Foss Crew in Peru

Four Weeks In

2012-01-29T20:25:00.003-05:00

The girls and I arrived in Pucallpa four weeks ago. We have been busy getting settled into our new home, new mission, new school and making new friends.

Life is very different here. Didn't realize just how spoiled I was in Lima where there were grocery stores five minutes away in almost any dirrection.But here in Pucallpa there are no grocery stores. There are several markets. It takes going to six different markets to get our weekly groceries and when you find something that you like, you stock up. Because next week it won't be there. Thankfully we were given a heads up to this by several other missionaries.

We have found our favourite places to buy certain things. Coco Roco is the place where we buy all of our chicken, however we want it, leg, breast, bruchetta, even breaded. Chicken seems surprisingly cheap here compared to what I remember it costing during our last furlough in Canada. Yesterday I bought eight chicken breasts for about $7.50. Valdivia and Los Andes are two stores where we can buy most of our dry goods including cereal, bread and toilet paper. Sometimes, we can even find mozzarella chesse. C & M is where we can get sugar and flour. This store is located on "veggie street" where we buy our vegetables. Triunfo is where we can find beef and pork. This is great because everything we buy there is frozen, so it can last the ride home without going bad. The other thing we have learned about red meat is that you need to refrigerate it for five days, because it comes straight from the butcher without having been hung yet, and yes it does make a difference to the taste.

Well thaat is probably more than you wanted to know about buying groceries in Pucallpa. Hopefully my next post will be more interesting.

Oh the Things that will Live in Your House!

2012-01-19T08:52:00.001-05:00

Did you know that there is a lot of wildlife in the Amazon? I thought I knew that. I thought I knew what I might encounter on the rare occasion. What I did not know was what would also be living in my house!

We have lived in Pucallpa a whole two and a half weeks. We love it! God knew (as He always does) what he was dooing when he brought us here. I have not seen our girls this happy and content in a long time. They have friends, a good school and they have grass to run in and trees to climb. Climbing trees I believe is Myah's favourite activity. She has even convinced Dona (who is in her late 40's, shh, don't let her know that I told you) to climb trees with her. They sit up in the tree in our front yard and chat about things, not minding the occassional ant bite.

Hannah has a great group of new friends. We are so thankful that God has answered her prayer of four years for a close friend, she even lives just 50 yards away. With her friends, Hannah has had sleepovers, movie nights and just tons of fun. It is great to see her like this!

Sarah, also has several friends and one really close friend. They spend a lot of time together just being girls and having fun. What a difference 838 kms can make.

Now, back to my original theme for this post.

There are many interesting things that live here in the jungle. Some cute, others not so cute but on the whole they are all pretty interesting. I really thought that living in a jungle city there wouldn't be many things that would be entering my house. Afterall, what creature wants to leave the beauty of the jungle to brave the city? Apparently, quite a few of them!

For starters, there are about a million ants who crawl through our house each day. Each one trying to snatch something from the kitchen if they can. This, though a little annoying it is not that hard to deal with. There are also dragon flies the size of small birds. These guys are pretty impressive. They are a favourite of Myah to put in her bug bucket. She even likes to name them, though most of them end up being called "Helicopter" because that is just what they sound like. I have seen a couple of tiny little frogs on the wall and every night there are little lizards who crawl on the screens of the house. So far I have only found one inside, but he was pretty cute, so he got to stay. There is this purple and green lizard that runs around outside. He runs so fast that you only get just a glimpse of him now and then. I have heard tell of an iguana or two that live nearby. I have not seen them yet, but Myah sure has. One jumped up right infront of her and Hannah when they startled it in the grass.

Overall the creatures we have found have not been too bad. That is until the other night when Hannah got up to use the bathroom in the night and found a nice fuzzy turantula had joined her and was sitting patiently int he shower for his next meal. She tells me that she ran out of the bathroom as quick as she could. I don't know why she waited until morning to tell us about him. Maybe she thought he would follow her. Tyler went and found him hiding in the shower and today he is in Myah's bug bucket awaiting his release or something else. This morning, Tyler suggested that we get an aquarium and keep him for a pet. I reminded him, that though I am quite thankful for the things God made, turantulas, snakes and scorpions are things that I do not like or have any kind of appreciation for and I would be happy to see our furry friend living somewhere else or ....

The jungle is a fun place to live. We love it and cannot imagine any other place we would want to be. Thank you for praying for us, for our safety and our adjustment to this very different place. We are excited about what God has in store for us.

Fun Time

2011-12-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

Moms and their children
from the last several years Moms Helping Moms groups.
It was great to see everyone!

Last Saturday we invited all of the families and children from the four years we have served at the Oasis to a party. We wanted to show them our appreciation for their friendship and to have an opportunity to say good-bye. Between 200 and 250 people came for the afternoon. We had a lot of fun with all of the kids and their parents.

Trampoline
Tons of fun was had by kids of all ages.

Serving refreshments and snacks.

One of the two bouncy playgrounds we rented.

Tyler and Eduardo with the older kids from the children's home.

At a party the home had for us a week ago, all of the kids put their picture and a message in a
photo album they made for Tyler. Claudio's message said "Thank you Mr.T for being my best friend and helping
me take care of my animals."

Trying to express our love and appreciation for our friends without crying.

More of our friends.

This past week has been full of good-byes. It has not been easy, but I am thankful that God has allowed me to get through the week without becoming an emotional mess. I think the business of packing, the girls finishing school, and planning our good-bye party kept me from dwelling on it. However, I think it might hit me in a week or two after we have arrived in Pucallpa and I am not getting up in the morning to be greeted by 85 kids while they are eating their breakfast. I love each of them and I will miss them!

I am glad that we are moving, I trust completely that this is God's plan for us. So it is not with regret that we leave, but hope of what is to come and what God has in-store for our family.

feliz cumpleaños

2011-12-22T10:05:00.001-05:00

Blowing out the candles while holding sweet Zoe.

On my last official day of responsibilities I went to the Care Center for the day. It was also my birthday and the moms surprised me with a party. I was very special. I love them all so much and will miss each one. I have witnessed God do amazing things in them this year. There are new names written in the Book of Life!

Here are a few pictures from that day.

Birthday Flowers

All of the moms hand embroidered place mat's and a table runner for me.
With my dear friend Yessela

Will all of my friends!

Para cada uno de mis queridos amigos,

Os quiero a todos mucho. Gracias por ser mis amigos y me invitaba a sus vidas. Ha sido un privilegio conocer a usted y sus hijos dulce. Que el Señor siga bendiciendo a cada uno de ustedes y puede seguir creciendo en la semejanza de Cristo.

Con mucho amor y cariño Brenda

Pucallpa

2011-11-29T10:49:00.001-05:00

I thought you might like to see a few pictures from Pucallpa to give you a brief glimpse of where we are headed.

Several boats on the shore of the Ucayali River. The greatest tributary of the Amazon River.

Another angle of the Ucayali River.

Typical transportation along the river.

SAM Center

A house similar to the one we will be living in.

SAM Academy. Our girls new school

SAM Academy library.

Encouragement

2011-11-27T21:22:00.001-05:00

Today, we got to Skype with our home church during Sunday School hour. It was great to see familiar faces and hear voices that we miss. This was the first time we have done this in our four and a half years on the field and I hope that we will be able to do it again soon.

Another great thing about today was being able to openly talk about our changing mission organizations. We have known that this is going to happen for quite some time, but because of all of the details to be figured out we weren't able to share it with many people. That part was getting hard especially with all of the emotions that we are dealing with. This experience has again brought me to a point when I needed to depend on God alone for comfort and peace. I am learning not to stress over things the way that I used to and learning patience in God's timing. I believe this is a never ending lesson.

We were so encouraged by our time this morning , sharing what is on our hearts, our excitement, fears and a whole range of other feelings. Our time ended with people from our home church praying for us as the felt led. What a blessing that was.

To our wonderful family at Hespeler Baptist Church, we are so thankful for you, we appreciate you and love you.

Tyler, Brenda, Hannah, Sarah and Myah

Important Update for our Supporters

2011-11-20T17:24:00.001-05:00

In this post you will learn about our up coming change of mission boards. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have. We will have more information for transferring your support from Kids Alive to South America Mission very shortly.

Dear Supporter,

Werecently celebrated four years of ministry in Peru. During this time with KidsAlive we are thankful for the opportunity we have had to grow in our love forthe Lord, our love for the Peruvian people and our understanding of thelanguage and culture. We feel privilegedto have formed many close relationships with the women and children within theministries here in Peru.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of yourheart.” Psalm 37:4

Just asour decision to come to Peru was in response to God’s calling, we are promptedby the Lord to a new ministry focus. TheLord has given us a love and desire to minister in the jungle among the peoplethere through increased involvement with the local church and evangelism.

