Hello from the airport in Houston, TX!!!!!! We are back in the USA!!!!!! I have wanted to post a blog while in the jungle but never had the time while we had internet access. I am currently very sleep deprived b/c we have been traveling home since Tues. am, and we are to arrive in Memphis @ 1:45 this afternoon (Wednesday). Ellie and Kate want to go straight to chik-fil-a for chicken sand., Hall wants a juicy burger from Harvey’s(Hardee’s)-where did that come from?, Jeff wants a Belmont burger, and I want A BBQ sandwich from McBride’s Café’ in Little Rock!!!!!!

The jungle was a really fun and wild adventure. We are all very thankful that we decided to join the interns for a final excursion before heading back to the states. Here are some highlights of our time in Moyobama –

1.Willy (our favorite taxi driver) took us on our final taxi ride in Trujillo ( true – he – o), for our early morning ride to the airport.

2. We flew first to Lima and enjoyed a fun 6-hr layover @ Larcomar(a nice outdoor mall).

3. We flew to the town of Tarapoto and rode in a taxi for over 2 hrs. to the puerta Mirador hotel in Moyobamba-we were just in time for dinner w/ our friends who had already arrived.

4. Sat. am we left the hotel for a day on the river. We road in long and old canoes for a couple of hours, and we stopped for lunch and ate in a hut in a jungle village. Lunch was soup w/ chicken broth, chicken, noodles, a boiled egg and yucca(like a potatoe). I loved it and ate Ellie’s portion, too. There were 2 treehouses that everyone climbed up into and hammocks to lounge in. We got into smaller dugout canoes to travel further upstream and animal-watch along the way. We saw a lot of the local, small monkeys mostly. The highlight of the day for the kids was when we stopped at a huge mudpit on the side of the river. There was a homemade swing made from large vines and a huge tree to climb. We took some good pix of our muddy trio.

5. Sun. am we went to the pca church there in Moyobamba-it has been there for 60 years and seems to be a thriving church. All of us gringos stood up and sang two songs in front of the congregation. We took a little hike that afternoon and all swam and hung out by the pool until dark. Dinner was very good Peruvian pizza delivered @ 9:45pm. Ellie was pretty miserable.

6. Some of the group woke up early for a not-kid-friendly hike. We enjoyed sleeping in. We all left after b’fast in vans for a day @ some waterfalls. Lot of the interns and Josh Eby jumped off the cliffs, but Jeff and I weren’t brave enough.

7. The bus group(everyone but us) left that evening @ 5:00 and we stayed for a quiet relaxing time there @ the hotel around the pool. We were very sad to be saying good-bye to our new friends. They are very dear to us all in various ways, and we will miss them a lot!

8. We left our jungle resort Tues. am for our longgggg……. Travels back to the States.

We are still traveling, actually…………………………….

Love, Amy

Moyobamba-our jungle trip

Today is Sunday and we are in the high jungle @ a hotel called Puerta Mirado w/ the other SALI interns and the Eby family. Our family arrived Friday via plane and bus(w/ a fun 5 hr stay in Lima) and the others traveled on a 16hr tour bus ride. We def. felt that the extra cost was well worth it- ecs. for Jeff's back!

This is a really cool place and the kids are having a great time. We are going to a PCA church this am and so I need to be getting ready.....jungle stories coming later.

Love, Amy

Hola!

It’s early morning before the last day of classes. We pack tomorrow to begin the journey home Friday. The apartment building is quiet with a few dozing Gringos and a bunch of soundly sleeping Peruanos.

So, with a little time for some reflection, I’ll try to share with you a few things we’ve maybe learned on this trip. Reinforced and remembered are probably better words than learned, as most of this is pretty simple- just easily forgotten.

First, people are people. Yea, I told you it was going to be pretty simple! Whether Gringo or Peruano, missionary or taxi driver, rich or poor, we’re all pretty much the same. The specific issues might be different, but we all have sin and struggles and hopes- and we all need the grace of the Gospel. Personally, being apart from some of the nice American amenities and crammed into less space with more people has helped me see my sin and struggles more clearly. They were there already of course, just a bit less visible- at least to me though perhaps not for you!

Second, bidness is bidness. I’ll stick with the “simple theme” here again. This truly has been more of a learning experience for me- and serves notice to you bidnessmen and bidnesswomen out there. There really is a great need for business skills on the mission field (and really all of “ministry”). Lots of called people are serving faithfully, doing great jobs, and being used by God. But there is a great need for basic management (of personnel, finances, administration, planning, etc) which can help the ministries thrive.

Ok, off to class and then to the Jungle!

See you soon,

Jeffersonian

Ok, sorry again it's been so long checking in with you. Excuses are always lame, but we've lost internet access at our apartment.... Students are taking their final exams now so I have the rare combination of time and internet access. I can't believe we have only a week left. Time has traveled at both jet and turtle (mainly when we've been sick) speed.

