December 2016 Update

Friday was to be a day of travel … by car … up into the mountains with a friend … for several reasons. The one I was looking forward to the most was time with this friend … time to talk … time to share in each others lives. But a strike of sorts closed the road to thru traffic … there is only one road … on to a different plan for the day.

Thursday morning was Laurie’s turn for driving the kids from our area into town. The continuous rain was creating an entertaining drive for her as the wet clay became ice-like, slippery conditions. Passing through a mission village not far from us, a student pointed at Laurie’s vehicle and said, ‘You car is broken.’ Well, sort of … the weight of the clay had caused a guard under the vehicle to come loose and start to drag. Laurie found spots for our kids in a van heading to school and turned around … on to a different plan for the day.

Wednesday evening Lyndi went back into town to practice with three Peruvian gals for a Christian concert they sang in later that week. The practice started at 6pm. The other girls arrived at 7:30. Lots of reasons for such a delay, and it meant for Lyndi a need to flex and move on to a different plan for the day.

Life is given to us … it belongs to the Lord and given to us in measures! For that reason we pray, ‘May your kingdom come and may your will be done.’ We have ideas of how things might move forward, and we put our hand to the plow hoping to plow a strait row and bring about those ideas … but often we are asked to move to the left or to the right … or even to a different field completely. Our lives are the Lord’s, and we follow his lead in whatever plan he might have for that particular day.

Laurie has only a few more class days with her 8th grade English students. She has really enjoyed teaching these kids and has learned much about herself in the process of preparing and delivering. She is well liked and is encouraged by the influence she has on these missionary kids at this point in their lives.

Lyndi seems to always be going somewhere or doing something. She took part in a week long outreach in which thirty kids from the states came to share their lives with Peruvian children here in the jungle.

For Lyndi it was a week of delight as she interacted with new friends … interpreted for some … and joined in the work of loving on kids from this side of the world with the love of Jesus. She is still undecided about which college direction she will go, but this week of participation with a larger group lit the fire of excitement to once again be in an environment with lots of life … she is an extrovert! 🙂

God continues to enable us in putting together pieces here in Pucallpa for Scalpel. I am very encouraged by two men who are fast becoming key partners in the on-going work of following up patients and building relationships with the hospitals. Both of these men understand and love the vision of using medical means as an entry point for bringing the gospel to medical staff and bone trauma related patients. They also see the longer term vision of using local churches here in Pucallpa wherever possible to help follow up patients and their families. It is a big and long-term vision, but one that seems to hold much kingdom benefit here in this city. ‘May your kingdom come and may your
will be done.’

And you … so many of you pray and even support this work of Scalpel here in Peru. Thank you! May your tribe increase! 🙂 And may we all realize afresh the gift of each day given from the Lord … a gift of life to be used to bring about his kingdom purposes in our little spheres of influence. He is working and inviting us into that work where lives and circumstances are being changed … and where even our own plans may need to shift to bring about a different purpose he might have … and we thought it was just all about being flexible … oh no … it is so much bigger … because it all belongs to him! Wow … we have so much to learn as we daily enter his kingdom work!

Peace, from our home here at the end of the road … to yours!
Dan & Laurie and Lyndi … in Peru!

A few ways you can pray:
1. We are planning for a medical team to be here in February. We need all the permissions to be granted … ask God to give us favor with those who are in charge in the system here in Peru.
2. Christmas is soon upon us with no additional Porch children … pray for our whole family that in our various places in this world we will find great joy in the grace of our Lord.
3. Laurie has only a few more class days with her 8th grade English class … pray for her that she might finish well.
4. Decisions are always before us … small ones and larger ones … be praying … asking for wisdom to be given to us as we navigate the journey.
5. Ask God to bless others through our lives … that we would bring to others the tasty fruit of Jesus …in all the various activities in which we have influence in the lives of others.