PETRA Progress

Good news!  The pond that Walter and Caleb have been draining is now filled with 7 eels less than before.   The bad news is, we don't know how many more are still in there.  The boys have been working hard the last month or so draining out a pond at the PETRA camp grounds to prepare for a youth camp session in January (our summer time).  The only reason they had to drain it in the first place was because the Brocks' son was bitten/stung by an eel while swimming one day and we decided it would not be a good idea to have a bunch of teenagers play in eel-infested waters.  Here are some pictures of the pond and the work the boys have done so far.

The pond where we intend to end an obstacle course with water games at our camp in January

In order to empty it out of eels, it has to be drained completely.  This is the water pump system they are using.

Now that we're in rainy season, the pond quickly refills, so they also had to dig a ditch so that it would constantly drain on its own when they were not pumping water.

There has been other progress at the PETRA grounds as well.  The Big House has come a long way, thanks to Vann's hard work and the hard work and motivation of a couple from GA who came to help out with construction for a month.  All the first floor walls are up and half of the tresses to support the second floor.  Another team from the same church will be coming for two weeks over the Christmas holiday to continue with the construction.  Even though the picture below (which is a month out of date) shows a good amount of progress since the summer teams were here, it really is nothing compared to the current progress.  The second floor is already being worked on and the day after Thanksgiving, many missionaries will come out for a picnic and "barn raising" to put up some second story walls that Vann has been preparing.

The "Big House"

I, of course, haven't been able to help much with the outdoor and heavy lifting jobs.  I'm now three months along in my pregnancy, but still trying to stay as active as I can.  I continue teaching dance classes, which are going well, but a little stressful as we only have 2 practices left until the Christmas program.  The girls are hard workers and love to learn, which motivates me even more to do my best to teach them what I can.  Our devotion this week was about how, even though our earthly bodies are limited in what they can do, our heavenly bodies will have no boundaries.  Knowing this should help us to not get discouraged when we find certain dance moves difficult, but give us hope and joy in knowing what the Lord has in store for our eternity.  And knowing about this eternity should make us thankful and motivate us to do our best to worship him with the abilities He has given us, even if our "best" is simple compared to what we will do in heaven.  If you're interested in more dance-related devotions, check out my sister Alyssa Campbell's book Time to Dance.  Below are some action shots of me teaching the older girls' class and Olivia teaching the little kids (they're so stinkin' cute!)

Well, that's all the news here.  I forgot to post a picture in my last blog of Walter's 26th birthday party.  He finally caught up to my age on October 12.  Here's a picture of the whole group that celebrated with him and one of him after the Peruvian tradition of shoving the "victim's" face into the cake. 

Melanie Sisley, Raquel Sisley, Luz, Dick, Gloria (Walter's mom), Walter, me, Cristina, Jean Franco, Jimmy Sisley, Guillermo Sisley, Eduardo (Walter's dad), Salomon

In Peruvian tradition (or at least in Pucallpa), after singing three versions of the birthday song in Spanish and in English and the candle has melted down to nothing but a puddle, the person who is celebrating their birthday has to watch out for any nearby friend because it is likely that that person will shove their face into the cake.  Among our group of friends, that person is always Salomon...at least he has the decency to bring a separate cake for the occasion, since no one can eat it after the birthday celebrator's nose and mouth have been all over it.

 

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!  Eat some turkey and give thanks to the Lord for his many blessings.  We are thankful for all of your prayers and support and hopeful that they will continue.  God bless you!

First comes love, then comes marriage...

...then comes the baby in the baby carriage?  That's right!  If you haven't already heard, I'll fill you in now:  Walter and I are going to be parents!  We're expecting the arrival of Baby Tello sometime at the end of May, 2014.  It turns out last month when I was sick for several days and wondering why no one else was as sick as me, it's because there was a teensy tiny little creature growing in my tummy and stealing all my defenses.  But that's ok.  I can forgive him/her for that since he/she has left me otherwise healthy with not even a hint of morning sickness.  I've just been super tired all the time and sensitive to certain smells.  I can still eat pretty much everything, but I figure, I'll keep that to myself in case my mother-in-law decides to cook guinea pig for us again (see previous post for visual...but only if you have a strong stomach!).

