Jarron Dale Brown

October Lima Crusade Pt 3

2011-12-07T12:06:00.001-08:00

This elderly man, who Pastor Mendoza is praying for, is a retired chief justice for the supreme court of Peru.
The man praying behind him is his son, Bro. Jose Remar.

Picarrones

I had two platefuls of delicious picarrones.

Anthony Bravo

Pastor Juan de la Cruz leading worship

This is the son of a local trinitarian pastor.

Pastor Emiliano Alejo baptized his wife's brother on the final night of the crusade.

Pastor Hermes Mendoza & Pastor Fernando Quinones praying with him.

October Lima Crusade Pt 2

2011-12-07T12:04:00.001-08:00

October Lima Crusade Pt 1

2011-11-24T17:32:00.001-08:00

We had an awesome crusade in the city of Lima about a month ago. Bro. Keith Nix was the evangelist and did a tremendous job preaching the gospel! Below are a few of the photos I took of that weekend. Enjoy!

Tomorrow morning, I'm going home

2011-10-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

I'm excited!

But at the same time, I'm really gonna miss my family here...

Jael, Bro. Jose, Sis. Ada, Lea, & Teodora

¡Les amo mucho!
Hasta pronto! (Espero)
Ciao,
Jarrón Marrón

Food is Good! (In 2 parts)

2011-10-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

PT. 1

A delicious 3 course breakfast I had a couple weeks ago.

This is a bowl of my favorite cereal - Fruity Pebbles.

I love eggs (over-medium).

The best part - Teodora's delectable pancakes.

PT. 2

A delicious lunch called "Hot dog sandwich" I also had a couple weeks ago

in nine simple, easy-to-follow steps.

Ingredients: Microwaved hot dog, two slices of Don Mamino bread, Mustard, Thousand Island salad dressing, and Sweet Relish. (Cup of hot tea is optional.)

Step one: Spread mustard on one side of each slice of delicious Don Mamino bread.

Step two: Slice hot dog into halves with razor sharp knife then chop into 20 pieces. Distribute evenly onto one side of delicious Don Mamino bread until fully covered.

Step three: Pour good amount of Sweet Relish onto same side and spread.

Step four: Pour and spread a thick layer of delectable Thousand Island dressing onto other slice.

Step five: Add another glob of it on the other side. (The more dressing the better.)

Step six: Slap "non-hot-dog" side onto other side. (Hurry though, so you don't spill your thick coat of tasty Thousand Island dressing that you so lovingly applied.)

Step seven: Guzzle (now cold) hot tea, toss cup, and pull out cool, refreshing bottle of Fanta. Open.

Step eight: Wrap goodness in paper towel so as not to ruin your clean white shirt.
Step nine: Eat, drink, and be merry!

Btw, We had an incredible crusade. I hope I can post about it soon. :)

Bye.

The CCC-CCKC Project

2011-09-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

You may call to remembrance a previous post regarding the big mythical earthquake that destroyed our church kitchen a couple weeks ago. (Click here if you don't remember) If you read the whole thing, you were made aware that it was merely a poor attempt at humor. However, by doing so, you will also remember my following explanation regarding the undergoing "remodel," of sorts, to our church kitchen, which explained the rubble and destruction in the accompanying photo.

Since then, construction has been progressing quite rapidly, and I feel I would be remiss not to provide an abbreviated update on the progress of thus aforementioned project.

Below are a few photos and commentary of, what I should like to call, the CCC-CCKC Project (Current Commemorative Camera-Captured Church Kitchen Construction).

Please Enjoy!

The initial wreckage

These guys transferred this pile of dirt to the above "initial wreckage" scene

He's still learning how to push a wheel barrel...

Bro. Martin Reyna: Expert wheel barrel pusher

Bro. Jerson Azang shoveling dirt

Bro. Jaime Alva also shoveling dirt

I'm really a very powerful person... This dirt was just unusually heavy

Woman watching. Guys shoveling.

Bro. Alejandro watching Bro. Tony go down with the dirt-filled wheel barrel

Bro. Alejandro helping Bro. Tony get back up

Two women smiling

Myself and Sis. Nancy supervising (watching) the proceedings

Me preparing for a somersault. (not really)

Bro. Alejandro rescuing Leonardo from Tony's fate. Josias offering a hand.

Bro. Cesar using his wheel barrel to point out where the outside pile of dirt must go

Man in green pushing wheel barrel in orange

Nancy smiling. Men working.

A short stairway was installed here, thus allowing access through the gray door and into the sanctuary on the left,
which happens to be a bit lower than the kitchen.

Pastor Nix enjoying the progress

Brick laying seems to be significantly less difficult for Tony

Bro. Juan Carlos overcome with emotion.
He says, "It's a labor of love..."

The following section of photos are what I should like to call the

Section.

The various tools below are some of those which were found strewn about on the construction site.

Three dust pans

Chisel and hammer. Kind of like the ones Jael used on Sisera (Bible, Judges 4).

Bro. Juan Carlos using above "Chisel and hammer" on newly built brick wall

Above hammer with other more modern-looking hammer

Push broom

Trowel

Pair of gloves

Other pair of gloves with whisk broom (not to be confused with above "push broom")

Hand saw, measuring tape, wire cutters, leveler, and blue broom (on the right)

Three trowels (two inside, one outside) and a shovel

Rake

Crow bar

Pair of vacant boots

Two wheel barrels

Monkey wrench and drinking cup

Comb (was not used during construction)

Whoop! How'd that get in here?

Some pans

Shovel, push broom, board, and bicycle

Plastic spoon

That marks the end of the "Tools" section. And I sincerely hope you thoroughly enjoyed that part of the presentation, as it took much time and thought.

Here we have Bro. Jose carrying bricks to the bricklayer in the kitchen

Here we have Bro. Jaime doing it the easy way

I was about to win the "Who can run the most bricks to the bricklayer the fastest" when I hit a rock...

Just kidding. I made it all right... Barely.

Doing my part in helping to unload the brick delivery cart

These were very heavy bricks

Bro. Pedro is a very mighty man

He is too, but the bricks were all gone by then.

The bricks went here

Mr. Bricklayer using ultra-modern leveling techniques

A window without glass will go here

The finished product... up till now at least.
To the left are the steps leading into the sanctuary.
To the left is where our baptisms were previously conducted (refer to previous posts for pictures).

There you have it - The CCC-CCKC Project (Current Commemorative Camera-Captured Church Kitchen Construction) in a nut shell.

This time, I've allowed a special place for the reader to express his or her positive feelings about my blog, which I have called the "comments" section. Feel free to avail yourself.

Always,
JB

ADD -- Please forgive me as I forgot to mention why we are remodeling the kitchen. We needed more space in order to accommodate the masses that eat lunch at our church every Sunday afternoon. Really! We are doing it especially now because our annual national crusade will be occurring next weekend and there will be a multitude of people who will appreciate the extra room. Stay tuned for pictures of that as well, as we are expecting awesome things to happen!

Quick trip to Trujillo & Chimbote

2011-09-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning (Monday), we arrived home following a fun-filled weekend in Trujillo and Chimbote, located about 6 hours up the coast. Bro. Emiliano Alejo (pastor in Los Artesanos) and his wife, Sis. Susanna, Bro. Jaime Alva and his wife, Sis. Julia, and I comprised the travelling crew.

