A Season Of Harvest

A number of young members of our new church family
being baptized. 

Wow, where has January gone??? This month has flown by for me. I was in Cusco for New Years, which was quite an experience. One thing that was really fun about it was that they set fireworks off everywhere, and they were not very concerned about pedestrians. Someone would just set some down next to a crowd of people, and as soon as they started going off, the crowd would back off. It was exciting, and something completely new to me. A couple of days after we headed to Machu Picchu and all that stuff that I mentioned in my December post, the trop finally ended with a day and a half excursion in Lima in-between my flights. I made it back to the mission on the 9^th, and life quickly returned to normal.

            When I got back, there was a youth program going on called “Caleb.” Every year in January, because that’s when school is out for the summer, they have a countrywide youth rally. They pick a different city in Peru to hold this rally every year, and this year it was here in Pucallpa. This youth rally really isn´t like any other I have seen in the states. They send the youth out into the community by day to help in all different kinds of community service and outreach projects. Some work on cleaning up dirty streets, others plant trees, and some go door to door handing out books and giving bible studies. They all have their different jobs. Then throughout the week they would have different meetings in town with all of the groups from around the country. The group that was assigned to us helped with medical clinics and evangelism. They also had a number of meetings in the evenings with the whole group. It was an amazing week. We really focused in on a small little community not far from us. This community has not had any real Adventist presence until we started going and working there in the November. We had been doing a number of bible studies there, and while we were all off at the end of December to renew our visas, we hired a bible worker to keep these studies going. When the “Calebs” came, we held a week long evangelistic meeting there, and the result was a brand new group of believers.

Other young member of our new church that are
being baptized. 

            It is really amazing to see God work. The first couple of nights that we were having our evangelistic meetings, we really only had the community children showing up. However, by the third night, these children had started to bring their parents. The children brought in the parents who had an interest, but did not want to venture out on their own. It really taught me to never get discouraged when you are doing God´s work. At times you may not think you are being successful, but it you are willing, God will use you in some way, even if you do not see the results at that time.

            After the Calebs returned to their homes, we returned to our work here at Amor. We are a little less thinly stretched right now because with it being summer, all of the schools are out. A lot of what we do here is associated with schools, so it really has slowed down. The dental school is out, and the doctor who had been helping me went back to be with his family in Lima this summer. So my dental work has almost completely stopped for these two months. There are other things too that have slowed, but it has allowed us to focus on our bible studies, and me to on focus training in my replacement to keep the books here once I leave. It has been a nice change of pace, I stay busy, but don´t feel as over worked as before. In another couple weeks it will start picking up again, I will be running hard till the end I´m sure.

            It really has been nice to be back. After leaving and coming back, I have realized how much Peru has made an impact on me, and it really has started to become a part of me. It felt like home when I came back. Last week we had the opportunity to go over and help Peru Projects, another local Adventist mission about forty minutes from us. There were a number of people down for a couple weeks from the States, and it was refreshing to listen to them talk, and see that American Culture. However, it seemed a little strange. All of us SM´s immediately were saying, “Wow, they are so ‘American.’” It is amazing how in only five months you can become so accustomed to a completely different way of life and culture. It´s not hard to believe that it has been five months already, but it is hard to believe that I only have three more left. I am definitely excited about going back and seeing people that I left behind, but it really leaves a bitter sweet taste in my mouth. I have learned so much about life, and have grown so much here.  

              

              

              

December Travel

  

The Floating Islands at Lake Titicaca

          December was a busy month, but full of fun. I spent the first couple of weeks doing dental clinics and getting my financial work squared away for the following weeks I would be gone. I was really busy, and when the 16^th of December came, I was ready for a break.  You may be wondering what I am talking about as far as a break goes. All of the SM’s can only get a visa into Peru for 180 days max. Sometimes it is hard to even get that, and you are at the grace of the immigration official. All of us needed to get a new visa at some point around the middle of the year. So around Christmas time we all had to leave the country. They encourage us to travel a little bit to help deal with being away from home and loved ones over the holidays. So for this reason I did a little traveling over the holidays.

