Building the Bee House

Working in the Chacra

Playing the recorder

Game Night

The house at dusk

Manuel

Anita painting the fence

Classic David



Over the past week we have worked on several different jobs that were a change of pace from what we had been doing in the chacra. At the beginning of the week we worked on the property line that runs along the edge of our land. Surveyors originally cleared the line about two months ago but since everything in the jungle grows so fast we had to clear it again so that it wouldn’t get overgrown. The work itself wasn’t extremely hard but a good dose of endurance was needed because we had 3 kilometers of line to clear. The work went well except for the occasional wasp sting of ant bite. We made good progress and we thought we were almost done. So at the end of one of our work sessions we decided to see how much farther we had. An hour and a half later we finally arrived back home from our hike. Needless to say we still have quite a bit of work left on the line but that is all right because God will give us the strength to perservere.
Another project that we have been working on this past week was building a bee house for the 15 new hives that we bought for the bee project. Originally we thought that we would build them a house out of the wood that we had been cutting in the chacra but Richard and Thomas thought that it would be smarter to use the wood from the sheep house instead. This ended up being a great idea because the sheep rarely use their house anyways. So on Thursday we disassembled the sheep house and made a few minor repairs to some of the trusses. Then on Friday we cleared an area near the pineapple field were the new bee house would be located. On Sunday we started construction. First we set the posts for the building into the ground which took quite a while because we had a limited amount of tools. After setting the posts we put up the horizontal supports and then the trusses on top of them. By the end of the day we had gotten up two trusses which was quite an accomplishment for only a days work. On Monday we had a little bit of tricky work because we were extending the building ten feet to make room for the bee boxes. This made it somewhat difficult to use the old wood but Thomas, David, and I combined our knowledge to figure out what to do. By the end of the day we were ready to put on the tin for the roof. Although we were doing basic framing for the whole building it was quite different from what I was used to in the US. For one, the boards are not always very straight and they are much harder to pound nails into. Because we are using mostly hardwoods to build the structure hammering nails is a very difficult process. This is especially evident when it takes two or three nails to finally get one in. Thankfully we eradicated this problem by pre-drilling most of the holes. On Tuesday we got up early to put on the roof because the sheets of tin are almost to work with when it is hot outside. It took a while for us to figure out the most efficient was of laying the sheets but once we got started it went pretty fast. We got the first half of the roof finished in the morming and the second half completed in the afternoon. One thing that I learned about working with the sheets was that they cut skin extremely easy. By the end of the day I had a half dozen cuts all over my fingers as a result of working with the sheets. On Wednesday we finally put the finishing touches on the building. These included adding a few braces to stabilize the roof and spraying wood preserver on the beams to keep the ants from eating our hard work.
This past week was extremely rewarding because we made good progress on several projects that we have been trying to get done. Also we got to construct something which really made my week. Throughout all of our work this week I was thankful for God’s strength and wisdom because there were several times were I felt tired and lacking knowledge. Every week I see God working in my life and the lives of our SM team and it makes me feel extremely grateful to be part of such a group that loves Jesus and wants to share that love with those around them!
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for the project. I hope that all of you have a blessed holiday season with family and friends and remember to continue to keep us in your prayers!