I do want to report that all of your thoughts, prayers, and support have paid off! After I had been teaching at SALI (the language institute which is a part of Peru Missions) for a month, enrollment was substantially down. After my presence at SALI for two months, enrollment was drastically down. Dot Dot was apparently justly concerned with the concept of me teaching English. Yesterday, we all learned in a late night meeting that SALI will be closing- this is all no joke. So, SALI was able to stand my presence for a grand total of two months before closing its doors! It's indeed gratifying beyond measure to be so used on a mission trip.

The whole situation is a bit sad and messy. Bottom line is that SALI has a lot of great things going for it. SALI has helped a lot of people learn English (and thus get jobs), and it's been a great avenue in exposing people to the Gospel. I've personally seen both of these at work in very encouraging ways and am thankful to have been a part of it. But, the school is losing money, and it also has to find another location. So, although it's tough to shut down for a while, it's also a good time to make some changes and start over- which they plan to do in a few months.

What now? We fly home in a week. But before then, we're taking a spontaneous trip to the jungle! Classes end tomorrow, and we'll then spend a couple of days packing and saying goodbye to all of our new friends here. On Friday, we travel to the jungle for a few days before heading back to Lima to fly home- to see YOU!

Loveyabye for now,

Jeffersonian

sunshine in Simbal

We had a really fun family day adventure on Saturday. We ate breakfast @ Starbuck's and used their internet access(ours no longer works @ the apt.-bummer). Around 10:45 we piled into a taxi and headed for a small mountain town called Simbal.It was a 45 min. ride thru agricultural countryside, but the kids always have fun on any length of trip. Why? you ask? B/c they are unbound by seatbelts and carseats. That's why we never needed technology on long trips-we were free to roam a/b and play tricks and bother each other and play games, etc.!!! Anyway, as we were nearing our destination(w/ little to NO expectations) the sun popped out from the cloud cover-which is nearly non-stop in Trujillo. Jeff spotted a flock of turkeys a/b 100yds from the road and so we had to stop. Even I was enjoying this b/c there were 4 or5 big gobblers strutting around and gobbling @ every attempt of the childrens various animal calls. For you non-hunters, seeing and hearing this @ such close range is sometimes a once in a lifetime event. Needless to say, Jeff was going bananas.

The taxi driver dropped us off near a dirt trail and we were on our own until 4:00 that afternoon. We walked to the public pools and chose the one that had more than zero people swimming in it. There is no way to describe my thoughts as we changed clothes in the brick rectangular tiny bathroom, no roof, and a strong urine smell-whatwould my girlfriends think of this adventure? It was a bit different from a day @ the club or the Y. Jeff and the kids swim for a liitle while, but we end meeting a very interesting family and spend the remainder of our time there w/ them(eating lunch and hiking to the highest point in the town). During our time in Simbal, we saw many dogs(of course), turkeys,goats, sheep, cats, donkeys, a pig, chickens and some baby chicks, and ducks. The children and Jeff and I have a really fun day and were so thankful to meet our new friends-we might see them again here in Trujillo if it works out.

More later, o.k.?

Love, Amy

Hello fellow Americanos,

Sorry we haven't touched base in a while. Amy has been sick most of the week but she plans on giving you an update soon.

We had a pretty "adventurous" day today in Trujillo! First, Amy got a call from the school that Hall had just passed out. After coming to, he vomited and had a nice bout of diarrhea to go with it. Needless to say, they were ready for the gringito (slang here for a young, male, Americano) to be picked up as soon as possible. He seems fine now and just hopefully ate something bad.

To add more excitement, I picked up the local paper to read at lunch- which I sometimes do to work on my Spanish. I slipped into a local streetside dive and was dining on a fine meal of goat, egg-gravy covered potatoes, beans, and cantaloupe juice (yes, you're lucky you're on the other side of the equator from me right now) which cost a grand total of $2.

Well, it didn't take long reading to get the point. The entire front page and two following pages were dedicated to the spread of the swine flu in Trujillo. Two people have just died of it and about 100 more have the swine flu here in town. As a precautionary measure, the government has ordered the closing of the schools (with the full support of our kids!) for the next two weeks. So far, the school where I teach remains open and probably will unless the situation gets a good bit worse. It's still a relatively mild strain of flu.

Anyway, all this just reinforces one thing my hard head seems to be continually reminded of on this trip- what I'll call the physicality of the "spiritual" world. It just continues to amaze me how much the physical/health side of things affects the other. Of course, this is no novel concept. We see it so many times with Jesus- who became flesh, dwelt among us, made bread and wine, died, etc. Both the physical and spiritual were very important to him and maybe not as disconnected as they sometimes are with me.

