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Todd and Stephanie Edgar's Prayer Letter Blog
Reporting from Pucallpa, Peru

April 7th

Dear Friends,

We are so sorry that we've posted this letter a bit late....the last few months have been incredibly busy for us.
Besides Todd's work at the shop and my teaching a couple days a week at the mission school, January and February kept us busy with the planning, organizing, and finalizing the last minute plans and details of our mission's annual conference. This year, we all headed to a resort about an hour away from the city of Arequipa in southern Peru. Arequipa is a very picturesque spot and we all enjoyed a week of fun, good fellowship, and most importantly were impacted by the messages the speaker, Brady Nemmers, brought to us that week. Brady is a great friend of ours from Grand Rapids, MI who performed our wedding ceremony for us two years ago. God really used him to challenge our missionary family in many ways and we are so thankful that he was willing to come and share the week with us. I wish I had the time to share all that we learned there, but I think one of the most impacting messages for us was that in order to love God with everything in us, we must love others (love my neighbor as I love myself)...not with just love but sacrificial love, and not just loving those who are easy to love, but truly loving our enemies. Being willing to give love and ask nothing in return....and not withhold our love if we don't think someone is deserving of it. God does not love us based on our performance or how we behave....He loves us just because we are His children. We should freely give our love to others (our neighbor) and not choose who we think is deserving of our love....God loves us unconditionally, and that is how we are to love others, no matter who they are. May God help us to see other people as He sees them and may we allow Him to love others THROUGH us to bring life, healing, and wholeness to our broken world.

A real treat for us was to have Brady and his wife Sarah Anne come out to the jungle with us after conference for a visit, so they could get a feel for where we live and work. We had a very fun 3 days with them here. It was even more adventuresome with the fact that while we had been gone at conference, it had rained so much that the lake by our house had risen so much that the water came into our basement and was about 15 inches deep! Our washer and dryer are kept in the basement and thankfully we had raised them up on planks before we left....but doing the laundry got to be very interesting. Our road out to the air base was also flooded in several parts. If the water would have risen any more, we would not have been able to get through with our vehicles. As of now, the lake level has dropped considerably...the lake is no longer in our basement and the road is dry again.

During the week of March 15-22, a large medical team from the University of Oklahoma came to Pucallpa on their Spring Break to serve and learn. Most of the team was comprised of medical and dental students along with several doctors and dentists, Todd's dad being among them. He spent the week with us at our house. The team saw thousands of patients throughout the week, all in locations around Pucallpa. Todd and I served as translators and team leaders for the team the entire week. We enjoyed spending time with the med students and helping out although we were exhausted afterwards. I got sick with some bug going around, but am on the road to recovery.

In our last newsletter, I was very excited to share with you that we were hoping to be opening a Crisis Pregnancy Center in May....well, things have not turned out as we had hoped, in regards to the financial backing of a church that had expressed interest. I will be meeting again with our pastor's wife here who has a heart for this ministry as well in the next couple weeks and we are going to discuss what we can start doing to get this ministry off the ground. I'd appreciate your continued prayers for this ministry, and for wisdom and patience on my part as this will take time to develop. We want to get things rolling, but we won't be able to begin every single aspect of this ministry all at once. Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for this ministry and for me and the others who will be involved with it. We know that God has great plans to change the lives of many young women through this.

Our church here in Pucallpa celebrated it's 3rd anniversary March 30th. We have been amazed to see the growth that has taken place in the church, not only in numbers, but also in the spiritual maturity of many of the members, and how many have stepped up into leadership. Back in February, 25 members were baptized. It is a joy and privilege to be a part of this church and we are so thankful for it and look forward to see how God will continue to work. Soon, Todd will be co-leading a small group for young men who they race and train with at the Motocross track. These young guys do not attend church regularly and most of them do not have a relationship with the Lord. Please pray for Todd and the other missionary, Tommy, who will be leading this group-for wisdom, guidance, sensitivity to the Spirit's leading, and for divine appointments. Todd already has relationships with these young men, which is so important with this ministry. Speaking of the Motocross Group, the MXC Team, which is comprised of Todd and 3 other racers (including an ex-national champion), will hopefully be traveling to all 10 of the national events this year. It is a great opportunity to race with and minister to the top riders in the country. This is a newer opportunity that is still in the process of being worked out but the first race is in Piura in late April. Please pray for safety and opportunities to share. I will be attending a woman's group that meets twice a month on Saturdays, for fellowship and Bible study, and hopefully it will enable me to get to know some of the newer women at the church.

