Jon & Julie Stilwell in Trujillo, Peru

Trip to Alton, IL.

2010-04-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sign of spring. I like dandelions, even if they are considered a weed.

A visit to the cemetary where Jon's grandpa is buried.

We drove through Amish country. I know they don't like us taking their photos.

Hannibal, MO, the home of Mark Twain. We looked around at the town.

Ferry on the Mississippi River.

Mississippi Rivr.

Michael driving the boat.

The beautiful lake.

Jon and Sarah on the pontoon boat.

We stayed here over the weekend.

Even the dog enjoys the ride.

Luke and Blake on the paddle boat.

Check out this faucet.

Now you know what missionaries really do while they drive: take pictures of a sunset while driving east.

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We are enjoying the local state park. Here, Michael play with a frisbee.

Luke throws a frisbee.

We love Spring in Iowa.

One of the walking paths in Creston.

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Rhubarb shoot? (in our backyard)

Evening at Green Valley State Park, 3 miles north of Creston, IA

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Morning outing to Taylor Park in Creston, IA

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Maple sap in Winterset, IA, with homeschool group

On to see cousins in Des Moines

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A case of spring fever

Our hotel stay on our furlough trip to Waterville, MN

The men's outing in northern Minnesota

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Snow, snow, beautiful snow.

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Lincoln Museum Field Trip and more snow

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We are thankful for safety on the road during the winter months. This was the worst day we had while traveling. Not too far north of us they had the interstate closed.

Trips and Winter

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Pana, Illinois.

We visited the St. Louis Sciene Museum and had a great time. It is free to the public.

Winter 2010

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Some times it was so cold that we had to scrape the windows from the inside so we could see out.

Trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior

2009-11-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Sarah and co-missionary kid, Raquel Loveall.

Gooseberry Falls

Three best friends from high school. It was so nice to be together again. In all we have 14 children between us. No grandchilren yet. We aren't old enough yet.

We stopped in a gift shop. It was fun to look around, but we didn't buy anything. We saw some familiar looking rock figurines. Upon investigation, we noticed that they were made in Peru but had the forms of animals of northern Minnesota. The price was also 3 times what we pay in Peru for the same rock figurines.

The beautiful north shore drive.

Markham Lake with the Lobbs

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It was a cold, rainy day, but we still needed to visit another lake. Isn't it beautiful.

We roasted hotdogs and marshmallows by the fire. And we used the fire to keep us warm.

Some went fishing.

And we went on a paddle boat and a pontoon boat. Brrrr, it was cold on the lake, but oh so fun! Fun, if you had a coat, hat, scarf and mittens.

Potato Picking and Sights Oct. 3

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This is the property where I grew up. The bigger house is now gone and it is overgrown. We also visited the new owner of the property,who was a friend of the family.

The lake by the ome of my youth. I swam across this lake as a teen. My kids couldn't believe it. I spent much time at this lake, enjoying the outdoors: swimming and fishing in summer, ice skating in winter and all year long enjoying it.

My best friend from high school. She is now living in the house where she grew up. We enjoyed being back together again.

Michael's favorite toy at our host's house: a giant electronic spider.

Potato picking on a cold drizzly 38F day. I couldn't help out because the ground was muddy and I didn't have along my work tenners. Bummer. After a while I went inside and played with the little kids who were inside. Jon enjoyed the experience. This family the gave us some of the freshly picked potatoes. They are yummy.

Another potato picking picture.

Family Picture, July 2009

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This picture was taken in Bemidji, MN, on the first day of our Stilwell reunion. It was a very sunny day and it was hard to not squint.

Children in the U.S.A.

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Sarah playing a game with her cousins during our family reunion in Bemidji, MN.

Mark riding on ?? (I have no idea what this is called) in Tennessee.

Michael getting ready to fly his plane.

Michael is not enjoying his first experience on a canoe.

Mark riding a bicycle.

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Luke paddling a canoe on a lake near Bemidji, MN. This was his first time to paddle a canoe.

Luke found a big mushroom while hiking along a creek in Tennessee.

Luke riding a bicycle in Tennessee.

Christmas in July in Lafayette, TN.

Eating lunch near Cleveland, OH.

Boys in the U.S.A.

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We stopped at the home of the couple that is letting us borrow a minivan for our furlough. We had to drop of Jon's brother David's van. While there, Luke drove the tractor while Mark and Michael rode in the back.

At Itaska State Park near Bemidji, MN, the boys crossed the Mississippi River. It was rainy that day and we were in a hurry so we didn't stay very long. We have two supporting churches in the area, so we will be back and maybe we can spend more time there.

The men in my life need to keep up their soccer skills.

One of our favorite places to visit while in the States is at Uncle Raymond and Aunt Laurie's place. They live in the country in north central Tennessee. They have a large yard, a small farm and lots of things to do.

Hannah turns 18 and the youth group throws her a party.

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Hannah at her 18th party.

Some youth stayed at the church to "delay" Hannah....

While others were at our house getting ready to surprise her. She wasn't surprised, but at least they had fun trying to surprise her.

Here are a few youth who were present.

Hannah's cake. I didn't know if I was suppose to make her a cake or not, but I figured that I could have one ready just in case. Well, the youth didn't have enough money to buy her a cake, so I put some manjar blanco (like caramel) on the cake. The first candle I saw was this soccer player which I bought for a Father's Day event two years ago. It was perfect because one of the youth greatly dislikes this team. They are rivals with his favorite team (La U). Later he told me that it was a good joke and that he almost burned the head off in revenge.

One custom they have for the birthday person is to get their face pushed into the frosting of the cake. At least she didn't get an egg cracked on her head!

Getse's New Pastor

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Miguel Rojas is the new pastor of our church. He comes with 8 years of pastoral experience. His wife, Ester, had a brain tumor five years ago. Their two children are Misael (age 6) and Benjamin (age 4).

I had to put both pictures in because they are normal children....not always looking at the camera. They are as sweet as they are cute.

Birthdays, Flowers, Boys and a Dog.

