update

August 25, 2012
Hi All,
Hope this email finds you very blessed.  I wanted to write a quick update before too much time passes to keep you updated on the happenings here in Peru. 
After the team from Lima left, Lucy and I made a quick run to Amazonas to clear up some problems then came back to get ready to go to Lima for the women’s convention there.  When we got to Lima, we took the new electric train to buy me some warm clothes since all I had was jungle attire.  We had a fun time shopping and then went out to the camp early to get things ready. 
Seven female pastors came from the Wesleyan Church in Columbia as the guest speakers.  We had an awesome time in fellowship and beautiful surroundings.  The last night Lucy and I dressed in typical dress from the jungle, another dressed in an outfit from the mountain area and another from the coast.  The main speaker placed a map of Peru in front and we stood there representing the 3 regions of Peru and prayed for each area.  It was really a powerful experience.
The next day the new women’s board was elected, we ate lunch and the conference ended.  It was a really great time of learning and developing new friendships.  Afterwards we went to stay with some friends for a few days so that I could get my eyes checked.  I went to the eye doctor on Monday, then Tuesday Lucy and I met with the National Superintendent during the day to discuss the work in the jungle region and in the evening we went up one of the foothills in Lima to a cell group.  It was a precious time with some people we had met at the conference.  Wednesday Gian Franco, Gladys son came and we hung out then had another cell group that night and Thursday we returned to the heat of Iquitos.
This past week we were busy loading up part of the cement to take up for the construction of the church in Maynas.  The water is sooo low, please pray for rain so we can get the rest of the supplies and the team up there.  Lucy, Edgar and I plan on going up there before the team comes to get the ground leveled for the floor.  Hopefully this will be possible.
Lucy and I also went out to San Juan de Sinchi Cuy this week to have a service.  Walking the 45 minutes through the jungle was especially difficult this time as each of us had about 40 pounds on our backs and the heat was absolutely suffocating and now because of the flooding the broken bridges were even more broken.  I have a terror of heights and in one place I had to walk across about a six foot gap over a broken board.  I was terrified.  Lucy said the broken board was not what worried her but the beam that supported it which was only held by one nail which she proceeded to stand on and show me.
When we got back to Iquitos we practiced the drama with the women’s group for the anniversary of the church which was last night.  I had to preach and I was nervous because tons of people come to  the anniversary but it went well and I am still alive. 
Tomorrow Lucy and I are headed to Nueva Esperanza and Yanashi to take pictures of the reconstruction of the churches there.  The pastoral house and churches were badly damaged by the flooding this year and thanks to the offering from Global Partners, we were able to have them rebuilt.  Getting to Nueva Esperanza is a bit difficult because we will arrive at a small village at night and either stay there or cross the river that night to a very muddy path 45 minutes through the jungle.  I hope we cross in the morning because that path is difficult even when you can see and it is somewhat dangerous at night.
We will be there about a week going to San Antonio, a village nearby that Nueva Esperanza has been evangelizing and to our church in Yanashi.  We are going to be taking a sack of rice to both Nueva Esperanza and Yanashi as all of their crops were destroyed in the flood.  We are also going to try to get to a nearby village that did not flood to see if we can buy some seeds so they can replant.
After we get back to Iquitos we will try to head up to Maynas before the team gets here to get the land leveled.  I am hoping we will get a few days to rest before they get here because I hate starting out exhausted when a team arrives.  We also have to buy all of their food and supplies before they get here. 
On the 15^th of Sept. we are having a lock-in for the kids here in Iquitos and on the 22^nd we will be helping with a youth outreach in Amazonas so things are pretty busy here.  Please continue to pray for God’s work here.  It has been steadily moving forward despite various difficulties and I believed it is because of the prayers of the faithful and I thank you.  I will write more when I am back in Iquitos.  Please write me even if it is just a quick note.  I love getting emails.
In Christ,
Kayleen