We thank you all so much for your faithful prayers on our behalf and your continued support. We could not be here without you behind us. We hope all of you are well and we would love to hear from you sometime. Please let us know how we can pray for you as well, as we are partners in this ministry. You all are welcome to visit us anytime! We mean it!

In the Potter's Hands,
Todd and Stephanie

"A Very Jungle Christmas"

Feliz Navidad! I can't believe that Christmas is almost upon us! Instead of a white Christmas, we'll definitely be celebrating a “green” Christmas here in the rain forest. Of course, for me, it seems a “normal” Christmas since I grew up here, but I know Todd will definitely be missing the snow and cold temperatures. What is a normal Christmas like for us here? Temperatures in the 80's and 90's, hot and humid- Maybe some rain, as it is rainy season, attending a Christmas celebration at the local church, attending a Christmas program at the mission school, eating Paneton (Sweet bread with bits of fruit in it) and drinking hot chocolate on Christmas Eve at midnight ( A Peruvian custom), having a big meal together as a family on Christmas Day, sometimes with a few other missionary families, maybe some swimming and water sports, or some mud soccer if its rainy!
We've been back in Pucallpa for almost 2 months now and have enjoyed plugging back into ministry; Todd at the hangar and I at the mission school, as well as the Mil Palmeras Church. We've also enjoyed catching up with Peruvian friends as well as missionary friends and settling into our roles here. There is always so much to do and often seems as if there is not enough time to get it all done. Many of you can relate, I know!
During a sermon we heard recently here, the pastor asked the congregation if there were not any churches, Sunday school classes, Bible studies, small groups, Bibles, Christian books, Christian radio programs, conferences or retreats,etc. would we reflect Christ well enough in our own lives so that others would come to know the love and grace of Christ. If we were the only example for someone to follow, would they see Christ in and through us? Would someone come to know Christ just by examining the way we live our lives? What a challenge! Entering a new year in just a few weeks, makes me contemplate what kind of example I want to be to those I come into contact with on a daily basis; my husband, my family, my students, my Peruvian neighbors, my missionary colleagues, and my church. Here especially, as missionaries, we are “examined” by the Indians across the lake as well as our Peruvian friends in Pucallpa and they watch to see how we live our daily lives, how we treat others, how we respond to trials and conflict, what priorities we reflect, etc. Sometimes this can be overwhelming, feeling as if we are constantly under scrutiny, but at the same time we realize that we may be the only ones who can show them what it means to follow Jesus by the way we live our lives. I know that in the United States, a strong Christian testimony is imperative as well to have an impact on others. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” Ephesians 5:1-2......I hope you are challenged, as I have been, to live life in such a way that others might come to know Christ, just by observing the way we live our day to day lives. In the new year that is approaching, may our thoughts, words, and actions be a fragrant offering to Him as we reflect Him to those around us!
We hope that each and every one of you have a wonderful, meaningful Christmas with family and friends and that each of you take time to reflect on God's incredible gift to us.

Greetings from the jungle! We arrived Friday night, after our flight had been canceled the day before, An airliners tires had exploded on take off leaving Pucallpa and it was stuck in the middle of the runway for 24 hours. No planes could land or take off as we only have one runway here. Thankfully, our flight was uneventful and as we were descending for landing, there was a beautiful jungle sunset on display to enjoy! My parents and several other missionaries were there to welcome us.

We were also welcomed by a frog in the toilet (literally-seems to be a common occurrence here), a crowd of Shipibo Indians, the predominant indigenous group here, singing a song in our front yard, and LOTS of rain! We hadn't seen rain in about 5 months! We are settling in, waiting for our Land Rover to arrive from Lima, although there is talk of another strike so that will delay it getting here for who knows how long. Unfortunately packed in that truck are our shoes, Todd's motorcycle helmet, and various other semi-essential things. In the meantime, Todd is wearing his sandals and working on his old motorcycle and his old Toyota Land Cruiser that he had before we got married, so we will hopefully have some transportation soon. However, my parents and other missionaries have been offering rides to get
places, so we are in good hands.

