Game Day at The Lighthouse. .

Today is Independence Day in Peru. We always have our weekly Bible Study on Saturday afternoon. However, we didn't think that many people would come today because of the holiday. Sara and Rebecca, the summer interns from Mississippi, decided that they would like to plan a fun game day. They planned everything and even made food for everyone!

And were we surprised! The place was full! Everyone had a really good time too. Here is a picture of Carlos and Miguel trying to figure out the "Crossed, Uncrossed game."

I think everyone enjoyed Fiestas Patrias here at The Lighthouse! ~ Judy

Moises and Erick. Erick seems pretty stumped by this silly hanger game!

Maria passing the hanger to Aracelli playing the game, "Crossed and Uncrossed."

Junior and Jeff having their turn at playing "Gossip!"

Julio got tickled playing "Gossip." It was pretty funny--most of the sayings didn't finish at all like they began!

Julio, Carmen, Sara and Rebecca

Sara and Rebecca are summer interns from Mississippi who have been working in Oasis during the month of July. They have been doing some follow-up work with the people in that area after the volunteer group from Macolm, Mississippi worked there.

They are staying at The Lighthouse, our ministry site which has a small bedroom. They have also got to hang around with several of the translators who come to The Lighthouse or attend the Sunday School class we teach at our church.

In this picture they are in a motor-taxi, a common mode of transportation in Oasis. They would go with translators each day to Villa El Salvador by bus and then sometimes to Oasis in a motor-taxi. Julio and Carmen were working with them this day.

Vilma's Wedding

Yesterday our friend from church, Vilma, got married. Everyone has been talking about it for several weeks. The people in the church all helped and it was a really pretty wedding.

Rafael is a believer also but attended another church in another area of Lima. However, his pastor gave a mini sermon about what the Bible says about marriage and there were alot of people there from his church too.

They both wanted their wedding to glorify God. All of the songs were hymns and people who came definitely heard a Gospel message.

Below are some pictures - Judy

Rafael and his Mom

The flower girl - isn't she adorable?

Vilma and her Dad

Jeff sang "My Tribute"

The Choir from our church singing at the wedding. (Who's that good looking gringo?)

They sang "Victory in Jesus"

Vilma and Rafael saying their vows

Mr. and Mrs. Rafael Cueva

Karla and Gabriel. They were both attendants in the wedding. They both attend our Sunday School Class. Don't they look sharp?

Pastor Percy and his wife Mosha.

Rafael and Vilma coming back to the church after their little trip around Lima. They left the church right after the wedding and then they came back. We were told that it is a custom for them to go and drive around for awhile and then return. After they returned they continued with the reception.

Junior, Judy and Jeff at Segundo Muelle (Second Pier)

Last Sunday, the 8th, Jeff and our friend from Piura, Junior, celebrated their birthdays. We had a good day. We went to a new English church here in Lima. This church is a very contemporary church with lots of good music. It meets in a HUGE theatre complex in Miraflores, one of the districts here in Lima. The adults meet for worship in one theatre and they have children's church in another. Usually the pastor's message is shown on the screen from the host church, Flamingo Road, in Florida, but he and his family were visiting here in Lima so he preached. We enjoyed getting to worship in our native language.

After church we went to a nice seafood restaurant and we invited Junior to eat with us. Jeff and Junior shared ceviche (which is raw fish marinated in lime juice and served with corn and sweet potato and happens to be ONE of Jeff's favorite Peruvian meals!) We enjoyed catching up with Junior and hearing his HILARIOUS stories about his job. He lives here in Lima now and works at a call center. He translates calls from companies in the U.S. who receive calls from spanish speakers. We wish that we were as fluent in Spanish as he is in English!

Pictures taken in June with Summer Interns Erin and Sarah

Erin and Sarah with the group at The Lighthouse

The Conversation Club at the English Institute in La Molina

Roxana, the supervisor of the English Institute at Ricardo Palma University, with her family and us at her house. She invited us for Aji de Gallina (one of Jeff's favorite Peruvian meals!)

Sarah on the bus going to the lookout over Lima.

Erin and children on the bus to the lookout over Lima.

Sarah and Erin

Some of the students in our Basic English Class - Loly, Mosha, Sarah, Erin, Daniel and Vilma

Karla from our church with Erin and Sarah in the backseat of our car going out to eat chicken after church. Karla translated for Sarah when she gave her testimony that Sunday.

This was a sign going up the mountain to the highest railroad crossing in the world. It says, "Jesus, the true Living God, He will rule Peru and the Earth, He will be worshipped for Eternity!"

On our trip up the mountain we stopped for a picnic lunch along the road. Many of the trucks, buses and cars going by were trying to see what the "gringos" were doing!


Sarah took this picture going up the mountain. It looked like this family was building their house around their furniture!

Sarah and Erin peeling the apples for an apple pie.

