SlideShow

As you can see I added a slide show. I am adding more pics to it as I go through mine. I took over 750, but some are blurry and some are to dark. It is amazing how each one brings back a rush of memories. I look forward to the day I can go through these and present my experiences with all of you. I hope you enjoy them. be blessed

Back Home - Fan the Flame

Well we made it home. This is a photo of the Lima group eating in Atlanta. I have not heard anything from those who traveled back to California, but I am trusting they too slept in their own beds last night. It was an amazing journey, and I will most likely continue to post some thoughts as well as pictures of the trip over the next couple of weeks. Please continue to ask any questions that you may have, either in the comments or stop any of us you see at church. I look forward to worshiping with many of you this weekend. I can not thank you enough for your support over the past two weeks. Here are a few quick stats. We saw over 900 people through the clinic, ministered to hundreds of kids, put on 4 Jesus films, and collected many names of those interested in having a church family in their communities. Hopefully our work will aid the 40/40 long term missionaries as they seek to plant churches in those communities we visited.
You will notice from the picture that many of us on the outside still look very much the same, but as you talk to us you will quickly realize we are very different. The mission of Extreme Nazarene was to carry the Light into Peru. The fire has started and will continue to burn as work moves forth in Peru. My prayer is that this fire becomes an inferno. My prayer continues to include those of us who returned. You see some of that fire burns inside each of us. My prayer is that as time passes and memories start to fade that this fire continues, even more, that it would grow. It too becoming an inferno, igniting our communities' hearts toward those in Peru. But even more than that, igniting our hearts for the living God, who pursues and seeks us with a passion that we can not imagine. The fire is started, let's fan the flame. be blessed

Pucallpa...Lima, Peru....Dayton

This is our final day. We are packed and getting ready to head for the airport in Pucallpa. Half of our group is already in Lima. Peru waiting on us. We fly out of Lima, Peru at 120am to Dayton, OHIO. Thanks again for following our trip. It has been very encouraging to know many of you are praying for us. I will try and post more pics once I get home. Thanks again. be blessed, I know I have been. joe

Seeing (and feeling) Some Sights

Half of our group is in Lima, Peru waiting to fly out tomorrow. Those of us that are still in Pucallpa went out on a boat today about 1.5 hours to a tribal town. I think the ladies that did the O-H-I-O are from a tribe like this. They come into town in the mornings to sell their wares. Mostly the village was a place to buy stuff. It was ok, but nothing special. We ate at a really good place on the water, then headed off to the zoo.
There was quite a variety of animals, but of course the main draw were the snakes. They had three anacondas in a pen and the owner got one out for us to hold and get our picture taken with. It was about 18 foot long and weighted 150 pounds. As I was holding it, I thought one of the kids that was with us was grabbing my leg. Sure enough it was the snake. 18 feet is a lot to keep track of. Most of us held it and we got some really good pics.
We are just going to veg out the rest of the night and get packed for the morning. It has been really great getting to know some of the long term missionaries that are here. I look forward to them coming to our church to speak to us when they are back in the states. Tomorrow begins the long haul back home. I can not wait to share with many of you in person all that we have seen and done. I hope that these blogs have helped in some way to keep you informed of all we have seen and done. Thanks again for you prayers. 2 days. be blessed

Church

**There are 2 new posts today. This one, and No Cusco directly below.

We have gone to the main district church both Sundays that we have been here. It starts with a scripture reading followed by worship. The services have been a little different since we have been here, because a few of us have been asked to give our testimonies. Ray, Vince, and the other Joe have all done this. The pastor would then give a short message, followed by more worship and the offering. All in all it was about a 2 hour service, but the translation is what made it longer. It was very interesting to see how they worshiped. We were always greeted with open arms and smiles. They are such warm people. I have noticed this at church, the Jesus films, and even with the taxi drivers. The language is definitely a barrier, but they are willing to work with my inability. It only takes time and we understand each other. Funny how that works. be blessed.

