Back In Peru

It has been fantastic to be back down here with the new team peru. What a team to be apart of. P. Stan and Karen, P. Lyeosh and Mychel, Stambo, Adrianne Witt, Julianna, Rach Wilzchek, and the new addition Wilvis O'Brian who has been great to have. We also have an Argentin young guy that left all to come here to peru to go to bible college. He is an awesome guy, and reminds me and will so much of Dubsy (matt webb), we cant put are finger on it, but its something. He didnt know much english when he came here but is picking it up amazingly. I think because he just points at everything and asks questions non stop. The other night i woke around 3 to use the facilities and he was up playing music, so he caught me for a solid 15 min firing questions at me. I was thinking, man this guy is die hard, he never gives it a rest. I think thats how you got to be to learn a language cause he is allready speaking well. I have to implament that with my slow developing spanish (Me and rachel W. started spanish class this monday with a private tutor so hopefully this language stuff happens). He lives with me, stambo, and will in a room above the church. We have 2 bunk beds in this little 10 by 4 room that over looks a busy lima street. You should see it. There is stuff all over the place, clothes, books, guitars, bags, food, its real dorm living, its awesome. We have such a good time. We have 4 peruvian men living in the room across the hall. Its great being with these guys at night, talking, laughing, praying together. It gives us a good chance to invest in are men that are the future of this work..
I have been here since the 5th of Jan. and it is amazing how much has happened. We have been to the Jungles of Peru. Up into a northern city in the Andes. Have done alot of sketchboarding, evangelising, preaching, teaching, radio, and hooping. And also the entire Team Peru went downtown to watch the Baltimore Tennesse battle in the first round of the playoffs. Rachel W. was sporting her titans jersey as I represtented my Purple Pride Ray Lewis Jersey. There was actually a couple Baltimorians in the Restaurant we were watching the game. I didnt think I would ever hear that accent anywhere other then the states and let me tell you it doesnt sound any better. Ha ha.. And what a great victory. I reminded rachel for days, mabey even weeks. But then of course the sticking steelers. We will leave it at that.... The team life is fantastic. Great team members that are so excited about what they are doing, and excited to be apart of what is going on down here. This place is an awesome place to be at this time and I am so privelaged to be apart of the work and to be with these people. We are serving together in the Lords work and having alot of Fun doing it!! Its pretty cool to be motivated by the same life. Its not a competive motivation to promote self, but rather a group of people that have found a better way and that is to serve. To lose your life to have a new one, christs life, which is to serve. There is great liberty living your life that way, and we are experiencing it!!!
Are two mission trips in the month of January started by going to the amazon jungle of Peru. We went up and over the andes mountains. I think the highest point we hit was about 15,ooo ft. Let me tell you, there is not much air going on up there. I was sucking mini breaths, rapidly. It is not a fun feeling fighting for air. Beautiful ride up and over the snow capped andes. Once we got over and started descending into the jungle it was awesome. The deep green color of the trees, the foliage, the winding rivers, the fresh air, it was amazing. I think the whole trip to are final destination which was "masamare" was about 12 hrs. It is a small little village of a few thousand. One of our girls in the church in lima is from this town. Her father has been pastoring a small little congregation there for about 20 yrs. His doctrine has been somewhat legalistic for yrs. but has seen the change in his daughter who has been in our church for the last few years. He has seen this main theme of grace has transformed her and giving her real life. He wanted us to come and visited him and his people and preach to them. So before we left P. Stan told me and stambo that we want to "really pour the grace message on them". That is what happend there for 3 days. We would be with the people during the day and then at night preach in the church. The people in the church are very simple in there lifestyle. You can imagine thatthere really is not much happening in the jungle.
While I was there i was reading a bio on Robert Moffat. His adventures and labours through the deserts of South Africa. The stuff he went through and the conditions he lived in was severe and in some ways insane. I am thinking how is that possible, who would want to do that. It sounds adventures after the fact as I am reading it but to really live like that, "come on". To actually be like Bruce Olsen "Bruchko" in the jungles of South America, battling illness, hunger, boredom, frustration in a uncomfortable living situation. You got to be out of your mind! But that is why we like to read these bios of these wild people, and to see that they were hard workers. They were tough people that really worked hard under immense pressures and doubts. they were not softies. Its intriguing to think about how they did it. It was because they had a motivation that kept them cruising through all the difficulties. Isnt that amazing that people actually lived in situations like this, not so that they could tell amazing tales of adventure (cause mabey nothing would happen) , but rather because they were motivated too. They found a real source to tap into that gave them motivation to lose all and work for the Lord in his grace. That the uncomfortable deserts of South Africa would become beautiful because of the work that was going on there. That the insect infested jungles of South America would be the only place I could imagine myself because I am motivated by a Heavenly source to be there for the people. Heart motivation is an amazing gift and with it we can do anything. That is why we like to read about these Missionary Heros because of there unceasing drive there enourmous capacity and desire to reach people with the gospel no matter what the cost. Livingstone, Studd, Moffat, Olsen, these guys did amazing things for the Lord in very common and primitive settings. Most of it going unnoticed by man. Imagine working tireless week after week, month after month , year after year investing in primitive people and not seeing results wright away. They definatly came no question but alot of patience was required. But these guys had something that we love to read about. They had something that all of us want. They had a real walk with the living God that resulted in there practical living. They received from God a desire to be motivated and to be able to see that what they were doing was impacting the people. They didnt have time to be dealing with such lowly buisness as who they were naturally or if any one noticed what they were doing. They were to involved in the Kings buisness and were motivated by him. I was thinking the other day, while thinking about these men, that as christians we should not be to concerned about being known here on earth but rather to be really well known in the unseen realm. That to be known in the unseen is really what matters. To be concerned about the great cloud of wittness in heb 12, and to be known of the enemy. These guys didnt care about articles written about them unless it was promoting the Work that they were so motivated in. They knew that in the unseen they were very well known.
So I think the result of me saying this is that as I was walking the streets of this small village thinking on these men of God and if I could live in this place. I came to the conclusion I would not want to do what they did. I know there stories are amazing and so fun to read because of the adventures. After you finish a bio book you want to be on the next plane out to Africa. We all know this and have proably felt it. But if your really honest with your self I think most people would come to the conclusion that they rather stay behind at home and pray for the crazy person that actually does go. I being one of those who would stay home and pray (which by the way is just as important, really). To live in such a primitive place. To live day to day, not being to comfortable, not being entertained, probably not eating to well, mabey not to many friends. (I am sure each case has its pros and cons). To be serving in such simplicity. But I am sure if you were to talk to these men they would say the same that you were saying. But they would add if God would give you divine motivation which is his love you could minister any where. Really the muddy streets , and broken down buildings, the primitive uncomfortable life would be awesome to you! The natural stuff would not matter much, which naturally is hard to take but it would be his grace upon your life. Robbert Moffat had no time to complain he was to busy in the Lords buisness. He knew this was not his home, he was motivated and called to preach the gospel, to translate the Bible into a tribal language and teach the people the things of God..... So I like to think that these men were nothing special in one sense other then the fact they Possesed there Possesions in the Lord and recieved amazing motivation in the Lord... What a gift motivation of the heart is, in getting to know the Word of God, minstering to people and reaching this lost and dying world with the gospel no matter what circumstances i am in. He can do it!! My conclusion was dont put a Limit on God, these great men of God didnt and they recieved heart motivation that took them way beyond capacity.....

