Pastor Evelio preaching at El Calvario Baptist Church/Pastor Evelio predicando en La Iglesia Bautista El Calvario

Participating in a church activity/Participando en una actividad de la iglesia

The missionaries warming up in the mountain sun/Los misioneros calientando en las montanas

At the center of Cusco/En el center de Cusco

One of the pastors from Cusco took the missionaries out for the afternoon after classes to see the city. We were able to go to Incan ruins, spanish cathedrals, and a variety of other sites.
Uno de los pastores de Cusco les llevo a los misioneros por la tarde despues de las clases a ver la ciudad. Pudimos ir a las ruinas de los Incas y otras cosas.

A famous rock/Una Roca Famosa

These rocks were hand chiseled to fit exactly into place hundreds of years ago. Look at how many angles it has!

Llamas everywhere!/Llamas en todo lugar!

The peruvian pastors tried to convince me that there was a family resemblance/Los pastores peruanos trataron de convencerme que estabamos parecidos

Crystal made some new friends/Crystal hizo algunas amigas nuevas

Talking with Pancho and his Llama/Hablando con Pancho y su llama

Pastor Evelio at some Incan Ruins/Pastor Evelio a las ruinas de los Incas

My favorite meal! They made it especially for us from Lima!/Mi comida favorita! Ellos la hicieron especialmente por nosotros de Lima!

Center of Cusco by night/El center de Cusco en la noche

My Sunday School Class/Mi clase de escuela dominical

Peruvian dressing room/Un vestidor Peruano

The Day Peru stood still/El Dia Que Peru Quedo Tranquilo

Sunday, 20th of October was the day of the census. By law, everyone had to stay in their houses from 7 a.m. till 6 p.m. while volunteers walked around and counted everyone. They never showed up to our apartment, so I guess we are nobodies! We spent the day recuperating after arriving in Lima that morning from northern Peru.
Domingo, el 20 de octubre fue el dia del censo. Todos tenian que quedarse en sus casas de las 7 en la manana hasta las 6 de la tarde mientras los voluntarios caminaron para contar a todos. Nunca vinieron a nuestro departamento, creo somos los dones nadies! Gastamos el dia recuperando despues de llegar en Lima esa manana del norte del Peru.

10/21 Update

Travel Status -
Last week we spent Thursday through Saturday in Lima with the Peruvian missionaries from MEBIP (a peruvian mission board) who work in the provinces around Lima. This week we spent in Piura, Peru, where the 2nd Escuela Misionera (missions conference) was held. Pastor Evelio is the director of MEBIP, and we are traveling with him and helping wherever possible. Crystal has been able to teach first aid classes and women's Bible studies, and Seth has been giving a challenge to the missionaries each morning. It has been a great opportunity to see how the national leaders of Peru work. We consider this time as valuable training for our future ministry. Not only are we meeting these missionaries and pastors, but we also are able to get a better look into their minds and hearts as they encourage and train each other.
Future Schedule -
We are taking off on Thursday morning for Cusco, Peru, for the third and final conference. We will then be spending two weeks at the seminary in Urabamba, observing classes and ministry opportunities.
Prayer Requests -
Please continue to pray for our language learning, MEBIP conferences, and our personal spiritual growth. We also are praying that God would open doors to visit more ministries and that we can learn from each one.
The Peru Side - 
Punctuality - In most Latin American cultures, tardiness is acceptable, and often times expected. If a missionary or visitor is not careful, this can become a point of contention and hostility. In preparing oneself before hand, several factors must be taken into account to arrive "on time." For example, if a meeting is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., we cannot assume that all parties will arrive 5 minutes before 3 as is the standard practice of Minnesotans. On the contrary, around 3 p.m. is when most will realize that the meeting is going to take place, and therefore begin their preparations. Then one must also allow for travel time to the event, and perhaps the occasional conversation with an old friend en route. Therefore, upon arrival 15 to 30 minutes later than the scheduled time, the attendee is still "on time." It benefits the standard "time-oriented North American" to understand this and come prepared with a book, project, and a pile of patience.

Our 20 hour bus ride up north/Nuestro viaje al norte en el bus por 20 horas

This past weekend we were able to go to the 2nd Escuela Misionera which was held in Piura. We spent Tuesday and part of Wednesday traveling, Wednesday afternoon we visited a church plant on the border with Ecuador, and then drove 3 1/2 hours south to Piura. There we had the missionary reunion Thursday - Saturday, and then arrived back in Lima Sunday morning around 7.
El fin de semana pasada, pudimos ir a la escuela misionera in Piura. Viajamos el martes y parte del miercoles. En el miercoles visitamos una obra en la frontera de Ecuador, y viajamos 3 1/2 horas al sur a Piura. Tuvimos la escuela misionera alli jueves-sabado, y llegamos a Lima en la manana en domingo a las 7 mas o menos.