Afterseeking the Lord in prayer and with the encouragement of the Elders from ourhome church we began exploring our ministry options. Our search led us to South America Mission(SAM) based in Pucallpa, Peru. In Julyof this year we flew to Pucallpa to visit their ministry sites and meet withmission’s personnel. We were excited bywhat we saw the Lord doing there through SAM and by their willingness topartner with us. We have since applied and been accepted by South America Missionto serve in Pucallpa with them and will be leaving Kids Alive at the end ofDecember.

Beginningin January Tyler’s ministry will involve rebuilding the facilities at the SAMCenter in Pucallpa, working with local personnel and visiting work teams. Brenda will be involved in the local crisispregnancy center and working in women’s ministries. We both will be involved in outreach throughthe local church and the indigenous ministry center.

Pucallpais a city of 300,000 located 500 km north east of Lima. It is on the UcayaliRiver, a major tributary of the Amazon. Because of its central location in the Peruvian jungle, Pucallpa servesas an air base and administrative center for several mission agencies.

The SAMCenter will provide our family with SAM Academy an English - language missionarykids’ school. There, we can also be part of a large missionary community whomeet and encourage one another regularly.

It isour hope that you will continue to partner with us as we serve the Lord inPucallpa. Thus we are asking you to transfer your support from Kids Alive toSouth America Mission on our behalf. If you have any questions or concernsplease feel free to contact us by email at tbfoss@southamericamission.org or by Skype ty_foss is our user name.

Sincerely in Christ,

Tyler and Brenda Foss

Our new prayer card.
Please send us an email if you would like to receive a copy for yourself

Summer Newsletter 2011

2011-11-18T20:13:00.001-05:00

Foss Newsletter Summer 2011

New Pictures

2011-11-15T21:28:00.001-05:00

Did you see the new blog header? I love these new pictures. They were taken by a new friend Jen during her visit to Peru a few weeks ago. I cannot pick a favorite, because I love something about everyone of them. Jen is such a talented photographer. While she was here in Peru, she took a number of great pictures of the kids and family's at the Oasis. If you want to have a look at them check out her blog by clicking on her name above.

I admit there is one other picture that Jen took that means a lot to me and it is this one of Dana and I together. This sweet little girl holds a very special place in my heart and I am happy to have a moment of us together captured like this.

Final Team of 2011

2011-11-08T18:25:00.003-05:00

Sweet Little One

Here are a few pictures form our final team of 2011. We had a lot of fun with everyone. The whole team participated in many different activities including; cutting and styling hair, leading a devotional with the women in MHM, repairing a home for a family, helping the moms make a prayer journal, playing and doing activities with the kids of every age, teaching me some therapy things to do with little Dana, and hosting a baby shower for three women who are (were) expecting.

The surprise of the week came on Friday morning when we were about to have our baby shower and one of the moms went into labor. I had the privilege of being with her during her labor to support and encourage her. It was not something I had expected, but it was such a joy to be by her side and see her precious little girl.

Friday afternoon all of the kids and the teachers from the Oasis performed short songs and gave each person on the team a card they had made to show their appreciation for what they had done.

Prayer Journals made with paper bags

Gissele cutting Carmen's hair

Teaching the kids to make braided string bracelets

Dana with her mom

Picture of all the kids and team on the playground

A Very Special Birthday

2011-10-27T09:17:00.000-05:00

Last week we celebrated the birthday of a special little girl. She has become a big part of our lives over the past few months as we have cared for her and her family, along with her many health concerns. This precious little one has the most delightful personality. Though she is almost completely blind, cannot speak, has no use of her left side and has hydrocephalus, she is pleasant and responds to love and affection with joy. She smiles and kicks her right leg to let you know she is connecting with you.

One day I was visiting her family, her mom was outside washing clothes and she was laying on her bed. I quietly listened to her as she made the sweetest sounds, a melody of ooh and aw. As I stood there, I believed that she was singing for the Lord.

Now, this little one is two years old. It is uncertain how long she will live, some say a short time, others say maybe longer. But, while she is here, along with her mom and sisters we want her to know that she is loved and that God has a plan for her life, it is not in vain. He has placed her on this earth for the same purpose he has given to each of us, to glorify Him.

Happy Birthday Astrid

2011-09-18T09:33:00.003-05:00

Virtual Bulletin Board

2011-09-10T00:13:00.001-05:00

Thanks to a friend, I have found this great new web site that is a virtual bulletin board to keep things that I like and want to remember. It is called Pinterest and I love it. I have found tons of great recipes, craft, sewing and decorating ideas. Here is a link if you want to have an idea of my interests and the things that I like. Pinterest Have fun!

Oh So Sweet

2011-08-22T09:41:00.002-05:00

Little Peanut

This past week was very busy for our family. The girls returned to school after a seven week break and we had the priviledge of caring for a baby girl for a few days. Let me tell you that little peanut is the epitome of cuteness.

Hannah is now in 7th grade. I cannot believe she is that old! How did this happen? She is enjoying having several teachers to teach her different subjects. However, she once again is the only girl her age in her class of all boys. Please pray for her. It is hard for her not to have a close friend, and since she is now in middle school, she no longer has recess or lunch at the same time as Sarah.

Sarah, our sixth grader is enjoying having her friends in her classroom, especially Brianna whose family was on furlough last year in the U.S. Sarah continues to be her perfectionist self and even this morning was making sure that she knew all of her spelling words perfectly, as she was at home sick on Friday. I guess she won't be up for the perfect attendance award this year ;-)

Myah trying out the role of big sister

Can you believe that Myah is now seven and in second grade? I can't! It seems like she should still be toddling around the house with me each day. Man how time goes by so quickly. Myah is enjoying her new teacher and class. This year her classroom has four girls and one boy, until her friend Sydney returns to Peru next month. Then there will be five girls! You may want to pray for Aaron.

As I mentioned, we were taking care of a baby girl last week for four days. Oh she was so sweet! I have never met such a content baby before. Myah who has always wanted to be a big sister got to see what it would be like, and is constantly reminding us now about adopting. I enjoyed caring for a baby again, though I had forgotten what it was like to get up every three hours through the night. Did I really do that for months on end before? Now that Little Peanut has returned to her family, we really miss her, but are happy that her big sister and mom are home from the hospital and able to be together.

Little Peanut's sister Munchkin was in the hospital after suffering a 45 minute long seizure last Tuesday. While taking care of Peanut, I also spent my time going back and forth to the hospital caring for Munchkin and her mom. It was a busy week!

This family is so precious and they are in need of our prayers. Munchkin is 22 months old and has Hydrocephalus. Sadly she is not expected to live a long life, but I have had many opportunities to talk with her mom about this and it does hurt her to see her baby girl suffer. I have watched this mom care for her little girl, and there is no doubt in my mind how much she loves her. When the time comes, I know that she will miss her precious girl, but she also knows that the best place for her is in the presence of our Lord and Savior. I am not sure that I would have the same courage as she does if I were walking the same valley.

Today I would like to ask you to consider committing to praying for this family and upholding them before the Lord. Pray for a young mom raising three little girls. Pray for their father who is struggling with the difficutlies of having an ill child. Pray that we will be able to find someone to help counsel him and lead him to Christ, the only one who can truly help him through his pain and suffering and give him eternal life. Pray for us as we love them and minister to them, that we would be wise and not take away opportunities for their community to care for them. Most of all, Pray that God would be glorified through all of this.

Waiting...

2011-08-03T22:26:00.002-05:00

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to wait sometimes? I am not talking about the everyday kind of waiting, which by the way I admit can also be hard. Yesterday, we went to the zoo and were in line for an hour and ten minutes waiting to buy our tickets to get in. That took some patience, but we made it. I felt bad for the people who were standing 100 meters behind where we started in line as we were entering the zoo.

I am really talking about the kind of patience it takes when you are waiting on God. His timing is perfect so that helps me when I am getting antsy and hoping he would do everything as quickly as I want, but I admit I still have difficulty sometimes. Thankfully, he often sends me little reminders to be patient, that he hasn't forgotten about me or my situation. I am very thankful for those and I am thanful that he understands me and what I need at every moment.

I love this verse from Psalm 46:10 that reads "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Often I need to remember to be still. To remember that my God and Father is the creator of heaven and earth, that there is nothing too big or impossible for him and there is neither anything or anyone too small.

Machu Picchu

2011-07-24T09:32:00.002-05:00

This past week Tyler and I were invited to go to Cuzco and Machu Picchu with one of our visiting teams. We arrived in Cuzco on our anniversary early in the morning, but I was very quickly hit with altitude sickness and spent the day in bed. I tried to go on the tour of Cuzco but returned after our first stop realizing I wasn't going to make it. I began praying that God would give me the strength and health I would need to visit Machu Picchu the next day, and he did.

Machu Picchu was beautiful and it was very evident that the Incan people were masters of their work. But, more beautiful and mesmerizing were the mountains that surrounded it. Steep mountains cover in jungle green, knowing that our God made them and that not one inch of it is hidden from his sight.

