Peru Update #6

Dear Family and Friends,
     Greetings on this beautiful fall day!  Well, I guess I should say spring day for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere!  I hope you are all having a wonderful spring and enjoying the nice sunny weather.  Despite the fact that it is fall here in Peru, it is actually one of the sunnier parts of the year.  Sunny and dry, though it will not be until October that one can say it is really dry.  We only have two seasons here, (though there always is a little variety within them; rainy, from roughly November to April, and dry, from May to October.  It is almost getting cold enough at night to make chuño ("freeze dried potatoes") which is a staple here in the Andes.
     The beginning of this month found me sweltering in the heat of the jungle.  It was rather a stark contrast to the frosty nights we have recently been having here in Velille.  My purposes in going were twofold, to accompany some friends who were moving to the jungle and to see the other half of Peru before I leave in July.  Though I never left the county, I might as well have for all of the travel it took to get there.  We piled off of the tanker truck, on top of which we were riding not long after two in the morning on our third day of travel.  We were then forced to wait the dawn on a concrete patio, since the only way of continuing was by boat, of which there were none at that early hour.  It actually was not as hard to sleep on such a hard "bed" as I though it would be.  Then again, I guess I was a little tired after crossing the Andes in such style!  The ride went from freezing cold at the top of the mountains where we had breathtaking views of snowcapped peaks, to a sultry heat as we dropped down thousands of feet into the jungle.  It was a trip that will long be remembered. 
     In case anyone wonders at my sanity in traveling as I did on top of a loaded tanker hauling petroleum, let me explain myself.  If I wanted to give a good Peruvian answer I would say that it was less then half the price of a bus ticket, but to be honest it was actually just as much as the decision of those I was traveling with, as it was mine.  I did enjoy the adventure though, and really did not have to suffer much more than I would have by bus.  Most of all, it crossed the mountains in daylight, which was spectacular, whereas all of the buses cross in the dark.  It is a very long ways to travel no matter how you look at it, well, I take that back, there are not hundreds of switchbacks and mountains to cross when traveling by air!  By the time we arrived, I think all of the other passengers realized I was not doing it as a tourist.  
     But traveling by such means was only one of the many new experiences I had.  Life in the jungle is a lot different than it is here, where our elevation is more than 12,000 ft.  The heat was probably the main difference and effects the way the people live in many ways.  Also, the fact that they do not grow potatoes there, makes a big lifestyle difference.  I saw almost no agriculture, (I would not call gathering fresh fruit off of the trees in your back yard agriculture!) and very little livestock other then the pigs in the streets, and a unique type of cow that they raise only for meat.  Most of the people I met either made their living from mining or forestry, which are the big money makers in the area.  The wages there are more than double than what one gets paid here in Velille, but the cost of living is much higher as well.
     Traveling with Charo and Hipolito, along with there two month son, was a very meaningful experience.  Besides Daniel and Maria, we have had more interaction with them, then with almost anyone else here.  It was hard to see them leave, especially since they themselves have concerns about what they will do over the coming months with no christian influence.  They say that once their time in the jungle is over, they would like to return to Velille, be baptized and lead a christian life.  The fact that they have been very influenced by the Wenger family came out several times as we witnessed numerous misbehaved children, as well as abusive parents.  They have seen enough of what a christian home looks like, to know that that is what they want for their family.  Please do pray for them as they are on their own in so many ways.  Pray that their desire and sense of need for salvation would increase during this time, and that they would not succumb to the wicked lifestyle of all around them.
     My time with them passed all too rapidly.  It was a neat experience though to spend some time with Hipolito in his work.  Where they live is not accessible my car, at least not conventionally!  Though I never saw it done, what they do is tie two or three large canoes together and drive vehicles onto two perpendicular planks, and thus ferry them across the murky water.  Everything in town is brought in by boat, from motorcycles to everyday merchandise.  It was a sad realization of the way people live, when I saw several boat loads of beer piled high on the large motorized canoes, making multiple passes across the river.  Hipolito works on one of the smaller canoes, called a "pecky-pecky," mainly hauling people rather than goods.  I enjoyed my time on the water, taking in the many beautiful as well as interesting scenes.  My only disappointment was that I did not see any crocks!
     Having finished my time with Hipolito and Charo I continued on to Puerto Maldonado, located only four hours from Brazil.  I was asked to share at a Saturday evening service at a church there in town and was blessed by the opportunity I had to make some new friends.  I also spent Sunday with the same congregation and especially enjoyed getting to know a young Brazilian missionary.  From Puerto I returned by a different route and spent Tuesday buying Bibles and other related items to bring back with me.  By the time I got back early Wednesday morning I was plenty ready for the chance to get some real rest, after having spent two consecutive nights on buses.
    After all of my traveling, I am glad to be back, and thank the Lord for a productive and safe trip.  It is good to once again have part in what the Lord is doing here.  I am thankful for the opportunities that the Lord gives in all of life, no matter where I may be, to witness of His saving grace.  More than anything else, I desire to be faithful to His calling, and obedient to His leading.  It amazes me how quickly my time here has passed as I look to returning in July.  I do ask for your prayers, as I pray, plan and prepare for what God has for me back in Washington.  May He continue to lead in every aspect of my life!

