While it was still dark this morning, at 4:45am, the team, sardined into the van with LOTS of packs, headed for the river.

They left almost a day later than planned because one of the team members' bus had been delayed because of bad road conditions. The roads were pretty bad, rather dangerous even. There had been some significant landslides recently. But most of the delay was due to the fact the workers (big machine drivers, flaggers, etc) had the holiday weekend off.

In order to make all the boat connections, they were thinking they may have to leave her behind. Thankfully, the cell phone signal finally got through. Just in time, too, as the van was burdened with stuff and the team was only bathroom breaks away from loading up. But, she was still nine hours away!

We decided to wait.

At 7am this morning, Micah called. I could hear a roaring motor in the background. Forgetting that I could hear him just fine, he shouted, 'We're in the boat! We made it. There were some landslides on the way, but it wasn't too bad. We're just about to pass out of cell phone range, so I wanted to let you know, they're saying that the rains from yesterday might have been just enough to raise the Chipporana enough that we won't have to do the LONG walk."

I smiled and said, "Of course. Because God IS good like that."

It could be that the delay was just what God wanted to bless them with. It hadn't rained for more than a week and the extra fourteen hours may have been enough to fill that little river. Let's pray that they remain sensitive to the Lord's leading and that everything continues to go well with them.

What fun we've had over the last few days! Planning and scheming about how to love and serve Christ by sending food for the believers in Papa Playa, many of whom have lost whole crops in the recent flooding, has occupied much of our attention.


As we've worked out, we're hoping that the food in this truck is enough to sustain 50 families of four (complemented by their daily catch of fish) for at least a couple of weeks. There are about that many families represented at the village church, and we're making a gift of beans, oil and pasta for each family. Plus, the store where we bought most of the things was inspired and donated 10 boxes of panetones free of charge! Now, that doesn't happen every day!

Of course we couldn't take enough on this trip to give a gift to everyone in the village. But we have some really cool ideas for ways to use this opportunity to bring glory to God and hopefully the gospel to people, if we're able to send more later on this month. We're looking forward to it.


Our visitors, David and Joana, arrived yesterday from France, today assisted in loaded the truck, and will be with Micah until tomorrow finishing off the food drop; along with Miss Mya who is making her first river trip with Daddy!

Please pray that above all things the Lord would receive much glory from every aspect of this project: from how the items and the gospel are presented, to how the people receive them. Pray also that the people would see Christ and that the eyes of their hearts would be opened to His word and to His Spirit's working.


We are figuring on taking a truckload of rice within the next couple of weeks. But, I think we'll have to take a bigger truck! It is exciting it is to be part of a rescue project! Several of you have offered to send money to help. We consider ourselves lucky that we're the ones who actually get to deliver Christ's love into their kitchens. They are going to be SO excited! Oh, and those of you who have joined with us on this project by praying or sending, we too, want to THANK YOU!

May the Lord bless you as you continue to seek and serve Him.
Amy on behalf of the whole tribe.

Dear friends and family,

OK, normally I would try not to write in discouraging fashion... I don't want to discourage, but after thinking it through for several weeks I've decided that I will share some of our stressful situation so that you can pray more fervently and with more knowledge.

For these past two months of construction, we've been living with the neighbors, a Canadian woman married to a Peruvian. They are adopting a baby boy whose mother had abandoned him. Two weeks ago the mom came to the house and kidnapped him from right under Bria's nose. Everything turned to pandemonium, screams and commotion.  I ran to the car....  and the chase was on.  Four of the construction guys were with me as we caught up to the kidnappers at a gas station about two miles down the road.  We couldn't really do anything as she screamed at us and to everyone around that we were the bad guys.

We didn't touch her, or the baby, we couldn't do anything except just try to stay with her.  She switched motor cars about 4 times to get away. Finally she hid out in a friends house.....   
 
When our friends showed up they went into the house to rescue their adoptive son. Once again it was pandemonium, screams and commotion.   The police came, and not knowing the truth they hit and kicked the dad and took him to the police station.  Since then our host family is commonly either in court or with the lawyers either trying to stay out of jail or trying to keep their son.

For a few days we were expecting the police to come, who have a warrant for our host couple's arrest. One night they even went to a hotel to escape, and here we were left in the house waiting for the police to come and search the house. This is all new to us and seems to get more interesting (complicated) every day.  We know that God put us in the middle of all this for a reason..... but we are beginning to feel uncomfortable. It has been very stressful for our family.  

To add to it all.... one of the workers fell in the big hole! From the very top... 20 feet down. He dislocated a bone in his wrist, had a big gash on his head and several bruised ribs. But when I first saw him, I thought he was dead at the bottom of the pit. After much difficulty getting him out I ran him to the hospital where he spent a day and a half.  Now he's recuperating at home.  He'll be out for at least a month.  It could have been a lot worse. But even through this difficult time, I have had many chances to share the gospel with him and pray for him too.

The day the brick-layer fell, someone on the job-site stole 160 soles (+/- 5 days wages) out of another workers' wallet. Since then there has been a lot of distrust between workers. 

Through all of this we really feel the spiritual battle and much prayer is needed. I can't mention all the details, but I can say that I don't remember ever having such a time of serious trial... Things are quite difficult right now.... Pray that we would trust God moment by moment, putting all things into His hands.  Please pray... really pray. 

-Micah for the Tuttle's

He is the one you praise; He is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

Deut. 10:21

 Praise Him with us?! 

