June 8th, 2007 Return From "Undisclosed Location and Leaving for Peru
Dearest Friends,
We returned safely home from the "undisclosed location” and were able, by God's grace, to place the puppets with just the right people!
We know that they will use them to reach many children for Jesus Christ. Continue to hold them in your prayers as they are living and serving in and
sometimes very dangerous place to claim the name of Jesus.
A few days after I returned home, the USA puppet team and I had the sweet pleasure of doing a show in Dalton, Ga. We did the program in Spanish and
English and saw something wonderful! Around 50 children indicated to us that they had put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior! We are very
grateful to Grace PCA for giving us the opportunity to share with their children! Could we come and share with your children? Please respond to this
email if you are interested in scheduling a puppet show!
Today, June 8th, we leave for Peru! Please hold us in your prayers as this is our first trip there and we really want to do a good job! As always, please
pray for the safe arrival of all of our luggage as we need those 13 bags of equipment. More, please ask God to make us wise, kind, and strong. We have a
lot of work planned and really want to be a blessing to Donna Saune and her friends.
Colossians 4:2 says, "Devote yourselves to prayer!" This is the request that I make of all of you who read this email! Nothing happens unless people pray!
Together, we can share the joy of reaching the Indian children with the love of Jesus.
In Jesus,
Linda for
Katie Humfleet
Lisa Roerdink
Heather
Mykayla Kelley
Hannah Sager
Sam Shaw
June 9th, 2007 Travel to Peru and Arrival
Dearest Friends,
ARRIVAL
We are safely in Peru and have already met many of the people that we will be working with. They were all so excited as they watched us
unpacking the puppets and the equipment and we are equally excited. We have several training sessions scheduled and dozens of puppet shows. Even today we
will begin training the Quechua team and tomorrow we have puppet shows with the children.
Please pray that we will make the wisest use of our time as there is so much that we need to teach before we hand off the equipment. Please pray for our
understanding of the Quechua children and their needs. We found out last night that many of the children live in homes that are broken by alcohol and drug
abuse. These are the stories that we often hear when we work with many poor people but they are also the same stories that we hear at home in America and
Ireland. Please pray for God to strengthen families around the world.
Many of the children have a very poor self image and so we need to find ways to encourage them to see themselves as God made them. Often when they travel
to the cities they will not want to admit that they are Quechua.
At home in Georgia, we are in the middle of a drought. Everyone is praying for rain, but no one here prays for rain even though it is very arid. Very,
very rarely it will rain then there are mud slides and homes crash down the sides of mountains. Please pray for us as we will be working in some high
altitude areas.
Already we have discovered that breakfast is a very different meal here than it is at home. People like to take bread and spread olives and avocados on
it. I love both avocados and olives so I was very happy at breakfast this morning.
We praise God that all of our equipment arrived safely and we cleared customs with no difficulties. Three of our team members were delayed while there
bags were opened, but they were quickly released.
TROUBLE IN THE ATLANTA AIRPORT
My travel agent has standing orders to always book us on the cheapest flight. So this time we flew Delta airlines and we had big
problems. I doubt that many of you are aware of how we pack for a trip. Everyone uses their carry on bag for their clothes and other personal items and
they give all of their checked bags to be used to carry puppet equipment and gifts for children. We arrived at the airport with 13 checked pieces of
luggage. I knew that I would have to pay an extra charge for the extra bag as well as $25 each for the extra weight in 4 bags. Altogether that should
have been around $200. However, she charged me almost $900 for my luggage.
I have never worked with an airline that was more difficult and more unbending. She told me that my bags were 2 inches bigger than they should be and
charged me $100 for each bag. I pointed out to her that these bags had made many trips this year on other airlines, Lufthansa, United, and Continental.
They had never charged me these extra fees, and besides they did not like are normal suitcases, some only a few months old. She was not receptive to my
pleas. I begged for mercy and asked to speak with a supervisor. This lady also refused to help us even though I explained to her that we would give away
almost everything in these bags to people in Peru. I saw several other people checking in around us who had the same size bags but they were not having
the trouble we were having.
Then she looked at our stage which travels in a large ski bag. She said that there would be no extra charge for that bag if it had skis in it. I could
not lie so I told her that we had a puppet stage in it. Then she charged me $100 for that bag. The bag was legal, but the contents did not meet her
standard. I repeatedly asked them to consider that I was working with at risk children living in terrible places. They simply did not care. My heart
broke and I will be honest to admit that I was furious with their lack of concern for what their actions would mean to the children we seek to serve. From
my point of view the extra $700 is a small fortune that could have been much better invested in the children.
I called 3 people who told me 3 things I needed to hear. My mother reminded me that this disaster did not surprise God and told me that he would provide
the necessary funds. My friend Amy, told me that clearly this was going to be a very special trip to Peru as we were already under great attack. My
friend Richard Mixon, a board member, pointed me back to the word of God and told me to bless those who curse me. Then he had special prayer for the
people at the check in desk who had cost us so much trouble.
