Saturday and the next 2 weeks

January 30

from Sue

We decided to venture to a new part of the city recommended by friends at Buckner. It is called Barranco and is supposedly the "Bohemian" part of the city. We got dropped off at a cute little park and discovered that it was really warm. We were trying to find a pizza place that we had visited on the first mission trip and we walked around and never did find it. We were all tired, sweaty and hungry and probably were quite a sight standing out on the street arguing amongst ourselves about what we should do. The Wetzels (at least these Wetzels) aren't very good with making decisions. We were accosted by folks from another restaurant. The restaurants have workers whose sole job is to recruit customers. I think they should have grabbed some of them to wait tables because 2 hours later, we were finished. We did, however, sit outside on a porch and had a view of the Pacific plus pop was free. All was not lost.

Eric leaves in the morning for 6 days on a trip to the rainforest and then leaves again on the 9th to go Huaraz in the mountains. He is taking Emily and Maggie to Huaraz and they will be gone 3 days. Please pray for us as we go it alone this week and try to keep safe and busy.

Reina and the beach--pictures too!

January 27

From Sue

This is a terrible picture of me but I wanted to show how Francisco Javier is thriving. My sore arms today testify to that! He is happy and healthy; if you had seen him last June, you would know why I am talking about him again. God is good! We were talking to Elijah about how well he helped with the babies and how he waited for the babies under the trampoline and he said, "I told her vaminos and she came out." Ok the 5 year old uses his Spanish better than I. There is also a picture of Rebekah and Nashelli.

This morning when I was out running, I checked out a new park and saw that there was a beach access. We decided to go there this morning. The words "forced march" come to mind. It was a bit farther than I thought and A LOT of steps. It was also quite hot (I will get no sympathy on that front, I'm sure!). The beach was less crowded there but pretty dirty. Elijah had a blast and we saw some neat tide pool critters. I don't know if it was worth the exertion. We had a little discussion about the Isrealites (and complaining:)) and how thankful we are that we don't have to wander around the desert(or Peru) for 4o years.

BSF and Reina de la Paz

January 26
From Sue
Those of you who know me well, know that I have been a class member of BSF for several years and that is has meant a great deal to me in my Christian life. God has used BSF and the women I have met there, to change my life and my relationship with Christ. When we decided to move here temporarily, one of the first things I did was check to see if there was a class in Lima and to my delight there was. BSF is international but all of the studies are done in English-praise the Lord! Last night was their first class since Christmas as it is also summer here. Because the class is held in another district which is not close by, and it is held at night, Eric asked around at church and hired a driver to take me there. My driver (it feels kind of cool so say that!) is Raul and he is a wonderful Christian man(so is my husband). Traffic was terrible and I was 30 minutes late (it took 50 min. to get there) so I broke rule numero uno:) The ladies were very gracious and it was so good to be back in a discussion group. I met several Americans and a Canadian and the teaching leader is from Chambersburg, PA which is very close to where my brother-in-law and his family live! It all felt very different yet somehow the same. The class here in Lima is small (about 50) considering the size of the city (8 million) so please pray that their numbers would grow. Raul waited for me and brought me back home and he is trying to teach me some Spanish. (good luck with that!) I really felt God's hand in the entire situation from getting a Christian driver to providing women with whom I can fellowship and learn about Christ.
We again traveled to Reina de la Paz to minister to the girls. As is often the case at places where you minister, satan is ready to attack after a spiritual "high". The girls were distracted and their babies uncooperative. It was still fun, but different from last week. They did not ask questions like they did last week but we played volleyball and had fun with their kids. Rebekah has become very attached to one little girl in particular that she calls Shirley. Her name is actually Naschelli (sp?) and she is normally very shy but she really enjoys Rebekah. Before we left today, Elijah was sitting under the trampoline, which is broken. When I called him, he didn't come out. It turns out, he was keeping an eye on a little one and was coaxing her out before he would leave himself. Five year olds watching toddlers; that is the way it is for many sometimes.

