The Austin Family

New Numbers

2010-11-22T05:30:00.001-08:00

Now that Susie is a resident of Peru, we have signed up for new phones, land and cell. The first number is a NEW US phone number. It is a Baton Rouge number. Just like our previous number, you can call it anytime you like and it will not cost you anymore than it would calling a Baton Rouge number. Don't be a stranger!

Austin USA Phone +(225) 308-6889
Austin Peru Landline +(1)422-7442
Arnold Peru Cell + 955-663-794
Arnold Peru (RPM-radio) #0112533
Susie Peru Cell + 953-548-946
Susie Peru (RPM-radio) #0053738
Ben Cell Peru +975-301-707
Ben Peru (RPM-radio) *0048094
Patrick Peru Cell +957-431-779

Winds of Change

2010-11-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Wasn’t there a song that said the only thing that stays the same is change? Sounds like a country one! Change is the story of our lives. We are in the midst of a time of change. For starters, the president of the IMB has retired and a new one will soon be appointed. Please remember our future leadership in your prayers.

No matter if you’re working for a world class engineering firm like I used to work for or the largest missionary sending agency, one thing is sure: when changes take place at the top, they happen all the way down. For the Americas, the changes preceded the leadership change due to the economic downturn back in the USA. Being good stewards of what God has provided, the IMB sought the best way to position missionaries in the most needed places around the world. The leadership for our affinity (the Americas) is Terry Lassiter. He has the job of determining if the missionaries serving in the Western Hemisphere and wherever latinos find themselves in the world are best positioned to impact a lost and dying world. Already we have seen people reassigned from their original place of service to new ones. Our dear friends the Grady family is one asked to pray about working with a different people group here in Peru. They accepted and have moved from southern to northern Peru and have already started to engage a new people group. Please pray for Terry Lassiter that he that has Godly wisdom to know how to best place missionaries under his charge.

Finally, change has and will continue to reach our team that for more than a decade has been committed to partnering churches in the USA with unreached micro-people groups and people group segments in South America. Last month I asked you to pray for us as partnerships increase and our team size decreases. This month I would like to add that we have a very important meeting coming up on November 4 and 5. The meeting will discuss how mobilization teams from all around the Americas, that have strategies much like that of REAPSouth, will look in the future. One major consideration hits at the very heart of our strategy: will the connection of USA church partner with an unreached people group segment or micro people group continue or will we work to connect them instead with churches in Latin America, training them to send missionaries out among their own. All this is yet to be clear for us. Our leadership realizes that the time is coming in the not too distant future for Latin Americas to not have missionaries sent TO them, but to have missionaries sent FROM them. Please pray for us as we enter into this two day conference on November 4-5 and discuss how mobilization teams like ours will be a part of equipping national missionaries to go out from the churches of Latin America.

Have Visa, Will travel

2010-10-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Susie's religious residency card is being delivered today! Praise God and thank you for praying for this need. Keep praying that my comes before my 90 days tourist visa expires at the end of November.

Visa Issue: Please Pray

2010-10-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Because we were gone for more than six months from Peru, we lost our religious residency. Obtaining it back has historically been easy, taking about a month. Right now there is a new director in charge of issuing residencies who has not been ruling favorably for evangelical missionaries, having even rejected some. Our paperwork is on the director’s desk. Susie’s has been there for almost two months, double the time it usually takes. Our first prayer request is that we are not rejected for religious residency.

We have a complicating issue in that we have a crate that arrived in Peru two weeks ago. We expected Susie to have obtained residency long before the crate arrived. The issue is that customs does not have to release the crate to us without Susie having her residency. What makes matters worse is that customs only has to hold the crate for 30 days before deciding that we never get it! Things can be replaced, but we shipped a ton of pictures from Susie’s youth, including photos of her mother before she passed away. We had a glimmer of hope yesterday. We may have the chance of getting the crate released to us with approved paperwork from immigration stating that we are in process to get our residency. Pray that immigration gives this approval and that customs releases the crate to us before the deadline.

Thanks for your constant support. We count on your prayers!

Ramblings about Peruvian Popcorn

2010-09-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Peru has much better popcorn (for making at home) than in the United States. I forgot how much I love it. The kernels are smaller, but that's not it, because I like the larger kernels in the states. I think the difference is that we use sunflower seed oil here, instead of canola. It gives it a great flavor.

With that said, the movie popcorn is NOT as good as in the USA. It's not the popcorn, it's the butter, of which they don't have any. It's probably healthier for you than in the USA, but it is very dry. The salt they have for you to shake on it doesn't even stick to it, it's so dry. I buy it anyway because it is cheap. It doesn't cost you an arm and a leg to go see a flick here. On Tuesdays, a movie for two, refillable popcorn, and two large cokes will not set you back more than $15.

Betcha didn't know that!

Short-Handed, but not with shortened hands

2010-09-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

I am still amazed at how our team has shrunk in the few months I was gone from Peru. As you all know, the IMB went through some tough times the last few years. Part of being good stewards of what we have been given, is determining where to send new personnel. Another part of it has been not replacing existing personnel. Both aspects have affected our team and how we plant churches in South America. We are to say the least, short-handed.

This morning I was studying in Numbers, and today I came across chapter 11. The children of Israel were ready for some meat and thinking back to the good 'ol days in Egypt. Moses speaks to God, in a moment of little faith, wondering how they were going to get out of this one. Would they slaughter the flocks? Would all the fish of the sea be gathered? How did the Lord respond? He told Moses:

And the LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”
(Numbers 11:23 ESV)

It made me think, what was it exactly that I was waiting to come true. The answer was our original Bible quote in our newsletters from the first two years:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
(Galatians 6:9 ESV)

So that's it. That's God's word for today: "Stop complaining. Stop worrying. I am your everything. Just do what I called you to do and in MY TIMING, the harvest will come." He never promised the laborers would be plentiful, in fact, he warned the opposite would be the case when the harvest was ready. So we plant, we water, we wait on the Lord.

La Pamplona

2010-09-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

You may remember the name Pamplona from our first year in Peru. We were part of a church plant in an upper area of this part of Lima. The church is called Iglesia Bautista Torre Fuerte or Strong Tower Baptist Church. It is a church plant that is now sponsored by a local established congregation.

La Pamplona is a very large area with a tens of thousands living there. Many Quechua have descend from their villages and towns to seek out a better life in Lima. Our teammates the McLambs (the gringos in picture below)have been working with a church in the US called Union Grove Baptist Church in NC to see a second church plant among the transplants living in La Pamplona. The good news is that a small group is getting together weekly to study God's word. The sad news is that the McLambs have accepted a position in Mexico and will return to a new field of service after going on their stateside assignment. We will mis them greatly.

As for La Pamplona and the new work there, Union Grove will continue to come several times annually and our family is stepping in to assist them as the McLambs have been doing. Please pray for the group that is getting together. Last week a lady named Leo accepted Christ. Pray that this group becomes a solid body of Christians and that leadership arises from within for a healthy, Peruvian church plant.

Going about your business in Latin America

2010-09-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, let's start off by saying I am not the least bit surprised about my experiences today. In fact, I am excited that a good portion of what we set out to do, actually happened. So...We set out to do some errands.

The first stop was the cell phone company. When we left, they were to change the account from our mission to our family's name and drop the monthly plan, in favor of a prepaid. The latter was to maintain the same number and not have to change it on prayer cards, websites, etc. Well, neither happened. They did somehow reduce the monthly bill to a variant $11-$13 per month, which no one can explain, but that wasn't what we asked for. Susie has been dealing with this for a month, and now I have added two weeks to that. The problem is still partially unresolved. We found out that it is now a prepaid phone (but we haven't tested that it works as such), but it is still in the name of the mission. At least we are told that we can make calls again AND keep the same number. So far so good. Maybe it will be corrected by Christmas!

The second stop was our internet and landline phone company. We wanted to simply pay our internet bill and add a landline, which we didn't have while we were in the US. The journeymen staying in our house maintained the internet bill while we were away. It should not surprise you, but they tok our payment. They did not however let me add a landline service. Our residency card expired while we were away. we are in the process of renewing it, but with it in the current state, we could not add a landline to the account. That one will have to wait a month more.

I will end with a note of hope. Susie's reestablishment as a resident should be complete by the end of September. What that means is that the crate (see the facebook entry: ) can leave the USA on September 15th and arrive on October 1. As we've told you before, we are not without the little pleasures back home, they just cost a lot more. A LOT MORE! So the crate has deodorants, shampoos, and the occasional pound of community coffee in it heading this way. Some of you gave some things to us to include in the shipment, not the least to say, my mom. For that we thank you. Filling that thing got to be quite expensive.

We are now settling into our home again and getting about HIS business. Pray for us as we restart this journey!

2010-08-02T11:00:00.001-07:00

Susie and the boys are back in Peru. I have 4 weeks more to encourage our churches to be on mission. Pray for them as they adjust to la vida peruana. Arnold

2010-04-30T11:24:00.001-07:00

I had lunch with a friend from high school. It is interesting to see the paths the Lord puts us on. Keep your heart open so you know what he has for you!

2010-03-05T08:19:00.001-08:00

Please pray for team leader Kathy Weaver who is recovering from double knee replacement.

Don't eat the yellow ice

2009-11-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

It is odd enough that there is an ice machine in Peru, much less to look inside it and see yellow ice. Here's what it looked like when we were checking out at the grocery store yesterday. Having just watched ELF the other night, I am wise to the fact that you are supposed to stay away from the yellow snow and think that this should probably be extended to the ice too. For those still curious, it was lemon flavored ice cubes.

Never be surprised by what you might see here.

The sky is falling

2009-11-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

...or maybe it's just raining hamburgers. That's what they call "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" in Peru: Raining Hamburgers.