If you are reading this email, please take the advice of my 3 wise friends. Also is there anyone who could help us make an appeal to Delta to get this
money back so that we could use it to touch the lives of children. For my part, I learned a lot from the experience, but as always found the lesson very
painful. Because of the problems we had, I will not be able to risk flying this airline ever again. Please pray that we do not have the same trouble
going home. Also please ask God to provide the necessary funds to cover this unbudgeted expense.
Hold us in your prayers.
Love in Jesus,
Linda for
Sam
Lisa
Hannah
Heather
Mykayla
Katie
June 11th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
PLEASE NOTE! We have been trying to write to you, but have had internet problems. We
think we have the problem sorted out, so rejoice with us in what the Lord is doing in Peru!
A Quechua Worship Service
"Estad siempre gozoso." In Spanish, these words read "Always be joyful." They were on
the wall of the small Quechua church where we worshipped Sunday.
The worship music was wonderful! They used a large native drum called a bombo! They also used a rain stick that really made the sound of the rain and a
guitar. My favorite instrument was the chacapas, a large yard long necklace made of hard seed pods. They shake it in time to the music. They introduced us
and welcomed us with smiles, hugs, and kisses on our cheeks.
OUR FIRST PUPPET SHOW
While the adults listened to the preaching, we did a puppet show for the children. They loved it! Even the teenagers joined us. So sweetly, we heard one
little boy praying loudly and clearly, asking Jesus to be his Savior! Several others prayed very quietly.
After the program, one little girl came and talked to me. She said, "It was a beautiful way to tell the story." One little girl came to Heather, stretched
out her arms and said, "Hold me." Heather carried her for a long time.
A SHOW IN A PARK
To satisfy a lady who seemed to be in charge of the park, we moved the stage three
times, up and down steps. Finally, after much conversation and prayer, she agreed to let us set up in a corner of the park. God sent us a very good crowd
who listened intently to the program. Most people here believe that good works will make them right with God. They do not understand that "all our
righteousness is like dirty rags to God."
False teaching abounds. A local church, one that does not teach the truth, has a sign on the side of the building. It reads, "It is alright to worship
idols." I could not believe these words! We have worked in so many idol worshiping countries where this lie has destroyed so many lives. More, God's Word
in the Ten Commandments forbids this practice.
A CELEBRATION FOR SANTA ROSA
This time of year in Lima there are carnivals and lots of music. A band plays until
two in the morning, accompanied by the boom, boom, boom of a cannon. Then they start again around seven in the morning. People get very drunk and pass out
in the street. In between, there are fireworks. Many years ago, there really was a Rosa. She was a beautiful Peruvian girl who beat herself to discourage
suitors. It is strange to think of celebrating such confusion.
MOUNTAINS
Outside of Lima, we were surrounded by dusty mountains covered with boulders and loose
dirt. Here the air is brown and the sky is rarely blue. This morning at 4am, we flew to Cusco. It has an altitude of over 11,000 feet. At this altitude,
the air is much thinner and the nights are cold. The Quechua love the mountains, so this is why we are here. Our goal for this trip is to plant a puppet
ministry team among the Quechua people. Please pray for us as we will spend the next seven days working in Cusco and want to go a good job, despite the
tiredness they warn us accompanies such a drastic change in altitudes.
CUSCO - A LITTLE HISTORY
This is a very dark place spiritually. Many people say that it is the darkest city in
Peru because of the legacy of human sacrifice that the Incas practiced. Even today, it is a center for world wide New Age activity. Many travel here to
participate in special rituals.
Each year on June 24th, they celebrate the festival of the Summer Solstice. Though no one is sacrificed, they do kill a llama and predict the future by
"reading" its heart.
The people believe that all the mountains are spirits and sacrifices are made to the earth to gain the spirit's favor so that their crops will grow. The
Creator is ignored in favor of His creation.
DIFFERENT THINGS
Today, several of us enjoyed alpaca steak for lunch.
Sliced beets are often served with the salad, sprinkled with salt and lime juice.
We found out that the Quechua ladies layer their skirts, up to 14 at a time.
I am only 5 foot 5 inches tall and the Quechua ladies do not come up to my shoulder. Here, I am a giant.
The sounds that come from a samponia (A pan flute) are amazing.
Though most of the people are poor, but so very warm and friendly. They are happy to share what they have.
No one jumps when a cannon booms, but when they pop a balloon, they really jump!
PRAYER REQUESTS
We have three puppet shows tomorrow and this is a difficult place to work fast because
of the high altitude. Please pray for us to have the strength we need for this work. We will be in public schools and can invite the children to pray with
us. Ask the Father to call many to Himself!
In Jesus,
Linda for the team
Sam (Assistant Director)
Lisa
Katie
Heather
Mykayla
Hannah
June 12th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
Today was a wonderful day, but very difficult. We had three shows and most of us are
having problems with the altitude. Headaches and extreme fatigue make it hard to do our best and we are determined that we want to do our best for the
children. Please pray for us! We need to feel better!
