Hospitals and Friends in Cuzco

After getting together with all the summer missionaries in Nasca for mid-summer debriefing at the end of June, our team set off to research again. This time we were heading for villages surrounding the city of Andahuylas: Chiara, Umamarca, Pomacocha, and Pampachiri. It was an adventurous research trip to say the least. Our team did an extensive amount of hiking in the area. The longest of these excursions being about six hours at 4000 meters and on hilly terrain (which was a awesome since every Peruvain had told us the hike would take four hours and would be flat). After obtaining all the research information we heading back to Andahuylas on our way to Cuzco and then Puno. Unfortunatley, while in Andahuylas I began to suffer from a severe allergic reaction. It was lovely to have a horrid rash cover your entire body and itch terribly. Jess, Lydia, and I then proceeded to leave from Andahuylas to Cusco the next day where I could recieve adequate medical care. After arriving in Cusco I immediately went to private clinic where the doctor informed me I had to be admitted since the allergic reaction would soon affect my respiratory system. A day in the clinic on an IV and alot of medicine later (which I am still on) has worked wonderfully, and I feel tremendously better. However, other people here in Cusco have also fallen into sickness. My fellow researcher, Jess, was admitted days ago and is still in the hosptial pending a flu test. Another friend who is teaching ESL classes, Justin, was in the same clinic a couple of days ago. It has not been all bad though. I have had the opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of a great group of people here in Cusco. Not just the Samford University ESL team, but also several Peruvians involved in a local ministry, "zona segura." I praise the Lord for the work this ESL team and Zona Segura are doing among the students in Cusco.
Last night I cooked for the teams here, including a friend we had met and invited to dinner at a local dessert restaurant. Our Peruvain looked baffled when a hot dish of Southern mac and cheese arrived on the table followed by a key lime pie made with real squeezed limes. The meal turned out delicious, our friend loved the food, and it was a great time of fellowship for everyone. I thank Christ for these new friends and brothers, and am looking forward to my final few weeks in Peru.

Creation Declares Your Majesty

As recently posted our research team was supposed to finish the Andahuaylas cluster of villages before going to mid-summer debriefing in Nazca. However, due to an indefinite strike in the area and transportation not running, our plans had to change. Two options were left, either go down south to Arequipa or go further south into Puno. After checking into both areas the decision was made to go to Arequipa since Puno was about to begin a strike on June 24. The time crunch would have been impossible to overcome since we would have had to been back in Nazca on June 26.

In Arequipa we continued our research in the villages of Huambo, Iray, Yanaquihua, and Andaray. It felt great to get research underway again after a delayed break. The Lord was so faithful and proved Himself the Ultimate Provider with our transportation. Even though the traveling was mostly done around midnight with early morning arrivals to our destinations, we were able to finish research without rushing and rest a little bit.

While in Andaray I got to witness a beautiful sunset from the top of a mountain that overlooks the village. From this mountain you could not only see the village but the surrounding mountains. Words or pictures do not describe the majesty that I saw. All one can do is fall down and praise the Creator of heaven and earth. What a majestic God I serve. As I reflected on God's glory in creation, I began to reflect on God's redemptive plan. The God who painted that sunset is the same glorious God whose image men bear. Oh that these people in Peru would turn from idols and place their trust in Christ, the One who can reconcile those who have been so opposed to the God who made them. As image-bearers of the Living God, we exist to worship and glorify Him. God gets the glory and in return we receive the uttermost joy because we have the greatest treasure imaginable, God himself. Amen I say, Amen.

Much Needed Rest

Our team finished the last villages in the area surrounding Abancay on Saturday. That makes eight villages so far: Antabamba, Huaquirca, Sabaino, Pachaconas, Ayahuay, Chapimarca, Pichihua, and Pocohuanca. Almost all of these villages have no evangelical voice and are deeply rooted in hundreds of years of Catholic tradition. It is a nominal Catholicism with the churches only open once a year when. However, we did see some interest in the Bible from a gentleman in Sabaino and a nurse in Pocohuanca. Please pray for the breakdown of tradition and the opening of hearts to the truth as revealed through the Word. Also please pray for the people who took an interest in the Bible. After finishing research in this area all of us on the team were extremely tired and decided to take a few days to rest in nearby Cuzco.