I don't think that I will ever be able to go back there again, as it has taken me two days since returning form Cuzco to get over my altitude sickness, but I hope that one day Tyler will be able to take our girls with him. It was great to see yet another part of Peru and be reminded of how diverse God made the landscape in this country.

14 Years and Counting

2011-07-19T07:58:00.000-05:00

Our Wedding Day

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband, I love you.

Myah is Turning Seven Today!!!

2011-07-15T01:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet daughter Myah. We love you so very much. You are a kind, fun, loving and creative girl. You bring much joy into our family.

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Hannah and Sarah

Happy 7th Birthday Eva!

2011-06-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

We hope you have a wonderful Birthday Eva

Looking Back

2011-06-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was looking back at the four years we have been writing this blog. It was interesting to see how far we have come and be reminded of how God has faithfully guided and watched over us.

While looking back at our time in Guatemala, I came across this video of Myah sending a message to her cousin Eva.

The Heart of a Grieving Father

2011-06-23T20:46:00.001-05:00

This afternoon, I went with a few friends of mine and women from the current service team to visit different families that we know in Manchay. We had a good afternoon including using a mismarked map that lead us into a giant community with no street names. We decided to leave and wait for one of the moms who knows the area to accompany us.

I mentioned a few weeks ago about a family who had lost their only daughter after she was hit by a car crossing infront of the Oasis (Care Center). Carmen and I have returned a few times, but there was no one home. Today while visiting another family very close to this one we thought we would try again to connect with the family. Much to our sursprise the father was home and when we explained who we were he invited us in to visit with him (his wife was at work).

We listened intently as this father opened up his heart to us and shared about how he and his family are coping with their loss, the changes, the challanges and the heartache. I wish I could translate for you some of the things that he told us, but I wish to respect his privacy. I will tell you this, that God is working in the heart of this man. Please pray for him, that he will come to saving faith. As I listened to this man I was humbled by what he was sharing. He mentioned how many people had said things and promised to help when their daughter died, but he is realizing that for some those were just words. He was pleased to have us come and visit and is happy to have us return to spend time with his wife. We ended our time with him in prayer, it was wonderful to be a part of what God did this afternoon in this tiny home. Our God is so amazing and I believe that He will never cease to amaze me. Please continue to pray with us for this family, for their salvation and healing. Also that God will guide us and give us wisdom how to love and encourage this family.

Thank you to each of you who pray for us as we serve our Lord among the people of Manchay. It is so encouraging to know that we are standing together in the hope that many may come to know Him as Lord and Savior.

Most recent Family Photo

2011-06-22T16:21:00.000-05:00

The other week while we were downtown with a visiting team, we had the chance to take a new family photo. It wasn't planned so it isn't the best picture of us, but it will do for now.

The Adventures of Myah and Mr. Fuzzy George

2011-06-20T09:28:00.000-05:00

The other weekend Myah had the privilege of bringing home her class stuffed animal for being the Star Student of the week. She received this award for being a helper to her teacher and her classmates. Mr. Fuzzy George has been in our home before, when Sarah brought him home one weekend. We had a team with us that weekend and had plans to spend the day downtown. Mr. Fuzzy George got to come along, as Myah had to write a journal about their weekend activities together. I thought I would share with you a few of the pictures we captured.

Together again! Eating chicken at Pardos

Mr.Fuzzy George enjoying his crown
and coloring page.

Fountain at Plaza de Armas

In front of the Presidential Palace

Finished off the day with a little shopping
at the Indian Markets

Fun quotes from Myah:

In her journal for Mr. Fuzzy George.

"We went for a drive, the car in front of us was a slow as a turtle!"

While on a playground a young boy came up to her and called her something that ended with the sound ong. She responded "O-N-G ong. Good for you! You know your special sounds, you might pass your test tomorrow."

"Mom, now that I have lived in Peru for four years, that is more than half my life, am I a Peruvian?"

Simply Delicious Muffins

2011-06-07T09:42:00.001-05:00

For a little while I had been asking my mom to give me the Bran muffin recipe that she always used while we were growing up. When we were about to return to Peru, she dropped by one day and gave me this awesome recipe (that she got from my Auntie Anne) and her copy of Better Homes New Cook Book. I was very happy as her copy is twenty some years older than mine and has more "from scratch" recipes, which you need if you are living in a developing country.

The past two weekends I have prepared this yummy muffin recipe with my three girls and we thought that we would share it with you, so that it might become one of your family favourites as well.

Anne Nadeau's Bran Muffin Recipe

Oven Temp 400*F

Cooking time 20 minutes

Yields 5 dozen muffings

Dry Ingredients

In a very large bowl mix together all dry ingredients

5 cups of Flour

1Tbsp Salt

3 cups All Bran Cereal

3 cups Natural bran

5 tsp Baking Soda

2 cups Brown sugar

2 cups Raisins (optional)

Wet Ingredients

1 cup Vegetable oil

3 Eggs

1/4 Molasses

1quart Buttermilk (If you don't have buttermilk use 1/4 vinegar and the rest whole milk. Stir and allow to sit 5 minutes before using)

1 cup Water

Wisk eggs, oil and molasses together in a large bowl, beat in buttermilk and water. Pour over dry ingredients and mix very well.

Cover mixture tightly and keep refrigerated for a least 24 hours. This mixture can be kept refrigerated for up to six weeks if stored in a well sealed container. (We go through a batch in a week making a dozen muffins each morning)

To bake, stir well and fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes at 400*F.

Measuring the dry ingredients.

Wet ingredients after wisking

Pour wet ingredients into dry

Mixing

Well mixed

Pour mixture into a sealable container to set for 24 hours prior to baking

Can be stored for up to six weeks in a well sealed container

The reward, freshly baked warm muffins each morning. Yum...

Part 2

2011-05-26T13:49:00.000-05:00

Getting around.

Riding the Peke Peke

Going to lunch

Sarah enjoying her first ride in the boat

Taking it all in

Riding to the cattle ranch

The first stop

Enjoying every minute

The oldest and biggest Brahma Bull on the ranch

Four Days in the Jungle Part 1

2011-05-26T08:43:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we had the privilege of visiting the Jungle as a family. We had a wonderful time seeing so many amazing things that God has made, butterflies of all colours flying around, tarantulas, Cayman and Anacondas. Being surrounded by green trees and beautiful flowers after living in the desert for four years where everything is brown, was such a treat. We met some terrific new friends and our girls had a great time swimming in the Ucayali river, swinging on tire swings, flying over the jungle in a float plane and going to a girls club with several children from the jungle. Tyler was able to go fishing and caught a large Piranha and several Peacock Bass, he even held a 100lb Anaconda!

I hope you will enjoy our pictures.

The Wildlife

Small 1 " tree frog we found in the bathroom

Tarantula on the window outside of room the Fietje's slept in

Cayman at a local zoo

Capibara

Tyler holding the 100lb Anaconda

Th egirls with a very old taxedermy Cayman

Ups and Downs

2011-05-15T22:35:00.002-05:00

This past week was one of emotional ups and downs. I was so touched when one of the moms from this years MHM group gave me two beautifully hand embroidered table cloths for my home. Most especially that she made them just for me and that she wanted to thank me for the friendship I have shown her. My heart is full of joy that comes from being blessed by God's goodness. Those days when I wonder if I am having an impact on the women and families that I spend time ministering to, God blesses me with this wonderful gift of love and appreciation. How wonderful and humbling, I am thankful.

The harder part of my week was visiting with a family whose daughter was killed on Wednesday while crossing the road infront of the Oasis (Care Center). She was eight years old and was crossing the road with her dad and brother, when a car came speeding along, hit her and sent her flying through the air, she landed ten meters away. She died very shortly after at a local clinic. This young girl was a neighbour of several of the families who come to the Oasis. On Thursday, Carmen and I went to the visitation in the family's home. We spoke with the mother and expressed our sympathies and desire to be of help in any way that we could. We have been encouraged by friends and neighbours of the family to return this coming week, to help walk this family through this tragedy. Please be praying for us as we minister to them, especially that God would open their hearts to receive him. We know they have a Catholic background, but they did not have any of the usual idols that most Catholics diplay in their home.

Please also be praying for a friend that I met my first year here in Peru. Several months ago a doctor told her she was expecting triplets. He continued to treat her for the following months, and her belly continued to grow and grow. About a month ago, she began having some sharp pains and thought she was going into labour, her husband rushed her to the hospital, where they discovered that she was not carrying triplets, but had three newborn sized tumors growing inside of her! She was deeply saddened to learn that there were no babies after her surgery. Please be praying for this special lady, she is a beautiful woman of God and she brings much joy to everyone she meets. Please especially pray for her health, that she will go for any follow up check ups that are needed and that she will find a doctor who is willing to do regular check ups to prevent something like wthis from happening again.