2009-06-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

On June 1st, we celebrated the birthdays of the Junebug Stilwell. They were Grandpa, Hannah and Sarah. We were missing a few who are currently living in the States.

Luke is playing soccer with some other boys while the adults are in a pastor's meeting.

Mark is playing on a pile of stuff while we were in a meeting.

On this day, we said goodbye to our dog, Lexy. A lady from our church took him in. She has a female cocker spaniel.

Regional Ladies Meeting, May 29th

2009-05-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

Our fellowship of more than 30 churches has two regional ladies meetings per year. Our church hosted one two years ago. It was a lot of work (with many blessings) so I appreciate so much more the work that goes into one of these. The pastors, who plan where the meetings will be held, try to vary which church has it. This month, it was at Filadelfia Baptist Church. The money to build their church and school building came from funds mostly from the United States. God has blessed this work and it continues to grow.

This is their beautiful church building. It was hard to get a nice picture of the whole thing, but you get an idea of what it looks like. There is still quite a bit of work to do on the inside, but the people work on that as they can.

Their church ladies sang a special.

The current president of the pastors' wives' group asked me to prepare two choir specials using the pastors wives and the theme, which is Faithful Servants. This is not the best picture of me, but of the three that were taken by my friend, this one was the best of the ladies choir. Just ignore me and enjoy seeing the faces of the ladies. You might even recognize some of them.

There were about 210 ladies in attendance. This is great. Two years ago, we had about 180 ladies, so that means that our fellowship continues to grow. The church was comforable, neither too hot nor too cold. There was room to move around. I sat in the front pew so I had plenty of leg room. My mother-in-law drove and we wanted to leave enough time to get there just in case we got lost. We didn't get lost and we got there 30 minutes early. Since we got there early, I was able to pick my spot so I could take pictures, too.

The hosting church always serves some kind of snack. This time is was a tamal with a little bit of shredded cabbage with lemon and salt. This was served with a cup of hot barley coffee. This barley coffee tastes similar to coffee, maybe a little smoother, but it has no caffeine. In the picture are three of our pastors wives (right to left), Flor, Judith, and Liz. They are three ladies full of energy and so fun to be around.

Bible College, May 2009

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This semester at the Bible College, they tried something new. Instead of 15 weeks of many classes, they broke it down into one 8 week module, two two-week modules and one three-week module. It is a new system here. Some like it, some don't. Jon is currently teaching a module on missions. He has taught this course many times, but this is his first time as a module.

The first floor of this building is the kitchen and diningroom area. The second floor has four classrooms and a library. The third floor is the chapel area.

The students enjoy a break during the morning of classes.

A view of the campus facing the boys dorm. The soccer slab is in the foreground.

The kitchen. Wilson (on the left) studied to be a chef. He is an excellent cook. With the limited funds that the students can pay, he can't always show off his cooking talent. He has cooked for special occasions, such as banquets, and the food was excellent.

Champions League Soccer Game

2009-05-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

Peruvians love soccer, even European soccer. The youth of our church like to get together to watch the game. This time, Hannah invited them over to our house. Since it was starting just after the lunch hour, so we offered a meal, then watch the game. We had 11 youth come.

We ate chicken, rice, mashed potatoes, salad and passionfruit juice. They ate cake during half-time.

My view of the game. I sat in the back so I could get up when needed.

The game. Look at that concentration.

The game.

A Houseful of Boys

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A houseful of boys make a lot of noise! But they have fun!

David's Baptism

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David was saved almost two years ago while attending one of the youth camps. He then started attending our church.

David is giving him testimony.

Jon and David just before the baptism.

Six of David's family members were present: three sisters, his cousin and his grandparents.

The water level in the baptistry was fine when we arrived at church at 10 a.m. Little did we know that there was a whole in the plug and somewhere else. Jon baptized David in about 16 inches of water.

Jon discovered another problem. The water that was going down the drain was getting the floor next to the baptistry wet.

The plug not only had a hole in it, the part that was needed to pull the plug had come off. That was probably why there was a hole in the plug. Jon had some tools in the pick-up which he used to get the plug up.

David's family invited us to go out to eat with them at El Abuelo.

We had the choice of beef, goat or duck. I chose the goat meal (cabrito). I have eaten this meal a few other times, but this was probably the best one I have had. It is commonly served at weddings.

Florcita's Baby Shower

2009-05-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, the Grandma-to-be had a baby shower for her daughter. I was asked to make the cake and give a short devotional.

The group pose.

Flor and Luis after they opened their gifts. Ultrasound says it is a boy.

The cut cake. Would you like a piece?

The decorated cake.

She is almost 8 months pregnant, but the doctor thinks that her due date is off by several weeks. We shall find out.

The group again.

Rice Round-up

2009-05-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Luke is playing the game, Rice Round-up. This is part of his science unit on magnets. It looked easier than it actually was. It used a file folder, grains of rice, a staple and a magnet.

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

Eating Sunday dinner at Roky's for Mother's Day. Many people eat out on this day, so all restaurants are usually really full. We chose an outside table at the restaurant to escape the loud music from inside.

Jon and Hannah sang a song called, "Cherish the Moment." Jon translated the words into Spanish and the two sang it together. A few ladies were close to tears. I videoed it with the camera.

The children also had a special. Since the emphasis was to reach the mothers of the children who attend our church, they sang the Wordless Book Song. I wasn't far enough back to get one picture with all the kids.

Each mother was given a chocolate heart. It looks big in the picture, but the actual size is 3" by 2". It tasted really good.

Professors Activity Day, May 9th

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On May 9th, we had a first ever professors and wives activity day. The goal was to have time together in a relaxed setting. Many of them live together on campus, but rarely do we all get together just to be together. The men played soccer, the ladies played volleyball, and there were two games with everyone playing together.

Jon's back worsened last week because of teaching the modules course. For this day, he tried to take it easy. We moved around so much that he really didn't get all that much rest, but at least while he is lying down, he gets relief from the discomfort.

"Almost got it!"

"It's mine!" "No, it's mine!"