No Cusco

Sorry it has been awhile since I last posted anything. One computer for an entire hotel gets a little crazy.
The clinics are all done, and we are in the home stretch. Half of our group was supposed to leave for Cusco yesterday, but they had flight issues. The pilot told them it was too cloudy to land so they never took off. (not sure if I got the whole story) Anyway most of them are still with us in Pucallpa. Three from California did make it to Lima, Peru yesterday on a later flight and are still going to try and make it to Cusco. The rest are flying to Lima, Peru today and will just spend the night there and meet up with the rest of us on Wed. It is too bad that they will miss Cusco, but most are pretty worn out and ready to be home. I know I am.
Those of us who had planned on being here yesterday went to the church to help finish getting it ready for those 40/40 who will be living in Pucallpa. There was a construction crew at the church everyday while the rest of us were doing the clinics. Since we were finished with the clinics, we headed over to try and help finish it up. The construction crew had tiled the men's dorm floor and showers during the week. We grouted, hung ceiling, grouted, and grouted. It was hot in the morning, but rained most of the day. Praise Jesus. I could have used the guys from work to come help with the tile. Maybe next time.
We are heading out on a 1.5 hour boat trip this morning. We are stopping at a village that has a zoo. That could be interesting. Rumor is that we may get to hold a rather large snake. I will try and get back on tonight and let you all know how it went.
Those going to Lima, Peru fly out today at 2:00 and the rest of us leave for Lima, Peru at 2:00 on Wed. Our journey is coming to an end, but part of me believes that it is really only the beginning. be blessed.

Support

We all have them and I want to take a moment to acknowledge mine. My family is my biggest support. I would not be in Peru doing what I am doing without them standing with me and praying for me. To say that I have been blessed is an understatement. God has allowed me to spend the past 15 years married to Jenny. It has not always been easy, but with Him we made it through. We have been blessed with Grace, then came Jack, and then Isaac was born. Thanks to all of you who are supporting us on the ground in Peru, but I wanted to take the time and especially thank my family. I love you all so very much and miss you like you can not imagine. See you in 4 days. joe

What is the Difference?

I have mentioned this before, but as we walk the streets here in Pucallpa or ride in the taxis to our different clinic locations, a lot of eyes are upon us. Heads turn, conversations stop, and we are met with a gaze of curious wonder. Who are they? Why are they here in Peru?? We are noticed because we look different, and honestly we really don't have a choice but to look different. We stand out in the crowd because of the color of our skin and the language we speak.
As followers of Christ we are called to look different, not on the outside, but on the inside. Noah, Abraham, and David were all chosen because of what was on the inside. Just as I believe we were created as an overflow of God's love, this is how we are to live our lives. What is in us overflows into the lives of others and makes us look different. The difference, that is seen, is the overflow. We should not look different for the sake of being different, but should have no choice but to be different because of what is in us. It is no secret that what ever you put in you will overflow out. For believers in Christ this overflow, this difference must be Christ.
So the following are questions that I must ask myself and I am asking you. When you don't naturally stand out, when physically you look the same, do people see a difference? If they do, what is the difference? be blessed

Pictures

We are trying to add pictures to our blogs. Bobby's and Morgan's blogs are linked below and to the right. It takes awhile to upload them, so there will probably not be too many. Thanks again for following us. joe

Boots??

We had a family come into the clinic today that live in the jungle. It was a father, daughter, and son, and they had been traveling all day to get to us. The son's one eye was swollen all the way shut, and infection was spreading into the other. The girl had been bitten by something on her foot. The sore on her foot was open and draining fluid, and the infection was up her leg almost to her knee. Both of them had what looked like warts on both of their feet. They live in the jungle and pick Coco for a living. The girl had been bitten three days ago, but due to the rain, they could not get out of the jungle. I will never forget the look on the dad's face. Here were his two children, and he could do nothing to help them. You could tell all of them were scared. The boy was given meds right away to help the spread into his good eye. We then gave him something to eat. The daughter was given meds also, but we asked her father if he could bring her back tomorrow. You see we did not have anything with us to numb her foot and some of the tissue was dead and needed to be cut out. We bandaged her foot and gave her something to eat. The thing that kept coming to us was the fact that these kids were bare foot. They walk in the jungle picking coco, but can not afford boots. Talk about perspective. We prayed with them, and then a few of us took them into town and bought them boots. We are not sure if her foot will be ok or not. $14.00 is what we spent on boots for both of them. $14.00 is all it would have taken, and this family would not have go through the pain that they are in. Please pray for this family. Pray for them physically and spiritually. The boots will protect their feet, and our prayer is that God will protect their hearts. I know mine was changed that day. be blessed

