Welch Family on Trampoline

Welch Family on Trampoline
Our family (Oct 2015)

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Our Garage Sale

28 November 2015
We held our first garage sale to clear out our belongings and raise some funds for our Peru trip.  There was one outstanding happening at this event which I will never forget and which I want to share with you.

This was becoming emotionally difficult as we were getting rid of a number of our sentimental belongs.  Then an older man purposely walked past all our tables of stuff and directly up to me where at the time I was standing on our driveway at the back of it all.  He looked me in the eyes and said (in my words):

“I saw your article in the North Shore Times recently and I want to tell you that you are doing the right thing.  I had the opportunity about 30 years ago with my family to go to Rwanda and do what you are going to do in Peru, but we chose not to go.  There were various reasons at the time, but in hindsight none were worth stopping us going.”

By this time he had tears in his eyes and his face was full of regret.

He went on to assure me our mission to Peru will be the best thing I could ever do with my family, and to never to look back as he did.  He then turned and walked down our driveway into his car and drove off.  He was not there to buy anything but to provide a most timely assurance.

My sentimentality issues with my “coveted possessions” and any doubts that were remaining were addressed then and there.

Our first garage sale for Peru (16 Oct 2015)



Chris

Adventure in Compassion

16 October 2015

Our family have always been active in our community.  And so the North Shore Times ran an article on our family going to Peru – Adventure in Compassion.  See per link here;

Click to download PDF


We were so honoured to have this community exposure and awareness for our cause.

Chris

Friday 25 March 2016

Klaus’ Inaugural 2015 Australian Tour

22 October to 15 November 2015
Klaus arrived at Sydney international airport in the evening of Thursday 22 October with a terrible cold! I hurried him off to his hotel to try and sleep it off as we had and early start the following morning.

Friday 23 October we were on the road at 6:30am for a radio interview at FM94.9 on the Central Coast of NSW. Then we tripped back to Sydney for an interview with Ray Notley of Pioneers followed by two more radio interviews throughout the afternoon - Vision Radio in Brisbane and LightFM in Melbourne made over the phone.

Radio interview with Dr John at FM94.9 on the Central Coast, NSW (23 Oct 2015)

Then to cap a busy Friday off, Klaus presented to Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) in North Ryde. This was well received and so much so, regional Broadcast Media Manager, Nils Ahrens and National Sales Manager, Richard Popple addressed Chris to say this was a fantastic thing we were doing as a family with Diospi Suyana, and acknowledging that we needed to upgrade our R&S ETL broadcast test unit for our work in Peru, they had decided to upgrade it for us gratis!

This upgrade is valued at AUD$25k and is in fact real money for R&S Australia who are a separate business unit to their principle company in Germany, so it comes out of their own back pocket so to speak. This upgrade will enable my ETL unit to operate with the Latin American digital TV standard (ISDB-Tb) and for FM radio work. I was so honoured that day let me tell you!

Nils Ahrens of R&S presenting the ETL upgrade to Chris Welch (11 Feb 2016)

Another highlight of Klaus’ trip was presenting to Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) in Kilsyth, Melbourne on Monday 9 November. During his one hour presentation, a visible impact was observable on many faces in the packed out training room. At the end, Mick Bennet - Director of Engineering, Broadcast and Defence, stood up to say “Chris, how can we support you?” Moreover RFS had just completed a successful trade show in Peru some 3 weeks earlier, and in fact RFS had riggers in Peru at that time installing a digital television tsunami warning system for the Japanese.

My requirements for antenna systems are yet to be determined (subject to licensing), and I committed to get back to RFS in due course.

Klaus and Chris outside of RFS factory, Kilsyth (9 Nov 2015).

Again I was honoured by another key industry supplier for my sacrifice and work with the underprivileged of Peru.

Just prior to the tour, we were approached by a family in Melbourne who’s son Joshua had read Dr John’s book “I have Seen God” detailing the indisputable workings of God to see the inception to completion of Diospi Suyana. They located Sandi from an internet search which amazingly led to them organising a presentation at the Stairway Church.

This also so happened to attract and reconnect old Sydney home-schooling family friends Peter and Kim Kamper, as Peter had travelled throughout Peru and held a special place with him. Peter has subsequently helped with marketing of the Welch’s in Peru mission and Diospi Suyana.

Dr John and Chris Welch with the Berry family (8 Nov 2015).

Other presentations of Klaus’ tour included various churches in Sydney (including of course our own LifeSource church and Torchbearers), Melbourne (including the Stairway Church, St John’s German Lutheran Church and YWAM) and the Brisbane area (including Outlook Christian Church, Toowoomba). Of special note, the Toowoomba presentations included a visit of Joan Maxwell, mum of Lyndal Maxwell who has been working tirelessly at Diospi Suyana with John and Martina Klaus since its beginning.

Klaus also connected with our LifeSource Church Latin American friends, and made his 1 hour Diospi Suyana presentation in Spanish. Many of these special new friends of ours are from Peru, and have been amazing in their support of the Welch family and we appreciate and love them very much! It is beyond co-incidence that there is such a significant community of Peruvian’s in LifeSource Church (rather we believe this is a God-incidence).