The man who has been working in the Trujillo area for the past several months, Bro. Moises Ramirez, was to be installed as pastor of the church there in Trujillo as well as the church in Paiján. And since Bro. Alejo is the Atalaya (kind of like a Presbyter) for that region, he was to conduct the installation, and he requested us to accompany him.

Late, Friday night, after seminary classes were over, we piled into Bro. Alejo's car and, after a quick pit stop in Roky's Chicken, took off for the north. At approximately 6 AM the following morning, we arrived safely at the Chimbote church where we met up with Pastor Hermes Mendoza. There in his church, we rested and chatted a bit until, maybe an hour later, we all piled back in the car (add Bro. Mendoza) and headed another couple hours further north to Trujillo, where we were to have the joint fellowship meeting (of sorts) & installation service that night (Saturday).

Bro. Jaime did a tremendous job preaching that night in Trujillo as well as the following night (Sunday) in Chimbote. During our trip we made a lot of memories, took a lot of pictures, and had an all around great time! I am very thankful and honored to have been a part of this crew.

Please delight as you peruse the following few photos of our enjoyable weekend.

Bro. Jaime and Sis. Julia eager to hit the road!

Bro. Jaime sleeping (not really)

First stop: The church in Chimbote

This time Bro. Jaime really was asleep

This gave us a good laugh
"No Lavo mi Carro, Porque Amo a mi Tierra."

Me at the Chimbote beach

Bro. Jaime trying to stay awake

Bro. Jaime Alva, Sis. Julia de Alva, Sis. Susanna de Alejo, Bro. Emiliano Alejo, and Bro. Hermes Mendoza

Not much to see between Chimbote and Trujillo

Peru's coast is pure desert

Sand dunes

Sis. Julia and Sis. Susanna asleep

Bro. Hermes Mendoza asleep

We ran into a small problem with the highway patrol,
but when Bro. Emiliano told him he was a Pastor they let us go.
The ministry has its benefits! :)

Bro. Mendoza and Bro. Alejo waiting in front of the church to meet with Bro. Ramirez

We all waited in the car

Me and my peach juice

We went to the mall to eat lunch. That's the kid that was to wash our car.
We took this photo to identify the culprit if anything in our car went missing. haha

I ate a typical Peruvian dish for lunch: Quarter Pounder meal with Oreo McFlurry

Some homes

A long line of caballitos decorated Trujillo's beach

On the pier

Bro. Jaime drinking Inca Kola from a cap

Service Saturday night in Trujillo

I testified and sang a little

Praying for newly appointed Pastor Moises Ramirez

Them

Sis. Julia de Alva testifying

Bro. Jaime Alva preaching

This older man spoke English

Altar time

Bro. Alejo beat us back to the car

My luxury motel room at 25 soles (8 dollars) a night.

My bathroom

The view

The neighbors

This is where I plugged in my camera at night

Room 205 on the left

Isla Blanca Hostal
Hostal is an ancient Latin word meaning "5 star". (not really)

Sunday morning procession of St. John or Tom or Herbert or somebody else.

The floor in Plaza Vea was quite slippery... That's Bro. Jaime skiing down the aisle

Me skiing down another aisle

El Gringo

Bro. Jaime's Ceviche

My Arroz con Yucca y Pollo

Sunday's lunch was in the home of Bro. Mendoza's brother in-law

Bro. Alejo and a tiger in the Plaza de Armas in Chimbote

Bro. Jaime and the tiger

Me and the tiger

Bro. Jaime, myself, the tiger, Bro. Alejo, and Bro. Mendoza

Bro. Emiliano giving his wife a flower

Bro. Jaime giving his impression of squinting in the sun

Cathedral

Street shot in Chimbote

Church in Chimbote

This little boy sang in English

Sis. Julia testifying again

Sis. Susanna testifying

I sang again (I'm beginning to feel like Ira Sankey)

Pastor Mendoza's wife

Bro. Jaime preached again that night

Altar time

Bro. Mendoza's 14 year old son, Paul, has tuberculosis. Please keep him in your prayers.

Myself and David Mendoza

Group minus me with Pastor Mendoza and family

Add me, minus Bro. Jaime

Eating in their home after service

Felíz Peaje! Wait, shouldn't it be "viaje?"

This is what we saw on the way home

More of what we saw on the way home.

I'm going to miss taking these trips!

Ayacucho Convention PT 3

2011-09-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

Click here to begin at part 1 "Friday"

Sunday

Breakfast across the street from our hotel

The church's parrot

I got a second breakfast when we arrived at the church...
Hot milk and Ayacuchano bread and cheese. Delicious!

The cooks

16 stages of Bro. Jose cutting wood.
(this is what happens when I mess with the settings on my camera.)

Me. In the middle of the street.

In front of a statue of a guy on a horse

Bro. Jose in front of the same guy

We ran into a huge typical parade in the plaza de armas that lasted hours
(Fortunately we didn't stay for all of it)

Me. In the middle of another street.

Different Ayacuchano breads

Got a picture with the police while they were waiting to parade down the street.

Ayacucho was in the middle of communist terrorism back in the 80s-90s (thereabouts)
This is a museum dedicated to those terrible memories.

The paintings are depictions of what really happened in those times.
Unfortunately the museum is closed on Sundays.

Lunch back at the church

Myself and most of the congregation

Me and the kids.

On our way to the preacher's class, we passed by the Park of the plane.
The yellow and white thing in the center is the tail end of the plane.

Me and another hero on a horse.

We had the ministers' and wives' class in the central church building.
(The services were held in the pastor's home as it was a bit larger than this church building.)

It was just down the street from where we had our services.

Pastor Victor Gutierrez leading worship

Bro. Jose taught

Candid shot of Bro. Cullahuacho

A great time of prayer followed

Afterwards a brother took us to see where several of the saints live.

His car

One of the saints' homes

Another saint's home

The marketplace

Volleyball game in the street

A pig in the street

A man in the street

The brother in front of his home

Another saint's home

Another

And another

Heading back to church that night.

On the way, we stopped to buy some Ayacuchano cheese.

Vendor lady and her cheese

Song service

Some brothers sang and testified

...

... (Bro. Cullahuacho)

...

I was honored to be the evening speaker on Sunday

Awesome prayer in the altar.

Leah Quiñones... I love that little girl.

One of my favorite pictures.

This boy got the Holy Ghost that night.

Another favorite

The preachers getting blessed

Testifying that he got the Holy Ghost

Testifying that she got the Holy Ghost

Leaving to catch our bus back to Lima

I hate saying goodbyes.

Myself and Bro. Jose in the bus station

Bro. Fernando Quiñones, Sis. Luz and Leah

Our bus was the orange one in the background

Bro. Jose with the owner of Ayacucho Express

Myself, our chofer, and the owner

This was the nicest bus I've ever been in or seen in my life.

The lights of Ayacucho as we left.

Lord willing, I will return someday.

