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