We're in Louisiana now at Camp Pearl. The weather has mostly been hot and muggy or rainy with a lot of mosquitoes. However, the last few days have begun to feel like fall.
The churches here are planning a mission trip to Andahuaylas at the end of 2010. That will be exciting. There are lots of opportunities to help with teaching, construction, or medical campaigns.
Beaumont Bible Church ( from Beamont TX) is planning a trip for the end of this year. This will be our first time to host a team up there, so we will be making all the arrangements when we return the first of November. Everyone there in Andahuaylas has been praying for them to come down and we already have a lot of backup for the medical team that is coming.
It is a struggle not to get fat out here because there is just too much good food! We will try to post some pictures later this week. (of the churches--not of food or how fat we are :)
On to Texas
Early Friday morning we said goodbye to son Colin, who is staying behind in Birmingham and starting his first job.
We also swung by the animal clinic to say goodbye to daughter Mandy, who was still at work, and were off to Texas!
We also swung by the animal clinic to say goodbye to daughter Mandy, who was still at work, and were off to Texas!
Sunday we visited Faith Bible Church in LaMarque, Texas.
Chad Barrett, shown here as "El Gringo" is pastor.
Travels...
Just a fly by...
We left Lima for the US on August 12, on a day complicated by a nerve-wracking run in with a corrupt immigration official in Lima and the birthday of Miguel's mother, Maria Navarro.
Arrival on the 13th (cheap tickets) was also a little complicated by the lack of rental cars in the airport in Fort Lauderdale, but friends at Missionary Resource Network in Fort Lauderdale graciously loaned us a van and we were on our way by afternoon.
We enjoyed a few days with my family in Tampa and then were on our way on Sunday to speak Sunday night in our son Tim's church in Samson, Alabama. Mike left early Monday to return the van and pickup the car that CMTS ministries in Pennsylvania had for us.
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| Tim Brittney WEdding |
Sunday the 30th we were at Salem Presbyterian close to Lake Logan Martin, where Dr. Bill Maynor is pastor. We have enjoyed visiting with our daughter Mandy in Birmingham, and also enjoyed the Mary and Martha Society luncheon with old friends from Brook Highland Community Church on Friday the 4th.
Mike enjoyed catching the football games on Saturday and Sunday found us at Chelsea Bible Church in the morning and Rock Mountain Lakes Baptist that night.
And... this Friday we head out to Louisiana and Texas.
Prayer / Praise Report & God's Provision
This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
(Psa 34:6)
Praises! God has been providing awesomely, in both big and small things.
We needed someone to watch our apartment in Andahuaylas. Our friends and co-workers, the Vargas family, received the bad news that their landlady was raising their rent, and needed somewhere to stay while they finish the house they have been building. They couldn't stay in the apartment they are now without renewing the lease. So they are staying in our apartment, caring for the dog, etc. Problem(s) solved!
Colin needed to pay a fine to leave the country--due to a governmental error he lost his resident status and technically has been in the country illegally. Peru doesn't care about this, but won't let you leave without paying. There is no problem with coming back! They just want their money. Two days ago we had no idea where this would come from, but a VBS class of kindergarteners gave enough to cover it! God is amazing!
Both Colin and Chris had to renew their passports, and they came through with no delays or errors!
We had been having trouble locating a car, but God has provided a car from a ministry in Pennsylvania that provides loaner cars to missionaries. Truly an answer to prayers.
Pray for these things still needing to be worked out:
We have to go to Migraciones tomorrow to get the seals transferred from their old to new passports, and pay for Colin to leave the country. Also there is some problem (hopefully minor) with the resident cards we renewed in March. Pray that all this can be accomplished with no problems, as we leave tomorrow night.
We need to get to Pennsylvania to collect the car, and coordinate that with our other scheduled events. And all the usual details of airport pickup, etc.
Thanks for praying!
Tammy
Pray for Peru
Today is Peruvian Independence Day and I thought I would post some prayer requests for the country of Peru.
Please pray:
That the government remains stable and is responsive to the needs of the poor and the provinces.
That the new law of Religious Toleration accomplishes its purpose of allowing all denominations to be chaplains and provide religious instructions in schools, etc. and is not twisted into causing more regulations and state control.
That the people of Peru develop a respect and love for their own culture, especially the indigenous peoples, and realize that they have potential and capacity to learn equal to North Americans and Europeans.
That many turn to Christ as the only answer, both for the country's problems and their personal problems.
For the pastors of the many small and struggling churches, and for revival in these churches.
