A Great Humbling!

Last night I was invited to share a message at a united service of the churches of the pastors' association in Moyobamba.  When I arrived I found out that it was actually a service to honor Angel & I, and for the pastors to show their love & gratitude to our serving with them here in the Alto Mayo region of Peru.
I thankfully delivered the message without falling apart after which we showed the video I had of Angel sending his love and encouragement to our dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Each pastor gave a short word of thanks and a scripture verse of encouragement & promise for us. The church was packed. I was so blessed.  My only regret is that Angel wasn't here to be a part of this.
Many stayed to take have their picture taken with me, I felt like a movie star.  I am taking so many hugs back to my Angel. If I were to give him them all we'd be hugging for months.  I will never forget this moment, these people, this town.  My prayer is that during our time here we had not only been a reflection of the glory of Jesus Christ but also the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him .(2 Corinthians 2:14b)  This weekend I head to Tarapoto where we served for 6 1/2 years.  There will be some more goodbyes to be given...more memories shared.  I praise God the Father for each and every one of them who have become "our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody...a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not in ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.  Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He made us competent as ministers, not of the letter but of the Spirit..." (2 Corinthians 3:2-6a)

All glory and honor be His in Christ Jesus!

So the Saga Continues!

Since Angel has been getting all the attention and since things have been moving so well here in Peru and my stress level has gone considerably down, I thought it was time to shake things up a bit and raise the stress level back up and get some attention of my own.  It's about time don't you think?

So as my day started out just wonderful with the runs commencing at 1am, then 3 am then calming down about 6 am, I ventured out with my neighbor Maria in order to get some important paperwork completed before next week's venture to Tarapoto.  All was going so well as we had collected all the information we needed and were heading home to type up the required forms to bring back to the police station and notary.

As we rounded the curve of the bridge only about 5 blocks from my house I stepped down off the curb into water and mud and below is the result.

Yes that's right I am here in Moyobamba Peru with two fractures in my foot.  Traveling back to Florida is going to be a real adventure! Again thank God for Mary, she has now become my nurse on top of all the other things she has been doing for me.  Pray for us both as we still have so much more to do.

My boxes are packed, I'm ready to go!

With the hard part of this transition completed, the goodbyes now begin.
Tonite I share a message at Ps. Samuel's church. Monday, dinner w/my friend Julio & his family (Julio is the one I was to start the Am. English Institute with).
Thursday Pastora Rosalia wants to have a thanksgiving dinner for me at her house, I will cook the turkey.
The 26th I present the CMA motorcycles to 3 pastors.
The 27th the furniture gets picked up by Ps Benny, Mattie & Daniel & that same day or the next we head to Tarapoto for more goodbyes and fellowship.
I thought all I've done already was hard but I do believe the hard part is now.  Lord give me strength to walk through this and an outpouring of your love to those we are leaving behind that they may continue this great walk of faith for Your glory!

Yippee all boxes are packed

I am watching the hand of God move every day over all the details of this transition.  I just received a call from the landlord's nephew who asked me why I was going to pay for a hotel room in Lima and invited me to stay with them.  I am blessed beyond measure!All the boxes are packed, marked, taped and sealed, ready to go to the bus company tomorrow to be taken to Lima. Still lots of ppwk to do, like make a list of everything in each box and send it to the couple helping me in Lima w/customs. Don't know how I'd get all this done if Mary wasn't here. She is a Godsend.  Her husb came today w/ the young men they are training in carpentry/construction & I took them to Tioyacu. they had a great day!  I am beat! Body is fading.  Time to call it a nite.

I am overwhelmed!

The hardest part of this transition has been finding good homes for my pets.  I think I can write about it now, without crying as much. Our neighbor, Maria, found a home for Yana with her friend who lives on a large piece of property. She knows him well and made him promise that she can visit Yana anytime.  Yana actually rode in a mototaxi with him and our neighbor's daughter.  She said Yana was nervous when she entered their house but believes she is going to have a great life there with lots of room to run around and play.  I am happy yet heartbroken at the same time. I love Great Danes and she was a special blessing.  I release her now into the hands of our Lord and know all is well with my soul.

Chichi will be leaving soon too.  Maria & her family will be taking her. She will get lots of love there.  I'll be taking her there little by little so as to train her not to kill their chickens.  She will have a Siberian Husky boyfriend too...woo hoo...I am blessed beyond measure for the favor our Lord has poured over Angel and I during this time of stress and difficult decisions.

Several of the pastors and their wives, my friend Julio and my latest spiritual daughter Saydit, have come to visit sharing how much we have affected their lives in the short time we have been here, I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the shedding of tears, even by the pastors themselves.

 There is still lots to do here including presenting 3 CMA motorcycles to three pastors before I leave.  I am also going to have a lunch at the house for the pastors' wives w/whom I've been meeting monthly for prayer and fellowship.
The friendships we have made in this last year and a half in Moyobamba will be in our hearts forever as we pray we can continue to serve our Lord in Peru from the states.  Our heart is that during this medical leave we will not to have to take secular jobs but be able to continue forth in some form of ministry, be it church staff, with an organization or if we are able, on our own.  Please pray for clarity of vision as we are also praying about starting a spanish fellowship ministry in South Tampa.

Due to Angel's side effects from the radiation which seem to be increasing a bit, and with the sale of the furniture and homes found for the animals going so quickly, I've decided to push up my flight to the states.  I'll be back in Florida December 8th instead of the 17th.

Still so much more to share on the wondrous works of our Lord here, but for now I would like to close with this prayer:
  "Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.  And who is sufficient for these things?  For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)

I pray we leave behind the sweetest aroma of Christ our Savior that permeates this beautiful city of Moyobamba to the glory of His name!