Smoggy Sunset/Ponerse del sol

Carlton Clan/Familia Carlton

Sort of reminds me of a Minnesota Christmas.... ok.... not really/Me hace recordar de una Navidad en Minnesota...o...quiza no

The Carltons invited us along to the beach the day after Christmas. We felt obligated to go. Really, does anyone want to go to a warm beach?
Fuimos con los Carlton a la playa.

Pier/Muelle

It was a great time to relax a little and get to know the Carltons and Freys. We have learned so much from their example, and the time we have spent asking questions about ministry in a foreign culture has been a great help.
Pudimos relajar un poco y conocer a los Carlton y a los Frey mejor. Hemos aprendido bastante de sus ejemplos, y el tiempo que hemos tenido haciendo preguntas a cerca del ministerio nos ha ayudado bastante.

Hanging out and playing games/Jugando...

One of Laura Carlton's many talents/Uno de los talentos de Laura Carlton

Flower within a flower/Flor adentro de una flor

Plenty can be learned from a Sparkler/Podemos aprender bastante de un cohete

Christmas is celebrated the midnight of Christmas Eve. Everyone stays up to set off their fireworks and wish their neighbors a Merry Christmas. Christmas day is still a holiday, but more of just an after thought. Many of the peruvians thought it strange that we were going to celebrate Christmas on Christmas. I guess we are just weird.

Sparkler/Cohetes

Sparklers, firecrackers, and portions of dynamite are part of Christmas celebrations!

Missionary Christmas Party/Con los misionerios en la Navidad

For Christmas we were able to go to Gary and Penny Whipple's house, and be with the other BMM missionaries in Lima.
Pudimos ir a la casa de Gary y Penny Whipple para Navidad. Los otros misioneros de BMM estaban tambien.

Around the Christmas Tree/Con el árbol de Navidad

Christmas Dinner with the Huaman Family/La cena de Navidad con la familia Huamán

Paneton - The Lutifisk of Peru

The Ingredients/Los ingredientes

The product - Hot chocolate/El producto-chocolate caliente

The Stars of the Christmas program/Las estrellas del programa de Navidad

Crystal and the girls/Crystal y las chicas

And Heber goofing off/Y Heber jugando

Jovenes Christmas party/Fiesta de Navidad con los Jóvenes

Some of the College and Career age group from church.

Church Cleaning/Limpieza de la iglesia

We helped to clean up the church so it looked good and clean for Christmas.
Ayudamos limpiar la iglesia para que estuviera limpia para Navidad.

The old guys of Musa playing soccer/Los ancianos de Musa jugando fútbol

Right before they kicked the ball through our window, sending glass all over the place.
Esto fue antes de que ellos patinaron su pelota y rompieron el vidrio de la ventana de la iglesia.

Merry Christmas!/Feliz Navidad

Lights of the City/Luces de la ciudad

Every Friday the women at Musa Baptist Church have a special ladies meeting. It is a time for singing, games, a challenge, and encouragement.
Cada viernes las damas de La Iglesia Bautista de Musa tienen una reunión de damas. Es un tiempo para cantar, tener juegos y una mensaje, y para animarles unas a otras.

Ladies Meeting/Reunión de damas

Incarnation of Christ

The Lord Jesus did not become God at the incarnation, nor did He become the Son. The incarnation was when God’s eternal Son assumed our humanity, without ceasing to be God. The Son of God became the Son of Man, that we, the sons of men, might become the sons of God (John 1:12; Gal. 3:26). May we ever be filled with wonder and praise for His condescending love and grace by which He stooped so low in order to raise us so high! "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).
Middletown Bible Church

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas - with lots of flowers and sun!/Estoy soñando de una Navidad blanca con muchas flores y sol

The Match

The scene would have looked much like the David and Goliath episode. Goliath, day after day taunting the opposing army. He was sure, confident, strong, expereinced, the best. When he saw his opponent he had to laugh. A kid. "This is it? This is all you got?" He was bound and determined to dispose of this nuicance so all might remember who was really in charge. It didn't quite turn out as planned.
This scene would have been quite similar. However, the taunting had not been going on for only forty days, but for thousands of years. The battle field would not have been a relatively small valley, but the entire world. The stakes would not have been slavery or death, but ultimate control. The opponents would not have been a giant and a teen, but the great Deceiver and the coming Redeemer. Up until this point Satan had been flexing his muscles and shouting taunts to the seemingly absent opponent. He was the Prince of the power of the air and he was in control. Ever since the Garden of Eden he had been mocking. There was talk of an opponent from the very beginning, but He had yet to show His face. Arrogant and fierce, he stood there scoffing. Little did he know that this morning would begin his end.
I can image him following the shepherds to the stable, laughing the whole way. "A baby is born! That is it? I am supposed to be crushed by a child?!" He should have remembered Goliath's mistake - God always wins.
I am so thankful Jesus Christ came to earth to conquer the Adversary. There was no match. Have a Merry Christmas and celebrate the day that God came to live among us.