Admittedly, sometimes my weeks and days can be a little emotionally hard, but I love that God has called us here and that we have the privilege of building friendships with so many wonderful people. We see God at work in the lives of women and children in Manchay and surrounding communities. We are blessed beyond measure and I cannot think of a place in this world I wouldrather be.

Latest Ministry Update

2011-05-06T09:10:00.002-05:00

To read our latest update, please click on the Newsletters tab just above.

Sharing the Gospel in Antioquia

2011-05-05T14:54:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we got up very early to visit the small town of Antioquia. This small town is about 40 km from where we live, but the road to get there takes about an hour and a half to travel. We went with our good friend Mike Kennedy and a group that is visiting their children's home this week. Our whole purpose being to take some much needed school supplies and share the Gospel with the children and their teachers.

We had a wonderful day and everyone was blessed by our time there. The children were delighted to have some things that were just for them, and each one received their very own Bible. There is such a contrast here to the mentality of sharing the gospel in school as to that in North America, where the Government is determined to keep God out. I am glad for the freedom to share with these children.

All three of the schools we visited today were extremely small and had hardly anything to use for teaching their students. We hope to be able to continue helping with this need, but most importantly we hope to develop relationships with the people and maybe one day be able to start an Evangelical church in the area. Please pray with us to that end.

The first school we visited, the children heard the gospel
and received pencil cases and notebooks

Third school was a one room school with 21 students.

This pre-school has six students but no supplies for teaching.
We brought some puzzles, crayons and blocks.

Please continue to pray for our interactions with these schools, especially for the seeds that were planted yesterday, that they will take root and bear fruit. We have been asked to come and share with the parents of the students and specifically talk about moral issues.

Move over mom, there's a new cook in the house!

2011-05-03T21:52:00.002-05:00

I may have mentioned before that my two youngest daughters like to help me make dinner most nights. They are getting that they want to be able to do some of the things on their own. So I have a few things that I don't mind letting them do with little supervision. Tonight, I was going to make Pizza Quesadillas when Myah came into the kitchen and asked if she could help me or should I say make dinner while I watch her. Okay, I admit it, I helped a bit, but I really tried to let her do most of it by herself.

Can I help you?

Adding the cheese, yum!

Some pepperoni

Toasting the quesadilla in the frying pan

Cutting it into serving sized pieces

Of course, every good cook knows you need to try
your meal before you serve it.

History of Peruvian Cuisine

2011-04-27T14:43:00.000-05:00

This morning, Carmen and I took the moms to central Lima to see the exhibition of the history of Peruvian cuisine. The exhibits where very well done and everything was well explained. Did you know that Peruvians are responsible for domesticating the potato? It used to be poisonous to eat potatoes, who would have guessed, not me. Enjoy the few pictures I was able to take this morning.

Pachamanca - A meal cooked underground with hot rocks

Common home setting

Lady from Cajamarca

Our group

Map marking the origin of different dishes

Typical design found on Peruvian pottery

Good Friday in Cieneguilla

2011-04-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

We were invited by our friends the Kennedy's to spend the day with them and the kids from their children's home at a campamento in Cieneguilla. It was a fun day filled with swimming, games and yummy food.

Phase Ten

Sarah with her friends Mikayla and Lauren

Myah and sweet Ellie

Hannah and her special friend

Adventure

Peace in the Midst of the Storm

2011-04-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

Because every post should have a little sweetness.

This morning I woke up and realized that God has placed a peace upon my heart. Yesterday, I asked people to pray for our family, that God would give us wisdom with some decisions we need to make. A few people responded letting me know they were praying and I know that God is responding.

I wish that I could share with you this trial we are going through, but for now I am not able to. I am only able to ask you to continue praying for us as we try to make sense of things that don't seem to measure up. Please pray that we would continue to place God first and that we would seek to glorify and honor him as we walk through this valley. He is worthy of our love and obedience. Please also pray that we would not get discouraged and be tempted to do things in our own strength.

Sweet Fingerprints

2011-04-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

This week with the help of the moms in our MHM ministry we finished making the Easter cards for the Oasis sponsors. We had great time creating pictures using ink and fingerprints. The kids had a lot of fun using their imaginations to design their pictures. One morning the moms helped each of the littlest ones with their cards, oh it was so cute to see.

Room for One More

2011-04-01T22:24:00.001-05:00

Room for One More - Cover

When I was about 12 years old I received a copy of this book from my aunt and uncle for Christmas. I remember enjoying it, and for some reason as I have grown up it has always managed to remain a part of my library.

Room for One More * is the wonderful story of the Scott family who adopted 15 children from various countries of the world after having two biological daughters. I cannot fully explain what it is that I love about their story, but it is amazing to see how God carefully brought each of their 15 children into their family.

As Tyler and I prepare for our own adoption journey I have enjoyed reading this book again. Being reminded of God's incredible plan for our lives and encouraged to trust Him as He is leads us to grow our family through adoption.

When Tyler and I moved our family to Peru in 2007, it was evident that this was God's will for our family. Six years ago, I never would have imagined that God would be calling us to adopt, but I am so thankful that he is. Living and serving the Lord in Peru has given me so many opportunities to experience God's perfect faithfulness. He has always provided, watched over and cared for us. We are able to completely trust him because He is faithful. I am not saying that everything has been easy for us, but we have walked through each trial and difficult time because of Him.

We are not perfect people, nor are we perfect parents. We make tons of mistakes like everyone else and maybe even more than most. But, God doesn't call us because of who we are or what we have accomplished. He calls us according to His will. "The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous that other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you." Deuteronomy 7:7-8 "God chooses people according to his own purposes; he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works." Romans 9:11-12 There are countless examples in God's Word of him choosing the phsyically weak, unpopular, the materially poor, or simple person to fulfill his will. I am thankful for these passages, they serve as reminders to me that I don't need to be "perfect" to be used by God, but willing to be obedient.

* Room for One More written by Nyla Booth & Ann Scott

Peruvian Presidential Election

2011-03-29T22:09:00.000-05:00

In just a few weeks Peruvians will be heading to the polls to vote for their next President. We would encourage you to be praying with us that the Lord would bring about the best person for the job. There is great concern among many Peruvians about one of the candidates who is known to have some extremist views, yet he is in a tie for first at the moment according to new reports. We trust that God is in control and he will be with us and care for us no matter who becomes President.

Change of Season ...

2011-03-23T15:26:00.001-05:00

A number of families from the Oasis have children who are sick right now. It is very common during the time that the seasons begin to change. Please be praying that everyone with be better soon. This week two of our moms from MHM (Moms Helping Moms) have been at home with their children who have been ill.
Brenda

Love in Action

2011-03-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

Over the past few days we have had the privilege of spending time with our new friends Tracy and Ben Corey who are here in Peru to complete the adoption of their two daughters. Tracy and Ben chose to adopt older children and with this comes it's own set of challenges. Their daughters are ages 8 and 11. It is a scary thing to be taken from the only life you have known and be given to strangers. Even if you bond well and want to be with and be loved by your new family it can still be scary. There are a lot of new experiences ahead for these girls, a life in a new country, new language, new family members, different education system and the list goes on. It is obvious that Tracy and Ben's girls enjoy being with them, we have seen these girls making strides in bonding and accepting the love and affection of their new parents. At the same time we can see that is is hard for these sweet girls to trust someone. They were abandoned when they were very young and learned that trusting someone else only leads to dissappointment and heart break.

Today, I am asking you to pray with me for this family, for these precious girls. Pray especially for their older daughter who is afraid of being abandoned again and is afraid to trust someone new.

Playing tag is tons of fun!

Getting to Know Them

2011-03-13T20:53:00.001-05:00

We have been back in Peru for a little over two weeks now and I have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the ten new moms in our ministry. I have enjoyed getting to know each of them, learn about their families and get a glimpse into their hearts.

For those of you who are part of our support team I wanted to share with you a few prayer request and things about each mom, so you too can be praying for them and share a part in this ministry. To protect their privacy I have given each mom a pseudonym that will be theirs for the year.

Please be praying for

Anita

health of her husband Roger
that they will get running water and sewage drains
her Spiritual life
Her children Jade and Marcos

Beti

her husband
a place to live
her children Yilmar and Diego
provision for her necessities

Carolina

her son Miguel Angel
her husband Jesus
her mother who lives in Ayacucho

Diana

her daughter Regina - her life and a job for her
the health of the whole family
her 7 children

Elina

health of her daughter Celinda
work for her husband
Spiritual lives of her and her husband

Fiorella

health of her sone Nataniel
the necessities for her home

Gina

health of her children Milagros and Zulika
purchase of land for a home

Isabel

her children Maria Fernanda, Paolo and Camila
her property

Julia

the health of her husband Emiliano and her children
her home
the health of each mom in the program

Haydi

God's provision for her family. Her husband broke his arm before Christmas and needed seven screws put in to help set the bones. They have an overwhelming debt from his medical care and he is still not able to return to work.
shoes, uniforms and school supplies for her three children

Carmen (my co-worker)

God's strength and provision
school supplies for her daughters

Please pray for Carmen and I as we minister to these precious women whom God has brought into our care, that we will be wise, kind and an example of God's love.