Magic Fountains

January 25
From Sue (& Eric)
We've posted some photos and video of our Saturday evening venture to see the world's largest fountain park here in Lima. It was very beautiful and innovative. It was also very crowded as it is summer and a Saturday night. One of the really neat things was a fountain tunnel we walked through. There was also a fountain/laser show which was pretty cool. They played all sorts of music (Beatles, a little Queen, John Williams) and then projected laser images into the water. There was a patriotic sequence where they played native music and showed images from around Peru and you could hear the crowd react to that. It reminded me of the way we felt when we went to see the light show at Mt. Rushmore-very patriotic.
We continue to enjoy the time we are spending worshiping at Flamingo Road Church. We were all convicted during the message yesterday on Jonah ch. 2 about surrendering to God. We then enjoyed another cultural experience going to Bembo's for lunch. They have a wide variety of burgers which means poor Eric had to again communicate on our behalf. We then walked over to the Wong grocery store (no, the right one..... oh sorry, thought we were doing Elmer Fudd there) where we loaded up on junk food we can't get at the Vivanda. We spent some time skyping with family and friends and got to watch the Colts win! The second game wasn't televised here so we felt pretty fortunate. And then to top it all off-the Vikings lost! What a weekend!

Magic Fountains

Huaca Pucllana

Alpaca (native to Peru)

Elijah (not native to Peru)

Maggie & some pre-Colombian artifacts

Sue petting the hairless Peruvian dog (very rare...and very ugly)

part of the pyramid where the Lima culture (approx. 400 AD) performed religious rituals

part of the original adobe wall at the site -- bricks were oriented vertically to increase stability against earthquakes

the pyramid


From Eric...

Today (Saturday) we visited a really interesting archaeological site in Lima called Huaca Pucllana. It is a pre-Colombian site (began about 400 AD) that was dominated by a large, ceremonial pyramid. The lives of the people who lived in this area were very focused on the sea, with many of the gods they worshipped having to do with the ocean, etc. They also sacrificed young women here. We visited a small but nice museum (working our way through the explanatinos in spanish) and then heard the welcome words "English tour will begin over here...." -- we rushed over there, of course. We learned a bit about the culture and about the construction of the pyramid, which was interesting.

They also had examples of some of the plants and animals which were native to the area and time of these people (called the Lima culture). One of the strange beasts was the hairless Peruvian dog. It was indeed without hair -- it looked a bit like a cross between a rhino and a hyena (check out the picture of Sue "petting" it, if you can pet something like this...). We heard Carolyn say "now I really miss Indy!" (fleas and all, although now that we think about it, a hairless dog would be neater although kind of creepy) Overall it was a fun trip.

January 19
From Rebekah
Hi! We went to the beach. We watched the ocean and got crashed by a wave. We really did! We sat on the rocks. I got a purse for a souvenir. I like to go to the park. Me and my brother found a snail. We named it snailly. We made a home for it. I played with babies at Reina de la Paz. One of them was named Shirley. I did like playing with the babies. I enjoy playing. I miss my friends.

From Elijah
I found coral with mussels and we got splashed with a humungous wave. Only my shorts got wet.
I got an Inca Kola shirt for a souvenir. I miss my friends.

Reina de la Paz

above are Vivien and Francisco

Rebekah and Andrea's baby Lydia

January 19

From Sue

(pictures above from the market on Saturday, the beach on Sunday, and Reina de la Paz on Tuesday)

I have always known that we have great kids, but I have never been more convinced of that than I have today. This morning, we met Giuli at Reina de la Paz, a home for teen moms and their babies that we have visited for 3 years and which our church helps support. We all crammed into a cab and traveled the 40 minutes (our cabbie got lost) to get there. An experience in and of itself! We greeted many familiar faces and some new ones too. Giuli assembled the girls and what was supposed to be a 30 minute presentation about playing with your baby, turned into a 90 minute session on everything from eating and sleeping issues to discipline! While I talked to the girls, the rest of the family watched babies and toddlers. We then had cake and cookies which we brought to celebrate Giuli's birthday with the girls. After that, it was off to the soccer court for some fun while Emily, Elijah, Rebekah and I attempted to watch babies. Letty Mar asked when we were coming back and we said next Tuesday. She said, you can come back everyday. That's Reina for you. It is such a bittersweet place. It is sad to see their situations and such joy in little things like cake and soccer. The babies were dressed way too warmly and were for the most part pretty dirty but they are a joy and delight! One of the highlights was seeing Francisco, a baby who was suffering from Failure to Thrive last summer. Both he and his mother, Vivian, were hospitalized and we sent up many prayers on their behalf. We saw them today and you wouldn't have known it was the same ill baby. He and his mother were both eating heartily! Praise the Lord for answered prayer! We also feel all of your prayers for protection as we headed to a less desirable part of the city to see the girls. Our kids were so helpful and they did not utter a complaint even though it was all very new and not a little stressful:) Please keep us in your prayers as we head back to Reina next week and continue to deal with homesickness, school and lack of language skills.