One of the group games was a form of ultimate frisby by with a big white ball and soccer goals. The white ball looked like a big bubble floating around. Thankfully, it never popped.

A couple of the ladies playing. The ones of me didn't look too good. Sorry.

Here we are. I am a blond transplanted near the equator. When I am out for long periods of time in the sun, I use sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen. When possible, I stay in the shade.

Luke with a couple of Peruvian boys.

Pastor's Wives and Beautiful flowers

2009-05-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

At our monthly pastors' wives' meeting on May 4th, the ladies from one of our churches had a special program for us.

They gave us each a bag with a hand painted flower on it.

My sister-in-law, Molly, is practing a special which we will present on May 29th. The pastors' wives will be singing two songs and these ladies will have one stanza in one of the songs.

For Mother's Day, Jon gave me this beautiful bouquet of flowers. Four days later andt he roses look just as good as the first day.

A rose from the bouquet.

Another flower from the bouquet. I do not know what it is called.

Futvoley and Volleyball, May 1st

2009-05-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

May 1st is a holiday here in Peru. Our fellowship of churches started a sports day fellowship on this day back in 2000. The sports day on August 30th started before my years here. The May sports day became the volleyball tournament. During the Saturdays of April, the churches have eliminations and the best four teams in each category go to the semi-finals and then the top two teams go to the finals.

There are three female categories and one male category. Our church didn't pass on to the semi-finals game in any category. Bummer! But, it is still fun to watch the other churches play and see so many people.

Since most of you do not know what futvoley is, I have some pictures to help explain. They play on a volleyball court with the net and sidelines. However, they are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or with their arms (soccer rules). It was fun to watch. It took several minutes for the players to figure out how hard they could kick the ball to get it over the net and into the opposite court. Some had to work on the head butt to get it going in the right direction.

The men playing are mostly pastors. There is one who is not, but he was invited to play to help complete a team.

A picture of the people hanging around.

Marcelo Sangama

Elias Huaman. Notice his facial expression right after he hit the ball.

The ball had to be served with the foot or head. All choose the foot.

The knee bump by Julio Jaramillo.

Even Grandpa Stilwell played and did a good job.

Rene had to jump to get that ball.

David (I just forgot his last name). He pastors a church where one of our fellow missionaries are. They are currently on furlough.

David Martinez, who happens to attend our church, was invited to play to fill the team. He is a member of the relatively new Trujillo soccer team called UCV (named after one of the local universities.

The men's volleyball games were fierce, but fun to watch how easily they could get the balls to go here and there. This shows that Latins can jump!

Church Anniversary, 2009

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This is the completed facade of the church building. We purchased the property in Dec. of 2000, started construction in Sep. of 2002. Little by little we constructed. There are still more things to do inside, but for now, we are quite content with what we have.

We had a "common pot" meal for our anniversary this year. This means that we all had the same food. A couple of ladies from the church were designated to plan the menu, buy the food and cook. We had chicken, rice (of course) and a potato salad.
Sarah is here sitting with a couple of friends from church.

The speaker for the day was Dr. Evis Carballosa. He is teaching some courses at the Bible college this year. He preaches at different churches each weekend and for special activities. He normally lives in Spain.

After we ate and did some clean-up, we had a time of games and a power point presentations of pictures from the last year.

Flor and I were given the job of making the cake.

This past Wednesday evening in the kids' class, we started a new series on the Bible. I made these cookies using regular sandwich cookies, covering the top and bottom with chocolate covering and one edge to form a Bible.

Cushion tag and cookies

2009-04-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

The boys often invent new games. This game is called cushion tag. When we had our livingroom sofa set cloth replaced over a year ago, we saved the cushions for the dog to use to sleep on. The boys one day invented the cushion tag game. This day, they even got Jon and me to enjoy it with them. The dog joined us too, but he was in the way more than not.

Several years ago, my sister-in-law served adorable pilgrims hats for a Thanksgiving dinner. I remembered that idea, so when I had to make a snack using the hat idea, I knew exactly what I would do. This is how they turned out. It was a good thing I took a picture before I left, because on the way, one of the tupperware containers tipped and the cookies lost most of their designs. Oops. It didn't affect the flavor of the cookies.

Then for another event, I made more of the hats, but put names of some Bible characters for my kids class. The kids liked it.

Easter Play, April 2009

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On April 10th, the youth and children of the church put on a play. We do it on Friday because that is when we get the most visitors. It was very well attended.

Hannah had a speaking party, then sang a solo, "El Me Salvó".

The boys acting during their part. Mark sang solo on one stanza of one song. All three boys had a speaking part.

The youth singing their songs.

After the program, the youth always take a picture of everyone involved.

Easter Eggs in Peru, 2009

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Poinsettia plants in the backyard March 2009

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Kid Pics

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Michael

Luke

Hannah is singing in the rain.

Youth Group Outing, March 14, 2009

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Ruth Ramos, Amparo, and Hannah.

The entire group that went out that day.

What a beatiful sunset!

Catch a falling sun and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day.

The bonfire.

Hannah and Irene.

After the bonfire, the youth went to the booths where they sell various snacks. It is an annual event.

Kid'd Club at Church on March 14th

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The children enjoy playing games.

This week, there was a birthday party for a girl who turned 10, and a going away party for Zeb Geon, the ARRIBA student who was with us for 4.5 months.

Mark is leading a song during the classtime.

Church Outing to the Beach, Caleta la Ramada

2009-02-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

The church members had been wanting a special activity. We have done these on occasion during our years here, but many years had passed since our last one.

A view of the ocean from the dirt road leading to this beach.

The first thing we did upon arrival was to set up the shade and the chairs for the service. It started out to be a very cloudy, cool day, we had hopes that the sun would come through and brighten everything.

Now we are ready for things to begin. Most of the church people said they would be going and some were planning to take visitors. But, on the day of the planned activity, many couldn't make it do to work, tests, or just didn't have enough money.

The men were kind enough to set up an area for some rest rooms. Many were thankful. Even a couple of people from another group asked to borrow it.