And... just maybe, for a GOOD national soccer team.
Yours in Christ,
Tammy
Please pray:
That the government remains stable and is responsive to the needs of the poor and the provinces.
That the new law of Religious Toleration accomplishes its purpose of allowing all denominations to be chaplains and provide religious instructions in schools, etc. and is not twisted into causing more regulations and state control.
That the people of Peru develop a respect and love for their own culture, especially the indigenous peoples, and realize that they have potential and capacity to learn equal to North Americans and Europeans.
That many turn to Christ as the only answer, both for the country's problems and their personal problems.
For the pastors of the many small and struggling churches, and for revival in these churches.
And... just maybe, for a GOOD national soccer team.
Yours in Christ,
Tammy
Back from Youth Conference
We made it! Mike is no worse for the trip--he is on some hefty antibiotics and the Dr. said the climate in Umaca would make him better. And it would have been if it hadn't rained yesterday, probably.
Umaca is an hour away over the winding mountain roads. The trip there is full of breathtakingly beautiful mountain scenery, green checkerboard fields, snow-capped peaks, winding river vallies, the usual stuff. We went in a truck with several people and all the mattresses for the conference and took the dog along so he could enjoy some greenery and space (he lives on the roof here in Andahuaylas.) The pastor of the IEP church in Umaca drove the truck. We got to ride in the front with him, the boys and the rest rode in the back with the dog and the mattresses.
Umaca is in a sheltered valley, so it has tropical fruits, parrots, flies, hot days, and cold nights.
All of the schedules in the country have been changed because of swine flu, so events that were scheduled for the midwinter break from school have been moved up to go with the changed vacation schedule. This conference was moved up a week, like everything else, and so the location was moved to Umaca because the church there was having its anniversary on this date. Although we anticipated an attendance of 200 , the reality was only about 70 due to the general confusion generated by the flu. We also participated in the church anniversary, with Mike preaching twice with a Quechua translator. We also got to hear the many musical groups that came to sing for the anniversary, and enjoy the food provided for the anniversary. (Mostly soup, but Saturday there was fresh beef!)
We taught the youth an evangelism seminar that wound up with volunteers giving their testimonies. That was a moving experience!
We came back by taxi last night, as the rain was continuing. It was hard to get a taxi because they run up the mountain and back down, and at the end of the day they are usually going to their home (at the top or bottom). The last ones coming down are usually already full of people going back to Andahuaylas. Still, the boys found room in one and Mike and I in another. The pastor said that he would bring Bother with the mattresses.
The conference was fun, but it was great to be back home! Private rooms, private toilets, telephone, and email!
Umaca is an hour away over the winding mountain roads. The trip there is full of breathtakingly beautiful mountain scenery, green checkerboard fields, snow-capped peaks, winding river vallies, the usual stuff. We went in a truck with several people and all the mattresses for the conference and took the dog along so he could enjoy some greenery and space (he lives on the roof here in Andahuaylas.) The pastor of the IEP church in Umaca drove the truck. We got to ride in the front with him, the boys and the rest rode in the back with the dog and the mattresses.
Umaca is in a sheltered valley, so it has tropical fruits, parrots, flies, hot days, and cold nights.
All of the schedules in the country have been changed because of swine flu, so events that were scheduled for the midwinter break from school have been moved up to go with the changed vacation schedule. This conference was moved up a week, like everything else, and so the location was moved to Umaca because the church there was having its anniversary on this date. Although we anticipated an attendance of 200 , the reality was only about 70 due to the general confusion generated by the flu. We also participated in the church anniversary, with Mike preaching twice with a Quechua translator. We also got to hear the many musical groups that came to sing for the anniversary, and enjoy the food provided for the anniversary. (Mostly soup, but Saturday there was fresh beef!)
We taught the youth an evangelism seminar that wound up with volunteers giving their testimonies. That was a moving experience!
We came back by taxi last night, as the rain was continuing. It was hard to get a taxi because they run up the mountain and back down, and at the end of the day they are usually going to their home (at the top or bottom). The last ones coming down are usually already full of people going back to Andahuaylas. Still, the boys found room in one and Mike and I in another. The pastor said that he would bring Bother with the mattresses.
The conference was fun, but it was great to be back home! Private rooms, private toilets, telephone, and email!
Catch up
The day after our last post we went on a trip to Lima to renew the boys' passports. Because Chris is a minor both of his parents have to be present with his birth certificate, so we all had to go. This was a good chance to visit Miguel and Becky.