Weekend happenings

January 19
From Sue
On Saturday, we walked to the Indian market, which is the one we go to on the mission trip. Eric was all set to use his newly acquired Spanish and gave us a pep talk before we shopped about bargaining and we will come back another day so don't panic if you don't get what you want today, type thing. At one of the first "shops", I saw the perfect souvenirs for our nephews, Matt and Mitch. Much to Eric's chagrin, the sales lady was not in a bargaining mood prabably since whe heard me say, "I don't care, I just want those!" I may not say what "those" are because I want to surprise the boys. We did get them but poor Eric was not happy and drenched in sweat when we walked away! He did get Carolyn a good deal on gifts for her friends so all was not lost. It just gets to Eric that he has to pay the "gringo price". In the evening, we got to watch the "Indyanapolees Colts" on spanish ESPN. Go Colts!

We went to the beach after church on Sunday and it reminded me of the Jersey shore except not as nice. It was crowded and the beach is covered in rocks. It was very relaxing to sit and watch the sea, however.

Learning

January 15
From Sue
Today we are celebrating Elijah's half birthday. We started this tradition when we only had 3 kids and I was craving cake:) He chooses what we eat for dinner (Pizza Hut) and then we have cake. Elijah is very excited to be 5 and a half and has been counting down for several days.

Yesterday we went to the Vivanda, our supermarket, and loaded up. We had our little cart full and we were all carrying something. It was crowded and quite stuffy in there. At the checkout, Maggie said she didn't feel well. I told her to go outside and she starts drooping and saying she can't see and hear. Well, I pushed her head down between her knees with one hand and continued unloading the cart with the other. At some point one of the girls led Maggie out of the store where she revived a bit. Our Maggie is in the habit of skipping breakfast, but I think maybe for the last time after yesterday; at least until we get home. There is a very nice young man working at the Vivanda who speaks a little English. ( He asked if Carolyn was my son) When he sees me there, he bags for us and helps us with the cashier.

In the afternoon, we walked to the park closest to our apartment because the sun was shining! We watched the parasailors take off and land and enjoyed the beauty of the Pacific. Before we left, a little girl and boy ages 8 and 4 maybe came by and said something. I asked Emily and she thought they were asking for dinner but was not sure. I had no money and no plan. I felt so disappointed in myself for missing the opportunity to care for those little ones. I will not go out without money and food in my backpack anymore. Please pray for those little guys and others like them that they would meet people to help and love them. Pray for us that we would not miss another opportunity to serve.

Answered prayer

January 14
From Sue
In our last post, I told you that we were homesick, bored, needed some purpose and asked for prayer about that. Well, our Lord answered- and so quickly! Giugliana, one of our friends on the Buckner staff, came over yesterday and we talked about what the kids and I can do to help her at Reina de la Paz. We are going to be helping watch babies while Giugli teaches Bible and I am going to be talking to the girls about bonding and playing with their babies. Giugli said the girls aren't sure how to interact with their babies. It makes sense; that is learned behavior. Anyway, we start on Tuesaday morning. Please pray for us about that and also that we wouldn't dwell on what we are missing.
We also had a skype conversation with our small group last night and that was really cool! We shared a bit and then ended with a cyber prayer. Those folks are a huge blessing to us.
We and the rest of Lima, continue to wonder when the sun is going to shine. It is very humid though. If I am moving, I sweat and when I am sitting, I am chilly. Running is also a challenge with the humidity, the bikers and other runners. There doesn't seem to be any unspoken rules about keep to the right or pass on the left. I can't believe that more people don't get plowed over by bikes! I am told that in the US, we have a greater need for personal space.
Later this morning we are off to the Vivanda supermercado for our tiny boxes of cereal and milk:)

