Tomorrow…

I move my stuff into my new place. That stuff consists of the three bags that I brought to Perú, two boxes of books that were shipped from the States, and some things that I have bought since arriving – mainly cooking stuff. Then, the fun begins. Furniture, accessories, appliances, internet, painting. It is going to be a busy week coming up between the “settling in” process and the arrival of the Fletchers.

Speaking of which, please keep the Fletchers in your prayers. The next several days will be very tiring and stressful as they get ready to leave, and the adjustment process to Lima will also be difficult. Lots of things to do, lots of goodbyes to say, little sleep, and lots of emotions. I know that they would appreciate some shout-outs to the Lord. Thanks.

It’s Official!

I signed a one-year lease on my new apartment this past Saturday! My excitement has only been slightly contained by the sickness that continues to trouble my very being (ok, so that’s a little exaggerated). I am super pumped about moving in early next week, and then spending time getting the place set up. Even more exciting is the fact that our last teammates, the Fletchers, are flying in on the 10th!

Our team has also been very blessed by the presence of several visitors over the last week. The team going to Cusco arrived last Monday night (Oct. 26), and we were able to spend significant amounts of time with them the next three days. Then, on Thursday night, Garrett Bradford, a friend of ours from A&M, came in from Arequipa. After spending several years working on the mission field in both Chile and Brazil, he is making is way up through the continent. I was able to spend almost every waking moment with him while he was here, and I enjoyed all of it. We had great conversations, ate great meals, prayed for our ministry, joined the team for worship, practicing Spanish praise, and Halloween festivities, talked with Peruvian friends, and even made some new friends. Good times.

So, here is another picture of the place. I will definitely put much more up as it starts being filled with furniture.

One Step Closer…

…to having my own place. Its close to good transportation, some neat “hole-in-the-wall” places, and a market. In this market they sell just about everything, from furniture to fish to fruits & vegetables to chicken (that’s right – whole chickens). I should be signing the year-long lease tomorrow. Please pray for peace as I finalize my housing situation. It is kinda crazy thinking that this place will be the hub for future ministry for the next year. So, another teaser picture:

Sickness….ugh

I have officially experienced my first round of sickness in Perú – deep, upper respiratory cough, congestion, and a little sneezing. Definitely no fun.

On a brighter note, I am excited about the apartment search. Although the appointment on Saturday did not go as I had hoped, another opportunity has opened up that I am hopeful about. Here is a “teaser” picture:

Life Lately

Great conversations with my family – terrible games of soccer – fantastic spiritual conversations with Bill – rode to the beach with my friend David, ate ceviche, and nearly died on the bike ride back – met up with group from Westover Hills to talk about ministry and life – caught up with several missionary friends from language school in Costa Rica – met new Peruvian friend, Paul, and his son, Adrian – looked into classes at local university to work on Spanish, maybe start learning Quechua, and especially to meet college students for future outreach – found an open apartment in the neighborhood that I am looking – made an appointment to see aforementioned apartment tomorrow morning!!!

More to come on the potential apartment soon.

A Good Weekend

The past few days have been filled with meeting new people, building stronger relationships with new friends, and deepening relationships with old friends. On Friday, I spent the morning and early afternoon with the team (minus the Fletchers, of course – did I mention that they arrive in less than 3 weeks!!!), learning new Spanish praise songs, making a video for the Fletcher’s arrival, praying together, and eating lunch. That evening, I received a call from Bill, my missionary friend, who informed me that the Christian school where his kids attend was having a fun-raiser. What kind of fun-raiser, you ask? Well, it was of the “funny (and fake) wrestling matches between teachers & parents, selling food, and watching Nacho Libre” variety. In addition to thoroughly enjoying all the festivities, I was able to meet some really nice people that spoke English – always a bonus in the midst of living among 8 million Spanish-speakers.

