On Home Assignment

Sunday 07 July 2019

Having arrived back in Sydney now, here is a brief on what we’ve been up to… 

Firstly we flew back with only 30 items of luggage!  We think this is a significant advancement on the 94 items of luggage when we arrived in Peru in 2016! J (see our original post http://welchesinperu.blogspot.com/2016/06/our-amazing-arrival-in-lima.html)

Here we are with “our stuff” in Cusco to embark on our first leg back to Sydney.

Our arrival greeting including some of the same friends from LifeSource Church who made the miracle happen to help us get away in the first place on 31 May 2016.  It involved a budget rental truck, our LifeSource Church van, balloons, Easter chocolates and other goodies.  And then to arrive at our rental house in Mount Colah, that Chris’ family had furnished for us in advance.  Thank you so much everyone who blessed us so much to make our arrival perfect!!!

At the other end in Sydney, we were greeted by an incredible loving team of friends.

Over the coming weeks and months we caught up with many family and friends.  We have renewed licenses, obtained new licenses, renewed Medicare, banking cards and accounts, presented for numerous medical appointments and the list goes on…  Not to mention our kids’ Australian education, as Peru education is not recognised by Australia.  And we have also started weekly Spanish lessons in Sydney to be ready for a return to Peru next year.

We enjoyed many Aussie things like fish and chips on the beach and other favourites we missed during our 3 years in Peru, from simple Aussie pies to Thai food.

 

Fish and chips at the Dee Why beach public pool.

Our family along with Sandi’s sister Kylie and son Brody from WA, visited the Sydney Harbour Vivid light show - such a contrast to Peru!

It has been wonderful to share special time (including birthdays for example) with family and friends. And to catch up with Jake again in Australia, once on the Gold Coast and then in Sydney.

Here Jake visits us in Sydney to reunite our family of 10 for a few days, plus Sandi’s mum and dad from WA.

Our good friend Rob even brought “home” our billy cart that we sold at our garage sale before going to Peru – now renovated with a new paint job for the kids to enjoy.

From left to right, Jessica, Sarah and Stacey in Sam’s refurbished billy cart.

Sam has wasted no time in getting back into cycling with his NSCC Cycling Academy.  He missed his club rides with his cycling mates and the Australian racing circuit.  But he is making up for lost time now.  In fact Sam just came 2nd in the NSW Metro Road Racing Championships that was held in Penrith on 7 July.

Questions are being asked after 3 years of absence in Australia, just where has this Sam Welch guy come from?☺

Our eldest Jake, now 20, is loving studying his degree in psychology at Southern Cross Uni on the Gold Coast.  He has even tried his hand at politics as a local rep for the National Democrats where he got 4% of the vote in his division of Fadden.

Chris continues to support the Diospi Suyana Media Centre whilst we are here.  From Australia he can advise, problem solve and also help plan the next license and transmission site/s.

Whilst Dr Klaus plans to visit Australia for the second time to share the story of Diospi Suyana and to launch his 2nd book in English “God has seen us”.  His tour is planned for August 2019 as we put together his schedule for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.  So if anyone would like Klaus to present at their church, school, radio station, work or any group for that matter, then please let us know ASAP.

So here’s as a recap of where we got to in Peru…

We estimate some 800,000 people in Peru today can now receive Diospi Suyana FM radio and hear the Gospel along with Christian music and medical information, in both Spanish and Quechua.

 

(2017 population figures)

Diospi’s radio program can also be received via satellite in all of Latin America, by some 400 million Spanish speaking people direct to their homes if they have satellite access (see below coverage map).

We can share many stories of thankfulness, and of lives touched by God which stream in daily to the studios in Curahuasi by calls, WhatsApp messages and email.

We can truly say God was faithful to his promises to look after us, despite many difficult moments with work, Sam had a bike accident or two, the kids were challenged by attending school in Spanish and Sandi navigated many family moments whilst Chris was often away on travel... through it all God was sovereignly with us.

We thank you so much for all those who supported us.  Chris is looking for work while we are on home assignment to finance the period from now until 2020 when we plan to return to Peru.  As despite what we have done, there is more to do in finishing these sites and preparing for more in the future.

Chris and Sandi,