Clinica en Luz Divina

My soccer buddies

Playing soccer

The brand new baby girl

Working on a patient

The loaded truck

Signing people up for medical

The matching medical team




This past week we had another clinic just outside of Pulcallpa in a town called Luz Divina. We arrived Sunday morning bright and early, set up clinic, and saw our first patients for the day around 11 am. In dental we saw 12 patients for Sunday which was a good number to start with for the first day.
The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. David, Manuel, and I slept at the municipality were we where having clinic. Every morning we would get up early so that we could pass out tickets out to the people in line around 6 am. This was the first clinic that I helped sign people up after they got their tickets which was fun but slightly difficult. One of the factors that made it slightly hard was trying to spell peoples names on the sign up sheet. Although I can understand quite a bit of Spanish now spelling names is a completely different thing. But after a few days I started to get the hang of it. Just another new thing that I have learned while being in Peru.
One of the really fun things for me this clinic was playing soccer with the kids at night right before the kids program. I had a lot of fun and they really enjoyed getting to play with a tall white kid! In the evenings after clinic we would have a kids program and then get to go to the evening evangelistic meetings. I really enjoyed singing the songs and listening to the speaker because I could understand most of what they were saying.
The first part of the week was pretty slow for dental. We would have anywhere from 15-20 patients in the morning and about 10-15 in the afternoon. However on Thursday and Friday we got the proverbial storm of patients. Both mornings we had close to thirty partients in the morning. Normally that wouldn't be so bad but Manuel was gone so it was just me and Laura in the clinic. We literally pulled teeth from 8:30 in the morning until around 1-1:30 in the afternoon without a break. Needless to say my back was pretty sore but it was a good experience. We had some difficult patients and some really tough teeth. A couple of my patients I had to have someone come and hold their head so that I could apply enough pressure to pull the tooth. We also had some very scared patients but amazingly we didn't have any screaming kids. Another exciting thing that happened in dental was the new chairs that we got from the money that Dr. Fillman raised. The new chairs are amazing because they are much more comfortable for our patients and for us.
Another cool thing that happened during clinic was the birth of two baby girls. Although I didn't get to see the births I got to hold one of the little girls 20 minutes after she was born which was a truly amazing experience. Although this clinic was hard and their was several times when I felt discouraged or exhausted God was always there. Their were numerous times when I didn't think I would be able to get a specific tooth out and I would send up a little prayer. Right after that the tooth would come out and I could praise God for his amazing power.
One of the most memorable experiences for me this clinic was one patient that I had in Dental. When she came in I could tell that she was extremely nervous and scared so I tried my best to try and keep her from having too much pain. At the end after I had pulled her tooth she had a big smile on her face and thanked me for not giving her any pain. That comment made the lack of sleep and stress of the week all worth it.
This past clinic was one of the best that we have had so far. We were able to help hundreds of people both physically and spiritually. Please pray for the people of Luz Divina while the evangelistic campaign is going on these next coming weeks. And continue to pray for AMOR projects and our team. I know that your prayers work because things happen every week that show us God is working!

Pictures from Work

More wood...

Pushing wood on the cart

The intense gaze of an expert log carrier

Carrying some pretty heavy wood

Thomas hauling wood

Accion de Gracias, Trabajo, y Familias

Post Thanksgiving soccer game


The Team


The Thanksgiving Bunch


Pumpkin Pie!


The house at sunset


Our Group with the Church Family


This past week has been filled with fun, hard work, and a variety of other experiences. Over the past two weeks we have been working really hard on finishing clearing the land where the rest of the lemon plants are going to go. We have spent many hot days sweating buckets trying to get it done. It is amazing looking back on when we first started and seeing how far we have come. The first week we started I could barely swing a machete for more than one hour. Now I can keep it up for a good six or seven hours without feeling sore in the morning. Also, when we first started I could barely lift any of the tablones that we carried out of the forest. But now I have started to master the Peruvian art of log carrying and it really isn't that bad. Although this is some of the hardest work I have ever done in my life I love seeing the progress and knowing that the orchard we our planting will help start the trade school makes it all the more worthwhile. So far we have planted 900 lemon plants with another 700 on the way. Also, this week we finally got to burn the 6 hectarias of land that the contractor had cleared. It was the biggest fire I have ever seen in my life. Some of the group was in Campo Verde which is 4 km. away and they said they saw the smoke! It didn't last long though because after about 4 hours most of it was out. One other thing we gave been working on is cutting good wood and transporting it to the house. We have had Alfredo, who is a chainsaw expert, at the house for the past two weeks cutting up the wood for us. He is a really nice guy and he cuts the boards so straight it looks like they have been run through a sawmill.
Another thing that happened this past week was the arrival of Kaitlin's and Tara's parents for the thanksgiving holiday. It was awesome to have people over and show them what we were doing on the project. For thanksgiving we had incredible food and lots of fun fellowship together. In the evening we played pit and just enjoyed being together.
This coming sunday we began another clinic just outside of Pulcallpa. We really need everyone's prayers because a three week strike is supposed to take place two days after our clinic starts. If that happens we could be stuck at km. 38 for quite a while. Also continue to keep the fundraising projects in your prayers as well. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and God bless!