For those who don't already know, Becky is expecting! Our trip came at a good time for them because Miguel was going to the north with a group from Anniston Bible Church, and so we could stay with Becky.
Passport renewal was complicated by a transportation strike that made it impossible to cross town for two days. But we got it done!
Our return to Lima was uneventful and rapid! We arrived at Abancay just in time to board a bus for Andahuaylas with no layover.
Once here we were back at work again on Bible Institute courses and a youth conference. The youth conference date was moved up to this weekend because the annual school vacations have been moved up two weeks because of the swine flu epidemic.
However, Mike has come down with the flu (not swine flu, just normal) and we are praying that we will be able to do the conference. Chris and Colin are sick too! Only Mom is well.
Please pray for the conference, our wisdom in knowing whether to do it, and that everyone gets better!
Blessings,
Tammy
For those who don't already know, Becky is expecting! Our trip came at a good time for them because Miguel was going to the north with a group from Anniston Bible Church, and so we could stay with Becky.
Passport renewal was complicated by a transportation strike that made it impossible to cross town for two days. But we got it done!
Our return to Lima was uneventful and rapid! We arrived at Abancay just in time to board a bus for Andahuaylas with no layover.
Once here we were back at work again on Bible Institute courses and a youth conference. The youth conference date was moved up to this weekend because the annual school vacations have been moved up two weeks because of the swine flu epidemic.
However, Mike has come down with the flu (not swine flu, just normal) and we are praying that we will be able to do the conference. Chris and Colin are sick too! Only Mom is well.
Please pray for the conference, our wisdom in knowing whether to do it, and that everyone gets better!
Blessings,
Tammy
As predictable as.... Peru?
Saturday morning I got up early to go give a devotional at a women's conference. Before I left I set out the garbage, because the garbage truck had gone by ringing its bell. (It goes by ringing its bell and then comes back and picks up the garbage sometime later.) Actually I set out the garbage, and then picked it up after a dog ripped into it. And actually, Mike took it back in the house later because the truck didn't come back. Just a harbinger!
I arrived at the church and found the door inside to the sanctuary locked and no one around. The church custodian arrived with a bag of oatmeal--and told me that the sisters were not there for the conference, but that there were problems--the enemy, she whispered always attacks at such times. And said that she had been there until 5 am for the prayer vigil. Then she let me into the sanctuary. I decided to pray as I waited for the ladies, but I kept hearing crying and shouting from a back room, so I decided to pray for the "problems." In a few minutes the custodian came back to say that I was needed in that room.
The problems were a mother and a daughter, who, it turns out have a long history of violence that no one in the church was aware of. After the prayer vigil they were sleeping in the room and broke out into a full-fledged brawl with kicks, punches and broken glasses. So instead of giving a devotional I spent the morning counseling along with Pastor Benjamin's wife Noemi. (Benjamin is the secretary of Kausay and was the speaker for the conference.)
Back to the house, and Mike and I decided to go out for a date. We decided to take some dessert home to Colin (Chris was at a weekend camp) wanted to find a bakery that is supposed to be on our street, but in the direction we usually don´t go (away from the main square and toward Munay Wasi). Upshot--we walked and walked in the blazing noonday sun--no bakery! At least I got my 10,000 steps in--and before 2 pm!
Well, back to the house, ready to kick back and relax because we have absolutely no commitments for the rest of the day! Maybe watch a DVD, who knows?
In about 10 minutes the phone rings. It is Cayo Vargas' (pres. of Kausay) wife Elizabeth. Can we be at her parents' house in 15 minutes. Sure, I say. So off walking again! It turns out it is her father's birthday, and they have made chicharron! Their kitchen is in back of the house and they cook with firewood. That is certainly the way to cook pork rinds! We enjoy some with boiled potatoes, then we talk with the family and another guest, a preacher and ex-policeman who is working closing down illegal taverns at the city's request.
Then we enjoy some soup. Then, as it gets dark and cold, (We go through summer and winter every day here.) we go sit around the fire in the dirt-floored kitchen, enjoying a new round of chicharron and potatoes, fresh from the fire, telling jokes and Mike answering questions about people who have visions, how God guides believers, etc.
Eventually it is time to go home. As we walk home in the dark, we find the bakery. It has no sign, so when it is closed, it is effectively not there! We pick up some yummy tajadas (rolls filled with elderberry) for breakfast.
Another, good, busy, unpredictable day.