Last month I helped lead some training on how our team works with volunteers from the US, or rather, how volunteers from the US work with our team. I spent 6 days in Temuco, Chile with a great bunch of missionaries whose job is to get the gospel to millions of Mapuche people. Being a small team, and getting smaller, they were looking to us to explain how church's back home are stepping in to help out.

The day before I left for the training, I took the day off with the family and we went to seeing Raining Hamburgers in 3D.

These glasses are way cooler than the ones we had growing up. Remember those paper ones that came in the cereal boxes?

Excellent Mouser looking for a Good Home

2009-11-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

As we get ready to leave Peru for our time at the New Orleans Seminary, we have a mixed bag of emotions. Sad to leave good friends, happy to be with family again, nervous to be full time students, and concerned we are leaving something out that we have left to do!

Part of the preparation that has us concerned is what to do with Rachel, the promise kitty. Three years ago she came into our lives because of a promise we made to Patrick, well it was more like a bribe om his part, but who is splitting hairs. The fact is, he came to the mission field knowing he would have a cat when he got here, and so we do.

Rachel is in a lot of ways more like a dog. You whistle, she comes. You sit, she's in your lap. There's a knock at the door, she is there to greet.

Now, we are wondering what to do. Emails have already gone out and there's no one wanting to watch her for 8 months in Peru nor take her on permanently. We were hoping she would at least go to someone we know.

It is possible that she go to the US with us, it's just not financially feasible, costing about $400 to get her to the US and back to Peru again.

Our prayer...that a good home opens up to Rachel either for the time we are gone or a permanent home that will take her.

By the way, if you are wondering, the mouse in the picture is fake. It's the best $1.25 I have ever spent.

Where yat New Orleans!

2009-09-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

New Orleans has something to look forward to: US!

This week, Susie was approved as an undergraduate student at Leavell College for the Spring 2010 semester. She will be a full time seminary student for one semester while we are back home.

I am still waiting for my acceptance into as a graduate student at NOBTS. It should come soon, since today I was notified of my qualification to receive a $500 scholarship as a new student. Every little bit helps! I need to take two full semesters of seminary, so I will enroll for both the Spring and Summer 2010 semesters.

Pray that other financial aide comes through for us as our family now has 3 full time college/post-graduate students this coming year!

Anticlimatic...

2009-08-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

So we moved from our concrete box to our glass one.

As we did so, I mentioned that it would be interesting come our first earthquake.

well...

It wasn't all that. In fact...we missed it! We had a 4.0 pretty much centered in Lima just after midnight. It was about the time I finished setting up my home network (We got internet...another story) and then...nothing. We didn't even notice. We had to hear about it from friends this morning who felt it. I guess my glass box has some strength in it in all the right places.

Movin' on up!

2009-08-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

Just as the summer missionaries left and we were ready for a second wind (by that I mean day of rest), we up and moved. The original plan was to take our time, having the whole month of August to slowly move (after all it was only 5 blocks away).

So August 2nd we got the keys to the new place and started moving things that we keep in storage. Well, as things go (when I am involved), we ended up 80% moved by the end of August 3rd. As we continued with the madness into August 4th, Susie called the mission office to ask if we could get some help moving the big stuff (frig, freezer, washer, dryer, bedroom furniture). After all, we were moving to the 5th floor and the only way up was the stairs. (As a side note, all that heavy stuff was moved up 5 flights for about $120 total...not bad!) Back to Susie's call...What she left off was the phrase "next week" when she requested the movers. The result: 3PM August 4th the movers arrived and by 8PM we were completely moved out of the old place. The new place was a wreck for a good long time, but hey, we completely packed up and moved in about 2 days. That may be a record!

Here's the new place. We went from concrete box to glass box.

Summer's End

2009-07-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

I have gone to keeping Facebook notes instead of our blog for the most part, but therein lies a couple of problems (as have been pointed out to me). The first is that I advertise this blog in my email signature, as well as on my business cards. The second, and even more important, is that many people do not use Facebook (I know, I say the same thing). So I will do better to update this blog as well as Facebook for those who prefer to come here.

This entry is about the summer, or winter, as it is in Peru right now. It's at an end. Not scientifically, of course, but for our summer missionary program, it has come to an end. Our family (minus Alisha...another story, only published on Facebook) will travel to Chosica to meet up with our 100+ summer interns to hear testimony, sing praises, and glorify the Lord for what he has chosen to do in and through us this season. Keep coming back, if you haven't abandoned this blog completely, and I'll let you know how things went for our 19 teams.

Summer Teams: Vilcas Huaman

2009-06-16T07:27:00.001-07:00

This is the Vilcas Huaman team. They are (left to right) Miriam Horna Gomez, Mark Brown, Gerica Maclin.

Please pray for this team. Gerica recently had a cough while on-site. She was taken into quarantine and it was announced that the whole team had swine flu. Even with this being false, Gercia remains in quarantine and the rest of the team are being treated as outcast by the town.

Please pray for this team and the spiritual warfare they are encountering. Gercia is feeling fine, but pray for the "official" results to come back quickly, clearing her release. Also pray that they can stay on being a positive witness in the community after the fears have subsided.

Summer Teams: Ayaviri Team

2009-06-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

This is the Ayaviri team. They are left to right: Jourdan Edmonds, Jared Rogers, Penny Jo Nichols. Ayaviri was adopted last year by an associaion of churches in SouthEast Texas, called the Golden Triangle Baptist Association.

This is a relatively new partnership. Pray for this summer team as they work to establish at least two new groups, studing the Bible, with the goal of seeing souls saved, believer's baptized, and new, healthy simple churches started.

The area where they serve is at one of the highest elevations in Peru that we serve and we are entering winter. Imagine having a concrete room, without heat with night time lows in the teens some nights. Already the temperature has dropped to 22 at night. Pray that they stay healthy braving the bitter cold, as they spread the good news of God's redemptive plan for our lives.

Summer Teams

2009-06-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Ye of litte faith...

If you asked me 6 months ago the projection for summer missions, I would say that the economic downturn back home would keep our numbers from growing at the rate we've seen in the past. You see...our numbers had been doubling every year, from the teens to the thirties to the sixties. I thought perhaps this year the trend would stop.

WRONG!

We are happy to present more than 120 summer missionaries planting churches across all of southern Peru. I will be presenting them individually in the days to come, so be praying for them as they settle into their respective villages for a long summer.

The Call

2009-05-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

I am about to start reading a book by Dr. David Sills called The Missionary Call. Knowing that and having been asked by a relative to share my call to missions with her again, I've decided first to go back to it myself, and then to share it with you. For those of you wanting to know more abot me, I've included in a lifesketch format to give you a little background. Here is is:

On July 08, 1968, I was born to Arnold Sr. and Elaine Austin in Baton Rouge, LA. I have two sisters: one older, one younger. Susie and I were wed on November 26, 1988. We have three children: Alisha born August 19, 1991, Ben born December 30, 1992, and Patrick born May 15, 1996.

I was raised in a Christian home where we were taught to love both God and others. My parents taught me how to pray and study the Bible. We attended a Southern Baptist church. I was involved in most church activities and classes, one of my favorites being RAs. When I was 8, I learned of God's plan of salvation for my life via the children's church ministry. After church one Sunday, my father led me through the scriptures, answering my questions about salvation. I prayed the sinner's prayer and was baptized at the First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. As I grew in spiritual maturity, I became further enlightened as to what my commitment meant to me.

Because I never had to study hard to maintain honor roll status, my parents allowed me to work. They were extremely supportive, allowing me to open up a banking account and secure a car loan at an early age. I enjoyed the responsibility. As a youth, I surrounded myself with Christian friends. We were a support group, not a click. We simply used our common bond in Christ as a means of accountability as we interacted with people of all backgrounds. In middle and high school I was active in various Christian student organizations.

Before my senior high school year, my father became pastor of the First Baptist Deaf Mission in Shreveport, LA. I stayed in Baton Rouge with a church family to graduate from "my" high school. I moved to Shreveport in December, graduating from high school early and starting college. I attended Summer Grove Baptist Church.

I mostly dated girls from my church; however, Susie and I met at a McDonald's in Shreveport where I was working. Six months into our two-year dating period, I knew that on present course I would marry Susie. She was raised in the Church of Christ. When the relationship became serious enough to consider marriage, we decided to take a step back and discuss our denominational differences. Specifically, we decided that we would not marry if a common denominational affiliation could not be found. We started by searching the scriptures to understand the differences and similarities in our churches. I visited hers, she visited mine, and together we visited other churches to understand their doctrine. It was an interesting exploration that continued for the first two years of our marriage. Prior to marriage, Susie and I felt called to become international missionaries. We looked into missionary training classes. We did not get the affirmation that we needed from family and acknowledged that it was not God’s time for us to act on the calling.

During our courtship, I had a major financial disappointment from the church where my dad was pastor. Being a mission church, most funds were provided by a parent church. Part of my dad's salary package included my college education cost. The parent church decided to remove this from his salary package. The loss came at the same time that we had decided upon marriage.

We moved several times during our first few years of marriage, never placing membership in a particular church. We both managed restaurants. I was good at it and enjoyed the people interaction that it allowed. It gave me good experience in leadership and small business management. We had the opportunity to join in a financial partnership in a Subway sandwich restaurant. To shorten a long story, it was part of a larger business venture that was doomed for failure. This put stress on our personal finances and on our responsibilities to the business. A decision was made for me to return to school, majoring in Chemical Engineering.

My engineering career was in Process Control. I programmed computers to automate the control of manufacturing processes. Each year I received some type of recognition for consistently providing customer satisfaction. My project based work kept me on tight deadlines. I enjoyed the pressure. I was both good at and enjoyed my job. I am confident that all of my career experiences are not by accident and that God is using parts of everything that I have done as I dedicate the rest of my life to full time missionary service.