         I chose to go to Bolivia with a couple of the other SM’s. We also had the dentist that has been teaching and supervising us come as well. We started by flying to Lima, where we had a one night layover where we met up with Dr. Juan Carlos. The next morning we flew to Cusco, Peru where we spent the day planning out and arranging the last minute details of our trip. It is surprising as much tourism as Peru has; it is really hard to do some of the stuff online. That night we got on an overnight bus to Puno, Peru. Early the next morning we took a tour out to the floating Islands on Lake Titicaca. These are extremely impressive man made islands that the locals have created out of the reeds. They live on them and there are whole communities of these islands.

Mountain Biking the World's Most Dangerous Road in La Paz, Bolivia

After returning from the island tour, we continued on our way. We crossed the border into Bolivia and continued on our way. We made it to La Paz, Bolivia at 10:30 that evening. We then took the next day to relax and recover from the trip. Along with the long traveling, the altitude made us feel even more tired as La Paz is almost 12,000 ft in elevation. As you could guess, the climate was much cooler than that of the Jungle. It was a welcomed change, but I was equipped for the hot jungle, not the cold mountains. However, by layering up a hoody and my rain jacket, I was able to stay sufficiently warm.

         While in La Paz we ventured out and walked around the city. We went shopping for alpaca sweaters, which are really cheap in Bolivia. There are currently seven bolivianos to one dollar, so your dollars really stretch. We also went mountain biking down the world’s most dangerous road, appropriately named the death road. It has the most deaths on it annually by percentage that use it. However, there is a new road that allows most traffic to go around now, so I do not think that it still has the most deaths annually. Still, I would not want to be on a bus driving on that road, but on a mountain bike it was a lot of fun, and the views were pristine.

Dr. Juan Carlos and Myself in a shop in Cusco

        From La Paz, we went to the little lakeside town of Copacabana to spend Christmas. It was very cold at night. Dropping down to freezing at night, but warming up into the sixties during the day. This was my favorite place as a whole of the trip. It was so peaceful and beautiful. While there we took a tour of the Isle del Sol, the island of the sun, which was absolutely beautiful. We also rented motorcycles for a couple hours one day (for $12) and headed into the countryside to see what almost no tourist sees, little villages of farmers. We passed a number of shepherds out watching their sheep and others taking the cows out to graze; all living a very different life than the one that you and I know. It was really nice to see this and just take some time to relax in this little town.

          After our time in Capacabana, we took another overnight bus to Cusco. In Cusco there was so much to see. Cusco was the center of the Incan empire and has so much history within its limits and in the surrounding area. We were also very happy to get back to Peruvian food. I didn´t realize how much Peru had begun to feel like home until I left and came back again. During our time in Cusco we went to a number of historic Incan sites and temples. The grand finale being, Maccu Piccu. To Maccu Piccu we took the cheaper student route. This also included a lot of walking if you really wanted it to be cheaper. We walked so much over those couple days. I’ve never seen so many steps in my life. It took me three days to be able to go down steps again without pain. We climbed and descended 3,000 ft. elevation that day. Almost all of the way was steps. However, it was all totally worth it, and I felt much more appreciative of the location after walking all the way up there. It really was an experience and I was so lucky to be able to see these places.

          Now I am back at Amor Projects and have begun to catch up on my work here. I am happy to be back and to be working again. I really am happy to be a part of Amor Projects and the work that that is going on here. Thank you so much for you continued prays.

A letter to the staff

This is the abridged version of a email that I sent to the back to the Amor Project staff in the states. I took the parts that outlined the progress that we are making down here and thought I would share it with all of you because it pretty well sums up my last month here.

Gentlemen,

I just wanted to take a minute to keep you guys updated with what has been happening down here at Amor. I will touch first talk about our work with the public health and the clinic. I will also talk about the orphanage and dental clinics as well. Finally I will mention the logistics’ of how things are running down here. I am sorry that I have not gotten to this sooner, however, I am just starting to feel like I am getting caught up in my work.

