Written by Noél Rich | 03 October 2010

Hi y'all!

Months are flying by. This is the month I most miss the States, with all the fall colors. Hope most of you can enjoy it! Bob had two good, profitable trips in September, both to high places. He went to Espinar for just a couple days, and then went to Culipampa, a very high, far away place. They had special meetings there for 2 days and several believers from Cotahuasi also went, so it was a real encouragement for the believers from Culipampa. Quechua is predominant there so a couple of our national workers who preach in Quechua went. However, on the way back, in a very high and isolated place, the van decided to stop. It has had some fainting spells like this before, but this was difficult as there was no help right there. So the brothers who were traveling with Bob were able to get a truck down to where they could get their own transportation back to Arequipa, and one brother who had worked in the Arcata mine was able to get help from the mine which was only about an hour away. (Cell phones helped this time, even though we don't have one, the brothers did.) So Bob prayed for the car and - yes - the Lord "healed" it. It made it down to Caylloma, then Chivay, where Bob planned to get it worked on, but it did make it all the way home then. It seems on a previous trip to Puno, someone from the garage where Bob kept the van changed the battery on it. That was not nice. But still, it had been fixed after that. Also Bob had it overhauled recently and that was expensive.

Above: Brothers of the church of Culipampa.

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Written by Noél Rich | 06 September 2010

Hi y'all!

Finally it is getting a bit warmer here, but we had a cold spell again the end of August! Spring is supposed to be coming this month, which is nice.

Well, Bob had some good trips last month, to Espinar province (mountains) and to Chichas valley and Salamanca, back into the mountains. He goes up and down on these trips, to cold and hot climates in one day! He was able to encourage and help our workers and little churches in these places. The van behaved pretty well on these trips, but Bob is again thinking of selling it. We spent a lot on the overhaul and it did help, but as the dear van gets older, it is really more difficult for it on the mountain roads. Please help us pray for wisdom and provision for this if it is God's will. Of course Bob would like to sell his for enough to get a newer, even if smaller, vehicle, but one that is really useful for him.

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Written by Noél Rich | 08 August 2010

Hi again!

True, August is going fast forward! We have been very very busy. Bob had some good trips in July, and I went with him the last week in July through Aug. 1. We were on school mid year vacation. We went to the high COLD mountains! Had a special meeting with the believers from 4 communities out in the Puno, Juliaca area. These are isolated ranches, but they get together once a year for an annual meeting. They have bi monthly meetings with some of them together. It is mostly Quechua. Maybe Joe got some pics. up on the website. Then we had a meeting with our little group in Puno, precious people too. Three nights I got to sleep in the "refrigerator" (Bob's van) with Bob. The water in the drinking bottles by my head froze, and in the mornings there was ice on the windows. It was very cold. Bob preached a lot, others preached in Quechua. I taught the children - in Spanish, but they mostly understand as they do go to school in Spanish. We took some believers from Pedregal, (a large agricultural area a couple hours from Arequipa), and one dear brother from near Cuzco who plays the harp. (He makes them too). Julian had gone to Paraguay to bring a harp and he really makes beautiful beautiful music on it. He loves to play the hymns and really does wonders. We are trying to get our believers to appreciate and maintain meaningful hymns, in Quechua and Spanish. These meetings were a blessing and an encouragement to the believers.

Above: Julian plays the harp, while Marcos plays the guitar.

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Written by Noél Rich | 06 July 2010

Hi again, dear friends,

Well, we are half way through the year! This year is going really fast! It is still cold here, especially nights and early mornings. It is dry too, and my finger tips and fingers on the joints where they bend split up awful this time of year, and they hurt. If you get this on time, Happy 4th to all you Americans! We sure need to pray for the U.S. Seems like we are really going downhill Spiritually and morally. Peru's national independence day is July 28, so we have a lot of patriotic stuff too and parades and firecrackers and all. Actually, the firecrackers were for the pope's day, (pope's day, "evangelical ministers" day and fisherman's day was all on June 29. There were lots of firecrackers to torment our little cocker spaniel.

Anyway, Bob went to Espinar province the later part of July, and was able to help the believers in the main town of Yauri and also out in a community. Nicolas Ala works up there. His broken foot is healed, but he has this cough, which probably is from when he worked in the mine in his youth. It is kind of a concern, so please pray for him. He is a real valuable worker.

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Written by Noél Rich | 05 June 2010

Hi dear ones!

May was a fast month, even though it was long! It started out still real warm here, but by the end of May it was cold, and now, one week into June, it is really cold! Our mountains got a late snow and kept their "ponchos" (snow caps) as it froze hard then, so that is nice, even though it is the dry time now.

The Mother's Day program at school was a testimony and blessing. It went well, in our new auditorium, but, the new auditorium seems too small!! It was full! No way to extend the auditorium, but we hope to be able to purchase smaller chairs some day. We have to use the auditorium now for computer lab as we don't have the second floor all done yet. They are working on it; shouldn't be too long,DV. We really need to see the funds come for the third floor. Thanks for praying with us. The school is a blessing, really, but a real challenge too. Today's youth are challenging! But we have the responsability to reach them for the Lord. Teaching and preparing materials keeps me way too busy. I get behind and need the strength to keep going. I do love doing this, it just is a lot with everything else!

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