September 8 marks the completion of our first year in Peru. This picture of Jacob running into the sunset illustrates how our children have run freely into this new season of life. In a “play-full way,” they have received God’s grace to endure the pain and pleasure of good-byes and hellos among family and friends, new places and routines, and a new language. May their words encourage you as you chase the Son, as their testimony of God’s victory by His grace has encouraged us and others! Read More

Our dear friend, Wayne West, recently sent us a line from the song, “Guantanamera,” which says “El arroyo de la sierra me complace más que el mar.” In English it says, “The mountain stream is more pleasing to me than the sea.” Wayne commented, “You’re finding that out where you’re serving, I’m sure.” This expresses exactly what we have been learning. The waters around Pucallpa and throughout the Amazon have their head in the Andes Mountains in southern Peru. The streams of faithfulness flowing in and around this land and yours have their head in the mountain of the kingdom of God that is filling the earth… Read More

For two months now we have lived in our new home at Mission TEC, the name of the Kids Alive Care Center here in the community of San Jose, about a half hour outside of the city of Pucallpa, Peru. This has been a rewarding time of discovering different routines and seeing our roles begin to develop.

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To all of our friends who have opened your hearts to join with ours in extending the hospitality of God to our neighbors in Peru…we are in Pucallpa!

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We have moved from our home in Arequipa, where we lived and studied since September 2014. Enjoy some pictures from the second half of our stay. Remember to sign up here to receive e-mail notifications of new posts on our Glordinary Goings. Read More

Favorite food and drink?

“Lomo saltado and a variety of fruit juices.”

A special memory so far?

“Our recent 15.5 hr round trip to Colca Canyon was a very special family experience. We also had a very meaningful time in February at the Kid Alive Missionary retreat in Lima. On both occasions, observing the simple delight in our children at play in God’s creation was a gift. Other memories that I will carry with me from Arequipa include the normal pains and pleasures of learning and loving together in a new culture.”

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Favorite food and drink?

“Lomo Saltado, Kola Escocesa (local red soda), Chicha Morada (purple corn drink).”

A special memory so far?

“Singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in several languages with our friends at the language school whenever anyone has a birthday; being the daughter of a choir director and now going to choir practice only in Spanish – and being part of a fun alto section! On a serious note, walking by a little boy everyday for two months who seemed scared and was selling candy by himself on the pedestrian bridge and trying to show him that someone cares even though my vocabulary was limited.” Read More

This past Sunday, we joined with two families we have studied with (one from Germany and one from Sweden) in our language school on an outing to the zoo in Arequipa, Peru. It was a a wet day, and not just because it was raining (read to the end of this post)!

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Our last post featured a video of our family’s playful plunge into a pool as a reminder of the “play” that characterizes God’s children in His redemptive mission.  This is a photo of Jacob with a bandaged chin, which he cut his very next time down the slide. Both our plunge and Jacob’s mishap occurred moments apart several months ago, and they symbolically remind us that serving in God’s kingdom is simultaneously playful and painful.

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After traveling to the states for a special family wedding and extending our stay through Christmas, we have returned to Peru with one-way tickets to take a deeper dive into our language studies and life here in Arequipa, Peru, before moving to Pucallpa in April. The short video below captures our family at play on a Peruvian red and white water slide, which like wisdom playing before God in His creation in Proverbs 8:30-31 (where “rejoicing” can be translated “playing”), symbolizes life in the mission of God in His new creation. Thank you for joining with us in the playground of His new creation mission which has made what is broken and dying whole and new through the death and resurrection of Jesus!

DSCF2439 from Mark Cote on Vimeo.

Remember our first “family plunge” video? View it here.