They enjoyed a game of beach volleyball. Hannah commented later that everytime she had to look up to hit the ball, little particles of sand fell into her face. She learned to close her eyes before hitting the ball. We spectators enjoyed watching as much as the players enjoyed playing.

Lunchtime.

The sun never came out all day. After lunch, some of the ladies got cold. I enjoyed the cool feeling all day.

Some even braved the cold ocean water.

Probably the most exciting activity of the day was watching the men and boys play soccer. The tide was coming in, so the field got inundated at times. One time, one of the best soccer players was ready to kick the ball into the goal and a wave took the ball away. It was funny to see the reaction on this guys face.

Mark's creation

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Camp 2009

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The children are enjoying several weeks off from school. One thing they like to do is play table games with each other or as a family.

On our way home from camp on Saturday, we stopped at this restaurant for fried fish.

We end our week of camp with an ice cream social. Ice cream is somewhat expensive here so it is usually eaten on special occasions. We always look forward to it each year.

The Stilwell Trio sang. David was missing so it wasn't a quartet this year.

Michael's VBS class led by Isaiah Petersen.

Luke's and Mark's VBS class led by Noah Kephart.

Hannah and Sarah were in the same class, even though Hannah is in the 12th grade and Sarah in 7th. Their teacher was Michaela.

The special speaker for the week was Dan Whitcher. He and his wife, Peggy, were missionaries in Mexico for 20 years. They are still with the mission but are now stationed in the States and works with home missions. They were such a blessing to us this week.

Camp Pictures

2009-02-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

The camp is full of snails. The boys enjoying playing with the snails. Luke had three pet snails during the week. I don't think he was able to sneak any home with him.

Every year we have our business meetings in the camp chapel. This was Jon's third year to be president of the field council, but like all good things, he had to give it up because of furlough this year. But no fear, another Stilwell took over--his little brother,Steve.

On Tuesday we had a baseball game. I do not know which side won, but it sure was fun!

Michael awoke the morning of the trip with a fever. There were colds going around, so I figured that was all it was. So, I gave him Tylenol and off we went. During his nap, he found a very comfortable way to sleep. It reminded me of a pretzel. It is a good thing kids are so flexible.
The fever lasted for two days, and it was the cold. One of the days he couldn't speak. At one point he cried because he couldn't tell the person in the snack shop what he wanted. Hannah helped him.

Trip to the mountains

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

When the visiting module speaker was here, Jon, Michael and I took him to see the foot hills of the Andes Mountains. It was beautiful and much cooler.

Modules and Children

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During the week of January 19, Jon interpreted for the invited speaker of the week, Bill Klinger. The class was Bible Geography.

Girls enjoying their cross stitch.

Girls at the beach.

Boys at the beach.

More pictures of our Cusco trip.

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We stopped at a llama farm near Cusco.

Jon standing next to a big rock in Saqsayhuaman.

These ladies stay at this place all day making these tapestries. At the same place, they also sell their work. One of these tapestries cost about $350. A little beyond my budget. But, they were pretty to look at.

Kids Pictures from our Cusco trip

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The men and kids all made it to the top long before me. But, they waited patiently.

It seemed like we were always climbing uphill. At anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000 ft, I think I was always out of breath.

Mark found a predug hole to rest in while waiting again for Mom to get back. I think these holes were for posts to protect the vehicles from going over the edge. I guess they haven't finished the rest of the job yet.

Urubamba had a delicious pizza house. I wish we could have eaten there more.

At the Loveall's house.

Luke enjoyed the trout farm.

Hannah, Sarah and Raquel Loveall at the trout farm.

Luke and Mark at the Bible College playground which was just outside the place where we stayed.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-13T16:36:00.001-08:00

I am have been somewhat frustrated with uploading pictures lately. Sometimes the down and up loading is so slow that we cannot put pictures on or get from place to place. Now, it doubled my pictures. I am afraid to erase the second copy for fear that they all will disappear. Maybe I will figure it out later. Anyway, these are a few of our Christmas pictures taken the 23rd, 24th and the 25th.

2009-01-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Flowers

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Jon gave me this beautful floral arrangement with Christmas colors to adorn the table. Fresh flowers here are economical.

Decorating for the Cantata

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After all that tape, they finally put it up.

Following the decorting, the youth had another practice.

Sunday Night Cantata and Children's Program

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Luke was a shepherd.

Some of the other boy shepherds. Mark is the one with his head turned to the side. They shared some of the Christmas story and sang two songs.

What a handsome dude! He had a small part of the cantata and preached a message at the end.

The youth choir

Several people narrated the story of Christmas between the songs.

Ruth, the choir leader, led the group during the practices and the decorations for the event. She is studying music at the conservatory. In the picture, she is narrating part of the story.

The youth from the church. Most of them participated in the cantata.

One of the families in the church. They were heavily involved in the Christmas activities of the church.

Hannah and friends posing for pictures after everything was done.

Michael and Isaias are sooooo cute. They have similar personalities, though Michael is much shyer at church.

Second Annual Christmas Church Supper

2008-12-22T15:07:00.000-08:00

Last year's Christmas supper was so nice that the people wanted to do it again this year. We had very good attendance. We didn't have enough cups for everyone and we barely had enough food for everyone. But, it was another great time of being together.

Pictures of Macchu Picchu, Dec. 4th

2008-12-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

Following are many, many pictures of our trip to Macchu Picchu. It was wonderful. Enjoy the pictures!

Trip to Macchu Picchu

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In the early morning mist, the area had a majestic feel to it.

Macchu Picchu and kids.

Here we are on the bus, eager to get there.

Here we are inside the train on our way to a pueblo to catch a bus to get to Macchu Picchu.

The train was scheduled to leave at 5:40 a.m. We got up at 3:30 a.m. that morning to get there in time. This was the hour for the nationals to take. We are considered residents so we could take the local, cheaper train. Tourist trains leave at 9 a.m. or midday, which is a little more convenient.

Completed

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The house is finally painted. Here is the finished product.