Ayacucho Convention PT 2

2011-09-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday

Our neighbor's chicken on his roof

Cleaning the church before morning Bible class

This man's wearing a Pampers t-shirt :)

Bro. Quiñones leading morning worship

I really like these guys

Bro. Jose called me from my room to see these guys across the street in their native costumes

them too

more parading through the street

Where we ate lunch

My arroz chaufa con pollo and coke

Bro. Jose and his lunch (I can't remember the name)
The two glasses on the right are chicha (Peruvian drink made from purple corn)

Then we went to a lovely museum.

Yes, they're real.

Me with some rock people

Bro. Jose with the same

Saturday night church

Pastor Nix spoke a few minutes via cell phone.

One of the local preachers testifying

Preacher's wife singing

Sis. Luz and Bro. Fernando singing about the coming of the Lord

Dedicating a baby

Preachers with dedicated baby's family

Bro. Jose preaching

Altar

Bro. Cullahuacho collecting the "offering and tithes"

Outside view of where we had church

Click here to go to PT 3 - "Sunday"

Ayacucho Convention PT 1

2011-09-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 19, at approximately 8:30am CST, Bro. Jose and I, weary from 10 straight hours in a bus, arrived home following an incredible, unforgettable weekend in the mountain region of Ayacucho, where was held the annual convention for ICAP's Region 8, September 16-18, 2011.

Ayacucho is a city in the south-central part of Peru situated in the Andes mountains at a little over 9,000 feet with a population over 140,000. We have three churches in this area. One in Acosvinchos, another in Pampa Cangallo, as well as the central church in Huamanga, where the convention was held.

A few weeks ago Bro. Jose invited me to go with him to this convention. Naturally, I accepted with all enthusiasm - and I'm glad I did. The saints in Ayacucho are some of the most hospitable, kind, sincere people I've ever had the privilege to know. Someday, I want to return and see them again. And, as was with Iquitos (Click here to see photos), it was hard to say goodbye.

Also there from the home church in San Felipe was Bro. Fernando Quiñones (regional presbyter) and his wife and baby girl, as well as Bro. Rufino Cullahuacho. The Lord moved powerfully in every service, we sang in Quechua (where I got to use my newly acquired Quechua hymnal), and three got the Holy Ghost! Praise the Lord!

Special thanks are due to:

Bro. Nix for allowing me to go.
Sis. Nix for letting Bro. Nix let me go, as well as all the extra food and meds (just in case I got sick).
Jesus for keeping me from getting sick (which truly was a miracle) on a trip where even the locals get sick.
Everyone back home praying the Lord's protection over me, keeping me from getting sick, robbed, knifed, or killed. :) NOTE - Please don't stop, as I'm going to Trujillo this weekend where recently there have been much violence and kidnappings.
Bros. Sotomayor and Cullahuacho for taking me to buy my Quechua Bible and hymnal.
The Ayacuchanos for making me feel so welcome. (I hope to see many of them here in Lima for our upcoming national crusade in October!)
Our bus driver for not losing his temper when the dingbat in the pickup truck got mad for some reason and decided to beat his door into the side of the bus repeatedly while slowly passing us on the cliff.

The following are just a few of the photos I took during this trip.

Actually there's a ton... So this is going to be in 3 parts - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Please enjoy.
JB

Friday

Me, Thursday night, just before we boarded our bus

Bro. Jose... same story

10 hours later, Friday morning, coming into Ayacucho

Myself, Pastor Victor Gutierrez, and a couple more brothers

My room wasn't really red, the window blinds were red

My bathroom

View from my bedroom

Looking into my bathroom

In front of our Hospedaje

Our hotel's roof

Bro. Jose waiting for our first meal in Ayacucho

Me... also waiting

Breakfast

Me eating my breakfast

The bill - 6 soles (about 2 dollars) -- Spendy, I know.

Another 1 sol shoe shine

(about 35 cents)

in our moto taxi

At Bro. Gutierrez's home

Some sisters making lunch

another sister making more lunch... I think those are beans

Myself & Bro. Cullahuacho

This red building bears some sort of significance that I can't remember.

Bros. Jose Sotomayor & Fernando Quiñones

Myself & Bro. Cullahuacho (we were on our way to church)

Bro. Quiñones leading morning worship before the Bible class

Later on, Bros. Cullahuacho & Sotomayor looking for a Quechua Bible and hymnal. (Quechua is both of their first language.)

My Quechua Bible and hymnal

Myself and one of the cutest little girls I've ever seen

Singing that night

These folks are great worshippers

Notice the wear on the side of the pulpit where his hand is... that's from him beating it so much. Serious.

Here you can see it a little better. (Also, a sister singing a song)

Sis. Luz de Quiñones (Bro. Fernando's wife) singing

Me singing in Quechua. Just kidding.

Bro. and Sis. Quiñones and Leah (their baby). Bro. Jose behind pulpit.

Bros. Cullahuacho and Jose praying for the Quiñones family. (Bro. Fernando is the director for the region)

Altar following Bro. Jose's message

The woman being prayed for got the Holy Ghost that night.

She testified.

I love the offering bag.

On our way to a restaurant after church

Click here to go to PT 2 - "Saturday"

Healthy Haiku for the Hungry

2011-09-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hey! Eat your heart out

Teo makes me delicious

Papas Rellenas :)

The Nixes' Golden Anniversary

2011-09-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 27, 2011 was a special day for all of us here in Peru, especially Bro. and Sis. Nix, as it was the day in which we celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The staff and church family at ICAP quite successfully pulled off a surprise celebration at the central church in San Felipe.

At approximately 5:00pm, a hired limousine pulled up to the Nixes' home, escorted them in, and drove them and their professional photographer (not me) to various locations throughout the city of Lima. Bro. Jose and I followed close behind in our own limo, the Corolla. We stopped at a beautiful park for about an hour for a photo shoot. I also got in a few shots with my own camera. However and unfortunately, my camera is not exactly "pro quality", therefore several pictures turned out less than great. But Sis. Nix thinks they're good, so I don't feel so bad in posting them.

As the limousine pulled into the church parking lot at 7:30pm and Bro. and Sis. Nix stepped out of the car, they were greeted with a red carpet and a long line of cheering preachers and wives and church family. We had a beautiful service honoring the Nixes, and afterwards a delicious dinner along with many words of love and appreciation by various pastors and saints, as well as a hilarious skit about how the Nixes first met and fell in love, put on by some of our own young people.

Please enjoy the following pictures of this great evening. If you have any questions regarding a picture or person below, feel free to ask via the "comments" section.

Some Photos of Adelina & A Recollection of Trystan the Music Lover

2011-09-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Please the enjoy the photos below, as well as the following recollection.

Part 1
Some Photos of Adelina

Adelina with Grandma Flores

Adelina with Grandma Brown

Adelina with a headband

Adelina lifting up her skirt

Adelina smiling at her grandma Flores

I'm pretty excited about seeing my little niece in a little over a month. I hope she feels the same way about me... I'm not sure why, but for some unknown reason little children tend to cry when they see or hear me. I hope she's not like that.