No, we haven't gone through any intense suffering by any means. But, the ongoing physical "roadblocks" have been issues for us. As usual, I think there is a "silver lining" in the challenges. They basically force us to say, "We're just here. If anything good is going to happen, it sure won't be because of us. " Of course this is always true. The physical setbacks just help us see it.

As always, thank you very much for your thoughts and prayers.

Your Gringo,

Jeffersonian

Ok, I might be beating a dead horse, but here we go….

Top 10 things we love about Peru

1) Willy

Santa doesn’t just drive a sleigh, he also drives a taxi in Trujillo. Yes, his name is somehow Willy, and he must easily be the happiest man in the city. Willy is relatively tall for Peruvian standards at about 5’7”, and he must weigh in at a minimum of 250. He picks the kids and me up at 6:50 every morning. There are of course no seat belts so the kids lean up and poke on Willy most of the way. They exchange giggles the entire bumpy, chaotic drive until we reach the school. The kids giggle further when Willy bends over to get out of the taxi, simultaneously exposing both belly and crack. We drop the kids off, and then Willy takes me to SALI. Willy is patient with my broken Dixie- Spanish accent and wants to talk the entire time. Needless to say, I have finally found a kindred Peruvian soul who knows how to scratch. Well, his happy mood seems to be infectious to all of us and gets the day started off in good fashion!

2) Other Peruvians

The people seem to be very hard working, pleasant, family-oriented, and not as plagued by angst, stress, and cynicism. Also, they all seem to love their city. I must have asked least 50 taxi drivers, “Do you like Trujillo?” Every one, without exception, has quickly responded, “Si, Si”. These guys all spend 72 hours a week (12 hours/day, 6 days/week) behind the wheel driving the roughest roads you’ve ever seen in the most worn out tiny taxis ever. Crime is such a factor that homes in even the nicest neighborhoods have 10’ concrete walls at the sidewalk which are capped with glass or an electric fence- before you get to a 3” thick wood door at the house. As I’ve said before, much of the city (and country) looks like it’s been heavily bombed. Yet, they all like their job and city. I find this both convicting and encouraging.

3) Peruvian food

Goat, Guinea Pig, Seviche, Papa Relleno, and Lomo Saltado are some of our favorites.

4) KFC

Yes- this good, greasy, artery-clogging American chicken has been a nice haven every week or so. The Pepsi of course doesn’t have ice but IS cold, which is heavenly.

5) Trujillo

We love the downtown, the markets, the history (300 years is new to them), etc. Trujillo is a city of about a million people. The large downtown area is the life of the city and bustles with people, markets, cafes, etc. We also love Huanchaco, a nearby fishing village.

6) Drugs

Dot Dot, don’t have a heart attack! Columbia is nearby, but I haven’t gone off to South America and become a druggie just yet. But cash is king, and prescriptions are not- which all worked out quite well during my back and stomach clusters. It’s basically as simple as walking up to one of the many street-side pharmacies, pointing to the bodily area in need, and muttering, “Necisito algo muy fuerte”- I need something very strong. A few pills of “who knows what” are then exchanged for a few bucks and I go merrily on my way.

7) Gringo Community

As we’ve said before, the missionary team here has welcomed us into their community. They’ve been a lot of fun and support.

8) SALI (Saint Augustine Language Institute)

I’ve very much enjoyed teaching at SALI. Learning English can of course provide more economic/job opportunities for the Peruvians. It’s also a great avenue to build relationships and teach the Bible/Gospel, of which I’ve found the students to be very open. Though a nominally religious culture, the students seem to be hearing about Jesus and the Gospel for the first time. Please pray that God is using this time to plant seeds and change hearts. SALI has also been a fun place for Amy and the kids to study Spanish and hang out.

9) Walking

Our fellow Gringos, a park, and kids’ sports/activities are all within easy walking distance. We haven’t driven a car in Peru. Unless you’re in a taxi, life is more of a walking culture, and it’s just not as fragmented. Not spending hours each week hurrying across town from one event to another is a huge blessing to family life, community life, stress, etc

10) Family Time

It probably goes without saying that we’ve spent a lot of quality time together. Our apartment is maybe 1,000 s.f., with no TV. We walk everywhere together, need each other more, and just lead a simpler life.

I guess it goes without saying that your prayer and support have made all this possible for us. Thank you again!

Jeffersonian

I’ve never watched a Letterman show, and this might be overused and/or outdated, but I thought I would give it a try anyway. So, here is my first “Top 10” list.

Top 10 things I miss about Home

1) Toilet Paper

a) there is some

b) it actually goes in the toilet

2) The Water

- P.S. Both 1&2 above are strongly connected if you pick up a 7 day case of Montezuma from improperly washed grapes

3) Water pressure greater than a dripping faucet

4) Space

5) A cozy, scratching chair

6) Annabelle

- the endless supply of stray dogs just doesn’t cut it

7) Craterless streets that don’t continually readjust one’s spine

8) Cars that don’t require one’s knees to lodge between one’s eyes

- see taxi pics if needed

9) Ability to make a phone call, order pizza, scratch in native tongue, etc

10) YOU!