Ladies Day Out

2008-11-29T16:00:00.002-08:00

Every year, the ladies of the church do something special for Christmas. We did it a little early this year because of our trip to Cusco in December. Every year varies. Some years we plan a special meeting so we can invite friends and neighbors. Other years we meet in one of our houses, other years we go out to eat. This year, the ladies all wanted to go out to eat. We were going to have a gift exchange also, but the restaurant where we decided to eat just raised their prices so it became unaffordable to do both.

We had 11 ladies this year, down from other years. But, we still had a great time. We arrived a little early to eat our supper, so we decided to go to the grocery store which also has a small section of toys for kids and household items. The store was only a block away.

After about an hour of looking around, we headed back to the restaurant.

Roky's is one of my favorite chicken restaurants.

The restaurant is in one of the old hacienda houses so it has many different rooms and patios. Loud music in a restaurant is part of their culture. It is hard to find a place that is quiet. Outside in one of the patios, it is very quiet and the fresh breeze is so pleasant. But, a few of the mothers had their small children along and they didn't want to be outside with them. So we moved inside.

We found the quietest area of the inside section, but with tv's blaring, music from other sections and just overall noise of people talking, it became more difficult to carry on conversations.

The food, however, is fantastic. Each lady ordered 1/4 of a chicken, which also came with a serving of french fries and a salad. MOst of us had some leftover to take home to our families.

The ladies enjoyed their meal.

2008-11-29T16:00:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2009

2008-11-29T15:48:00.000-08:00

We hosted this year's Thanksgiving Feast. I was so busy getting things ready that I didn't take any pictures. Thankfully, Jon remembered to take a few. There were 20 of us this year. We had my family of seven, Jon's parents and his sister, a retired man from the States who has decided to live in Trujillo, five teachers from the MK school in Lima who came to visit to get to know Trujillo and a new missionary family from another mission.

We had the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato bake, vegetables, rolls, cranberry sauce, drinks, pumpkin, pecan and apple pie and several other good desserts. We were stuffed by the end of the day.

I also made two batches of homemade frappaccino for the visitors to try. Several liked it and asked for the recipe.

Jon prepared a one-hour song and thanksgiving time between the meal and the dessert. Several of us took a nice long walk around the park after the dessert. Then we split into groups and played table games.

Another Birthday Party

2008-11-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

The Ramos family thought it would be fun to have a Spiderman piñata for Jon to break.
Notice the new dress shirt??

The kids loved colelcting the candy from the piñata.

So did the adults!!

Jon's First Party

2008-11-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

The church people cllected money so they could buy their pastor a nice birthday gift.

This was his gift: two new dress shirts. I was asked to go along to buy the shirts to get the right size and color. That was fun! Here, there are stores dedicated to just men's dress clothes. You can buy everything you need from the shirts to pants to the underclothes and all the accessories.

Our camera's flash isn't strong enough to light up large areas anymore, so all the church people pictures were taken in small groups. This is the group of boys the ages of my boys.

The cakes were pretty and delicious. I had to cut each cake into 40 pieces. Not an easy task. The frosting was manjar blanco, which is a caramel type flavor and texture. But, we did it and everyone got a piece.

Zebulon, known as Zabulón in Spanish, is the ARRIBA student who will be with us until April. He lives with one of our church families. Here, he is singing with the Mrs. of the house where he is staying and the grandchild who also lives there.

Dinos and Tanks

2008-11-29T08:09:00.000-08:00

Some of the best inventions have been Legos, Hot Wheels cars, beanie babies and K'nex. The boys are always creating new things with their K'nex.

Luke has a supply of toilet paper rolls that he uses for a variety of games and activities. This day, he made a tank. How creative. He also uses the rolls along with his green army men and plastic animals.

Daddy's New Toy

2008-11-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

We have a small yard so we didn't need a regular lawn mower. This electric weed eater is just the right size.

Mark was ready to use it as well.

Michael is a fun, life-loving child who loves to be around all of us.

The Thanksgiving Tree

2008-11-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

My tree was set up for the Christmas party last Monday. To put the tree away requires us to stuff the branches back into a box which is much too small for the tree. As a result, none of us wanted to do that task, only to take it out again in a couple of weeks. So, Hannah had the idea of making into a Thanksgiving Tree. She created this tree. There is still time to add more ideas to the tree. We definately made some memories with this tree.

Mom Stilwells Birthday Family Celebration

2008-11-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Trip to Pacasmayo

2008-11-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

On October 30th, Jon's parents and our family drove to Pacasmayo, a town just over an hour north of here. The goal was to meet with a pastor and his wife for fellowship. This was part of goal of the pastors this year of having more fellowship with one another during the month. Each month, there were groups of three formed. We were able to get together some months, but other months were just too full with other activities. Pacasmayo is also located along the coast. The church in Pacasmay is just a few blocks from the ocean.

The beach front hotels for tourists.

The kids always love the beach. Micheal said he liked this one better than the one close to us.

A local dog enjoyed having someone to play with. Jon and Hannah enjoyed throwing rocks for him to find. At one time, Jon threw two rocks. The crazy dog tried to pick them both up at the same time. We had some good laughs. We have a "crazy" dog at home, too.

Luke dug a big hole and found a crab. He caught it.

The adults enjoyed the company, but none of us entered the water. It was a little too chilly.

On the way home in the afternoon, we saw this truck hauling sugar cane. Usually, you only see two loads with each truck. This was the first time we saw three loads being led by one truck.

Mark's 9th Birthday

2008-11-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

Mark wanted Papa Johns Pizza and Mud Cake for his birthday. Sure makes parties easy!

Mark badly needed a new bedspread. We are so thankful that now we can find good bedding in this country.

We invited Jon's parents, Aunt Martha and the two visitors, Rachel and Amber, from Cusco to celebrate with us.

Christmas Party for the Pastors' Kids

2008-11-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

This was the first time in my years here that we have put on a Christmas party for the pastors' kids. We chose to do it during our regularly scheduled November meeting because December gets so busy with all the activities in other ministries of our lives.