Everything else has been going well too.  I love, love, love teaching dance classes.  We're currently working on choreography for a Christmas program that SAM Academy will hold in mid-December.  Our 18 dance students range in age from 4 to 16 and include three boys!  I've been impressed with their ability and attitudes and even some of their insights and participation in the pre-class devotionals.  I've had to cut out prayer requests in the little kid class, though, because we could spend the whole hour praying for each kid's pets :)

Walter's still playing drums in the church band and I've been invited to sing in a choir for the church's Christmas service.  I'm pretty excited about it.  I really miss being a part of a choir.  Also, the two of us are working with a few teenagers at church who are interested in music.  We have a guitarist, a pianist and a singer.  The hope is that we can eventually start a youth band at church that leads worship every once in a while during the Sunday service.  I've been doing some vocal technique with Danna, the singer, while Walter's been teaching some guitar technique to Elivaldo, the guitarist.  Unfortunately, neither Walter nor I play piano, so we can't help Vanessa (the pianist) with her instrument, but at least we are building a relationship with her.  Neither Vanessa nor Danna have been baptized, and they seem to be confused as to the purpose.  Please pray for Walter and me as we continue to minister to these kids and teach them how to be leaders. 

I'm sorry there are no pictures this week.  I attempted to take some during dance class, but they didn't turn out very well.  I'll try to have some for the next blog post.  The camp PETRA is coming along.  All the land necessary has been cleared and now we just have to maintain it.  Hopefully in the next month we can start making the soccer field a place where one might actually be able to play soccer.  Please pray for diligence for all of us as we work toward our goal of having a camp/ retreat for the youth of our church (probably for 5 days) in January.  Another church is already hoping to hold a camp here the week after we do. 

As always, thanks so much for reading.  God bless you and have a great day!

Eels, Piranhas and Guinea Pig

Hello, hello!

I'm happy to report that after four days of lying around sick in bed, I'm finally better and can even breathe through my nose!  Yay!  Never take your nose for granted!  Yesterday Walter and I bought a new motorcycle to replace ours that was stolen on Saturday.  It's nice to have some wheels again, but it's sad that we had to dip into our pick-up truck fund to replace it.  We're just a little farther away from getting the pick-up truck and even farther away from building a house now.  *Big sigh...oh well, the good news is, God provides, and he did provide for us.  We are thankful that we had a savings to fall back on.  Also, our refrigerator broke and we had to buy a new one AND we are putting on a new roof this month.  Is this what life is going to be like from now on?  So long, spontaneous vacations and frivolous purchases of my singlehood!  Eh!  More like good riddance.  The truth is, I love being married, challenges and all.  Besides, it makes it a lot easier that my husband is the coolest guy on the planet.

Coolest Guy on the Planet

As far as the Camp PETRA goes, Walter and I along with some friends have been going out to clear land to prepare for a camp in January for the youth group at our church.  We've cleared land for the campground and soccer field.  Now we just have to maintain it and work on building bathrooms and possibly bunk houses if we have the time and resources.  We're also planning to build an obstacle course that ends in a pond.  But first we'll have to drain the pond of its murky water to get rid of that pesky eel that's lurking around ("Beware the shrieking eels!"), and then we'll have to refill it.  We could just go to the lake for water activities, but it's farther away from the campsite and there are piranhas there, so, you know, liabilities, blah blah blah...just gets complicated.  I mean, would you sign a permission slip for your kid to play in piranha infested water?

Dick and Vann clearing land for the soccer field

Walter and Solomon

Me workin' the weed whacker

Piranhas!  (Photo from Google Search)

I've also started co-teaching dance classes with a really awesome lady, Olivia, who is a teacher at SAM Academy this year.  She'll be leading the little girls' dance class and I'll be leading the bigger girls' dance class.  We're doing a mix of ballet and jazz with some sprinklings of other styles.  Since the classes are for the missionary kids, they are all in English, although we also have some German-speaking girls from the Swiss Mission involved.  We decided that this year, the dance classes should be more than just an extra-curricular activity, but also a ministry.  So I am using my sister Alyssa Campbell's book Time to Dance: 52 Devotionals for Dancers as a guide to start of classes with thought-provoking and inspiring Scripture for dancers and a word of prayer.  Sorry, I brought my camera to take pictures, but then got so involved in the class that I forgot.  I'll try to remember to snap some shots for next time.  But before I let you go, I'll give you one...well, two...more pictures.  I ate this for lunch this week...