Blessings,
Tammy
I arrived at the church and found the door inside to the sanctuary locked and no one around. The church custodian arrived with a bag of oatmeal--and told me that the sisters were not there for the conference, but that there were problems--the enemy, she whispered always attacks at such times. And said that she had been there until 5 am for the prayer vigil. Then she let me into the sanctuary. I decided to pray as I waited for the ladies, but I kept hearing crying and shouting from a back room, so I decided to pray for the "problems." In a few minutes the custodian came back to say that I was needed in that room.
The problems were a mother and a daughter, who, it turns out have a long history of violence that no one in the church was aware of. After the prayer vigil they were sleeping in the room and broke out into a full-fledged brawl with kicks, punches and broken glasses. So instead of giving a devotional I spent the morning counseling along with Pastor Benjamin's wife Noemi. (Benjamin is the secretary of Kausay and was the speaker for the conference.)
Back to the house, and Mike and I decided to go out for a date. We decided to take some dessert home to Colin (Chris was at a weekend camp) wanted to find a bakery that is supposed to be on our street, but in the direction we usually don´t go (away from the main square and toward Munay Wasi). Upshot--we walked and walked in the blazing noonday sun--no bakery! At least I got my 10,000 steps in--and before 2 pm!
Well, back to the house, ready to kick back and relax because we have absolutely no commitments for the rest of the day! Maybe watch a DVD, who knows?
In about 10 minutes the phone rings. It is Cayo Vargas' (pres. of Kausay) wife Elizabeth. Can we be at her parents' house in 15 minutes. Sure, I say. So off walking again! It turns out it is her father's birthday, and they have made chicharron! Their kitchen is in back of the house and they cook with firewood. That is certainly the way to cook pork rinds! We enjoy some with boiled potatoes, then we talk with the family and another guest, a preacher and ex-policeman who is working closing down illegal taverns at the city's request.
Then we enjoy some soup. Then, as it gets dark and cold, (We go through summer and winter every day here.) we go sit around the fire in the dirt-floored kitchen, enjoying a new round of chicharron and potatoes, fresh from the fire, telling jokes and Mike answering questions about people who have visions, how God guides believers, etc.
Eventually it is time to go home. As we walk home in the dark, we find the bakery. It has no sign, so when it is closed, it is effectively not there! We pick up some yummy tajadas (rolls filled with elderberry) for breakfast.
Another, good, busy, unpredictable day.
Blessings,
Tammy
Back to Normal (sigh of relief)
Things are back to normal here in Andahuaylas--garbage collection, buses, shopping all day, school in session. Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief.
Yesterday the garbage truck took the last of the eight bags of garbage that had accumulated during the 13 days of the strike.
The settlement came Tuesday when the Prime Minister Yehude Simon came to Andahuaylas, along with the Minister of Agriculture. Mike and a group of Kausay members and pastors met to pray during the negotiations, as did other Christians throughout the city.
The last night was tense as a group of criminals that had infiltrated into the ranks of the strikers went around the city breaking car windows and robbing drivers. However, 7 pickups with police sharpshooters came in the morning to maintain order and make sure that the rioters had all left. I never saw them on the streets after their arrival, but they were there just in case.
The government met the campesinos' demands to pave the highway and not privatize the airport or Laguna Pacucha, the large and beautiful lake, as well as provide tractors for the area. The strike is technically suspended until September, when the paving should start. If it doesn't .....
Strike!
Andahuaylas has been the scene of a 7-day strike now, and the rumors are that the strike will last until next Tuesday. Really strike is not the right word for it, although that is the translation. We would call it a riot or a demonstration.
What has happened is that 10,000 of the poor country farmers, the campesinos, have invaded Andahuaylas and are marching through the streets with sticks, whips, flags, and protest signs. If a business is open, they race at it to beat the owner for not demonstrating solidarity.
Mike was even beaten by one of them--a tiny little old lady who thought when he was unlocking the street door to the apartment he was unlocking a business. Fortunately, she didn't pack much of a punch! He thought someone was tapping him on the shoulder.
The city is paralyzed, with no buses or planes in or out. Several days ago a truce was declared that allows the market to be open from 6 am until 8 am.
So far there has been no major violence or looting. The only victims of the strike that we know of are a baby whose mother miscarried because she could not reach the hospital, and two youths who were nearly killed when they fell from bicycles onto streets covered with glass. (One was saved by the first vascular surgery performed in the hospital here.) Both sides, police and strikers, are trying to avoid bloodshed--but among the strikers are some bad elements who are out to extort money and break glass on the streets, etc.
