We went on 3 hour trip through the mountians on a VERY curvy road.. to the point that I was almost sick but I  didn’t say anything…… many beautiful  things to see, went to a busy market, walked miles in the heat of the day and came home very hot and tired. on the way home we passed a truck of workers bringing home the bananas…. very common picture here in Peru… more later.. we are still alive and eating is still OK.. Jim  still needs to try a few more  new things…Hes trying to get by with chicken made different ways.lol

Well Jim and I are finally here in Peru. Landing in 95 degree weather and seeing the kids.  Our first impression of Lima was dirty and dangerous. The night before, there was a taxi robbery at the very same place we stayed at. A missionary just came in from the airport and she was surrounded by gunned thieves and took everything she had, passport,money, suitcases.. so now we are on high alert in Lima Amy met us at the Lima airport and it was really great to see her… on Thur we went to Tarapato.

They were very happy to receive  gifts like peanut butter.

We got have some hands on time with the kids and loved the one on one time with them.

They did have some fun stuff for us to eat. I guess Micah bought these ants for me special on his last jungle trip. As you can see Jim had no part of it.  Yes I ate it dead and crunchy. yum, yum.

This blogging stuff is not my cup of tea.. so bear with me .

Going to a far away town tomorrow, and must be on the road by  six am.

…busy time at the Tuttles.

Very soon we will have a couple of young writers making their debut on the blogging scene.

:::

We will also have a not-so-young grandma writer making her debut,  documenting a very first Peruvian experience.

:::

So. Stay tuned.

:)

We have some exciting news, Friends and Family!

Sirens began to blare throughout Dubuque, an urgent tornado watch had
just been issued. The 400 people attending the Emmaus Iron Sharpens
Iron conference were herded down into bowels of the school. The tornado
had touched down about 20 miles northwest of our town and was headed our
way (so said the news). As soon as I heard what was going on I knew
that all of Dubuque would be sitting on the edge of their seats and the
conditions would be prime for some serious evangelism. Once I had made
sure that Amy and the kids were safe I grabbed a friend and we went out
to do some door-to-door. As evangelists we must make the most of
current events… and this was really current!

My friend Mike and I went through the pouring down rain across the
street and knocked at the first house. A middle-aged angry looking man
with his two pit-bulls answered the door. I could see his TV in the
living room was tuned to the tornado watch and so I said, “Sir, as
you know there is a tornado headed our way and my friend and I are
interested in hearing what people’s thoughts are.” I continued,
“Are you a bit worried?” He said, “Yeah I’m worried.
Anyone that’s watching the news has to be worried.” Then I
asked, “If that tornado hits Dubuque, destroys your house and kills
you, where do you think you would spend eternity?” He gave me an
incredulous look and said, “A tornado is headed our way, you guys
are soaking wet and you’re knocking on doors talking about
eternity?!” I said, “What better time?”

After that we were able to fully share the gospel with this guy. He was
extremely open to spiritual things despite his appearance, and I’m
sure that the conversation would never have been possible without the
help of a tornado scare. Our time ended with the man being very
convicted, my friend and I being very wet and the tornado being very
gone.

And now on a very different note we are excited to let you know of our
upcoming plans. School is done and we are gearing up to go back to
Peru. We have decided to delay our trip 2 months and we’ll be back
in Peru after the baby is born, around the middle of September. In the
mean time I (Micah) will take a trip to Peru to teach at IBEM (the Bible
Institute) and also to find a house for our family to settle into when
we all arrive. In these next three months we will be working, packing,
wrapping up ministries and visiting the Portland, OR area. See our next
letter for dates and details. Please pray for us as we gear up for
these next few very busy months.

Micah for the Tuttle’s

Yesterday the evangelism team and I were able to go out, once again, to the Dubuque Kennedy Mall (our favorite fishing spot) to do some cold turkey evangelism. Before we headed to the Mall we spent some time in prayer that God would open up hearts ahead of time, and that is exactly what He did. By the end of the evening every one of the ten people who went out with me was involved in some kind of exciting spiritual discussion.

Normally when we go into the Mall our policy is that each evangelist is on his or her own. We act like we don’t know each other and each one looks for someone to share the gospel with. I usually like to walk around the mall for the first 15 minutes or so, scoping things out, seeing where people are gathered at, what kind of people are there, and assessing who looks like they have time for a conversation.

It was extremely encouraging yesterday as I was going through my routine assessment of the situation and as I walked by my friend Mark who was speaking to a young man all I heard was him saying: “Jesus said?.” Immediately after that, I walked past Hanna who was talking to a group of 4 college students and all I heard in passing were the words: “The Bible says?.” Less than 30 seconds later I passed by Josh who had engaged in conversation with three middle-aged folks and he was saying “God has spoken to us in His word?” I didn’t hear anything else from these different conversations but it was inspiring to hear each one of these evangelists basing what he or she had to say on the Bible.

I got so excited I walked up to a group of 5 High-schoolers in the food court and asked them: “If I buy you guy’s some Cokes would you let me sit down with you and talk about spiritual things?” They looked at me incredulously and asked “Are you serious?” I said: “Yeah what kind of Pop do you guy’s like?” One said “Sprite” another said “Coke” another asked for a Pretzel and the other two didn’t need anything. I bought the stuff, we all sat down at a table and we had an awesome conversation for about 40 minutes and cost me less than $4. Pretty good deal!