GUINEA PIG!!!!!

And this is what it looked like pre-cooked (the white-ish stuff to the side is just crushed garlic)

 

Well, as always, thanks for reading and for keeping us in your prayers.  If you would like to receive our monthly Praise & Prayer e-mail, please contact me at ashleyinperu@gmail.com.  Have a great day and God bless!

Summer Summary

The summer season has finally come to a close and I finally have the chance to fill you in on all that’s been happening…

SUMMER TEAMS

Nine people from Glenrock Baptist, Sisk Memorial Baptist and Providence Baptist Churches in York County, SC, as well as Emmaus Church in New Bedford, MA, came down the first week of June, primarily to work on construction of “the Big House” (where the Brocks will be living until they pass the torch to someone in the next generation) that will be part of the PETRA camp site.  Doing it all the old-fashioned hammer-and-nail style, they managed to put in place all of the floor studs and half of the sub-flooring, which was fantastic progress considering the intense heat and the incredible size and weight of the Quinilla wood from the Amazon Jungle that they were using.  We also had a couple who is pretty horse savvy and worked on training the unbroken horses that are part of the camp ministry.  Right after they left, a second team from New Union Church in Gainesville, GA, came.  They were only here a few days but finished the subflooring and put up the studs for one wall.  Vann has since been working on the construction and has made a good bit of progress, getting up most of the wall studs by himself.  They hope to have it dried-in by November, when rainy season begins.  We are all very thankful for the help and encouragement of the teams as they demonstrated to us their servant hearts.

 

Glenrock/Providence/Sisk/Emmaus Team displaying their work

 

Getting the horses used to being ridden

New Union Team from GA finishing up the wall studs for the bay window

 

FLASHMOB

I ended up not taking part in the flash mob after all because we had to schedule our flights to the U.S. for the day that was chosen to perform, but maybe next time… J  I’m still hoping to eventually do some sort of dance ministry again.

HOME TIME

Ah, where to begin!  Aside from being Walter’s first trip to the U.S., this was his first trip ever outside of Peru.  I had so much planned for us to see and do but most of my plans fell through.  When I was preparing for the trip, I forgot to factor in all the extra hours of shopping that Walter would want to do in a land where anything you could possibly want exists, and it’s all on sale!  But my mom took us to Carowinds amusement park where Walter experienced big roller coasters for the first time.  We also went go-cart racing a couple of times.  Several of my friends came over one day to meet Walter and play games.  A few of them speak Spanish, so we were able to play bi-lingual Pictionary: challenging and fun :) .  Other than that, however, it was mostly family time, fully equipped with an American 4th of July picnic at my Grandma's house in the mountains of PA, which included fireworks, a hamburger cook-out, rounds of croquet, and the Annual Waldmeyer Cherry Pit Spit.  All of my family, not surprisingly, fell in love with Walter as easily as I did.  While we were visiting my family in PA, we had a “Blessing of the Marriage” ceremony at my grandma’s church.  It’s ironic how Walter and I both wanted to elope and keep things simple, and somehow ended up with three weddings: a civil and a church wedding in Peru and another ceremony in U.S.

 

Walter got to know Wal-Mart very well

Walter and me at Carowinds, modeling the cool car and the roller coaster in the background

Go-cart racing (Walter beat me)

 

The Annual Waldmeyer Cherry Pit Spit: when the Waldmeyer family gets together in the summer, sports awesomely nerdy matching T-shirts and has a competition to see who can spit cherry pits the farthest. (Notice my dad cheating as he raises his arm to throw his cherry pit instead of spitting it. Can we say "disqualified"?!)  No one has ever won a cherry pit spit because their are discrepancies every year and as we all compete, there is no judge.

 

Walter and me with my sisters and their families after the Blessing of the Marriage ceremony

Can you even stand how cute my nieces and nephew are?!

Walter was eating so much food with everyone forcing him to try new things (which he thoroughly enjoyed) that he decided to stay busy to not gain weight.  Here he is using a machete to clear out underbrush in the woods behind my mom's house.  He did a lot of yard work for my aunt in PA, too.  I think everyone was sad to see him leave.