P.S. We do love Peru and our experience here and will soon share some of those things as well.

Loveyabye

Ok, I've been meaning to get to this story for a while. It's about wood and huts.

And, for any of you pastors out there (especially two of you who know who you are) who might be reading this, I would like to ask you to not use any of this story during any of your building campaigns, etc. It's just too dangerous to us vulnerable layfolks.

You'll need to look at the two pictures above to better appreciate the following. Recently, we attended the Wichenzao church. In the top picture, you'll see some very nice wooden benches. I noticed that the benches seemed a bit "out of place" and somehow struck up a conversation about them after the service. I assumed that Peru Mission had funded them but was surprised to find that the members of the church paid for them- at a cost of about $2,000. And, it's worth noting that $2,000 goes a long way here (for example a movie ticket costs $2).

This might not seem like much to you and me, but now take another look at the second picture. This picture contains 5 huts made mostly of straw, lacking a roof, with nothing but a dirt floor. Yes, 5 homes- I would guess about ten feet by ten feet in size. We drove and walked through this area after the service. The people were very welcoming, and as many as 8 people came out of one home to greet us.

These are some of the people who attend this church, located a long "stone's throw" away (the others live in a slightly "move up" block adjoining the church). And, this is what makes the $2,000 so interesting to me. Over a period of time, these believers saved their very precious and scarce money to buy benches to worship the living God.

This story isn't meant to be put a guilt trip on "us Americans". I just found it very encouraging to find a people across the world who so passionately worship the same risen Savior we worship at home. The circumstances couldn't be more different, but our God is the same.

Loveyoubye,

Jeff

we're still here!!!!

Yes, we are still in Peru but on our 4-day excursion to the city of Arequipa. This is our last day, and we leave on a plane @ 6:30 this evening for Trujillo. Wow, this has been a big adventure filled w/ long, bumpy bus rides, car sickness w/ subsequent throw-ups(by Ellie and Hall-outside of the bus-YEA!!!!), hanging out w/ a famous Peruvian actor/director, some Montezuma's revenge for lucky Jeff, freezing cold weather @ night and gorgeous,sunny days(sorry all you family and friends in the sweltering south), European breakfasts, very charming and homey accomodations in both locations, petting llamas and alpacas, Ellie getting knocked over by an overzealous alpaca, seeing the deepest canyon in the world, conder-watching, being @ 16,000+ ft. and Kate getting a bad case of altitude sickness, and more I am sure. We are just hanging out @ our great hotel this am and the peeps are playing each other in ping-pong and maybe swimming. The names of our 2 hotels are La Casa de mi Abuela in Arequipa and Mamayachi in Colca Canyon if you'd like to see where we have been staying. I highly recommend both places to any who are planning trips to Peru. It is amazing to meet all the many people from around the globe who are traveling in South America/Peru for multiple weeks. Most are w/o small children. But we've loved having them w/ us-most of the time!!!! I can not emphasize enough the response Ellie receives from locals here-they LOVE her- and she loves the attention, too! Much Love dear ones, Amy

Ok, sorry it's been so long since I've (Jeff) touched base. It's amazing we've been here almost a month now. If I had to very briefly and generally summarize our trip so far it would be this: the first 10 days were a blissful, idealistic blur; the next 2 weeks were very difficult (mainly because of my poor health and accompanying attitude); and the past few days have been "normal" for the first time. We're settled into our apartment, healthy for the time being, and into somewhat of a routine.

The English classes have been a real blessing. I've enjoyed building relationships with and teaching the students. The telling of stories seems to be a very effective means of teaching them English and sharing the Bible/Gospel. Of course that's not a new concept. Jesus did it almost continually, and most preachers do as well. But, it's been a joy to be able to spend hours each day with a group of people who are very open and eager to hear these stories, usually for the first time. They really do seem to be receptive to hearing the Gospel, and a few in particular particularly so. So, please be praying that God would use this time.

I've got a few stories I hope to tell, but first I'd like to go over a few "basics". First, what is Peru like? From my still very novice viewpoint, I would say it's a very beautiful but broken place. The mountains (foothills of the Andes) are visible from our apartment rooftop, as is the Pacific Ocean- a pretty combination to say the least. The Centro (downtown) area is very historic and lively. The food is very rich and good (lots of fish, chicken, potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables).

Our city of Trujillo is one on the 2 most economically thriving cities of Peru. Yet, while some of the city shows these signs of growth, much of the city reminds me of post WWII pictures of Europe I've seen. It literally looks like the place has been heavily bombed (some pictures of earlier blogs show this a little).