I am excited to tell you that the public health and clinic is going great this year. I am sure that God had a plan in this the whole time. I would just like to walk you through our schedule for a month. That should give you a good Idea of what we are doing. The first week of every month the Doctora is here and we do clinic. We spend two days in a different community every month. And then do one day in the orphanage, and then do clinic in our clinic on Friday. During clinic we normally give a quick presentation that we have prepared on proper dental care and the importance of drinking lots of water and how to clean their water. This is by fare what I think is the biggest health problem here. They do not clean their water and they don’t even know that they are supposed to drink much water. After clinic week the next two weeks we spend going back to the same community where we did our mobile clinic and we go door to door giving little short presentations on water, dental, proper trash disposal, diet, and so on. We also put on a thirty to forty minute presentation every Tuesday night. The first week is on diet, the second is on exercise, and the third is on stress. Then the third week we go back to the houses that we have gotten to know the best over the last couple weeks and we offer to do bible studies. Last month we did all of this in Los Angles and we had amazing results. We ended up with as many bible study contacts as we could handle. It was between six and eight, but it has been really exciting. Then the following month we keep doing those bible studies in the afternoons, and if they are still interested after the end of the month we will then transition to letting the local church members study with the families.

For our orphanage program we have also been quite busy. We have been going to the orphanage four times a week. Unfortunately, the way it works out with the orphanage two of those times are in the mornings and it conflicts with the public health visits. However, we had groups of three that go for three of the visits and then we all go on Thursday afternoons. Mondays and Fridays the group that goes to the orphanage helps out with Physical Therapy. This has been by far the area where they have worked the most with us and have really seemed to need our help. On Tuesday afternoons they go and help with the student’s homework, and on Thursdays we go and sing songs, play games, do a bible skit, and just spend time with the kids.

The dental situation here at Amor is only getting better. We have had a couple campaigns with the students from UAP. The patience that come seem to be very grateful. Another opertunity that has started the last two weeks is one of the younger Dentists that teaches at the university has really taken a liking to our program. Joy and I have made good friends with him, and he has offered his Wednesdays to come and help us do little dental clinics where Joy and I get to do the work. He has personally taught us a lot and as told us that this week we can bring a patient to the university clinic to get some experience in a different setting. It has been really great too, because he has had many questions about Adventism and I can see God working on his heart. I gave him a great controversy this last week and he was really excited about it. I can see God working through this who situation.

Last but not least, Kainan and Natalie (the teachers) have been really busy in the schools. They are teaching a lot of English classes and on Thursdays I believe they teach nine different classes in one day. They have been working hard and have really started to get involved with their schools.

Over all we have been really busy here at Amor. This last month we have really started to get our feet on the ground and God had been leading every step of the way. It was a slow start, but I am really happy with the progress that has been made.

Thanks for all you gentlemen do. The sacrifices it really is noticed, and there will be many jewels in your crowns in heaven! Thanks again from the team down here.

 Blessings,

 Jeremy Holt

The Ultimate Game of Chess

               After spending the morning working around Amor helping get stuff ready for our community health visits, getting things cleaned up from our dental campaign the day before, and collecting receipts and trying to track receipts for Amor, I was quite tired. Then right as I was about to start my lunch I found out that we had to make a sudden trip to Km 38, a two hour round trip form km 8. After returning from this voyage I was not overly excited about the thought of going to the orphanage. However, I tried to keep my mission spirits high as we loaded up in the combi.

               Once we arrived to the orphanage we soon had a small crowed of kids flocking around us. Their excitement helped me to forget my tiredness and to enjoy interacting with them. For the first part of our time there we sang songs with them and acted out a Bible story. After that we began to play little games with them. I was truly enjoying myself and having fun. Soon we moved outside to play diversify our games more so that we could incorporate the different energy levels and abilities of the different kids. Many of the kids had lots of energy and were very excited about playing a game of soccer will others who were unable to play soccer, were happy play figure games and sit around and talk.

