From the Glorious Natural Jungle of Iquitos to the "COLD" Urban Jungle of Arequipa

I was able to spend some time in Iquitos on a project for 2 1/2 weeks in September. It was nice to get to see lots of my friends from Iquitos (Pastor Abiatar, Mama Magna, Chino, Hermana Betti, Moises, Leyla, Pastor Antonio, Malena, and Jim, Kati, and many more), as well as help build a new church in Tamshiyacu, a small town about an hour south, but up river, from Iquitos. There were days filled with construction and impact events. It was hot (I love it!!!) and humid, but the team kept plugging along. We ended the two weeks with a service in the new church building on Sunday.
So, have been back in Arequipa for three weeks now, and we just finished another Short Term Project here. (Crazy...it started 5 days after the Iquitos project finished!) We did several days of construction on a church that is going to be shipped to Pucallpa later, and we did lots of impact projects to get the word out about the Church of the Nazarene here in Arequipa.
It is the middle/end of spring here in Arequipa, Praise the Lord! I can tell a difference because in winter, I sleep with 5 blankets, and at this time, I only want 3! So glad it is getting warmer!!!! (Although, I still stand by the fact that Arequipa is COLD!)

Anyway, yesterday I went to Chachani for regular service. They were finishing up the consolidation discipleship book that I have probably read a hundred times, if not more. The last lesson is on the Family of God. I was so happy to be able to share with them about how it is great to feel a connection with people you have never met, simply because you are all part of the family of God. I am pretty sure I could go just about anywhere in the world and find a "brother" or "sister" because I am a part of this family. Even though I am a long way away from my family in West Virginia, I still have family here in Peru (Arequipa, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Chiclayo, Tarapoto, Campañia, Lima, and Bagua), in Paraguay (Asuncion), in Belize (San Ignacio, Belmopan, and Belize City), and tons of places in the United States! And those are just the ones I know!!! Praise the Lord for this extended family!