Neighbourhood Destroyed by Fire

2011-03-12T18:55:00.001-05:00

This morning Tyler and I went with our friend to find her sister after learning that all of the homes in her neighbourhood had been burnt down through the night by a group of neighbours. I was not prepared for what we would see. It was awful to see the destruction and hear the families crying over that loss of their homes. Our friend Mike has a bus from one of his church plants near the area that wast burnt down. Mike came and took some quilts that we brought back with us to give to some of the families. Our girls without being asked went into their closets and took out some of their clothes that they wanted to donate to the families. This week I think that Tyler and Mike with make some visits to help and encourage these people who have lost everything.

One house with burnt out matresses

Remains of homes

Please be in prayer for these families as they have been left homeless and with nothing to call their own. Pray that they will be wise and not seek revenge and that they will experience God's love through the ministry of Mike and Tyler.

Tsunami Warning.... We are Safe!

2011-03-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

For any of you checking in because you have heard about the tsunami warning for Peru. We want to let you know that we are safe. We live quite a long way from the coast and should not have any reason to worry. Please pray for those however who live along the coast and have nowhere to go, that the Lord will watch over them and keep them safe.

Reading and New Friends

2011-03-10T20:49:00.000-05:00

As we prepare for our hopeful adoption in the next year, I have begun reading some suggested books about adoption. Including Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child by Patricia Cogen. it has been very interesting and I am only on the thrid or forth chapter. So far the book has touched on the feelings of loss that an orphaned child experiences and the effect that this has on their brain develpoment. It also addresses the need for parents to be pro-active rather than reactive to their child's needs and to realize that sometimes the actions and emotions they display are not what they really want to express. A parent needs to think of things from his/her child's perspective and the difficulty an adopted child may have trusting that they will be loved and cared for forever and will not be handed over to yet another person.

Another thing that we were advised to do was to find other adoptive parents with whom we can learn and understand more about adoption, the process and parenting adopted children. This has been a lot of fun for me and I have made several wonderful new friends that I feel blessed to know.

One of my new friends is here in Peru this month with her husband to bring home their daughters. It has been to wonderful to read about their time together, getting to know one another and looking at pictures that are priceless. if you are interested in reading about my friend Tracy's adoption journey please check out her blog Corey Times. Sometime while Tracy and her husband Ben are here with their girls we hope to get together in person. I am looking forward to that day.

Winter Horseback Riding

2011-03-08T20:38:00.000-05:00

Hannah with Pilar

During our time in Canada, we allowed the girls to each pick one activity that they wanted to do for a month or so. Who would have guessed that all three of our girls would choose horse back riding. I always thought that was just Hannah's thing, but aparently I am wrong.

For 5 weeks the girls learned how to groom their horses and get them ready to ride. They have an hour and a half lessson each week. It was cold and full of all the wonderful smells that come along with a barn, but the girls didn't care, they were happy.

Myah with Buttercup the little nibbler

Sarah with Ben

Starting to Feel Like a Home

2011-03-06T19:14:00.003-05:00

"Mom, we want to be in the picture!"

After living in Peru for nearly 4 years, we have finally hung some pictures on the wall. Renting a place to live is not the same as owning your own home and we have not felt the freedom to add our own personal touch to our living space. That has all changed now. Before we went on furlough in December we spoke to our land lady about the need we saw for making our girls feel like they are in their own home. We were so thankful that she gave us permission to hang pictures and drill holes in the walls to put up some shelving.

What a difference a few pictures can make. There is a totally different feeling when we walk into our house and see familiar pictures and belongings on the walls. It has given us a new level of comfort in our surroundings.

Family Portraits

Belts and table runners from Guatemala and Peru

Do You Know What I Love About God's Word?

2011-03-03T22:55:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love that God's Word is living and active.

Yesterday I was reflecting on how God's thoughts and ways are higher than mine. There were a number of things from my life that prompted me to meditate on this. It is funny how I always think that I can come up with the greatest plans and ideas. But, what generally tends to happen is I try to manipulate things to get my own way and cause more trouble and frustration. Now, if I would be wise and surrender my will to God's will before I make a mess of things, I think things could be a bit easier. I am not saying that there wouldn't be trials and opportunity to grow, but it would maybe be less chaotic. I am sure that somedays God is sitting there thinking "Okay Brenda, you try things your way, and when you've exhausted yourself and are ready to do things my way, I'll be here."

So, today when I signed into my blog and saw that the very words I was reflecting on yesterday were the Bible Verse of the day, I was humbled. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaih 55:8-9 NIV

I am so thankful that God uses His word to speak to His children in love, to encourage and discipline.

First Step

2011-02-28T10:24:00.002-05:00

We just signed up for the first of three mandatory sessions required to begin our adoption in Peru. Our first meeting will be in May with the National Secretary of Adoptions. We are grateful for your prayers.

Arrived Safely

2011-02-24T19:36:00.000-05:00

We are so thankful to everyone who prayed for our return to Peru. We had a good flight and the girls were so calm and well behaved on the plane. This made the long 8 hours go by much better than anticipated.
We arrived home to see some of the changes that were made during our absence and find the main living area newly painted, and we are pleased with how things look.

We spent the day unpacking and organizing the things we brought back. The girls will begin school tomorrow and Tyler and I will return to our responsibilities on Monday.

Brenda

The Reactions So Far...

2011-01-10T11:44:00.000-05:00

Well, we have finally begun to tell people of our plans to adopt and I have been pleasantly surprised by everyone's reactions. Everyone has been so excited for us and I am glad.

As we share the details of how God has lead us to this point I am reminded everyday that this is His plan and He will guide us through it all. I would like to hope that we will not have any of the trying times with paperwork and such things as we begin this adoption, however if we do I know it is because God is choosing to refine us a little more and it is not meant to discourage us but increase our faith.

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged us as we begin this new journey. I cannot even begin to explain how very excited our three girls are. It has been hard for them to keep this to themselves as they are equally as delighted about the addition to our family as we are. We look forward to sharing our joy with you.

She Doesn't Know My Name

2011-01-05T11:17:00.001-05:00

This Christmas I spent part of the day with my parents and family and my grandma. I was quick to see that she had changed much in the two years since I had seen her and the saddest part was that she doesn't know my name. I should not have been surprised, we were warned that her Alzheimer's was getting worse. I suppose I was just not expecting that she would not remember me even a little bit. It was hard to see how she was easily confused by what was going on and that she could not remember from one minute to the next that it was Christmas and that was why people had given her gifts. She tired quickly and wanted to go home to her nursing home where she could rest in quiet.

We knew as we left Canada three and a half years ago that one day we would be faced with the fact that our Grandmothers would be getting older, changing and and possibly would not be here when we returned. Though my grandma is physically here, she is not fully here and that is a little hard. I have many fond memories of playing with her at her house during the countless sleepovers I had as a child. Taking everything out of her cupboards and turning her living room into a little market, playing beauty parlor, playing her organ or guitar and many other games.

Our girls will have different experiences with their grandparents as they live 6000 km apart and their time with them is crammed into 2 or 3 month periods every few years. I know that their time can be equally as special and maybe even more so as they realize that it is not possible to spend time together regularly. I hope that they will enjoy their time together and build great memories like I have of my grandma to last a lifetime.

Brenda

This Christmas

2010-12-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

It has been funny for me the past few weeks preparing for Christmas this year. In the back of my mind I cannot help but think that next year I may be a mother to 4 or 5 and not just the three wonderful girls I have right now. Tomorrow I believe is when we will share with our families of our hope to adopt. I am not sure of the reactions we will receive, but you can be sure that I have played out many scenarios in my mind.

I am excited when I think about my other children and who they may be. Our two oldest daughters, who know of our plans to adopt can barely contain their excitement and ask questions regularly. They are awaiting the moment when they can freely talk about their new siblings without worry that someone might hear before the announcement.

So, this Christmas I will celebrate the birth of my beloved Savior with my family as I look forward to next year and the hope that we will be joined by the rest of our family.

May you be blessed this Christmas as you reflect on the amazing birth and life of our Savior who gave us the right to become children of God.

Reverse Culture Shock

2010-12-14T18:29:00.000-05:00

I have heard that this is a possibility and I guess that I experienced a little of it 2 years ago when we came back for medical reasons. However, this time I am definitely noticing reverse culture shock. Maybe it is because more things have changed, or maybe I have changed. I actually believe that both of these statements are true. It could be that I feel like Peru is my earthly home now until I am in my eternal home. I am not really sure.

I am not the only one in our family who is currently experiencing a difficult adjustment to North American culture. Myah has asked to go home every day since we arrived. This does not surprise me though as she has little to no memory of Canada, as she was only 2 years old when we moved to Peru.