DISASTER
Years ago, we were in Malawi and one day, the teachers sent us 1500 children and then
the teachers left. Before we knew what was happening, the entire team found themselves pinned against a pick up truck. We would not have been able to do
the show, but two Scottish ladies came to our rescue. They offered their building for us to use (so that we could better control the children) and all of
the children ran for the best seats. We were saved!
Today, we could have really used the help of those two Scottish ladies! We set up outside on the courtyard at a public school and they gave us 500 students.
Then, the teachers left and we had a very rough time.
There were moments when the children were really listening, when you didn’t hear a sound. Then, someone would decide to stand up and move. Before long
they were all standing and moving toward us. Then, they started pushing and finally, after much effort with the entire puppet team out front trying to
calm them, I made a very difficult decision. I ended the program.
I have never done this before but we had lost all control. I was concerned that smaller children who were being pushed by older children would fall. It
was terrible! We were only half way through with the program, but the children had heard the Gospel.
You see the Lord knew that we would never finish the program and He had laid on my heart the desire to tell a different story than I normally tell. When I
tell the story of Zacheus, the miracles of Jesus and His words are shared at the end of the story. However, Jesus’ miracles and His words are at the
beginning of the story of Peter. This was the story I told.
BLESSING
There is always light in the dark. My heart broke when I realized what I had to do.
These children were from desperate places; 70% of them did not even live with their parents. They were hired out to work in other families’ homes living
with them and working after school and weekends. I was told that they receive almost nothing for their labor. One friend called it slavery.
As the children began to leave, some 50 children gathered around me and would not leave. They looked at me with deep longing in their eyes. Their faces
were sunburned and their lips cracked from the dry air. These children waited for me to finish the story. They ached to have hope.
With the help of Arisela, a dear Peruvian Christian, I finished. No one made a sound and all eyes were on me as I told them how they could put their trust
in Jesus. As I spoke, I reached out to touch each child. Heather saw what was happening and said she wanted to cry. When I finished, all of them came to
me and said, “Gracias, muchas gracias.” Then they wanted to kiss my cheek and give me a hug. In fact, they wanted to hug all of us.
I was overwhelmed by the enormous out pouring of God’s spirit. We made a plan, but God had a different plan. I can only imagine how Jesus will change
these children’s lives. Pray for them! God knows them all by name! When we finished, my friend who had translated for me, hugged me. Like me, she was
overcome with the wonder of the Father’s love that He had poured on these children. Pray!
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
The second show at the same place was very different. We were given hundreds of
teenagers who listened well. They watched every part of the program, loved the story, and especially enjoyed Sam’s knives. You would expect more trouble
considering that they were teenagers, but that was not what happened. They laughed with us and paid wonderful attention. A teacher from the earlier
program watched in wonder. She came to me and said, “Now I understand what you were trying to do. I am so sorry.”
Teenagers have real concerns and if you speak to those issues, they will listen. This is a place with many broken families, but no one wants to repeat
that pain in their own family. I told the young people how to have a love that lasts for a lifetime. I told them that such love was only possible when
both people shared a relationship with Jesus. I finished by leading them in a prayer so that they could put their trust in Jesus.
GIFTS
These teenagers are very poor, but they took some of the little they had and brought
us two cold drinks to share. Several girls came to see me as we were finishing our packing. They had gone and bought me a pair of earrings. I wanted to
cry and asked to have my picture made with them. It was hard to tell who had the biggest smile. They said, “We wanted you to have something from us so
that you would remember us. Thank you.” Another young girl brought me a popsicle or if you are English like our translator Steve, an ice lolly. They
all had so little, but they wanted to thank us. We are blessed!
OUR FIRST SHOW
Our first show today was at a private school and outside like the others. They were
so responsive, but the principal was even more excited. He told us, that it was a beautiful program! More, he is trying to help us schedule another
show!
DIFFERENT THINGS
1. Here we are allowed to go into any public school and pray with the children.
2. Our friends have a big dog name Simba who only eats sweet potatoes. He especially loves sweet potato chips.
3. In the high Andes, the ladies wear lots of clothes, but will walk barefoot in the snow.
4. Mothers carry their children on their backs, tied with brightly woven blankets called “Keperina”
5. For breakfast in Cusco, people love to start their day with a bowl of sheep brain soup. You can also enjoy stomach
soup made from cow, pig,
sheep, or any other animal. As you Americans enjoy your bowl of cereal, think of us!
6. We are cold every morning , needing a sweater and a coat. By afternoon, it is hot and even with sun block on, we are all red faced and burnt.
In Jesus,
Linda for,
Sam
Lisa
Hannah
Heather
Mykayla
Katie
June 13th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
DARKNESS
Yesterday was hard and today was even more difficult. The teachers twice today sent us 500 children at a time and then left us. They have not been taught
to behave. Their only motivation to stop pushing and shoving is when the teachers hit them. We all saw teachers today and yesterday hitting children with
sticks, belts, pretty much whatever they could find. Of course, this does not help. Worse, it is a horrible way for a teacher to behave.
More, I stopped so many children from hitting younger children. One little girl was knocked to the ground and being trampled. No one seemed to care. I
pulled her free and later we took a sweet picture of her with Mykayla.