Lord willing, we will be traveling tomorrow night as planned, as a family!!  Praises!

• Lord willing, tonight we travel by bus to Lima (8hrs).
• Tomorrow we'll go to the US embassy and find out the status of the passports.
• Wednesday we'll work on Micah's Peruvian document.
• Thursday we'll pick that up and fly to the US!
• Pray with us that all will go smoothly and that we will in fact be able to travel as a family...
• We've had some serious stomach sickness this last week, please pray that we'd be well for travel.

Will you pray with us?!

When we were in Lima earlier this week, we ran into a couple unforeseen problems with our travel documents. While these problems should be rather easily resolved, they may not necessarily be quickly resolved. Of course, the Lord can make it happen! We are asking that He would speed things along and that there would be no loss or expensive change of flights.

What's new: 

Here and there and everywhere... pastoral visits are like a sprinkling of sweet water in a parched place. After a busy July and August, Micah has concentrated his energies on visiting church members and leaders to help carry the weight of their burdens and give them some life-giving Scripture to soak in. Personal visits seriously encourage the downhearted, sick and the heavy-laden. We know it to be true.

By August, attendance at church was considerably down after two months of extreme busy-ness, but after only a week of visits, we had the highest attended mid-week Bible study meeting EVER! And has maintained. Praise the Lord! Micah's gifting is admittedly NOT in the pastoral realm, but when there is NO one else, the LORD glories in showing HIS power through our weaknesses. He continues to wow us in this. :)

This week, Micah is off again on a river trip to visit four different villages along the Huallaga River. His goal is to try and visit four villages each trip of 5-6 days, rotating which villages he visits each month. This is such an encouragement to the believers in this region.

Prayer Requests:

• River Trip - that it would bear MUCH fruit.

• There are two young men that are very dependable and carry much responsibility at church (when we are here, and ESPECIALLY when Micah is away). Both of them have spoken of traveling/moving to other parts of Peru (one of them plans to buy tickets next week! He is our music man). We ask the LORD what will happen to the work if there are no men apart from Micah to carry the load. Pray with us that the LORD would prove Himself faithful to His work by providing in some way for this huge need.

• Our landlord advised us that he has need of the house we are living in by January of the coming year. Pray with us that the LORD would continue to lead and confirm the direction of steps we ought to take.

• Solidarity in our family - growth in love, peace and joy.

Many of you have read or heard about the recent seismic activity in Peru that has caused many deaths and much devastation. We have been in contact with many of you who are wondering if this affected the area we are involved with in Peru. Both the cities of Cajamarca and Trujillo were graciously spared (they are both farther north from where the earthquakes hit), although our friends the Elliots (in Trujillo) said that they did feel the quake. We also have received e-mails from the missionaries that are working in these particular areas and have heard that miraculously, despite the fact that many homes of believers have been destroyed, all the believers in connection with the missionaries' churches have been accounted for so far. There is much devastation, and recovery will take a LONG time. That said, if you feel led to give directly to some of the Peruvian believers for reconstruction of their houses and food for their families, please contact me by e-mail and I can direct you to how to send money directly to the missionaries or Peruvian workers involved. Please pray that the believers in these areas will be a shining light to those grieving and suffering great loss in this area. Micah is just about crawling out of his skin wishing he could be down there ministering and talking to people in their time of great need. Here are some pictures borrowed from BBC and ABC news describing what's happened. The quake left more than 500 people dead and thousands homeless in the Ica region, south of the capital, Lima. The focus is now on recovering bodies and getting supplies to those most in need, while security patrols against looters have been stepped up. Countries across Latin America - including Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Chile - have been sending relief supplies. The US, Canada, Spain, Italy and France have also provided aid. Long queues formed in Pisco on Monday as aid groups distributed water, food and clothing. "People are no longer sleeping in their homes. They are going to parks, fields and open ground because aftershocks are happening all the time," Yerma Canales told AP. Amy

Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by momanna98 (76.217.32.6)

Wow. Those are some crazy pictures. Glad to hear everyone you know is safe. Sorry to hear about your Grandpa.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by nsremom (70.7.48.126)

I can imagine how hard it is for you guys to not be there!

*(This post was originally posted at Manifold Musings of a Missionary Mom, which has since moved to A Pilgrim's Project)

Thirteen Things To PRAY For
- For all of us to pray -

1. Supernatural, self-sacrificial love for our husband and our children
2. That we would LOVE Christ and show that love to the people around us
3. Our kids' salvation
4. That we would seriously desire to walk in step with the Spirit
5. That the Holy Spirit would remind us (convict us) to yield to His leading
6. Opportunities to be a light to our neighbors
7. That we would not attempt to appease God with our actions, but that we out of thankful hearts would rest in HIM.

- and then on a personal note -

8. We are being audited by the IRS 9. Healing for a lady in our Spanish Bible Study who is suffering from severe bleeding
10. Leonel, the new believer in our study - that he would remain faithful and learn/grow much in the upcoming months
11. That Micah would be sensitive to the Lord's leading and guidance for our lives/ministry
12. Micah in his studies and ministries
13. That I would be diligent in maintaining my priorities -
a.Obedience to Christ,
b. Service - Micah, my kids, etc., and
c. Ministry outside our family

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Amy

...in Peru since 2001 ~ Enjoying Iowa for the time being. Servant of the Living God, Wife to one, Mommy to four and Friend to all. Thanks for reading! :)