Part 2
A Recollection of Trystan the Music Lover

(Bat & ball have nothing to do with following account)

I'll never forget the day I was at Phillip's house (Trystan was a baby) when he and I commenced to singing with all our hearts (like we've enjoyed doing together for so many years). As we began our lovely tune, her countenance suddenly changed from that of "happy little baby" to that of sheer terror and fright, and at once she began to scream and to cry and to wail until, I feared her little voice would go hoarse from weeping. It seemed to me, she didn't appreciate our efforts to bring joy and peace to her home.

Phillip later told me that I have embodied the lyrics that say, "I write the songs that make the young girls cry."

(Not long after that conversation with my friend, last Sunday in fact, I smiled and offered a happy little "hello!" to one of the precious little babies in our church here in Lima. She, too, looked at me and began to weep... can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.)

Since then, however, Trystan has matured quite considerably when it comes to appreciation for music and the arts, as now she no longer interrupts us with screams and many tears, but rather with uncontrollable fits of laughter and other such-like forms of praise and gratitude. She's such a sweet little girl.

FLASH: Earthquake Update

2011-09-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

As you can see, the big one finally hit us today and we are reeling from the effects of it. Please pray for us as we try to rebound from this terrible blow that mother nature has dealt us.

Also, please feel free to make a donation (Paypal button, left column) as your alms will be greatly appreciated. Remember, what you give in secret will be appreciated openly.

Your fellow laborer,
Jarron Brown

Just kidding... we're actually remodeling our church kitchen.

And your donations to my paypal account will still be appreciated. :)

Ady & Daddy... and more

2011-09-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

I wanna frame this first one.

Did you ever see such a precious father/daughter photo?

More Photos of Adelina

2011-09-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

Wow! She sure is turning into a chubby little thing, huh?

Can't wait to see her.

Kim, Shavonne and Debby's Visit - PHOTOS

2011-09-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

August 13th, Kim, Shavonne and Debby, who just happened to be in the area, decided to drop in and visit for about 10 days... More truthfully said, they kinda went out of their way to come visit me (4361.1 miles out of the way). I hope they didn't come planning on having a time of rest and relaxation. I don't think they did. But, if that did happen to be the case, they were definitely greeted with reality once they stepped off the plane at the Jorge Chávez International Airport. Everyone knows vacations aren't supposed to be relaxing.

We sure didn't waste much time with such frivolous things as sleep... not when you've got a whole country to see in ten days. (Okay, so that's a slight exaggeration.) Nevertheless, we did take them to a lot of places, giving them a partially expedited tour of some of our most interesting sites here in Peru, including but not limited to, a visit to the Presidential Palace, the Congressional Museum of the Inquisition, Indian markets, city of Cuzco, the Cuzco Cathedral, the Inca fortress "Saqsayhuaman", Q'enqo, Pukapukara, Tambomachay, Qorikancha, MachuPicchu, and a walk on the moon. Okay, maybe not that last one. Notwithstanding, we were, indeed, able to do/go/see/experience quite a bit during the extent of their stay.

... Oh, and we took a lot of pictures. (Over 2,200 en totale.)

The girls also learned some phrases in Quechua while in Cuzco, which, in case you were wondering, was the language spoken by the ancient Inca Indians, and is still spoken as one of the official languages of Peru.
Rayquihuasamy (pronounced "rye-key-wha-sommy") = I'm hungry.
Ch'aquihuasamy (pronounced "ch|ockey-wha-sommy") = I'm thirsty.
Ospagarsunki = Thank you.
Yachayta munani runasimita = I want to learn more Quechua. :)

We spent four days in Cuzco - well, three days in the city and almost one full day (our return date to Lima) in the Cuzco airport as Peruvian Airlines had shut down all their flights for the whole day. We waited in the check-in line for close to five hours until PA bought us last minute tickets to Lima flying with LAN Peru. We lived in the airport for about 7 hours that day. If you would like to know more about that, talk to any one of the girls, Shavonne, preferably. You'll soon find out how much we love the Cuzco airport. :)

Cuzco, as a whole, was an incredible experience. Witnessing, first hand, the ingenuity of the Incan architecture was altogether astounding! Once again, ask Shavonne about it; she's an engineer. We got to spend Bro. Jaime's birthday at MachuPicchu, which was incredible, to say the least. It was a city cut out of the mountain. I find it difficult to try to describe. Suffice it to say, I completely understand why it is referred to as one of the seven wonders of the world today.

The tourism was great, but the best part (I think we can all agree on this) was the coca tea. :) I think Debby, myself, and Bro. Jaime enjoyed this part more so than Kim and Shavonne. We also got to enjoy bargaining with local shopkeepers over clothes, hats, knick-knacks, and such. (Well, I enjoyed it; Kim, not so much.) I bought, as gifts for my family, three hats, one from each type of alpaca wool: adult alpaca, baby alpaca, and "maybe" alpaca, :) as well as a lovely baby alpaca scarf for my dear sweet mother, whom I miss and love with all my heart and can't wait to see again!

One of my favorite things we did during their stay, truly, was playing board games together. I don't know how much they enjoyed it, but they were kind enough to humor me at least. J/k. :) I sure do miss playing family games. Masterpiece was a favorite with them, as was Clue. However, I think we all had the most fun playing Bible Pictionary on one of their last nights here. I've never before seen Bible phrases, themes and stories drawn in such strange methods as I did that night. We sure had a good time playing board games, even though Kim did whip us all almost every time... :) especially at Masterpiece, wow! She's a good gamer.

The girls also got to enjoy a small taste of what foreign missions is like. The day after they arrived, Sunday morning, we attended our home church (which is also the headquarters church for ICAP) located in San Felipe, Jesús María. That night, Bro. Jose Sotomayor took us to one of our annexes (daughter work) in Los Artesanos, another part of Lima. We had a great service; and as you will see in the slideshow below, the girls got to sing as a trio. They also got to sing in San Felipe the following Sunday... for both services. As you can imagine, they were pretty excited about doing that. Haha, J/k! I, in all honesty, had nothing to do with them singing, that was Bro. Nix all the way. :)

They really did seem to enjoy the songs that we sing here in Peru, however, as they copied down several to learn, for example, "Todo lo puedo en Cristo," "Yo me alegré con los que me decían a la casa de Jehova iremos" as well as several others. I, personally, can't wait to teach them to our own Spanish congregation when I return home.

The final service that they were with us, Sunday night, Aug 21st, was one of the most powerful and exciting services I have ever been in. Bro. Nix took his text from Mark 16:17-18 and preached about God's healing power. Once he had relayed the story of Peter and John at the temple, he made an invitation for any one sick person to come forward and receive their healing. Sitting on the second row on the left hand side from the pulpit, was an elderly woman, who happened to be in service with us for the very first time. When Bro. Nix made the invitation, she stood up very crouched-over like (she couldn't stand upright) and hobbled feebly up to the front, where met her "Peter" (Bro. Martín Reyes) and "John" (the rest of the 20 some-odd preachers together). She was dying from cancer. As they laid hands on her and began to pray, an extraordinary thing took place. After a couple minutes of prayer, the woman suddenly stood up straight, threw her arms high into the air and began to dance all over the front of the church. The Lord had, in a moment's time, done what trained doctors could not do, heal her completely from her cancer. To God be the Glory!

I took pictures of her rejoicing. You'll recognize it when you see it.