I will not start teaching classes at the mission school until next week, which is nice as it gives us time to settle in and plan lessons. Todd will
not start work at the hangar until later this week or beginning of next, as he has many things to work on these next few days.

There is a medical team here this week that we might end up translating for some of the time so it will be fun to help out with that.

Not too much else to report at this point. Just wanted to let everyone know that we had gotten here safely and will be getting back to work soon.

September 18th

We have had an amazing summer in the city of Arequipa, where we have been studying at the ABC Espanol Language Institute since June 18th. Our host family and all the instructors at the Institute have been such a blessing and encouragement to us. Also, it's been neat to study with other missionaries from all over the world, who are preparing to work in the different regions of Peru. We are so thankful that we've had this time to focus on the language study and I know it has helped us immensely.

We thought we would share some of the highlights of the summer with you. (For those of you who consistently keep up with our updates, some of this might sound repetitive)

June 29th- July 1st- We were able to go on a 3 day hike through the famous Colca Canyon about 4 hours away from Arequipa with two other students from the Institute. The Canyon had some breathtaking views which made us appreciate our Creator all the more.

July 23rd-27th- We had a break from school for Peru's Independence Day celebration (July 28th) and we were able to visit Ica (in the desert), Lake Titicaca, as well as cross over into Bolivia to Copacabana to visit a friend of Todd's who was working in the city of La Paz.

August 6th- I started Marinera dance classes. Marinera is a traditional folkloric dance of Peru. It is beautiful, fun, and challenging and I'm really enjoying the opportunity to learn, as it has been a desire of mine since I was in high school. Once we get out to Pucallpa, there will not be an opportunity to continue lessons, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity while we're here.

August 15th- An 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit the southern coast of Peru (Ica, Chincha, Pisco, and Canete), leaving more than 500 dead and more than 1500 injured. The majority of buildings in these regions were destroyed. Lots of aid came immediately and still is arriving. Our church here in Arequipa is planning on sending a group with supplies and just to talk to the people to encourage them and share the love of Christ with them. If this gets organized before we leave, Todd and I are hoping to go on this trip.

August 31st- Todd found a sports medicine doctor and a physical therapy facility to help him get his knee back to 100% before we head out to the jungle. God is always so faithful to provide for every need!

September 8th- We bought a 1967 Land Rover 88 in impeccable condition for an incredible price! It will be perfect for the jungle!

We were only planning to stay in Arequipa through the end of September, but looks like we will be staying until mid-October to be able to finish the textbooks we are using. We are looking forward to getting out to the jungle to jump back into work. In the meantime, we are enjoying our time here and building relationships with people here. In our last letter, we also mentioned that we were a little short of our monthly support goal. God provided in amazing ways the few days before our departure from the US, however we still have not met 100% of our needed monthly amount. Please continue to pray that God would provide the remaining funds in His time and in His way. Please also pray that we would finish well at the Institute; that we would be motivated and disciplined. If you think about it, we encourage you to continue to pray for the areas hit by the earthquake-that the rebuilding process will be quick and efficient and that aid would continue to arrive for the victims. Please also pray for our transition back to the jungle and the roles we will be jumping back into. Please remember Todd as well, as he'll be driving our Land Rover out to the jungle. He is looking for some companions to join him on the adventure....if you're interested, let us know! Thanks again for your faithful prayers. We are so blessed to have you on our support team and we truly appreciate each one of you.

Thank you for your concern for Peru and its people! We appreciate all of you so much!