 

MINISTRY

While we were in “the States” we also took the opportunity to visit several churches, some which have been supporting me for a while and some to which we introduced ourselves for the first time.  We had many opportunities to speak about the ministry that God is calling us to here in Pucallpa and plans for the near future.  Aside from working with the Brocks, we’ve also been “elected” (in other words, no one else wanted to do it) to lead the youth group at church for 12-15 year-olds.  We’re both pretty excited about it since youth ministry is where both of our hearts are, and we’re looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us and for the young teens he is going to put under our care.  We’ll probably be starting it up in two weeks, so please keep us and the teens in your prayers, that we’ll have the courage and self-discipline to follow through well, and that the teens will be receptive to, not only the messages the Lord teaches through us, but to us as leaders and mentors. 

Thanks so much for reading and for keeping us in your prayers.  Remember, if you would like to donate to our ministry (for example, pay the $35/month for our internet so I can keep you updated) please write checks to Glenrock Baptist Church with “Peru Missions” in the memo and mail to

Glenrock Baptist Church

P.O. Box 151

Fort Mill, SC 29716 

I travel your country, you travel mine!

Hello, hello!  I’m pleased to announce that the last month, for me, has gone swimmingly!  It all started on April 20 when my mom and cousin arrived in Pucallpa to visit and travel around the country with me a bit (something that I still hadn’t gotten a chance to do yet in the year and a half I had lived here).  Our first stop was, of course, Pucallpa (the Amazon jungle).  Then we headed to Cuzco and Machu Picchu (the Andes mountains) and then finished off the trip in Lima (the Pacific coast).  I could spend plenty of time going on and on about that, but I thought you might appreciate pictures instead of words, so I’ve put several below for your viewing pleasure. 

 

A typical scene in downtown Pucallpa.  The 3-wheeled vehicles are called motokars.  And although this picture
doesn't give an example, it is not uncommon to see a family of 4 or 5 on one motorcycle.

Walter, me, my mom and my cousin Donna in front of the float plane that took us on a
scenic aerial tour of river, jungle and city in Pucallpa.

The boat that took us across Lake Cashibo in Pucallpa to a native village.

My mom and me modeling the view of Cuzco from the rooftop of our hotel.

Night view of the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco from the rooftop of our hotel.
 

 

Donna and me, ready to embark on our train ride to Aguas Calientes, to catch a bus to Machu Picchu.  On the way back, Walter and I were on a different car from my mom and Donna.  All of a sudden the train stopped short.  I figured we must have hit an animal on the tracks or something until we looked out the window and discovered that the car that Walter and I were in had disconnected from the rest of the train!!!  We had about a 15 minute delay while they hooked us back up and then carried on with the journey.

 

We finally made it to Machu Picchu, and here's proof that Walter and I were there!

Donna, me and Walter being irreverent in front of an Incan temple at Machu Picchu.

 

No Machu Picchu trip would be complete without a picture of an alpaca!  My mom looks a little nervous though.  Thankfully this one was too busy eating to turn around and spit.

 

Donna and me in the Plaza de Armas in Lima.  That's the government palace behind us.

My mom in the midst of the usual flock of pigeons that hangs out in front of the San Franciscan Cathedral in Lima, which is most famous for having one of the oldest libraries in all of Latin America and for its unique catacombs, which is really more of an Indiana Jones-style collection of bones and spooky passageways under the church.

 

Walter and me in front of the Rosa Nautica, the restaurant in Lima where we celebrated my birthday and his being approved for a U.S. visa!  (Keep reading...)

While traveling, we celebrated my 26^th birthday.  But all day on April 30, I didn’t even think of my birthday because there was something much more important going on: Walter’s interview at the U.S. Embassy.  After waiting around for over 3 hours to get his interview, it was finally his turn and was APPROVED for a 10 year tourist visa to the U.S.!  This may not seem like a big deal to many of my American readers, but it is very, very difficult for Peruvians to get a visa to the States.  We know many people who have been denied several times already.  It’s pretty awesome that he got it on his first try, especially since it was just a tourist visa and not a marriage visa.  God is definitely looking out for us and we are very thankful to Him for his provision.  So we’ll be headed to the U.S. of A. on June 25.  Walter will return on July 16 but I will stick around until August 1.  I can’t wait to see you all!