    Thank you all so much for your prayers as well as your interest in the work here.  What a blessing to know that Christ has promised that He will build His Church, and that it will be victorious!  I am awed by such a wonderful claim.  Let us do all that we can as part of His Church, to fulfill His purposes here on earth!

     For the cause of Christ, Nels
    

     George Macleod pleaded that "...the cross be raised again at the center on the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap; at the crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew and Latin and in Greek ... at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is were He died. And that is what He died about. And that is were churchmen ought to be, and that is what churchman should be about."

Attachments:
1. Crossing the Andes
2. On the water
3. Early morning gold mining
4. Overlooking Puerto, and the vast extent of jungle

The tea party us girl planned and hosted =)

Helena had quite the time cutting up this chicken...

Here are Becka and Helena, Holding Gadiel, Charo´s baby. And Helena and Nadia

News from the Girls....at last!!

Hearty Greetings from Peru!

 

 We have finally gotten around to posting somethings on this blog...after many weeks of saying we needed to. =)

  As for some introduction of who we are.....

~Helena Howe is from Cambridge, OH, and is Betsie's younger sister.

~Rebekah Esh is from Lancaster, PA, and is a friend of the Wengers and a traveling companion of Helena and vice versa. =)

 

  We arrived here in Peru on the 18th of March; went to Arequipa, where we stayed for a bit over two weeks, while we were in Spanish School; then we made the long haul here to Velille on April 7th. So we've been in Peru for almost 2 months.

  It has been a very busy 2 months of learning Spanish (although we are far from being fluent, and are continually learning!) and some Quechua phrases, 'understanding' cultural things, adjusting to life here, meeting new people & building friendships, and learning how to do the daily tasks of life at a different  altitude and in a different country. There is always something new to learn in a different culture, and life here is definitely not boring, but is quite a bit more uncertain....which gives us opportunity to learn to be flexible and live one day at a time! =)

 

 A few weeks ago we all went out to the Campo (country) for a weekend to harvest Gordon's potatoes and also to help Daniel with his. Wow, that was quite the experience!! Some of our friends, Charo & Hipolito and Nadia, went with us. We got out there....and we harvested! =) The first day we did 'our' fields and had at least 10 other people helping us -we were able to get it done all in one day.

Us girls had gone out a few days earlier with Nadia and her family to help them harvest their fields...it was our first harvesting excursion, and it was hard work! We both came back that night totally exhausted. It's a good thing that was our first experience, because when we harvested 'our' fields it was SO much easier and enjoyable. We both agreed that to have the big chunks of dirt moved away before-hand, makes harvesting much more fun and we are able to work much faster! =)

 We cooked our evening meals over a fire...and learned that when cooking over a fire like that, a meal can take anywhere up to 3 hours to prepare!! When cooking the meal, the kitchen quickly became the "hang-out" place. There would be up to 6 of us in there helping cook -well rather, having Spanish/English classes and just talking & laughing. It was a great way to get to know our friends better!  -Then once the food was ready, we would crowd into a small room and eat by candle light.

 If nothing else, it made many memories! =)

 On Sunday we had a communion service. It was a mountian-top experience...not just that we were actually on a mountain-top, but it was the first communion service with the Believers here and it was very sweet! We had a wonderful time of prayer and sharing testimonies...and remembering Christ's death on the cross. -Sunday evening around 5 we arrived back here -after waiting alongside the road for a good 2 hours. It was cold & getting darker by the minuet up there...what a wonderful sight it was when a bus came along and we all boarded!

 We got back here.....and us girls exclaimed over how modern our town & house was/is. =) After being out there in middle of nowhere, away from civilization for a few days -cooking over a fire, our only source of water was a little dirty water hole, our beds were a raise platform of dirt and our room had a "wonderful" smell of Chuno that took a bit to get use to, 'living by' candle-light when the sun went down, and only the basic necessities for life- we felt the place here was pretty modern! So since then, we've been enjoying what we have way more than we did before. =)

 