Pastor Zapata

We were able to visit this missionary who is working on the border between Peru and Ecuador. The church was recently able to buy some land, and now is planning a building project. Please pray for the church there and also for his health. He lost feeling and movement to his left arm a week ago, and is having difficulty getting medical help.
Pudimos visitar ese misionero quien esta trabajando entre Peru y Ecuador. La iglesia recentemente pudo comprar un terreno, y ahora esta en su plan de construir una iglesia. Por favor, oren por la iglesia y por la salud del pastor. No puede sentir su brazo y no tiene bastante movimiento tampoco, ahora tiene dificultades encontrar la ayuda de los medicos.

An interesting ride/Un viaje interesante

Anytime you take a moto (three wheeled motorcyle with a bench on the back), you always are in for an adventure!
Cuando estas en un moto, siempre vas a tener una adventurita!

The Second Escuela Misionera - Piura, Peru/La segunda escuela misionera-Piura, Peru

Quite a few ladies from the church showed up for Crystal's classes/Algunas de las damas de la iglesia vinieron por las clases de Crystal

First Aid Class/Clase de Primeros Auxilios

Equatorianal lights/Las luces

The MEBIP missionaries from the north/Los misioneros de MEBIP del norte

Getting ready for breakfast/Listandonos por el desayuno

Taking time to relax/Tiempo para relajarnos

Saturday morning we were all able to go to a park and spend time relaxing and talking. It was a great time for the missionaries to be refreshed and encouraged, as they will be heading back to works where there are few believers.
Sabado en la manana fuimos a un parque para tener un tiempo juntos para hablar y relajarnos. Fue un tiempo bueno por los misioneros para ser animados, como van a regresar a sus obras donde hay pocos creyentes.

Spring is finally coming!/Primavera viene finalmente!

Still can't get over how ugly they are!/Todavia no puedo creer como feo son!

It's Crystal and Seth!/Es Crystal y Seth!

Some type of flower/Algun tipo de flor

Hanging out/Que divertido

Funniest Home Videos here we come/Vamos, Funniest Home Videos

Packed up and ready to go/Listos para ir

We said our goodbyes and took off for Lima at 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Arriving at our apartment sometime after 7 a.m.
Dijimos "Chau" y salimos por Lima a las 3:30 en la tarde en sabado. Llegando a nuestro departamento mas o menos a las 7 de la manana.

Everyone was tired/ Todos tenian sueno

We had classes all day long, with special services each night. Normally the services would end around 9:30 or so, and then everything started back up around 7:30 the next morning. Because the missionaries work so hard to get there, they pack everything than can into the short amount of time alotted.
Tuvimos clases todo el dia, con servicios especiales en las noches. Normalmente los servicios terminaron a las 9:30 mas o menos, y despues empezamos otra vez a las 7:30 de la manana. Porque los misioneros tenian que trabajar tan fuerte llegar a las escuelas, hacemos todo lo que podemos en un poco tiempo.