Until that fateful day comes, however, we will be staying plenty busy with all that’s going on right here in Pucallpa.  I’m working on a flash mob dance to be spontaneously performed down town Pucallpa sometime in the third week of June (right before we leave!) by a mixed group of Peruvians from our church and a missions team that will be coming down from Florida.  There will probably be about 50 people involved.  We are also FINALLY starting up the youth ministry program this week at church and I have a team coming down from Glenrock Baptist Church in SC to help the Brocks with the building of their house the first week of June.  So basically, I better not blink my eyes or it will all come and go before I know it! 

 

Thanks for reading and for praying!  Have a blessed day!

A Love Story

Over a year ago, a young man began pursuing me, and to be honest, I was a little freaked out.  I had a job to do and rules to obey and a plane to catch back to the United States in just a few months.  In all honesty, I was overwhealmed with this young man's sudden display of...maybe not love at this point, but...interest in me.  Yet at the same time, I couldn't find it in my heart to reject him.  Something kept telling me to give him a chance.  And to be honest, I made the conscious decision to do so before I even felt ready.  But something pushed (or maybe pulled) me.  And it didn't take long before I figured out why I was so involuntarily magnatized to this man--his love reminded me so much of the love of Christ.  It was so pure and persistent.  He spoke to me in so many ways.  When he couldn't reach me with words, he showered me gifts.  When I became hesitant to accept gifts, he spoke with his actions.  One time when I was sick, he even spent 8 hours of a sunny Sunday afternoon sitting next to me on the couch stroking my hair while I did nothing but sleep.  Eight Hours!!!  And after I made that decision, I found that it took no time at all to fall in love.  And then I realized, that thing that was pushing me and pulling me at the same time, was the Lord.  He was pushing me from behind and pulling me from within that sweet, godly man, Walter, my now husband.

And I am happy to say that a year later, after over three months of marriage, I am not at all disappointed with the outcome of the choices that were made and the turn of events that God blessed us to be a part of.  I am blessed to have a husband who encourages and corrects me, who makes me laugh and who dries my tears.  The only person in the world who truly knows me with all my quirks and issues, and loves me despite and because of them.  On the other hemisphere of the world from where I grew up, he makes me feel like I'm at home. 

Things have been going very well for us since we got married.  We've been very blessed to be able to stay in a room behind Walter's dad's house until we can save enough to build our own house.  I've also been blessed that some of the ministry opportunities I was pursuing fell through because, although I am restless and love to work, I think God knew that a little break to just enjoy each other and go through the initial adjustments of marriage was what we really needed.  So since January, our marriage has been our main ministry, as we have been ministering to each other and seeking direction from the Lord as a couple as to near future plans.

We've also been doing a lot of paperwork.  I finally got my residence visa and Walter has applied for his visa to the United States and will have an interview at the U.S. Embassy at the end of April.  Please pray that all of this will go smoothly so that we can come to the states at the end of the summer.  I say it every time, but I truly mean it: thank you all so much for you love, encouragement, and support.  God bless!

Pucallpa Quiz

Sometimes life just seems so normal for me now here in Pucallpa that I forget that you guys back home don't know what it's like.  Forgive me for not being too descriptive in the past, but let me help give you a glimpse by presenting you with a quiz: How Familiar are You with Pucallpa?

1.  Please match the following sounds with the business/service they are associated with:
    
     A) Garbage truck                         a. man screeming into megaphone at 6:00am
     B) Ice cream man                        b. loud, obnoxious birdcall-like whistle
     C) Moto-taxi                                c.  children's music (similar to jack-in-the-box tune)
     D) Fruit vendor                            d.  cat-call whistle from vendor/driver to pretty ladies on street

(The correct answers would be A-c, B-b, C-d, D-a)

2. Which of the following paint colors is most popular for home and business decor?
     A) Hot pink
     B) Neon green
     C) Baby Blue
     D) Blood Red

(The correct answer is B, neon green!!!  Sometimes when I'm bored on the back of the motocycle I count the houses we pass that have neon green interior walls.)