Stephanie for Todd too

August 3rd

A big thank you to all who were praying for the political situation here in Peru and our situation with the Peruvian neighbors.Thankfully, the political situation has calmed down a good bit, and there haven't been any strikes for weeks, and we hope it will stay this way

As for the situation with the neighbors in Pucallpa, the saga continues, although the past couple weeks have been calm. In the meantime our mission and the Swiss mission are working on making the road safer, since it was falsely labeled as a public access road.....so we are working on those details right now. The Swiss mission feels certain that they can get the status of the road changed back to "private", because all the land surrounding the road is private. It is just a matter of time. Please continue to pray for this family, that the Lord would change their hearts and attitudes regarding our mission and the Swiss Mission and that relationships would be restored. Please continue to pray for wisdom for the missionaries who are dealing with this issue-for peace, patience, and most of all for good testimonies throughout this ordeal. Please also pray for the safety of the air base -until the status of the road is changed again because anyone can walk through it, crossing over two taxi ways and a runway to get to the lake shore on the other side. The first day the road was considered public access, two vehicles came in and stole all of our phone lines, so there is concern in that regard as well.

Thank you for standing with us in this. Your prayers definitely make a difference, as we have already seen the Lord at work in this.

Stephanie for Todd too

2. Out in Pucallpa, several kilometers up the dirt road from SAM's air base (where we will live), there is a Peruvian family who have been neighbors of ours for years and years and we have always had a good relationship with them until about 9 months ago. We live 7 kilometers from the main highway. This family lives off the dirt road about 3-4 kilometers from the highway. They run several businesses and use the road a lot to transport supplies to and from town. Along the dirt road, halfway between the airbase and the main highway is another mission base, the Swiss Mission, and because of increased traffic on the road, due to the Peruvian family's business, and a few more people moving out to the airbase, the Swiss asked us to construct a detour that would go around their mission. The detour was supposed to be paid for by anybody who would be using the road, which includes the Peruvian family. SAM built the road, and only asked the family to pay $20 a month to help maintain it, since it will be heavily used. This family does really well and $20 a month would not be a sacrifice for them. When we asked for payment, two of the brothers became very angry at us and at the Swiss Mission and ever since, have been printing stories in the local newspapers about how abusive all of the missionaries are and how we have never helped any of them. They are using our Indian neighbors as a means to attract attention from the press, and have been buying them off with chickens, a motor for a boat, etc. to side with them against us.....We have never had problems with the Indians that live across the lake from us either, but this one family has a lot of them riled up against us and anytime they want the news crew to run a story on tv, they use the Indians, and say that the missionaries have always abused them. Now this Peruvian family has falsified a document that states that the dirt road is not a private road, but a public access road. This would put the security of the airbase and mission airplanes in jeopardy. We have a Peruvian friend who is helping us with this situation and goes to meetings on our behalf. However, the Peruvian family is having him followed to see where he goes and what he does to research how this document ever got filed in the first place at the Department of Transportation- when he asked them who filed the document, they would not tell him. At the latest meeting, which included members of the Peruvian family, our Peruvian friend, some Swiss missionaries and the Indians, The crowd started yelling "Gringos Out - Give us Our Land" (White people out!) Our Peruvian friend was punched in the back and a Swiss missionary was hit in the ribs- They were trying to pick a fight to get the Swiss missionaries to fight back so they could have it broadcast on the local news (the news crew was there standing by). The land we live on used to be owned by the Swiss Mission, until we bought it from them years ago, so it is considered SAM property, and private at that. The Peruvian family refuses to talk to any of the SAM missionaries and told one of the missionaries that he would get what he deserves. Things keep escalating and they keep resorting to new lows.The saddest part about it is that they claim to be Christians and were leaders in their church- this whole situation has caused their church to split, because most of them do not agree with what they are doing. The family continues to bribe some lawyers, the press, and the Indians, etc. It has been very difficult to know how to handle it, as they are full of hate towards us. We have to be careful what actions we take, because we do have relationships with judges and lawyers but if we took strong legal action against them, they would say we bribed the lawyers or judges, etc. The press has told our mission that they would gladly print our side of the story for a price.....which of course we would not do.
We need prayer for wisdom to know what actions to take, and at the same time to maintain our Christian testimony and witness. It is hard to maintain a loving attitude when they continue to do so many hateful things against us. This family needs prayer! We need to pray that they would realize what they are doing and that Satan would be bound! We need to pray that the truth will prevail and will come out soon! We need wisdom to know how to settle this peacefully and above all that the Lord's will be done in the situation. We do not want to drive this family from their land or anything like that. We just want a peaceful outcome. Satan has been hard at work.

