Email
from the Shultz Family
September 7, 2004
Dear Family and Friends,
Having been here in Cusco for a month already, there are far more new
experiences than we could possibly include in a newsletter. We’ll
do our best to give a few highlights.
Traveling to Peru went very smoothly – a clear answer to many of your
prayers. After a day and a half in Lima, we took the 75 minute flight
into the Andes Mountains to the historic city of Cusco which has quickly become
our new home. The altitude adjustment was much less of an issue than
what we all anticipated – another answer to prayer. Except for
being out of breath when running upstairs to answer the phone or an occasional
headache the first week or two when the kids were playing too hard, we have had
few noticeable side effects. Unlike San Jose (Costa Rica), Cusco has
no fast-food restaurants or movie theaters. There is a greater
emphasis on preserving the Incan culture and Spanish-influenced architecture. Many
tourists are also found downtown, drawn by the Incan ruins found at Machu Picchu
– about a two hour trip outside of the city. We are in the winter
season now, which means it is generally dry and a bit colder than the average
temperature at night… as long as the sun is shining!
We were met at the airport by a couple members of our EMM team and a few other
folks from the Mennonite church here in the city. We overlapped by
several days with Juan and Ruth Vega who needed to end their missions assignment
here due to health problems. Therefore, we moved into their house
which has made for a smooth housing transition. We are still in the
discernment process of trying to decide whether to stay in this neighborhood or
move a little further outside of town. Right now we are a convenient
ten-minute public transportation ride from downtown. The taxis and
van/minibuses (combis) are a fairly reliable and inexpensive form of
transportation, though certainly a cultural experience. At this point
we don’t plan to buy a vehicle (which can be quite a headache here).
Our first three months here have been designated as a time for cultural
adjustment, setting up house-keeping, visiting the various Mennonite churches,
getting to know the people, continuing language learning, and discerning areas
for future involvement. At the end of this time we will report our
learning, reflections, and how we may best be able to minister to the churches
and community. We still anticipate being primarily involved in the
areas of medical assistance and education, but we want to be open to other
possibilities and the specific needs of the church at this time.
In addition to meeting lots of people and trying to memorize names and faces, we
have enjoyed many learning experiences during these first weeks. We
are learning our way around town. Regina and Hannah have been making
weekly excursions to a local market with our house-helper, Valeria, to purchase
fruits and vegetables. I (Ron) spent one day helping a brother from
the church with the building of his house – made from adobe bricks and a
terra-cotta slated roof. In addition to visiting the four churches
closest to Cusco on Sunday mornings, we have attended or participated in a
baptismal service, a home-group meeting, two youth meetings, a church
anniversary celebration, and a few missionary Bible-studies, worship services,
and meetings. I’ve had my first opportunity to preach in Spanish,
and the second one is this coming Sunday.
Our most stretching experience thus far, and in many ways the most rewarding,
was spending this past week in the rural community of Lucre – a small town
about 45 minutes from Cusco. We were generously hosted by a family of
the Mennonite church there. It could perhaps be most accurately
described as camping in a barn. Most of the house has dirt floors. In
our bedroom, the five of us slept on two single foam mattresses. With
the help of our dear hosts, we cooked all our meals on an open fire. Four
burros, a sheep, a pig, several chickens, a dog, and a host of guinea pigs
(which they raise for eating on special occasions) made their way through the
house to the backyard at various times throughout the day. I got the
chance to try my hand at planting corn behind two bulls (My work was not
impressive – looked more like a snake than a straight line – but my
“teachers” were amused). We helped with planting and weeding in
the church’s garden project.
Another new experience for us has been the start to home-schooling. It
is a big change for all of us, and though we anticipate having them in a Spanish
school next year, we want to take advantage of the present benefits of being
more actively involved in their school education.
With love
to you all, and thanks for your continued thoughts, prayers, and support,
Ron, Regina, Hannah, Jeremiah, and Bethany
PRAISES:
• Good health and traveling safety
• A supportive EMM team and new
friendships
• The blessing of getting to know a
few neighbors and many of the church members
• God’s grace, patience, and
direction
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• Clear direction regarding ministry
involvement at the end of our first three months
• Clear direction whether to stay
where we are in the city or move to another area that is more central to all the
churches
• To get into a smooth home-schooling
routine and perhaps a morning pre-school program for Bethany (which would
certainly help the whole situation)
• Continued language and culture
adjustment
• Continued health and peace of mind,
soul, body, and spirit
• Perseverance, discipline, and
refreshment in spending daily times alone with Abba Father