Beyond the adjustments to being here, we are doing well. Hannah and Sarah had a lot of fun visiting with friends from church on Sunday, and everyone has enjoyed seeing family members. We look forward to the time we have to spend with friends and loved ones.

Please continue to pray for us over the next few weeks.

Brenda

Mixed Emotions

2010-12-06T21:11:00.000-05:00

Today was a great day! We started it off by going to our friends children's home to play with and hold babies. Any of you who know me well, will know how much I love this. Then in the afternoon everyone from our children's home had a despedida (going away party) for us. They made a special lunch, one of Tyler's favourites. When the meal was done different kids and some of the adults said some very kind words of appreciation to us. They finished the afternoon by praying for us and our family. It added to the mixed emotions that we feel when leaving here. We love visiting with family and friends in Canada, but this is our home now and we love and are loved by so many here. We need the time to refresh and share with others, so it is a good thing and I know we will enjoy it, but we will also be missing some very special people in our lives.

As an added surprise mu friend Isabel along with her husband and 4 of her children came to say good bye to us and brought me a cake for my birthday that is coming up. We had a great visit with them. We will really miss them. Their second youngest daughter will turn 3 on Wednesday, it was fun to go out and find a baby doll for her. She loves dolls and spent the entire visit playing with her baby.

So, we have less that 48 hours before we head to the airport. It won`t be long now and we will be where it is nearly 40 degrees colder!!!

Brenda

Passing Thoughts

2010-12-01T15:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I feel funny writing a blog that for now has no one else to read it. At least until we tell our families about our plans to adopt. It would be kind of mean for them to learn about them just by coming across our blog.

It is hard to belive that we have to wait at least three months before we can even begin the process of adoption. When I was talking with my husband the other day he said to me " I think it is God's timing that we wait, or our time in Canada might be consumed with the wrong thing." Not the adopting is the wrong thing, but that our time in Canada is to be spent sharing with our family, friends and supporters about what we have been doing over the past three years.I can completely understand what Tyler was saying.

Over the past week I have read a fair bit about God's care and love for orphans. His word says so much about this. He LOVES the orphan and widow. If you think about it we ourselves were orphans. Sin left us as orphans and God in his grace adopted us into His family. What an amazing priviledge to be part of His family. As we move forward in obedience to God's leading in our lives to adopt, I pray that He will continue to change and challenge my heart, and that I will become more and more like him.

Christmas Project Progress

2010-11-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to finishe a few Christmas presents I started making a litle while ago. I am still working hard on my hexagon quilt. With less than a month to go, I do think it will get finished, but not with much time to spare.

Pillow front for my Grandma

Fun Sunday Afternoon

2010-11-29T15:14:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago we spent the afternoon with two daughters of a friend of mine from Manchay. We went to La Granja del Abuelo and to fly kites on the beach. Unfortunately the wind was not co-operating for us to get our kites off the ground. Instead we sat on the rocks listening to the sound of the waves as they crashed onto the rocks. It was a fun afternoon for all.

Brenda

Emotions

2010-11-27T19:42:00.000-05:00

I have to say that I am full of emotions these past few days. I am overwhelmed (in a good way) by how God has been working in our hearts and leading us into adoption. I feel like I cannot read enough to help me understand the process that lays ahead. I am thankful for the different families who have shared their stories on different blogs. It has encouraged me and opened my eyes and heart. I cannot wait for the day when we bring our little ones home. Though we have not even begun the application process, I have started praying for our child(ren), their birth mother and the workers who will guide us through our adoption. I praise God for His love, grace and mercy in my life and allowing me to be a mother to those He gives me.

Our Journey Begins...

2010-11-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

Today, was the first step in our journey to have another child. Tyler and I went to the National Secretary of Adoptions (SNA) in Peru to inquire about adopting a child or two. We met briefly with a psycologist who answered a few of the questions we had and she asked us a few in return; our reasons for adopting, our ages, how many children we already have and their ages? At the end of our meeting she told us about making arragements when we return to Peru in February to begin the process of applying to adopt. She also told us the we would be considered to adopt children under the age of five, based on our ages and the ages of our girls if approved.

So, we begin the journey to having our next precious child(ren). We know that this a process that will test our faith and our patience. But we look forward to seeing what God has instore for us and our family.

Canning and Preserving...Ever Tried it?

2010-11-11T00:13:00.000-05:00

I have several memories from my childhood of my Grandma MacDonald coming to our house in the late summer and early fall to help my mom with her canning. I remember that I did not care for the smells of her chili sauce or relish, but oh the jams and the fruits, they were delightful.

My Grandma was one very special lady. She was an amazing cook and could whip something up without the need of her recipe (she had them all memorized) and it would come out amazing. One year she even taught me how to make Pumpkin Pie while I was visiting with her at my uncle's farm and she let me make a mini one for myself. She was a lot of fun.

Recently, I have been looking into canning and preserving some things for the first time. I admit the thought occured to me during our first year in Peru however, canning supplies and tools are not something to be found here. I am hoping to buy some while we are on our furlough to bring back with us. I have dreams of making jams, pumpkin butter, barbeque and chili sauce, and I hope that I can do this with our girls.

Do you have a favourite recipe you use for jams, jellies or other preserves? Do you want to share them? Maybe you have some great tips you could share with me, I would love to hear from you.

Pictures from
BERNARDIN

Myah Riding a Two Wheeler

2010-11-05T20:21:00.000-05:00

This video was taken a few minutes after Myah learned how to ride her bike the other weekend.

Family Cravings...

2010-11-03T09:07:00.000-05:00

There are some funny conversations happening at our house lately. If you were to walk by our window and listened for a bit you might wonder what was going on as you hear "yum, oh, and I can't wait." No, no one is excited about the dinner I made (though it does happen on occasion). We are all talking about the foods we miss and what we plan to eat during our two months in Canada.

Before you being thinking that the food in Peru is not to our liking, I will tell you that it not the case. It is just that we miss some of our favourite things that you cannot get here. You know some of those childhood favourites. Four out of five people in our house are so excited about having a glass of root beer. Others are excited about traditional fish & chips and unanimously everyone is dying to go for a Harvey`s hamburger.

So for fun I thought I would leave you with a list of things that some or all of us miss and hope to try again in a few short weeks.

Harvest Crunch Cereal
Reese peanut Buttercups
Potato Chips of almost any flavour but plain!!! Sour Cream & Onion, Barbeque, Salt & Vinegar
Velveeta Cheese
Black Forest Ham
Arby`s Chicken Cordon Bleu
Fruits and Vegetables that we cannot get here
Bagels
Moose Winooski Wings

I know there are more things that have been mentioned around here but, I`d better stop now or I might start drooling on my computer.

Bloggers Quilt Festival - Cupcake Quilt

2010-10-29T07:42:00.000-05:00

Amy at Amy's Creative Side is hosting the Bloggers Quilt Festival. Pop on over to her blog to check it out.

Three years ago we moved from Canada to Peru. When we moved, I decided to make special quilt for each of my daughters. I came across the Yellow Brick Road pattern and decided to try it. It was the first time I had made a quilt using fat quarters.

I chose this particular fabric for my youngest daughter. The first gift I received for her when she was born was a pair of sleepers with little cupcakes on them, they were my favourite. Myah affectionately became nicknamed Pinker due to all of her pink clothes. When I came across the cupcake fabric, I couldn't resist. I admit that I did not like the compination of colours while I was piecing it, but when it was all put together, I loved it. I am grateful to my mother in law who helped me with the hand quilting. It makes this quilt even more special that it was worked on by two generations. It remains one of my favourite quilts to this day and Myah sleeps with it every night.

Myah with her quilt

Hand quilting

Weekend Fun at the Juniper Tree

2010-10-25T15:17:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we spent a few hours at the Juniper Tree with the kids from the home and the Oasis during their first ever olympics. I enjoyed watching the activities and taking pictures of some very sweet faces.

Brenda

Fall Newsletter 2010

2010-10-20T09:12:00.001-05:00

Foss Fall Newsletter 2010 2

Brenda

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-10-11T08:51:00.000-05:00

I think it is only appropriate that todays post be about the things I am thankful for in my life.

Most importantly, God's amazing and all sufficient grace and salvation.
My husband who loves me inspite of all my short comings. Plus he likes to wash dishes, which is one of my least favourite jobs, thanks honey.
My three daughters who delight me, challange me to live by example and allow me to see anew the wonder of God's world throught their eyes.
Being able to share God's love and word with so many amazing people in Peru. For God's continued presence and strength to carry me through the hard times in doing so.
God's Word, The Holy Bible, one of my greatest comforts.
Family and friends with whom to share life's joys and sorrows.
The ability to use my hands to make things such as quilts and clothing.

I could continue to list so many other things, though most of them are related in some way to the things I have already mentioned.

So how about you? What are you thankful for this day?

