Ica, Peru - Week 3

Hi everyone! Wow, it´s very hard to believe that it´s already been two weeks and that we still have about 4 and a half to go! The training has ended and the primer construction will begin on Monday.

The past two weeks have consisted of training Peruvians to be literacy leaders in their respective areas by not only teaching others to read and write, but also by teaching others to teach! All of the participants are wonderful - it is evident that God put this group together and we have big dreams for their future in ministry. Tedd´s role has been a little bit of everything: coordinating, delegating, communicating, teaching, etc. I (Emily) have had a very unique opportunity to home-school the daughter of a couple that participated in the training. The girl´s mother is an American missionary and her father is Peruvian, so she speaks both English and Spanish very well and her curriculum is in English. I spent the entire two weeks teaching and playing with my dear little friend, Chaska, which allowed for her mother and father to take part in the training. I´m really grateful for the experience!

Chaska & I took a break from schoolwork to help make a poster for the training


Chaska has a teddy named "Blue Bear," who of course made very good friends with "Brown Bear" (my 20-year-old teddy)

For the next three weeks Tedd and I will be helping in every way we can as the Aguaruna primer construction takes place, all under the expertise supervision of LEI missionary Carey Jo. There is a group of five Aguarunas here already and we´re still praying for the sixth to arrive soon. They will be creating a primer (a literacy book) in their mother tongue, Aguaruna, so they can teach people to read and write in their own language! The eldest of the group said last night that this training has been like “a miracle” to him because of how it speaks of the love and concern that God has extended to His people. I´m very excited to watch this process take place!


The hotel here, where the entire training/primer construction is taking place, has its very own deer. She is the sweetest!


The Aguarunas that are going to be the key figures in creating the Aguaruna primer for their people group!


This fruit is called "granadilla" (grah-nah-dee-ya)and its fruit looks like fish eggs and the "pith" looks like some kind of sea anemone - 'tastes like an orange w/ edible seeds. I thought it was so cool!


These are the graduates of the two-week literacy training. Lord willing, they will be going to their respective areas to train others (like church volunteers) how to teach a person to read and write using the LEI primer. May it multiply exponentially!

Thanks for staying interested in what the Lord is doing in our lives and in the lives of the people we´ve had the joy of meeting. God is truly good – no doubt about it.

To the glory of His name:

*Tedd was sick with fever and nausea (as he usually is before a primer construction “ironically”) and with prayer and fasting, he was completely healed within twenty four hours.
*I have received a good reality-check (in regards to having children) and many valuable lessons that are so precious to me having worked with Chaska these past two weeks for about 10 to 12 hours a day, and I´m really thankful for the experience and all that I´ve learned.
*Isaías, the Aguaruna for whom we´ve been praying for months, has accepted the invitation to come to the primer construction, despite many large obstacles that have discouraged him from coming - God is doing what seemed like the impossible.
*Tedd & I have been married for 11 months!!

Our prayer requests:

*Health and unity for the group that will be constructing the Aguaruna primer.
*Needs met, peace, and comfort for the participants´ families who are still at home while their loved ones are here with us and working hard for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.