How can I describe to you what it is like to face 500 children who are all shoving and running in your direction? We all keep smiling and try to be kind as
we are determined to show them that we are different because of Jesus. Also, we must protect the equipment for the Quechua team.
Today, Katie was trying to give the children a Christian activity book. She was knocked to the ground, cut, and bruised. Through it all, she was more
concerned about the children who fell around her than she was for herself. I am so proud of her love for these children even when she was hurt.
We have to form a human wall before, during, and after the show to keep from being overrun. Still, everyone on the team agrees on one truth. They love
Peru!
For your part, we have a specific request. The bad behavior of the children always escalates as I am about to explain to them how to become a Christian and
pray with them. Please help us! Please pray against this problem. Most of the children we are with are from broken homes, very poor, and hopeless. Their
eyes beg us to help them. We need your prayers!
In Jesus,
Linda for
Sam
Lisa
Hannah
Heather
Mykayla
Katie
June 14th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
We have a very sweet praise report today. At both shows we heard dozens and dozens of children calling out loud on Jesus to be their savior. They did not
pray in soft whispers, but loudly with enthusiasm! Today the children had chairs and were so much better behaved than our previous experiences.
As your prayers begin to move effectively to make it possible for the children to listen, the enemy did not remain inactive. Sam, Linda, and Mykayla are
all very sick and had to be put to bed after the shows. They have fever, chills, nausea, and diarrhea. Worse, they are all very dizzy and are having trouble
standing up. They have medicine with them, but really need your prayers as we have a very busy day tomorrow. As Linda would say, please pray with enthusiasm!
In Jesus,
Lisa for all the team
June 16th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
THE SWEETEST THING
Sometimes, it is easy to focus on the wrong thing and then, you would miss the sweetest
thing. I have been very sick with food poisoning and problems with the high altitude of Cusco (11,000 +). However, because I was so weak, I was sitting
on the steps in the park today while the team packed the equipment.
We had a wonderful time in the park! A crowd of more than 150 had gathered, with at least half of them adults. When I finished the story, our friend Steve
gave the invitation in Spanish and many children prayed out loud, putting their trust in Jesus.
As they began to pack and move the equipment to the street so that we could travel to the next show, around 10 children and 2 adults gathered around me.
They had missed the entire program and their eyes begged for hope. Most of their faces were sunburned and their clothes dirty. My friend Americo suddenly
appeared and together we experienced the sweetest thing.
I got out my notebook and began to draw the story of Jesus with simple pictures and an ink pen. They hung on every word. I told them my own story and
explained how knowing Jesus puts hope in your heart. Almost every child prayed to receive Christ. Then, I gave the story that I had drawn to the oldest
little girl and asked Americo to tell her to use the pages to tell the story to others. She promised that she would!
If I had been healthy, I would have been walking around and unavailable to the children. God is so good to me! He redeems everything and opens doors that
I cannot imagine.
HIGHER AND HIGHER
Later, we drove up the side of a mountain, higher and higher, until even the taxi driver
began to protest that the car could not go any further, but somehow, he made it. This was an extremely poor area, where the houses were made of mud bricks.
The floors were dirt, the bathroom and kitchen were outside, and the little houses literally clung to the side of the mountain. There is no heat in their
homes and it gets cold enough at night that you would wish that you had a way to get warm.
The children received a large bowl of rice with beans and potatoes, but you would have thought it was a steak dinner. They were so happy! Steve and
Aracelly Hobby are doing an amazing work with the children. They sang songs with them, complete with all kinds of hand movements. They loved it. For a
short time, they enjoyed being children and this is something that they rarely experience. Their life is very difficult. Most children sell candy on
street corners or work at some small job when they are as young as five.
They were so responsive to the story of Joseph and many prayed to receive Jesus. They will continue coming to the children’s club and learn more.
THINGS WE WILL REMEMBER
1. This morning the girls woke up to discover llamas outside of their window. Then,
when we went outside, they chased Lisa.
2. The literacy rate for the Quechua people is only 5% to 10%. Today, we met a Wycliffe worker that is teaching literacy classes so that they can
read the word of God in their own language.
3. At the market, we saw so many stalls full of beautiful clay pots, lovely earrings, and hand woven blankets.
4. The government has many failed literacy programs where they have focused on external motivations instead of internal motivations. This time, they
plan to offer a basket of food for each class you attend, but this promise does not give them the vision that they really need.
5. I had shish kabob the other day, but it was a little different from what I had eaten at home. They made it with onion, chicken, and cow’s heart.
It was very good!
In Jesus,
Linda for,
Sam
Lisa
Katie
Mykayla
Hannah
Heather
June 19th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
Today we are leaving Cusco to fly to Lima and then, we take the night bus to Ayacucho.
Sam will return to Brazil to prepare for his wedding the last Saturday in June. Our Brazilian puppet directors, Gerson and Fabiana Simoni will join our
team. Gerson’s sister will soon be Sam’s bride. We are all so very happy and full of joy as we think about this wonderful day!
Please pray for us to have safe travel and especially pray that our equipment arrives with us. There is no time in the schedule to search for lost bags.