 The other day us girls planned & hosted a Tea Party. =) We had Betsie & the children stay out of the house all morning and Gordon & Nels were gone all day. We "flew" around all morning....Helena went to market and purchased all kinds of fruit -to make a fruit salad- and Becka mixed up a batch of Pizza dough -to make mini pizza's. Helena also invited Charo & Gadiel (her 1 ½ month old son) and Nadia to come. At 12:30 we had everything ready and we allowed our guests to enter the house. =) We had set the table very nicely and set some of our American snacks & chocolates out.  -The party was a big success...everyone loved it! =) Us girls had so much fun preparing it.......we called it our "wedding feast", the reason being, because one of our friends was getting married that day and we were feeling a bit "blue" (our families, the Howe's & Esh's, were together for the weekend too). So instead of thinking of all that we were missing out on and being sad about it, we decided to bless other people and enjoy the day here as much as we could. It worked and it's definitely more blessed to give of one's time to bless others, than to sit and 'receive'. =)

 

Yesterday, Monday -4th of April, Charo & Hipolito, their son, Gadiel, and Nels left for the jungle. Hipolito does not have work here, but does down there. So they have moved to the jungle for awhile -we don't know how long they'll be there. Nels accompanied them down there....and plans to come back in a week or two. Charo & Hipolito mentioned that they want to come back in August or September. If they don't come back by the end of August, Gordon said we might all go down there and visit them for a few days before us girls leave. We think it's a great idea! =)

 

One of our friends here, Nadia, is also leaving soon. She is going to Cuzco for work. Us girls are sad about her leaving, because she is one of our closest friends that we have so far here...and she is very patient with us in our incapability of speaking & understanding Spanish. =) I guess we'll have to reach out of our comfort zone some more and befriend other girls around here. =)

 

 Well, hopefully you all have enjoyed a peek into our lives...we've enjoyed telling you about it!

Thank you for your interest & prayers in what's happening in this part of the huge world...it's greatly appreciated!

 

 Many blessings each one of you!

 

  ~Becka & Helena

 

 

 

 

 

Peru Update #5 (Nels)