Sew and Tell with AmyLouWho

2010-10-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

My finished project this week is an adorable backpack I made using this backpack tutorial from Moda Bakeshop. It was well written and easy to follow. I made a few adjustments to make it work with the fabrics that I had and ended up using 1yd for each the main fabric and the lining and 1/2 yd for the inside pocket and ties. I also did not have any magnet snaps so I made a strap and ran that through the top of the bag and added two button holes for the fabric to pass through. I plan to make a few smaller ones that can be used for small toys and games while traveling.

Stop by to add your link and check out everyone's work.

Here is a link to the pdf file with my adjustments to the pattern for this backpack.

All the Foss Girls (and mom)

2010-10-04T16:27:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures form Hannah`s birthday dinner. We had a lot of fun together and managed to get a few good pictures.

So Frustrating!

2010-10-02T20:05:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, we took the girls to see Nanny McPhee 2. It was a fun movie and sweet as well. The part that makes me so mad though is that the first two adds were very provocative and completely inappropriate for children. Why do they do this? I hate having to tell my kids to close their eyes and plug their ears until it's over, I shouldn't have to. There is no need for this kind of add at all in my opinion, but absolutely not at a childrens movie.

Just needed to get that off my chest, thanks for letting me vent.

Applique Tree Pillow

2010-10-02T08:29:00.000-05:00

I made this throw pillow front the other day. My inspiration came from this tutorial by cluck cluck sew. I didn't want to copy her design completely, so I came up with my own interpretation. Hope you enjoy is as much as I do.

Hexagon Piecing is DONE!!!

2010-09-29T16:23:00.000-05:00

After nearly one month of working on my hexagon project, I have finished piecing all of the flowers. I still need to add the borders and quilt it. I have to say that to all of you who are making larger quilts than I am, I admire your patience and determination.

I am so please with how this has turned out, and I am looking forward to seeing the finished project.

I became a mom...

2010-09-28T08:56:00.000-05:00

Twelve years ago today, to a precious little girl. It is hard fo me to believe how fast the years have gone by.

Hannah, I pray that you will seek the Lord with all your heart and live to glorify Him in all you do. You are a special part of His creation and He loves you. This verse I give to you today; "But, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He is like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17: 7-8

I love you Hannah, and hope you have a wonderful day.

Love,
Mom

Three Years Ago Today......

2010-09-24T23:11:00.000-05:00

This is what we were doing

Bording a plane for an 8 hour flight, as we moved from Canada to Peru. I can hardly belive how fast the past three years have passed. God has been faithful to us and he has helped every day. We have seen much, loved much and also grown in many ways. Thanks you to everyone who has prayed for our ministry here and for the people that we love. We look forward to many more years of ministry here in Peru.

So Adorable...

2010-09-20T10:54:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of SarahJane? I came across her blog a few months ago and I love it. She is a wonderful artist and illustrator. She also has a beautiful Esty shop where you can buy her prints, stationary and patterns for embroidery. That is where this post is leading.

I wanted to try my hand at embroidery and I came across Sarah's Months of the year patterns.I decided to try the April Showers pattern. Can I just tell you how much I love it? I was surprised by how easy it was for my first try. I think I may just have to try a few more.

So if you like adorable embroidery or just sweet prints I encourage you to stop by SarahJane's blog or her shop, you'll enjoy it.

A Question for all of my Quilting Friends...

2010-09-17T08:57:00.000-05:00

I am wondering if there is a list detailing which Bella Solids by Moda go with each fabric collection? I know I can buy a color card, and I will next time I order fabric. I just don't want to try matching up on my computer screen, as it often turns out the colors are a bit off.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me.

Mission Accomplished!

2010-09-11T19:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my new friend Sarah, who told me about a great pattern for a new pin cushion at Spun Sugar Quilts. I managed to find the perfect scraps and whip one up this afternoon. Sadly the flash on my camera is not working and the pictures aren't turning out, so I will take a few tomorrow during the daylight. Thanks Sarah for your help.

Below are a few pictures of my progress with the hexagon quilt along.

Pin Cushion

2010-09-10T23:26:00.000-05:00

Okay it has now become apparent that I need to make myself a pin cushion. I heve never really needed one before, as I seldom did any hand sewing. However, this heagon quilt project has proven that I need an easy place to store my needle when I am not sewing. So be sure to check back and see what I come up with. I was thinking about some cute design ideas today, but practicality may take precidence for right now. If you want to see a few pics of some neat pin cushions others have made check out Sew Picture Perfect, she posted some great ones yesterday. I love the little felt flower ones.

River Fishing and More Hexagon Madness

2010-09-06T18:53:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we packed our lunch, hopped in the car an drove along a narrow winding one lane road along the mountains for two hours to go fishing. I know you are thinking to yourself, you guys must be crazy. You might be right, but it was also a fun way to spend an afternoon as a family. We didn't catch anything, but that didn't seem to matter to anyone.

And now for the progress made on my hexagons 572 down and 226 to go.

Hexagon Craziness

2010-09-03T18:55:00.000-05:00

The other day I was browsing through a few of my favourite sewing blogs, when I came upon a Quilt Along using hexagons. I have never done paper piecing before and thought I would try it out. As was predicted by fellow quilters, it is addicting and I have now decided to join the quilt along and make a quilt for my husband's grandmother for Christmas.

Because of living in South America and not having any other visitors before we go on furlough I have had to be creative and design my own templates for the piecing, but I don't mind. So how about you? Do you want to join me in this quilting advernture? Pop on over to Texas Freckles blog to learn about quilting with hexagons and have some fun.

Here are a few pictures of what I have done so far.

The beginnings of Grammy's quilt. I am using Fig & Plum by Fig Tree Quilts. On average I am basting about 80 hexagons a night. 240 down about 900 to go!

My first attempt that got me hooked, using scraps leftover from Sarah's Yellow Brick Road quilt.

P.S.
Here's a link to the flicker group with some inspiring pics.

Casa de Don Cucho - Inspiration

2010-08-31T10:36:00.000-05:00

The other day we went to this really great resturant in Pachacamac with our girls and a few friends. We had a great time and as we were leaving I took a few pictures. If I was at all artistic I believe they would inspire some fun fabric designs, but alas I am a quilter not a designer.

With my husband

Accuquilt Go Giveaway!

2010-08-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

Heather over at A La Mode is having a giveaway for the new Go Cutter. I just learned about this cutter a few days ago, and man it looks like something I could use. If you want to learn more about it and enter for your chance to win one head over to Heather's blog.

2010-08-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

On Monday morning one of my friends gave birth to a baby girl. It was so much fun to visit with her and to hold her little one, she was only three hours old. Raquel weighed 6lbs 2 oz and has a head full of thick black hair. Please be praying for Isabel, her husband and family.

Praying and Waiting * Update

2010-08-14T16:51:00.000-05:00

*Tyler's test went well yesterday. We are awaiting results from the pathologist, we will know the results on Friday.*

I am not exactly sure what I should write, or how much to say about something that is going on in our house. So, I will simply ask you to be praying with us over the next few days. My husband has developed some troubling symptoms with his health in the last few days and we went to the hospital last night, where they have booked him for testing on Monday. I wish I could share more with you about what is going on, but at this point we just know that whatever is going on, it is not normal. Yesterday, I was in shock and of course all of the worries that a wife can have for her husband come to mind, it was a hard day. But, I am thankful for God's perfect presence and I know that above all He is in control. I just need to trust Him.

Again, please pray along with us and I will update you soon.

HBC Team 2010

2010-08-09T18:34:00.000-05:00

Last week we hosted a team of 9 from our home church in Canada. We had a lot of fun and they worked hard on the sports court at the Juniper Tree (children's home). On Friday evening we had everyone over for dinner, again it was a great time.

Sweet Faces

2010-08-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we spent the day at our children's home. It gave me the opportunity to spend time with the kids and grab a few great new pics.

"When Invisible Children Sing"

2010-07-30T21:19:00.000-05:00

Recently, I read a great book by this title written by Dr. Chi Huang. He wrote about his experiences with the street children in the mountains of Bolivia, where he lived for one year. This book was so amazing, yet heartbreaking for me as I read it. I have heard stories of how homeless children are treated in under developed countries and sadly the stories of the children in this book were no exception. It is hard for me to understand that someone could look at another person and decide they were of little or no value. My heart grieved as Chi Huang told of the events of five childrens lives. Looked upon as trash, because they were homeless and therefore unwanted and unaccepted.

I realize there is no overnight cure to poverty or homelessness. But, I believe that we need to look at others through the eyes of Jesus. Full of compassion. When I read about Jesus' ministry, I am amazed at His compassion for others. His ability and willingness to reach out to the most undesired and unwanted and love them, to touch them and to heal them both physically and spiritually.

I hope that as I interact with the people of Peru that I am living as Jesus did. Loving others even when it is hard. Speaking the truth and leading by example.