After church yesterday we went to one of our favorite Peruvian restaurants with Erin, Sarah and Junior. They got to try Ceviche, and yucca balls (an appetizer with yucca wrapped around cheese and then fried and dipped into hot pepper salsa or gaucamole.)They both like the Peruvian dish, "Lomo Saltado" which is slices of beef sauteed with peppers and onions and served with rice and french fries. Sarah really likes the frozen limonada--which is really frozen limeade.

Junior enjoyed having Ceviche--he said he hadn't had any for awhile. He wasn't sure he would like it when it arrived because Jeff ordered one that is different than they have in Piura--but he did like it!

After lunch Junior took Sarah and Erin to downtown Lima for a tour. They got to see lots of Lima and being the gentleman that he is, he even escorted them back to the other side of town since it was after dark.

Erin gave her testimony yesterday at our church. She introduced herself in Spanish and then Junior translated her testimony. She did a great job and Pastor Percy even used her testimony in his sermon!

Saturday at The Lighthouse...

We had a fullhouse Saturday for the Bible Study. There were 22 of us, with some sitting on the floor! Erin and Sarah did a great job leading the study. Too bad I forgot to take my camera!

Summer Interns....

Sarah and Erin continue to attend Spanish classes every morning at the HUGE English Institute across town. They are real troopers. They take a taxi there and then ride a bus back. They are getting to meet lots of young people and are inviting them to The Lighthouse Bible Studies on Saturdays.

Yesterday they started teaching a Conversation Club at the HUGE English Institute in La Molina which is closer to where they are staying. They had 17 intermediate to advanced English speakers.

They also continue to speak in English classes at Ricardo Palma University and have prepared a PowerPoint presentation for a Tourism Class at San Ignacio de Loyola University on Monday.

Hopefully we'll have lots of new people at the study on Saturday!!!

Posing with a llama at the Indian Market

Erin trying on a hat. It was cold and drizzly the day we went to the market this week.

Sarah's 19th Birthday!

(Judy, Erin and Sarah)

We celebrated Sarah's birthday lastnight here at our house in Lima. Erin and Judy had pumped her about her favorite foods and desserts. So, we had spaghetti and an apple pie with ice cream instead of birthday cake--and of course, sweet tea since she's from Mississippi!

She also got to speak to her parents. (It's great having SKYPE!)

Saturday at The Lighthouse (Sarah, Junior and Erin)

Erin and Sarah...

are our student interns for the month of June. They arrived Friday morning--Erin at around 12:30 a.m. and Sarah at 4:30 a.m.

One of Sarah's flights was cancelled and she had to wait in Miami for another flight. Then her luggage didn't arrive and she had to stand in line at the Lima airport for about 2 hours to put in a claim for her missing luggage, however, she was a good sport through it all! (Her luggage did arrive Saturday afternoon and she was glad to have some different clothes to wear!)

Saturday they spoke at their first class at Ricardo Palma University. They will be speaking in classes at URP, San Ignacio de Loyola and the ICPNA Institute during the month.

Here are some pictures:


Erin and Sarah speaking to the class at URP



Edith, the teacher of the class


The students

Did you know???

In Peru the doctors don't normally give injections or shots in their offices. When they prescribe a shot for you, you go to the pharmacy and purchase the syringe and medicine and then someone in the pharmacy (hopefully someone trained!) will take you in a back room and give you the shot.

I've been taking B12 shots for several months and I decided I would just have to get over my fear of someone at the pharmacy giving me the injection. We have a brand new pharmacy within walking distance to our apartment so I decided that would be the best place since it was nice and new and clean. (Another advantage is that there is a STARBUCKS next door and we usually go for some coffee or tea afterwards!) They did take me back into a little room where I would have privacy - I had a fear of them just giving it to me right there in front of everyone! (There were Red Cross certificates on the wall, but we have seen too many people at the local copy shops cutting and pasting pieces to make all kinds of certificates!) I did that for several of the shots, but then missionary Sherry Neal who is a trained nurse gave it to me at our Annual Meeting in January and then she taught Jeff how. I feel alot more comfortable having it at home than going to the pharmacy! ~ Judy

Having surgery in Peru

God has taught us so much in the almost 5 years that we have lived here in Peru. One of the most important things is, Never say, "I will never....."

For example: "I will never see a dentist in Peru!" or "I will never have surgery in Peru!"

We both have our regular dentist check ups here in Lima with a well-qualified dentist who was trained in the U.S.

And a couple of weeks ago, I had surgery here too! Here's a picture of me before they took me to the operating room:

Another thing that I have done recently that I didn't think I would ever do is tie my hair back in a ponytail when it is wet. It is something that is really common here and this summer I realized that it is much cooler than drying it with a hair dryer.

However, when I showed up at the hospital with my hair wet, they thought I was crazy and hurried to dry it for me before they took me to the operating room.

As you can see, the clinic (really we would call it a hospital but they say clinica here) is very nice and I had excellent care. The Dr. was trained in the U.S. and even practiced there for several years before he returned home to Peru.

I am recuperating at home and I've feeling better and stronger every day. I'm sure my wonderful husband will be glad when I'm back up to speed so he can REST! ~ Judy