Pictures

Jen here - The Extreme Nazarene link (above Joe's picture to the right) now has a few pictures from this trip. You'll have to look closely. The people I recognize are the back of Bobby and Joe in the pic with the pool, Ellen is by the door in her scrubs in the pic with two little girls, Herb is listening to the beautiful child's heart, and I am pretty sure Vince is praying with the lady (but most of his face is covered).

The Last Two Days

Sorry I have not posted too much lately. It was my turn to be sick. Not sure what causes it, but a few of us have had ¨exit¨ issues (if you understand what I am saying). Others have been battling nausea, but for the most part we are all doing pretty well.
It has been an interesting last two days of clinics. The dentist (Jon) has had problems with his compressor, so instead of being able to fill cavities, he does mostly extractions. Not sure exactly how many, but I think he pulled around 25 teeth yesterday. Some are kids (12-15 years old). Many come without their parents. Bobby and Mel are helping Jon out. They make a great team. Elizabeth (long term missionary) is their translator. When you get a chance, thank God for the translators. They are so needed and such a valuable part of our ministry. How their minds switch back and forth between the languages is amazing. Herb and Mark (California) continue to see people all day. Yesterday they saw 135 people. They have seen many different things, given out a lot of vitamins, and flushed several ears (wax). Heather(Idaho) and Teri (long term) are in the pharmacy still. They pass out meds to almost every patient. Teri, Jared (long term), Sara (long term), or Mike (long term) are the ones who explain to the people about the meds. (do not want to get that wrong) I am still at the door. I get to control the flow of people into the clinic. I call out a number (learning my Spanish), try to keep kids from running in and out, and answer general questions that people at the door have. Normally it ends with ¨no comprendo¨, but the people are very patient. Sometimes they wait all day just to be seen. Toby, Jeanette, and Ellen are still on nurse duty. They either help the docs, or check people in. They get pulses, blood pressure, and weight. Morgan has been helping in this area. With her Spanish skills she is able to explain to those entering to stand on the scale, pass someone their baby, or tell them 'please have a seat over there'. We are a well oiled machine and only have two more days of clinics.
I have taken over 600 pictures, but it takes too long to post them here. There is only one computer, and everybody wants on it. The website should be updated soon, and they are collecting all of our pictures to compile a disk with all of our pictures and movies on it. We are planning a service down by the river (baptism??), and I will get a chance to speak. We are going to a zoo soon and many will be traveling to Cusco for some sightseeing.
Thanks again for all of your prayers. Know that you are greatly missed by all your loved ones here. We are having a great time, but I know I can't wait to get home and hug my family. I actually start to tear up now as I think of all of you. Thanks again for your support and never forget how important all of you are to this trip. be blessed.

More Questions

Hi,I miss you. The men came they are cutting down our trees:(.Have you been playing volleyball?Yes a little, but mostly I am the door man. I call out the numbers for the people to come in to see the doctors. Has Bobby pulled any teeth yet? Not that I know of. Plus have you been giving them our candy? No, the dentist frowns on that.

That last comment was from G-MoneyI HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME IN Peru. I MISS YOU:( I HOPE YOU SPEND $12 ON SOUVENIRS LOVE JACK What do you want me to bring you home??

chad said...
Logan and Tyler want to know what kind of clothes the kids wear? They dress similar to us. Many have on shirts with english on them. Mostly I would say they dress similar. Have you seen any scary snakes? No, but the last place that we were at, when we came back form lunch a taranchula(not spelled correctly)was in the room. It was about the size of a hockey puck. I took a picture, but did not pick it up.

