Introduction to Pucallpa

Well here I am sitting inside on another rainy day. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. After four and a half years of living in Lima, where it never rains, I am happy to see it. In fact here in Pucallpa we are only a month and a half into our four month long rainy season. The rain doesn't have to keep me indoors but today I have decided to use it to repair some dining room chairs and make coleslaw. I am getting off topic now so let me get back on track.
   Pucallpa is a city in eastern Peru, is the gateway to the jungle, is on the shore of the Ucayali River, and has just over 300 000 people. The main industry is logging and fishing is a big part of the culture.

   Above is a picture of some cargo boats that go to and from Iquitos Peru and other villages along the river. These boats carry everything from fruits and vegetables to cars and trucks even tractors. There are no roads beyond Pucallpa so if you need to send something it needs to go by boat or plane.
   Since arriving here in Pucallpa we have been getting to know the other missionaries within our community and finding our way around town. There is no grocery store here like there was in Lima so we need to visit several markets and small stores to find the things we need. Our fellow missionaries are very nice and we have made lots of new friends already. Our time has also been spent reading, studying, and getting our family adjusted to life in a new place. I have been able to help a friend, named Vann Brock, who is preparing his property so that he and his family can leave to go on furlough. We have been finishing a wooden tower that will primarily be a water tower to get pressure to the property, but will also be used as a climbing wall and a launch point for a zip line.

 The tower is approx. 55 feet high and offers a great view of the surrounding property including Cashibococha which is a big lake at the back of the property. Our daughters have been enjoying lots of swimming since arriving in Pucallpa both in a pool as well as in the local rivers and lakes.
   So there you have my introduction to Pucallpa. This is also an introduction to my new blog. I hope that you will check it out frequently so that you can stay up to date on what it is that our family is doing here in Peru. As we get more involved in ministry and we grow more in the Lord I would like this blog to be an encouragement to you as well as a way for myself to relay information to you.