We set up my Christmas tree and put the 52 gifts under it.

One group of ladies brought the pop corn already served in bags. One of the other ladies came up with the idea to design a tree out of the bags to save space on the table. I decided to tape chocolates as decorations.

My group was in charge of making cupcakes for the party. We planned for about 80 people. I borrowed some cup cake pans so I could make it in only two batches. I read that adding a few drops of food coloring to white sugar makes colored sugar, so I decided to try it. It was fun and easy. However, when my red sugar dried, it turned into a gorgeous burgundy color. I decided to use it anyway.

We three ladies were the leaders for this years pastors' wives' fellowship. Marina, to my left, has been a pastor's wife for about ten years. Liz, to my right, has been a pastor's wife for about as long as I have. She served several of those years in a jungle ministry.

We used the largest classroom at the Bible College for our party.

A couple of the moms watching the program.

The children performed two Christmas songs for the moms.

These three adorable brothers and their mother (in the back) enjoyed the party. Their little 2 year-old brother was taking a nap so he wasn't in the picture.

Joanna was fascinated by the Christmas tree. She stayed by it as much as she could. She was a good little girl and didn't touch the tree. Her momw as close by.

Most of the children of our pastors' families.

Most of the moms and children present. Some of us had to take the pictures. A few moms were out with small children.

Most of the boys received toy soldiers in cloth bags. A lady in my church made the bags and purses for all the children.

The girls received small cloth purses of different sizes and colors. Most of the cloth was donated.

A sample of the bags made by a lady in my church.

Bible College Anniversary Banquet 2008

2008-10-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Bible College just celebrated its 37th anniversary. The week ends with a banquet. There were over 600 people present. I am sharing some of these pictures for the benefit of our co-workers who are in the States and missed this years banquet.

Hannah played piano for the instrumental trio. The lady is from our church, the man on the left graduated from the Bible College last year from the music program and is currently teaching a few music lessons. He is also furthering his music studies at the conservatory downtown. The young man to the left is just 18, but an excellent violinist.

The choir sang a special.

Mens ensamble

The entrada was quite impressive. The current cook at the Bible College is a chef. On the side, he prepares food for banquets, weddings and other events. He enjoys showing off his creations and we are the fortunate people who get to enjoy them.

The main food was this chicken dish. We still haven't figured out what the green stuff was. It didn't have a strong flavor to distinguish what it was. The chef refuses to share his secret.

Every year they serve cake at the end of the banquet. It was close to midnight when we finally cut the cake. I was asked at the last minute to cut the cake and help serve it. To my left is the wife of the men's supervisor and to my right, the director's wife.

Contruction and Painting

2008-10-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

The sidewalk was finally poured on Thursday after 4 weeks. I think the workers forgot about our street. They had the sidewalks done all around our street, but never got to our street until this week. Then they got it done quickly. I guess after more than a month of pouring sidewalks, they have become quite efficient.

They were even using a truck and tractor to take away the debris.

I took this picture out of my bedroom window. The interesting thing about this contruction site is that they are using the roof of the house next door to mix their cement and bend their reinforcement rods. They still block the street with their sand and rock piles and with their workers.

This past Thursday, the children and I continued painting the backyard and back of house. Since Jon was in an all-day meeting, I decided that we would not tackle the second floor. I took a picture of it this morning so you can see the contrast. The old color was white with brick red accents. Now we are painting it hazelnut and burnt earth (brick red). The next project will be to get the wood frames stained and varnished. They have also been neglected for too long.

Invention

2008-10-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

Sarah's favorite past time is reading. When we need her, we just have to look in her favorite reading places.

The three boys invented a new game called, "Invented." Such an original name for their new game. They use a combination of the game, "Settlers of Catan," and K'nex pieces, and some pieces from a Monopoly game. They play this game for hours at a time. Mark invited Jon to play with them one evening. Jon says it is a game for kids since the rules are so complicated and only the boys understand how to play it.

Another River Trip

2008-10-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

We live in a city of over 700,000 people. Our houses are close together and there are many city noises. Once in a while we like to just get away.

Jon and the boys finished the rock bridge.

Swimming in the new swimming hole.

The girls relax.

Painting the back wall

2008-10-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Since we moved into our house back in 2001, we have not painted the walls in our backyard. Now that the boys are older, they make great helpers. First we had to sand off the old paint. The color we chose was called hazelnut. Reminds me of a cappuccino.

The finished product. We got most of the wall done before we ran out of paint. On a later date we will finsh the rest, do the house, then the laundry room.

Construction Everywhere

2008-10-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

They broke up our sidewalk three weeks ago. The workers have put in more sidewalks all around us. I think they forgot our street.

Construction is everywhere. We don't know from day to day which street will be closed by piles of sand and rocks.

The kids trying out Grandpa's new tractor.

2008-10-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

A Morning at the River

2008-10-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday is our normal family day. Unless there is some major event, we use this day to be together, do some house projects, some necessary shopping, or just to do nothing. This Thursday, we went to the river. During the dry season in the mountains, the river downstream has just a little bit of water and is a lot of fun for us. It is about a 20 minute drive from our house. Close enough to get to, but away from the noise of the city.

Luke and Mark are the only brave ones to actually get in to swim.

Jon and the boys make a bridge in the river with the rocks.

The bridge continues.

We have to park our pick-up on the river bank then walk though some sugar cane plants to get to the river. This picture was taken from there.

CSI Trujillo, Season 1

2008-10-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

During the early hours of September 18th, some robbers entered our church and stole all of the plastic chairs, the portable organ, a guitar, the entire sound system, and a wood door which was to be put into the parsonage. Replacement value was about $1000.

According to CSI Nico and CSI Jon, the robbers entered a second floor window which was open. They used our new protection bars to hoist themselves up. Weren't they there to protect us?? Once inside they were able to open the big double front door, even with a deadbolt.

Since the police weren't too concerned with the petty theft, our CSI agents were hard at work. This is Nico measing the width of the tires.