Dear Family and Friends, Greetings on this the first day of April! How quickly time goes by! It is hard to believe that a quarter of 2009 is already past! God's faithfulness and goodness have been made so real to me the first three months of this year. What a blessing to know that He has worked and will continue to work in my life. It is to Him that I look with expectation for whatever may lie ahead. The fact that I have been on my own here in Velille for the last two weeks has not at all resulted in a sense of having too much time on my hands, if anything the opposite has been true. I have had plenty to keep me busy and am not suffering from any feelings of boredom or isolation. (Thank you for your prayers and concern in that regard!). The last few weeks have gone very well, but I am still very much looking forward to the Wengers return a week from tomorrow. I am definitely anticipating the Christian fellowship as well as the relief it will be to not be solely responsible to lead out in everything here! What I have enjoyed about this experience though, is a closer bond with many of my acquaintances here in Velille. I have had to depend more on my interaction with them to provide for my social needs. The benefits this opportunity has afforded in adapting in a greater way the peoples lives here, has far outweighed any sacrifice in making such adjustments. By no means am I saying that I now plan on living off of chuño for the rest of my life, but it does mean that I have in a greater way come to appreciate different aspects of the Andean lifestyle. A good example of the way in which I have been blessed by my interaction with those here, would be the time we had together over my birthday. It was a blessing the way so many participated to make it a very special experience. It was definitely an authentic Peruvian birthday party (although in this case there was no alcohol served!). Besides the fact that it was an all day event, it also was very authentic in that I had the honor of getting an egg cracked over my head! A birthday celebration would never be considered complete without doing so! I also would like to thank those of you back home who were thinking of me here, on my birthday. It was definitely a surprise as well as a blessing to hear from so many of you! The last week that Merlin Yoder was here we where able to spend some time in Cusco. It ended up being a rather quick trip, which I am not sure is due more to the fact that Merlin was anxious to get back to Arequipa to finish up with his dental work, or the fact that my bank card was eaten and I ran out of money! (FYI it is always a good idea to write down your PIN if it has recently been changed and you have not been anywhere that has ATM machines in several months!). Anyway, we did have time to visit everyone we had planned on seeing and the fact that we were running low on cash only made us feel that much more like Peruvians, and that much less like rich American tourists! As it was we did end up doing a little tourism while there, which left me with the realization that all there is to see is a lot of uniquely cut stones which people come from all over the world to study. All that the stones prove is that the Incas at one time were master stone workers, but that after there conquest by the Spanish and the passing of a few hundred years their temples are for the must part rubble. So what am I trying to say? The thing which impressed me most about Saqsaywaman was not the archeological treasure that it is, but rather the vanity of man's accomplishments. Sure, the fact that one of the stones there weights 70 tons and fits beautifully into the adjacent rock wall is impressive, but of what value is that when the temple itself that previously sat above the wall was completely destroyed by the Conquistadors almost five hundred years ago? How short lived is the glory of man! Also, to think that not one of the builders of the that temple ever heard of the salvation offered to humanity through Jesus Christ is sobering, more than that, it is convicting. It is not just a thing of the past that souls are heading into eternity without once ever hearing the Good News. True, each one of us has a unique calling from God, but may that never negate the fact that such a calling is to come from the One who said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Maybe what I saw was not through eyes of the average tourist. That is ok with me. What I did see has left me with a greater purpose in my work here. In the least it has helped me to have a renewed vision in prayer for the un-reached. For in reality, the souls which surround us daily who do not know Christ are in no better condition to meet their Creator than those which have never heard His Name. The fact that I am daily living in the midst of lost men and women should be no less of an inspiration to share Christ than those involved in pioneer work. The Incas lived and died without a true knowledge of the Savior. That was then, this is now. What am I doing about it? It looks as if we will be having an early potato harvest this year. For one, we have had a fairly good year of rain, though people are always saying we could use more! Secondly, the insects are doing a pretty good job of starting on the harvest themselves, so if we wait too long the harvest will be scant. I already have had several opportunities to dig "papas" this last month. By the amount of people who have asked me to help it looks like I will be staying pretty busy for the next two months. As far as vocation goes, I would not say it is the most thrilling work to be harvesting potatoes. There are some things I do enjoy about it though, most of all, the chance to be out working with the local people. Working the soil and eating fresh dug potatoes also has its own sense of accomplishment which only those who have done something of that sort know what I am talking about. I can not help but thinking of the curse God placed upon the ground as the result of mans fall when I see how hard it can be just to survive. Life down here is in a very literal sense, "by the sweat of the brow". Besides harvesting, I have also been doing a few odd jobs here and there as I have had the opportunity. I do thank the Lord for good health and for the strength to work physically. My only prayer is that the contacts made in this way can see that I am not doing it for the money. How dumb could one be to leave a good job in the States for the three and a half dollars I make for a days work here? Well, hopefully there is something in what I am doing that is worth more than my pay! I trust the Lord that there is. Please do pray that as I do work, Christ would be working through me, drawing hungry souls to Himself. Also, for many opportunities to share Christ as I work, and for the words to speak when the opportunities do come. This last week a Peruvian brother was able to spend a couple of days with me. While he was here we were able to do a live radio program in Quechua, from which I have gotten very good feedback. The radio program is continuing to go well, I very much appreciate your prayers as the Word goes forth every Tuesday morning here in Velille. I am not exactly sure what to write in this regard, but I would ask for prayer for Daniels father. He has been in poor health for quite a while now, but is still looking to the traditional methods for healing. He told me awhile back that all he did was waste time and money by going to the city to consult a health professional there. He has at times shown an interest in following Christ, and even recently said that he wants to be baptized once Gordon gets back. Obviously, he does not know what that really means, neither does he really understand what he is doing in having the local medicine man read coca leaves to tell him what he needs to do to get better. Do pray for wisdom in dealing with Zacharias and understanding on his part what it truly means to follow Christ. Daniel and Maria are also in the dark on much of this issue. Please pray that that might see what the Bible has to say on the subject, and not just form convictions from what the missionary has to say! I feel that if they were to clearly explain biblically to his father why this is wrong, it would go a long ways with him. This is not just a cultural tradition, it is sin! But first, they need to see that for themselves. Thank you all so much for your prayers and the important part they play in the work here. I praise the Lord for the work He is doing, that it is His work and that He upholds all things by the word of his power. What a blessed truth and precious promise that Christ said, "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." May my nothingness be evidenced through Christ's fullness in my life. Love in Christ, Nels

Everyone who serves as a soldier avoids becoming entangled in the affairs of civil life, so that he may satisfy the officer who enlisted him" (2 Tim. 2:4, Weymouth). The disciple of Christ learns to be intolerant of anything that might stand between his soul and complete devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is ruthless without being offensive, firm without being discourteous. But as has one passion and one passion alone. Everything else must be brought into captivity. War demands courage in the face of danger. "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore..." (Eph. 6:13,14a). --William MacDonald

Nels R. Klewin Correo Central Dept. de Cusco Yauri, Espinar Peru SA

Anna and Serenity leave Peru

Serenity and Anna said good-bye to the Wenger's  on the 19th of March. Even though we are leaving the field we want to support you in our prayers! Our time there was a great experience and did a lot in developing our character and opening our horizons.  ~Goodbye to All~

One Bright Side of Life Here (ocasionally)

Sprinkling a Concrete Finish

Hands and All!

Making Mud

Bringing in Dirt to make Mud

Daniel, our faithful Brother! Please kep praying for him!