Lima Youth

August 4, 2012
 Hi All,
Hope this email finds you all well.  It has been a busy past couple of weeks here in the jungle.  On the 21^st of July, a mission team of teens/young adults arrived from Lima and we had a really blessed time serving the communities of Santa Ana, Tamshiyacu, San Juan de Sinchi Cuy and Iquitos.  There was no boat available for us on Sunday so that night they conducted the service in Iquitos. This group of young people has really grown spiritually through the years and they have great leaders in David Casteñeda and Candy Torrejon.   They were well received in the church in Iquitos and David preached an awesome sermon that night.
 On Monday we headed out on a slow boat for Santa Ana.  The slow boats are like the bus system of the Amazon River where there are tons of people on board and you make many stops in tiny villages.  The boat takes 6 hours from Iquitos to Santa Ana and it was so crowded we couldn’t put up too many hammocks so it was a difficult start. With God’s help we arrived safely and got all of our things up the hill.  After we got settled in, we went to bathe in their beautiful swimming hole so we could be ready for service that night.
It was the anniversary of the town of Santa Ana so they had electricity the nights that we were there so we were blessed with lights. We thought we might not have a good turnout due to the community activities for the anniversary but we had quite a number of people attend the service that evening. During the mornings that we were there, we went door to door evangelizing which was somewhat difficult as there is a division in the people there since the pastor left our church and had another one built in the same community.  It ended up being fruitful and we had many children during the afternoon services and  one man who had turned his back on God, rededicated himself to the Lord.  We had quite a few additional people to the regulars that night which was surprising since there was a huge Bingo game going on.

This team was a real blessing to Santa Ana as right now they are without a pastor so were in great need of encouragement.  They also surprised us by deciding to paint the front of the church and pick up all of the trash in the village.
We were in Santa Ana two and a half days then we headed to Tamshiyacu where Pastor Harol (One of the recent seminary graduates) and his family are.  As soon as we got there, the team got to work. They decided that the parsonage needed some work since it had not been lived in for some time and termites had gotten into some of the wood.  They decided to rip off the front of the house and redo it with new wood and paint it.  They also surprised Harol and his wife Eva with a mattress. It was an emotional time bringing tears of gratitude to the eyes of the young couple.
During the daytime they went to the plaza where they evangelized and invited the kids for the afternoon service.  We had over 160 children show up for the outreach in the afternoon and about 80 people showed up for the evening service. I think the team had the most impact on the pastor.  They were such an encouragement to him that there was a visible change in his countenance. That night after our goodbyes, we boarded a boat for Iquitos in which we arrived at the port at 3 a.m.  We got back to the church, slept late then got ready for the vigilia in Iquitos which is an all night church service.
After being up all night, we left for San Juan de Sinchi Cuy in the morning.  After walking the 45 minutes back into the jungle, we had a children’s service in the afternoon and a night service.  We had to come back the next day to have their free day in Iquitos where we went shopping and to the zoo.  The next day we said our sad goodbyes.  These kids truly were a blessing for us.
The day after they left, Lucy and I headed to Amazonas where there was a little problem that needed clearing up.  We got to see their new wells but were sad that they are not quite functional yet.  We are working on getting them finished and we talked to a man who is going out to finish them tomorrow.  When we returned to Iquitos, we had to buy the bags of cement for the church which will be built by the team in September in the village of Maynas.  We needed to buy the cement now because the river is very low and continuing to lower.  They bring cement to Iquitos by boat and we were afraid if we did not buy it now, there might not be any available in September. Now we have to get it to the village which is 9 hours away by boat.   Please pray for rain so we can transport it without many problems.
This Thursday, Lucy and I will be headed to Lima for the women’s conference there.  I am very excited about that. They want each part of Peru (mountain, jungle and coast) to dress in typical costumes of the area you are from.  Some women in Amazonas made us grass skirts and some beaded anklets and necklaces so we will be all decked out.  When we return we have a “lock-in” overnight party with the Sunday School kids in Iquitos.  We then head to Yanashi and Nuevo Esperanza where the wood is ready to reconstruct the churches and parsonages which were damaged by the flood. We will return in time for the anniversary of the church in Iquitos.
Lucy has started meeting with Pastor Leiter, Pastor Harol and Pastor Oswaldo once a month.  This has been really encouraging and has been a great way to develop long term plans for the Amazon Region.  This is something that has been very exciting for me as I see things continuing to growing rather than becoming stagnant.  We are hoping to teach classes to the lay leaders of the various churches so that they can be better prepared to serve their congregation.
Well, I better get going for now.  Lucy and I have to get to a boat to send a message to Maynas to let them know the cement is here.  I miss you all very much.  Please write to me and let me know what is going on in your lives.
In Christ
Kayleen