Larry and Sandy Rockwell in Huarez, Peru
Missions • Global Missions • Local Missions • Short Term Missions
The Peru Focus Team at CFC is planning our first fundraiser to raise money for our mission trip that we are planning for the early part of 2011. Our fundraiser is scheduled to take place at Rubio's on August 15, 2010 (Download Flyer).
About
Larry and Sandy Rockwell live in Huarez Peru, located in the Huaylas valley between the grand Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra at 10,500 feet elevation. They are working with the Quechua speakers some of whom live in villages as high as 14,000 feet! No, the Rockwell’s aren’t incurable mountain climbers nor are the trying to get back to nature. Rather they are ambassadors for our Supreme God, called to share the God of Hope and the God of promise to people for whom life is a constant struggle. Their prayer is that the Quechua will come to know and love Him, the one who is worthy and desires to show His glory.
The Quechua people are descended from the Inca’s and in 1975 Quechua became the second language of Peru. They form almost half of the population of Peru and are the same as the Quichera in Ecuador. Many of you have seen pictures of these rustic folks in colorful garb. While they have begun to emerge from centuries of oppression, they are still discriminated against and commonly viewed as the lowest in society. Larry recently attended a medical clinic to receive training that might let them provide needed care. Many Quechua would rather go to a witch doctor or suffer the pain than to go to a medical doctor in the city. Last year they held a one-day clinic at a village of about 4,000 people located at 13,500 feet. There were many medical problems to deal with but a striking photo on the Rockwell blog is of Larry taking a turn at a plow being pulled by a team of bulls. This visit dramatically illustrates the poverty and need of these people for medical care. But the Rockwell’s are even more concerned over the welfare of their eternal souls.
Recently the Rockwell’s moved to old Wycliffe Bible Translators center, which was purchased by MTW, Hinterland ministries. They hope to establish this as a training center for pastors and leaders from the surrounding villages. The Quechua are very distrustful of “outsiders” and relationships take a long time to build. For this reason they would prefer to live in a village. For the time being however they will continue to visit villages teaching through Bible studies, showing the Jesus film in the Quechua language and building relationships.
The Rockwell’s have two daughters: Lynae who is almost 14 and Mackenzie who will be 10 in July. They’re also adopting a son, Jonathan, who was born in 2005 and abandoned in a field. Lynae appears to have a teaching gift and recently taught in a village. Mackenzie has a wonderful gift with babies and toddlers. Sandy home schools the girls but they request prayer for the many distractions, which have interfered lately.
If you would like more information their blog at http://larryrockwelljoyandesperu.blogspot.com is the best I’ve seen. The pictures are sensational. Pray for the Rockwell’s as they minister to the Quechua. God is calling out His people from among these descendants of the Inca’s. Some specific prayer requests follow.
- Pray for wisdom and humility as they make decisions on the development of the language center facility. Their desire is to have a Bible Institute.
- Pray for new opportunities: Larry’s involvement in a Spanish/Quechua church, and Sandra has been asked to develop a children’s ministry in another village.
- Pray that the adoption of Jonathan will go smoothly.
- Pray that they will be able to learn the Quechua language
Updates
1 Samuel 19; 1 Corinthians 1; Lamentations 4; Psalm 352010-08-27T15:12:00.000-04:001 Samuel 19; 1 Corinthians 1; Lamentations 4; Psalm 35  |
2010-06-16T10:51:00.003-04:00 Yesterday we went out to Collahuasi. I am so glad I went as well. Sandra has been going alone or with Jonathan and taking a combi or taxi(public transportation)to a bridge and then hiking up the mountain to the village. This time we both went and Sandra had her class with what was supposed to be a couple of women and ended up being about 8 women who were in attendence. Maribel who is the adult daughter of Nicolas is in charge of teaching the women how to better feed their infant children. Maribel is growing leaps and bounds in her understanding of the gospel and has been our key contact in the village for years. She has a sense of how to integrate with people from all backgrounds and bring folks in who are from other religious traditions. Meanwhile, I went to visit Nicolas and his wife, Grimalda in their home while Sandra was meeting with the women. The picture shows Nicolas, Grimalda and one of their neighbors tying the corn in bundles to be hung in the rafters of their house for future consumption. Thsi type of dried corn will be used to make Cancha. Cancha or kamsa in Quechua is corn sauteed in a little oil and a very little salt.This is definitely something that all Andean folks know about and eat. If you come to Peru some time and join us in the homes of our dear friends I can assure you that you will have the opportunity to eat some. It is tasty! So I spent the afternoon helping them tie the bundles of corn we had harvested the week before. Soon we will be getting ready for wheat harvest!  |
2010-06-10T18:36:00.003-04:00 Wow! Today we had a really busy day as well as yesterday in Collahuasi. We have begun harvesting corn now with Nicolas. Quite honestly he is more well known as Emiliucho. I have not asked him why yet. Our God is really amazing and is working on incredible ways. Well, maybe to you who are reading this it may seem like small peanuts but to us after six years of working here it seems like alot. It is alot! Grimalda, Nicolas's wife who has terminal cancer according to the Drs. in Lima is out working in the fields with us. She tells me that she would rather be doing something she has loved for years,i.e. working in the fields and therefore die there than in her house. Today we began the corn harvest. Here once you go to the field you stay there until the day is done. That means that you also eat together with whoever you are working with. We have learned that here in Latin America, expecially in the Andean culture, relationships and time conversing while working is a main ingredient. Getting the task done is important but not the main thing. So we spent the day harvesting by hand. Our summer intern, Michael Blank is learning alot as well. It is quite an overwhelming culture shock as you can imagine. Please pray for him especially as well as our family.  |