After college in 1993, we moved to Baton Rouge where we joined Parkview Baptist Church and have continued as part of that body of believer's. We felt that the doctrines held by Southern Baptists most reflect our view of the church that Christ established. My involvement at Parkview included: deacon, FAITH outreach, Sunday School, AWANA and RA teacher, choir and handbell instructor, usher, greeter, and participation on various committees. My last participation before leaving was in our youth department, volunteering for many projects, retreats, and outreach ministries. In the late 1990s, I taught in the RA program at Parkview. I was reminded of my call to missions. In the meantime, I was traveling internationally and seeing the need for people in other places to hear the Gospel message.

In the years leading up to the rekindling of my missionary call, God had placed a bond between the Christian band Audio Adrenaline and us. It was no coincident that most of their music is missions minded. I had been working with fundraising for an Orphanage in Haiti, which is now a reality, having 33 children. While working on the project in May 2004, the calling to foreign missions weighed heavily on my heart. I attended a concert in Chattanooga, TN, on June 5, 2004. Audio Adrenaline has a song that specifically talks about foreign missions called "Hands & Feet". During that song I submitted to God's call. I cried through the whole song, except for the last three words, which I repeated, "I WILL GO". On the way home, Susie looked as if she wanted to say something to me, but didn't. I tried to convince her, but she said, "If the topic is meant to be discussed, you'll bring it up specifically." I knew God was rekindling the same desire in her heart, but was too scared to talk about it. I stayed silent until July 6th, 2004 when my boss was in town to take us to dinner. The kids were staying at a friend's house. We planned to stop at Jack in the Box for the kid's dinner. As we were driving, I told Susie that I was ready to talk about "it". She said. "About what?", but she knew what I meant. She reminded me that I was to bring it up specifically. I told her that she knew it to be the same topic. She asked, "But what if it's different?" I was confident that they would be the same. We went through the drive through, but got pulled over to wait for the order. As we sat there, I tore the receipt in two. I gave half to Susie and said for her to write what was on her heart on her half and I'd do the same. I gave her mine, but she would neither give me hers, nor look at mine. We arrived at our friend's house and decided that we would give both pieces of paper to her with the instructions to simply say whether they were the same or not. She opened them up and said, "Yep, they're the same". Mine said "Foreign Missions". Susie's said "Missions Work". We had many affirmations; including that from both sides of our family.

That's the story. I hope reminding you has given you as much encouragement as I have gotten by re-reading the path that got us here. Thank you to everyone who was obedient to God, playing your role in our lives.

Speak to Me

2009-04-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not just posting because I love the AudioA guys and what they stand for. This song is especially heavy on my heart today:

"Speak To Me"

I'm in a fix
Need something quick
My mind is numb
My stomach sick
Broken hearts
Hopeless things
I've seen what defiance brings
Cause the light of day
I've always known
Is in my heart
I'm not alone

Speak to me
Tell me all the things I need to know
I want to hear you now
Can you speak to me
I've opened up your word to free me
I want to hear you now

It's amazing
How I forget
Can't live my life
For lack of it
But the light of day
I've always known
It's in my heart
I'm not alone

Speak to me
Tell me all the things I need to know
I want to hear you now
Can you speak to me
I've opened up your word to free me
I want to hear you now

Make your wisdom clear
The words I hold so dear
Bring the light into my dark
I hide them inside my heart

Some of you are already praying with us as we seek God's will as to the capacity in which we are to serve Him among the indigenous peoples of South America. There is a huge need in another country down here that we are praying about. Some days it is so clear to GO and others to STAY. Today is the day of decision. We just want to be obedient to whatever, wherever, and whenever. So pray with us today "Speak to me".

Ever felt wanted

2009-04-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

No, not like in the old west or in a post office.

The following was some Peruvians attempt to attract foreigners to rent their apartment:

So, are you for rent?

King Cake in Peru

2009-04-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I recently came back to the US for two weeks. It was a great time of encouraging the local church to be on mission for God. Specifically casting the vision of coming to Peru and adopting an unreached people group segment.

I got to Louisiana, knowing I would just miss Mardi Gras, which for me I could do without except this one little tradition: King Cake.

There was no way to order one before I got there and bring it back. It would be too stale, so I opted for second best. I got a box mix at the store. It was praline. Yum! Here is the result:

Enhancement Teams Update - Matucana

2009-02-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

Here is an update from our team in Matucana:

The past week has been busy for us. I want to thank all of you for your prayers for me (Greg), Martin, and Brittne as we continue to do follow His will. We are filling up our week with house church meetings, ministries, and discipling meetings, as well as spending time meeting new folks and inviting them to any of the above!

The good news is that our church meetings, where we story the Bible and use discussion to create understanding, and discipling meetings, where we help believers grow in faith and evangelism, are going well. Brittne and I are both meeting regularly with a few believers one-on-one or in small groups.. and poor Martin has to be at them all to translate, although Brittne´s spanish is really getting good. My spanish is not so good.. "bad" would be a better word.(Rosetta Stone here I come!).

In our storying sessions, however, we are experiencing a frustrating lack of attendance.. rain or no rain. We canvassed the town and outlying areas inviting folks to either of two meetings we had yesterday - all giving us enthusiastic responses - and nearly noone showed up! But God works in His time and in great ways. One of the meetings yesterday (at Zoila´s house in Hauriqiña) had only two ladies present (Zoila and Jessica), both non-believers, but we are able to story and share the gospel with them in a more personal way since it was just the two of them. Jessica told us that she is feeling a peace in her heart and we think she and Zoila are close to a decision to accept Christ. We scheduled a special meeting with them this Wednesday, so pray for their decisions.

The next meeting of no-shows was at the Almonacids where only that family showed up, so that turned into more of a training session for them. We need lots of prayer to get more folks to attend these meetings so they too can hear the Word in stories and the gospel message. While numbers are not the goal, we do need for more folks to hear the Word, it´s our obligation to share the gospel - God will do the rest in His time and according to His plan. Pray for our wisdom in finding ways to reach more locals with the Truth, and our patience and understanding that He will lead us to them and them to us.

Enhancement Team - Pullo

2009-02-21T05:36:00.000-08:00

Pray for our team led by Kristen Seay in Pullo, Ayacucho.

This past week has been truly incredible. We have continued teaching and reinforcing with the believers the Immediate Follow-up Stage. We will begin this week with the Evangelism Stage stories. This past Tuesday, we taught Pedro and Nestor the story of the church in the Immediate Follow-up Stage. During our Thursday night Bible study, Pedro and Nestor taught the story to Javier and Gilberto (Pedro had memorized the story PERFECTLY!). During our time of discussing how we can be obedient to this story, Javier said that he needed to be obedient by be more active in sharing the Gospel with others. Therefore, we challenged everyone to be obedient to this story by sharing the Gospel with someone by Monday (today), and tonight we will meet to share our stories of our Gospel sharing experiences.

Javier left on Thursday to be with Rosa and her family in Pinahua and will return today. Pedro will leave today to go to Yurahuasi to help Ignacia get documentation for a marriage license, and they will both return on Wednesday...we look forward to finally meeting Ignacia. Due to Pedro's departure, we met with him this morning to share about our Gospel sharing experiences. He was very excited to share that he had shared the Gospel with 4 different people on 4 separate occasions and that 3 had accepted Christ. Two of the four (Juana Coronado and Epilania Bautista) were women that he passes every day on his way to his field. One (Yeny Acco Gutiérrez) was a lady who was just passing through Pullo, and Pedro says she is part of the Dios Es Amor cult and they have a mutual friend in one of the annexes that has shared the Gospel with her before. And the last one (Andrés Cuadros) is Pedro's neighbor with whom he has wanted to share for a very long time. After 2 hours of sharing with Andrés, Andrés prayed to receive Christ. Pedro was VERY excited to share this story with us. Our prayer for these 3 new believers is that they will begin attending our Bible studies.

Pedro has really encouraged us this week with his leadership and obedience. Not only has he shared the Gospel with people this week, but he has also memorized every one of the stories we have taught this week. He has truly displayed obedience-based discipleship this week. Please continue to pray for Pedro as he constantly seeks the Lord through His Word and yearns to grow in Him.

We have been sharing a lot this week with a new family that we see as a family of peace. Their names are María and Hector López. They are very interested in the Gospel and have invited us to their home for a meal at least once every day this past week. We have also been sharing with a lady from the health post, Jonny Flor. She is very interested in our "religion" as she calls it. We have also shared with the treasurer of the Municipal building, Blas. He will return to Pullo on Wednesday and wants to attend our Bible study.

Please pray for all of the new believers and new contacts. Our continued vision is that they will each get plugged in with the believers here so that Bible study attendance, growth and discipleship will continue after our departure. Pedro especially has shown agreement with this vision through his actions this past week.

Our vision for this upcoming week is to teach the believers the Evangelism stories as well as reinforce the Immediate Follow-up stories. We will teach the Evangelism stories in the afternoons and allow them to teach the Immediate Follow-up stories to the new believers during our evening Bible studies. We also plan to begin traveling to some of the nearby annexes this week to put in to practice the Evangelism stories even more. We will start this on Friday after Pedro returns...we will leave at 5am and return by 8am for their work day. We plan to do this 2 or 3 times a week with Pedro, Javier and/or Rosa.

Patrick's Surgery

2009-02-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

Patrick came out of surgery just fine. They removed the mass from the underside of his tongue in a procedure that took about 2 hours. They ended up only putting him partially under. It sped up his exit from the hospital. The doctor said that it ended up being a tumor, not a cyst. I am not sure what the difference is, but that’s how he redefined it. The surgeon said that it appeared benign, but will send it to the lab for 100% assurance. Patrick has four stitches on the bottom of his tongue.