Thanks for praying for these things! We know the Lord is in control of it all. It has just been a hard situation from the beginning.

Stephanie for Todd too-

Happy 4th of July, one day late! We had our own little Independence Day celebration with a few other American students from the language institute which involved going out to eat dinner, lighting sparklers and setting off a few fireworks, singing the national anthem, and topping the night off with homemade apple pie and ice cream! Our classes are going well and we are thankful to be here and have the time to focus on language study for the next few months before heading out to Pucallpa. Our teachers and host family are wonderful and we are so blessed to have been able to come here for this time. We are enjoying all the beautiful sights around Arequipa as well. Last weekend we were able to do a three day hike through the famous Colca Canyon. The views were spectacular and we had a great time, even though we got some horrible blisters on our feet, but it was well worth it. We've also been doing some sight seeing around the city, as there is so much to take in. There has been a strike going on in Pucallpa for the last 9 days and a lot of the town center has been destroyed by the protesters. The road from Lima has been blocked as well as the port in Pucallpa at the riverfront and the airport was completely shut down. They are lifting the strike for 10 days so that people are able to get food and stock up for when the chaos starts up again as supplies were running very low. There has been some violence, but vandalism more than anything else. Government officials from Lima were able to get out to the jungle to meet on Tuesday and will also meet again tomorrow to talk about a resolution. Please pray for safety for all the people living in Pucallpa and for a quick solution to the issue.

May 15th

Hello Blue-Junglers!
GREAT NEWS! We have Purchased our tickets to PERU! If all continues to go as planned we will leave the 11th of June from O'Hare with a short stopover in Toronto(?), and then direct to Lima, the capitol. We still lack several hundred dollars a month in pledged support, so if you were holding out to see if we were ever actually going to go.. That day has come! We want to thank all of you who support us through prayer, financially, and through searching here- All are necessary parts of the body- ( Read Me : 1 Corinthians 12:4-28 ) Our Last Sunday at ADA is this upcoming sunday. We will be around Michigan the next few weeks but not over the weekends. We will be speaking at the Park Ridge Presb. Church June 3rd and then be at South Park Church in Park Ridge the 10th before we leave. Please be in prayer for us as we try to finish strong as well as for the remaining monthly support we need- Thanks again- Todd

Knee Surgery Update- I am in fantastic shape.. the PT says I am way ahead of normal progress and should be cleared for motocross and soccer earlier than planned. Yesterday they even had me on a trampoline playing catch..

It's been 10 days since the surgery and Todd is doing extremely well. His first post-op appointment was today with the doctor, and he also had his first physical therapy appointment today. Both the doctor and physical therapist were very pleased at how his recovery is coming along. He will continue therapy through the month of May and his next follow up appointment with the doctor is scheduled at the beginning of June. The doctor did say that he sees no reason why we cannot return to Peru after the next follow up appointment on June 4th.We relayed the doctor's report to SAM and they have approved our return to Peru in June! SO, we are in the process of looking at ticket prices and making reservations!

We just received an update on our monthly support level, and now only lack $690 per month to be 100% supported. Please continue to pray with us as we wait on the remaining support to come in. God continues to provide for us through avenues we never imagined. He is so faithful! Please also pray for us as we wrap things up in Michigan with work and other responsibilities and as we say goodbye to dear and amazing friends who have enriched our lives so much during our time here. Please pray as we pack and sort, and for wisdom as we decide what to leave in storage, get rid of, or take with us. It is quite the task when given a weight limit per bag by the airlines!

Thank you for your continued support and prayers for us. We are very excited that our return to Peru is in sight and that we will soon be back.

April 27 , 2007

9:00PM - Surgery Complete! Total Success- I already can feel a difference in my knee- Though bandaged and swollen, it feels much more stable than it did even this morning before the operation. I am able to put weight on it and I stood for a few seconds without the crutches this evening! Thanks for all your prayers and emails- I see us back in Peru in no time!