Peruvians seem to be very pleasant and hard-working. I had frankly expected to find somewhat of a scratching culture down here, but they basically work 10-12 hours a week, 6-7 days a week. Though they work hard and are very industrious, they don't seem to have the hurried, stressful sense of angst we Americans seem to frequently master. Peruvians are also very family-oriented, kind of in an "Italian" sense. About 85-90% of the population is considered Catholic, with the vast majority being very nominal.

I can't go any further without mentioning the taxis. Basically, the taxis somewhat dominate the city life here. Very few people have cars, so everyone takes buses and taxis. Any adult (without a bad back) or a group of 2-3 adolescent children could easily topple one over. They are all very old, creaky, and dented yet somehow still running. We all still fit loads of unbuckled (there are no seatbelts, much less carseats) children and adults into each one.

But, without exception, every taxi has a very well-functioning horn. The honking culture here just blows me away. The streets are basically one continuous, loud "symphony" of tiny but very loudly honking taxis. In America, when we honk at someone, it "means business". We're seriously p-d off, and something (a bullet, knife, fist, verbal insult, finger, or at least an angry glance) is going to be exchanged.

Here, I've probably been in 100 taxi rides. There are very few traffic lights or signs so each driver roars into an intersection, bluffs his way as far as possible (it's basically the game of "chicken"), then firmly hits the brakes and starts honking. He honks his way through the entire gridlock and then floors the poor vehicle to the next intersection when it all happens again. You basically don't want to be looking anywhere except straight ahead, because each intersection gives the impression of a certain high-impact collision. But, here's the crazy thing, I've yet to see a single driver appear angry, rushed, or stressed in any way. I just don't get it.

Ok, I still very much want to tell you a story about "huts and pews" but I've got to go.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers and we love and miss you.

Jeff

waiting for inspiration

Yes, that is MY excuse for waiting a whole week to make a journal entry-not sure a/b Jeff's deal. I do believe that he promised one a while back and never delivered. So, I do hope to write every day in order to avoid this situation- feeling overwhelmed with what to type about.

First of all, thank you for prayers and concern for my fever virus and Jeff's back. I have been well for while and Jeff's back is doing much better. The mattress was crucial, along with daily P.T. and a hot tub all last week. He is actually getting a massage right now.

Kate, Hall, and Ellie seem to be enjoying themselves. Though they would choose to never return to their school here, they seem to have fun while there. They are somewhat famous -being the only white, blonde-hair and blue- eyed children there. Ellie is the star of the town. Everywhere we go women and children look @ her and smile @ her and just reach out and hug her. Others enjoy Kate and Hall a lot, too!

Jeff is enjoying his job as English Professor. His classes were so fond of him that they requested him for next semester(this first semester ends Wed. and the 2nd one begins next Monday). He uses stories from the Bible as a tool to teach English and to teach the Gospel. He has had a very captive audience in one class in particular. I attend SALI for tutoring on M-W-F and the little peeps start tutoring together T-TH this week.

We have continued getting to know and enjoy the different families living here. They have been so supportive and helpful and kind toward us. There are 3 churches we can choose from each Sun. a.m. It is difficult for me and the children b/c the whole service is in Spanish. Jeff can comprehend quite a bit during the liturgy and songs, but the sermon is tricky. We sang Is. 43 and Create in Me a Clean Heart and I was able to engage some in the worship. I really enjoyed last night @ the Eby's house. They have the interns over every Sun. pm for a great dinner and Bible study. Josh taught on Jonah ch. 1 and I learned new lessons from a story we've all heard hundreds of times-I love when that happens.

Because Jeff is done on Wed. until Mon. we planned our summer excursion to visit a city called Arequipa. We had to purchase plane tickets on Sat. but we still have yet to book hotels. The highlight of the trip should be our 2-night stay in Colca canyon-near Arequipa. It is the deepest canyon in the world, I believe, and has a lot of greenery(which we don't see much of here)

We were supposed to visit the orphanage on Sun. w/ 2 other families, but were not allowed to b/c someone had to be there to supervise us-the visitors-and they weren't there. Hopefully we can go the next weekend, though.

Do you mind praying for us on our big trip w/ no other support people traveling w/ us. It's just the Barry family setting out on a big adventure. That we would be healthy and safe and take in the experience and worship God in each vista, each meal, each person we see and talk w/.......

Much Love and appreciation from each of us, Amy

my cover-up blog

No longer do I want to see this picture of me whenever our blog comes up-therefore the COVER-UP-this entry will now be the latest and most visible. By the way, those last pix were taken in huan chaco last Sat. It is a neat little beach village w/ a lot of personality. We did very little this weekend due to health issues. I've had some kind of fever virus since Sat. and hope and pray that it has run its course. Jeff is improving though not 100% quite yet. We have made plans w/ a family,  who've been here since Dec., to visit the orphanage on Sunday-this will be our first time to go.o.k., so I think that this will be long enough to serve its original purpose. We have really been missing you all a lot!!!!!!!  Amy

Pictures

these are some pictures from kate

Health update

   Hello, dear ones. I just saw that our last post was Tues. That is pretty lame, I must say. Jeff's back has generally improved but his spirits are down and he hardly slept last night b/c his back was aching a lot. So, today we all went to the mall and bought a decent mattress. It is supposed to be delivered this evening. I have been feeling pretty well since arriving and am so thankful for this but started felling achy and sickish and chilled this afternoon. So, we are asking for health prayers again today. 

