Kimeru and Kiswahili
Welcome to Kenya!
Fr. Bernard began in English but quickly switched to Kimeru, the tribal language of Meru, so that everyone could understand – everyone except for us, that is. I haven’t a clue what Father said, but I assume it was beautiful because the people’s eyes twinkled in a very special way.
Amalita
By carefully assessing our capacities and making calculated decisions based on our available resources, we leave God zero room to reveal His majesty.
Kennedy
A teacher at the high school predicted widespread influence if Kennedy actually changes. “He’s a leader,” she explained, “other kids want to do what he’s doing. If you can get him to stop using and selling drugs it would change our whole school.”
We’ve Been Working for This for Two Years
As of a few years ago the folks in our town could only receive Jesus when a missionary priest was visiting. Historically, some pueblos in our region have been blessed to see a priest several times a year, while others have had to wait years between visits. In addition to the shortage of priests, there were neither missionaries nor qualified laity able to distribute communion.
My Enemies: Fernando & Jose
Jose and Fernando stole from us every chance they got. They constantly climbed all over our van, played inside and left the lights on, which drained our battery. They would tell us that they were hungry and then throw the food we gave them on the ground. Although we felt sorry for these kids, our desire to help them was skewed by the irritation that welled within us when they came around.
Amir Sebastian
Despite the assortment of hardships, there is one thing that remains consistent: WE NEVER GIVE ANYONE MONEY. When someone needs a new steel roof panel, we go to the hardware store and buy it with them. When a kid needs crayons and pencils for school, we head to another shop in town. So far, this probably all sounds pretty straight forward, and it is… until the Holy Spirit asks us to break the rules.
Victor & Karina
On a Saturday afternoon, we received a phone call from our friend Andy, a fellow FMC missionary here in Peru. He’d just been informed of Karina’s biopsy results, which indicated her recently diagnosed and untreated cancer was so advanced that she had only two weeks to live, at best.
Sometimes, I Just Can’t Handle It
I was completely overwhelmed with emotion and could do nothing more than remain kneeling with my head buried in my hands. “What is wrong?” I kept asking myself. As I left the church my mind raced as I sobbed and sobbed.
I realized that sometimes I just can’t handle it: the frequency of death, the abusive relationships, the prostitution and drug abuse, the neglected and abandoned kids.
Loving a thief in Peru
In the book of Romans, St. Paul says, “Afflictions produce endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
The Lost Sheep Are Considering Baptism
The lost sheep in our area are the drug addicts, occult members, and floozies. We’ve read the parable of the lost sheep over and over, but have we considered the story from the perspective of the sheep? Have we thought about how it feels to be the one who is lost and alone, scared and filled with doubt?
Breast Cancer – Be Gone!
As day faded into night and the celebrations for our village’s patron saint came to an end, we wandered around the plaza visiting friends. We planned to enjoy the final hours of the celebration before returning home for a much-needed good night’s sleep. We realized that God had other plans when our friend’s son rushed up and said, “My mom…
No Water // Kids on Mission
Michael Carmody, 7, serves with his family in Peru. When I turn the faucet on, I expect water to come out. Today we turned the faucet on and nothing came out. When this happens I usually go into the backyard and switch a switch for the pump in the well to turn on. It takes about a half hour for…
Deep Into the Jungle – Our Craziest Adventure Yet!
Tales had been told of trips deep into the jungle, but until this last weekend we had no idea what such a trip might entail for us: knee-deep mud? gigantic snails? over thirty baptisms? Who could have guessed? Beep! Beep! Beep! At 4:30 a.m. Chris’s watch alarm announced the beginning of Day #1.
The Blind See
The Bible is full of miraculous events. Some people think miracles don’t happen anymore, but we have witnessed miracles that left us speechless; things that were indisputably the work of God. Other times His intervention has been less obvious, but none the less extraordinary. Recently, we had the privilege of experiencing a miracle that Jesus worked right here in San…