Peru Update #4 (Nels)

Dear Family and Friends, Greetings in the Name of our blessed Lord Jesus! May this letter find you blessed and growing in your Knowledge of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a blessed thought, to just pause, and meditate on God Himself! How it puts everything else in perspective! A lot has happened since I wrote last, (a good indication that I should be writing more often!). To start with, the Wengers left for Arequipa the last week of January to give birth to their forth child, which ended up being born the twelfth of this month. Over the time they have been gone I have been blessed with the help of two separate brothers, both going by the name of David. As Gordon was getting ready to leave we were praying that someone would be able to help for the three weeks before Merlin Yoder (who goes by David here in Peru) was due to come down in the middle of February. There ended up being a Peruvian brother from Arequipa who was able to fill the gap between the Wengers leaving and Merlin coming down February 14th. I am very thankful for the time spent with David here in Velille, it was a blessing to see the people relate to him in a very natural way. His desire to be of service here was greatly appreciated. His hunger for more of God's Word, and hence, his ability to simply explain the gospel from Scripture, were an encouragement to me personally. I also benefited from three weeks of almost pure Spanish during his time here! As I write this morning I am waiting on the community meeting to start. True to form, I as down there for the ten o'clock meeting at about twenty after and as yet, all of the speakers had yet to arrive. By eleven or so I should probably be heading back down! This is just one of the many little things that makes life interesting here in Peru. Cultural norms make for an interesting study! Going to the community assemblies, (besides being required) offers a good opportunity to interact and just be involved in what is going on in peoples lives, -- always an important aspect of sharing the gospel. One of the adjustments, which has been a little more trying than living on Peruvian rather than Western time has been the power outages which we have been experiencing on a regular basis. During the first two weeks of February there were more days without electricity than there were days with it. Thankfully, there is not much dependence on having consistent power here like there is in the States. Most of the people are used to living without it anyway, since most of the surrounding communities as well as the peoples country houses are all without power. Personally, living without electricity is not a big deal (it definitely helps with, "Early to bed, early to rise…" but, I am not so sure about the rest of the quote!). It has definitely been a problem though, in regard to the weekly radio broadcasts which we started the beginning of February. We have still managed to average one program a week, but it has been on a different day or time each week. Not a good thing if you are wanting a consistent pool of listeners! Well, after March at least it should not be so much of a problem, since the, "time of the rain" will be past. Currently our program consists of an opening song and a prerecorded message from Bob Rich of Arequipa. After the message, if there is time we include an appropriate selection of Scripture followed by a song and closing statement with an invitation to our services. For those of you who know the song, you might find it interesting that our opening always is, "Dios Esta Presente" (God Himself is Present). I guess you could say it is our theme song on the radio, the consistency of which, helps give context as to who we are. This next Tuesday, we plan to use a special program which Merlin put together last week. Originally, we were going to have it as an additional program in the evening, but like I said, the electricity has been sporadic and it has been hard enough to fit in one program a week. Another advancement which we are wanting to make is that of putting Scripture in Quechua on the air. Presently though, it needs to be converted from audio tape to a digital format. With the Wengers in Arequipa and most of the regular attendants out in the country things have been slow with services here in Velille. That does not at all mean that things have been slow with our schedule! We have been continuing to sell Bibles, cake and popcorn (and with Merlin here, doughnuts also, which have been a big hit) on Monday, which is market day and put the broadcast on early Tuesday morning. We have been having our regular services and house visits at the end of the week, and squeezing field work into the remaining days. For something new to add to my résumé, yesterday Daniel helped us put a new dirt floor in the Wengers house. I told Merlin it was a pretty humbling job for someone in the wood floor industry to stoop to, but I guess we have fallen into hard times! This coming Tuesday we are planning to head to Cuzco for a couple of days and visit some friends and fellow missionaries there. I can already see that the time is going to go very quickly, and quickly lead to the time in which Merlin needs to leave. Please do pray for safe travel and a productive time while there. May it always be clear whose ambassadors we are and for what purpose we are here! For the sake of the gospel, Nels "Paul never glamorized the gospel! It is not success, but sacrifice! It's not a glamerous gospel ,but a bloody gospel, a gory gospel, and a sacrificial gospel! 5 minutes inside eternity and we will wish that we had sacrificed more!!! Wept more, bled more, grieved more, loved more, prayed more, given more!!!" -Leonard Ravenhill

New Dirt Floor in Gordon's House

Breaking up the old floor, and leveling it out. (First had to move everything out, of course)

Bible stories

Nels reading to the little boys that knock at the door for bread about every day in Velille. Samuel enjoys the stories too!

Flowers...

...They are incredibly cheap here! This bouquet cost about $1.50

"Hilling" Daniels' Potatoes

Working in Chiririni!

Playing "Take One"

The fun side of being nannies!

Serenidad y Anita y Isaias

Arequipa

From January 26 to February 6,

Anna and Serenity studied Spanish at the ABC Spanish school

in the big city of Arequipa.

Home Work!! Several hours a night.

Saturday morning in the park.

Anna and Serenity needed a break after two weeks of school! Loading up in Velille, heading for Arequipa, our friend Nadia came with us to the city. Our last market day in Velille, see the cute baby riding contentedly.