The guilty footprint. Now which type of tenner is this?

Annual Youth Spring Banquet, Sept. 20th

2008-09-25T18:10:00.001-07:00

The areal view of the banquet site.

The table setting.

Hannah dressed up as a Grecian. Her friends are Ruth and Irene.

Antonio Banderas joined us as well. Also present was Don Rafael.

A real Arab? No, it is just Enrique, the youth group president.

I helped with two quizzes with Nimia.

The theme was "A Trip to the Mediterranean." The decorations, food, quizzes and costumes wrapped about the theme.

One of the three games involved shaving cream. Poor guy!

One of the foods they ate was the Falafel, which is a common sandwich type food sold on the streets of Egypt. From the website where I found the recipe, it said that the McDonald's in Egypt has a sandwich called the McFalafel. The other foods were a chicken mushroom meal from Spain and a dessert from Greece.

The youth enjoying their meal.

Annual August 30th Sports Fellowship Day

2008-09-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Every year, our fellowship of churches gathers together at our camp to have a day of sports and fellowship. This is also the day of the soccer tournament finals. Our church had the 11-14 boys team playing for 3rd or 4th place. The other team didn't show so our church won 3rd place. There were about 800 people there this year, down slightly from last year. The following pictures show a little of what we do during that day.

The senior class at the Bible college prepares food to sell. This is a fund raiser for their senior class trip which will take place in December. Many people plan to buy their food each year.

Some prefer to sit around the tables and talk.

Others prefer to take large unbrellas and picnic lunches and just relax the day away.

One of the events each year is the running races. There are many categories from the small children to the 45+ ages. Sarah, Luke, Hannah and Jon all participated in this and won either 2nd or 3rd. Luke was suppose to win first, but there was some error in the judging and he was given 2nd. I didn't have to run this year since a new lady joined our church and she wanted to run. She placed first. I haven't placed first in years. Luke is ahead in the picture.

One of the big highlights of this year was the return of Jon's parents back to Trujillo. They arrived the day before from their time in Lima. Dad is recuperating little by little. He looks good, but his energy is low. Thanks for praying for them.

Another event was the high jump. Sarah, Luke and Hannah participated in this event as well. Only Luke placed but I don't remember which place, somewhere between 3rd and 5th. I participated for the pastors wives category. I was the only one willing to do it; I earned first place, but didn't get any points for my team. At least I didn't hurt myself in the process.

Soccer is the favorite sport among the men. The teams battle out for first place. This is the youth team playing. Our church's youth team didn't make it this year. It was still a very exciting game. They ended in a tie, then they had the penalty shots and the green team won (Esperanza vs. Filadelfia) I mention the teams for our co-workers who are in the States and missed this event.

To our surprise, our church team won first place again. It doesn't make sense since we didn't win any of the first or second places in the soccer or volleyball events. But, several of our church people participated in the track and field events. Our church is Getsemani. You can clic on the photo to enlarge it. Again, I thought my co-workers would like to see how their churches did this year.

The bus our church rented to get out to camp for the day.

A view of the inside of the bus.

A New School Year

2008-09-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

Michael is in first grade.

Mark is in third grade.

Luke is in 5th grade.

Sarah is in 7th grade.

Hannah is in 12th grade.

Family Time

2008-09-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

We found this dead sea lion on our lastest trip to the beach.

The boys love to play in the sand and water.

The boys wanted to play their own version of the Olympics. They had fun!

Michael flipping out.

Church and ARRIBA kids

2008-09-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Our almost finished church building.

The 2008-2009 ARRIBA KIDS. They visited Trujillo from August 16th through the 25th. They loved Trujillo and the people here loved them.

The three ARRIBA girls all had birthdays while we were here, so we ordered pizza and had cake and ice cream. They enjoyed the American tradition.

Luke

2008-08-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Luke turned 11 on July 30th. He asked for pizza, a sprite type pop and lemon bars.

Luke was part of a church kids soccer team which played in the tournament. His team made it to semi-finals.

August Pastors' Wives' Meeting

2008-08-25T18:56:00.001-07:00

Our August meeting was held on the 4th. Our theme for the month was on criticism. The wife of the director of the Bible College spoke and did an excellent job. If we would just follow what she said, there would be fewer problems.

We had a good attendance even with my two sisters-in-laws and my mother-in-law missing.

I was in charge of the craft. I taught them how to make butterflies using colored tissue paper and simple white glue. The butterflies then can be cut and glued onto cardboard for greeting cards or put on the wall. Several ladies took my simple ideas and created new and different things (yes, better). Peruvians are very creative people.

Here is Dalila with a complete page. Also, a dear lady in the States sent some money for me to buy something for the ladies. The prices here have increased greatly as well. We chose to buy them beans, rice and bouillon cubes.

The Rochester Group

2008-08-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

The group from Rochester, Minnesota, was here from August 6th though the 11th. There were 14 in their group.

On Wednesday afternoon, they worked together to tear down one of the older adobe houses on the Bible College grounds. There were many cracks in the walls.

In the evening, they went to our church and sang a special.

On Thursday, we hired a bus to take us to camp to do some work. Jon's dad had a trailer which needed to be sanded and painted. It will be used for storage.

By the end of the day, the container was painted. A job well done.

It wasn't all work, however. On Sunday afternoon, they took a trip to the beach. There wasn't much time for a swim, but a few got wet.

2008-08-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Randy and Grace Chovan were with us from June 28th though July 23rd. Randy preached in one of our churches every night except two night. Jon and his dad helped with the translating.

The Chovan's youngest child, Jonathan, age 10, was also with us. My boys loved playing with him and missed him when he had to leave.

Here is a picture of Jon and Randy during one of the services.