We have been in Cuzco since Sunday meeting the ESL team (a bunch of guys from Samford) working in the city. We have had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people in the area. Those individuals have shown us such great hospitality and we cannot thank them enough. One awesome person is Omar, who totally helped us arrange our stay in Cuzco and our trip to Machu Picchu. That's right-- Machu Picchu. It was a truly memorable experience to see one of the wonders of the world in Peru as I press on toward the goal of reaching people with the message of Jesus Christ, which is our foremost mission. But it is also great to stop and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you and give praise to the Creator of it all. What a glorious God we serve. The Lord has really blessed our stay in Cuzco and the fellowship with the other summer team. We will eat with them tonight, along with a Barnabas team in town, and head out in the morning to the villages surrounding Andahuaylas: Chiara, Pomacocha, Tumay Huaraca, and Pampachiri. Please pray for our safe travel to these villages as we go. Also pray for the ESL team remaining in Cuzco and the ministry they are doing.

Another thing I am hoping for is to make it back to Cuzco in late July. Why? A friend of Omar,Ceasar, has invited me to talk to college students at a local university about science. He discovered that I was a physics major and wanted me to have discussion on the relation of science and the Bible, one such topic being evolution. I am excited by the prospect because it will be a great use of my degree to apologetically defend my faith. Pray for my ability to argue for the truth in the midst of unbelief. The Lord is doing great things for His name here in Peru and we take hope in the fact that He truly has sheep among these people.

(I posted lots of pictures and you can see all of the albums if you click on the slide show)

Top Ten Simply Peruvian Things

1. Mountain Food - The staple of every hearty Peruvian meal is chicken, rice, and potatoes

2. Canines - A nasty dog that barks at everything is of the utmost importance.

3. Clothing - Every Quechua lady must wear at minimum ten skirts and five sweaters. Top that off with three pairs of socks and you are ready to go out in seventy degree weather. It is a style all its own.

4. Compliments - Question, Who is your daughter? Response, The fat one down the street. (Real question and answer)

5. Calenders - To me a calender dated 1996 what serve no purpose, but in the mountains of Peru no room is complete without one.

6. Volleyball - Yes, Peruvians love their volleyball. It is shocking.

7. The Peruvian Rule - When riding anywhere there is always room for one more. It does not matter if you cannot move or not.

8. Time - Be there at seven, eight, nine, who cares. Time does even exist in Peru.

9. Drink - A warm Inca Kola will wash down anything. You will never find a cold drink in the mountains.

10. Dancing - My personal favorite is the dancing. It is just ackward. Nothing like randomly dancing in a tree, on a rock, or in a field. By dancing I mean head nodding and foot shaking. Plus they all make videos to show off their awesomeness.

Early Morning Traveling Stinks

Our team has finished research in several of the villages in the Apurimac cluster with only a few left. We have decided to come back to Abancay, which is a large city in the area, and commute to the others cities from there. It has been an interesting couple of days in villages located in the middle of nowhere. In Sabaino I had a delicious lunch of sheep head soup and intestines as an entree. It was, how shall we say, gross. It was all I could do to eat some of it. The next morning we woke up at twelve-thirty in the morning to head to a small town called Huancapampa to catch a bus to another village. The bus was supposesed to be there immediately when we arrived. However, since this is Peru and to Peruvians punctuality does not matter, we sat in the freezing cold from 3 a.m. until 6 a.m. until the bus came. After that things went more smoothly. We got to the next two villages and gathered all our research information. Transportation from village to village, which could be extended over days, amazingly worked out so we went from one to the other and then all the way the Abancay. It is easy to see that the Lord is in control of all details and he proved himself the ultimate provider with our transportation and time in the villages thus far. Please continue to pray for us as we travel to the three remaining villages in this cluster and then onward to another area.