Dr John presenting to our Latin American LifeSource home-group friends (24 Oct 2015)

Dr John presenting at LifeSource Christian Church (15 Nov 2015)

Diospi Suyana resources at LifeSource Christian Church (15 Nov 2015)

LifeSource Church (left to right) Ps John Iuliano, Chris & Sandi Welch, Dr John (15 Nov 2015)

Further presentations were made to schools, such as Pacific Hills Christian School (PHCS) at Dural, NSW. An amazing connection was made between Dr John and the principal Dr Boyce who shared in a passion for Peru having been there many times himself. In fact he committed to visit us next year in Peru, and furthermore would work toward getting a group of students to visit us on a mission trip!

Dr John presenting to PHCS year 10 students (6 Nov 2015)

PHCS (left to right) Dr Boyce, Chris Welch and Dr John (6 Nov 2015)

Prior to our Melbourne journey, a meeting was held on Saturday 7 November at Chris’ parents Tony & Dawn Lonsdale’s home at Tumbi Umbi on the Central Coast, NSW. This included a wide spectrum of family and friends with an interest in Diospi Suyana – a number having already read Dr Klaus’ book “I have Seen God”. There as standing room only and we were very encouraged by the amazing support received.

Central Coast presentation by Dr John (7 Nov 2015) at Chris’ parents’ home in Tumbi Umbi

One more radio appointment was had, this was with Hope Media FM103.2 at their studios in Sydney on Friday 6 November. A presentation was made to CEO Phillip Randall and Engineering Manager Stephen Wilkinson followed by an interview with Dr John and Chris Welch.

Hope Media visit by Dr John and Chris Welch (6 Nov 2015)

Klaus also presented at Chris’s work - TX Australia (TXA) Head Office. This was an important visit to enable colleagues to understand the project which had called Chris to the change after 28 years working in Australian broadcasting, and 13+ years at TXA.

As a finale’ to Klaus’ tour, a visit was paid to TX Australia’s flagship VHF main transmission site before Klaus flew out of Australia on Sunday 15 November. This site was one of a new AUD $4M transmission building in Willoughby which was also one of Chris’ last projects with the company. It sits directly beneath Australia’s tallest free standing lattice steel tower (233m) adjacent the Channel Nine studios.

TXA Willoughby site main transmission hall (15 Nov 2015)

TXA Willoughby site building (15 Nov 2015)

TXA Willoughby site 233m steel lattice tower (15 Nov 2015)

Chris

A really honest diary moment…

October 30 2015
An extract from my diary:
“This Peru journey has me exhausted. I am ready to stop. We have done nothing but prepare (for Dr Klaus John’s upcoming visit and for ourselves) for months!

It is consuming my every day. Chris went from telling his boss to telling the whole world  and we haven’t been accepted by Pioneers yet and we have no info/support brochure yet. I feel silly now AND still it is filling my every day. Are we stupid? So far we have $150.

God please help us. Please make this work. Increase my faith. Dr John is here in Brisbane now. Please get us the support we need. Please help us to be wise….”

Blessings, Sandi

Sunday 21 February 2016

About our (many) Vaccinations…

July 2015 to February 2016
Yellow fever, Rabies, Typhoid, TB, Hep A & B…
The kids have been amazing!  We have a plan of attack – they choose to count down the days until the appointment.  Then they are ready – as they sit, arm exposed, waiting  - Sandi gives the littlies lolly snakes or lollipops (in the mouth works best) and they amaze the Dr’s with their compliance – and even more with their sincere thankyou’s afterwards!

It has been funny to watch the definition of a great day change – Solomon now proclaims a great day to be any day he doesn’t need to have a needle!

I think I deserve a lollipop for managing the spreadsheet of ‘who has had what when’. ☺

Blessings, Sandi

Vaccination Surprise

14 July 2015
We were surprised to learn how many vaccinations we needed to have to live in Curahuasi. At last count there were 9 needles that we had to have. The first appointment turned out to be very eventful! We discovered that I was pregnant! So baby number 8 is on its way! Very exciting!!!

What did I say last post about trusting God with his plan?  Now I really have to!



Blessings, Sandi

The Learning Curve Begins…

July 2015
We have never travelled this road before.  Chris and Jake have been to Cambodia on short term mission trips, but I am a definite novice! ☺  I must confess to spending a month being concerned about buying new warm jackets for the whole family at the July stocktake sales idea!  It made sense to me – high altitude/ snow topped mountains…

But then I had my understanding moment…… I realised after too much wasted time that I had no idea!!!  We are going to a very poor area, where other missionary families describe kids begging outside their window as they eat dinner, and I am worried about new jackets!  Even more – a Dr already working at the hospital emailed to say NOT to bring warm jackets!    So we returned most of them (yes – to be honest not all).  But lesson starting to be learnt - my organising put me in control but this whole journey is showing us that God needs to be in control and is doing this good work, not us.  I need to ask him what needs to be done….


Blessings, Sandi