Sarah turns 13

2008-07-05T18:13:00.001-07:00

Sarah also wanted to eat pizza for her birthday. She wanted Papa Johns and I had a coupon for 2 pizzas for the price of one plus another 30 cents. We were all so excited to eat pizza again. But, the people at Papa Johns said they wouldn't honor the coupon. We were so disappointed. Buying the pizzas at normal price is too expensive and only one coupon can be used at a time with the other offers which wasn't enough for all of us. Only the one with the two for one wasn't honored. Well, then we had the great idea of ordering from both pizza places and using a coupon at each store. It was fun to see which pizza was better and which one would be delivered sooner. The results....Papa Johns has better flavor but Pizza Hut has better crusts. Papa Johns arrived 20 minutes sooner than Pizza Hut, even though Pizza Hut is much closer to our house. It was a memorable experience.

Sarah opens here gifts and blows out her candles.

The boys give her a fun gift.

Daily Life in Peru

2008-07-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

There is a small private school a couple of houses down from ours. They have many activities during the year and some are held outside. For their anniversary, they had a parade with a float. This picture was taking outside my bedroom window. This also gives you a view of my neighborhood.

Time for haircuts or a new look?

One evening, we had a beanie baby fight in the livingroom. When in a warm climate, there is no snow for the snowball fights, we have our own version with the beanie babies. The kids are now trying to calm down from the fight.

Sarah's favortie passtime.

Getting ready for visitors.

Beach Outing with a Pastor's family

2008-07-05T17:46:00.001-07:00

Hannah with the children of the pastor.

Luke found a minature shark.

Since we eat sea weed with one of the fish dishes here, Luke decided he wanted to pick his own. To our surprise, when Jon cleaned the sea weed, he found this crab-like animal.

Father's Day

2008-07-01T18:29:00.001-07:00

Father's Day with Jon's father.

Father's Day at church.

Sarah in a skit for the Father's Day program.

Flor and Luis' Wedding, June 14th

2008-06-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Luis and Flor

The beatiful cake.

Hannah and one of the bridesmaids, Romy.

Guess who???

Jon walked the bride to the altar.

A group special from the sisters, Jon and his dad.

Hannah accompanies two specials on the piano.

The very happy bride and groom.

The train of the dress. Flor's mother made the dress. This is the same lady who sews for us. She is good.

Flor and Luis with Flor's mother and sisters.

Bride and groom with wedding party.

Luis couldn't wait to try the cake. Sorry it is on its side. I will fix it as soon as I figure out how.

Some cute girls.

Some cute boys.

The June Bugs

2008-06-30T18:13:00.001-07:00

The Stilwell June Bugs: Dad, Kandie, Hannah, Rebekah, Sarah and Abigail

We celebrated Hannah's birthday a few days early. She wanted to go to the beach in the morning and look at the little shops that are around the beach. She used some birthday money to buy some river pearl earrings and a matching necklace. For lunch, we ordred Papa Johns Pizza. After the pizza lunch, she opened her gift. Most of her birthday gift was the dress and shoes she needed for the wedding which took place a week after her birthday. She was very pleased with her special day.

June 2 Pastor's Wives Meeting

2008-06-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

Our theme for the month was being the mom of adolescents. My mother-in-law was the devotional speaker. We also taught some table games which were made out of materials which the ladies can buy here so they can play the games at home with their children.

We had a going away party for my two sister-in-laws, Kandie and Molly. Both of them and their families will be in the States for their furloughs.

Bridal Shower on May 30th

2008-06-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

We set up part of the bridal shower upstairs in the church.

The whole group.

The bride to be, Florcita Ramos, with my mother-in-law, Evely Stilwell. She was the special speaker for the special day.

Youth Group Activities in May

2008-06-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Jon playing table games with some youth on game night on the 17th.

On May 31th, the youth had an Arab night. Can you guess which one is Hannah?

Mother's Day, Getse style

2008-05-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Just like in the States, the Peruvians celebrate Mother's Day. Flowers, cards, calls, visits and special meals are all part of the special day to honor the mothers. In our church, Getsemani Baptist, we have a tradition of the men preparing the food for the evening meal and the youth decorating, selecting a gift for the mothers and leading the program.

One of the men, José, helped the pastor prepare the grill for the meat. Luke, Mark and Boris, the pastor's oldest son, watch in anticipation.

The final product. The cream sauce on the boiled potatoes is made from a green herb, oil, evaporated milk, cheese and spices. It was delicious.

Three of the church ladies, Judith, María and María enjoy their meal. María, in the center, is Judith's grandmother. The two Marías have been best friends since the day we arrived in 1996.

The children sang a special song for the mothers.

The special gift that they gave to each mother. It was a clear glass coffee cup with a rose design. I enjoy a new coffee cup now and then!

A bird's eye view of the ladies during the meal. The men and children sit on the benches and eat there.

The group of ladies present for this activity.

A Stilwell Birthday Party

2008-05-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

We had the May Stilwell birthday party at McDonald's. It is becoming a popular birthday spot.

The girl cousins enjoying their meal.

Benjamin and Claudia blowing the candles on their cakes.

Sarah and Rebekah finally reunited after two months.

Pastors' wives meeting and Baby Shower 5-5-08

2008-05-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

These two ladies are new pastor's wives. They both graduated from our Bible College and they were best friends during their years at college. It is so exciting for them now to be new mothers together. The one on the right, Evelyn, had her baby on April 13th and the one on the left, Ruth, is due in June. The other wives at the meeting gave gifts to the two ladies.

The other ladies in attendance at the May 5th meeting.

Each month during our meeting, we plan ideas which the ladies can use in their churches. This month we shared the recipe for "Dirt Cake" using Oreo cookies and chocolate pudding. Many ladies were surprised the the dirt was cookie crumbs. One lady even thought I had used coffee grounds. I got the flower idea from Sarah when she was making a bouquet for her cousin, Rebekah. I then attached the flowers to green spoons. The "worm" was a piece of taffy formed into a stick, which we twisted to make it look like a worm.

Ysabel de Hurtado enjoying her dirt cake.

Juana de Montero also enjoying her dirt cake.

One of the pastor's kids.

Esteban David, who shares a birthday with Michael.

Family World

2008-05-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Mark playing with Michael's birthday gift.

View from the school room.

Mark´s desk

Luke at his desk.