             I found myself playing soccer where I was learning that I was not very agile on my feet. However, it was fun just the same. It was not long before the ninety five degree weather got to me and I really needed a drink of water. At this point I went back into the building to look for my water bottle. I soon realized that one of the many kids had decided to hide it from me. I turned to one of the SM’s who was playing with a couple of the younger kids and asked if they had seen my water bottle. In English I might add. They replied that they had not, and after standing there a little bewildered for a moment I heard a voice from the corner of the room. In Spanish I heard someone say, your green water bottle is behind the door over there. I turned to look who had spoken and there was a young man in a wheelchair that who was sitting there just watching everything. I could tell that he had some mental as well as physical handicaps, but somehow he seemed to know that it was my water bottle that had been moved. I went and looked behind the door and there was my water bottle. I was a little shocked to be completely honest. How did he know that that was my water bottle? That is still something that I still do not know the answer, but I did go and talk with him afterward.

Photo taken by Jordan Samuel

His name is Leider, and although I had a very hard time understanding his sleard Spanish, I could understand his excitement to have someone pay attention to him. Pretty quickly I notice the chess game his lap, and as soon as he saw me look at it, he asked if I wanted to play with him. I told him I had never played chess before, but that I would be happy to learn. We then sat down at one of the tables and began to play. I can tell you that we didn’t play chess, I think we played something between checkers and chess, but it did not matter. The excitement in Leiders eyes, and the smile on his face made every move worth it. He was so excited when he won and I was just excited to have played with him.

I’m still not sure what the rules where to the game we played, but I know that for me the game was only a means of communication and a tool to build a friendship. It became so evident to me that so often I take the little things in life for granted. Here was a boy who couldn’t run or walk. He was the last person to get attention in the room because his speech was slow and he was not the coolest person out there. But he really just wanted someone to notice him. He just wanted someone to care. The day that I felt that it was inconvenient for me to go to the orphanage, was the day that someone there really just needed a friend. How often are we so focused on self that we do not see the need right in front of us? 

I can’t believe that it has already been a month since I came to Peru! It has been one of the most interesting months of my life. It has been full of so many new and different things then I am used to, and has truly been an adventure. It has been such a learning experience for me. I could write a book about what has happened here in the past few weeks, but I will try to just hit the highlights for now.

Shopping for Food in the Market

The training wheels came off after about the first week and a half of being here in Peru. Ron Hawkins and Dr. Gow-Lee, who had come down here to help us get started, had to return to the States. I have to privilege of being the assistant site coordinator here at Amor this year, which also means a lot of responsibility. Those first couple weeks on our own were defiantly weeks of prayer for me, as felt completely in over my head, but God is good, and he will always give you the strength and wisdom to make it through if you trust in him. I also must mention that the group of missionaries that I am serving with are such a great group. They are a great group who are positive and willing to work to reach out to those around them.  Together we have been able to figure out the details of living in Peru, and all the new things that may entail.

Apparently is a tradition to get
eggs and flour dumped on your
 head on your birthday here in Peru.

Things are a little different here at Amor this year than in previous years. Dr. Mathew who used to live here and run the clinic, has went back to school for continued education. This has brought some changes, but God has a plan for this place, and although our jobs have changed a little the mission is still the same. We have a doctor who comes from Lima for one week out of every month. During that week we do clinic for the people. We use our clinic here at Km 8 as well as do mobile clinics in the surrounding area. For the other three weeks we are going out into the community and educating the people about public health. There is such a need for this education here, and the people really appreciate our effort. This also allows us to build closer relationship with the community. The end goal here is to introduce these people to Jesus and the Adventist message.

Another ministry that we really working with now is the orphanage. There is an orphanage here that is an orphanage for disabled kids. As you can imagen there is so much to do there. There is a strong medical need, and the kids need help with homework, physical therapy, of most of all they just need attention.  These kids will steal your heart so quickly. It will humble you to realize how little these kids have, yet they are always willing to help each other out. It is very humbling to play with a group of kids, when more than half of them cannot play a simple game of tag, due to some disability. Yet, they are some of the happiest kids I have ever seen. It is truly a blessing to get to work with them.

