Nov 2020..possible Return to Peru?

 

We have return tickets to Peru! Read below to see how God has done some amazing miracles on our behalf to allow us to return and don't forget to check out the items to pray for.

Dear Friends and Family, When we last updated you at the end of August, we had just been through a tough month filled with ups and downs. Cancer-free scans were the good news, but closed international borders to Peru was the bad news. God in His wisdom, then took us on a two-month journey showing us things about His character, about ourselves, and how we should respond in times of uncertainty. For the first two weeks in September, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Spokane Washington. Our time was spent seeing how Moody still trains missionary pilots and mechanics, sharing in chapels, attending classes, and eating meals in the evenings with both staff and students. We had the privilege of spending time with a student Bill had taught on the mission field in elementary school who is now at Moody. We got a vision for how Joy could be a valuable instructor and mentor to both male and female students in the program and how Bill's educational background could be used in the student services department. The doors are open for us to work there in the future whenever God leads us from our current ministry. While we do not feel this is right for us at the moment, please pray for us as we consider His will for us at Moody in the future. As we left, God gave us the privilege of spending a day and a half exploring Yellowstone National Park. (See pictures above.) Here are the fall miracles God worked for us. Miracle #1: Joy was able to reduce her use of gabapentin throughout the month and by the time we returned to Chicago she was completely off this medication that causes drowsiness and would prohibit her from obtaining an aviation medical. While there is still some discomfort primarily in the evenings, this has been easily managed with over the counter pain medicine. Miracle #2: While at Moody, we were given the contact information for a company that specifically helps pilots regain their FAA medicals. The owner is a Christian, and we hired this company to represent our case before the FAA. Once Joy's doctors send reports of Joy's surgery and treatments of this past year to them, they will submit a legal document representing her when she finishes her medical exam with a designated FAA medical examiner next week. Miracle #3: At the end of September, we drove to the JAARS center in Waxhaw, NC. The plan was to attend a two-week refresher ground school for all JAARS supervisor pilots. But since the country of Peru still was not allowing flights from the US, we approached the head of training at JAARS and asked if there was any way he could facilitate the flight training immediately following the ground school. There was an instructor (more like 3 who shared the load) and an aircraft available for this required training. After two weeks of instrument training, left seat, and right seat flying, Joy completed all the training necessary to requalify for a full five year JAARS recurrent training event.  Miracle #4 Peru officially began allowing flights from the US starting November 1st. We returned to Chicago and this past week we able to fit in dental work for both of us, Joy's three-month CT scans (ONCE AGAIN SHOWING NO CANCER), an upper esophageal scope for Bill, AND PURCHASED TICKETS for Monday, November 16 to return to Peru.   Here is how you can pray for us in the next 7 days:   1. Pray for Joy's FAA medical exam Tuesday the 10th. After the exam, the FAA review board will need to deliberate based on this exam along with the report from Pilot Medical Solutions on her behalf. 2. Pray for one more treatment (BOTOX) on Bill's esophagus Thursday the 12th. 3. Pray that we will be able to get COVID tests here in the Chicago area which is difficult due to demand. The timing has to work perfectly due to government mandates to arrive with results within 72 hours of receiving the results. 4. Pray for us as we leave our boys in the US at college. Pray that God would continue to bless them this semester and for their plans for the holidays as they will not be traveling to Peru. 5. Pray for us as a family as we return after so long. Our expectations are high, but we know we will be returning to a difficult situation. 6. Lastly and most importantly pray for Bill and me as we work on our spiritual life and family life after this difficult year. We are entering a new season and trust that God will be glorified in our lives. 7 days to go! Pray for us on November 16 and 17 as we finally get all the way home. In Christ, Bill and Joy Carrera

May 2020 Prayer Letter: Everything has changed...

Everything has changed

Dear Friends and Family,

     It is not very often you can look back at a prayer letter while writing your next one and discover everything you planned did not happen. We had speaking engagements planned and penciled in. Awana programs, a mission conference, a women's brunch, and a trip to Brazil to renew Bill's visa were all on the agenda. They were not to be; God had other plans.

