Rumble in the Jungle

Just a quick update from Peru.  Sydney and I just returned home from Puerto Maldonado where we were helping to host a team of 14 from the USA.  This project was only 8 days rather than our traditional 13 as most the people that come down are teens.

Over the 8 days we had 26 different outreach events.  In those events approximately 2,800 people attended and 279 made decisions for Christ. 

It was a very successful project but Sydney and I are glad to not have plans to return to the jungle.  The heat, humidity and lack of air conditioning are taxing.  Not to mention I had to kill a full size tarantula that was roaming around our room.

Change Is In The Air

As we are in the full swing of our project teams here in Peru, I would like to take a moment to share some news on our future.

Sydney and I are being called into new roles with Extreme Nazarene.  I have accepted the newly created position of Investor Development Officer with Extreme Nazarene.  This position will be second tier in the leadership structure of the ministry.  The purpose of this position is to seek and deploy long term financial investors of Extreme Nazarene in order to secure the stability of the organization into the future.

Sydney will continue in her current role with more of a leadership role in developing financial policies at new project sites.

In order fulfill my duties with this new position we are being requested to return to the USA as this is where most of the investor contacts are located.  I am scheduled for preliminary training the last week of July in Atlanta, Ga.  From there we will either settle immediately in Eugene or hang out somewhere else until the lease agreement on our house expires in January 2011.

We do have responsibilities here in Peru after July.  However, our main push as an organization is in June and our colleagues here have agreed to work with us as they will prepare to manage our responsibilities when we leave.  That and we will still be with Extreme, just assigned to a different location.

This has been a move that we have been praying about for about 6 months now.  We have been working with Extreme leadership and experienced industry professionals to determine if this is the right move for all involved.  Additionally, I will be mentored by one of the leading professionals in the field in the Nazarene Church.  All parties here are excited to see how God will use Sydney and me in the future. 

Just like when we came to Peru this will be a big change for us as this has been our home for virtually our entire married life.  Additionally, I will be put into a position that I have little experience in.  We ask that you would pray that God would lead us and make the transition smooth.

Like all positions with Extreme Nazarene this is a volunteer position.  We will still be referred to generally as missionaries, only now we are assigned to the USA.  Our current donor base has been amazing.  We truly are thankful for each donation that comes in each month.  We ask that, so long as you are able, you continue to support us through January 2011 according to our agreement. 

I am glad to finally be able to share this change with you all.  This is an exciting opportunity for both us and the ministry.  I am proud to have such a committed base of people that have come along side of us to support this ministry.  

Cusco Construction

Straight from the constant heat and humidity of the jungle to the basic climate of Western Oregon in November, I (Mike) have been in Cusco since February 24.  We welcomed the Cusco Construction team to Cusco on February 26.

Since then the team has been very busy with construction on the new church and housing facility for the 40/40s to come in November.  Also the Impact team did a 5-day Bible school and series of 4 Jesus films in the communities around Cusco.

Personally, I have been working on keeping things running smooth for the team with everything that does not happen on the construction site or at an impact event site.  This has been a bit of a special challenge here in Cusco. 

As many of you may have heard this year the region is going though one of the wettest rainy seasons in memory.  EVERY afternoon at about 4:00pm it starts to rain.  Cusco is set in a narrow valley with the main road running down the bottom.  Most roads going off this main road into the hills are unpaved and consist of MUD. 

The access road to our hotel is set on one of these roads that runs up into the hills.  One afternoon the afternoon storm was especially intense.  About the time the construction team was due back I noticed a roar in the direction of the access road.  I walked to the road to see that the drainage ditch had plugged and overflowed onto the road.  The road was now better described as a series of muddy, frothy rapids.  These rapids were running into the little stores that line the street.  These rapids also made our access road impassable.

Click here to see a video of the rapids.

I quickly called the construction head to advise them to go to a restaurant and wait it out.  However, the bus had already dropped them at the bottom of the road and they had begun climbing the road/river.  Soon the team started to come into view, trudging through very swiftly running ankle to knee deep water.

Regardless, everybody made it back safely.  After the hills finished shedding their water the street  became passable for vehicles again.  However, all the sediment/mud that was deposited at the bottom closed one side of the main road for the entire next day.

Otherwise, things are going real well.  I am looking forward to returning to Arequipa soon.