January 12
From Sue
We have started school and the days don't really seem to be flying by if you know what I mean. I have always respected teachers but not as much as I do now. It is not all frustrating. We can take any tangents we want. Yesterday, we all, except Eric, went to Vivanda market. We managed to get almost everything on our list and check out. Hurray! I just can't get over how small the packages are. I mean the syrup is tiny! I try to buy large whenever I can. I mean you should see our peanut butter-5lbs! Oh well, more trips to the Vivanda. We have been trying to cook some Peruvian meals and they are turning out rather well. We still have only seen the sun once but the view from the park nearby is beautiful. Eric has spent the past 2 days in language school. Four hours in the morning and 2 hours of individual tutoring in the afternoon. He is being challenged that's for sure. We fondly refer to his tutor as Elsa the Spanish nazi. Please pray that we would get an opportunity to visit a home (orphanage) and that we wouldn't feel too sorry for ouselves! A bit of homesickness is setting in.

More news from Peru

January 10

Yesterday afternoon, we went to Parque Kennedy named for JFK. The sign said that it was dedicated to the memory of Ex-President Kennedy. It probably should have read former president but oh well. The park is large and quite nice with art displayed and many shops and restaurants on the streets surrounding it. We have passed by it many times on our mission trips in the bus but the girls said we were probably too tired to notice it then. We bought a USA today newspaper and we all (those who can read) read it from cover to cover. I noticed that it was wild-card weekend in the NFL and was kind of bummed since I love football. We turned on the TV just to check and found the game on ESPN in Spanish! What a gift! We should also be able to watch the Olympics since I love the Olympics more than football! Of course, today there was a soccer game on and no playoffs. It is just as disappointing watching the Eagles lose (and the Cowboys win) in South America.
Today we were kind of at a low point in the trip just missing our church and church family and being nervous about a new church. We all piled into a taxi and for about $1.75 got a ride to church! The church we visited is called Flamingo Road Church and this is a satellite campus in Peru with the messages coming over the internet from S Florida. They do the service in English and the band, who was very good, was live. They meet in the Cineplanet, which is the movie theater so our seats were extremely comfy. We saw Erick from Buckner there and was he ever surprised to see us! It was a lot of fun to surprise him like that. We met a very nice family from CA who now live in Peru and have for some time. He works for a mining company and they have 7 children. Three are adults who live in the USA and then 4 adopted children. Isn't it like our Lord to put people in your life who share the same passions?
We went to McDonald's with them after the service (I know, Pizza Hut and McD's-we have no imagination). Outside of the McDonald's we saw 2 children peddling chicklets and snacks. They followed us into the restaurant and we talked to them a little bit. The boy was Luis, 11 and the girl was Lisbeth and she is 10. Eric introduced Luis to Carolyn, who is about a foot taller that he, and told him that she is 11 too. He looked at her in awe! The other mom gave them happy meal toys and Eric ordered them cheeseburgers. Jim Jackson, new family dad, told us that some parents rent their children to these businessmen who take the kids around the city and drop them off so they can peddle their stuff. The kids don't get to go to school. The parents get 10 soles or about $3. Debbie Jackson invited Luis into the play area. She said a few weeks ago when she did that he just sat there. Today he did not, playing with the kids. Maggie taught Luis a little hand game and he looked like he was having a ball getting a chance to be a kid.
Many of you know that our kids get on us about always being the last ones at church talking, even in PA. Well it continues in Peru so I guess it's us!
This afternoon we took Rebekah and Elijah to try to find the beach. Actually, we could see the beach just fine from about 350 feet straight down but we didn't know how to get there without going in the taxi so we explored and found an access point. We walked down and down and took more and more steps until finally, we got there. It is beautiful but crowded and it was covered in rocks which the kids liked throwing. Elijah found a sea urchin and was pleased. It was then time to go back and we counted 258 steps! We also found a shorter way to our apartment so a successful trip! Tomorrow, Eric begins language school and the rest of us begin our schooling. The party's over! Haha!