     The second weekend in March we flew to Atlanta for the wedding of Joy's niece. This was to be the start of a busy schedule, but instead it was the first and last thing we did outside the home. That next week we kept checking our phones to see if future plans were going to hold. One by one they all fell by the wayside. The shelter-in-place order for Chicago, like many around the country, has closed churches and forced small groups to meet by telecommuting platforms.
       All of us have had our lives turned upside down. The day before traveling to the wedding, William received the shocking news that Wheaton College had made the decision to shut down the campus and move the last quarter online. He returned to campus that following week to say a few goodbyes and pack his room. Good news for him is that he completed his finals last week, and his first year of college is one to remember. Camilla and Cullen also transitioned to e-learning that week, a temporary solution that later became reality for the rest of the semester. Cullen's graduation ceremony was cancelled as was Camilla's production of Charlie Brown through the Chicago Christian Youth Theater program. However as resilient children, they make these loses and transitions look easy. They have followed schedules without any prompting from us, starting each day around at nine o'clock and finishing shortly after a lunch break. As I type this letter, Cullen is taking his AP Calculus test online. He feels well prepared, he says.
       Through all this we have seen the hand of God active in our lives. We had hoped to return to Peru in January, with Joy flying to Lima for treatments once a month. When COVID-19 shut down not just America, but the whole world, we realized that God had spared us a huge trial as Peru's restrictions were more severe than Chicago's. Within 24 hours, the Peruvian president suspended all international and national flights meaning either Joy would have been separated from her family if she had been in Lima at the time or making Joy's treatment impossible for us without having to request emergency evacuation from the US embassy. Here in Chicago, while Bill is not able to go with her, Joy has been able to continue monthly treatments and scans requested by her doctor. Her last scan in April continues to show no growth of any tumors anywhere else in her body.
       While we were sad that Cullen was not able to return to finish his senior year in Peru, because we were here in Chicago, he had the opportunity to apply for a scholarship for urban leaders. We were first made aware of this scholarship to Taylor University last fall. It was a long application process, with three steps involving essays, evaluated group dynamics, and interviews. At the end of February, Cullen was named an Acts 6 scholar and given a full ride scholarship to Taylor. He will start classes in the fall, studying film and media production. This scholarship is also an internship as it invests heavily in urban students who want to make a difference in their communities. Cullen already has begun online classes with his fellow scholarship cadre and is looking forward to other activities this summer before school starts in the fall.
       While we are not speaking at conferences, Bill is working on teaching materials and developing his writing skills by reworking stories he wrote about growing up in a large family here in Chicago. There have been hours spent trying to get our pictures safely archived from old CD's to an external drive and then correcting their dates and compiling them in a format that we can find and use in the future. Joy also has some nursing continued education credits due this month as well. Of course we are enjoying being together as a family one more time before everyone separates in the fall. We were reminded at Easter that we are at the one year mark of Joy's cancer diagnosis. Last Mother's Day our family was separated by a continent as Joy was facing major surgery that next week. Those reminders make us immensely grateful that God has brought us through this past year, and we can rejoice in the many amazing gifts He has continued to give us.
     Our future plans remain in God's timing. We have already tried twice to plan our return to Peru only to be postponed. This time we are waiting before attempting to nail down a firm date. However, with this said, we hope to return to Peru in August. We will confirm the date after Joy's last treatment and result of last scans. This time we will return with only Camilla in tow, a big change for all of us.

We have a few prayer requests as this season of our lives moves forward.
(1) Pray for continued healing for Joy. Her neuropathy continues in her feet and any decisions regarding future flying will be contingent on the healing.
(2) Pray for William and Cullen as they try to decide what to do this summer. Jobs are scarce and we don't know that working outside the home and returning everyday is a good idea while we live with Bill's parents.
(3) Pray for summer plans as far as finishing our furlough goals of visiting supporters and friends that are not in Chicago. We typically make a long trip and even had lined up dates with a few churches in July. Pray for God's will to be done about our plans.
(4) Pray for the Lord to have mercy on His world and to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Pray that these locked borders and quarantine orders will not affect our plans to return to Peru and/or that we be patient with God's timing.