Giving my frustrations to God

Finishing the sheep roof



Figuring out what to do with the chainsaw



Cutting listones



Checking out the bees



Anita cleaning out the bee boxes



Our home




Over this past couple of weeks we have worked hard, had some new experiences, and grown as a team. During the last two weeks we have been pushing to finish the clearing of the land and the planting of the lemon trees. We made good progress on both of these projects but unfortunately we some other priorities come up that prevented us from completing them. One of them that came up this last week was trying to get the road graded to our house. On both friday and sunday we waited for the machine to come but it never showed up. After talking to the mayor we are supposedely going to have the road graded on thursday of this coming week. However, we really need your prayers because we are having a lot of problems getting this seemingly simple task accomplished. Another thing that came up was trying to get around 10 trees cut and hauled out of the chacra that we are going to burn this coming week. Unfortunately the chainsaw decided to quite working so that put that project on hold. Although we have had a lot of frustrations this past week I was really encouraged this past sabbath because I had some time to think about how small our problems really are. It really helped me to see that nothing it too big for God. All we need to do is put our trust in Him and He will work everything out. One of the new experiences we had this past week was having the meier's come and join our team from Canada. They are going to start a bee program here at km. 38 over the next couple of months as well as help with clinics. Even though they have been here less than a week I feel that we have known them for longer. They are a really incredible couple and I have enjoyed hearing about their lives in Canada as well as in Switzerland were they are originally from. In Canada they live with their three kids and have a thriving bee business. I have really enjoyed there addition to our team and I think that they will be able to make huge stides with the bees! God is doing great things here in Peru and your prayers are the reason for that! Thank you for your prayers and countinue to keep our project in mind!

Random Pictures

Planting the Orchard

This past week has been filled with new experiences and a lot of change. During the first part of the week David, Mauro, and I hacked away with machetes to try and finish the last parts that needed to be cleared so that we could plant the lemon orchard. In the middle of the week we got 900 trees to plant. After unloading them from the truck we started planting, and planting, and planting... During the first couple of days we spent most of our time perfecting the art of planting straight rows of lemon trees. The process ended up being as follows: put up a string line to ensure straight rows, dig holes for the plants with a post-hole digger, and then stick the little lemon saplings into the holes. Although this process seems slightly simple we had several complications that prevented it from being anything but simple. Because the land that we cleared still has hundreds of stumps and small trees setting up a string line can end up taking quite a long time. Also, because there is still clumps of brush which made digging the holes rather difficult. But despite the difficulties we kept on working and by the end of the week we successfully planted around 550 plants that will be used to teach agricultural techniques to students at the trade school. Although the orchard looks nothing like the one's in the US it is a giant step for AMOR projects!
Over this week our group has also experienced some change. My good friend and fellow worker Mauro finished up his last week with us because he will be attending mechanic school. I was pretty sad to see him leave because we had gone through a lot together in the last 3 months that I have been in Peru. Another change is that there are less of us at the house because laura, kristin, and emily are in Constitution which leaves the 4 amigos (kaitlin, tara, david, and I ) at home. Although there are not as many of us at home we are getting geared up to have the meiers come and stay at the house and help with the bee program. Also, kaitlin and tara's families are coming for Thanksgiving so we will have a full house! Please pray for our new fundraising campaign which will be happening over the next couple of months. If we can accomplish our goals for the project it will be a HUGE advancement for the project. Thank you for all your comments and for keeping in touch with me. May God bless you in this coming week!

Trabajo en La Chacra

The Skinned Sheep
Pineapple picking
Cooking Breakfast
Shooting the Gun
A Rainbow
Franky
Getting a Chainsaw Lesson

This past week has been filled with hard work, lots of fun experiences, and personal growth. At the end of last week we finished most of the clearing that needed to be done for the fruit orchards. It involved a lot of tree hauling and chainsawing which got extremely tiring. Many of the logs are close to 250 lbs and after lifting of few of them your body starts to rebel. Many times I would start to lift a log and then realize that I was barely going to be able to get it flipped over. It was during these moments that I employed a well known tactic used by men around the world which I like to refer to as the grunt. This tactic involves letting out a groan or grunt to get a large object moved. I have found that it works quite well and use it often. By the end of the week we had moved so many logs that David and I started wondering how many tons we were lifting per day. Also, the chainsaw was acting up which made it hard to get things done but God definitely gave me the strength to get through the week even though their were several times when I felt exhausted.
Sabbath was a very restful day from the work week. After going to church at Km. 38 we had choir practice in the afternoon. I played for it and ended up stretching my sightreading skills to the max. But it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed playing. After choir we had Society de Jovenes which is a youth program in the afternoon. In typical Peru fashion we found out that we would be playing special music for the program. I got to accompany the girls as well as David who played his french horn. Sabbath always refreshes and energizes me and I always feel that I grow leaps and bounds musically as well as spiritually!
On sunday we spent the day picking three-hundred pineapples and transporting them to the house. It was a lot of work but we received the sweet reward of enjoying pineapples for breakfeast, lunch, and dinner. Another thing we learned was how to shoot the shotgun that we have at the house. Because I have never shot a real gun before I was surprised at the "kick" that it had. Another highlight of the week was learning how to skin a sheep. Unfortunately, one of our male sheep died for an unknown reason. We were initially going to bury it but Mauro decided that it would be a good supplement for the dogs to eat. So we took the sheep to the hanger, "disected" it, and brought the meat back to the house to boil. All in all it was a somewhat smelly but interesting experience and I am pretty sure that the dogs will love us forever. Please continue to pray for the project especially since we will be starting to fundraise for some major items such as a tracor and electricity. Thank you to all of you who send me emails and comments. Your messages of encouragment really mean a lot to me!

