From Transition to Triumph: Settling into Life in Cusco
"Don't be afraid. I am here to help you." Isaiah 41:13
What a couple of wonderful months we have had. At this point we are feeling very well adjusted to our new home. We quickly settled into a new routine filled with the kids' school, time with our new church family, planning for the school (exciting updates coming- read on), and doing everyday life. Of course it hasn’t been without its challenges and new learning.. We most certainly are in a new culture with different customs and, of course, a new language.
I’ll admit, it has been hard to wait this long to get started (officially) on our mission of building a school. For those of you who know me, patience isn’t exactly my strongest virtue. Additionally, Bethany and I are similar in that when we have a goal or target we want to get after it– period. So, getting to this point almost two years from our trip in October 2022 has been long awaited. In the meantime, God has been teaching us both about patience and waiting for His timing, not ours! Since settling in, I have started making steps in securing the land and building relationships with those that might be joining the team to get this job done.
When we were here 2022 we met a US missionary who sent pastors he was training to Centerpoint’s (CP) conference here in Cusco. We spent some time getting to know him over lunch and shared our vision for the school. When meeting, he mentioned that his mission had land that they had for a while that hasn’t been put to use and that we might be able to lease the land for free! Two years later I have been able to follow up with this missionary, see the land, and the deal still stands. While we haven’t signed anything, we are in conversations and have a meeting scheduled when our CP team arrives in the coming month. This is an incredible blessing and continued proof that God continues to go before us in this mission paving the way. This is emphasized as land is hard to come by in Cusco. The mountain valley here just isn’t that big. Additionally, Cusco in the past 24 years has added 200,000 residents to increase the population to 500,000 today. Please pray that God continues to guide Centerpoint and the potential ministry partner here in Cusco in doing God’s will.
Starting a school in a new country has a lot of moving parts. Just imagine all the red tape and regulations that exist in the US- and then change the language and the systems, acronyms, and customs. Admittedly, I can easily get overwhelmed at thinking about all that will need to be done to accomplish this task. Fortunately, through connections made through another missionary and our church community I have met with two outstanding connections that will prove to be great partners as we move forward. One is a director of a private school (secular- but structurally very similar from a regulation perspective), and the other a gentleman who has started two private schools. The kicker is they are both fellow believers with tremendous excitement for our project. Additionally, they have expressed that they have connections to potential architects, lawyers, and builders that are familiar with the requirements for building schools in Peru. A continued prayer request would be that I would be able to find the right trustworthy people for the project- those that want to join God’s mission for Cusco.
I can finally spell! Wonderful news huh? Joking aside, I do appreciate that Spanish is a very phonetic language. For example, phonics starts with the letter F – it just makes sense. With that said, my Spanish is far from perfect and more than ever is a process that will continue throughout my life. To practice Spanish, learn more about how schools function here in Peru, and to help out our children’s school I will help teach a few days a week at their school. It will be a double dip as I will be excited to connect with my four “bigs” that are in school each day. So far, Trey, Grant, Ellie, and Fifi have been adjusting well to their new school and routine. Each day they take turns being the leader navigating their way through Cusco, getting us to the correct bus to and from school, and paying the bus fare. Differently from Mexico, their school curriculum is fully in Spanish. So, needless to say, they can be a bit exhausted when they get home from school. However, a quick pit stop and a street vendor to buy some berries, bananas, or a few peaches can usually get them through the afternoon. Please pray they will continue to learn the language and make appropriate friends at school.
Friends and family, as always we appreciate your support and prayers. Thank you for joining God’s mission woven through us by following along with our journey, praying, and by supporting us financially. We can’t do it without you all, nor would we want to. Stay tuned…. We’ve only just begun!
Prayer Request:
URGENT- For our religious visas we need to be “in care” of an approved mission organization here in Peru. While we have one, we found out last Friday that they are missing some paperwork. Our tourist visas are up this Tuesday, September 24th. We have applied for a 30 day extension. If approved, we have that time to get the documentation in order. If denied, we will need to leave the country and re-enter to reset the clock on our 30 day tourist visa. While we are praying for God’s providence in this, we do have a “short” bus trip (14 hours) planned to Chile if needed. Please pray that our extension is approved and that the mission can get their documentation in order quickly.
Praying for God's grace for all of you. Also, I happened to see on instagram that a 24-7 House of prayer was being built or finished in Cusco. I think it was the pastor Greg Laurie, from California who i was watching. It might be nice to check out, or you may already know. Sounds like great things are happening in that far away corner of the world.
Praying for you all! Love and miss you. Tell the kids hello from both of us.