Beginnings of November!

November is in full swing and since we promised you as many updates throughout our busy month as possible, here goes Update #1!

Last week, we had a baby shower for one of the students here. Her name is Melissa and if you could keep her in prayer, that’d be wonderful. Melissa and Harold got married in March and were pregnant pretty much immediately. Unfortunately, her health was bad to begin with and has gone downhill this entire time. She had, we believe, her gallbladder out in April. That seemed to have helped, but she’s been in and out of the hospital the entire pregnancy. The problem now is preclampsia (sorry if I spelled that wrong!) and even though baby Mariana is not due until the beginning of December, they’re thinking they’ll do an emergency C-section, possibly even yet this week, which would make Mariana a month early. Harold and Melissa really have no money left since it all went to her first operation and subsequent doctor’s visits. Everyone here is helping them out as much as possible, which is why we had such a big baby shower. They are our neighbors and just two weeks ago, I had a good conversation with her. She told me that through all this, she’s learned that God is in control and no matter what happens – even if they were to lose the baby now – she’d be fine with it because God has a plan for their lives. Wow. So, here’s a picture of Melissa at her baby shower last week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past weekend was the first of two weekends of camp with kids all from World Vision. We were supposed to have 120 children, but on Thursday, we found out only 80 were coming. Trust me – 80 was plenty! They showed up Saturday morning and left Sunday afternoon. Camp here is a full schedule of games, time with their counselors, lessons, challenges, a banquet, and Saturday night there’s a bonfire. Brian was involved in the games on Saturday, which included getting everything set up and being a referee. It was a chilly day, but they played water games regardless! He was SOAKED and freezing cold most of the day, but the games went really well. Saturday night, we both went to the bonfire and had the privilege of seeing many children give their lives to Christ, symbolized by throwing a small piece of wood into the bonfire.

One thing we learned that we hadn’t realized was that the majority of workers for World Vision and even Compassion International, at least here in Peru, are NOT believers. The counselors that came with the children were not believers and they had a hard time understanding how we were running the camp and why we were running it that way. Thankfully, a few of them accepted the Lord as well. This coming weekend, we’ll have one more World Vision camp and that is the end of camps until New Year’s Eve.

I didn’t get any pictures of camp because I was too busy with these little munchkins:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cielo and Pablo were here over the weekend and I had a blast taking care of them. Neither of them can hear and both come from horrible backgrounds. Pablo’s parents saw how Karen was doing with Cielo and asked if she would take in Pablo as well. Really, she shouldn’t because Pablo’s family is not doing that bad and Karen is just a single girl struggling to get through Bible school and take care of Cielo. Pablo is 8 and knows a considerable amount of sign language. It was hilarious taking care of them because even though they couldn’t speak, they sure enjoyed blaming each other and fighting constantly! We had them Saturday until 9:30pm and Sunday, bright and early at 7am, until the afternoon. Karen took Pablo home in the afternoon Sunday and we kept Cielo until she got back. We’d love to keep Cielo permanently, but that’s just not possible right now for just so many reasons. Pray for her, though. Pray for Karen as she figures out how to take care of her AND pay her school bill AND be a young person. Pray for us as we are part of Cielo’s life and want to be the best role models we can be. We’re just positive that she’s had bad run-ins with men and we’re working with her, trying to show her that not all men are going to hurt her. She’s warming up to Brian and yesterday, she kept asking for both of us – not just me – so that’s a good sign. She’ll cuddle with him and let him hold her, but she gets nervous if she thinks she’s done something wrong or if she thinks she’s going to be left alone with him. We’re trying to help her realize that he’s not ever going to hurt her. Poor baby! She did enjoy watching him shave, though, and helping him realize he was making a mess. Ha!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the midst of all this are personal successes with cultural adaptation and language learning. Brian is able to carry on whole meetings with his team of maintenance workers, in Spanish. Even though he still has a ways to go, he’s able to understand and get across what he needs done with very little help from his crew. I was able to carry on an hour-long meeting last week with the parents of the kids in my class, explaining ideas and options for home school for 2010. I was able to answer questions and explain different curriculums, all in Spanish, with very little help! We also went to our church plant two Saturdays ago and taught English together, in Spanish, to the Bible club kids. So fun! But, a little challenging! We are also feeling very included in our team here and the weekend of camp was the first time we actually knew what was expected and how to do things and where to be and we could even ask questions if we needed to! Small successes are just wonderful.

Well, off to another busy week! We have guests here for two weeks as well, so life is always interesting!