Constitucion Clinic

The lady with fluid in her abdomen
Some of the roads we traveled on
The team
clinic site
Working on a patient
Evangelistic meetings
Our feet after a days work
David and I posing for the camera
My Birthday regalia
having fun at my birthday party

Our team just got back from another week of clinic in the city of Contitucion. To get to the city we had to take trucks over dirt roads for about 7 hours. We left from km. 38 Saturday night so that we could be to our destination in time to start clinic Sunday morning. Because we couldn’t fit all the supplies in our project truck we had to hire a driver to take some of the evangelistic supplies as well as medicines and passengers. By the time the other truck arrived and we got everything packed up it was 1 am. Each truck was filled with people and supplies. Our project truck had medicine, luggage, and 7 people in a cab that is supposed to only fit five. The other vehicle contained the evangelistic tent, luggage, and another 7 people. Because the hired truck was going really slow we had to stop and wait for it about every 30 minutes. It was interesting to see as we went though several small towns how many people were up at 3 or 4 in the morning. At around 5 am I started driving to give David a break. The roads were good in some spots but in others it felt like we were off-roading. After a pretty bumpy ride we finally made it to our destination around 8 am. The first place we went to was the Adventist church to talk to the pastor who had worked out our plans for lodging and food. After meeting church members and deciding on some last minute decisions we took all of our stuff to a beautiful house that a lady offered for us to stay in for the week. We set up our tents in her backyard and then went back to the church to figure out were we would be having clinic.
Originally we were supposed to have clinic at the local medical post but the fell through so we decided to have it at the church instead. The rest of Sunday was spent setting up the church, getting tables and chairs, setting up the evangelistic tent, and generally recovering from a sleepless night in the truck. On Monday morning we were ready to start but unlike our past two clinics there was barely anybody waiting in line when we arrived at the church. In fact the first two days of clinic were extremely relaxed compared to the other ones we have had. We were still busy but there wasn’t as much stress because the people were generally patient waiting for their turn in line. In dental we had around 40 patients each day for the first two days. Although we kept busy both days we got done early because we had 4 people working at two chairs. However, on Wednesday the pace really picked up. When we got to the church there was quite a few people waiting in line and dental had about 25 patients signed up for the morning. Also, we seemed to get quite a few more difficult dental patients. Some of the most memorable patients that we had on Wednesday included a lady that needed 14 teeth pulled, a little boy that required three of us to hold him down while Manuel gave him the shot, and a lady that had to have 8 liters of fluid drained from her abdomen which was caused by a large ovarian tumor that she had. On Thursday the pace was pretty much the same except that Laura and I were on our own in dental for the afternoon because Manuel left to go visit people interested in bible studies. For the most part everything ran smoothly except that we had some really difficult kids that we had to coax into getting their teeth pulled. On Friday we had our most difficult patients in the morning which was tough because Manuel wasn’t there to help us out if we got stuck. The first patient we saw was a little girl who was deathly afraid of needles. By the time Laura finally got her two teeth out it had been close to 45 minutes. The very next patient after that was the little kid who had screamed for half an hour earlier in the week. He had another baby tooth that needed to come out but he was even more scared than the time before. His mom and his two sisters were trying to hold him down but he was adamant that he was not going to get it pulled. We eventually had to send him home because he wouldn’t cooperate. Not only did we have difficult patients but also we had to see 30 of them before lunch. It ended up that Richard had to come help us so that we could get through all of them. But through all of the stress of Friday God really helped me especially to stay cheerful and extract some teeth that I didn’t think I was going to be able to get out. Also, we ended up pulling 78 teeth on Friday despite all of the difficulties.
Throughout the whole week our team would do clinic during the day and then go to the evangelistic meetings at night. Although we were usually really tired it was fun to sing songs, listen to the sermons, and see people give their lives to Jesus! Another thing that made this clinic especially restful was the kindness of the people at the church. Not only did they feed us three meals a day they made sure that we had everything we needed. I really saw the love of Jesus through the church members this week. They were always cheerful and had a smile on their face! Please keep the city of Constitucion in your prayers as they have another 5 weeks of evangelism and health programs. It is an especially needy area because the drug trade is extremely active their but with lots of prayer I believe that God can transform the city.