    The children seem happy and and content. They are passing their boredom away w/ hide-n-seek in this pretty small apt.-it's pretty cute. Ellie spent the night out last night @ the Smith's house and had a great time-they have 3 adorable girls and Adeline is Ellie's age. Maybe we will get it together tonight or tom. and post some new pix.

     Here is a random list of things that are new, different,better or worse a/b being in Trujillo, Peru: I love walking all around our neighborhood to visit the many families-it is pretty safe in this area called El Golf; you are not to drink the water or even brush your teeth w/ it; the taxi rides are nuts-no road rules and no seatbelts; the Coke is better here b/c it's made w/ sugar cane instead of corn syrup-they say; Inca Cola is more popular than coke and tastes a little like bubble-gum or banana laffy taffy; I could not buy baking soda @ the grocery-there was none; we have to order big water jugs every few days; the ketchup is not good here, but we found that McDonald's has American ketchup; church services are in Spanish; there is really no rain; you can buy narcotics @ the local pharmacy; the dollar is stronger and so we feel like we're getting deals; we have no working T.V's in the apt., and so reading more; lunch is THE meal of the day and dinner is small; most people do not speak english-it can wear you out @ times; no helmet-wearing here; men pee-pee randomly and visibly from the taxi; most of the city looks 3rd world while certain spots(in homes or nice malls or cafe's) look like a nice city; we spend more time together as a family and that's been great!          Much love for now!   amy   (some ideas from this post are from    KATE BARRY)    

                   she also rules on all levels!

Drying Jeff's toes

Yes! that would be my job these past couple of days, unfortunately for me-But really for Jeff. His back has continued to worsen and he was unable to go to his job @ SALI this am. We were in the living room this am around 8:00 trying to figure out what todo for him(meds, massage, hot tub,etc.) and realizing that navigating all this was feeling very overwhelming. We were both missing the amazing convieniences of being in your hometown. But just then the phone rang. It was Sandi Smith(Perumission mom) calling to invite us to lunch on Fri. Jeff told her a/b his back and that he wanted to go to P.T. It just so happens that Sandi broke her knee cap here in Trujillo and had to go to P.T. herself. She highly recommended this clinic which is also very nearby our neighborhood. She called the clinic to get him an appt. and went w/ him in the taxi @ noon today. He has not returned yet, but hopefully that means he is getting lots of attention and care. My sister, Kristin, also helped us via phone and e-mail to suggest certain meds for Jeff. Thank you, Dear Father, for caring for us. Thank you family and friends also! I'll keep you posted. Love, Amy and Kate 

Monday evening

Hello everyone! All 3 children just finished swimming on the roof of our apt. complex-is that strange or what? Apartments w/ pools on the roof in the US are typically quite different than ours here. Yet we are thankful for our rather quirky set-up. Please pray for Jeff's back. He cannot even put on and off his own shoes. It's his lower back and, and it all slowly started yesterday and has worsened w/ each hour. He has gone w/ very gracious, Brad Ball, to get a massage, etc. right now-we'll see!  Thank you everyone!  Love, Amy

good morning! Thankfully, it has been a lazy Saturday am. Jeff has definately not had one of these yet. Kate was invited to spend the night w/ one of the dear families here in our neighborhood who are also veterans in the mission here.  They are the Ball family and have 5 children. Brad and Jennifer both grew up in JXN, MS and so know quite a few of our good friends back home. Our adventurous Kate was happy to go-they have 3 girls all around her age.  We are getting ready to go on our first family outing to the beach called Juan Chaco. We are hoping to eat some good food, go fishing, sight-see, and just take in some more culture. I took my first tutoring lesson yesterday and will continue during the week for one hour each day-boy, do I need to be able to communicate. All 3 children are enjoying their school. Ellie informed us that she brushed her teeth @ school yesterday but reassured us that the teachers had gotten rid of any germs. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! not only did I not send a toothbrush to school w/ Ellie but none of the Americans use tap water to brush their teeth!  Well, any fetish I have had with safety in cars or germs is being tremendously challenged .  Thank you for reading and praying. I really miss seeing you, hugging you, eating with you and talking with you!!!!!!! 

Love from Peru, Amy               

Ok friends, here are a few pictures. Bringing the Barry's to the world of blogdom and then progressing to the point of adding pictures could indeed be the trip's first miracle.