Peru Update #3

Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from Peru on this fourteenth day of the New Year! I
trust that all of you are thankful for this New Year and are excited
at the prospects of new opportunities to make Christ know! I am
certainly anticipating the coming year to be a year of growth in my
christian life as I seek to know more of Christ and seek to make Him
more know. Between those two things, I think I will have plenty to
keep me plenty occupied. That is, as that passion (for really, the
second is the spontaneous result of the first) grows may it truly be
the one and only occupation of my life. That is my desire not only as
a missionary here in Peru, but also as a Christian regardless of where
I may find myself geographically. Colossians 3:16-17 is a fitting
summery of a few of my desires for 2009. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by
him.
There is no doubt that it is the rainy season here in the Andes.
Since arriving to Velille on the 24th of December, it has rained more
days than it has been dry. That is not to say that between the rains
we have not had any nice weather, in fact most days start out clear
and at times reach over seventy degrees. The weather at times can
change rapidly, so one must always be prepared while in the country.
Once the warm rays of the Sun at 12,000 ft. above sea level are
covered and the rain starts to fall, it really gets cold fast! One of
the main differences in the weather here and that in Washington, is
that after raining for all this time, we will go for several months
without a hardly a drop of precipitation. As far as the crops are
concerned, the more rain the better, since that is the only form of
"irrigation" that they have. (Though right now, they are working on a
major irrigation project….have patience, it takes awhile using only
picks and shovels! Unfortunately, the canal will only service the
fields that are alongside "Rio Velille"). Besides the rain, there
have been quite a few hailstorms, which at times can be severe. A
local custom is to start a fire when you see a storm coming, it seems
like the most absurd logic, but the smoke from the fire is supposed to
act as shield from the crop damaging hail. Traveling becomes a little
more difficult in the rain since all of the roads are nothing more
than dirt, which, as you might imagine, very quickly turn into mud.
Even with the hail, from what I hear, the weather and roads here are
still to be preferred over those at home!
There is not a lot of work to do in the fields at this time, but
I have been able to help some with cultivating the potatoes. It is
amazing how much work goes into one potato field! The fact that
everything is done by hand here, makes farming in the States seem
easy. Here progress is measured by yards, at home, by acres! Most of
the fields are inaccessible to tractors, leaving the present
generation with the legacy of using the same methods as the succeeding
generations. Sometimes while working the soil it is interesting to
think of the all of the people who have received sustenance from the
very same ground that I am cultivating. History seems so real while
working in such an environment, especially when you are surrounded by
the constant jabber of the Quechua language. In so many ways, life
has remained unchanged for generations for the majority of the people
here in Chumbivilcas. This is not only true agriculturally, but
spiritually as well. May the greatest advance in this district be that
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Besides fieldwork, I have started helping with the making and
selling of "tortas" (cakes) and popcorn once again. Not only does in
bring in a little more money than fieldwork, (still hardly worth
mentioning by US standards) but also gives many opportunities for
personal interaction. Unfortunately, there are only two days that
one can sell enough cake and popcorn to make it worthwhile. Monday is
market day, which always brings in a lot of people, and Wednesday has
a full schedule of busses coming through town in the afternoon, so
those are the only two days that we sell on. At times we will still
set up a stand in the market with Bibles and literature, but usually
what we have been doing is carrying them in our cart with the cake and
popcorn. We also make some sales from the house, as people come
looking for Bibles. The room where I am staying just happens to be
where we store our Bibles, which make keeping inventory pretty easy!
As for the spiritual side of the work here, we have four services
a week on average. Two of them are here in Velille while the others
are at various places in the surrounding country. One thing which is
a great help in this, is the use of a motorcycle. After using the
"moto" for a while, it is hard to think of only traveling by "bici"
again! At this point Gordon and I are taking turns preaching while
the other moderates. My Spanish is definitely being taxed to the
limit, which, I guess is a good thing! When I realize how pathetic
the efforts of my own ability are, it makes me all the more realize
how great my dependence on God is. I hope that never changes, even
with the improvement of my Spanish. Please do pray that those which
come to the services would have a true longing to not only listen, but
to be changed! Pray also that more people would take an interest in
the state of their soul, and be drawn to the services.
Daniel and Maria, (which were baptized here in Velille a little
over a year ago) are once again making plans to get married. If
everything works out (pray that it would!) they should be getting
married the end of next week. The Wengers are more than a little
anxious that it would work out before they leave at the end on the
month. Last week Gordon and I were able to have a serious talk with
Daniel and Maria that seems to have produced fruit. We were able to
spend some time in prayer and they seem to have gotten clear on some
issues, which had been definite hindrances to their spiritual lives.
They are still in need of much prayer as they make this step. They
also need prayer for the strength to make other changes in bringing
there lives and relationships in accordance with Scriptural
guidelines. Please do continue to pray for them!
One area of ministry, which we are planning to start soon, is
radio broadcasts. At this point, I want to contract an hour in which
I could play a prerecorded message, a Scripture passage in either
Castillano or Quechua and a few hymns. It has been over a year since
we had time on the local radio station. Besides some of the positive
feedback we were getting at that time, we have been encouraged by
individuals asking about it more recently. Do pray that the Lord
would give wisdom as I proceed into this ministry that has great
potential to reach many lives.
As I sit here typing I am repeatedly confronted with a large
topographical map of the area directly in front of me. May the
districts, towns, communities and individuals, which it represents, be
made a constant reminder of the many around me in need on the
transforming gospel of Christ Jesus. Let us not be ashamed of that
gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who
believes, to those in the United States as well as in Peru! Thank you
all for your prays and the part which you play in the work here.