Patrick is home now, enjoying being spoiled by his mom. He had a strawberry sundae at McDonald’s and his mom made him a banana/chocolate chip shake when we got home. He’s thinking that it wasn’t so bad an ordeal right now.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Enhancement teams update

2009-02-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a few updates from our enhancement teams so that you know how to pray for them. Here's the first from a team leader named Claudia. She is Peruvian, but has very good English. Her team is serving in Orurrillo for the next two months. This is what they would have you pray about:

Hello you all!
I am so excited to be here. I love my team, they are great guys.
Yesterday, we went to look for Toribio, the pastor in the church in Miraflores. He wasn't there, he was either in Ayaviri or Juliaca. However, we met his wife, Herminia.

We told Herminia where we would be staying, and that Toribio could go and meet us there. We were in our place until 9.30am, but he never came. However, on Sunday we´ll go to their service in Miraflores.

Yesterday, we walked around Orurillo and talked with some people, we let them know that we would be here for 2 months, and the purpose of our staying here.

We have already memorized the creation story. In Ecuador, the guys didn´t memorize any although they learned how to story.

This morning, we went to talk with Mary Flores. Yesterday, we asked her if we could talk about the Bible with her, she said yes. (On our way to her place, we met Gregorio, he is catholic, but still we could do storying with him first). Mary told us she was an Adventist from Juliaca, helping her sister in Orurrillo. Ryan did the story and I translated for him. We all participate as in a Bible storying session, we got up to part about the application to our lives. She was an open door to share the gospel and we did it. I think that we can connect somehow with her sister who lives in Orurillo. We haven´t met her yet.

After storying, we went to meet Felix Neira and Celia, his wife. He had gone to Juliaca to sell cheese. She was so excited to see Ryan and Cristen. We prayed for her health, she is having problems in her womb. she hasn´t gone to the DR yet, but she is waiting on some medicine that Rick would send her. I told her that Rick isn´t a dr, and he needs to know what kind of medicine before send it. She prayed for us as well.

We have decided that we'd learn different stories according to the critical path in each village. Balsapata, there are 4 brothers according to Celia. They need to be discipled, so Ryan and I will memorize the first story on the second phase.
I'll memorize the fall to continue with non believers.
Cristen will memorize Cornelius.

Prayer request

1. Praise the Lord for our health, we all are doing good. Cristen got a headache, but that is it.
2. Praise the Lord for our place, we will pay 9 soles per night, but this doesn't include meals. Maruja, the owner, is coming from AQP on the 18th.
3.Pray for more people being hungry for God´s word.
4. We can meet with Pastor Toribio.
5. For Washington, the teenager who takes care of the place where we are.
6. For Serafina, Maruja's mom, to have a time with her in order to share God's word with her.
7. For the people we have greeted and told about our purpose on being here.
8. Pray for Cristen, she is doing great but feel a little nervous when she speaks. I told her she just needed more experience.

Thanks for your prayers!
I miss and love you.
For His Glory!!!
Claudia

Enhancement Teams

2009-01-27T03:56:00.000-08:00

We have over 40 churches that come to Peru 3-5 times a year. Once a church is planted, this frequency works very well for discipleship, but can make it hard at times to get a work going.

We've added what we call Enhancement teams to help overcome the issue. They are teams of 3 people that are sent out to spend of month in any particular village helping the REAPartner church ack in the US by evangelizing and discipling among their adopted people group. We expect great things from this thrust.

Here's a picture of our Enhancement team members during our two week training seminar these past weeks. Pray for them as they set out for the mountains following our week end prayer retreat.

Strategy Coordinator Training

2009-01-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Team leaders in the IMB or called Strategy Coordinators. What it means is that an SC develops his own prayed-over, Holy Spirit led strategy to reach the people group with whom he works. Our strategy is to plant churches using the local church in the US as partners in more than 40 areas in Peru, thus our team and strategy name: REAP (rapid entry and advance plan).

I got to the point this year where it was time to learn how to do this for my own future team and strategy in a two part training conference. The first part was here in Lima last October. The second part was last week in Quito, Ecuador.

The funny part about it is although I am have the SC training, the title and position is fading away in a restructuring process by the IMB that is aimed at reducing administrative responsibilities for field workers. The training was valuable. The things I learn will help me reach my people group, with or without the SC title being around. Above is a picture of one of our leader in South America and a good friend of mine whose house I stayed at in Quito.

For those of you who like cheese, here's a picture of me at the Equator...and yes there is a painted line, but no, it doesn't continue all the way around the world!

Crawfish are endangered!

2008-12-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe not in Louisiana, but in Peru, there is a limit to crawfish harvest (river shrimp, as they are called).

If you can, read on:

Article

Paragliding

2008-12-21T04:35:00.000-08:00

The Havards sent some money for us for Christmas. The following is what Patrick and Susie decided to do with theirs. Thanks you guys. That was so much fun for them.

Ginger

2008-12-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

One of the things I really don't like about Peruvian culture is their style of Chinese food. That actually call it Chifa, which is not Spanish. It's supposed to be Chinese for "food". I don't know in what dialect or if there is even any truth to it. I just know that Peruvian Chinese food has way to much ginger for my liking.

In fact, the only way I like ginger is the in Gingerbread. Last night we had just that...but we couldn't eat it! We built a house with it, instead. It is a wonderful family tradition that we try to keep up. Thanks to an ingenious Peruvian maid who learned of the Gringo passion to play with their food, we had a ready made kit delivered to our door. Here are the results:

What's the hurry?

2008-12-04T04:53:00.000-08:00

A quote that really stuck out of the book I'm reading right how is

"Waiting is one of God’s preferred methods of preparing special people for special projects."

Most of you know that Susie and I felt called as missionaries when we were 17 and 18. IT was not the right time to do so. In fact it was 17 years later that God tapped us on the shoulder and said, "Now is the time, GO."

I want to encourage you to wait on God's timing. I'm not saying to use waiting as an excuse for not acting. If God is telling you "Now is the time, GO" you'd better act on it and quickly, but don't be afraid to wait on the Lord. His timing will prove to be much better than yours.

Top Ten Things I am Thankful for

2008-11-27T05:17:00.000-08:00

1. My Heavenly Father who loves, guides, and protects me.

2. My beautiful wife who has put up with me for 20 years now.

3. My wonderful kids who are far less trouble than I ever was.

4. My caring team leaders who lead me to be the very best at my work.

5. Our united team members who only God could bring together as he has.

6. Our giving supporters who support our ministry through the Lottie Moon Offering.

7. Our persistent prayer network who never fail to lift us up.

8. Our committed church partners who work with us to reach Southern Peru.

9. Our national partners who are missionaries in their own country.

10. God's handiwork in his awesome creation across Peru.

Scary Thought

2008-11-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a scary thought. We had over 150 Peruvians at our door on 10/31 screaming Halloween, Halloween. That's what they say instead of Trick or Treat.

When some Peruvians want something or feel compelled to ask for something, they go into a beggar/whiner mode. Their voice is raise two octaves minimum. The odd thing is that this is the voice they ask for candy when they ring your doorbell. The odder thing is that they do the same when they pray for needs.

Thought you would find it interesting.

HSM - Graduation

2008-11-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

We went to see High School Musical 3 today. It was in Spanish...well, not the music and since it was a musical, half the movie was in English. It was alright, I guess. For the parent of a graduating senior it was pretty sad.

I know life goes on, but it just won't be the same without my little girl around here. I will miss her so much. We try not to think about it yet.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll

2008-11-01T18:19:00.001-07:00

Susie will have to start wearing her shoes to bed again. This afternoon we had our 3rd major shake since being in Peru. It registered as a 4.5 on the Richter Scale.

It lasted long enough for us to get out the door, but we hung around the doorway because the shaking had stopped by the time we got there.

All is safe and sound. The worst effect was 20 minutes of clogged cell lines and spotty internet service. It was in the middle of the Florida blowout, so I was happy loosing the signal.

Masquerade

2008-10-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

We had a costume party for our English students last Saturday. Sandi was a gypsy, Susie was a mad scientist, and I was an Indy Jones wanna be. The mad scientist is my ghoulfriend.

It was a ton of laughs. Afterward we went to Kentucky Fried Chicken looking just how we do in the picture.

What mask are you putting on today?

LSU makes the prominant newspaper in Peru

2008-10-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

The article is about the ref getting hit in last weeks game, but hey, it was funny to look at the local news and see LSU!

Click

Hold the wax, please

2008-10-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

We all strive to be real, having see-through honesty. At least I hope we all do. To live otherwise is to be hypocritical. There's an old Latin phrase that means honesty, openness, and truthfulness. It's sine cera. It means without wax. It's used in Spanish when we say sinceramente and in English when we say sincerely.

So what in the world are we talking about when we end our letters "without-waxly" anyway? Well...

It comes from the fact that when a when a sculptor or potter had imperfections in his work, he would smooth it over with wax, giving the appearance of perfection, when in actuality it was a con, a sham. Sine Cera, means, you are true blue, what you see is what you get.

It's how we should live our lives...who we are should never change between locations and audiences.

Thought for the day:

Nobody likes a fake Christian, not even God.

So go about your life, but hold the wax, please. sincerely, Arnold

Pray for Calvin Morris

2008-10-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Calvin Morris was in Peru to lead my training seminary that I was in. He went from there to Quito, Ecuador. It appears we may have gotten him sick while he was here, which may have been a good thing. Read the email IO received and pray for Calvin:

Please pray for Calvin Morris (SAM region trainer). As you pray first give praise that because he had contracted a virus, he went to the Metropolitan Hospital in Quito, Ecuador. While there the doctors determined that he had also suffered a light heart attack. The doctors performed a heart catheterization and discovered that he had some blockages, so they put in two stints. He is in ICU, but doing okay. Please pray for healing and also lift up Devra (his wife) as she stays by his side. Calvin and Devra live in Santiago, but were in Quito for a RLT meeting.