The picture to the right is from our first visit to the church at Wichenzao, which was planted 18 years ago and restored under Peru Mission.

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Here is Ellie and her new playground located next to the Wichenzao church.

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We call this picture "The Girls From Little Rock".  One girl is of course Amy.  The other is the small girl to the right who was wearing a which says, "Little Rock...Peace....Love".  In the background are the homes of some of the squatter community at Wichenzao.

We spent the first night in Lima and then toured a few places before flying into Trujillo.  Here is the Eby family, a few interns, and the Barry family in Lima.

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The Barry's in Lima.

Loveyabye!

Its Thursday and I just started Talentos. Im in computer class and everyone is on their BLOG if they have one. Trujillo (tru - he - oo) is like a desert once you get their. Their are so many stray dogs! Their even on roofs of houses! I miss Memphis,but I will miss Peru once we are back in Memphis. Love, KATE $$

Ok, a second blog from Jeff.  Sorry it's been a while but we've been a bit crazy.  I've got a few minutes until my afternoon class so I'll try to share a few things with you.

There are a few stories to tell you about horns, wood, and bricks (all separate), but first let me say a simple "Thank you".  

I tend to fall into the mindset of self-sufficiency, foolishly forgetting that God repeatedly describes me as a sheep.  Being the dumbest and most helpless animals in the world, they of course need everything from others in order to survive.  Like the poor idiotic little creatures, I very often forget my need.  Maybe that's why I've been "given" so many broken bones and surgeries (at least that's what Dot Dot thinks!).

I think God has used this trip to help open my eyes a little bit to my (and our family's) need and subsequently how so many have provided for us.  We are very much "rookies" at all this.  So, going off to a far country for a couple of months with a young family has made me aware of how much I/we "need".  Amy and I have been blown away by how many of you are praying for and thinking about us.  I frankly don't remember another time when others' prayers have meant so much.

So, Amy and I very much want to say, "Thank you!" to our family, friends, and community at Redeemer. We are fortunate to be allowed to come on this trip.  We're certainly not experienced or "spiritually qualified" in any way except for the gifts God has given us in being able to come.  And a very big part of these gifts has been your love and prayers.  

We are also continually humbled by the missionary team here.  If I were the Eby's, I would have invited my hairy a__ to vacate the premises days ago.  In the past, I've at times enjoyed quoting old Ben's famous words ("fish and guests smell after three days") to MY guests.  But we've ended up tagging along with the Eby's for twice that.  We've been babes with the cord not yet cut.  Yet their hospitality seems to know no bounds.  With the Eby's and others on the team here, I am continually encouraged by their servant attitudes (especially of course when I'm the one being served). 

We do want to share a few prayer requests with you.  Please continue to pray for our basic health and safety.  Please pray God will use us all to be a small part of what he's already doing here with Peru Mission (go to their website www.perumission.org for more information on it).

Also, please pray for my classes at SALI.  SALI (one of the ministries of Peru Mission) is a Christian language institute where Peruvians pay to learn English, which is very important to their opportunities to make a living.   It's a great opportunity to not only teach English but also build relationships and share the Gospel with a very captive audience.  So, please pray that God will use this time.  

Ok, not to put the old "bait and switch" on you, but the "horns, wood, and bricks" will have to wait as I've got to go.

Take care,

Jeffersonian

Hello from Trujillo

Sorry to disappoint.....it's just tired little me sending a quick update from the the Barry family-this may not contain the laugh-factor of Jeff's entries. Neither of us have journaled b/c of busyness these past few days. we keep mentioning funny/interesting bits of Peruvian culture that we hope to blog a/b(preferably Jeff) in the near future. Jeff has begun his semi-full-time job @ the language institute-he teaches 5 hours a day(plus class prep and grading). We almost slept in our place tonight, but our sheets and pillowcases were not ready to put on the bed-@ the laundromat. So the Eby family has taken us in once again-we stayed up talking and laughing w/ Josh and Robin a little too late. In the a.m. @ 8:00, I am going to the spanish private school to hopefully have kate and Hall enrolled and ready to start later this week or next Monday. There is a sweet montessori school very nearby where we might send Ellie-belly. A couple other little ones in the mission also attend.  Thank you for your continued prayers, dear family and friends. I can feel it-REALLY!!!! We will send more photos w/ captions and specific prayer requests in the next couple of days. Thank you for joining w/ us, reading our updates and caring for us. we love reading your comments so much! It is nearly midnight and a/b 4 hrs. past my usual Memphis bedtime. One final thought for us all...... Jeff always converses w/ our cab drivers and the young man we had this evening told us that he works 12 hrs a day 7 days a week-and he said it so matter -of -factly and actually quite contentedly. May we be content in our place today.   Love, Amy  

Ok, here's a blog from Jeff- my first ever.