Michelle Etzkorn said...
Isn't it pretty dangerous to swim in the Amazon? That would be an adrenaline rush at the very least. C'mon Chad, just admit that those questions are yours. Quit passing them off as Logan's and Tyler's. Hey, I admit I want to hear about the scary snakes too. Another question: what do most of the people there do for a living in this culture? Lumber is big here and taxi drivers. standard of living do they have? Not sure, but I will try and find out.

Thanks again for the questions. joe

Questions??

There were a few questions in some of the comment sections and I am going to answer some of them here.

Yes we are in the same time zone, and of course I am going to swim in the Amazon. How many chances does one person get to do that? Thanks for the questions Chad.

The other Jen
I would say it is pretty similar. When we do the Jesus films people just sit and watch in amazement. It really makes me think that some are hearing the Gospel for the first time. We have seen great responses. Pastor Elvin (part of the Extreme Nazarene team) is amazing. He is Peruvian and leads most of the Jesus Films.

We only drink boiled water. We have 5 gallon jugs in our rooms, and we carry water bottles with us everywhere. Even when we brush our teeth we use the boiled water. As a side note, most of my laundry is done in the shower. A cold shower, but it feels great since yesterday it was around 95 with a heat index of 120. The kids play soccer. When they are not, they play volleyball. Did I mention that they like soccer? Thanks for the questions Wiremans.

Andy, some seem to have a knowledge, but others do not. If they do have some knowledge, for many it is intermixed with other religions.

Keep the questions coming. I will try and keep up. Some days we do not get much computer time. I set up a link to the Extreme Nazarene web site. (above my picture) All of our pictures should be on there some time today. Thanks for reading. joe

Jesus Film

We did a Jesus film the other night, and I wanted to tell all of you about it. We traveled back into the community where we had been doing the clinics. There are public parks and soccer fields in many communities. Neither of these are, most likely, what you are thinking. Most of the soccer fields are dirt, some are concrete. The parks are not like play grounds, but more like places to sit on benches and for people to gather. When we arrived at the soccer field there was a game going on. It was a pick up game of men around 30-40 years old. They normally all throw in a couple of Soles ($$$$), and the winning team gets the cash. We tried to round up some of Pastor Elvin's friends (Pastor Elvin is from Peru and has a church in the north) so we could play them. Now that would have been a blast. Normally during the day the kids can beat me, so their parents would have made me look pretty bad. We ended up not playing though. Maybe next time. Around dark we began to set up a projector, sound system, and screen. The screen was about 4x8 and set around 5 feet in the air. We played some worship music, Pastor Elvin made a few announcements, and then we began the film. A few people had gathered with the music, but once the movie started (it could be heard for a few blocks) more and more people started to gather. At times over 60 people were sitting and watching the story of Jesus' life. At the point where Jesus was on the cross, they stopped the film and Pastor Elvin said a few words. We continued the movie, and right after it the pastor again addressed the crowd. He is very good. His passion for Jesus flows out of him in amazing ways. It may only be matched with his passion for people. These two passions working together make him incredible. By the end of the night around 10 people came forward to pray and receive Jesus. This community did not have a church. It is a community where the 40/40 will be planting a church, and now they have 10 new members. It was amazing to watch the people as they reacted to the gospel. It was a group that was open to the message, and I am glad I was able to be a part of it. Once again I experienced something like I have never seen. Lives were changed because a few Americans and a Peruvian pastor took a generator, a projector, a microphone, and a bed sheet to a soccer field. It never ceases to amaze me what God can do with the little we have to offer. Kinda makes you wonder what it would look like if you offered Him more. be blessed

Running and Food

Nick Taylor asked:

Have you had the energy to run at all? Have you tried any of the local food? So many questions, so little time.