So we had a great time there ministering to the people in the jungle. It was really a cool place with by the way the most unbealivable fruit. I have never had fruit like this, not even close to fruit you get at the grocery store. The guys house the girls stayed at took me and stambo and p. stan out to his orchard to help pick fruit. He gave me a bag and stambo a bag to pick of the trees for about an hour to bring back to every one. The whole picking didnt last to long. I think I picked for about 3 min. and stambo mabey a little longer. I had to try some of this goodness that i was picking and once i did i didnt stop. I must of eaten 13 of these huge monster oranges called "tangelos". These things were awesome. I ate them for days after I discovered this majical fruit. I estimated I ate about 40 of these grapefruit sized oranges in 3 days. I couldnt stop.I also found that consuming fruit at the rate i was is not too healthy for the digestive system. Pure fruit gluttony is cursed by God. There is a limit... I think it was the last time this guy was bringing us to help him out. He didnt seem too excited when he came back too me an hour later, with a couple hundred stuffed in his bags to find me face first in two tangelos. He took one look at me and knew that not to much happened. I had Tangelo juice all over my face, skins up to my shins and pure guilt on my face. I opened my bag to show a couple shrievled up worm eaten tangeloos. You cant bank on the gringos to do to much when you got free fruit available... It was a good time....

The trip to the the mountains was Crazy... Long Story but i dont have time to write, so later.. But it was a really a fun time...

Bible college started up last week.. It has been ANNOINTED TEACHING... Be praying for it, and thank you for allready praying for it. There are real disciples down here that need good teaching so that they could teach themselves and make disciples. It is happening. Be praying for this place, God is doing a awesome Work.. Praise Him

Jay