Pray for Patch

2008-10-16T06:27:00.000-07:00

The family is passing around a nasty upper respiratory infection. Right now, Patrick has it pretty bad. The doctor said he's got bronchitis. He's got some meds and an inhaler.

Pray that we find a way to quit passing this bug around.

Hands and Feet Project

2008-10-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

I know you've heard me talk about the H&F Project - the orphan children's home in Haiti. I want to give you the chance to hear first hand what it's all about.

Mark and Will will do a live podcast on October 21 at 9pm CST. Please mark your calendars and tune in to hear about the passion these guys have for missions.

10/21 Podcast

Worldview

2008-10-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

I just finished up with part 1 of my Strategy Coordinator training and boy did they lay on the homework. By the time we do part 2, I have to write an in depth Worldview study on the Central Huarchiri Quechua here in Peru.

Part of our training showed the dangers of only changing external behaviors, without changing the worldview behind it. We learned that behaviors result from what values we hold. Values stem from what beliefs we have and beliefs are set by our underlying worldview. In short, our worldview is our unquestioned reality that makes us who we are. To change a people, it takes more than altered behavior, it takes an inside out change that only God can do.

Pray that as we minister among the highland Quechua dwellers of the Andes that we come to understand who they are - what makes them tick and that through that understanding that we understand how to present the gospel in a way that they make that "from the inside" change that the Gospel message causes.

Weighing In

2008-10-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

...to add something to a topic of conversation.

I want to once again tell you all how much it means to us when we hear feedback from y'all that you are praying for us regularly. We tell you what we are doing - what's going right; what's going wrong, and you are faithfully lifting us up to our heavenly father, weighing in on our behalf. We appreciate you so much.

...to check that a boxer doesn't have an unfair weight advantage

We have an enemy who is real. Sometimes I feel like Rocky Balboa staring into Clubber's face. Satan would have us believe that it is he that has the unfair advantage in our spiritual battle, but it just isn't so. In fact, it's opposite. It is we that have the advantage.

The Bible doesn't say that we are conquerors, it says we are more than conquerors. When I was young, I heard a radio preacher once say that Jesus was like the boxer who entered the ring and won the victory and won the huge purse, but we are like the boxer's wife who, when he returned home from the fight, turned over the check to her! That fits. We are more than conquerors. We didn't fight the battle, but we get the benefits of He who did fight it for us!

Go out and live today like the victory is yours and thanks for weighing in!

"I Am" by Patrick Austin

2008-10-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

I Am

I am the sky welcoming everyone,
And an eagle free in the sky.
I am tomorrow for I am still young,
And a traveler waiting to find new places.
I am a Baton Rouge, Louisiana for it holds what I love,
And a book holding mysteries still to be found.
I am Patrick.

Resignation

2008-10-02T12:53:00.001-07:00

No, not for mine, at least not from this job! The following is a letter that I wrote to my engineering coworkers when I left my job to come to Peru. I found it on my hard drive and thought I'd share it with you:

What is the purpose of life? It’s a tough question. The answers are certainly as different as the number of people asked. Some choose to go through life never bothering to ask. Still others spend their entire lives focused on nothing more.

As a Christian, the answer is summarized as: Honoring God through intentional obedience. Easily spoken, less easily executed. Perfectly carried out, you find a flawless man, which obviously I am not. Instead you see a man falling short of the person that he truly desires to be. Still the pursuit continues for each of us.

Obedience implies submission. Submission almost always involves following directives over which we have no control. We do this in our business relationships all the time. Often we find ourselves on paths that make little sense to us, but still we follow our leadership. Submitting to God is no different. I have been given a directive that I find an overwhelming compulsion to follow. I am resigning my position at Invensys to become a missionary in Arequipa, Peru.

Some of you may think me crazy for giving up so much to what will amount to a life of guaranteed hardship. Don’t worry, there’s none considering myself more insane than the man in the mirror. It’s as simple as this, from a Christian’s point of view:

Christianity is either the only means for answering the purpose of life and must be followed with complete obedience and submission, or it’s a complete waste of the few precious years we have on this earth. There is no in between.

For me, the answer is clear. I must go. I have three or four weeks remaining, one of which will be spent in North Dakota at DGC. I hope that in the remaining time I will be able to say goodbye to each one of you. My immediate path will take me to Richmond, VA for seven weeks of missions training, then to Costa Rica for a year of intense language acquisition, before reaching my final destination in Peru. For those of you interested in knowing more about my new path, you can visit our missionary website at www.reapsouth.org.

Please be in prayer

2008-09-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Please keep Arnold and the team that he is with on a vision trip in your prayers. Some of their plans have changed and they are having to be flexible. Also, please pray for the health of the team and also pray for them as they try to seek the Lord's will for their churches involvement here in the mountains of Peru.

Worth Repeating

2008-09-21T18:03:00.001-07:00

In case you don't check out the GradysOnMission Blog:

Do you have any idea who the youngest member of our IMB family is? It's Jacob Grady. Born yesterday evening to John and Sonia Grady, right here in Lima Peru. He has a big brother named Samuel that was born in Costa Rica while his parents, as well as our family were still in language school.

As expected, Aunt Susie had to be the first to see Samuel in Costa Rica and had to be first to see Jacob in Peru. If you want to speak your blessings of prayer and congratulations to this family, check out their blog at:

Click for Grady Blog

Beatitudes

2008-09-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

It's week two of my Beatitudes study. The class seems to be really excited to do it.

Here's a picture from a friend of mine, taken in the Twin Cities during the RNC.

I thought it was great!

Keep Praying for Haiti

2008-09-05T06:15:00.001-07:00

The Hands and Feet Project has taken a beating from both Gustav and Hanna and more rain is expected. All the orphans are safe. Watch this video to see the full effect that Gustav had on the project.

If you're happy and you know it....

2008-09-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

We are studying the Beatitudes for the next two months in my English class. I chose this topic because some Christians are confused between living the good life and living the abundant life. "Blessed are" doesn't always mean delighted, cheery, or elated, but more satisfied, gratified and content. We are memorizing this song from Hero the Rock Opera in our class:

A M A Z I N G !!!!

2008-09-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

Arnold and I have found an on-line Scrabble game on Facebook that we play each other on. It has been pretty fun and relaxing. Yesterday, I was SHOCKED and AMAZED that when I played my turn and my new letters popped up, that my name was right there in the middle of them! "ESUSIEA" I was so shocked that I even let Arnold see my letters (which he was instructed that he couldn't cheat if I let him look!) Here's a couple of pictures of my screen! It was AMAZING. What are the odds of that?

Sshhh, don't tell

2008-08-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Alisha has her 17th birthday party tomorrow.

We're having a photo scavenger hunt in a 4 square block area.

Here are a few of the things they'll have to find:

What do you think? Too easy? Too hard? Here's the playing field. Our house is the one by the park.

Hands and Feet Children's Village - Haiti

2008-08-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

Here's an update I just got following hurricane Gustav...please pray the orphanage in this time of devastation:

Please pray for Haiti. Hurricane Gustav pounded the southern coast of Haiti Monday and Tuesday, and heavy rains continue today. Thank God all of our children and staff are safe. However we have had major damage to our property, even worse than when Noel hit last November. Two of our children's houses on the lower floor have 3-4 feet of water in them. Many of our perimeter walls have been destroyed. Larry, one of our new US staff, cannot get his truck out because it is covered in boulders. We are so thankful that Larry and Michelle are there caring for our kids. Please pray for them as they try to figure out how to begin the overwhelming cleanup process. Please also pray for our neighbors as most of them have lost quite a bit. One of our neighbors' tin roof flew off forcing the family to stay with a neighbor.

We know God is in control but we definitely need your prayers and support during this crazy time. The internet is down in Haiti right now, so we will send more updates to as soon as we have them.

I'm at a loss......... We made it through Fay, but got POUNDED by Gustav. The center of the storm made landfall DIRECTLY over our little town (of Jacmel). PLEASE pray for this devastated island nation... and pray about possibly being a part of their recovery (whatever that may mean)! If you have ANY ideas for fundraising, I'm ALL ears!!!

All Aboard

2008-08-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

As we usher out the old, the beginning of the new wave of workers are coming along side us. We have with us right now two semester missionaries.

Kathryn Oder is working on our enhancement team, replacing Brad for the next 4 months as their team goes into various villages in the Andes, beginning in a places called Laramate. She will be with Kristen Seay and Melissa Reynolds. Kristen has been with us almost a year serving on the enhancement team. Melissa has been with us 8 months and has been a part of firming up our English Bible Study / Translator ministry in Arequipa. She is now trading hats, as she joins the enhancement team. Pray for this team as they leave out this week, encouraging the believers and training key people in simple church leadership.

Nicole Yardley (right) is also with us until Christmas. She replaces Melissa (left) as head of our Arequipa team. She has had a hard beginning in that we had switch which institutes and universities we were working in down there. Pray that it isn't a complete restart of the ministry and that many who have participated in the past will learn of the new location and continue to participate in our classes and serve as translators.

More Goodbyes

2008-08-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

To some he's LJ, to others, Lorne, still to others he is know as Santiago.

