Oh Oklahoma

Well we finished our time outside of Peru with 5 days in the USA with our friends and mentors Hannah and Alex and their wonderful boys, Joel, Samuel and Isaac. We also got the privilege of speaking at the church where they are currently serving, Bridgeway church. We again had a great time there, and were amazingly blessed, thank you guys.
While we were in Oklahoma we visited a quaint town called Guthrie, went to several parks, went shopping and ate burgers, in true American style.
The best part however was spending with the Absalom family, talking through our time in Peru in 2009 and what 2010 may well look like. Thank you guys for your love laughter, and advice.

Below are some pictures of our time.Alex, Isaac and JoelThe Absalom family eating burgersJoel just wanted to cuddle Isaac!!Daniel in front of Samuel, Isaac and Alex.

Taronga Zoo and Sydney

Cool Uncle Ben and cooler nephew Daniel!

Granddad and youngest grandson

Well we had an amazing holiday in Sydney after the madness of the UK. The UK was an amazing time, seeing so many people, so many places and really being filled up again, but we were drained physically, following possibly the most stressful and busy month of our lives in December.Grandma Sue with her 2 grandsons.
It was great to see Anna's family and just to have the space to reflect on what had happened in 2009 and what 2010 may look like. We didn't do very much but we did visit Taronga Zoo in Sydney which was great fun. Los 2 amigos or brother in laws.

Back In Peru

We will update our trip around the world as soon as we get chance but I (Mark) just wanted to let you know about an amazing testimony that Alfredo told us today. Alfredo has recently decided to move to Ventanilla so that he can have a greater presence there among other reasons. Alfredo is also currently living in the school so it isn't robbed or vandalised, as the last caretaker decided to leave recently. Alfredo, his wife Rosa, and son Francis were staying in the school last week when an invasion happened in the next block. An invasion is when several hundred families move into an area overnight. This is officially classed as illegal here, but is the way that most shanty towns are planted. This is then followed by the local government selling the land to the people that have invaded, and then others buy this land, as Alfredo did. However there is a loophole in this very strange law, that if the people can be evicted within 24 hours they are illegal immigrants and have to move on. Alfredo's neighbours didn't want these people to live there and to move on as they had moved in on on land that is classed as park land for the future. (I am presuming much further in the future as all of Ventanilla is currently 100% sand!) Anyway the only way (according to locals) to evict these people is to do it by force. This could be described as a mob, as truncheons, pistols and stones are used to evict people. I have visions of Gangs of New York! (Alfredo told me that the women collect the stones to give to thier husbands to use, this is organised violence)
This mob was unsuccessful and so they had to return the next night with the police and these people were successfully evicted. Alfredo said they heard all of this and it was quite exciting!!! The story however doesn't end there however as many of these people were told there was space to buy land near the school, and some people did this. Others however saw the land owned by Alfredo's organisation and not yet being used by the school and made a decision to invade this.
Alfredo said to them, this is private land. I am however a pastor and will not use violence to kick you out, but as you will be on my land you will be giving me permission to preach to you night and day.
The next day Alfredo woke up and no one had invaded their land!
(All the pictures were taken last year in and around the school)

Perth what a lovely place and lovely people

Well our journey continued on from a very cold and windy London onto Perth via Singapore. I honestly think that we have never spent so little time in one country before. We arrived forty minutes late as we set off one and a half hours late from Heathrow due to the plane freezing!!! We literally walked off one plane and onto the other one and travelled the four hours arriving in Perth at 1am. We were staying with the Jarvis' who were amazing and very hospitable hosts. We had an amazing time with the TOM guys in Perth, and again realised we are so part of the right family of missionaries. Malcolm Potts the leader of TOM Perth said 'isn't this great we hardly know you guys yet we are talking like old friends'.

Perth is so beautiful as well. A few photos just to prove it. I (Mark) was in charge of the camera and I forgot to take photos of all the people. Sorry if you're not on there!! Daniel, Jude, Joel and Anna on the beautiful Cottosloe beach in Perth.

I love the sand and so many nutrients!

Final night barbecue with the TOM Perth guys. (right to left Dan, Daniel, Anna, Cheryl, Andy, Di, and Malcolm)

Malcolm, (and his Aussie beer), Di, Andy,(cooking fine meat on his barbie) Cheryl and Anna

Malcolm and Cheryl, leaders of TOM Perth. (awesome couple, so wise and so much authority, and the humility that they don't realise it).

Good old Aussie stubbie!

We really took these photos. We are so blessed.

'The Burgess Boys' on the beach.

Update on the missing Burgess Family not in Peru at the moment

Firstly apologies for the delay since our last posting, we have been in more than 10 cities and 3 countries since our last post, although Singapore doesn't really count as we walked off a plane from London and walked onto another bound for Perth.