IN CHRIST, Nels

"God delver me from the dread asbestos of other things. Saturate me
with the oil of the Spirit that I may be aflame... Father, take my
life, yea, my blood if Thou wilt, and consume it with Thine enveloping
fire. I would not save it, for it is not mine to save. Have it,
Lord, have it all... Pour out my life as an oblation to the world...
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God!"
-- Jim Elliot

Nels R. Klewin
Correo Central
Dept. de Cusco
Yauri, Espinar
Peru SA

12/30/08

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     Greetings in our Saviors Name from Velille Peru!  I rejoice to once again be home in the Andie Mountains.  It was quite the welcome I received when I arrived just before midnight and the entire town started shooting off firecrackers!  I guess they had ulterior motives though, but I am glad to be back anyway.  Not so much geographically as I am spiritually glad and excited to be serving the Lord where He would have me. Originally, I was to arrive here Wednesday morning, but I missed my bus and ended up having to stay an extra night in Arequipa.  The week of  "La Navidad" is not the optimal time to travel as it is the beginning of summer break and all the schools are out.  Nevertheless, regardless, I am now here and ready for what lies ahead.

     My time studying went very well, although it passed all too quickly.  I feel like I was at least able to understand a little more of how Spanish grammar works.  I still feel as though I have a long ways to go until I would consider myself proficient, but the next several months will be a help in that regard.  I would appreciate it if you would continue to pray that my language learning continues to go well.  There is a professor here in town, which might be willing to assist me in the language.  

     I was able to stay with a Peruvian family during my time in Arequipa.  It was a blessing not only by way of being a help to my Spanish, but it was also a blessing to spend time in fellowship with other believers.  I also had the opportunity to interact with quite a few of the youth, which also was a blessing.  Life here in Velille is definitely a contrast to the activity of Arequipa, which is the second largest city in Peru.  Another difference that I was quick to notice is the increased amount of looks one gets for being a foreigner here in the country.  Despite the natural distinction of being white I trust that there is a greater distinction of far greater importance, namely that of my Christ in my life.  If what others see is not that I am just of a different ethnic origin  but that there is some truly different on the inside then my "weirdness" will not be in vain!  I do not want my life here in Peru to show how North Americans live, but rather to demonstrate how Jesus lives in my life.  Only as that is seen can there be any hope of a Church here. 

     At this point, I am seeking God's direction for more specific areas of ministry that He wants me to be involved in.  Presently I am looking forward to the opportunity of becoming involved one again in the lives of some the people here.  Besides the regular services that are already being held, I see it as being equally important to the progress of Christ's Church to be actively involved in peoples lives.  So once again, I look forward to lending a hand in the agricultural work here.   I am trusting that as I once again become adjusted to life here the Lord would open doors for ministry.  Would you please be in prayer that the Lord would be placing upon my heart a greater vision for the work here?  As I begin my time here, I am impressed with the importance of prayer in my own life. If this venture is to produce any eternal fruit, it can only be a result of God's work, not mine.  Prayer is the deciding factor in whose work this will be, whether my own feeble efforts, or the mighty working of God's power through a yielded vessel.  Do pray that it would be the latter!  One may plant and another water, but ultimately it is God which must give His blessing if the work is to prosper.  It is His strength, which is made perfect in weakness, His power that is made evident in our inability.  May He alone receive glory as He works in the hearts and lives of people here.  I am privileged and humbled to have whatever part in His work which He sees best.

 

Sincerely, Nels

Dec. 25, 2008

December 25

Isn't this an adorable little girlia? She is typical of the children here: many layers of clothing, big eyes, lots of dark hair...

 

This next photo is from last Tuesday, when a group of us went out to Gordon's campo (country). We worked at cultivating potatoes most of the day. The work is done all by hand and leaves us gringos exhausted by the end of the day!

 

For Serenity's 21st birthday on Tuesday, Charro came over and helped us make 100 donuts. What fun! and yummy, too. :)

 

Egg on her face? No, just in her [clean] hair.... Poor Serenity! It's a tradition to crack eggs in the birthday person's hair, and Serenity was fortunate enough to have 3 cracked on her!