November Schedule

We’re sending out our monthly e-update this week. If you’re not on our list, drop us a note! We’d love to add you to it. 

We are beginning November and that means just SO much as far as our schedules go. Here’s an idea of our schedule through December, although all of it is subject to change (we live in a Latin country after all! Is there really anything set in stone?!):

• November 7 – Day of Prayer and Fasting for BCM Peru. Will you join us in this? We could use some prayer as we are in the midst of a spiritual attack. If you are on our e-list, you will be receiving a letter from our leadership about it. Otherwise, let us know if you’d like more information and specifics to pray for.
• November 7-8 and 14-15 – We are helping with two weekends of camps for 120+ kids (each weekend) from World Vision. Brian will be helping with games, security, crowd control, and emceeing (yup – in Spanish!!). I will be working in the kiosko (concession stand) and setting up the meals.
• November 8-21 – Guest House for Dave and Lois Haas, a BCM Intl. couple coming down (for the last time) to teach and do some women’s ministry.
• November 18 – Giving my testimony in a girls’ dorm during evening devos.
• November 19 – Thanksgiving Dinner we’re helping put together. It’s also a goodbye party for the Haas’ (they’ve been coming for years, but won’t be able to come again). Brian and I are helping put together the meal, decorations, and program.
• November 20 – Official commissioning service for three new BCM Peru missionaries. I am also helping organize this event.
• November 26 – First Thanksgiving in Peru. Also, special chapel time featuring prayer for North American missionaries. We’re part of that team, so we’re helping organize the event. I will be helping cook chili and praying in French. Brian will be giving his testimony. We’re both helping set up and decorate.
• December 4 – My last day of school for 2009!! Can’t believe it’s already over! Let the planning for 2010 begin!
• December 8 – The Family Fair. It’s an annual event held here at camp that’s used to reach hundreds of people in our community. We have games, a yard sale, food, drama, Gospel presentations, music… a very busy, very full day of reaching out to our area.
• All of December – Pennies for Peru Christmas Outreaches! The first year students and basically all the missionaries are involved in these almost daily activities around Lima and in a few other cities as well. Since we are no longer going to Iquitos in December, we will probably be helping somehow in these as well.
• December 25 – First Christmas in Peru in our new house.

 Can it get busier??? 

This past week, we had the joy of spending the day with our favorite four year old. We’ve talked about Cielo here before. We just looooooove this beautiful little girl so when we were asked to babysit all day Thursday, we jumped at the opportunity. She hung out with me and my kids in school all morning. While I taught my 7^th grader, Brian helped her do puzzles… for an hour and a half! In the afternoon, we all hung out together for awhile before Brian went to work. Then, Cielo and I had “quiet time” watching a cartoon. She may be deaf, but she sure followed that movie closely! The best parts of the day for Brian and I, though, were #1- when Brian left the house the second time, she jumped up on the couch, opened the window, and waved and waved until he was out of sight. Then, #2 – while watching the movie, she kept sitting up, giving me the sign for “I love you” and then wrapping herself around my neck. We had a hard time saying goodbye to her when Karen came to collect her that evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, we filled in at our church plant for a girl who couldn’t be there and I taught English (with Brian’s help) to about 15 kids. It was a lot of fun! If we weren’t so busy in the coming weekends, we’d probably go back again. 

Quite a few of our third year students are behind on their bills right now. In fact, before they can graduate, there’s an accumulated debt of $5000 (15,000 soles!). So, we’ve been helping the kids out – letting them use our oven to bake things to sell; giving them chores to do around the house so they can earn money; and even chipping in on a few bills for kids we’ve gotten really attached to. But, these kids could use more help! If the bills aren’t paid before December, a whole bunch won’t be able to graduate. Would you consider sponsoring a kid through Bible school? Drop us an email and we’ll send you additional information: brianlisabiegert@yahoo.com 

Hope you’re all enjoying fall/winter! Heard it’s chilly in PA and blizzarding in SD. Hate to break it to ya, but it’s pushing 80 here and positively gorgeous! Maybe consider visiting…

Ninos Del Peru (children of Peru)

The goal of BCM is to “Reach Children and Plant Churches Worldwide.” Brian and I joined BCM International because that’s the desire of our hearts as well! Before coming to Peru, we learned that Peru has the highest percentage of illegal abortions… in the world. Whether or not this is true, we’re not sure. But, we DO know that the percentage of abortions here is abnormally high. I talked with a friend of ours here this week about it and she confirmed that abortions here, illegal though they may be, are done in crazy high numbers.