On Saturday, I joined the Davidsons and two Peruvians for lunch at a huequito (hole-in-the-wall) that both fixes cars (Mon-Wed) and slow-cooks delicious meat (Thur-Sun). Man, I love living in Perú Cynthia is a private Spanish tutor, who I took lessons from for one month, and Israel is her fiancé. We had a great time together with them, telling stories, taking pictures of the cute Davidson kids, and getting to know each other better.

Then, on Sunday, our team gathered together for worship, which is always a special time for me: worship, prayer, communion, great friends, cute kids, and a meal together. Shortly after our time together, Justin and I headed to Villa El Salvador to see our friend José and to meet his parents. To my surprise, we ended up staying at his parents’ house from 2:30 until 7:00, talking about anything and everything and having a glorious time. Not only was our conversation with the Peruvians great, but I always thoroughly enjoy my time with Justin on the trips there and back. Then, after going to their house to get my stuff, I walked home and saw Walter, my new friend who guards one of the streets. We ended up having a good 45-minute conversation. So, in summary, lots of good conversations, lots of strengthened relationships, and lots of Spanish. Definitely a good weekend!

We love those Arequipeños

We have just been blessed by another visit from the Arequipa team. They took a quick trip to Lima in order to get their missionary visas, and we were thus able to spend some quality time with the Smiths & McKinzies. Between two meals together and several late night conversations, our relationship with this great group of missionaries continues to grow.

Life in Lima continues to accelerate, and the future looks bright ahead. The Fletchers have bought their planes tickets; they will be arriving on November 10th!!! With the Yoakums settling in more and more, the guys and girls have been able to meet with more flexibility and frequency. Many of our conversations have revolved around starting up gatherings and Bible studies in our homes, starting up worship gatherings in Spanish, plans for summer 2010, and ways to reach out to our neighbors and other communities. And with each conversation comes several tangible steps to help make these dreams into realities. Now, we eagerly await the Fletchers’ arrival. We also await the Lord’s leading as he leads us on this journey of faith.

Two New Friendships

Over the past few days, I have been blessed by getting to know two guards around the place where I am staying. Walter, who works just around the corner, is a soft-spoken man in his 60’s (just a guess) who has been very open to spiritual conversations. César, who works on the street that I have been walking down daily, is a jovial, friendly man in his 40’s. He told me tonight – during our first long conversation – that I remind him of his “pata” (which I gathered was good, but you never know), Andy, who is from Idaho. From each of these new friendships I have been reminded of the importance of three factors in forming new relationships: time, consistency, and kindness (on both ends). So, I guess I need prayers for patience, consistency, and a kind heart.

Finally…Pictures!!

Well, after holding out for as long as I could, I have decided to post some pictures of Lima. There are two major reasons for this delay: (1) I really hadn’t taken any pictures of Lima until today, and (2) I could really use some prayers concerning my house-hunting (especially for availability, since this area seems to be in high demand – low rent & good location), and I figured that some visual images would help you to know what to pray for. So, without further ado, here are some pictures from La Bolichera, the neighborhood that I am thinking about living. Notice the walking streets (perfect for meeting neighbors), the lack of driving streets (perfect for someone without a car), and the proximity to public transportation, a grocery store, and soccer courts (both of which you can’t tell from the pictures, but you can imagine). Enjoy. And please pray.

Below is a picture of an apartment complex that I am considering living in (if there is ever availability). It is in the same neighborhood. This is the only part of city in which I have actually found apartment complexes. There are definitely other buildings that have floors rented out as apartments, but definitely no complexes. Very different from the States.

Sundays with the Team

Our weekly gathering refreshes me in ways that are hard to express. In the midst of living in a city where I don’t speak the native language perfectly, where I don’t have any close friendships with natives, and where it sometimes feels as if no one knows that I exist, I am able to spend three hours weekly with family. We share meals together, talk, worship, pray, and remember the Lord together. I know their families, and they know me. In contrast to the way that I sometimes feel in Perú, I know that I belong with them. Definitely a nice feeling. All I have to say is praise the Lord for the body of Christ.