Caleb, Percy, and Eduard worked full tilt on the bathroom and well project last week. It’s getting close!
Yes, Eduard is back. He was working near the northern border of Peru for a couple of months on a road crew. I understand he made pretty good money, but he said it all disappeared within two weeks of being back home in Cusco. Disappearing money is quite a problem to have.
Eduard has been looking for other ways to make more money fast to pay off some quite large debts. Of course, his first preference is to go to the States to work so that he can have enough to pay his debts and to become partly wealthy so that he can return to Peru and live comfortably. He figures he could do that in about three years. He wanted us to help him get to the States, but we instead told him we didn’t see it was a good idea for a Christian man to leave his wife and child for three years so that he could make fast money. We also told him that it likely wouldn’t work out quite like he’s thinking because there would be so many costs for him to move to the States.
So, for now, he’s thinking to stay in Peru. He was considering taking another concrete crew job, but Caleb and I rained on his parade again by asking about how he would stay spiritually healthy without a church and with working seven days a week around ungodly men for several months. Poor fellow. But he said he understands, and he’s grateful that he has people willing to show him what God expects of us.
Caleb and Belinda have been here for over a year now, with their anniversary falling on October 2. We wanted to celebrate their first year here, but it didn’t suit until this past week. We decided to butcher a goat (because we were fresh out of fatted calves), and we had two wethers to choose from. Thurday evening, Caleb and I dressed and skinned the goat so that we could butcher the next morning.
We made ground sausage, ribs, and steak for supper. We invited Percy’s, Rafael’s, Alicia, Cristina, and Esmeralda to join us, and they all came! It was a full house.
Caleb and I had fun trying to get the grill to light and stay hot. The wind kept blowing out the flames. We ended up adding some wood to the charcoal, and then I had the idea to cover everything with some floor tiles we had in the bodega. We tried grilling right on the tile, and it worked beautifully!
At supper, I gave everyone an opportunity to share words of encouragement with Caleb. It was touching to hear everyone’s perspectives. One main theme was that none of us would be here if it weren’t for Caleb’s. As you all will remember, we were planning to leave Peru in 2022 if no other family had come, but thankfully the Lord sent Caleb and Belinda. We are grateful.
It burdened my heart to hear Lucrecia and Milenni share. Lucrecia cried and cried, saying that we are her only family since she was rejected for being a Christian. She said she misses us since they went back to the Evangelical church, but she still considers us family. She said she is still fighting the battle and seeking the Lord. It seems she is pretty sad where she is, but she’s not ready to make a change.
The night went late, so we didn’t have time for the Bible study with Rafael’s, so Rafael said they would come back Sunday because he was not willing to miss a week of study. That really blessed me. They did come, and we enjoyed a lesson on the infallibility and story of the Bible.
We had instruction class with Alicia Sunday afternoon, too. She said she is so ashamed for how she has not truly obeyed the Lord in her past in everything, and she repents of that and commits to obeying everything she learns from the Bible. We studied on the assurance of salvation and our part in working out our salvation and enduring to the end.
Alicia recently found out that her blood sugar is affecting her eyesight. A doctor is working with her to regulate her blood sugar, and she is able to see better now, but she still needs glasses. Pray that she could have wisdom in navigating her health issues.
Alicia shared with us that she takes her instruction booklet to her sister’s house down the street and has the same lesson with her that we studied on Sunday, then she goes another day to her brother’s place to do the lesson again. She said she has invited some neighbors for another day; they came once but haven’t returned. She wants to keep trying until she can share the class several days a week. She said it helps her retain what she learns, and it also helps get the pure gospel message out, which she says is greatly lacking in her community.
What boldness! May God’s Word go forth with power in the Holy Spirit. You can join with Alicia by praying wisdom and understanding for her as she shares the gospel with her family and neighbors.
Juan David 