One final note or thought: If our shelter in place continues further into the summer, we would like to hear from you if there is a time that you'd like to meet with us for a internet based missions report. This could be a Skype/Zoom/Google-Talk with any small groups, churches, or families that would like to hear more about our ministries in Peru. If we can figure out how to share a power point, we can call this a tele-furlough! In all seriousness, we would love to connect with you despite this time of social distancing.

In Christ,

Bill and Joy Carrera

Jan 2020 Prayer Letter

Well it finally happened: Chicago has turned cold, and there is snow on the ground. Some of us are happier than others, but winter is a season we have not experienced for some time. It is fun to wear our sweaters and boots, and there is still a sledding night to be planned for the next time there is fresh snow.

Life has returned back to normal after the Christmas holidays. Everyone is back in school and doing well. Colds and flu for the most part have been avoided. Many people have told us that they have been praying for our children. We really appreciate those prayers. The news that we could not return to Peru for the spring semester due to Joy's health was disappointing for both Cullen and Camilla, but they are learning to rely on God.  The first semester ends in Chicago for the public schools this week, and Cullen is studying for two finals he has scheduled. Cullen is also working hard on scholarship applications and seeking God's direction on which college he should attend in the fall. Camilla is also having to put in more time for school work. We mentioned in our last letter that Camilla has enjoyed being involved in a musical theater group for children called Christian Youth Theater. Last November she performed in a musical called Camp Rock, and in February she will be performing in a musical production of Shrek. William spent the Christmas break with us here at Bill's parents home in Chicago and returned to a second semester at Wheaton College. He mentioned how grateful he was to be going to a school with not only high academic standards, but one where he feels encouraged spiritually by his peers on his floor with whom he shares Bible studies and feels personal encouragement.

We also want to update you on Joy's health and again thank you for all your prayers. After a very difficult fall where Joy had many harsh side effects to the combination drug therapy given in August and September, her doctor cancelled the last two doses of this combination treatment and continued the single dose therapy that needs to be taken for 12 months. We are so grateful that she is not experiencing any side effects from this treatment. Most of the side effects from the fall have been resolved except for the nerve damage (neuropathy) in her feet. She still lacks sensation on parts of her toes and balls of her feet, and there is still pain in her feet when she stands or walks for any amount of time. We are encouraged that these nerves do seem to be regenerating and the pain is manageable with medication, and so we appreciate your prayers as we trust that this nerve damage will be completely healed. She continues to get CT scans to monitor if there is any return of the cancer. Our prayer request that these scans continue to show no new growth and that she would be cancer free so that we can return to the mission field and serve the Lord for many more years.

Our family is also deeply mourning the loss of our sister in law, Cindy Rast Lord, after battling a brain tumor for 4 years. She passed away this past December in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she and her family served as missionaries. God graciously gave Joy the gift of a few days with Cindy and Joy's brother Joel in early December a few days before her passing. We also were privileged to attend a service in celebration of her life here in the Chicago area this past month. We appreciate your prayers for Joy's brother Joel and their children Grace, Alex, and Christian.

We are now in a position with Joy's improving health, to be able to finally get on with our furlough goals. We are finally scheduling speaking engagements at our supporting churches and hoping to get together with supporters and friends. If you attend one of our supporting churches (or live near one), look for announcements of our speaking dates. Those in the Chicago area, please reach out to us so this spring we can get together before we start to make our longer trips out East and to the South.

We hope to see many of you soon!

Bill, Joy, William, Cullen, and Camilla

Prayer Requests
1. Continued healing for Joy.
2. Cullen is a finalist for a scholarship at Taylor University. He will be going to Taylor in two weeks for the final project and interview.
3. Pray for dates and times to fall together as we plan speaking engagements and partner activities.
4. Camilla's next performance will be Feb 14-16. Pray for health and strength during this time.

Camilla performing during the
CYT production of Camp Rock.

Joy and her brother Joel.