...and I mean everyone/ .....y yo digo todos

A Little Piece of Heaven

We visited the evening service of Manchay, Iglesia Bautista El Manantial. We took the beaten bus up the pot hole filled road, bouncing alongside other tired and dusty travelers. Normally there are a few bags of potatoes or other assorted vegetables lining the walkway or perched on a lap, but today was an exception, possibly because it was Sunday. The windows remained closed in effort to keep out the lung filling smog and dust, and to keep the wet chill from permeating every part of one's body. The cobrador shouted to would be passengers on the bustling, dusty streets, and then turned his attention to us. Making sure no one received a free ride, he demanded the toll and gave a ticket in return - as if he couldn't remember the only three white ones.
As our destination drew near, we edged our way to the door. "Baja, Baja, Baja!" shouted the cobrador, attempting to save precious time and money by pushing us out the door. We stepped out into the open street, before the stares of hundreds of people milling around either because they had nowhere to go, or they were capitalizing on those who had nowhere to go. We felt about as welcome as a cowboy at an English tea party. Finding our sidewalk, we quickly worked our way up the dimly lit, debris filled street. Behind us we could hear a mixture of bus horns, blasting music and shuffling pedestrians. Before us lay a dusty street, angry dogs, and a small but well lit little church. As if we were lost seamen followed the light to the little meeting place squeezed between two shabby brick buildings. We entered through the rough doors to find a group of believers gathered to worship and awaiting others as well. Although the sign above the building specified the starting time, no one really looked at the clock. Here, it is not the task at hand that holds the importance, it is the people. A quiet, elderly man who has seen more toil and pain in his lifetime than I ever wish to see, stands behind a small pulpit and leads us in songs of God's holiness and goodness. The solo guitar accompanies the slowly growing congregation as one by on they enter. Children who have found a place to be safe, mothers who need a friend, men who had found nothing of value in this harsh world, but all who had sought, and were found by the Father. The sermon tonight is focused on the miracles of Christ. Each mind races to the idea that maybe Christ will step in and take care of our most pressing health need, but as the Scriptures are unfolded, we see the greatest miracle of all is that of a holy God, dying for sinful man, and forgiving a lost soul.
The words, at times, were hard to follow. It should come as no surprise, for one cannot find a quite sanctuary here. Honking cars, barking dogs, and yelling men have replaced the quite hum of fans, distant traffic and occasional cell phones. There are babies crying, bustling traffic and shuffling pedestrians. There are loud bands, off tune karaoke, and men on microphones. There are sniffling children, street salesmen, and crinkling papers. A wheelbarrow rolls by and a car door slams. There is so much to distract, but also so much to hold the attention. The service ends with another song, but the people are asked to remain. There is no need to ask again, for very few rush out. Most love to mingle and find rest with brothers and sisters of like faith. The pastor explains the reason for baptism and church membership, and then invites three to share their testimonies for membership. First a man, then his wife, and then a teen girl. All testimonies of God's saving grace and unfathomable love, but one catches my attention. I smile in response to the testimony of the man and the young girl, but am caught off guard by a phrase in the testimony of the wife. "I would love to be part of this little piece of heaven on earth..." Here? Here? My eyes scan the bare walls and cement floors, looking, searching. Here? Boasting, not a sparkling chandelier, or ornate decorations, but rather a tin roof supported by a few skinny poles. Here? Two small bouquets of flowers adorn the front. Here? Yes, here. For "this little piece of heaven" is not found in beautiful buildings or plush surroundings. No matter how great the building, or how scarce the furnishings, it is not man made. "This little piece of heaven" is not the meeting place, it is the communion of brothers and sisters in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit.

Seth giving a devotional/Seth dando una devocional

Each morning of the missions conference, Seth gave a challenge to the missionaries participating in the conference.
Cada manana de la escuela misionera, Seth dio un mensaje a los misionerios que estaban participando en la conferencia.

Crystal teaching a First Aid class/Crystal enseñando una clase de Primeros Auxilios

Several of the women missionaries participated in Crystal's classes and were able to learn about CPR, how to treat broken bones, burns and minor cuts.
Algunas de las misioneras participaron en una de las clases de Crystal y podia aprender de RCP, como tratar huesos rotos, quemaduras, y heridas.

The Book Store/La Libreria

The Whipples provided a selection of commentaries, Bible lessons, and teaching helps that the missionaries could purchase at an affordable price. It is often times very difficult to get good material in Spanish, and when it is available it is limited to the major cities.
Los Whipples proveyeron una selecion de comentarios, lecciones Biblicas, y ayudas para ensenar que los misionerios pudieron comprar a un buen precio. Muchas veces es dificil conseguir material bueno en Castellano, y cuando esta disponible es limitado a las cuidades grandes.

A study in Esther/ Un estudio en Ester

Crystal led a Bible study on the book of Esther with the women at the conference, examining important principles found throughout the book.
Crystal dirigio un estudio Biblico sobre el libro de Ester con las damas en la conferencia, examinando los principios importantes encontrado en el libro.

HELP!/ Socorro!

It was a good thing they had just taken a class on how to treat a boken bone! (Crystal was the practice mannequin)
Fue bueno que habian tenido una clase sobre como tratar un hueso roto! (Crystal estaba la maniqui de practica)

Pastor Evelio's Workshops/Las Clases de Pastor Evelio

Pastor Evelio and several other pastors taught classes on the importance, meaning and specifics of discipleship in the local church. Pastors and leaders came from all over Lima to join the missionaries in their classes.
Pastor Evelio y otros pastores enseñaron clases sobre la importancia, significancia, y los datos de discipulado en la iglesia local. Pastores y lideres vinieron de diferentes lugares en Lima para unirse con los misioneros en sus clases.

Lunch Time!/ Tiempo de almorzar!

Orphanage in Ceineguilla/ Hogar de Ninos en Cieneguilla

We took a quick trip to an orphanage and visited the ministry. The home has 38 kids, and is working on getting more. (The baby is just a month old)
Fuimos a un hogar de ninos y visitamos el ministerio. El hogar tiene 38 ninos, y esta trabando por mas. (El bebe tiene un mes.)

MEBIP Missionaries/Misioneros de MEBIP

Here is a group photo of all the missionaries who participated in the conference.
Aqui esta una foto de todos los misioneros quienes participaron en la conferencia.

The Teens of the church put on a drama for the closing session/Los Jovenes hicieron un drama por la iglesia durante de la clausura

The Sunday School classes purchased gifts for the missionaries/Las clases de escuela dominical compraron regalos por los misioneros