WHAT WILL WE REMEMBER ABOUT CUSCO?
1. Yesterday, the team did a show for children in a clinic where almost every child arrived in a wheelchair. One little boy was yelling, “I love the puppets.
I love the puppets!” They were all so excited and really grateful that we came. Sam told a beautiful story and even many nurses listened. Lisa said that
it was her favorite show.
2. Our first show of the day had been at a military school where many of the sons and daughters of police officers attend. They would not let us pray with
the children, but let me explain to them how to pray and trust Jesus. Their discipline was better, but it was still an adventure. The third show of the day
was even more of an adventure, but the Lord always makes a way for the children to hear.
3. Sunday morning we were doing a children’s program, but it was an adult man that stood listening outside that I will remember. It was Father’s Day and I
could not stop thinking about the kind of father he could be if he knew Jesus. His little boy was inside with us. Ask the Father to call him to faith!
4. The color of the Quechua ladies clothes was amazing. The markets exploded with beautifully knitted hats and lovely blankets.
5. There is so much darkness here. Llama fetuses that have been dried and hung in one market. They will be used as sacrifice to mother earth. My stomach
turned and I felt like weeping because people are bound in such darkness. Even after people believe, they struggle to let go of the past and remove the 2
bulls with a cross from their roof. It is supposed to protect the house from evil and in reality, it is an invitation for evil to come.
6. We all loved the worship service Sunday night with our friends Steve and Aricelly Hobby. A small group of Peruvian believers gathered in a storefront
and praised the Lord. We were all so blessed! More, we are all so grateful to our friends who worked so hard on this schedule and served as our
translators.
In Jesus,
Linda for
Sam
Heather
Mykayla
Hannah
Katie
Lisa
June 23rd, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
*** If you do not read any other email, please read this one. It will touch your
heart.***
SAPSI, LUYANTA, SAN RAFAEL, NAUPAS, AND PAQCHA
We are high in the Andes Mountains and these are the names of some of the villages
that we have been visiting. We have been doing puppet shows for children who have never seen puppets or balloons. To reach these places, we drove round
and round the side of a mountain on a single lane dirt road. We crossed creeks, waited for horses, llamas, sheep, goats, donkeys, and cows to move, and
prayed for our driver’s skill with enthusiasm. Waiting for llamas is the best because they have big brass bells that jingle as they walk and tassels are
always hanging from their ears. At one point, the men got out of the van to repair the road so that we could continue.
The people are desperately poor, living in little one room houses about the size of a large tool shed. The kitchen and bathroom are outside. Inside, there
is a dirt floor. Strangely, it is not their poverty that you notice first, but their eyes. The children look at you with eyes that are much older than
their actual years. They watched every single thing that we did. Even setting up the stage was entertainment. They had seen so little of the things that we
brought, but so much more than a child should see. It is a very hard life in these mountains. Several of us wondered how aware they were of the world away
from their mountains. It does not seem that the outside world is very aware of them and their needs.
All of the things that you take for granted, cannot be found here. In most of these smaller places, there is no store of any kind. Today, we met a sweet
pastor who asked us to pray for his baby who had the flu. There was no medicine and no doctor. Please pray for this precious little one. They have nothing
by our standards, but they are so giving and so thoughtful.
Often, we are invited to the pastor’s home for a meal. It looks no different from the other homes. The meal is usually boiled potatoes and a piece of
cheese. There are no plates, no silverware, no salt or butter. Their kindness represents great sacrifice. They give when it is inconvenient to give. We
usually give from our abundance.
More, until 1998, this area was the center for the Sendero Luminosa, the Shining Path, a Communist guerilla group that killed thousands of Quechua Indians.
Many were your brothers and sisters in Christ. Most families here have lost someone as a result of their butchery. In a Quechua church that we visited last
Sunday, there were many older women, all widows, mostly because of the Shining Path, in Spanish, Sendero Luminoso.
All of these places that we are traveling to are full of people who have the same stories. Never have I seen a place where the forgiveness that is found
through faith in Jesus is received with such hunger. There is so much to forgive.
NEMESIO'S STORY
When Nemesio was 8 years old, something terrible happened in his village. The Shining
Path came and gathered all of the men, women, and children into the village square. There he watched as they murdered 144 men, women, and children in a
single attack. They used stones and machetes on most. Some who died knew Jesus Christ, but not all.
As he told me the story, his eyes filled with tears. I cried, held his hand, and tried to offer comfort as he told his story. I felt so inadequate. I
cannot imagine such a horrific event, but again his story is not unusual. My own grief over Mike’s death has been such a deep hurt for me, but I did not
have to see Mike die. I was not a small child and I only faced a single death of someone I loved, not the death of almost everyone I knew. That day Nemesio
watched as they killed his Pastor, his older brother.
He showed us the caves where he often slept as a boy. The terrorists tended to attack at 3AM so no one wanted to sleep at home. As we were traveling to
the some distant villages today, I saw the park where everyone died. Flowers grow there now and there are benches. I watched my friend’s face as he looked
out the window and wondered what he saw.
