home there!!!
I will try to get some pictures on here soon, but until then, I want to say, though we had a wonderful time, even in the cold, in Huancayo, I am glad to be home again!!! I will be going to Pucallpa for the last time in my monthly journeys next week, and then it should be home sweet home for a while.
Please continue to pray for the church in Campanilla, as we plan to build a new church building this summer. If you are interested in coming to help, you can contact us at katielovessixto@gmail.com or get on the Work and Witness webpage, search for the Campanilla, Peru project and send an e-mailto the coordinator for more information.
Thanks to all who pray for us daily!!!

Water!!!

So, I had intended to put this blog up a long time ago, but my computer got very sick...it wouldn't turn on. So, it seems to be meant for now. Thanks to a very special group of ladies that bought and sent several types of water filters to us here in Peru. Sherry Husted, thank you for seeing the need. Brenda Linger, thanks for sending it! And, thank you to the ladies group at Sherry's church for buying this for us!!! We truly appreciate it!!!


The biggest pot I have...about 1 1/2 gallons.

Boil the water good!!!

The set up for filtering through the coffee filters.

After the boiling and cooling of water,
I start the pouring through the coffee filters.

Much better, but still a little cloudy.
When it is like this, I filter it at least one
more time before it goes through the
Pur water filter.

The dusty silt left behind.






After a good rain, it takes longer to filer the water
before I put it in the reservoir for the final filtering.

Still a little milky when it goes into the reservoir.





 

Nice, cold, clear water!

I want to say, I am reminded when I think of this "PUR" water, that Jesus gives us the living water and I am sure glad that I have that living water! And that the living water is a much easier process than drinking water!!! Take a drink of living water, if you haven't already! (John 4:1-42)

Good to be Home!!

I must say, first, that this blog is very late. I have been unable to have sufficient internet time since I returned to Peru until now.
Secondly, I enjoyed my time in the United States with family and friends, but I was ready to be home, in Peru, by the time I got here. The truth is, "There's no place like home!" No matter where that is or what that is, there is no place like it!
I enjoyed about 6 weeks in the United States, but it was without my husband, because we couldn't get a US Visa for him after 3 tries. I was privileged to speak in 4 churches and my sister's classroom in Walton Elementary School. I also was privileged to go to the 99th birthday party of our dear friend Cora Wigal.


My dear friend, Cora Wigal, at her 99th birthday party!
I hope I look half that good at 99!

Aunt Sharon, Aunt Donna, and Mom with me at the wedding shower.

In the US, I was also blessed with a shower by the women of my home church. With the money we received from friends and family as wedding presents, we were able to finish paying for a property we had purchased, and buy a washing machine. You don't know how much easier that makes life!!!



NEW WASHER!!!

First load of laundry with new washer!!!

The last Sunday I was in West Virginia, I took group pictures of the congregation...It took several pictures to get the majority of people, but we still missed some of the people. The Peruvians sent a similar picture to the people of West Virginia and my home church.

We are continually blessed with the love and prayers of our friends in the US and Peru. Thanks to all who pray for us daily, and please continue to pray for us and our ministry here in Campanilla, Peru.

August 6 - Updates and Reminders

So, as I sit here and wait for Sixto to get out of his interview in the embassy, I decided to write another blog. I have another update on animals...I know, they just keep coming! Well, I got back to Campanilla on July 30, after being in Pucallpa for a week and this greeted me in the back yard...

I am sure I said no to the pig, but he was there when I got home. I do have to say, he was a good pig, and I didn't know he was there until Sixto asked me if I saw him. And, fortunately, he was only there until Saturday morning at 2:00 am. I did hear his last cry, and then the chickens were a little wild for the rest of the morning. I told Sixto they were saying, "Oh my, did you see what happened to PIG this morning? What are we going to do?"

 

Before I went to Pucallpa, I found some pictures I had cut out of an old Mary Engelbreit calendar that my friend, Elisabeth Lewis, gave me. So, I decorated a little in my house. Made it feel a little more homey...

 



And we had the family over for pizza. What a fun time to share with all of them!

 

And we took pictures with the church to share in the states. They are super excited to "go to the states" even if it is in picture form.

So, as I sit here, I am reminded of all the blessings I have had over the past several weeks. What a blessing that pig was only at my house for a few days! And, I know if Sixto doesn't receive his visa, it will be okay, sad, but okay. And he will be waiting for me when I get back to Peru, along with the rest of the family (family family and church family). Thanks for all your prayers!



Update on Animals!!!

So, I only have a few pictures this time, but I will get to that a little later. I will start with an update on the CHICKENS!!!

 Now we have 9 of them!!! At least it is another female and not another rooster. So we have 4 females and 5 roosters at the house...we have two more, I don't know whats, at Sixto's father's and aunt's houses. So I was getting ready to come to Pucallpa, and the newest one started laying eggs that day. We had two that were laying eggs before, so Sixto had made two nests for them, but they decided to use the same one...And now the third one is laying her eggs in the same nest. The day I came to Pucallpa we had 8 eggs. I don't know how that is going to work out when one of them wants to hatch the eggs. In the mean time, we have received two ducks, two guinea pigs, and a reindeer. I told Sixto we started decorating for Christmas early. The youth were playing soccer, and kicked the ball into the bathroom wall. The mirror fell and crashed into the sink leaving a reindeer shaped hole in the mirror. At least there is still a part big enough for my face!