After the Lord had healed that first woman, several more miracles took place. I will briefly tell of one more such occurrence that took place that night. Enrique Tenorio, who had been seeking for the Holy Ghost for several years to no avail, had begun to suffer from heart problems. However, that night, when he was brought forward for prayer, began to speak in tongues as the Lord filled him with the Holy Ghost. He testified thereafter how he felt that the Lord had healed him at that same instant. Praise the Lord!

I also got a picture of him speaking in tongues as Bro. Nix held the microphone to his lips. :)

The girls left the following afternoon, August 22. I really enjoyed having my girlfriend come visit me, as well as Shavonne and Debby. We shared some great memories together that will last for a lifetime.

Thank you so much girls for coming! It really meant a lot to me; and I sure do count it an honor that you'd spend your hard-earned vacation days with me here in Peru. I pray the Lord will bless you all very much for your blessing me, the Nixes, and the saints of Lima, Peru. I'm sure looking forward to seeing you all again (especially Kim) at WCC in Fresno, where we can reminisce about all the good times we had in Peru! :)

Please enjoy the following slide show of just a few (421) pictures taken from my camera of the girls' visit here:

Next Cleopatra?

2011-08-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

The Jungle - Iquitos' Regional Convention with Pastor Victor Gonzales (Boyle Heights, CA)

2011-08-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we returned home from 5 days in the jungle city of Iquitos, where we held our regional convention. Bro. Victor Gonzales from Boyle Heights, CA came, as well as Bro. Andres Panduro from his church. Bro. Gonzales preached each night. God was very good and several received the Holy Ghost.

My father, who lived there as a missionary's kid back in the early 70s, had told me several stories about the jungle, but up till now, stories were all I knew. Now I've experienced it, and have fallen in love with it. I hated to leave. One day I want to return.

While there we made a lot of neat memories - from guarding our wallets and hiding our cameras in the city markets to riding the mighty Amazon river to having service with no electricity 30 minutes down the Amazon to preaching the gospel to a hungry trinitarian congregation and watching them receive the Holy Ghost to having revival at the home church, ICAP, in Punchana, Iquitos. It was definitely an unforgettable experience that I want to relive.

Wednesday, the day after Bros. Gonzales & Panduro arrived from the states, was spent in Lima (as our flight to Iquitos was scheduled for Thursday morning). That day, Bro. Jaime and I took them sightseeing around town and we had a special service back home in San Felipe that night. Thursday morning through to the following Monday morning was spent in the middle of the Amazon jungle.

I posted just a few photos of our week. Please enjoy.

Lima's Regional Convention with Pastor Carlos Gutierrez (Panorama City, CA)

2011-08-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

July 28-30 was a tremendous weekend for the churches in Lima, Peru. Pastor Carlos Gutierrez from Panorama City, CA was with us during that time and preached like a house of fire. We had a great time while he was here and filled him with our typical Peruvian dish, Pollo (chicken). We ate so much chicken while he was here, I seriously doubt he's touched it since he's been home. :) In all honesty though, Peru has the best chicken I've ever tasted. Anyhow, Bro. Gutierrez preached and several got the Holy Ghost, thank the Lord!

Here are just a few pictures that I took while he was here. Hopefully after seeing these, you will get a group together from your church and come visit us. We love company. :)
Enjoy!

2011-07-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

Ady with her favorite stuffed frog.

Adelina Gracelynn

2011-07-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

My niece was born this morning, July 23rd, at 12:17 AM in Loma Linda University Medical Center. Here are the stats:

Name: Adelina Gracelynn Brown
Weight: 7 lb 15 oz
Length: 20.5 in
Eyes: Blueish-gray
Hair: Brown

Here are some more pictures:

New Daddy & Mommy

2011-07-23T09:48:00.001-07:00

Some pics of the baby

2011-07-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Claudia is Ready

2011-07-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here at Loma Linda Hospital you can find the swinginist, beeboppinist pregnant woman this side of Hahira, Georgia, Kickin' Claudia, and she kicks in the sticks right next to a brick in the northwest corner of room number 321 (please) twistin' her wrists and snappin' her fingers as she sangs "He's Able to Deliva' Maee!" (just like they do in the choirs) - dedicated to her new best friend in the whole wide world, Dr. Child Kum Nau.

God On Lawn Care

2011-07-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

The following is from an email I received from my dear brother. Enjoy!

GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD: No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What play have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....

GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

Papa, Mama, & Daryn's Visit

2011-07-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night, July 5th, my parents and Daryn arrived for a 10 day visit. It had been almost 5 months since I'd last seen them. So, naturally we tried to make up for lost time by cutting out our sleeping hours... not completely though. Below our some pictures (71) of our time together. We did a lot of cool things together - watched the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace, ate, watched a girl faint in the middle of her saxophone solo, ate, went to Plaza Italia and watched a thief make his living, ate, kept Mama prayed through in traffic, ate, toured the Museum of the Inquisition, ate, had church, ate some more, played Masterpiece, Clue, Scrabble, we also ate a lot. Daryn ate his first Pakay and Granadilla. We made Papa Rellenas with Teo (and ate them, naturally). We went to the beach, Mira Flores; we ate a lot. Bro. Jose took us to the Hipodromo de Monterrico to see the race horses. We had an all around good time. Enjoy the pics!

Norky's Chicken

Daryn & Papa in front of a new church building

Us with Pastor Ramos in front of his new church building

Bro. Nix, Bro. Ramos, and my dad

Daryn testifying at Pastor Ramos's church

Papa preaching

Their current church building

My dad and Pastor Ramos and his family

Mama & Papa at Plaza de Armas del Peru

Presidential Palace

Bro. Nix and Daryn in front of the palace

Watching the changing of the guard

This was a few minutes before a girl fainted while playing

Location of the previous church in Plaza Italia (where my grandpa and Bro. Nix worked together)

Baco Vaca

Bro. Juan de la Cruz, Bro. Nix, Papa, & Bro. Jerson Azang dedicating a baby Sunday morning

Daryn testifying (He should've been a preacher)

Mama preaching... jk

Going to get a taxi

My dad taught the ministers and wives Sunday afternoon (89 were there)

Bro. Alejandro brought us pakays (my favorite fruit)

Some preachers singing in Quechua

Choir on the left

Sunday night crowd

People getting healed and the Holy Ghost during song service

This little boy got the Holy Ghost

I couldn't get a decent picture of the guy in the middle because he was bouncing around so fast. I'm not sure if he got the Holy Ghost. But I know he sure got a blessing.

Praying through

Papa in the pulpit

The whole church lined up and greeted them after service. These are just a few pics of that.

Grace & Antony

Bro. Jerson & his wife

Heliot

Nancy & Jose Bravo

Teo teaching us how to make Papa Rellenas

One of our favorite games

Looking down from Mira Flores onto the beach

Bro. Jaime

Daryn eating his first granadilla

My mom made Mexican food... very foreign here.

Daryn & Teo

Me & Teo

Bro. Jose & his family

Euro-English

2011-06-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty''s Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five year phase plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish (Euro for short).

