Mitchell Moment October 14, 2007
Gray, Caleb, Jacob, Luke
The boys are doing well adjusting to a new school and culture. They are all getting tall.
Where we live? San Isidro, Lima, Peru
Lima is a large and very diverse city. There is a lot of traffic. The roads in general are in pretty good condition in the city. There is a system to driving but it is very different than the rules we follow in the United States.
Lima has a very diverse population. Over 50% of the population is indigenous. People have moved down from the mountains in search of a better life. There is a good number of Europeans that live here year round or for part of the year for the easier climate than they would have in Europe. Also, there is a great number of Chinese, Japanese and Koreans living in Lima.
The Japanese: There appears to be two distinct groups of Japanese. People that are 2nd generation for the most part speak Spanish predominantly. The Japanese that have moved to Lima short term for work only speak Spanish for business purposes and the rest of the time they speak in Japanese. There are two different Japanese high schools in Lima. One of the schools is for Japanese speakers and they have a course in Spanish. The other is for Spanish speakers and they offer classes in Japanese.
There is one Japanese church in Magdalena. This church has about 25 members. It was started by a missionary from Japan 25 years ago. There is currently a new missionary from Japan working with a local 3rd generation Japanese pastor to lead this congregation.
The Weather: So far this has been a surprise. We arrived in the winter and it is still cold. We never have experienced this type of weather for any length of time in South America. We are told that this is an unusually cold winter this year.
Praises: We are in a home and the kids are settled in school. Jacob had an emergency appendectomy and is recovering well. We are meeting Japanese people and finding them very open to talk with us.
Prayer Needs: Wisdom and discernment as we try and investigate and understand the Japanese culture in Lima and how we may best share the Gospel with this people group.
We have several first time meetings this week with new Japanese acquaintances.
We are trying to learn, understand, and adapt the culture of the city.