Continuing with the animal theme...I was in my kitchen, cooking the other day, and was ready to pour oil into the skillet, when I noticed ants all over the bottle. I didn't think that oil was sweet, but maybe. Anyway, the oil I was using is from this department (state) of San Martin, so I felt like I was helping the local economy. But, it doesn't have a lid. You just cut a hole in the top. So, like I said, I was getting ready to pour oil in the skillet, again, after cleaning the ants off the outside. I was reminded of Pam Killen telling us that when she went to a missionary's house in I believe in the Samoan Islands (The Johnsons), she started to throw the sugar out because it was full of ants. The kids told her to just tap the side of the sugar bowl and the ants would leave. I wish that worked with oil, but unfortunately, the ants drown and are at the bottom of the bottle. However, I didn't throw out the oil. I used it until it got down to where the ants were. I kept saying, at least ants are clean...they don't go after the things flies go after. I am now buying oil that has a lid. It is more expensive, but it is ant free...The should put that on the bottle!!!

 

Continue to pray for us as we are planning to come to the States in August. Sixto still has not received his visa, but has an interview on August 6 at 8:00 am. If he gets a visa, we will then buy his ticket to come to the USA. If not, we will buy his ticket to return to Campanilla, and I will come to the USA alone to fulfill our responsibilities there. I have my ticket. Thank you for your continued prayers!

Blessings in Disguise

Last week was a little stressful for me. We were having a Zonal Concentration at our church in Campanilla. That is kind of like improve your serve, but it also included a children's camp as well. The event started on Friday night and went through Sunday afternoon. My job was to teach the older kids camp class in the mornings and the children's service on Friday night. I didn't have a schedule or any real information on the event, so I started with materials that I had from when I worked in Pucallpa. Sixto told me there would be another teacher, so I thought we could divide the kids into two groups. I had started working on the materials that I had, and I received a call from the other teacher on Monday. We decided on the exact days we would have each lesson, and that we would have the kids all together for the beginning and again at the end.

 In the midst of all these preparations, we received an unexpected guest. A Bible bookman was passing through, and he stopped to ask if we had someplace he could stay for the night. I told him he would have to talk with Sixto, who was playing soccer at the moment, but he was welcome to stick around and talk with him. So, Sixto made arrangements for him to stay at his brother's house and he would eat with us. We had soup for supper...quick and easy!! That evening, we had service at 8:00 pm, like normal, and after church, I washed all the dishes and we went to bed.

 On Wednesday morning, we were awaken at 6:30 am by the bookman, bringing food that he wanted me to cook for breakfast, including foods that I had never seen before. And I didn't cook them for breakfast. I did cook some of it for lunch, and other of it for supper. However, the bookman brought more food for me to cook for the other meals. I try to plan my meals out every week to make my life a little easier, and this was really messing up my schedule. I have to say, I was not feeling very charitable when I was being told what to cook and how to cook it by someone I didn't know who was coming and going from my house as pleased. And, because I was having to cook these things extra foods (because Sixto and I would have been eating left overs from the fridge), I was not getting very far on the materials I needed to prepare for the weekend. I had a little breakdown on Thursday afternoon, when I was realizing I didn't have the things done that I needed to have done by that time and had another service that night to go to that would take up the evening.

 After that, I had to take a deep breath, and I started to look at the things I was being given. I received some fresh beans that were so many pretty colors.  And then, there was a beautiful rainbow outside my kitchen window. That made me stop and thank God for all the blessings he had given me, and I began to feel a little normal again. The people began to arrive on Friday afternoon, and the concentration was a success. The children had fun at the camp, and learned all about the Good Shepherd, and then, and I say this with much gratitude, PRAISE THE LORD!!, the bookman left on Sunday afternoon! That night after church, I packed our suitcase to come to Lima this week and then I am going on to Pucallpa for another week of ministry there. I am very thankful to the Lord that everything finally came together about 5 minutes before we were to start with the children on Friday night. Thanks be to God for his continued blessings and a short time of rest!



These are some of the very colorful beans
we were given last week. I think some
of them could be camouflage patterns!

 

Chickens!!!!

 Okay, so I must say, I am not a farm girl!!! I can rough it, but don't add animals to the mix, please! I say that to say, I HAVE 8 CHICKENS!!!! My dislike for CHICKENS grew when I lived in Pucallpa and if the door to the kitchen open, the CHICKENS would come in and do their business. It really kind of made me mad. But, I'm not bitter.
 Well, here in Campanilla, the people of the church give their first fruits to the pastor. We have been blessed with cacao (which can easily be sold or toasted to use), plantains (which can easily be eaten), other fruits, and CHICKENS. And these CHICKENS don't seem to understand that I don't like them. They follow me around like I am their long lost friend. We have 5 macho and 3 hembra (that is 5 boys and 3 girls). The other day, they followed me to the tienda (store), and they follow me in the church. And they like to sit in my doorway. I can even handle that if they don't come in my house. I can say, one of them is kind of pretty, but I still don't want her in my house. And Sixto is no help. He thinks it is absolutely hilarious!
 I know it is a blessing to have them. I don't want anything to happen to them. For example, when the young people are playing soccer or volleyball, I don't want them to hurt my CHICKENS, but I don't want to cuddle up with the CHICKENS either. I just have to keep saying to myself, "Thank you, Lord, for this blessing of CHICKENS! They will taste mighty fine for Sunday dinner someday!!!"


The CHICKENS!!!!

The CHICKENS following me!