Great questions Nick. First off let me say if you have any questions, please ask. Just comment to a post and I will do my best to answer. It is better if you comment on the newer blogs, because it will be more likely that I will see it there. OK, back to Nick. Vince and I have been out running twice. The first morning that we were here we ran about 3-4 miles. We ended up at the river (actually that was our plan). It was about 6:00 am, and the boats were coming in to unload for the market people to buy their goods. We got a lot of stares (makes you feel like a rock star) and saw some pretty interesting things. Tons of bananas still in the branches and all kinds of fresh fruits, all brought in that morning. It was a pretty rough looking crowd, so we did not stay long. Then this morning we ran about 6 miles. Again we felt like rock stars as everyone turns to see the Americans. Pucallpa is not a tourist destination, so we may be the only white people in town. In terms of food, it seems the main course is chicken. I had an interesting pizza the other night. It was labeled Hawaiian, but it had peaches on it and no ham. It was OK, but once was enough. Last night I had a ham, egg, and chicken sandwich which had about 6 pieces of bread. It was very good. Great questions Nick, let me know if you have any more. joe

Want To Post a Comment?

Jenny here taking over Joe's blog for the moment. Hi Joe - look at me posting :)

If you want to post a comment but figure you need a blog to do that - never fear! If you have an email account and a spare moment or two, below is one way you can do it. I'm sure there are more, but I don't know them.

1. At the bottom of Joe's entry, click on "comments". It will have a number in front of it. Here you can read what everyone else is saying, but this is where you need to start to post your own comment.

2. At the bottom of the comments there will be a white box that says "POST A COMMENT". Type your comment in that box. If it is empty, you will not be able to do the next step.

3. Under the white box it says "COMMENT AS". Click the down arrow by that box and choose GOOGLE ACCOUNT.

4. Click either POST A COMMENT or PREVIEW. This will throw you to a new screen. Don't worry, your comment will remain typed and waiting for you. Near the bottom right where it says - Don't have a Google Account? - click on CREATE ACCOUNT NOW (it is in blue). From there, enter the information they ask for (very painless) and follow the prompts. You will be good to go shortly.

Now you are set up to post on this blog, Fly With Me, and Welcome to the Jungle. (Anybody else find themselves singing the songs every time you open those other blogs?)

Hope this was helpful. Their posts are our link to Peru, and your comments are their link to home. Thanks for reading and all of your prayers.

The Second Clinic

Before I get started with our day today, I just want to thank all of you for your words of encouragement and prayers. It is amazing to be a part of God's work. Never forget that each and every one of you are a part of what we are doing. Those of us here in Peru have an advantage over all of you at home; we get to see first hand the Lord's work. You are praying and encouraging and will only get to hear second hand about what the Lord has done through you. Please never speak of what we here are doing. Your role at home is one of the most important roles that there is. Prayer is an opportunity to speak to our living God, and you are choosing to spend that time lifting up those you love dearly, have never met, and some you never will meet. We covet your prayers, and I truly believe all of this would be for nothing without them. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.
Today we went back to the same location and they were waiting for us. We saw around 80 people through the clinic with anything from a headache, aspirating a growth on a knee, to severe burns with some skin healing over. His name was Royer, and I will never forget him. His daughter is still in the hospital from the accident. I had an opportunity to pray with him. He pretty much has nothing. It is funny how you can come all the way to Peru to touch people's lives for the Lord and He does a work in you. I will try to post his picture later. I worked the door most of the day. Everyone has a number, so I call the number and ask them to come in and have a seat. I have a cheat sheet for my Spanish and rely heavily on Jared (one of the long term missionaries). I have had many conversations that end with me going to get help. We have church tonight. Vince is going to preach, and some of us are going to share our testimonies. I will let you know how it goes. All in all it was a great day. Dios le bendiga.