I opened up my little Bible and read from 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. These verses speak of Jesus bringing vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel. I treated it just like a home Bible study (mall bible study) and asked I just asked them questions about the text. Every one of those 17 year-olds participated enthusiastically as we talked about Judgment day, righteousness and the gospel. It was great fun and at the same time it was of great eternal value.

After a while these three guys and two girls all wanted to know who I was. They said: “This is crazy, no one just walks up to random people in the Mall and offers to buy them Cokes so he can talk about the Bible. Who are you?” I was able to say that “I’m just a guy who reads the Bible and has a personal relationship with the Living God through Jesus Christ.” In the end they acknowledged that they needed to start reading their Bibles and get right with God while there was still time. I didn’t want to force any hasty decisions so I directed them to a good church and left them all with some quality tracts.

When all ten of us evangelists met back at the van in the parking lot we were praising God and filled with joy as we related our different experiences. There’s nothing quite so exciting as going out with a group of eager Christians to share your faith with anyone that will listen.

-Micah Tuttle

Reckless evangelism! As you go, scatter the seed wherever you are and with whomever you can. The other day I arrived home, after taking the evangelism team out, and the phone rang. When I answered the man asked for Doug and Beth Macentire. I told him that he must have the wrong number and that no one by that name lived here. He said he was sorry and was about to hang up but before he did I quickly said: “Hey, I know you didn’t mean to call me, but since we’re on the phone could I ask you a few questions about spiritual things?”

This wrong number caller said: “Sure, I guess so”

Me: “Have you ever told a lie?”

Ron Umber: “Well, yeah, everyone tells lies.”

Me: “What do you call a person who tells lies?”

Ron Umber: “I guess a liar.”

Me: “Have you ever stolen anything?”

Ron Umber: “Yeah, but just little stuff.”

Me: “What do you call a person who steals things, regardless of their value?”

Ron Umber: “A thief”

Me: “You’ve just admitted to me that you have broken two of the Ten Commandments: `Thou shalt not steal’ and Thou shalt not lie’. So far we’ve seen that you are a lying thief and there’s still eight more commandments to go. If God were to judge you on the basis of the Ten Commandments do you think you would be innocent or guilty?”

Ron Umber: “I guess we’ve seen that I’d be pretty guilty.”

Me: “Do you know where the guilty go when they die?”

Ron Umber: “Well, the Bible talks about hell.”

Me: “Do you know how you can avoid the hell that you deserve?”

Ron Umber: “No,?.. How?”

Me: “Have you heard the story about Jesus in the New Testament?”

Ron Umber: “Well yeah, he was a good man.”

Me: “Yes! He not only was a good man, He was God in human flesh who died and paid the price that you should have had to pay. Then He rose again giving us proof of His identity?.. Look, you’re a lying thief that’s guilty of breaking God’s commands. You deserve the penalty of hell, and it doesn’t matter how religious you might be, you still need someone to satisfy the wrath of God on your behalf. That “someone” is Jesus Christ. JESUS PAID THE PENALTY FOR YOU. Now it’s up to you to receive that free gift.”

Ron Umber: “I would consider myself a pretty religious guy but I’ve never heard this stuff before??. Just a minute I want my wife to hear what you’re saying.”

This man proceeded to put me on loud speaker and I was able to speak to the whole family for about 20 minutes. It was absolutely incredible as I got to fully share the gospel and then hear them promise to read the New Testament and investigate what I had told them. We ended the conversation agreeing that God had a reason and had pre-planned this exciting wrong number phone conversation.

-Micah Tuttle

I’ve been reading the book, “What’s so Amazing about Grace?” by Philip Yancey (Zondervan Publishing House, 1997).

This is so good.  

“Theologically, the Gospels give a straightforward answer to why God asks us to forgive: because that is what God is like.  When Jesus first gave the command, “Love your enemies,” he added this rationale: “…that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

Romans says, “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”  – weren’t we enemies, when he gave up his life for us?  It even calls us sinners in this verse, “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son…” 

We were God’s enemies, but he loved us.  If you haven’t trusted Christ, you are God’s enemy, but he loves you.  So much is his love for you and me that He gave his Son to die, paying the price for our sins, that we should have had to pay.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer wrote on loving enemies, while being persecuted by Nazi Germany…

“Through the medium of prayer, we go to our enemy, stand by his side, and plead for him to God.  Jesus does not promise that when we bless our enemies and do good to them they will not despitefully use and persecute us.  They certainly will.  But not even that can hurt or overcome us, so long as we pray for them… We are doing vicariously for them what they cannot do for themselves.”

Why did Bonhoeffer love his enemies and pray for his persecutors?  He had only one answer: “God loves his enemies–that is the glory of his love, as every follower of Jesus knows.” 

This is difficult.  Being like God isn’t something that is easy.  I sure am glad that this is the kind of grace God has for me, now if only I could remember to love those who don’t love me back!  That is the goal.

Amy