Not far from his village another terrible crime was committed about the same time. Most of the people in another village were killed by the government
forces who suspected that they were terrorists. They were not, but suspicion was enough. Every adult man woman and child 14 years old or older was executed.
Only Jesus can heal such hurt!
My friend is part of the group that is traveling with us, learning to share Christ with children by using puppets. He is also my Quechua translator when
we have to triple translate from English into Spanish into Quechua. He is a wonderful man of God who has real joy. The next time you refuse to forgive
someone or something, please think about my friend and remember how much Nemesio has forgiven.
THE TEAM
We are now a team of 14 made up of Americans, Peruvians, and Brazilians. Most of us
have food poisoning and are taking antibiotics. Several are throwing up and our friend Gerson from Brazil had the flu. Some of us went 3 days without a
shower because there was no water. Our faces look like the children’s faces. We are sunburned and have cracked lips. Meals are erratic, but are much
appreciated when we can finally stop and eat. Often, 2 meals a day are in the car.
There is so much dust on us that when you pat your head, a dust cloud flies up. Our equipment is covered and the van is full of dirt as is the air. We are
always dirty. Still, every morning they all get up at 4 or 5 AM and pack into the van. No one complains even though we have to pack equipment all around us.
There is the sweetest spirit among this group. We drove through the mountains singing praise songs today. We began the same song in English, then Spanish,
then Quechua, and finished in Portuguese. We sang, “Holy, holy, holy, Open the eyes of our hearts Lord, I want to see you.”
Please pray for us. We need strength! We also need some help with unexpected expenses. Because of problems at the first place we stayed in Ayacucho, we had
to move and it costs more. However, I felt we had to choice. At the other place our sound system would not charge and since most of the places where we are
doing shows have no electricity, we need this system. This place also had no water. More, a lot of us got food poisoning there. All of this surprised us,
but not the Father, so we wait to see His provision.
In Jesus,
Linda for
Heather
Mykayla
Katie
Hannah
Nemesio
Juan
Carlos
Pablo
Juan-Carlos
Lucy
Alicia
Edid
June 24th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
THE FIRST TIME
On the outskirts of the city of Ayacucho, there are many new communities. As we drove
to one of these new places, I noticed that all color was disappearing. The world became the color of dust. Everything was brown as far as we could see
except for one brightly painted green building. This was the community center and this is where we did the puppet show. The walls were lined with stacks
of plastic chairs and as fast as we put them out, they were filled. More people were standing in the doorway and around the edges of the room. They were
eager to come!
Most of us wear our clothes until we find a different outfit that we like better. These people wear their clothes until they fall apart and still, even
with holes and dirt that will never come out, they are still wearing them. Poverty is a big problem and it is always accompanied by certain other problems.
A drunken man greeted us when we arrived and offered me a drink. I graciously declined. Alcoholism is a curse here. Families are broken by it as the mothers
and fathers try to escape their reality. There is also a lot of physical abuse and so I must always be careful when I walk with my cane. Many of the
children have been beaten with sticks and are often afraid of any adult with a big stick.
Truly, the poverty and brokenness of this place would overwhelm you if you saw this community without the eyes of faith. No one person or group has enough
money to fix poverty on such a grand scale. But because you see with the Father’s eyes, you remember that being poor or drunk or abused is never a person’s
biggest need. Our hope for these people is found in obeying the Father and telling them about Jesus.
The president of the community talked with me and thanked us for coming. He said that we were the first people to come and share with the children and
adults about Jesus. He begged us to come again. Our new Peruvian puppet team is willing, but they will need an operating budget to help with the cost of
travel and food. Your generous gifts to the puppet ministry have enabled us to share with thousands. Our friends will need $4,000 a year to enable them to
make monthly trips to these remote areas and continue what we have begun.
I beg you to look at your church budget and examine how you are investing God’s money. Can you help our new puppet team reach those who are forgotten by
this world, but always remembered by the Father?
THE PARK
A little more than an hour’s drive outside of the city is another smaller place called
Kinewa. I have no hope that my spelling is correct. We had been given permission to do a show in a park behind the market. We sent out the Peruvians
with puppets and balloon hats to gather the children. As each team returned alone, I confess that I thought we would have no children. Three times, my new
puppet team leader Juan looked at me and said a single word, “Faith.” He has great faith and the Lord blessed his faith and us with around 50 children
and adults. People were sitting nearby watching the show, many stood at a safe distance, some watched from across the street, and one older Quechua lady
stood listening to the entire program from behind the stage. All of them heard how they could put their trust in Jesus! It was awesome!
ADVENTURES
1. High in the mountains, a man came to our puppet show riding a horse. I wanted to have
my picture made on the horse, so with a lot of help, I climbed on top and he held the reins. We made pictures and he walked me around. I loved it and I
guess he could see that because before I knew it, we were climbing the mountain to the Pastor’s house. It was an amazing ride!
2. For lunch yesterday, the entire team enjoyed guinea pig. I had my picture made with the head as they serve it with the teeth and eyes. Actually, it
tastes a lot like chicken.