In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c". Sertainly, sivill servants will resieve this news with joy. Also the hard "c" will be replaced with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typwriters kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced by "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20 per sent shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Government will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e"''s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by "z" and "w" by "v". During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivon vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru.e no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivon vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru.

A Quick and Witty Title Would Have Gone Here Had I Thought of One

2011-06-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

As I sit down at the computer in Bro. Nix's office after a long day's rest, I am very worn out as they say...

I at once become quite hungry and parched, so I find some "Pan con Mermelada y Mantequilla de Mani" (ancient Incan dish) and pour a glass of "Leche sin Lactosa..." (Also ancient milk-like substance designed specifically for those with certain digestive intolerances.)

This gives me renewed vigor.

...

With this renewed energy, I decide to begin perusing my Sunday School teacher's manual...

...

Something catches my eye...

...

I decide to teach on the importance of honesty and morality in government...

...

Now, all I need are some good examples.

I can't think of any... Please help.

What Does the Horse Really Say? (Poem inspired by Brian Regan.) Also, an Account of a Recent Experience

2011-06-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

- Horse -

What does the horse really say?

Does he say Wilber?

Or does he say Neigh?

Please place your vote, but don't rush away.

For the votes will be tallied on the seventh day.

Please do not hesitate,

For your voice must be heard.

Which do you speculate

Is the most used horse-word?

FYI, the vote is on the sidebar.

The "Account of a Recent Experience" part...

Saturday, two days ago, Hno. Jose asked me if I wanted to see a friend of his, here in Lima, who owns 20 some-odd racing horses. I love horses, so naturally, I said "YES!" Actually I said "SI!" but that's beside the point. This friend keeps his race horses at a certain race horse keeping place of which I've forgotten the name. It's situated directly beside the... the "Lima Horse Racing Place." (or something like that.) Anyhow, I took some pictures of the occasion and thought you might enjoy them. This was also the first time I had actually seen a horse race. As we were touring the place, we walked out to the race track where they were preparing for a race. I got a couple photos of the horses taking off, then we left. It was quite the exhilarating experience.

Please enjoy.

Also, if you have any questions about horses, for example, "Are they pretty?" "Are they big?" "What do they feel like?" "How much would a racing horse cost?" "how big was the track?" etc, please feel free to ask, as since my visit to this place, I feel like I am much more knowledgeable. I would be more than happy to pull from my vast ~~bottomed-out~~, er, bottomless pit of knowledge and provide answers for all your inquiries regarding horses and things horse-related (donkeys, zebras, mules, etc.).

This picture is of three horses and three men (6 in all)

One tall horse and one short man

Notice his sophisticated saddle.

Got them both smiling. Though the one on the right was difficult to catch.

Two race horses and one race horse taker-care-of.

Me and the horse that tried to eat my shirt.

He also almost ate my camera.

Old horse and Bro. Jose

Me and the old horse

Bro. Jose, our friend (with the phone), and me (behind the picture).

The big trailer being towed by the tractor is called the "horse-race-starter-place." Very sophisticated name, I know. I'm actually surprised I remembered it all. It's the place where the race horses start the horse race.

This was taken right after the race horses started the horse race from the previously mentioned "horse-race-starter-place."

As mentioned before, feel free to send in any questions that you might have. As you can see from my highly technical horse talk, I am quite knowledgeable on the subject. I would be happy to hear from you.

Meanwhile, God bless!

And...

May the horse be with you! (hehe.. haha.. snicker.. phkknppk)

Jarron

P.S. Don't forget to cast in that ballot! It's on the sidebar with BIG LETTERS, you can't miss it.

The Dream Lawyer

2011-06-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Part of rebuilding New Orleans caused residents often to be challenged with the task of tracing home titles back potentially hundreds of years.. With a community rich with history stretching back over two centuries, houses have been passed along through generations of family, sometimes making it quite difficult to establish ownership.
A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client. He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to a parcel of property being offered as collateral. The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the lawyer three months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply:

"Upon review of your letter adjoining your client's loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin."

Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows:

"Your letter regarding title in Case No.189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 206 years covered by the present application.I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased by the United States from France in 1803, the year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain. The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Queen Isabella.
The good Queen Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus's expedition. Now the Pope, as I'm sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God, it is commonly accepted, created this world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana . God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it, and the FHA. I hope you find God's original claim to be satisfactory. Now, may we have our loan?"

The loan was immediately approved.

Satan is a Oneness Believer

2011-06-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

(James 2:19)

Have you ever wondered why Satan is oneness? The answer is simple. Just like all the rest of the angelic host, When he came into existence He knew only one God. When he answers to God, he sees only one throne. Satan has been watching history unfold since before the Milky Way came into being. He witnessed God creating the heavens and the earth. He watched as stars suddenly appeared at the command of this one God. He watched God create man in his own image and likeness. He also observed holy men of God as they were moved on by the Holy Ghost to write scripture about this one God.
Here are some Scriptures that he knows and believes:

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?
Mark 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

I, too, believe these Scriptures - with all my heart. The Oneness of God is the fundamental doctrine of the Bible. On it, hangs all the remaining doctrines found in the Word of God. I encourage you to study it out for yourself. Search the scriptures and let God reveal this precious truth to you, as it is a revelation - and what a glorious one indeed!

How I Know I was Baptized Correctly

2011-05-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

One day as I was sitting at my desk, I began to think, "How do I know for sure I was baptized correctly?" By "correctly," I mean, the Bible way, that is, how the apostles did it in the New Testament church.

Now, I've heard some say that baptism isn't even necessary at all to be saved because it's a "work" (see Ephesians 2:8-9). This sounds good until we get to the part where Jesus said,

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16)

If one wants to be saved, Jesus made it clear that he/she must be baptized! With that being said, we ask the question, "Which way is the correct way to be baptized?"

I have heard of numerous ways and formulas for baptism by different groups of people, but Jesus gave only one way in which it should be conducted, which we find him giving his 12 disciples soon before his ascension into heaven:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: " (Matthew 28:19)

The obvious first question that would naturally begin to form in one's mind is, "What is the name?" Naturally, we understand that "Father", "Son", and "Holy Ghost" are not names, but titles; and as we know that water baptism is imperative for salvation, it would only make sense to diligently search for the name each of these titles represent.

WHAT IS THE NAME?

While reading from the prophet Isaiah one day, I stumbled onto a rather interesting passage:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

More study revealed that this was speaking about a coming Messiah who would save his people from their sins, namely, Jesus Christ of the New Testament, of whom the angel proclaimed as "Christ the Lord." Isaiah the prophet called this holy child which was to come, "The everlasting Father."

Jesus Christ, while here on Earth, also proclaimed himself as the Father on many occasions written throughout the Gospel of John, fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah. Here are just a few such occasions:

"I am come in my Father's name,and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." (John 5:43)

"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."(John 14:7)

"I and my Father are one." (John 10:30)

From these scriptures, along with a multitude of others, one can deduce that Jesus Christ is, indeed, the Father in human flesh. Then we find another scripture, which further helps to prove this theory:

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (I Timothy 3:16)

GOD THE FATHER DID INDEED BECOME A MAN.

Why? Read 2 Corinthians 5:19 for the answer.