 

Y'all have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

December 15, 2008

This is really us! Serenity Martin and Anna Kimberlin, that is. Gordon's have been after us to post some pictures, so here are a couple...

 

The first picture is of us on top of a mountain, close to Velille. The hats are a necessity here, even if they attract quite a bit of attention!

 

The next photo shows Florcita and Anna, reading a story together. Florcita comes begging for food once or twice a day. Starvation is not really a problem here, but Florcita is an exception to the rule.

 

And the last photo is an overview of one portion of Velille, with a few school children walking down the road.

 

We are enjoying our time here, learning a lot of new things, and slowly but surely improving our Spanish vocabulary!

Dec 15, 2008

Nadia

Serenity and Anna have been spending time with our friend Nadia.

-Pray that Anna and Serenity would have much discernment in who to spend time with, and where to invest their energy that would bear fruit for eternity.

-Also pray that they would be able to effectivly share about christianity with those they spend time with. -Please also pray for Nadia, as she seems to be quite open to the Gospel, is attending services faithfully and is understanding more of what it means to become a Christian. Pray that she would love and seek digilently after the truth.

From Nels

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
    Greetings from Peru!  It is a blessing to be here once again.  I am very much looking forward to all that the Lord has for me during this time.  Currently I am in Arequipa with a group from North Carolina which is going to be adding on to a christian school. I´ll probably spend some time working on it as well, though my main purpose here in Arequipa is to do a few weeks of Spanish study.  Although my Spanish is greatly improved from when I came here a year and a half ago it is definitely not where I need it to be in relation to what I want to do.  Last year I had more of excuse, it being my first time in South America.  This year as I step into the work I´m wanting to be personally involved in a deeper way, which means there must be an increased ability to communicate.  Please be praying that I would have a ready mind to grasp more of the language over the next few weeks.  I already feel more comfortable communicating than I did Tuesday when we arrived, It doesn´t take long to start coming back when your surrounded by it!  I also ask that you would pray not not only that I would be prepared linguistically during this time, but also that there would be true heart preparation for the months ahead as well.
    Things went very well with our trip down, especially considering that two families with children were with us.  We left Cleveland NC Sunday at midnight and traveled by car to Florida.  Our flight was supposed to leave Fort Lauder dale Florida at five, but due to one of the pilots not showing up on time we didn´t leave until after seven that evening for Lima.  From there it was a mere eighteen hours by bus until we arrived as exhausted as one can only be after traveling for over fifty hours.  One nice thing about traveling long distances is that it gives one ample time to meditate and ponder what ones lies ahead.  The reasons which would compel one to go so many thousand miles I trust is seen in the sincere desire to see the Name of Christ lifted up on the earth.  Let us look upon this world with the eyes of Jesus!  I want my heart to burn with the same ardent flame as the heart of He which give His life as a testimony to the love which He bore for His fathers name.  May it also be said of my life, ¨the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up¨!  Such is my prayer as my time begins here in South America, and for such I ask for your prayers as I enter into what the Lord has for me here.  What a privilege it is that the Lord Jesus invites us to be His ambassadors.  I for one, do not what to take that commission lightly.  ¨But thanks be to God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ Jesus!

I´m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you, and thank you for your willingness to be involved.  
To Christ alone be all the glory, Nels

Serenity and Anna getting used to Velille life.

Serenity (left) and Anna (right) have been quite busy cooking, cleaning, making cakes, making and visiting with new friends here, answering knocks on the door and hosting and getting ready for visitors. They hit the ground running on arrival, but then a few days later were slowed down a bit by some of our friendly bacteria here. They are both feeling better by now, and have already been a huge blessing to us.

Youth coming soon!

        We are looking forward to the arrival of two young ladies on Nov 18th.  Serenity Martin is from OK and has been along term friend of our family.  Her father, Vern Martin was Gordon's pastor during our courtship and engagement.  She and her parents felt lead to volunteer her service here especially over the time our baby is due to arrive.  Anna Kimberlin is from TX, and she and her parents felt lead to send her along with Serenity.  Lord willing they will be here with us from Nov 18th to March 19th.  The last 6 weeks of that, being out in Arequipa.

        Nels Klewin, is planning on joining us in the work here from Dec. 20th until sometime around May.  He was here for a few months last year with Stephen, and has felt the Lord leading him back, which we consider an answer to prayer.  He will be helping me with the preaching, discipleship, Bible sales, and excursions in the country.  He will also be taking over things here while we are out in Arequipa Feb. and March.

        Merlin Yoder is planning on being here and helping Nels during most of our time in Arequipa.

        Stephen is planning on visiting us sometime in Dec. for a week or so, as are the Detwiler and Swanson families from NC.

        Please be praying for each of these youth who are planning on serving Christ in this way.