Long Roads...Scrumptious Bread

So last night we arrived in Antabamba after about 25 hours of travelling. It was marvelous. Plus the first hostel (we have since moved) was gross. The toilet did not work, and that should say it all. Today we finished our research in the village and will go to Huaquirca in the morning then to several other smaller villages. Antabamba is a fairly large village and even serve trout for lunch. We met one believer in the city. Her name is Esther and she is an older lady and the only evangelical in the city. Something awesome though, her Bible was in Spanish and Quechua, which is extremely rare. I will keep everyone posted on the upcoming work and please continue to pray for us as we travel. By the way all of yall snacking on cookies in the states, get back i am snacking on bread. That is right, bread. It cost about 35 cents for 8 pieces. It is tasty!!!

Never Make Plans in Peru

Are we leaving? That is the million dollar question. We were supposed to leave this afternoon but that has been changed to tomorrow afternoon. Also we are not going to Apurimac first but Andahuaylas instead. Not to mention that the sickness that I mistook for sinuses turned out to be something a little more serious given the fact that I had a 100 degree fever and felt like somebody beat me with a bat. All the while I am excited about the upcoming journey ahead, especially the 15 hour bus ride. Just joking about enjoying the long ride. All I have to say is, "Let's get researching."

Ciao Lima, Hola Apurimac

Today is the last day in Lima and I'll be heading for Apurimac tomorrow morning. I have one last meeting with the career missionary, Mike Weaver, to coordinate our research efforts. I have posted a picture of our research team and from left to right it is Lydia, Jess, then me. I have also made a slideshow of photos on the side and it is also a link to access my photos. It has been a good last day in Lima. I had coffee at a local Starbuck's and walked the city after. I feel slightly under the weather with sinus crud which is magnified with the smog in Lima. I can't wait to get to the mountain villages where the sun is shining and the air is cleaner.

Research Bound

It has been an exciting first couple of days in Peru. After arriving late Sunday night in Lima the summer team then had take an hour and half bus ride to the place where orientation took place. This training was held at a local church and lasted until this Saturday. The community we were in was surrounded by mountians all around and already I am marveling at the majesty of our God in creation. I am sure that as I travel through the Andes more and more of God´s glory in creation will captivate me to my very depths.
During this orientation Dr. David Sills from Southern Seminary taught us about the missionzary call and the adverstities of sharing the gospel in another culture. This is not the United States and all the expository methods for sharing the gospel, i.e. the Roman Road, just will not work, the people will not comprehend. The approach needs be reproducable so bible storying is at the heart of how the missionaries here are taking the gospel to these people. My eyes have been opened and it is a far more difficult task than I had ever expected. But by God´s grace these various groups throughout southern Peru will fall desperatley in love with Jesus and in such a way that it transforms their life and the lives of others in their village.
My role this summer is to do research and I am accompanied in this endeavour by two girls that I have recently met. Thankfully both of these girls, one who did research last summer and the a journeyman in Peru, are excellemt Spanish speakers and are carrying me along in my horrendous knowledge of the language. I am diligently trying to learn and hope I will be able to commumicate effectively later in the summer. The two girls I am with are amazing and it will surely be my honor to work with them all summer.It has also been great to get to know several of the other summer missionaries who are serving in various villages throughout Peru. What a joy to be surrounded by Godly men and women whose one desire is to make the name of Jesus known in all nations for the glory of the Father.
I have arrived back in Lima today after orientation and will be staying until Monday, during which time our research team(aka Team Hussey as we have decided upon)will be planning our travel route. I am excited yet nervous but am looking forward to the months to come. My heartbeat and prayer for this summer is ¨God give us Peru and do it such a way that only you get the glory.¨