Dealing, now, with the identity of the Son, it's common knowledge that the Bible calls Jesus Christ the Son of God. This part can sometimes be confusing, because I had often heard of Jesus Christ being called "God the Son." However, after intense search I discovered that nowhere in the Bible is Jesus called, "God the Son." In fact, the term "God the Son" doesn't even exist in the Bible! Not in any of the Old Testament prophesies, not in the Gospel of John, not even in the epistle of 1^st John, from which many have drawn this theory! The only term I found, however, that's even close is the "Son of God," which is found 47 times in the scripture. Here's one for the sake of remembrance:

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;" (Mark 1:1)

Simple, no?

Let us proceed to the name of the Holy Ghost: Who is the Holy Ghost? The 14^th chapter of the Gospel of John 14 is one of my favorites of the entire Bible, because it speaks of Jesus as the coming Holy Ghost. Here are a few such examples:

"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (John 14:17-18)

"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." (John 14:20)

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26)

Clearly, this speaks of the Holy Ghost purely as the divine Spirit of Jesus Christ, not a separate being or personality. This can also be further proven when we read:

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Colossians 1:27)

When we receive the Holy Ghost, (see Acts 2:38) we are filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and that is the force which will propel us through the air, one day, to a place far beyond the sky where Jesus has prepared for his saints.

Without a doubt, the Holy Ghost is "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Now, when Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the disciples, who were already familiar with the divine nature of Jesus, by this time knew exactly who he was talking about, because we find the commandment being fulfilled specifically, 10 days later, on the Day of the annual Jewish festival called, Pentecost.

On that day, Jesus initially poured out his own Spirit (prophesy concerning this in Joel 2:28-29) upon 120 people, including Mary the mother of Jesus, who were all gathered in an upstairs room of an house in Jerusalem, Israel. (Refer to Acts of the Apostles chapter 2.) One thing led to another, and Peter began to preach the New Birth message for the first time ever. This can be found in verse 38 of the same chapter. It reads like this in the King James Version of the Bible:

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

Now, after studying all those previously mentioned scriptures, if there was any doubt left at all in my mind about who Jesus was talking about in Matthew 28:19, this scripture completely removed it at once.

Why did Peter command it to be done “in the name of Jesus Christ”, and not in the titles which Jesus mentioned? Because Peter knew that Jesus was the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

Now, Acts 2:38 isn't the only place in scripture where Jesus' baptismal formula was carried out or referred to. Since the Bible says, "At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established," (2 Corinthians 13:1) I went ahead and found 9 witnesses which attest to this precious Bible truth:

#1 "(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)" (Acts 8:16)

#2 "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." (Acts 10:48)

#3 "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 19:5)

#4 "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)

#5 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" (Romans 6:3)

#6 "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27)

(I threw the next one in just for good measure!)

#7 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Colossians 3:17)

Not forgetting those previously mentioned:

#8 Matthew 28:19

#9 Acts 2:38

NINE SCRIPTURES WITNESS TO THE FACT THAT BAPTISM IS TO BE DONE SOLELY IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Why is "the name" so important? Because,

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

When I was baptized having the name of the Jesus Christ called over me, I know I did it the Bible way; and I can't find any other way in which the Lord Jesus will accept as method for salvation. I want to be obedient to God's Word, in order to make heaven my home, how about you?

Would you like your sins to be washed away completely, just like I did mine? Ask your pastor to do it the Bible way, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins! There's no feeling like knowing you were baptized correctly!

This Is What Happens When Mothers Let Their Children Play With Food...

2011-05-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

I named him Spotted Orange Guy on Cabbage

I made sure to catch him looking my way

I regret not being able to play with my food as a child

(I named him Orange Guy with 2 Black Eyes)

I am now an active member of the ALOCPWFBIMMTROD, the "America Let Our Children Play With Food, Because It May Make Them Rich One Day" club.

flowers & tulips

more flowers & tulips

To me it sort of resembled a swan.

The cake. Before the accident... it wasn't my fault.

The bride and groom and I (not in that order)

God bless,

My First Encounter with a Giant Man-eating Pea-pod

2011-05-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

J/k. Actually it's called Pacay. It's a fruit grown here in South America. This is apparently what it looks like while it's still on the tree (I don't know, I didn't take the picture). It's a weird looking fruit but the taste is divine. I like to think of it as nature's own cotton candy.

As we were grocery shopping last week we came across one. I guess they're starting to come into season. Before I came to Peru my dad told me I should try it out. I'm glad I did, as it has now replaced whatever my previous favorite fruit was as my current favorite fruit. Below are some pictures of this recent life-changing experience. Sorry to disappoint all you pea-pod lovers.

My pacay in its original condition

After Teo showed me how to open it... revealing the precious jewels inside

The (what I call) "cotton part" covers the great big ugly seeds.

Me holding the pacay in my left hand and the "cotton part" (refer to previous picture for meaning) in my right hand. It was soon after devoured.

Parques, Cultos, y Comida

2011-05-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

Enjoy...

My first bus ride in Peru

BTW, Mama & Kim, I was completely (relatively) safe since I was with a group of kids and a few adults from the church.

We did arrive safely that evening at La Parque de las Aguas. One of the most beautiful parks I'd ever been to.

Myself and some buddies from church

Yes, once in a while a big drop would land on your head. It was fun nonetheless.

Another big fountain

That would've been a great shot if that sign hadn't been in the way.

This was part of the grand finale.

It's incredible how they make the water dance and do all other sorts of nifty things.

I'm hidden in there, try to spot me.

Youth service the following night.

Heliot being usher on Sunday morning. He's holding little "welcome" gifts and paraphernalia in the box.

Some of the boys seeking for the Holy Ghost

One of the most awesome baptisms I'd ever witnessed.

On to school...

Can't remember exactly why they were all holding out they're arms to me.

I can't believe Pablo thought I was going to spill it...

...

I can't believe I spilled it.

Yes, that's octopus. No, I haven't tried it.

Of course, Teo could probably make it delicious. She's good... Real good.

For example,

One day as I was telling Teo (our maid) about the food back home, I mentioned a popular dish that people eat called "taco's" (which led, of course, to burritos and tostadas). I then went on to explain what they consisted of.

She said she'd never done it before, but she'd try.

Better than home.

BTW, avocados here are delicious.

When I ran out of tortillas, I threw the rest of the taco stuff into one pile and made a "taco salad."

Needless to say...

I'm a happy camper. :D

Be watching for pictures of my recent encounter with a 2-foot giant pea pod.

Until then,

Hasta luego!

"Holiness" - The Means to Relationship with God

2011-04-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

The concept of holiness as portrayed in the scriptures acts in tandem with the concept of separation. According to the scriptures, we are to be separated from the world so that we can be holy unto God. Leviticus 20:26 says, "And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine." God's reason and purpose for separating the Hebrew nation from their world was simply that they should be His; holy unto Him.

Note what is the purpose behind the Nazarite vow as stated in Numbers 6:8, "All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD." Those who were to take upon themselves the vow of the Nazarite, such as Samson the judge and Samuel the prophet, were to separate themselves from several things. For instance, a Nazarite could touch no dead thing, could not even bury his own family, could not cut his hair, could not eat nor drink of anything that grew on the vine, could not use vinegar, along with other criteria. Why did God set those laws for the Nazarite? The purpose was to be holy unto the Lord. Holiness is consecration; it's dedication; it's sanctity; it's devotion. Although it must be needful to turn away from many things, all of those ideas in actuality point toward something greater, that is, a relationship with the Lord.