8:30AM - Today is the BIG DAY- I go in at 9.. I will be released at 3 or so.. Please be praying for the Surgeons hands and concentration-
Stephanie will report Later today or Tomorrow- Thanks for your Amazing Support through all this everyone- Peru is closer than ever!

April 19 , 2007

Report from the Surgeon- Torn ACL in Right Knee- Surgery Scheduled for April 27th- An Estimated 6 Weeks of Rehab and then we are off to PERU! Please be praying with us for quick healing and the final 20% of our support-

April 10 , 2007
Friends-

Good news- We are just under the 80% mark of our monthly support- This will be a huge line to be across- This benchmark allows us to purchase our tickets very soon for our return to Peru.
Unfortunate news- 3 weeks ago, during a soccer match, I (Todd) tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in my right knee. I have seen various specialists and endured an MRI. I am tentativley scheduled for surgery April 25th. With 4-6 weeks of rehabilitation, the doctors think that we should be able to leave for Peru- This only puts our estimated return back a few weeks which isn't all that terrible. We are longing to be back there and get back to the ministries and people we left. Your prayers are coveted for this, as well as for our financial support. Please be praying with us for the remaining $800 per month we are needing to return.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Current SAM-Peru personnel needs:

* Elementary Teacher for the Mission School (English Speaking) -

* Guest House Managers for Mission House in Lima, Peru-

* Leadership Development, Mentoring, and Church Planting Personnel-

January 31, 2007

Folks-

I know it has been awhile for some of you since you've heard from us, and for others not as long. We thought we'd write to fill you in on what has been going on recently. Many of you may be thinking that we've been in the US for quite some time now and wondering when we will be headed back to Peru. Well, as some of you know, we have been living in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the past 8 months, working at the request of South America Mission. They recommended that we spend our first year of marriage in the United States, to adjust and establish it before returning overseas and entering full time ministry again. It has been a great 8 months for us here. We have been blessed to be part of a strong, biblical, growing church as well as a great small group that we meet with weekly.
It has been our hope to be able to return to Peru in April sometime. The past month we have been communicating frequently with our Home Office to finalize some things and make sure we are on the right track in getting everything organized to be able to leave in the next few months. With that said, we were just given our budget from the mission on how much support we need to raise before we can go back. Because of good, faithful support in the past, we have nearly all of our outgoing expenses taken care of, which is HUGE! We still lack about $3,500. Our challenge, then, for support raising, will be to find monthly supporters. Several of the churches that had partnered with us in the past are unable to continue to support us for a variety of different reasons (their budget will no longer allow it, we don't fall under a certain focus group that the churches want to concentrate on, etc.) We are currently waiting to get a response back from two new churches, but have not heard anything yet from them.
So we need your prayers in a big way! We have been asked to raise about $4,100 per month ( Some of you might be thinking that seems like an excessive amount, especially for South America) Before the amount staggers you, let us explain. Quite a large portion of that goes to our health insurance ( international health insurance rates are quite expensive); another small portion goes to South America Mission, to help with personnel and other expenses; another portion goes to SAM Air which is the primary ministry we will be involved with (each family unit assigned to SAM Air is requested to raise a certain monthly amount for the program- this actually allows SAM Air to fly national pastors and missionaries for free, as they would not be able to afford it otherwise.) And don't forget the chunk the US Government wants of that (taxes).. as well as a few other small areas that the monthly amount will help cover, aside from our personal living expenses. All these things are included in the monthly amount figure. Thanks to those who have faithfully supported us during our time in the US, we have about 55% of the $4100 already pledged. If the pledged amount changes for some reason, we will make you aware of it. Please pray along with us as we wait on the remaining 45% of our monthly support need. We are trusting that at just the right time, the Lord will provide and bring the support in for us. We are asking you all to pray that we would have patience as we watch how the Lord will provide for this need, as we are anxious to return to ministry in Peru and the friends and relationships we left there