The First Clinic

We traveled about 10 mins. by three-wheeled motorcycle and set up the clinic in a school in one of the surrounding neighborhoods. We were set up by around 900am, and people were waiting to get in. They would see a nurse (Ellen Gordon) to get vitals, then the next nurses (California) would narrow things down a bit. Both of the California nurses had translators. From here they would see the doctors (California and Herb Schumm). We had a pharmacy set up, and the docs would prescribe as needed. Vince Nelson and I would mingle with those who were waiting and ask them if they needed prayer. (note: this was without translators so it was somewhat limited). We prayed with quite a few people, and they were very receptive. Jon Stocker was pulling teeth next door. Bobby Hall was assisting him. Morgan Hall was helping with all the kids that seemed to come from everywhere. We had several games of soccer, and I even managed to start one game of basketball. (yes i did dominate the kids). All in all it was a pretty awesome day. We need to hurry and eat, because tonight we are doing a Jesus film. I will try and fill you in on that later. Whether in the States or in Peru, remember........Jesus te ama. joe

Pucallpa

Most of you have probably already heard, but we are in Pucallpa. It is very Hot. Mel Miller has an alarm clock which tells the temperature and it is reading 87 degrees in his room. We arrived here today around 100pm. We got checked in and headed to the church. We rode in three-wheel motorcycles that look like "rickshaws". The streets are crazy. The motorized vehicles have the right of way, and they weave in and out to get where they are going. We had lunch in a nice place just down from the church and then came back for a breakdown of what the week is going to look like. We are divided into three groups- Construction, Clinic, and Impact. Our real work does not begin until tomorrow (02/13/2010), but we spent a lot of time today sorting all of the meds. We are excited about tomorrow and continue to covet your prayers. Never forget that all of you are a part of this. Those from California loved their notes and were truly honored to know that they had been adopted and were being prayed for.

Matthew 4:23-25 speaks of Jesus healing the sick and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. Our goal for tomorrow is to meet the physical needs of those who come to the clinic seeking medical attention, but as you read Matthew notice that is not where Jesus stopped. He healed them physically, but He also met their needs spiritually. Whether you are from Ohio, California, or Peru, it makes no difference. Jesus is the only one who can completely meet the needs in our lives. Without Him none of us can ever be healed. Maybe we all need a clinic every now and then. be blessed

From Lima to Lima

To Lima (lī-mə) 18 degrees - feels like 11 - high today 23 with a 10% chance of snow:

We are on the ground in Lima, Peru. We got to the hotel about 2 am this morning. We are flying to Pucallpa this morning. Customs was an experience, but everything made it through. All is well. Will try and type more when we arrive in Pucallpa.

From Lima (lee-muh) 75 degrees - feels like 78; high today 80 with 70-80% humidity

We met tonight to get the majority of the packing completed. (Actually Mel and Jean had most if it done already.) We are truly blessed to have Mel and Jean as the leaders of our missions ministry. Their knowledge and hearts are key to this ministry. We are thankful for their leadership thus far, and we are still in Ohio.

This may have been the first time the whole LCCN team was assembled together. I am looking forward to ministering along side each of them. As you continue to pray for us and the team we will be meeting from California, please remember also those in Peru to whom we will be ministering. Our prayer is that as God is preparing us to be His hands and feet, that at the same time the Holy Spirit is at work in Peru, preparing those who live there for our arrival. Thanks again to all of you who have partnered with us, or better yet partnered with God to take His message to Peru. be blessed

10 Shekels and a Shirt by Paris Reidhead

If you get a chance, please listen to 10 Shekels and a Shirt by Paris Reidhead. In his sermon from 1980, I believe, Mr Reidhead captures the meaning behind "mission trips". In doing so he speaks to all of us as to what we are to be about, whether in a foreign country or our own backyard. I am attaching a link to a website that will allow you to listen to the original recording of the sermon, as well as, read the transcript. The scripture reading is from Judges 17, 18, and 19. May the Holy Spirit have free rule and reign in our lives as we listen to Mr Reidhead's words.

10 Shekels and a Shirt

Peru

I will be heading to Peru in less than a week. My plan is to try and keep those in the States, who are interested, up to date with what is happening. I am not a planner, well actually I am at work, but we will see how this works out.