Who he is, is another incredible journeyman who I was blessed to have come to know and love. Ultimately serving on Extreme Team, reaching the hard to reach tribes of the Amazon basin, Lorne was one of our great storytellers. You might wonder what that has to do with ministry and I'd say, well, EVERYTHING. Many people groups can't read or write. A bible or bible study in their hands is nothing more than firewood...useless. They sure can't read it. Even if they could read, the Bible isn't widely available in their language. That's where storying comes in. Take a parable, a story from the bible and tell it in a form that is easy to memorize and then repeat to others. Now you have an Oral Bible in the making. It has the added benefit of not taking up much space which is important among some of these migratory tribes. Here is Lorne teaching others how to share the Oral Bible with others.

Alisha turns 17!!!

2008-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Alisha's 17th birthday. We woke her up with singing and a cinnamon roll from a local shop and a few presents. Today for lunch I am going to surprise her with pizza delivered for her and her friends.

Please send Alisha an email or e-card to wish her a Happy Birthday. It really does mean alot to us down here. (Thank you to those who have already sent well wishes!)

God Bless you!
His
Susie

What's New Pussycat

2008-08-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

whoa-oh-oh-oh

Some of you may wonder what's become of Rachel, our cat. She is the most people oriented cat I've ever seen. She loves sitting with you, sleeping with you, whatever....and whoever. She loves to climb into the laps of everyone who stops by for a visit. Here she is in her LSU shirt. She is of course, a tigers fan.

Summer Missions

2008-08-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

Our summer missionaries have come and gone. 60 some-odd people gave up 8 weeks of their lives to serve alongside us in southern Peru. Here's the group:

They served in about 15 areas in teams of 3-5 persons. Our meeting at the end of their time here was filled with many stories of what the Lord had done through their obedience to come and serve. Many were saved, some were baptized, and those committed to our Lord were strengthened to carry the gospel to their own.

If you would like to know more about serving in Peru as a summer missionary, email me at arnold@reapsouth.org. We would love to have you be a part of our work next year.

Can you stop at the next restroom?

2008-08-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

I just returned from our national leadership training in Puno. It was a 19 hour drive to the location where the training was held. You can imagine the bathroom breaks.

At one point, PawPaw had solved our bathroom dilemma. When PawPaw came to Peru following the earthquake, he brought what he called the "Bumper Dumper" with him. It's a simple idea, a toilet with a trailer hitch. He even installed the trailer hitch on my old truck. The problem is...I have a different truck. I guess I need to get PawPaw back down here to do some work on the new truck bumper so that those long road trips aren't so long.

Pointettia

2008-07-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder if there is a place in the world where poinsettia grow more than a week or two around Christmas...that is outside of Santa's Workshop, of course.

Well stop your wondering...it's here in Peru. Here is what happens when a poinsettia is given freedom to run a muck down here:

I Smell a Rat

2008-07-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

While I've never actually seen a rat near our home. This is the sign that was placed in the park outside of our home im Lima. It says they are "we are de-ratifying" the area.

Normally we are quicker to turn a noun into a verb in English, but I have to give it to the Peruvians. I like this verb. I don't however like the fact that the park outside our house is in need of deratification.

Gomez Update

2008-07-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

We want to thank all of you for your prayers for the Gomez family in the death of Greg here in Peru on Saturday as a result of a bus accident. Please continue to pray for them and for the REAPSouth Team and the other summer missionaries who are dealing with Greg’s tragic death. Claudia and Lydia arrived back in Lima yesterday and are being checked out by doctors here.

Several Baptist agencies have released information about the accident. Below is a link for the news story posted by the Illinois Baptist State Association. At the bottom of the story, there is a mailing address for the Gomez family if you would like to send a card.

http://www.ibsa.org/

We will send information about the funeral arrangements as soon as they are made.

Prayer Request

2008-07-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

Please pray with us for the family of one of our summer missionaries, Greg Gomez. Greg arrived here in Lima the end of May with 60 other summer missionaries to serve on the REAP South Team. Since then he has traveled around southern Peru with a team researching unreached micro people groups. Yesterday afternoon Greg was traveling on a public transportation van near the town of Abancay with another summer missionary and a Peruvian national who also serve on the REAP South team. The van was in an accident and Greg died of head injuries.

Greg is from Illinois and recently graduated from Old Miss University with an engineering degree. Greg’s family was on a trip and weren’t notified until late last night. Please pray for peace for his family and friends. Also, please pray for the two young ladies who were in the accident.

Please pray for the other summer interns. Many of them are in hard to reach places and don’t even know about the accident yet. Pray for the REAP South team and our mission leaders who are ministering to the family in the U.S. and working with Peruvian officials here.

Arnold is about to turn the BIG 4-0!

2008-07-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,

On Tuesday, July 8th, Arnold will be turning 40. I, Susie, will have just left for the states, Alisha will be in the states and Ben will still be on a mission trip translating so it will be just him and Patrick here to celebrate. Please be a part of making his 40th birthday great by contacting him in some way to wish him a happy birthday.

Love you all and I hope to get to see many of you in a few days. I will arrive on the 8th of July at 3:00 in Baton Rouge.

See you soon!
His
Susie

Grand Welcoming

2008-06-27T06:09:00.001-07:00

I wanted to take the time to thank each one of you you have made Alisha's homecoming to Baton Rouge so special. She is having a ball with family and friends.

Mom and Dad will take her to South Carolina to look at Northgreenville University this Sunday. They will stop back by Panama City Beach. Sounds like a fun road trip. They even allowed Alish to invite an old friend from middle school, Breanna. It should e a blast.

Road Trip

2008-06-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

we leave tomorrow for Nasca. Many of you hadn't heard of it untl the latest addition of Indiana Jones. I get to go there every year.

The summer missionaries are all gathering for a mid-summer break. We will see what they've been up to and encourage them to finish the task before them. The end of summer will be here before they know it.

We'll have some special testimony time and have a great time of praise and worship.

The debriefing runs Friday through Tuesday. Pray for our trip, our time together, and the second half of summer.

Don't come crying to me

2008-06-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever used that one? Has it ever been used on you?

I just finished a study on David's life and am filling in the gaps where the study didn't cover the Samuels, Kings, and Chronicles.

This morning, Samuel's boys were acting up and Israel wanted a king instead of Samuel's sons. They wanted to fit in, be like the Jones. In biblical terms, they were covetous.

My prayer life sometimes reminds me of that old song"Sometimes I thank God, for unanswered prayers". I sometimes find myself praying with the attitude that God knows the big picture and will only give me what is good for me. What is fail to realize is that sometimes what is good for me is a good ol fashioned "whooping" for not seeing what is clearly in front of my nose.

That was the case with Israel, and it's the case with us. When God gives us clear answers before we pray asking otherwise, He's not always going to say no. And when he says yes, you can bet that down the road he's going to be reminding you, "Don't come crying to me".

Just my thought for the day. Feel free to comment.

As American as...

2008-06-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

Even in Lima, Peru we found a way to use our softball skills. The two boys and I play on a team. We are not the best, but not the worst either!

For my birthday, a gentleman in Shreveport, LA asked what I wanted. I asked for Sunflower seeds and bat tape to fix our bat with.

Here are the pics:

Finals - Not so scary anymore

2008-06-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

The scariest term on earth to a high schooler. Next week is finals. The only good news is that that means winter vacation is just around the corner.

Alisha has done well enough to where she doesn't have any test. She took the scare right out of the term. She instead, will have time to concentrate on what to pack to return to the US.

I hope you all make an effort to see her. She is really excited about all this. She probably has expectations of reuniting with friends where the relationship left off some 2 1/3 years ago. I know this is not reality, but to some degree, we expect this because we have a fixed image in our brain of how a person was when we last saw them. If you know Alisha, be there for her. For any overachievers out there, she lands in Baton Rouge at 10:03 am on June 20th. She would love a surprise reception.

Gratitude

2008-06-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

Our sermon series is titled "It matters". Today's topic is "gratitude matters". I have to give a 5 minute testimony connection my story with the topic in Spanish. You would think after 2.5 years that doing this in Spanish wouldn't scare me to death...you would be wrong!

Though I won't mention this today, I need you all to know that one of the things that I am most thankful for is my prayer support base, which includes each of you that follows this blog. Thank you for being faithful.

SMT 08: Summer Missionaries Arrive

2008-06-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

This past week over 60 summer missionaries arrived in Lima to participate in our Summer Missions Team for 2008. We began with a race around Lima (AmaziGrace)and then ended up at a camp for a few days of training and preparation before sending them off to their villages. These students will serve on groups of 3 to 5 in various villages that our churches back home have adopted. They will follow the strategy that the church has given them in order to help them reach their community. They will be discipling new believers, sharing the gospel, making relationships, using sports and english as an "in" into some communities. Whatever it takes! These students will be here for the whole summer. Please be in prayer for them. If you would like specific names to pray for, please email me and I will be happy to send those on to you for your prayer time.

Also, I want to apologize for not wrtiting on the blog as much lately. I have had several MAJOR problems with my computer. The hard drive went out, then the motherboard and now the motherboard and some USB port went out AGAIN, so as we speak, it is in the shop again, so as soon as it is fixed and better, I will do my best to get back into the habit of blogging. Don't give up on us!

His
Susie

Happy 12th Birthday Patrick!!!

2008-05-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well, May 15th, is Patrick's 12th Birthday! Happy Birthday Patrick. He has a long weekend, no homework and Prince Caspian starts at the movie theater IN ENGLISH today! So life is pretty good!

These past few years have been a little difficult on him with dealing with his tourettes/ tic disorder but we have amazing news to report! We have been weaning him slowly off his meds and he is almost off all of them and is not tic-ing. We owe this ALL to the glory and power of God!

Please pray for Patrick as he heads into this next year and as he grows into the man God wants him to be!

Happy Birthday Patrick! We love you!
A Proud Mom!