The goal of the strike has changed several times. It began to show sympathy with the victims of the violence in Bagua, where rioting resulted in deaths both of policemen and tribespeople. Then it changed to an indefinite strike with the goal of forcing the president to resign. Now the Struggle Committee has published a list of demands, including the repeal of several laws and the completion of works projects in the native communities.
Among the strikers are campesinos compelled to participate by threats of violence and fines from local bosses of the communities. Christians are also caught up in this. One pastor friend was corralled into a group by the threat of violence and forced to walk to Andahuaylas, where he escaped when the group's attention was elsewhere.
We are doing okay--eating a lot of beans and tuna! We weren't able to go to church on Sunday because of trucks parked on our street with armed men, but we have been able to go to choir practice and pick up some food during the truce hours. Homeschooling goes on (sorry, Chris!)--the other kids are off school, but can't go out in the streets for most of the day to enjoy it, so some are studying at home to beat boredom.
Please pray for a peaceful end to the situation. For cool heads and wisdom on the part of the strikers and the government. For courage for the Christians caught up in the mob. For our safety. And for a solution to the underlying injustices and misinformation that have caused all this.
God bless!
Tammy
What has happened is that 10,000 of the poor country farmers, the campesinos, have invaded Andahuaylas and are marching through the streets with sticks, whips, flags, and protest signs. If a business is open, they race at it to beat the owner for not demonstrating solidarity.
Mike was even beaten by one of them--a tiny little old lady who thought when he was unlocking the street door to the apartment he was unlocking a business. Fortunately, she didn't pack much of a punch! He thought someone was tapping him on the shoulder.
The city is paralyzed, with no buses or planes in or out. Several days ago a truce was declared that allows the market to be open from 6 am until 8 am.
So far there has been no major violence or looting. The only victims of the strike that we know of are a baby whose mother miscarried because she could not reach the hospital, and two youths who were nearly killed when they fell from bicycles onto streets covered with glass. (One was saved by the first vascular surgery performed in the hospital here.) Both sides, police and strikers, are trying to avoid bloodshed--but among the strikers are some bad elements who are out to extort money and break glass on the streets, etc.
The goal of the strike has changed several times. It began to show sympathy with the victims of the violence in Bagua, where rioting resulted in deaths both of policemen and tribespeople. Then it changed to an indefinite strike with the goal of forcing the president to resign. Now the Struggle Committee has published a list of demands, including the repeal of several laws and the completion of works projects in the native communities.
Among the strikers are campesinos compelled to participate by threats of violence and fines from local bosses of the communities. Christians are also caught up in this. One pastor friend was corralled into a group by the threat of violence and forced to walk to Andahuaylas, where he escaped when the group's attention was elsewhere.
We are doing okay--eating a lot of beans and tuna! We weren't able to go to church on Sunday because of trucks parked on our street with armed men, but we have been able to go to choir practice and pick up some food during the truce hours. Homeschooling goes on (sorry, Chris!)--the other kids are off school, but can't go out in the streets for most of the day to enjoy it, so some are studying at home to beat boredom.
Please pray for a peaceful end to the situation. For cool heads and wisdom on the part of the strikers and the government. For courage for the Christians caught up in the mob. For our safety. And for a solution to the underlying injustices and misinformation that have caused all this.
God bless!
Tammy
Our First Pastors Conference
The conference that almost didn't happen, turned out to be a great success. From May 18 - 23 we hosted about 150 Pastors and other church leaders at Munay Wasi for a conference of the International Thompson Bible Institute. It was a great time, each of the pastors got a bonded Leather Thompson Bible, and we introduced the Instituto Bíblico y Teológico de Apurimac (the Biblical and Theological Institute of Apurimac.) This has opened the doors for us to work with many more churches. And it has encouraged them to participate in the construction of THEIR Bible Institute. Many churches are now planning on bringing bricks, sticks and manpower to help get the building up and to provide potatoes, corn and animals to feed the students. God has blessed wonderfully. From this has also come 2 satellite institutes.
But, right now, I want to tell you about something else…I want to tell you about God answering prayers, in a wonderful way, for the conference to even happen.
With our first conference we wanted to do several things: Make a good impression with a quality conference, introduce Kausay to pastors from all over the Department of Apurimac and from all denominations, and provide a useful resource for the pastors. The Thompson Bible Seminar was a perfect match. They have been around for a while providing a great Bible and an introduction to Bible Study Methods and Preaching while they teach how to use all the tools that The Thompson Bible has. There is no Bible that is quite as useful here, it has tons of helps in the back (not just the useful Chain references) - Archeological information, a little Manners and Customs type of material, surveys of the Bible in general and each book with outlines and more. It can become a whole library for the Campesino pastor (who usually has no other books).