Although there is so much that I could continue talking about, I will close by saying. My time here in Peru has had some ruff moments. There have been times that I have wondered why I am putting myself through some of the hard ships, but those thoughts are short lived. Because every day we see the sick, the pour, and the hurting who are looking for something better. We have something better to give, both physical and spiritual. It is the moment when you are standing at the bed side of a woman who had an aneurism six months before that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt why you are here. She is breathing out of a trake, and is fed by a feeding tube. She is paralyzed, and because no one has the time or money to give her the proper care, her muscles are so tight from laying there, that limb can barely move. When you have the opportunity to help someone like that you realize that it’s not about you. It’s about others and it’s about God! No matter where we are in this world, there are people around us that our hearting, and it is our commission to help them.

Hi to everyone from Peru,
      It has been one week in Peru, but it feels like its been at least two. So much has happened and there as been so much adjusting to the place and climate. I don't even know where to start, but I guess the beginning is as good as any.
     On my way down I meet up with most of the other missionaries in Miami Florida. We flew out from Miami at five, and headed for Lima Peru. We arrived in Lima at 11:30 Eastern time, but 10:30 local time. Our next flight for Pucallpa did not board until 5:20 am so we spent a nice night in the airport. It was a very long night, but it was not to bad.
     The flight from Lima to Peru was actually a lot of fun, due to the snow capped Andes Mountains that were visible for the first part of the flight. We arrived safely and everyone still had all of their luggage. God blesses even in the small things!
     When we landed I expected it to be really hot, however, at seven in the morning it was only about 75-80 degrees. Not to bad, but it does warm up into about the 90s during the day and 90-100 percent humidity. This really was not as bad as I was expecting, but then I realized that it is winter here right now so hopefully I will become acclimated to the weather by that time. The key to mission work is to be flexible and role with the punches.
     Not long after arriving I learned that the new doctor that is going to be helping with the clinic is not comfortable supervising dental work. This was a disappointment to me at first, but God is great and has worked things out so much better then originally planned. Dr Lim came down with us for the first two weeks and he has taught Joy Lim and I so much about extracting teeth. I have gotten many opportunities to do extractions. Just this morning I was able to see a few patients and do the consultation, and determine which teeth needed extractions. I then was able to numb them up and do the extractions without any help. It has been really exciting learning how to work on peoples teeth and help them.
     The lack of knowledge about person hygiene down here will blow you out of the water. Parents bring their five year old children in with all of their teeth completely gone from decay and they are asking what caused it. They have no idea! There is so much work to do here. The people are not only hurting physically, but also spiritually. We have the pastor see everyone who comes to clinic before we give them physical care and there has been a large number who have requested bible studies as a result of this. In just one morning this week we had five people request bible studies!!! Praise God.
      I have so much more I could say, but my lunch period is up and I must go prepare to go to the orphanage this afternoon. Thankyou so much for you many prayers, please continue to keep the work in Pucallpa Peru in your prayers.
Until next time

Jeremy Holt

     
       

Packing My Bags

        What an eventful summer it has been! I have seen God's hand working in so many ways through the last couple months has the departure date has approached. I spent most of my time this summer studying to take my DAT (the test that determines if you are qualified to go to dental school). I took the test and God really blessed.

       The past month I have really been turning my attention toward Peru. We had a little bump in the road about a month ago. The doctor who has been running the clinic at Amor for the past several years decided to go back to school. This left the clinic crippled and unable to function. The board of Amor projects had been looking for another doctor to help out at the clinic for a couple years and had not found anyone who was willing to do so. It came down to the day that they were going to tell all of the SM's if the mission was closed, and they said to give them one more weekend to look for someone, and pray about it. That next Monday they sent us telling us that they had found a doctor and that we were going to be able to keep the mission open! Praise God! I found this to be extra special, because I had been praying that if I was not supposed to go to Amor that God would shut that door, but if I was that he would show me. He opened the door, when it seemed almost impossible!!!

     God has blessed so much in so many ways this summer. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and helped me raise the funds for my trip! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be leaving Monday, August 31.