Daniel with his new crocodile head bought from the natural history museum.
A fox that we photographed while on a farm in Surrey.
Big grins from all four at the natural history museum
Anna's grandad or GG (great grandad) with Anna, Daniel and Joel in Winchester
Joel wondering where the wheel went!

We were in England for 6 weeks and it was an amazingly busy, fruitful, freezing, rewarding, informative, relaxing and did I say freezing time.
We spent time with friends in Sheffield at our home church after Christmas with my (Mark) family in Newcastle. We then spent a relaxed week in Center Parcs and finished our time with the UK in a week down south. This involved 5 different beds in 5 nights, in 5 different cities, at one point!
Above are a few highlights of our time.

Daniel and Joel meet snow and Christmas UK style

Well after a crazy December, much tiredness, 5 flights, one over-night unplanned hotel stop, losing 1 suitcase, finding it again, losing 2 suitcases, gaining 1 again, we are finally in the UK. We spent a lovely day yesterday with Mark's family and the cousins are really enjoying each others' company. It is definitely cold here and the boys have taken on new pink cheeks and pink nose as well as a lot more layers of clothing! Daniel decided after a rather unsuccessful trip to the park this morning: 'I don't like ice'! He did however enjoying making his first snowman with Uncle Will - Daddy was unable to participate because he still has no clothes as they are all in the missing suitcase!

Will and Liz and Sam on Christmas day:


All bundled up on an outing to the park, Sam, Joel and Daniel. Joel and Daniel are wearing somewhat more clothes than a few days ago when we left the mid-20'Cs in Peru!








Daniel helps Uncle Will to make a snowman:

 

 

Joel on Christmas day:

 

Mark with his parents:

 

Kidz Klub Christmas

Saturday over 300 kids turned up for Christmas Kidz Klub - watch what happened!

Pucallpa Nov 09 Part 5

The final day was a very different day in format as we started the day by doing evangelism, after our team time and devotional. I encouraged the team, from my limited experience on how easy evangelism is when we let God lead us. People went out in a group of at least 2 and I hovered between groups trying to encourage them. I started off with Virna and Mechita. Mechita is a born evangelist and she started talking about Jesus to the first man we met. I then prayed for him for his knees and he was instantly healed. He then accepted Christ as his Saviour there and then, as did his wife.
I then went on and found Eduardo and Ceci, and Eduardo and I spoke to some mototaxi drivers, who were greatly encouraged. Following this I stopped to buy a drink, and asked the lady how she was. She then told me how bad her life was and I ended up praying for her son.
I then returned to find Holly, Ronald and Naomi who were talking to a man who had a hernia. We prayed for him and his hernia disappeared in front of our eyes. He said he had this hernia for 40 years and was thanking God, as this was the third miracle of healing that he received in his life.
It is interesting how God seems to heal more easily when the people do not have the money for health care. However why does this stop us believing that God heals today?
Nearly all the teams came back with great stories and also testimonies for healings and conversions. The most important thing was that our team was encouraged, and we know plan to start to do this in La Victoria around our church. Bring it on.

We went to the Laguna Yarinacocha in the afternoon, and had fun hanging out as a team.

Lagoon Yarinacocha and Daniel and Joel enjoying the lagoon and the water.

We returned to the church and ate a traditional dinner of fried fish and bananas. This was after our mototaxi driver got a flat tyre and caused two other drivers to crash and giving Chloe her first experience of using her first aid training on one of the drivers, who had potentially broken his foot, but was certainly was suffering from severe shock. Chloe did an amazing job and we packed him off to the hospital with a friend who he phoned.
This made me think. Do we stop for the one, when we have plans, and things we need to do. Did Jesus stop for the one. The answer is yes. Therefore what should our response be. Stop for the one and change our plan or keep to the plan because it is important because it will affect other people. I don't have an obvious answer, but I do think about the parable of the Good Samaritan, and I don't want to be the priest or the levi.

All the team except Daniel and Joel (who were sleeping)

After dinner we had a debrief and got the plane back without any problems, and with all our luggage. We arrived back in the house after 1 in the morning, very tired but very satisfied.
The week was very hard and very demanding for both Anna and I in different ways, but sacrifice for God always brings fruit, and we certainly saw a lot of fruit on the week, and I am not thinking of mangoes, bananas or even some of the more obscure jungle fruits!

Daniel's 3rd Birthday!

Daniel is now 3!

(Despite frequently telling me that he is still 2. Or that he is 4. I think he thinks he can choose.) When asked what he wanted for his birthday, he said he wanted a cake with candles and a bike with pedals, so that is what he got! (Thank you Grandma Jean & Grandad Robin for your contribution!) Here is Daniel talking about his birthday... (facebook friends go to our blog www.theburgessfamilyblog.blogspot.com to see video)



He was very happy to have a small party with his playgroup friends on Friday.


And then on Saturday (his actual birthday) we went out to his favourite restaurant for breakfast with Jono.

Afterwards he tried out his new bike.