We spoke to the Peruvian representative of the seminars, my good friend Paco Laos, several times beginning last year and in February we set the dates for the conference (actually 2 conferences running back to back) in this May. Then we began a vigorous publicity campaign. Most of Apurimac has no mail or phone service, so we printed up brochures and sign-up sheets and sent them with people as they were going around Apurimac - one brother from Incahuasi came to Andahuaylas to sell his coffee crop and we gave him several brochures to pass out in his zone, which you take the bus as far as you can then go by mule and then by foot to reach. He passed the brochures out in his area. In this way, we passed the voice (as we say here) throughout the entire Department. And by May 4th we had about 160 reservations - which are all that would fit in two 3-day seminars of 80.
Then on May 6 the Thompson people wrote me an email saying that we would have to cancel due to too many commitments, not enough Bibles and financial problems in the States. What a blow! We instantly communicated with the Kausay leadership and all of us prayed, then Tammy and I wrote an email explaining our situation here and asked if they could reconsider. We didn’t know how we could reach the dozens and dozens of pastors in the far reaches of Apurimac in less than 2 weeks. And we were so concerned that having to cancel our very first conference would send a very bad message. But, we suddenly felt very calm and I felt that I had to check my e-mail again. This was only 2 hours after we received the bad news. When I opened my e-mail there were two emails from the Thompson folks. They felt that they had no choice but to try to do the conferences here, and they would come – even though they weren’t sure where the Bibles would come from. While I was reading that, I got another e-mail with the wonderful news that they had several Bibles more than they at first thought. In fact, they had 160! In less than 2 hours we had a positive response! So the conference that almost wasn’t, happened and now about 150 pastors have a great Bible and know how to use it. Praise God for His working in and with His people!
But, right now, I want to tell you about something else…I want to tell you about God answering prayers, in a wonderful way, for the conference to even happen.
With our first conference we wanted to do several things: Make a good impression with a quality conference, introduce Kausay to pastors from all over the Department of Apurimac and from all denominations, and provide a useful resource for the pastors. The Thompson Bible Seminar was a perfect match. They have been around for a while providing a great Bible and an introduction to Bible Study Methods and Preaching while they teach how to use all the tools that The Thompson Bible has. There is no Bible that is quite as useful here, it has tons of helps in the back (not just the useful Chain references) - Archeological information, a little Manners and Customs type of material, surveys of the Bible in general and each book with outlines and more. It can become a whole library for the Campesino pastor (who usually has no other books).
We spoke to the Peruvian representative of the seminars, my good friend Paco Laos, several times beginning last year and in February we set the dates for the conference (actually 2 conferences running back to back) in this May. Then we began a vigorous publicity campaign. Most of Apurimac has no mail or phone service, so we printed up brochures and sign-up sheets and sent them with people as they were going around Apurimac - one brother from Incahuasi came to Andahuaylas to sell his coffee crop and we gave him several brochures to pass out in his zone, which you take the bus as far as you can then go by mule and then by foot to reach. He passed the brochures out in his area. In this way, we passed the voice (as we say here) throughout the entire Department. And by May 4th we had about 160 reservations - which are all that would fit in two 3-day seminars of 80.
Then on May 6 the Thompson people wrote me an email saying that we would have to cancel due to too many commitments, not enough Bibles and financial problems in the States. What a blow! We instantly communicated with the Kausay leadership and all of us prayed, then Tammy and I wrote an email explaining our situation here and asked if they could reconsider. We didn’t know how we could reach the dozens and dozens of pastors in the far reaches of Apurimac in less than 2 weeks. And we were so concerned that having to cancel our very first conference would send a very bad message. But, we suddenly felt very calm and I felt that I had to check my e-mail again. This was only 2 hours after we received the bad news. When I opened my e-mail there were two emails from the Thompson folks. They felt that they had no choice but to try to do the conferences here, and they would come – even though they weren’t sure where the Bibles would come from. While I was reading that, I got another e-mail with the wonderful news that they had several Bibles more than they at first thought. In fact, they had 160! In less than 2 hours we had a positive response! So the conference that almost wasn’t, happened and now about 150 pastors have a great Bible and know how to use it. Praise God for His working in and with His people!
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