4 day Weekend in Peru

2008-05-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

The Peruvian Government announced that May 15-17 will be obligatory holidays for the people of Peru this year. Peru is hosting the EU- Latin American and Caribbean Summit (APEC). There are many world leaders here in Lima this week attending this summit so the security is tight everywhere you go. The police began shutting down roads on Monday evening (which Alisha and I got wrapped up in and had to find an alternate way home) There are lots of road closures and many people will be staying around their house, because in some areas people are not allowed to drive nor walk. So the kids are excited for the 4 day weekend. (We will be able to walk to the store etc in the area that we live in)

Patrick took some cookies and coke to school today to celebrate his birthday (which is tomorrow the 15th) with his class. If you want to send him an email message, please send it to him at patrick@reapsouth.org . This will be his 12th birthday. We will have his party next Friday night.

Have a great day!
His
Susie

A Slice of Baton Rouge

2008-05-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

A recent group from Beaumont, TX came on a vision trip to Ayaviri, Puno. It's a village of nearly 30K people. They have since gone on to adopt the group as their own, with the goal of planting simple churches there.

What I didn't know was that the leader, Dion, was from Baton Rouge. He surprised me on arrival with some goodies from home, including a LSU national champion ballcap (which I now where in my softball games on Saturday) and some boudin. I was delightfully surprised to know it made it though customs. We pull a piece out of the freezer about once every three weeks to make it last a long time.

Pray for the Golden Triangle Baptist Association as they work with the Puno Quechua of Ayaviri.

Welcome Baby Caleb

2008-04-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

We have a new arrival to our IMB family here in Peru. As missionaries here, we consisder ourselves a great big family. The missionary kids call each of us missionaries Aunt and Uncle. So when a new baby is born, we feel proud just like a real aunt or uncle would feel. So I must brag about our newest nephew!
Our dear friends Micheal and Kristi Rains in Arequipa just had their 3rd son. From what dad says, Caleb Micheal arrived very quickly. They arrived at the hospital a little before 11pm last night and Caleb didn't want to wait so at 11:22pm he came before dad could get scrubbed in and get into the room. Both Kristi and Caleb are doing well. They should go home sometime today.
Waiting back home were Kristi's mom and Caleb's two big brothers, Benjamin and Nathan. Micheal said that the boys were so excited to see Caleb's pictures that they were jumping on the bed this morning.
Please pray for Kristi as she recovers and for Benjamin and Nathan as they adjust to being big brothers. Please pray for Micheal to be a strong godly father to this group of little men. Pray for their Grannie Rains and Papa Rains and all their family back home as they see pictures and yearn to see and hold baby Caleb. Also pray for us as a missionary family to be supportive and loving just as a real family to this growing family.

His
Susie Austin

A Time of Testing

2008-04-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

This week is ICSL's Standardized Achievement Testing. All of the grades up to 10th grade began testing yesterday and will finish on Wednesday. Ben and Patrick are part of this group. They only have the testing for 1/2 the day and then they get to come go with no homework, so I do believe that they like testing week. Alisha on the other hand does not have tests so the 11th and 12th graders are using thier time to do service projects around the area, focused in the park that is nearest the school that all of the gym classes run laps in. I believe yesterday they sanded and stripped paint off of a wall and today they will paint it. Also today, Ben and Patrick will be allowed to participate in the service project for the second part of their day.

The rest of the week (after Wednesday) are holidays. Thursday is Labor day and Friday Peru celebrates some battle. The High school will be taking off on a retreat tomorrow after testing and will return on Friday.

On Saturday, Alisha will be taking her SAT at a local highschool. A few weeks ago, she took her ACT. Here's a funny story, well maybe not funny for her or our pocketbook but, at Christmas, Santa brought Alisha and Ben both nice calculators. Santa knew that they would both need them for the rest of HS, college and of course for their ACTs and SATs. Well, after Alisha was done with her ACT, she came out and stated that "isn't it my luck to be the only one who got in trouble during the test." I asked what had happened, she told me that her calculator was on the "banned list" for using during the test. She said she almost cried when the lady came around and told her she couldn't use it. Luckily one of her friends had an extra calculator. So now, even though when Santa purchased their calculators it was on the ok list, it has now been moved to the "naughty list" So between today and test day, we have to rangle up an approved calculator.

Please pray for Alisha as she takes these very important tests and as she prepares for her future. Also, please keep praying for her health, she is still not feeling well. We are waiting to hear from the doctor.

As always, we appreciate your prayers, encouragement and support. Know that we love you!
His
Susie

The Worlds Highest Railroad

2008-04-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Arnold left this morning to go on a research trip to scout out a potential area that we will have a partner church in the states adopt. This is his first time to go into the area and has no idea about the area, conditions etc. One of our team members is acompaning him on this journey.

During their travel, I was told that they will be near the World's Highest Railroad. So, of course with the amazing world of the internet, I looked it up. It is the Ferrocarril Central Andino. "The Ferrocarril Central Andino WAS the highest railway in the world before 2006, surpassed by the recently constructed Qingzang Railway in China."

Please be in prayer for them as they drive up steep one lane mountain roads and possibly have to hike. Pray that they find a hostel (hotel) or somewhere to sleep and also food to eat. They should be safely home by Saturday. Thanks for your prayers.

His
Susie

Growing Pains

2008-04-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

Moments like these, I realize just how grown my kids are getting. Here's Alisha and Ben in a Swing Performance, raising money for a local charity.

I now feel the part of turning 40 this year.

Intelligent Design

2008-04-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Go see "Expelled" tomorrow and show your support of God and his marvelous handiwork of creation.

First version of our itinerary for the states

2008-04-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Alisha and I (Susie) will be heading to the US to check out some colleges. Alisha will be able to stay her whole summer (June 20 -Aug 3) but I will only be there for 2 weeks (July 7 - 23). We have been making appointments at colleges and setting up our schedule so here it is for those who may be interested in seeing us. This will better give you an idea of where we will be and when.

7-Jul Leave Lima, Peru
8-Jul Arrive Baton Rouge, Louisiana
9-Jul Visit Family/Friends Baton Rouge. Attend Church.
10-Jul Tour LSU Campus in Baton Rouge.
11-Jul Tour LA College Campus in Alexandria.
11-Jul Drive to Shreveport.
12-Jul Visit Family Shreveport.
13-Jul Drive to Nashville, Arkansas to visit Dad.
14-Jul Tour Ouachita Campus in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
15-Jul Drive to Shreveport. Visit Family.
16-Jul Drive to Baton Rouge. Visit Family. Attend Church
17-Jul Visit Family/Friends Baton Rouge.
18-Jul Tour William Carey Campus in Hattesburg, Mississippi.
19-Jul Visit Family/Friends Baton Rouge.
20-Jul Attend Church.
21-Jul Tour NOBTS and Leavell College in New Orleans, Louisiana.
22-Jul Visit Family/Friends Baton Rouge.
23-Jul Leave Baton Rouge and go back home.

Of course this schedule is bound to change but I wanted to give you all a heads up of where and when we will be places. Once again, Alisha will be in the BTR area all summer at her grandmas house. If you want contact info on how to get in touch with her or me while we are in the states, just email me or comment.

The time is creeping up on us and we are getting excited!

His
Susie

And the winners are....drumroll please!

2008-04-09T10:27:00.001-07:00

We have just gotten through science fair. (Praise God!) Patrick did his experiment with Guinea pigs (they call them cuy here) He raised 3 guinea pigs together in a community and then raised one by itself in isolation. Their names were Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Midnight Snack (You know they eat guinea pigs here right?) Anyway, for 6 weeks, he raised them to see if there was a difference in raising them either together or alone. He found that they seemed happier in a group but grew better and healthier when they were by themselves. He is donating his guinea pigs to the Ica cuy project that is helping to revitalize the community after the Earth Quake.

Ben did his project on energy. He constructed 2 generators; a wind turbine and a solar panel to see which would produce the most energy. In the end, he found that the solar panel produces more and actually stores it for a while, but the wind turbine only produces a small amount and does not store any.

We are pleased to tell you that Patrick won First Place in the 6th grade and recieved a Blue Ribbon. This is his second year winning first place. Ben won First Place in the 9th grade and recieved a blue ribbon but also won First Place in the whole High School and recieved a trophy. Way to go guys! They must take after their dad!

Love Susie

Update on Alisha

2008-04-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to update you on Alisha’s health this morning. Susie went to the lab to pick up Alisha’s tests results from her biopsy (from the endoscopy). The doctor said everything was fine. Yesterday she stated that the pain was less but that the nausea had increased. The doctor said that she should stay on this round of medicine for another 10 days to 2 weeks before they do anything else. He stated that the next thing would be to look again at her gallbladder.

I am so pleased and excited to announce that this morning; Alisha woke up pain and nausea free!!!! She was even able to eat and not experience the piercing pain that she has had for over a week and 1/2 now. Thank you so much for your prayers. We know that the Lord is in control through all of this. We give God all the glory!!!

No Magazines Here

2008-04-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Walk into many a bathroom in the USA and besides finding pretty towels, candles, and assortments of soaps (usually shell shaped), you can probably find some sort of reading material on the toilet tank.

Fly 3000 miles south and with the change of language and culture, you also find a change in bathroom paraphernalia. Here's what ours looks like: extra toilet paper and a sterilized feces sampling jar.

Such is life in Peru. Alisha has gone through yet another round of tests to determine what is ailing her. Today's adventure was an endoscopy. The doctors have yet to find out what is causing her extreme pain she has, especially when eating.

Please pray that her pain ends and that she recovers quickly.

PEPA - Planting the seeds

2008-03-30T18:03:00.001-07:00

Most of you already know what I'm going to say, based on the picture. Our great friends Katie and Boots Holder live on the outskirts of Lima and have just enough grass area to have a garden. One of the things they grow is Okra. To our delight, Boots and Katie came by the other night with a bag full of fresh okra. Can you believe that! Fresh Okra. Susie made one of the best tasting Chicken and Sausage gumbo I'd ever tasted.

