Amazonian Appetizers

Have you ever watched Fear Factor and squirmed? What would you do if you had to eat some of those gross things? Would you go hungry? There are several unusual dishes that are eaten in Peru without a second thought or a grimace.

On the coast ceviche of course is the dish with its fish "cooked" only with lime. Then in the low mountains the favorite is "cuy" or as we call them guinea pigs. Yes, those cute little critters become a fried or barbecued delicacy. Then we get into the jungle cuisine. Some are not so unusual like pirahna (afterall they are plentiful) or fried alligator nuggets. Fried plantains are great especially the sweet ones. However there are some foods that take a bit to get used to.

These are grub worms that usually are found in the coconut tree. They are put on skewers and grilled. They really don't taste bad once you get over the thought of what they are. They taste like very greasy fatback. But they are full of protein.

This is a type of ant that the locals love to eat. They are usually around an inch long. One day a year these ants sprout wings and fly to form new nests. On this day they are caught and eaten. Some fry them while the natives love to eat them as is. Ken was told they taste like lemon so he ventured to try one and said there was no taste but they were crunchy like popcorn.

Fortunately there are more conventional foods available, too. We are very thankful of that.

PARTNERING WITH THE CHAYAHUITA

Have you ever wondered how YOU can partner with this ministry? As we look over the notes from the meeting with the leadership several ideas stand out.

We are trying to provide the Chayahuita with tools that will help them advance. A prime example: for years they have been using a typewriter to document their meetings and requests. Well, it finally died and it is really difficult to find replacements these days. It would be much more beneficial for them to move up to using a computer. They would also like their children to develop computer skills. So, we are looking for some used laptops that could be fixed up for their use.

Another request is providing first aid kits for each of the pastors to have in their villages for times when there is no other available help. We aren't talking about much: aspirin, ibuprofen, bandaids, antibiotic cream etc. We are buying plastic boxes in which to place these items for each of the 50 pastors.

These may not seem like major things to all of us, but they are to our Chayahuita brothers and sisters. Thank you for considering becoming a part of their growth in these areas. Please write us an email if you would like to help and/or need more information.

Jesus and Hilda Pua

Last year when we returned to Peru we had the pleasure of meeting Jesus Pua (from Nueva Vida). He was finishing up 3 months of intensive training with the Extreme Team of Puerto Maldonado. The Extreme Team trains people how to survive in jungle situations and then how to evangelize. They not only are taught but have many opportunities to put what they learn into practice. So far, 3 Chayahuita men have gone through this training. Jesus, along with his cousin, Enoch traveled with 2 guys from the US for a couple of months after the training to share the Gospel with those that hadn’t heard and to encourage fellow believers.

Jesus and his team have just made a trip into the Jeberos district. This is the most isolated area of the Chayahuita Tribe. He has been burdened to share and encourage his people there. He goes on faith, trusting that God will supply the food and all their needs as they travel. He says he wants to be a modern day Paul. Please keep Jesus, Hilda and their son in prayer.

Chayahuita Board Meeting

New Chayahuita Board

Cecilio, Oscar, Marco, Nicolas and Gregorio

The meeting went very well. The frustrating thing is that they forget we are not fluent in their language and sometimes go on and on until we can actually get their attention to switch to Spanish. It’s a compliment though for them to think we actually have that much understanding of their language. I guess in time!

There were several major, sensitive issues to discuss with the new board. The new president listened to discussions on one of those issues and decided that he needed to change his opinion and decision about it. What a blessing to see that type of humility.
The board, as with any leadership, will confront many issues during their 3 years that will be hard. They will face much criticism as they try to do what God wants. Please pray for these men to have wisdom as well as boldness.

Oscar Pua President
Nicolas Tangoa Vice President
Gregorio Yume Secretary
Cecilio Pizango Treasurer
Marcos Pizango Pro treasurer

Happy Friday

Hope that you all are doing well. We are still having lots of rain, but with 1/2 days of sunshine.
With the river flowing so well, we have had lots of visitors. Loving that!!

We would like to ask you to pray for next week. We are supposed to have a 2 day meeting with the new and former Chayahuita board at the house. We want to get to know the new men better and let the former ones share what has transpired with the C2C partnership. This will also be a planning session for next year to see what types of things they would like us to be involved in and doing. Pray for wisdom for us all.

We have been told of some other villages close by that now puts the number of villages to more than 140. WOW! That's alot of visiting to do.

We will be on the way back to Denver on the 4th of March and then to ALTECO 08 in Orlando at the end of the month. We hope to see as many of you as possible. Thank you for you continued prayers and encouragement.

Rain!

Since we arrived in the jungle on January 5th there has been only one day in Yurimaguas without rain. We aren’t just talking sprinkles either. It has been true Amazonian Rainforest rain! Big drops, lots and lots of rain. The Ucayali River to the east of us has been flooding. Fortunately Yurimaguas is not located directly at river level or the Huallaga River would be flooding it too. The Paranapura is full and running fast. Good news for those that have to travel by raft. The other good thing is that our grass is so green and no sprinkler bills. I did record the sound of the rain on a digital recorder, however, it just doesn’t capture the true sound. Above is a photo of the rain. Just look at those drops!

How do you get a tile floor clean?

As Ken walked out of our bedroom this morning, he said that the floor was wet. I thought maybe it was just moisture from all the rain we have had lately. As we both started walking around and turned on lights so we could see, the whole back half of the house was not only wet, but had about 1-2 inches of standing water from the bathroom all the way back. Opening the “safe room” ( that’s a whole story in itself) proved to be even worse and that’s where the majority of our tents etc are stored. Since it wasn’t tile and the floor around it was, the water was pooling mostly there. We bailed for a couple of hours and then dried with towels to get the remaining water up. We now have fans going to make sure the cement floor is good and dry and we don’t get any mold growing. We still aren’t sure where the water came from and for now guess that will remain a mystery, but the good thing is our floor is squeaky clean.