Why would God give mankind the opportunity to take on this vow of the Nazarite? By doing thusly, He opened the door to whosoever would desire a relationship with Him to do so. He presented them the opportunity, the means, and the benefits. Why? He desired relationship. Isn't that the underlying theme of the entire Bible? Isn't that why God created man? Isn't that why God called Abram out from Ur? Isn't that why God chose David to rule his people? Isn't that why God gave us the Song of Solomon? Isn't that why God reached for so long for a nation who played the harlot? Isn't that why, ultimately, He robed himself in human flesh, taught, and performed miracles, all just to suffer rejection, be beaten until His visage was marred more than any other, receive a crown of thorns to his head and spikes to his hands and feet, and die on a rugged tree? That, friend, is precisely why. Relationship is what drove our Saviour to Golgotha. Relationship is what refrained Him from calling for legions of angels to come to His rescue. Relationship is why He arose the third day. Relationship is why He poured out His Spirit of whom we are recipients.

Seeing the great God of the universe in that light should cause us all to stop and self-assess. Am I fulfilling the dream of my Saviour by my godly lifestyle and my prayer life and my consistency in studying His Word and adhering to His perfect law of liberty? Or am I treading under foot the Son of God by ignoring His call to devotion or by rejecting his precepts and seeking instead to satisfy my own lusts? Paul said in Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

I propose that we search our hearts and ask God to search our hearts thoroughly. I do not want to squander my allotted time on earth on my own selfish whims and desires. I do not want to pass up such a rich opportunity to actually become a friend to the wonderful and holy Creator of the Universe. Abraham didn't miss it and I don't intend on missing it either.

Yours in Christ,
Jarron

The Superstar of Supermarkets

2011-04-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

A new Wong's Supermarket recently opened here in La Molina. It has some really neat features that most other grocery stores around here don't have. Actually, it's been called the "Superstar of Supermarkets."

Top notch quality!

For instance,

It has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh. Just before it goes on, you hear the distant sound of thunder and the smell of fresh rain in the air.

When you pass the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and you experience the scent of fresh cut hay.

In the meat department there is the aroma of charcoal grilled steaks and smoked ribs.

In the seafood department, the fresh, clean, crisp smell of the ocean and the sound of waves slapping the shoreline greets you.

When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cluck and cackle and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of bacon and eggs frying.

The bread department features the tantalizing smell of fresh baked bread & cookies.

I've stopped buying toilet paper there...

More Photos of Huachipa

2011-04-18T15:11:00.001-07:00

Just kidding! (kind of...)

The following are photos of the classroom and students in the school where I am employed. These were taken during chapel this past Friday. The students in our classroom are in grades 3-6. ("our" being myself, Miss. Yenina, and Miss Monica) The kids really are a barrell of fun. Enjoy as you peruse through a sliver of my life as it was on Friday.

The "1st Samuel Knowlege Game" (not sure what the real name is) Notice the boy on the left is eager to answer a Bible question (Either that or just eager to talk. That seems to be a fad going around the learning center).

6th grade. One stretching. One yelling. One Morphing. One looking at the camera.

Teacher, Mr. Brown, enters the scene with a group song...

"Hey kids, as you may know, I don't play a lot of guitar..."

(pulls out ukulele)

"I just play a little guitar." haha

The kids seemed to appreciate my little joke... they laughed at least.

Two of my more studious pupils indicating how many pages they'd done that week. (I think.)

I luckily got this snapshot in during an unusual occurence of order.

The following are just a few snapshots of some of the older, more disciplined, mature students here at LISOFT. Enjoy!

Kathy really is a sweet natured girl.

A brave co-worker enters the lion's den with only a screwdriver for protection. Actually, he's installing a handle on the High Tech score key holder chamber box thingy with a very obedient student in the background turned around and sitting in his own desk quietly doing his Pace in a completely undisruptive manner. (Key words are italicized.) Not sure who the banshee on the right is.

Gonzalo, Isha, Christian, Gringo, and David (more well-behaved kids)

To say the least, I love my kids and I really enjoy working at LISOFT. Already, it's been a great experience for me and I look forward to the next 8 or so months we have remaining. Gotta run!

Until next time, God bless!

Sr. Jarrón Marrón

Huachipa Zoo Last Saturday

2011-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Seven days ago I was privileged to be able to spend the day with the Sotomayor family at the Huachipa zoo here in Lima. I brought my camera along to get some good shots of the lions, bears, leopards, and one Andean Condor. I had a feeling this was going to be a good day! Upon our arrival we decided to go look at the little animals first.

After the Giraffe, that is...

These are aquatic creatures native to, among other places, Peru. They can be found in rivers, lakes, and even the ocean. They're called "fish".

Here's one such example of the fish's natural habitat, the mighty Rimac river.

We also saw this pod of cayman hatchlings. (They too enjoy dwelling in water.)

Iguanas... (also native to Peru) (They like to drink water.)

Snakes...

More snakes...

and more...

This weird lizard-like thing

And, believe it or not, more snakes. (This time a Boa.)

As well as this tortoise piggy-back riding a croc.

y Focas tambien

Penguins and a really tall skinny bird.

Not sure what this one's called but it looked weird, so I took a picture.

And right before we went on to the big animals, here is where my camera died, because I forgot to charge it the night before. However, I found some people who had a camera that worked, so please enjoy the following pictures of animals that we saw.

Lion

Bear Jaguar

Puma

Monkey

Zebra

Deer

Can't wait to go back! Maybe then I'll remember to charge my camera.

God bless,

Rejoice Evermore

2011-04-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader, The other day my parents received a letter for me from SBVC inviting me to join a certain honors society for Spanish course students called Sigma Delta Mu. Apparently my teacher, Ms. Sogomonian, nominated me to be one of the lucky few. (I really don't know how many are in it, but if it's "honors" I'm guessing a few.) Needless to say, I was flabbergasted, surprised, and pretty happy to boot. She's always been my favorite teacher, but now she's totally my favorite! :) Anyhow, My dad photographed the letter and the note from Prof. Sogomonian and emailed them to me the other day. I really hope they let him go to the initiation in my absence, since my schedule won't allow me to attend, being that I'm in Peru for the next 8 months and all. Besides, since I'm actively fostering friendly relations and mutual respect between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking nations (pt. 3 in the letter), I should be alright. :) Entonces, I figured I'd let you know all this in case someone was just waiting for an opportunity to rejoice with them that do rejoice (or something like that).lol Viva Sigma, Viva Delta, and Viva Mu! God bless, Jarron

Translated - Hello Jarron! I hope that you are very well and that you decide to inscribe in Sigma Delta Mu. Nori

I'll let you translate the next one...

NOTICE!!! ...If You Work at a School

2011-04-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

No wonder I'm wore out every afternoon!

Brand New Self Motivational Bestseller!

2011-04-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'd say that's taking reverse psychology a little far.