In Spanish, fruits and Veggies can have either Semilla or Pepas. Semillas are seeds, while Pepas or pits. In case you are wondering, you can't say that something is the pits in Spanish....it doesn't work. You get the all too familiar deer in the headlight look of confusion.

All this talk of seeds and pits is quite relevant to our work here in Peru.

PEPA is a word we use all the time. It is an acronym for how we teach layman farmers and herdsman throughout the Andes how to lead Bible Studies in a simple, interactive form.

Pepa Stands for:

P - Promesa Promise Is there a promise from God's word?
E - Ejemplo Example Is there an example to follow?
P - Pecado Sin Is there a sin to confess?
A - Accion Action Is there an action to take?

In the middle of the Andes, there are no seminary trained pastors and there are no missionaries living with them full-time. They must learn to study the word of God for themselves. It's our job to train national leaders just how to do this, guiding them to lean on the Holy Spirit to confirm in their hearts doctrinal truths based on the only source they need...the Bible, it's not about what a Seminary Professor says or about what I as a missionary say. It's about what the word of God says and that's how we teach them to learn what is truth...straight from the source, ina simple, interact way of digging into the word of God together.

Coming Home?

2008-03-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's funny because when I say "I am almost home", "I am coming home" etc, I automatically think of our little house and our little family here in Lima, but also when I talk about Louisiana or Baton Rouge, that is home too. Well guess what? I am coming home...to the states!

Alisha and I (Susie) have just secured airline tickets to return to the states. Her flight leaves on June 20th and she will spend her whole summer in the states and return to Lima on August 3, the morning before she starts back to school. I will be arriving on July 7th and returning on July 23rd.

Our main objective for this trip is to take Alisha to check out a few colleges before she makes her final decision. We will be hitting 4 or 5 colleges in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.

The great thing is, these states are where most of our friends and family live!!!! How lucky is that. The bad thing is, I will leave the night before Arnold turns the big four "UH-OH"! (40!) He booked the tickets without listening to me!

Alisha and I are working on our itinerary so we can know when we will be where and be able to see as many of you as possible.

Please pray as Alisha prepares for this new chapter in her life, that the Lord will fill her with peace and the confidence to know where He would have her go. Also, pray for me...for one, I will be doing a lot of driving while in the states, but also that the Lord will protect my heart as I prepare to watch my daughter fly away from the nest and her family and we leave her in the states. (This will be in August 2009)

We love you and are very excited to have this unexpected opportunity to come to the states.

His
Susie

Geaux Tigers

2008-03-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

The LSU tigers have made such a name for themselves that Peruvian fans have started putting bumper stickers in their public transportation.

This picture was from a fellow missionary

Some things never change

2008-03-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

...but some things always do. For example: food.

You can trust the Cracker Barrel menu to always be what it is....tried and true, proven by millions of hungry diners.

On the other hand, some things never stay the same...for example, flavor addd-ins to Dr. Pepper.

These are just some of the foods I had while in the US. You guys are so spoiled up there!

The Way It Ought To Be

2008-03-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

What would a church look like if they were on fire to be on mission with God to see the whole world know who Jesus Christ is? It would look like Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, AR. They know how to motivate its people to be on mission for God. For 3 days, missionaries from all over the world: Africa, Asia, South America, NYC, Omaha, New Orleans, Little Rock, and downtown Jonesboro were ushered in for a three day conference. The missionaries represented an Acts 1:8 spectrum from Jerusalem to the uttermost. Check out their website in the coming weeks to see the conference speakers (and maybe even a glimpse of me).

We stayed with church families and spoke with Sunday School classes about what it is that we do. We were able to share with the whole church about what we do before and after services Saturday and Sunday, where we had display booths and dressed in native wear. I chose the dress of the Cusco Quechua (see below). Our hopes for the church is that every member found some ministry, whether it be around the block or around the world, where they can plug in and get involved in missions.

A special surprise was getting to visit with the Bushes (shown with me here), who were on the REAPSouth team before we came to Peru. We worked with them for just 10 days before they returned to the states. They were at the conference representing the Crisis Pregnancy Center where they are no working in Little Rock, AR. They decided not to come in native dress (ie, maternity clothes). Maybe next time they'll catch the spirit!

I want to thank Jay Little and his family for opening up their hearts and their home to me during the week. I want to especially thank Julianna and Jordyn Little, my new friends, who made me feel like family...Jordyn even let me borrow her room while I was there. I will cherish this family for all eternity

Arnold on Tour

2008-02-27T06:25:00.000-08:00

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting it and now, the time is upon us.....Arnold leaves tonight for his long awaited U.S. tour! Ha! Not really, well actually yeah, really. Arnold does leave tonight and will arrive in the US Thursday evening at the Atlanta airport where he will be whisked away to Jonesboro,Ark; Tullahoma,TN; Chattanooga, TN; Summerville, GA; & Murfresboro, TN. (Probably not in that order) He will be with Mike Weaver, our team leader learning how to "cast the vision" to churches about how they can get involved in the Great Commission. He will also be attending his very first missions conference.

He will only be in the states for a week and sad to say, will not be able to visit with any family or friends unless they happen to be in one of these cities for the time he will be there. I don't think that the dust will settle on him too long before they will be up and moving to their next city and next meeting.

Please pray for his trip. It will be a long flight and he has a LONG layover in Mexico but maybe he can get a great Mexican meal while he is there. He will also be traveling most days by either car or air, so please keep him in your prayers.

His
Susie

Feeling a little more like myself

2008-02-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a few days since my surgery and I have been up walking since day one. I must say it hurt and still does a little but the surgeon told me yesterday that the pathology report came back saying that my little gallbladder was definitely sick and it did need to come out. I somehow find that comforting to know since it is out of my body now and knowing that he didn't take something out that was good. This was really good news so I am looking forward to a life without gallbladder pain. Praise the Lord!

Now, I have all kinds of stories of course about my 3rd world surgery experience but all in all I was really pleased and surprised about how well things went. I had this slight preoccupation with having to go pee (Arnold would say it was a little more than a slight preoccupation) and then being on pain medicine and trying to ask, in Spanish of course, for a bedpan. I had no idea what the word for bedpan was and I couldn't even think of the word for bed or pan since I was so loopy. So I asked (in spanish) if they could bring me "un Pan" (it sounds kind of like pon) Well, Arnold busted out laughing because I had just asked the nurse to bring me a piece of bread to pee in. Yeah, I know, but hey, it was the medicine talking.

Anyway, I am feeling better. Everyday is a little better than the day before. God is so good to me! Oh, and I even learned a few new Spanish words in the process. It won't be long till I am 100% back in action!

Thanks for your prayers, emails and calls of encouragement. I love you all so much!

His
Susie

Going into the shop to get fixed!

2008-02-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I will be getting up early and heading to the hospital. I will check in at 6:30am and then they will do some blood work and an EKG and then I will be ready for surgery around 8:30am. The surgery should last only about an hour and 1/2 and then I will be in recovery for a few hours. I will be in the hospital for a day and get to go home on Wednesday. Please say a prayer or two for us tomorrow. Pray that this fixes me for good!

His
Susie

It's almost over!

2008-02-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

This week has gone by so quickly! We have enjoyed the Babin girls visit so much. There have been a few days that they have had to see the back of our heads while we took care of business but I believe they enjoyed the back porch and the quiet. We were able to go to see some old ruins, shopping at our markets, walking around the area where we live and to the ocean, and also to the beach. Quite a few of them got sunburned, including Kim on her feet!!!! I was really careful because I knew that I didn't want to deal with a sunburn when I had surgery. Today we will do a little more shopping and then they will go to our English fellowship valentines day party. It should be fun, then they will head off to the airport. It has been such a precious time.

Please pray for their safe return and that Sarah recuperates enough before having to start back to school on Monday.

His
Susie

The Babin girls have arrived!

2008-02-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful reunion in the Lima airport with Kim and Sarah in the wee hours of the morning this morning. After all the excitement and catching up, we finally all went to bed around 3:30am. We all woke up early and had a nice day, after a big pan of hot biscuits. It is so great to have my precious friend here with me in the country that we love. They have been able to meet many of our friends and see where we live, work and play. Please pray for all of our health and for the rest of her visit here.

One More Time!

2008-02-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, Lets see if Kim and Sarah will make it here tonight! We are anxiously looking forward to their arrival. Please be in prayer for their safety and health as they head this way. They will stay from Sunday to Sunday.

My surgery has been rescheduled for Feb 12. Please keep me in your prayers.

His
Susie

Boo-HOO!

2008-01-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

We just got a call from my friend Kim and her daughter Sarah. They were suppose to arrive tonight at 11:30pm BUT the weather was so bad that the plane didn't take off, when she went to reschedule, the soonest available flight was on Sunday. So they won't be here until Sunday and will stay until Sunday. I have spoken with my surgeon and he is going to try to change the surgery from Thursday until Monday or Tuesday of the next week.

Please pray for their upcoming trip! I am still soooo excited! I just have to wait a little longer.

His
Susie

The proof is in the photo

2008-01-30T14:34:00.001-08:00

I AM the shortest in the family. It was bound to happen! The kids are growing so fast.

Please be in prayer for each of them. Some specific prayer requests are:
Alisha: She is currently researching and trying to make a decision on which college that she would like to attend.
Ben: He as he begins his science project on energy and electricity.
Patrick: As he continues his science fair project and specifically for his tics from his tourettes. He is having a really hard time right now.

Thank you for your prayers. We love you all! Time flies by, make every moment count!

His
Susie