Dear Praying Friends,

We have been in Huanuco for a week and a half now and find it to be a lovely city. They call it the land of eternal spring. It is cool in the mornings and evenings and warm during the day. The population is about 40,000 and although it is in the heart of Quechua country, we have been told that the residents are mostly non-Quechua speakers and that the little communities in the surrounding hills are where most of the Quechuas live now.

We are here to working to check the remaining 60% of our NT with a translation consultant. Roberto, Waldemar, my companion Juana, and I came by a "colectivo" car so that we could all see the lovely scenery along the way. The Kashinawas had never been very far outside of Pucallpa before, so we really got to see a lot and it will an unforgettable trip for us all. It was certainly scenic, but we had two flat tires and also had to ford the Aguaytia River, where the bridge was being repaired. Unfortunately it had rained and the river was high so only the big trucks and buses felt safe in crossing. We waited quite some time and then the driver said he would give it a try, for if we had not crossed then, we would have had to wait at a construction roadblock for four hours. We got right to the center of the river, about 10 feet from a drop-off, and then got stuck in a deep hole! After quite some time, some of the other vehicle drivers got a heavy nylon rope and pulled us out of the hole so we could get traction again, and we made it across. The water had come in up to the tops of the seats, so we were really soaked! But we made it the rest of the way safely. And it really was an adventure, only lacking Crocodile Dundee!

It was raining when we got to the deep gorge of the BoquerÛn so we only stopped for a short time there and didn't take the walk to see the waterfalls that were to be a prime stop. We used to be able to see the falls from the old road, but the road and most of the bridges are different now. Fortunately we did not dilly-dally any more, for we were the last car that went through before the roadblock was put up for the construction to continue!

We got to Huanuco about 7:15 p.m., about 12 hours from Yarina, and are staying at the home of some old friends, well, not as old as we are! We borrowed some plates and pots from the woman who takes care of their house, and then went to the store to buy some food for supper and breakfast. We had just finished our supper at 9:00 when the lights in the entire city and the area went out, and they have been out almost the whole time since then. Without the electricity, the two translation centers in Huanuco are completely without not only electricity but also phones, so they are worse off than we are. Here we do have a phone and the electricity comes on every once in a while. For example, last night it went on at about 6:00 while we were eating supper, we went to a friend's house for maybe 20 minutes after supper and when we came back there was no more electricity. And while I was washing my hair by candlelight in the bathroom sink (for there isn't power to get water to the shower), the lights came on again. And they came on again this morning at about 6:45. for a couple of hours.

Our consultant checking has had some delays due to the lack of electricity, a generator being available only part of the time, and the solar panel not being strong enough to keep my computer charged. But we are moving ahead OK. Yesterday, Saturday, I worked in the morning with Roberto and Waldemar on some things we wanted to redo to finish up Galatians, and in the afternoon we were able to continue on checking Romans using printed copies that I had run off before the solar panel gave out on Thursday or Friday. Our consultant is giving us as much time as he has so we will just have to see when we can finish up.

Dick is now "baching it" at our little house in Yarinacocha-Pucallpa. He got back from Brazil more quickly than he had expected but had a very hard trip. The canoe leaked badly, the motor was in very poor shape and he had GI problems the whole time he was gone. The purpose of the trip was for him and TufÌ, the third member of our translation team, to find a place in Brazil for us to work on our second edition of the Kashinawa New Testament, the adaptation to the alphabet and dialect of the Brazilian Kashinawas, which will be printed by the Brazilian Bible Society. There are about 4,500 Kashinawas in Brazil and 2,000 to 2,500 in Peru. However, instead of finding a place for us to take our three man revision team and their families, the men who had asked us to come to Brazil to do their revision have chosen to come to NUEVA LUZ, PERU to work with us there. How good can it get! How we rejoice in this great blessing from the Lord. So our present team of Roberto, Waldemar and TufÌ and these three men from Brazil will work together with us around the computer generated adaptation and see how it goes. I feel very optimistic that the computer can deal with at least 99% of our needs. Not bad to start with!

JUST PRAY with us that all that lies ahead will go according to the Lord's ways and that we will not have hold-ups along the way, for our time in Peru is just a six year term, and we want so badly to also do as much as possible of the Old Testament for them. They want this very much.

I want to especially thank you who pray for us daily or regularly and give financially to keep us here. I really want to write to each of you personally but I just cannot now. May our dear Lord bless you for your part in this wonderful adventure with Him.

Today was a nice Sunday. We went to a mostly Quechua Indian church, and every little old lady gave us a hug and kiss and wished us the Lord's blessings. Then we went out with some old friend to see Pre-Inca ruins that may date to 1000 B.C. and then out for "pachamanca" for lunch. This included pork and potatoes that had been cooked in a deep hole in the ground with hot rocks all around the food, and was just delicious. It is a very typical Quechua festival food.

After supper I went to a missionary prayer group about 2 blocks away with two friends here from the US. Another time the Lord showed me His wonderful protection. As we were about 15 feet from the house and deep in conversation, three young guys grabbed my shoulder bag (a cotton woven Kashinawa bag), with the very obvious attempt of making off with it. But I held on for dear life and they dragged me all the way across the street by my bag, which had all of one key in it. I am a little dirtier for the wear but miraculously only got a scraped elbow. This lack of electricity in the city lends to easier robberies and we will all have to be more alert, but I am very grateful to be good as new! Satan may want to disable me, but I thank the Lord that his protecting angels are working overtime for me!

With our love,

Sue for Dick and Sue