When are you going back to Peru?

This is the question we are asked on at least a weekly basis.  It’s a good and valid question.  The answer is… we don’t know.  We don’t have a date.  Our goal is by the end of 2013.  Several things have to happen before we can go.

1. We must have 100% of our financial support pledged by churches and individual donors.   Check out our Mr. Potato Head to see how far along we are in the process. If you would like to know how to participate in our ministry in this way, please see   .  There is also an explication of what we mean by “pledges” vs. donations.

2.  Albino must receive his U.S. citizenship.  All of the paperwork has been filed.  Now it is up to the U.S. government to determine the timing.  He must have his biometric appointment, which we needed to reschedule due to our travels in April, before he receives his interview and civics exam date.  After that, we have to wait for the swearing-in ceremony.  According to the USCIS website, it is about a five month process.

We are praying that these two things occur simultaneously.  We don’t want to wait around for one or the other.  In the end, we can only say that we are doing our part, the rest is in God’s hands and His timing.  

What We’re Reading

3. The very spiritual, Toilet Training In Less Than A Day, is the book of choice this week. J  My goal is to go through the training process by the end of the month—day to be determined.   I know, I know, many people go longer than 18 months and have multiple kids in diapers.  I could continue, but why wait when she´s ready?  I´m not expecting 100% trained by the end of Wednesday, but it won´t be much worse than our cloth diapers that need to be change every couple hours or they leak, or they just plain leak occasionally.  Wish us luck on this new adventure.

2. I, Sandy, just finished The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. It was a good reminder that the money and opportunities that we have our entrusted to us, ours to use to God’s glory and in service of His people.  Are we, Christ’s church as a whole and individuals, revolutionizing our world?  Does my heart break for the suffering people around the world?  Do I even ask God for a heart like His, and really mean it?

1. This combined with Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover is causing us to take a look at our finances and how we save, give, and invest our money.  I was taught well as a child how to manage my money, and Albino is naturally frugal.   A job change, raising a child and other life circumstances are all good reasons for us to do an even better job.  This very practical book is great for me.  I always want the HOW of something, and this has the steps, right down to percentages.  I’d learned the principles but now have a better idea of how to go about them..

Tour of TX, AZ, and CO

A whirlwind trip.  Three states in less than three weeks—Texas, Arizona, and Colorado.  I, Sandy, will not deny that we came back exhausted and needed several days to recover.  But, the entire trip was positive and profitable.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing long-time friends and catching up in Texas.  To the long-time friends, we’ve added some new ones.  Arizona was good for that.  In Tucson we met at a home and shared at a school.  Some great partnerships and networking came out of those.  In Phoenix we met an amazing bilingual RCA congregation and enjoyed a Spanish worship service for the first time in a couple years.  Of course, Colorado Springs was a return home for me.  Just good to be around familiar faces.  We also have good support from my old church congregation and friends.

We took advantage of the many opportunities to share our dream and vision for La Casa del Maestro (www.casadelmaestro.org).  The more we talked the more passionate we became; God confirmed once again that Cusco is where He wants us. (Now we just need to get there.)  People understood the needs and resonated with the plans for a ministry specifically for the indigenous youth coming to Cusco.  Not only was the vision confirmed, but it was strengthened and deepened as people added their own experiences and ideas.  We look forward to continuing to work with the North American church, even when we´re in Peru.

African Safari at the Dallas Zoo with a college friend and her little ones.

Ride 'em Cowboy! at the Ft. Worth Stockyards

Amazing Views at the Grand Canyon

Doriana was an attraction and made friends wherever she went.

Sharing about our ministry to a sixth grade class.

This young man is headed to Peru for a mission trip; he interviewed Albino for over an hour and even  took notes.  Impressive! and so much fun.

Tour of Three States in April

We start a tour of three states on April 4. We fly to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to visit with some dear friends of mine (Sandy) from Hillsdale College and TCA. From there we head to Tucson to meet with some homegroups and speak at a Spanish/English RCA church in Phoenix. Our last stop is Colorado Springs, which was my home for five years before moving to Peru.

Of course the main purpose is partnership development. It’s a necessary part of our life now. As I’ve mentioned before, we get excited the more we share; it’s fun to share our vision and see others catch that dream. We couldn’t do our work at La Casa del Maestro without the prayer and financial support that so many give. It’s one of the many ways that God brings together Christ’s body. We truly believe that and rejoice in that. It’s also humbling and character building. God works in the midst of something that is definitely difficult for us. The fundraising is a necessary component, but I am so excited to just see so many friends included in this trip. Who can beat seeing Texas with friends, reminiscing with friends from Peru (in AZ), and going “home” to Colorado. And, along the way we get to make new friends while meeting pastors and missions team members at the different churches. I like the new terminology for fundraising, partnership development. It’s true that ministry is done in partnership, how much better when those partners are first and foremost, friends

Albino’s US Citizenship

We have submitted Albino’s application for naturalization to become a US citizen.  We just received notice that it has been “received by our office and is in process.”  The next step is for him to get his fingerprints taken.  Then, we’ll await an interview date which includes the civics and English proficiency test.  They say the process can take 6-9 months.  Please pray for favor with the immigration officers who will review Albino’s case.  So far we have avoided costly lawyer fees, and all has gone smoothly from applying to a fiancé visa to his green card.  We pray that it will continue.

Once Albino naturalizes he has 45 days to leave the country and go to Peru.  (Confusing?  We know. It has to do with my status as a missionary and the reason we can apply early.)  Ideally we will have 100% of our support pledged, and we will all move to Peru together.  If not, we will visit Peru to comply with the law and come back to finish fundraising.