Above Pucallpa

I (Becca) had the opportunity a few weeks ago to take a joy ride with SAMAIR above Pucallpa. Our friend Erica, who was a teacher at SAM Academy, had a visit from her parents and we all took a flight on a float plane. It was a lot of fun! Our friend and pilot Craig Gahagen flew us.

I've lived here a few years, have flown in and out of Pucallpa, but never got to see it like this, especially some mountains at the Brazil boarder!

The Mountains I never knew were there at the Brazil boarder!

A beautiful rainbow

Downtown Pucallpa

Our area of town, the big building is the new mall, and our neighborhood and SAM Center are just below and to the left of it

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SHAMELESS PLUG

SAM ACADEMY NEEDS TEACHERS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR!!! ITS NOT TOO LATE!!!

This is a picture of this last year's students and teachers, next year we're expecting as many students-if not more- and less teaching staff. Most teachers come down for 1-2 year terms and those terms were finished leaving some holes. If you are a teacher or know someone who is and who would enjoy teaching missionary kids, here's a great chance!! Just email us and we'll get you in touch with the right person!!! (mrkitron@southamericamission.org)

SAM Academy Field Day

Marshall taught "Kings and Prophets" with the Seniors at SAM Academy this year, as well as Middle School and High School PE. At the end of each year there is a Field Day for the school, and Marshall was the main man organizing it.  Some events took place during PE in May, but most events took place at Cashibo where the SAMAIR base is. It was a fun morning watching the kids race and compete, as well as a few adults.

Here are a few snapshots from the day:

It was a fun way to end the school year!!!

"Dispuestos a Esperar" Willing to Wait

The crisis pregnancy center has a group of women that have gone through a training to teach an abstinence course in local schools. I (Becca) missed that training while we were still in the US. Everything was lined up with the volunteers for the various schools and classes that wanted us to come and share, except one class-5B at the San Fernando public school. There was no one to teach that class on Monday mornings. So Stephanie Edgar (another SAM missionary) who's in charge of the crisis pregnancy center asked me if I would be willing to teach the class. My flesh was reluctant at first....though waiting until marriage was my decision and I believe it is right to do, I would be teaching to a group of 15-16 year olds in a rougher area of town at a school that I learned last year had its own prostitution ring. But there was no one else to teach them, so I accepted the challenge, hoping that at least one would decide on purity, but knowing even if not, that I was being obedient and that God would work in me regardless!

The course material is great! It covers so many reasons why waiting for sex until marriage is a positive alternative option: from adolescent pregnancies, financial responsibilities for a baby, STDs, emotional baggage, how to handle the pressure, healthy and unhealthy relationships. There were a lot of great activities for them to participate in, skits, games, and great dialogues to get them thinking. One thing I stressed to them every week was that they were at a place in life that their decisions that they make today can greatly alter their tomorrow, for good or bad.

It was rewarding after all. There were the select students who didn't want to participate, or who never smiled or interacted, and it made me wonder what was going on in their lives, what is their home life like? But most days I left the class excited and talking Marshall's ear off all the way home about the class. My second or third week there, I had one young lady follow me to the school doors sharing with me her heart, an experience she had, and asking my advice on what she should do in the future in that situation. It was a great talk and though her story broke my heart, I was also encouraged that she felt like she could talk to me.

This past Monday was our last class. Marshall and Simon joined me as the kids asked about them every week.  It was a wrap-up of the course and the students had an opportunity to sign a pledge if they decided to wait to have sex until marriage. Though 5 raised their hands that day that they signed the card and decided to wait, 11 wrote that on the final survey of the class. What I wasn't expecting though was a good portion of them pleading for me to keep teaching and not to go. I received a ton of hugs that day!

Please pray with me for these 27 students, that they would make good decisions in their lives, not just about sexual activity, but in all areas.

Simon Walking

As of early May we've had our hands full of a little explorer on feet! He's already quite the climber of the couches, but now he's a wanderer of wherever those little feet will take him!

Here's a little video of some of his first steps (Please ignore the excited high pitched mommy voice!) :

Discipleship

We got back to Peru and our schedule filled up quickly! Marshall jumped back in with his discipleship with Guillermo, and soon Antonio and Llon (pronounced John) were wanting to meet with Marshall and study God's word. They're all sponges soaking up new knowledge of the Bible.

While we were away, the women in the church decided to organize a discipleship/mentoring program. They asked Becca if she would be willing to meet with 3 ladies (Lusmila, Lila, and Yndira), so once we got back she started with that. Each of them work and have kids, so we're averaging now meeting about every other week, depending on their schedules. Its been a great time to encourage one another in our walks with the Lord.

Please continue to pray with us as we study the word with and encourage each of our precious brothers and sisters.

Back to Peru (March 16th)

Our HMA and time stateside came to an end and it was time to go back to Peru. We somehow had been ticketed for First Class for our return flight to Peru, and we were all packed (to the full limit) and mostly ready to go when we received an email that the first leg of our flight was cancelled and they rerouted us (in a ridiculous fashion to Chicago, spend the night in the airport to then catch a flight to Newark, to then go on to Peru). We called and got it worked out to have our original itinerary but for the following day. They told us if we wanted to go on to Tampa airport we'd be given hotel and meal vouchers. So we did. We were able to stay at the Marriott right there at the airport, and lounge around. We slept beautifully (which neither of us do before a big trip) and didn't have the crazy airport stress either! In fact, the bellhop took our many bags from our room to the ticket counter!