3. The llamas are the most amazing animals! None of us really mind when we have to stop and wait for them to pass.
4. Most of the taxis in Ayachuo look more like golf carts and are great fun to ride, but most of the time, we walk when we are going to dinner or to the
store.
5. Each day, it seems that another one of gets sick and requires medicine. Trying to find a bathroom when you need it is always an adventure. Each meal is
an adventure as we try to find something that we can eat that will be safe for us. I confess that I have never had as much trouble on a trip with an
entire team suffering from food poisoning. Many of the Peruvians are sick, too. Also, most of us have colds as the temperatures change so much from
morning to night. We find our comfort in God’s word and our strength in your prayers. Please keep praying!
6. Getting to each show is a daily adventure. We climb into the van and within minutes are covered in dust. Everyone laughs as we travel and makes jokes
about how dirty we are, and seems in spite of everything to enjoy the adventure.
7. The greatest adventure is sharing with the children! Their need keeps all of us focused on what is really important.
Please continue to pray as we have only 3 days, Sunday (today), Monday, and Tuesday remaining to share with the children. Tuesday night at midnight, the
team will fly home and I will go to Brazil. I have equipment to deliver to the Brazil team and plans to make for next year’s work. Best of all, I will
have the sweet joy of being at Sam’s wedding!
PRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Jesus,
Linda for
Katie
Mykayla
Heather
Lisa
Nemisio
Alisia
Juan
Juan-Carlos
Carlos
Lucy
Pablo
Edid
July 8th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
PLEASE FORGIVE US!!!!!! This email was written to you at the end of our Peru trip,
but none of us were aware that you never received it until now. There were some sweet blessings in it that I did not want you to miss since it was your
prayers that made all of this possible.
I returned from Peru and Brazil last Monday, but I am not home now. The following day, Tuesday, the summer team came to the house and we began to practice
and prepare for our summer ministry. God has given me an amazing group of young people to travel with and I expect the Lord to do wonderful things through
these excited friends. Presently, we are in Sevierville, TN sharing with many children in daycare facilities, churches, camps, and at a library. Today, we
heard children praying out loud, calling on Jesus to save them! Praise God!
One little girl raised her hand at the end of the show and asked, “Is God with us through every situation?” That is quite a question for a little girl who
is only 10 or 11 years old. I went around the puppet team and asked each one for an answer and then I answered, too. All of us assured her that the Father
always cares and is always with us. I wondered what troubled her so much that she asked such a question. That morning I told her the story of Joseph and
how in good times, bad times, all the time, he trusted God to care for him. Please pray for her!
Please pray for us as we are sharing here through Wednesday night and then will make a very early drive (4AM) to Snellville and Atlanta for more shows on
Thursday and Friday. Pray for safe travel and strength as several of us have not fully recovered from the food poisoning that we got in Peru.
THREE SHOWS and MANY BLESSINGS!!!
Each day is so full of the sweetest opportunities to tell children about Jesus and His love! Yesterday, we did 3 shows, one at a Sunday School in a poor
area, the second outside on a community basketball court in the same area, and the last program was at an orphanage.
At each show, we heard the most wonderful sound. We heard children calling on Jesus, asking him to be their Savior. This was especially dear to us
because the children in Ayachuo and in the mountains are very shy, so we had only heard a few praying in soft whispers. I do not know why these little ones
were comfortable with a more public response, but we were blessed!
I especially enjoyed a new Spanish song that we tried. The children loved it and they loved the Spanish drama that our Brazilian Directors had brought
with them. This was a program that Gerson and Fabianna Simoni had developed for their mission trip to Argentina. We begin a work and then our puppet
directors make it spread out across the countries where they live and even their continents. It is like watching the ripples in a pond!
We felt the Lord’s care for us during every part of the day. At the last minute, a door opened for us to be able to go to the orphanage. We had
ifficulties with translators being late or unable to understand the story. Every time the Lord solved our problems and provided someone to help us!
Even last night, after our programs and dinner, we scheduled a training class as we do every evening. Would you beg for a class after a 10 hour day? Our
new team is so eager to learn that I teach every evening until 11PM and later. God sent us a Scottish missionary lady to help us with the translation.
Always we see the Father's care!
A speaker fell from the top of a bookshelf, a full 6 feet, and barely missed our translator. However, neither she nor the speaker was hurt. Lisa and Katy
had the strength to do puppets even though they were recovering from the stomach problems that we all have. The air is very dirty here and my asthma is
really bothering me, but at each show, God gave me the strength that I needed to tell very energetic stories. You cannot be too dramatic in this place!
A little boy threw a rock at me and it hit the glass beside me, but the window did not even crack. As for the little boy, he was just angry with his life,
not me. Abuse of all kinds is common where he lives. Everyone is poor and too many are drunk. I do not want to imagine what he goes home to every day. I
may not know his name, but God knows. Please pray for him to come to faith. He heard the Gospel on a basketball court Sunday afternoon.
Please continue to pray as we have this last day of programs and then tomorrow, we finish the training, before we fly at midnight.
