2nd year anniversary of the church

Our church family
(missing about half of the church in this picture)

Singing the closing song...


...Also...
Pray for Edgardo! There is a very good chance that he will be returning to Cusco to continue serving with us until year end. This would be a tremendous blessing, for us and for the church itself. He would work with the children, which would be a huge help, since we have the new church location in San Marcos, we would be able to split up the kids into age groups as planned. There also is Yelith, a youth of 13 years who has begun helping with the children. She has agreed to take on the 1-5 age group!! Pray for her as well, that she would have the self confidence to share about Jesus with the little ones!

our future pianist

Pretty as a picture

This is the NEW location for the church in San Marcos! We are thrilled to have a space bigger than what we had before. Soon we will have Sunday morning services here for all the families of San Marcos who are part of the church. Look at the amazing view from the window. This is Cusco.

There are 3 rooms, plus the main room. The kids ministry will be changing for the better! All we need now are children's bible teachers and helpers.
There is even a kitchen and a bathroom. This may not sound like much, but having running water and a place "to go", if necessary, is definitely a plus!

The windows (which have glass in them now) let lots of light in. We don't have the keys yet, but the contract is made and we should have the place by next week!

a day in Pisaq

We spent an afternoon in Pisaq with Edgardo and Pablo, the day before they left to go back home to Santiago. It was a beautiful day. Isabella had fun looking at all the colors.

Cusco

We are finally back home to Cusco. We are glad to be here, but it has been a tough week. Isabella adjusted to the altitude well, thankfully. I hardly noticed any difference in her behavior. But she had to adjust to the colder weather (and it's COLD indoors, no heating systems here). Only a few days after we arrived, she came down with her first cold, with a fever and congestion. Her fever is gone now and is feeling and sleeping better, but she is still congested. The poor thing. I think it's probably harder on us as parents than it is on her, but I feel so bad for her.

I also had to see a doctor this week and he put me on antibiotics. I am feeling better but Isabella started having a really upset tummy after nursing. I thought it was my diet at first, but now I really think it was from the antibiotics. I stopped taking them after 3 days, which was 2 days ago.

Please pray for Isabella. It's going to be different now that Edgardo and Pablo are leaving Cusco. I am taking back over the kids ministry. It seems like a daunting task, even though I had grown so accustomed to having 70+ kids each week. Now, with the baby, I really need prayer. Especially because the children are ALWAYS sick... last week one came with the chicken pox even. Being a new mom, I really have to fight my urge to overprotect Isa and just trust God with her health.

We also need to move out of the room we are renting in San Marcos. 1- it is much too small now, and 2- it is full of mold (after this rainy season) and 3- the walls are wet with humidity, since they are made of adobe and soak up all the rain, causing a sore, scratchy throat just after only a few moments inside.

But we thank God for His financial provision for us and the church. We are looking for a new and larger place in the same area, and we think we found one! It's an apartment. It isn't finished being constructed yet, but only lacks a few weeks more of work. Ricky talked with the owner and came to an agreement, and so Lord willing we will have a new church building in San Marcos, complete with a decent sized main room, 3 side rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom (and a view).

No matter what difficulties present themselves, the Lord always sustains us and gives us peace. We never have to worry because our needs are always before Him. We know that your prayers and supplication reach the feet of our Father in heaven and we trust in his promises to respond.

chao friends! more later, it's time for lunch