One of the things we see frequently posted literally all over are signs that say, “Atrso Mensual?” with a phone number underneath. They’re not very big, always white, and literally pasted everywhere there’s space. We were told that these are all advertising illegal abortion clinics. Yesterday, on the way to a town about 20 minutes away, I counted 85. Before I quit counting. Halfway to the town. That’s too many.

The other issue in Peru is human trafficking. Prostitution is legal; trafficking people of any age is not. However, many of the street children here in Lima have been brought here against their will from the mountains and the jungle. There’s a whole section in Lima made up of women brought here from Iquitos. Most of the places labeled “Hostal” are actually brothels – with trafficked women. We could not believe it when we read last week that so many kids on the streets – that we see every day – are actually kidnapped and working for their kidnapers. Makes us wonder how many of the kids we see every day are not supposed to be here.

So, how can you help us? Please pray with us for our “Casa Hogar” – our orphanage. BCM Peru has been trying to open an orphange since 2002. But, the paperwork has been stuck in government issues this entire time. We still can’t see an end in sight – and yet, we frequently have children left here that are in need of a home. Two of the missionary families here are known for taking in kids who need a home, putting them through high school, and helping them through Bible school. We need a Children’s Home – preferably 7 years ago when we wanted it.

You can also pray for our Apoyo (evangelism) team. Occasionally, they are given the opportunity to go into schools and talk about abstinence. But, “talking” about abstinence doesn’t fix the problem. I would love to see us doing more to help the pregnant women in the area who have nowhere else to go and no one to help them. An anonymous sign on a post is about the only help they have right now. And heaven knows, that’s NOT help!

Pray for Brian and I as we see how we fit into this picture. Pray for the leaders of Pennies for Peru – Robert and Zarela – as they deal first hand with children needing homes and help every week.

Peru’s population is over 50% under the age of 18. We live in the middle of the 4/14 window and we desire to be affective in reaching these little ones for Christ.

Long Awaited Updated House Pictures!

We finally have some updated pictures of our house to show you! So, without further ado…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our whole house got varnished in August! It finally doesn’t look like Monster House!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My dad came in August and purchased blinds for our downstairs windows for us. So generous! We now have privacy! What a concept!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the completed kitchen! You can see our tiny oven in the middle. I don’t care how small it is – it works and it works great! Although, our floor is tipped just slightly to the back, so sometimes cakes come out lopsided. Ha!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both bathrooms are painted now! Phew! We hung a big mirror on the wall behind the door in the upstairs bath and then put a light above it. The goal is to get some kind of shelving system to put underneath it eventually. The colors look wonderful, don’t they?!

Our living room, complete with coffeetable and end tables. We purchased them at a local Industrial Park where you literally have blocks and blocks of stores selling furniture. You haggle your prices and pick the store that gives you the best deal AND has the quality you’d like. Normally, delivery is free AND you can tell them how you want them made, what color wood, how big, etc. These were all supposed to be white and wood, but we nixed the white part and got them done in all wood. Gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The coffeetable up close. I (Lisa) have always wanted a coffeetable and I absolutely love this one. Complete with room for pictures!

We still need to get pictures of our bedroom. Also, Brian has made a flower garden in the front of the house and once he gets the flowers planted this week, we’ll get a picture of that as well. He’ll be going with our gardner who knows a place where you can buy large, gorgeous bushes and other flowers for 50 cents apiece! Crazy!! Brian also wants to get a nice tree for our front yard, which shouldn’t cost us more than a couple bucks. Brian is working on clearing our backyard of giant rocks (the name of our town is “Picapiedra”, literally translated, it means “bedrock” and was named for all the ROCKS in our ground) and wants to build a firepit behind the house. He already found some bricks and a grill and cooked over the fire this weekend; it’ll be nice to have an actual firepit that we can sit around this summer.

Lots of improvements! Feels more and more like home!

Answers to Prayer!

We just wanted to let you know that after we started talking about culture stress and after expressing some of our frustrations, we had such an encouraging week! Found out that everyone here were miles ahead of us and had already implemented ways to help us out. We also heard from several of you – finding out you’ve been praying for us and thinking of us.

We saw our Father God taking care of us and aware of our needs before we were even aware of them. Maybe that’s the reason we went through a bad week – so we would be reminded of how well God is taking care of us!

Thanks for your prayers; we still need them. We’ll try to be more upbeat in the future!