As I said before, our primary ministry will be with SAM AIR- I will continue to work with the aviation ministry. We recently were able to acquire another airplane that we badly needed- It is not operational yet, but it will hopefully be in the next 6 months. We currently are flying about 1400 hours a year with 2 planes- about the limit of our capabilities if we still want to have time for maintenance, fueling and loading. As it is we often fuel and load in the morning before the sunrise or after sunset.so the planes can be up as long as possible. We are now covering an area about the size of California and the only mission air service in the whole country since Wycliffe reassigned their planes to SE Asia. We have a very full flight schedule, with requests for flights still months out. We were also heavily involved with a new church in Peru that we helped start with a crowd of motocross racers and their families. Now the church has over 200 attenders, many have accepted the Lord and are being baptized. Many are also attending membership classes and learning what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. We look forward to continuing to help with this exciting ministry, to encourage new believers and develop relationships with the younger couples of the church. Some of you have heard Stephanie share the burden she has for unwed teenage mothers and crisis pregnancy situations. Since we have been here in Michigan, She has been given the privilege of volunteering at a local Christian run Crisis Pregnancy Center and has been able to counsel many girls that have come in for pregnancy tests. She has had the desire to see something like this start in Pucallpa, the town where we live in Peru. There is no such resource there in the town and teenage pregnancy is a huge issue. Abortion is illegal in Peru but it still happens all the time, and many girls die from the abortions. A good family friend of hers died this way when Stephanie was 12 years old. Since then, She has been burdened with wanting to help girls in such a situation. She don't know what this will look like, and before anything happens, this will require lots of prayer and seeking God's mind in this. It would also require interest and cooperation from the local churches in Peru to see something like this get started in Pucallpa. There is an organization here in Grand Rapids which mainly focuses on equipping and training nationals to open and run their own Crisis Pregnancy Centers. It is her hope to meet with them as much as possible before our departure to see if this would be something they could help us out with. It is very exciting to think about the potential of something like this.
Anyway, The main reason for sending out the update was to ask for your prayers as we raise our support to return to Peru.
Thank you so much for your friendship to us and for your faithful prayers. We look forward to seeing how God answers those prayers!

Todd (and Stephanie)

" And this same God, who takes care of me, will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

As I am writing this letter, there are snow flurries swirling to and fro outside our living room window. The cold temperatures and the snow have definitely put everyone in the Christmas mood. Yesterday, we drove out to a tree farm and cut down a tree to bring home and decorate; our first Christmas tree as a couple. It was fun setting the tree up, stringing the lights, and hanging ornaments while we listened to Christmas music. We have also been working on our Christmas list, buying gifts for family and friends. In the midst of all the holiday fun however, we do want to remember the REAL reason why we celebrate this time of year and what Christmas means for all Jesus followers. The Greek word for Messiah is “christos” meaning “anointed one”. The significance of being known as “The Anointed One” is that both kings and priests were invested with their authority in a ceremony of anointing with olive oil. This is the idea of being given God's priestly and kingly authority. So, why would the King of Heaven come to earth?
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness”(John12:46) “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners'” (Mark 2:17) “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38) “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)
God sent His Son ,Jesus, to earth, to model a life of perfect surrender, obedience, and service and to die for YOU AND ME, that we would be forgiven of our sins and given the gift of eternal life. Are we living the abundant life that God desperately desires for us? Are we being obedient to him with a heart's attitude of “Not my will but Yours be done”? Are we walking in the light, and not in the darkness? Are we testifying to the truth each day? Are we sharing the good news with others, so that they too might hear and accept the gift of abundant, eternal life?

As Christmas is weeks away and the New Year quickly approaches, it is our prayer that this coming year we will learn more and more what it means to live the abundant Christian life, and that the attitude of our hearts in everything would be one of obedience to Him. We also desire to share His love more boldly through service and relationships with those who do not know Him.
The next four months, we will be preparing for our return to Peru. This will involve a lot of traveling and exploring other avenues of fund raising as we maintain our existing relationships. It is our hope to return to Peru in April to continue with the ministries (aviation, motocross, education of the missionary children) we left just a year ago, and to assist in the development of new and exciting outreach ministries.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support over this past year. They have been integral to us in our new marriage and time in the
Unites States. We are excitedly anticipating our return to Peru in the Spring, and are so thankful for you all who make it possible for us to continue serving there.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Todd and Stephanie