In Jesus, Linda for the Team, in America and in Peru
July 9th, 2007 Peru
Dearest Friends,
LAST SHOWS
There are two wonderful reports from Peru that you have never heard. At our last show
in Cusco, we did a show on the way to the airport. We were flying back to Lima so that we could take the night bus to Ayachuco.
God was so kind to us. After a week of shows in Cusco where the teachers did not help us, this show stood out as very different. Not only did the teachers
help us, some of them joined the children in prayer. We heard so many asking Jesus to be their Savior and we received an invitation to come again. Praise
God!
Our last day of shows in Ayachuco was equally sweet. In the late morning, we shared at a Christian school where the children were especially enthusiastic! They laughed, smiled, and loudly called on Jesus to be their Savior.
The last show was at an orphanage for children with disabilities, mental and physical. There was a second group of children there that did not have
disabilities, but were so hungry for hugs and kindness. Another group was there doing clowning for the children. All of us received either bright red
clown noses or kiss shaped stickers. We had as much fun as the children. People from several European nations were at the show. All of us heard the
children praying out loud. Their faith was a sweet testimony to many adults that day.
BRAZIL
It was so precious to go to Brazil and work with our Brazilian team, Gerson and Fabianna Simoni, accompanied by Sam Shaw’s Irish team. Ironically, a
spiritualist arranged for us to go to a school in a favella. The children lived in very small houses and were constantly exposed to drugs and alcohol
addiction, prostitution, and all kinds of abuse. Hundreds prayed out loud, calling on Jesus to save them. The spiritualist lady that arranged the show was
so moved by the program that she came to talk to me with tears in her eyes. She said, “You have brought light to this place. You have brought light to
me.” More, she offered to arrange more shows in other difficult places.
I was also very blessed to share a ministry report at a church and have many people respond to the stories about the children. We met with 2 other groups
of friends and planned future ministry in Brazil. I also had some opportunities to teach our Brazillian friends a new story.
Gerson and Fabianna Simoni have joined PEF as missionaries to Brazil and are now able to receive support. With great joy, I recommend to you these dear
friends which are our lead directors. They took such wonderful care of me in Brazil, spoiling me with their kindness. More, they are sacrificial in their
efforts to reach the children of South America with the hope that only Jesus brings. Please pray for them!
SAM AND SLYVANA ARE MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was also in Brazil so that I could have the sweet pleasure of seeing Sam Shaw, our Assistant Director, married to Slyvana Simoni, Gerson’s sister. It
was a beautiful wedding that honored Jesus Christ. Sam practiced and was able to recite his vows in Portuguese!
Mike was so very proud of Sam and loved him like a son. I am sure that he was rejoicing in heaven for Sam! I am so happy to have such a sweet new
ministry partner in Slyvanna! Please pray for them as they prepare to move to Ireland and begin their new life!
THE NEW PERUVIAN TEAM
I was so thrilled with our new team and am so confident that they will do a great work
for Jesus. Our final day in Peru, they all gathered for one last class. As always, they were so focused and so full of joy. I know that they will bless
many children! Please pray for Donna Saune and their new puppet team. These are amazing people!
USA
Today, after the puppet show, a little boy came to see me and said, “That picture you
drew inspired me. Could I please have it?” The little boy was 11 or 12. What picture “inspired” a young boy? I had drawn a picture of a heart and
explained that when you trust Jesus, he filled your heart with love, hope, and peace. He took away your fear. More, I told them, when you are forgiven,
you can forgive others. Pray for this little boy to hold onto these truths!
When I talked with the children today, I was aware that many… most were from broken homes. I talked with them about how Jesus can solve your problems. I
said, “Maybe there is a lot of arguing in your home and sometimes you are scared. Maybe you don’t know what to do.” One little girl softly said these
words and pointed at herself, “Yes, I’m afraid.” Pray for this little one. God knows her name.
Our last show today was in a very difficult place. The adults in charge were not pleased to have us there and did not encourage the children to come and
see the show. However, those that came had the best time. They loved every part of the program and were so happy even though we had problems with our
sound. They thanked us so many times!
One little boy said to me “I wish your were my Mom.” I wanted to cry.
Most of these children that we are seeing do not go to church. For many, our programs are one of their few opportunities to hear about Jesus. We need you
to pray! Ask the Father to hold open these doors. Tomorrow, we have a show with children from a summer reading program and a day camp. Please pray!
A FUNNY SWEET STORY
I was so thrilled with our new team and am so confident that they will do a great work
for Jesus. Our final day in Peru, they all gathered for one last class. As always, they were so focused and so full of joy. I know that they will bless
many children! Please pray for Donna Saune and their new puppet team. These are amazing people!
In Jesus, Linda for the Team, in America and in Peru
Sunday, a little boy raised his hand and asked me a question. He said, “Do you think you’re beautiful?” I smiled and said, “No son, I’m just old.” With
a very serious face he replied, “I think you’re beautiful.”
In Jesus,
Linda for the team,
Heather Kelley
Mykayla Kelley
Pablo Tarquino
Alejandra Tarquino
Jon Bova
Katie Humfleet