3.  What months of the year mark summer in Peru?
     A) December-March
     B) March-June
     C) June-September
     D) September-December

(The correct answer is A, December-March, the months which, in Pucallpa, are known collectively as "the rainy season")

4.  Which of the following types of foods can you find in restaurants in Pucallpa? (select all that apply)

     A) Tacos                                 E) Fried Chicken
     B) Sushi                                  F) Lasagna
     C) Chinese food                     G) Hamburgers
     D) Pizza                                  H) Pulled Pork

(If you selected all answers, you're correct!  We actually have all of those things here in Pucallpa!  Granted, everything's just slightly different than we know it in the U.S., but it's still pretty tasty :) )

Well, that's all I can think of for now, but I will hopefully post some more later on.  I hope you all feel a little more acquainted with my home-town.  Keep an eye out this week for an actual update with pictures!  Take care and God bless!
    

Flash Mob Evangelism

On Friday, January 4, Walter and I were blessed to be able to share our wedding day with lots of friends and family.  Since my family and friends from the United States were unable to make it on such short notice and around the holiday season, my Peruvian family and friends stepped in to represent those who couldn't be there.  Below are some pictures (click them to view larger), but if you'd like to see more, you can check out my album "My Peruvian Wedding" on my Facebook account. 

Jimmy Sisley represented my Dad and walked me down the aisle

Tiffany, Celeste, Karina and Luz were my bridesmaids

Jean Franco, Salomon, Caleb and Dick were the groomsmen

Ethan Brock was the ring bearer, Melanie Sisley and Corynn Brock were the flower girls, and Clara Brock presented the Bible at the beginning of the service

Raquel and Jimmy Sisley were our "padrinos", kind of like matron of honor and best man

Walter's parents are Eduardo Tello and Gloria Tito

 

Me and my hubby :)

Vann Brock stepped in last minute to work the sound system and Vanessa

came early to help me with my hair and make-up

One crazy group of SAM Academy kids who made my wedding a blast 

More SAM Academy kids who graced the event with their presence

I'm still getting used to getting elbowed in the face every night while I'm trying to sleep but other than that married life is pretty good so far.  It's been an interesting first couple of weeks, though, as I was recovering from a pretty horrible sunburn on my legs that I got tubing down a river on January 1 and then later battling a stomach sickness.  But I'm doing okay now and after a month of holidays and wedding planning am ready to get back to work.  Monday was my first day back working with the Brocks in weeks and it was great!  Walter and I plan to continue going out to their farm to help out three days a week.  After talking we decided that it would be best if this year I don't teach in the Peruvian school (it's very stressful!), so I have already resigned from that position.  But my pastor asked if I would be interested in...get this...FLASH MOB MINISTRY!  How cool is that?!  For those of you who don't know what a flash mob is, it's basically when a large group of people (who have previously rehearsed a song or a dance) infiltrate a public place and spontaneously start performing.  Here's a video if you want to see an example.  Basically, the objective is to do a flash mob dance in the town square or somewhere where there are a lot of people, get their attention, and clear the way for Pastor Julio to preach to a brand new, non-church-going audience.  We call it "Flash Mob Evangelism".  Pretty cool, huh?  We probably won't be ready to try it out until May or so because the pastor is currently traveling for missions until the beginning of April, but I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.  Please pray that it turns out to be as effective as we hope and that we will be able to find enough dancers to make it all worthwhile. 

I'm also hoping to start up dance classes with the MK girls next month.  In all honesty, I have not actually gotten the go-ahead for that, but you can all be praying for me as I approach SAM with the idea.  I'm hoping to use the devotional book that my sister Alyssa wrote for dancers.  It contains 52 devotionals intended for dance instructors to open up their weekly dance classes with.  Each devotion is related to dance as worship or ministry and is supposed to encourage the dancers to use their gifts for the Lord. 

In other news, a small group from my church, Glenrock Baptist Church in Fort Mill, SC, will be coming down the end of May to work with the Brocks and get the grand tour of Peruvian culture.  I'm so excited and encouraged by this trip and can't wait to see them and show them all around my new home-town.  My mom and cousin will also be coming down to visit and travel with me in the end of April.  Please pray for smooth travel planning for all.  If anyone else ever wants to come visit, just let me know!  It'd be an honor to host you.  Thank you all for your prayers and for your interest in my life and ministry here in Peru.  God bless!