Not a still sleeper!

Matthew definitely moves a bit while he sleeps. Here are a couple pics from these last couple of days.

Grandma

We had lunch with chiqui's family a couple weeks ago and I thought you might want to meet her 92 year-0ld grandma. Here we are walking around the restaurant and looking at the caged in animals. This one is a male peacock.

...and he's standing!!!

Look! You can see his tooth.

He is beginning to stand up anywhere and everywhere he can.

December 2011 calendar pose!

The two faces that make my days better.

Look at the fear in his eyes...this is his first time ever standing!

struggling church

We ask for your prayers.

For a couple of years now the members of the church in Ciudad Nueva have been asking to have the service in the morning. We were finally able to do the time change a couple of months ago after confirming that every single member except one wanted the service time in the morning. Since the time change we have drastically dropped down in attendance. After visiting everyone it seems that they didn't really think their decision through and they all want to have the service in the afternoon again.

Moments like these are frustrating but they are helping me to become a better leader. Please pray for the churches in Tacna and for us leaders. Pray that we will be able to come back even stronger than beforehand. Pray that as leaders we will be more sensible to the spirit's guiding whisper.

Also, please pray for Ebel, Brunner, and Maria Jose who are praying about helping us out at the Ciudad Nueva church. They would be a huge answer to our prayers for more support and leaders in such a difficult place to work. Maria is also going to be helping out the children's after-school center next year.

old house/land

we are very excited and praying that this works out, but we leave it in our God's hands.

we found an old place that will need to be torn down, but we can stay there while we build a little place of the land. it is in an older part of town where there is mostly agriculture (Pocollay), but the place is near the plaza of Pocollay.

talked to the owners and over a few conversations we were able to drop the price from $45,000 to $38,000...this afternoon (Tuesday) I will be getting together to talk over the details...one of which could use your prayer and possible help.

we need $30,000 and the banks here charge at least 11% interest rates. Since I don't really have any credit here in Peru it might be higher. I would prefer to get a loan from someone I know and pay a lower interest rate to them so that we both win, but we need to find those "someone's". We have some saved up and praise God my dad is going to help but obviously he can't afford all of it...we will probably need another $20,000.

If anyone is willing and interested in giving us a loan we are willing to pay interest so that we both win (and not the bank!!!). I would much rather pay interest to someone I know that to a rich institution...you all understand.

Thank you all for your support! we pray this goes well.

Videos - Tacna and Matthew

Hey everyone,

www.youtube.com/user/wt4god98

I have been working on a short video with photos from Tacna and realized how easy it is to upload videos edited in my computer to YouTube...so I also uploaded some videos from Mother's Day, our apartment, and Matthew.

Hopefully I can get more and more videos up about the work going on here so you can see it first hand and share it with others who are interested in what God is doing here.

Thank you all for your support, prayers, comments, etc. You are cherished and a blessing!

Dad stories...

There seems to be more and more stories each day. Tuesday was probably one of the worst so yet!

I wasn't feeling too good all night and during the morning and Chiqui had been working hard taking care of Matthew the whole time. So during the morning when I felt he pooed while on my lap I figured the least I could do is change him.

Halfway through the process I unintentionally took a big wiff...the result, lunch coming back up and onto the floor!

While I was heaving, Matthew decided to roll over real fast and get his poop all over himself...look at his leg!

But as always, he seems to be happiest after these moments.

Pears, tongue, and dad

Matthew having some fun after breakfast! I think he likes pears.

Mayhem on the Horizon!!!

Just finished finals week at seminary.

July 23rd to 30th - Christ's Church of the Valley will be here to work their butts off!

July 30th to August 9th - In Lima and other towns with my dad and his wife. Their first time seeing Matthew and first time back since our wedding 5 years ago.

August 9th to 16th - Should have a great friend and his wife be here in Tacna to see the church and projects. He is a pastor and their church is almost positively going to support. Your prayers are welcomed anyways!

August 17th to 21st - We have to go back to Lima to do some paperwork in the embassy for Matthew and for my passport...I have two pages left and it expires within a year.

We have another great friend(one of my longest and best friends) and his wife trying to make it down here before August as well. Hopefully that happens!

In these up and down moments God has overloaded us with a lot of blessings through these visits. It is almost too much, but in this case that is impossible.

Great times in Tacna!

Last night we had a lonche (light dinner with bread and tea) at the church with all the members interested in the future of the church and their involvement. In recent years when we have had meeting like this there would be 6 or sometimes up to ten people interested...last night we had nearly 20. They were all very excited and participating in the conversation, talking through ideas for the future, events that are coming up soon, and how they would like to be involved. It was definitely an encouraging moment after the last few up and down months with the youth group.

A few of the things we discussed that you could be praying for are:

1) Musicians: since the church was handed over to me to oversee we haven't had any musicians. It got complicated when we changed the service to the morning because it was better for everyone (literally). In the meeting 10 people wanted to learn something or begin singing and/or playing instruments for the Sunday service. The need created an opportunity and the church responded. Before when musicians came over from the other churches there was never the opportunity that had to be filled. Once again God responding and turning a difficult moment into an incredibly great moment.

2) 3 more people volunteered to support AWANA's and Sunday school with the children. Another prayer answered. We have been low on help, especially with AWANA's.

3) Unity: We decided as a group that we will be getting together every month and a half to share a meal after service. One of the women who has been a part of the church since the beginning has taken on the task of getting the event organized. She will plan what food everyone needs to bring, how much, and confirm everyone that will be participate. It is one more step toward a mature church that begins to take on tasks for themselves and move us forward.

God is good! I cannot say it enough. In the darkest and most difficult moments he always blesses us with a ray of light. As Habakkuk responded in difficult moments, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord, in the God of my salvation." We rejoice in those moments and now we rejoice yet even more. I cannot say it enough...God is good!