We helped the church in Manchay (where the Carltons minister) put on a "Chocolatada." This is one of the main Christmas traditions in Peru. The event consists of panetón (type of Italian fruitcake) and hot chocolate. Even though it is 80 degrees or above, you still have to drink your hot chocolate for Christmas!
Ayudamos la iglesia en Manchay (donde los Carlton ministran) tener una chocolatada.

Organizing hundreds of little kids/Organizando cientos de niñitos

A group of students from a local Bible institute came and put on a program with Christmas songs, skits, clowns, and a gospel message, and then the food was handed out. Because they only had enough for about 300 kids, there was plenty of organizing to be done from keeping everyone from going through 2, or 3, or 4 times to get more.
Un grupo de estudiantes de un instituto bíblico vino para hacer un programa con canciones de Navidad, dramas, payasos, y un mensaje del evangelio, y despues dimos la comida. Porque solamente tuvimos basta por 300, tuvimos que organizar bien para que no pudieran pasar 2, 3, o 4 veces.

Lots of Kids/Un montón de niños

Our job was mostly to supervise and help with crowd control (we must not have done the best job because Crystal got hit in the head and arm with rocks). We were also there to help with counseling, but with an attendance of somewhere around 1000, there is not a whole lot you can do.
Nuestro trabajo fue ayudando organizar a la gente que se quedaran donde debian (creo que no hicimos un buen trabajo porque alguien tiró piedras y pegó a Crystal en la cabeza y en el brazo). Estabamos allá para ayudar con consejería también, pero con casí 1,000 niños no pudimos separar en grupos.

Everyone heard the gospel, was given the tract, and was introduced to the church. We thank God that the event allowed us to do that much!
Todos escucharon el evangelio, recibieron un folleto, y fueron introducidos a la iglesia. Damos gracias a Dios que pudimos hacer todo eso.

Here the Clowns are working the crowd/Los payasos están jugando con la gente

Mountain Traffic Jam

Our Map/Nuestro mapa

I admit it, I'm a man and I used a map. Shame on me.
Si, soy un hombre y usé un mapa. Que verguenza.

We were headed to the top/Quisimos llegar arriba

Our ultimate destination was at the top of the cliff, in the center of the photo. Elevation 14,596 feet (approximately 15 feet below heaven).
Nuestra destinación fue encima del precipicio, en el center de la foto. Casí al cielo.

Stairway to Heaven/Escaleras al cielo

We had to climb up this contraption to make it to the lake! One word, "faith".
Tuvimos que subir esa para llegar al lago. Una palabra: fe.

Crystal - "The Mountain Woman"/Crystal-Mujer de las montañas

Seth's Glamor shot

We made it, and could still smile about it/Llegamos, y todavía pudimos sonreir

To be honest, it was a tough smile to muster up.

Mountain Sunset/El ponerse del sol en las montañas

Huaraz, Peru

To the Hotsprings (a.ka. "Muddy hole")/ A los baños de agua caliente

There is nothing like a good soaking in a mud pit after a long day of hiking through the mountains, talking to locals, and getting robbed. (more about that later)
No hay nada como sentarse en el barro después de un día largo de caminar en las montañas, hablando con la gente, y siendo robados (más de eso después).

We were about as tired as this guy!/Casí tuvimos tanto sueño como él

Not really. My guess is he was drunk and passed out here on this comfortable slab of cement. After seeing this, the life of a drunk just seems more and more inviting! We see this way too often down here.
Broma. Creo que estaba emborachado y estaba durmiendo allí. No quiero este tipo de vida.

The semi truck of the mountains

Potatoes - Peru's main crop

Break time/Tiempo de descanso

These older ladies were taking a break from road construction. They will take any job they can get.
Esas señoras estaban descansando de contrucción.