This video was taken on the way back--much, much easier than the trip there.
Our October 19- 24 trip to Ancash was really hard, but rewarding. Travel was very difficult from Huaraz to Pomabamba. There is no option of flying to Pomabamba, so we hired a local Christian to take us and Paco across the mountains in a 4 wheel drive pickup. We had snow while still on the paved roads, but worse than that, it rained and the dirt road turned very slippery! Of course it was with a dropoff on one side and a rock face on the other. Because of the slow going it got dark, so that added to the problems. At one time the driver stopped and said aloud, “What can I do?” But God answers prayer— we got through okay and had a great class with the pastors in Pomabamba.
It snowed while we were crossing the mountains.
Along the road--see the mud beside us? We don't know how bad that's gonna get!
Some of the pastors learning how to put the gospel in a Bible story. These guys can tell 150 different stories!
I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. Ps. 121
We've been visiting lots of groups and answering lots of questions. Some questions are so popular that we thought you might have them too!
How did you become missionaries?
Mike answered a call to missions in church as a teenager, but became alienated from a graceless church and wouldn't darken a church door until after Mike and Tammy's first child was born. After they both started following Jesus, they became youth leaders, and then Mike felt a reactivation of the call to be a missionary. Tammy's response: NO! If we do that we will never have matching furniture!
Their pastor advised Mike to not push this issue. If the desire was from God, then Tammy would feel it too. Sometime later, she was reading a book about worldviews to review for the youth group. She realized that God had saved her from the futility and hopelessness that most people are experiencing, but that she was more concerned with having a nice middle class life than helping others experience that hope. She decided whatever, God wanted or wherever He led, that's what she'd do. Mike decided to attend a school to prepare for ministry.
They went to Southeastern Bible College with three children and a fourth on the way. They learned a lot about depending on God! They applied to mission boards and were rejected as too old, or with too many children (they have five in all), or in one case, that the mission only wanted candidates with a doctorate in education or theology. Although Mike has a doctorate now, this really discouraged him then. We lived in Alabama for 13 years. Mike served as pastor in several churches. This was actually a necessary part of his training, although they didn't know it at the time.
Then one Sunday Mike heard a message in church from a missionary who taught in mobile Bible institutes, and felt a strong desire to apply to that mission. Tammy's response: YES! The mission board sent them to Peru.
How long have you been in Peru?
We have been in Peru since 2004. We have been with three different mission boards, but always in the same country.
Are you ever in danger there?
We have been robbed several times by robbers both armed and unarmed. When we lived Andahuaylas the town was repeatedly shut down by riots that were sometimes violent and we have run from a few rioting crowds. Mountain roads are always dangerous! Here's a video showing what is actually one of the better roads we have traveled.