Then we got to enjoy the fancy club in Houston and finally first class on our way to Lima. What a sweet blessing to come back with! And Simon did SOOO well! I was mostly concerned he wouldn't let me eat my 3 course meal, but he was so into Mickey's Clubhouse on the movie screen he barely noticed me eating! :-) He was well-behaved, which made not only his parents happy, but all the others around us on the flight! (PHEW!!!!)

We spent a few days in Lima and were back home in our own beds in Pucallpa!! There's no place like home!!! :-)

"Listen to the Music"

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Simon was such a great traveler, and he's always enjoyed music. We got a good laugh one day while driving looking back and seeing Simon bobbing his head to the beat of the music on the radio. We captured this video a few days later.  Enjoy!

Simon's 1st Birthday! (March 9)

Simon got to celebrate his birthday twice in Florida before we left! We took a trip from Gainesville to North Port to visit Grampa Chris (Marshall's mom's husband). He pulled together a group of her friends and their husbands as well as his sister and her husband who was in town. We went to one of Grandma Holly's favorite pizza places, and I had no clue about the scheme he pulled until the waitress whispered asking me who Simon was so that she'd bring the cake to the right person. :-) He had NO problem eating the cake! What a FUN SURPRISE! :-)

Then in Gainesville on his birthday (March 9) we had another pizza party after church at the Patterson's home with a few friends. It was a sports/Gator themed birthday, and Simon once again ate up some cake! What fun it is to turn 1! What a quick year this was!

Later that afternoon, Rivercross Church was having an anniversary celebration at a fun center. Simon had a blast playing in a ball pit! What a fun birthday for him (and us!).

HMA-Home Ministry Assignment (January-March)

After the passing of Marshall's mom, not knowing all the legal things that he'd need to be a part of, and since we were originally planning on returning stateside in the Fall of 2014 for a small HMA, we asked permission to go ahead and take one early. Permission was granted. So we began to contact our supporting churches and supporters in the South. We were able to visit 5 of our 6 supporting churches during their missions conference times. We also worked out time to visit SAM's home office in Fort Mill, SC.

These 10ish weeks were so jam packed! I just looked over our calendar from that time to see if I could sum it up well for you, and WOW, we squeezed in a lot!!! We were so blessed to be able to use 2 different vans while we were there, one from some friends in Florida and another from Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. We traveled around 5, 500 miles in them. Simon was the best traveler of us all! We were so blessed that of all those miles traveled, including the flights to and from Peru, he was only fussy for a total of around 2 1/2 hours. We know that's not the norm, and we're so grateful for it! We just assumed God knew we didn't need any other stressors! Simon also did so well adjusting at each place we stayed at. We slept in 10 different places while in the US.

Somehow we didn't take any pictures of us sharing at any of the churches. Here's where we were: Covenant Presbyterian (Sebring, FL), Rivercross Church (Gainesville, FL), Oak Mountain Presbyterian (Birmingham, AL), Briarwood Presbyterian (Birmingham, AL), and Millbrook Presbyterian (Millbrook, AL). In most of those places we were able to spend several days or weeks there to speak at different events for their missions conferences, meet up with friends and supporters, and enjoy a few US treats that we missed. (Chick-fil-A, Publix, and Five Guys saw the most of us!)

It was a very full and rich time, but very exhausting as well. Many people think that when missionaries come home on HMA or furlough that its a vacation for them, but it typically isn't. Its a lot of work and travel, sharing about God's ministry and what's going on in our lives with many people, and then pack up and go do it again somewhere else.

It was so good to be back in the US, but its so much better to be here in Peru.....and that's a great thing! :-)

The Holidays- Visiting Becca's Family

Marshall packed up the remainder of his belongings at his mom's house, we packed them in a U-Haul trailer and we made our way up to Alabama. Becca's parents live in Millbrook and the rest of our US possessions are in Birmingham, so we unloaded the U-Haul in Birmingham and then spent a few weeks with Becca's parents. Here's a few pictures of our time with them and Simon's first Christmas.

 

After Christmas Becca's mom's family (The Inmans) get together, so we made our way up to Tennessee. This year Becca's brother and his family were able to come as well, so it was great to have us all together.  Simon got to meet his mama's aunts, uncles, cousins, and their kids. It was a great time with family.

With Becca's parents and her brother's family

With some of the cousins and their kids

After our time with the Inman family, we followed Matt (Becca's brother) and his family up to St. Louis where we spent about a week and a half there. It was a great visit with them, Simon got to play with his cousins, and after a few snowstorms and -12º F temps, we were delighted to be able to play in the snow too! All these things which we don't take for granted because we don't get to visit them often anymore and we'll never see snow in Pucallpa!!

And our holidays and times with family came to a close......on to our HMA (Home Ministry Assignment).

The Holidays- Loosing Marshall's Mom

After Simon was born, we began planning a trip for the holidays to visit both sides of the family. However right after he was born we learned that Marshall's mom had been recently diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, but was given a great prognosis. In June we found out that the chemo she had killed 98% of the tumor, but part of it was resistant and mutated into a more aggressive tumor. They began a different kind of chemo and she was also eligible for a trial study. In late October things began going downhill for her as the tumor grew. November things began to decline even more. We changed our flight plans to be with her, and when we arrived she was in the hospital. Her doctor gave her 1-2 weeks to live and she was discharged on hospice care. She was quite the fighter!

But one thing she really was striving for was to meet Simon, and she did. She was able to hold him and play with him a bit, but got tired easily. It was a rough time for her, and 8 days after we arrived she passed away. We were all by her side when she passed which was precious and beautifully hard.

She was a beautiful woman with a big heart, quite the prankster with her friends, and one heck of a cook! She is missed in so many ways.