Recycling Pens and Pencils

2010-07-28T20:32:00.000-05:00

My sister in law Jen is a teacher in Canada. A few months ago, we were talking about the large expense that school supplies are for many of the families we work with. Jen is head of her schools enviromental group and she came up with a great idea to recycle her students school supplies at the end of the school year. With the help of the kids and families from her school, they collected enough supplies to fill 40 pencil cases with pens, pencils, pencil crayons and more. They also brought reusable lunch bags. Today we went to visit with some of the families from our care center ministry. It was a lot of fun to see the kids faces light up when they opened their pencil cases and saw all the goodies inside. Here are a few pictures from our visits.

Thank you to everyone from Clemens Mill Public School who helped with the collection and organizing of pencil cases. Your kindness in sharing your school supplies with be a great help to several families in Peru.

Pictures from Paracas

2010-07-26T11:29:00.000-05:00

I thought I would post a few pictures of our recent trip to Paracas with my husband's family.

and my favorite.....

For Women Only

2010-07-23T17:52:00.000-05:00

Right now I am on holiday with my husband's parents and sister and her family in Paracas. It is beautiful here but very windy this time of year. Our girls have had a wonderful time palying with their cousins on the beach and collecting shells. This morning they went on a boat ride to nearby islands to see penguins, sea lions and starfish.

During the past two days I have had the opportunity to read one of the new books I ordered that my in- laws brought with them. The book was For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn. I was quite surprised by much of what I learned in this book. It deals with things that most men wish women knew about men, but don't really know how to tell us. There were a few things that I maybe had expected, but was surprised at how important they were. I have also purchased the book For Men Only writtne by Shaunti's husband for my husband. I think when we are finished it would be good for us to maybe have a chat about the things that are most important to each of us personally. I do believe that this information would be good for us to communicate better with each other and understand one anothers needs. If you are a woman who is sometimes confused by your husband's reactions, or emotions I would recommend this book to you, to help give insight.

Thirteen Years

2010-07-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

Today we are celebrating our thirteenth wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary to the love of my life.

Traffic, traffic and more traffic

2010-07-18T08:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we tried to go to one of the zoos here in Lima with Jen, Richard and all the girls. Things started out well until we hit construction where six lanes of opposing traffic were being narrowed down to one! In all of the confusion, we could not find the intrance to the zoo. Thankfully the girls did not protest too much when we decided not to try going back through the craziness to look for the zoo. Instead we drove a short bit further along the road and came to this park with a few things to paly on and a small market.

A Favorite Memory

2010-07-14T11:08:00.000-05:00

I love this picture of Sarah and Myah. It was taken nealry five years ago durig our first time in Peru. Tomorrow, Myah will turn six years old and I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone by since her birth.

What Kind of Blog ?

2010-07-12T18:18:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about the kind of blog I want this to be. I like so many different kinds of things, but in reality I cannot have a seperate blog for each of those things. It would take over my life, and since I am not sure that anyone actually reads my blog, it would be a little ridiculous. Last week I admit I was so pre-occupied with making sure that people could find my blog, that I signed up for so many different things. In the last day or so I have thought more about it and realized how silly that was. Sure I would love to know that someone enjoys reading my blog, but in the end that does not define who I am or my value.

So, what kind of blog do I want to have? I have thought about the different blogs I enjoy. Some are about sewing or quilting. Others about being a mom, or recipes or about growing in one's walk with God. When you get right down to it. I would like my blog to have an element of each of these things.

I am not an expert in anything. Though I have been a believer in Jesus for as long as I can remember, I still make mistakes and sin, and I do not have the Bible memorized. I am a misionary who works with orphaned children and severly impoverished moms and their children. Most days I am in awe that God has called me to serve Him in this way.

I have been married for thirteen years to my husband Tyler. Together we have three daughters, Hannah, Sarah and Myah. I am not the perfect wife or mother, but each day I work to improve that. I have arguments with my husband, sometimes get frustrated with my kids, just like everybody else.

I hope that you will enjoy what I have to share with you as I walk this journey through life, seeking each day to become more like Christ. If you decide to stick around and read my blog, I would like to thank you. If you have any comments, I would love to hear them and if you have have a blog of your own, please leave me link so I can stop by.

Blessings,
Brenda

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-08T22:06:00.000-05:00

Lisa over at The Nut House started a Thankful Thursday post and has invited others to join in. So, here I go.

What am I thankful for today?

I am thankful for my husband who likes to wash the dishes. I am so grateful as washing dishes is one of my least favourite jobs.

For our friends Jon and Elise, who have served along side us for two years here in Peru. We will miss them very much when they return to the U.S.

For my friend Kim and her husband and girls who came to visit for two weeks. It has been ao great to see her again.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-07T08:51:00.000-05:00

Try it Tuesdays

2010-07-06T17:05:00.000-05:00

I thought I would try adding a hopefully regular feature to my blog. With two very picky eaters in our family I thought why not try something called "Try it Tuesdays." The idea is to come up with different things to try serving for dinner. I hope that it will be fun and be a way to get my picky eaters to try something new. So feel free to joins us as we have "Try it Tuesdays."

On tonight's menu, Make your own Pizzas. I have whole wheat pitas with yummy tomato sauce and I have cut up a number of different ingredients; pineapple, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, bacon, parmesan cheese and mozarella. I think we will have a contest to see who can make the best face using the different toppings.

The girls were happy to help make their pizzas. It was fun to watch them create their faces with the toppings.

We had a bit of success with the girls trying new pizza toppings. Hannah put onions and mushrooms on her pizza and Sarah tried pineapple.

So now I have a few days to start thinking about next Tuesday and what we will try. Maybe a new recipe, or a new vegetable. You'll have to wait and see.

In the Bag

2010-07-05T09:21:00.000-05:00

Last week, my friend Kim from Georgia came to visit. Kim and her husband were also missionaries here in Peru for a number of years, until an illness took them home. It has been so much fun to spend time with Kim again. The other day I was in my sewing room and got the bug to make another bag. With the help of my daughters Hannah and Sarah and Hannah's friend Paige (Kim's daughter) we made this bag together. I love the colours and the velvet ribbons we added. It was a fun way to spend time with the girls and even more fun to see the look on Kim's face when we gave her, her bag.

Scrap Bag

2010-06-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

I came across these leftover pieces from a quilt I made a while ago and decided I could use them to make something else. Within a few minutes, I was working on this scrap bag/purse. It was fast to piece together and I like how it turned out. So do all of my girls, who keep asking if it is for one of them. I don't know yet, I'll have to see.

Family Visits with Holy Trinity Team.

2010-06-26T18:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I went with the women from our current team from Holy Trinity Anglican Chruch in Raleigh N.C. to visit with some of the moms from our current and past MHM programs. We had a wonderful time with each family that we visited. This morning I received a note from the team telling me how much they loved and admired my love for the women of Manchay. I cannot express how special it is to hear these words and how encouraging it is to know that there is evidence of Christ at work in me and using me for His glory. Thank you for your kind words and expression of love for the people of Peru.

Here are a few pictures from our travels.

Brenda

Mini Me Paper Dolls by Lily & Thistle

2010-06-26T17:18:00.000-05:00

The other day I came across these really cute paper dolls by Lily & Thistle. Myah loves to play with paper dolls, so I thought I would get some for her to play with during the next month and a half off school. Also, they would be perfect for when my nieces are here next month. You can buy them pre-printed or print them yourself. I chose to print them myself as having mail sent to Peru can take a while. You can have your doll custom made by choosing hair style and colour, skin colour and extras like freckles or eye glasses. Also there are several different clothing sets; Spring, Summer, Fairy Tale and Girls of Literature. Check them out and if you want to try a few freebies click here.

Passing Thoughts

2010-06-25T14:45:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I was talking with a friend and we were discussing the challanges of being moms. I think as a girl I grew up believing that it would be easy to be a parent, and I wouldn't be like the mom in the grocery store with the screaming kids. Well, as I'm sure you have guessed, I was wrong. My kids have had their share of moments, as have I, and being a mom has not proven to be easy. I love my three girls and my hope for them is to grow up loving God with all their hearts. Trusting in Him completely for their salvation and living to honor HIm in all they do. But, in order for this to happen, I need to be leading, guiding and teaching them everyday, this is what God commands of us as parents. "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6 :5-7 I often think of this verse. I think that rather than being overwhelmed thinking I have to be doing something every moment to teach my children, is to realize that God gives us opportunities to do this everyday. Sometimes it is in simple quiet moments, or moments of disciplining our children, or maybe just playing a game with them. I have often been surprised how often and easy it is to make the most of these moments with our girls and I enjoy them very much.

Brenda

Crazy Log Cabin

2010-06-22T19:03:00.000-05:00

I was browsing through a few blogs the other day and was inspired to create this Crazy log cabin quilt block. I think that I will make it into a pot holder. Quick and easy, it is a fun way to use up scraps.