I am also adjusting to the shopping in Peru. Everything is sold in such small quantities. We are coming from the Wal-Mart and Costco types of stores and we now have to shop in the Village Pantry and Turkey Hill types. I can't remember if I have mentioned this or not but, neither the milk nor the eggs are refrigerated. Apparently, most Peruvians eat from scratch because there aren't many convenience foods. The bottles and boxes are so tiny. I feel like I am going to be going to the store every other day!

From Sue
On Friday morning, I got up to go running and when I left the apartment, water was dripping down the stairwell. I realized that it was misting since it never actually rains here apparently. I waited until 9:30 when it stopped and there was cleanup going on all over, especially at the park.
Workers had brooms and squeegees and were cleaning up the standing water. Yes, standing water after misting. On the way home, I thought, I wonder why the storm sewers don't take of all the water and then I realized that there are no storm sewers. The water has no where to go.
When we watched the news that night, we saw that there was flooding in the city. In the poor community of Collique, homes were collapasing. (For those of you on the first mission trip, we went there to the community center.) Many of them are built on the sides of mountains that are essentially shale and there is nothing keeping them in place. I just couldn't believe how such a small amount of water could cause so much damage. It was also quite sobering to see the way many Peruvians live-in squalor. Poverty is definitely a vicious cycle.

Adjusting

Our dinner with Giuli, Yolanda, Miguel and Esteban was a lot of fun! Guili brought them in a taxi but did not tell them where they were going and so they were excited, especially when they figured out that Eric was here. We made the introductions of the younger Wetzels and then all 11 of us piled into 2 taxis to Lacromar, the mall that sits above the ocean. Miguel and Esteban wanted pizza so we went to Pizza Hut. We discovered that the boys had never been in an elevator, an escalator and had never seen the ocean! Whoa! They live 10 miles from it but it might as well be 1000. One of them said, "Is that all water?" Each of the boys downed 3 pieces of pizza and to say that they were wound up is an understatement! Yolanda is leaving Reina de la Paz in 10 days to live in a home owned by the congregation with some other girls. One of them will watch the boys while she works and then she will go to school from 5pm until 9pm. She worries about not spending much time with them. Please pray for Yolanda and her boys that she can finish school and provide for her boys.

Above are some pictures from our dinner as well as the view of the Pacific from the park that's only two blocks from our apartment.

...and off we go!

Some pictures from the trip so far....

some wave-like clouds coming into Newark

Wednesday-Thursday, 06-07 Jan.

Oh, to be in Newark....
After a couple of days of packing and saying goodbyes we're on our way to Peru! Big thanks go out to John & Penny Bell and Jerry Dahnke for picking us up at our house at 3:15 AM and ferrying us to the airport. We successfully checked in our 12 suitcases and made it through security unscathed (this was of great concern to Elijah!). Our flight from Indianapolis went smoothly and was fun as it was a first for Elijah and Carolyn. (Rebekah's a seasoned traveler, of course, but enjoyed this one like it was her first since she doesn't remember the trip from China very well. )

From Sue....Our flight to Lima was long (about 8 hours) but we all had our own video screen and we could watch what we wanted. Getting through immigration went smoothly and our 2 vans were waiting for us, so all in all not too bad. Our new digs remind one of the efficiency apartments you can rent at the beach which makes sense since we are at the beach! Elijah was up and dressed by 8 am and ready to walk to the beach. Eric, Elijah, Rebekah and I did walk to a park which is about 2 blocks away and I think I found my new running path. I will go out early as it is very humid. We then walked to the grocery store to pick up a few things and I am still trying to come to terms with both the milk and the eggs not being refrigerated! Plus you can buy Inca Kola in 3-liter bottles and milk sells by the quart. I can envision many trips there!

The exciting news of the day is that Giugliana is going to bring Yolanda, Miguel and Esteban here after work and then we are going to take them out for dinner or ice cream at the mall at Larcomar. We are really looking forward to that!