The four biggest shocks for me so far involve masks, water, knives, and toilet paper (sorry for those of you who expected a super spiritual intro).

Upon landing in Lima at about 11 pm Wednesday night, we were told to stay in our seats for a "review" from the Peru Department of Health.  A medical examiner in gloves, a mask, and surgery attire then entered and went row to row taking our health reports.  Amy made the mistake (which I didn't) of actually being honest on her report and stated that Kate had a cough.  I sinned and reported that I was doing well, even though I'm on three prescriptions medicines for a severe sinus infection.  We were then escorted to the front section of the plane where the masked and gloved examiner tested Kate for fever.   Kate was the only passenger examined out of 250, so I assume my sweet Amy was the only honest one in the bunch.

As we exited the plane into the airport, I was shocked to find that virtually everyone wore a mask, and most wore gloves.  The official report is that there is no swine flu in Peru, but the "fear factor" is quite high to say the least.  I gravely instructed the family to not cough or blow our snotty noses in order to avoid further examination or quarantine!

By 2 am, we were safely nestled into our hotel rooms when Amy asked me, "Is it ok to drink the water?"  I immediately and confidently replied, "Yes, it's no problem."  Thirsty from a long day, we both drank profusely.  I still don't know why I responded "yes"  the way I did- male pride, ignorance....I don't know.  Needless to say, I learned the next day that I was very mistaken and we are now awaiting the results.

The next day (yesterday), I was checking my carry-on bag for the flight to Trujillo when a security guard approached me and asked, "Tienes un cuchillo, senor?", which means "Do you have a knife?"  Once again, I confidently, quickly, and foolishly replied- this time with "No, of course not".  He looked seriously at me, took my bag, and began the inspection.  He quickly found a Leatherman knife which I had forgotten I had packed in my dop kit.  He surprisingly wasn't pleased that a gringo had attempted to carry a knife onto the plane and also denied its existence.

He then re-examined my bag and asked, "Tienes otros?", which means "Do you have more?"... 

"No, no amigo", I replied as he began to quickly pilpher through my bag a second time before finding a second knife- which I had packed years ago and forgotten as well.  Thankfully, I had my sweet, innocent looking family standing by my side. He simply gave me a stern look, walked over to his trash can, and looked back at me again as he dropped in both of my prized possessions. 

Last but not least, I just learned this morning that "you don't put toilet paper into the toilets". The plumbing here is not designed for such oddities.  So, toilet paper is to be discarded into a trash can which conveniently sits next to the toilet.  Admittedly, this news reached me a bit late.  This is not a pleasant thought, to say the least.  

Ok, now for a quick but brief transition to possibly more everlasting matters.  We've obviously just gotten here.  The key for our apartment was hopefully just found this morning, so we'll be apparently moving in this afternoon.  

We've met quite a few of the missionaries here already.  One of the missionary families (of Josh Eby) met us at the airport Wednesday night, and we've been with them since then.  Most of today I spent in training at the language institute where I will be working every day.  

One thing continually strikes me.  I use the word "strike" because it is so obvious, real, and even "hard" to handle.  These people truly seem to live for others in a deep and profound way. We've spent two days with the Eby family now, and I can't do justice to how we've experienced this from them.  Based on my experiences with others here, it seems to be similar with them.  "It" isn't something forced or really even very obvious. 

There seems to be a community here that truly lives for and serves others (from other American missionaries to Peruvians).  They actually have time for others.  Or maybe I should say they make time for others.  "Their" time, schedule and agenda is not their own but owned by God and others.

I don't mean to "hold them up" as angels or "super Christians" because no one is.  They are all people and sinners like everyone else.  But, I have been convicted and encouraged by this spirit that just seems to flow from them.  

See you soon,

Jeff

we're here!!!

Hello from Trujillo,Peru!  We arrived safely(thank you for all you prayers) @ 5:00pm yesterday. Prior to our final plane flight into Trujillo, we had some fun adventures. After finding our baggage in Lima late Wed pm, we met 3 young summer interns who will be here for part of our time here and will be teaching @ the language institute with Jeff. A/b an hour later we met Josh and Robin Eby and their 4 children in the Lima airport, too. All 14 of us squeezed into 3 amazingly tiny taxi cabs and somehow arrived safely @ a nice and comfy hotel-it was 2:00am @ this point. Ellie was even more wild and loud than usual in the lobby. We went sight-seeing  and ate a great lunch and headed for the airport.  

It's Sunday Morning,we just started learning how to use the BLOG.  Yesterday we started packing for the trip.  School got out on Friday, May 22, 2009.  I think I will know how to use the BLOG better then Mom or Dad.  I figured out the password all by myself!  Redeemer is going to commission us this morning at church.  I'm not sure what commission  means, but I know this will be a very special beginning of our journey.                                                                                                                                                                                            Love,                                                                                                                                                                                  KATE!