Being at
Machu Picchu was absolutely amazing!!! The Andes Mountains were so huge and
beautiful and the Incan ruins were so cool to see. It was awesome to see how
most of their buildings or structures were still here after 600 years. Our tour
guide also explained that the Incans were actually short despite their very
tall door openings and that no families lived there, only children and young
people. There were so many huge stones there and it was amazing that they were
able to build all that they did on the mountain, including the trails that led
to other places, such as the sun gate. I can’t wait to see you all again soon!
Sierra Basista
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Rebecca Fiecoat - Day 12
Wow, where
to begin? Again, this week has been nothing short of amazing. Our team
experienced a little change of pace as we traveled from Lima to Cusco, adjusted
to high altitudes, had several train, plane, and bus adventures, woke up super
early (I’m talkin’ 3 a.m.), and hiked up, down, and around the Andes mountains!
Last week, I was reminded of God’s power by experiencing the power of
prayer. This week, I was reminded of God’s power by experiencing the
beauty of His creation! Hiking to the Sun Gate in Machu Picchu was breathtaking, both literally and figuratively! God’s glory is displayed through His creation
and I was reminded of how truly powerful He is! I cannot wait to share pictures
and stories! Thank you all so much for all of your prayers. We’ll be coming
home soon!
Rebecca Fiecoat
Blessings,
Rebecca Fiecoat
Alyssa Crow - Day 12
After passing out upon arrival to Cuzco and tripping and
falling down a mountain later that day, I am proud to be the troubled child of
the group (No surprise to my family, I’m sure). It was a hard day for me, but
the Lord took my mind off of the pain at Machu Picchu. Being up in the
mountains reminded me of God’s breathtaking power! I couldn’t help but smile
when I saw the snow topped mountains and the Incan city below. Our God is so mighty and I am completely in
awe of Him! I can’t wait to be reunited with family and friends in just a few
days.
Alyssa Crow
Kaylee Van Winkle - Day 12
“Patience is a virtue.” When you ask the Lord for patience,
He certainly will provide ways for you to practice. Machu Picchu was a huge lesson in patience,
especially waiting on the train to come, so we could get “home” by 1:00 am. The Lord
has definitely challenged me in that area.
Now, about Machu Picchu . . . The Andes, are beyond beautiful and creation literally does sing of His majesty. I was so awestruck by the glory and beauty of the mountains. It was so amazing to be able to walk around one of the 7 wonders of the world, knowing that our Creator was there with those people also. I can’t wait to share pictures and stories when we get home. Hardly seems like we have been here two weeks. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support!
He is amazing, was amazing, and he continues to amaze me!
Kaylee Van Winkle
Now, about Machu Picchu . . . The Andes, are beyond beautiful and creation literally does sing of His majesty. I was so awestruck by the glory and beauty of the mountains. It was so amazing to be able to walk around one of the 7 wonders of the world, knowing that our Creator was there with those people also. I can’t wait to share pictures and stories when we get home. Hardly seems like we have been here two weeks. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support!
He is amazing, was amazing, and he continues to amaze me!
Kaylee Van Winkle
Rachel Hartong - Day 11
Okay so I guess I’ll talk about the llamas, because of the
VBS benchmark we’d created for Babylon. No, I didn’t get to kiss a llama! We were warned that
since tourists constantly try to pose with the llamas that they are
professional “spitters.” Anyway, we did run into several llamas during the hike
to the Sun Gate, but they were pretty easy to pet and get pictures with; some
even followed us up the trail for a while. However, they still were not too
fond of people getting close to their face so Sam and I didn’t try to kiss
them. On the bright side though we still got several awesome pictures that
we’ll be able to share once we’re home with all of you!
Rachel Hartong
Kendra Caddell - Day 11
Machu Picchu was amazingly beautiful! When most of the group
left for Sun Gate, Krista, Jake, Kyu, Josh, and I stayed behind. My portion of
the group walked around the lower portion of Machu Picchu and finally jumped
through an open doorway onto an agricultural terrace overlooking the Andes. It
was so unreal! Staring out at the mountains, I was reminded of just how big and
powerful God is. After taking so many pictures I lost count, I fell
asleep on the grass and slept under the shade of a 600 year old wall until
Krista woke me up.
Kendra Caddell
Kendra Caddell
Andria Nelson - Day 11
After we walked around Machu Picchu, a small group of six
made up of Kari, Becca, Rachel, Brenna, Sam and I hiked our way up to the Sun
Gate. The journey up was long and hard
at times (even with so many water and picture taking breaks) but each step we
took gave us a greater view than before. When we reached the top I got an
amazing feeling seeing where we started and seeing just how far we had come.
Andria Nelson
Andria Nelson
Kari Nelson - Day 11
Machu Picchu is surrounded by beautiful and thick
jungle. Walking on the trail to the Sun
Gate, we had a great view of it the entire time! Right on the side of the trail
is pretty much a straight drop into the jungle which enticed me to throw a rock
down there. For some reason, I have a fixation on throwing things from high
places. So I grabbed a handful of rocks and threw them as far as I could! I
didn’t hear them hit the ground but it was still satisfying.
Kari Nelson
Kari Nelson
Brenna Mahn - Day 11
On our first day in Cusco we went on a city tour and we met
a German family in our tour group. On the bus the two sons were sitting behind
me and I started talking to them and the elder one asked what we were doing in
Peru, so I told him about our mission trip. Then his parents started asking me
questions about it and right when I thought I’d get overwhelmed by their hard
questions, Kyu joined the conversation. They asked a lot of questions about
what we had to offer these people, and about why our religion was any better
than the natives’ religion and such. I’m sure we didn’t convert them but we
certainly got them thinking and possibly planted a seed that might someday
grow, so it was pretty awesome.
Brenna Mahn
Brenna Mahn
Matthias Otto - Day 11
To all those back home in Mount Vernon or other locations from where you might be checking in from in order to get your latest update or Step:Peru fix, our apologies for the last two days of "radio silence". Unfortunately, we stayed at a hostel in Cuzco that did not provide any internet access and were limited to a few minutes at lunch on Monday and about an hour at a coffee shop on Tuesday night, both of which were used to write a few e-mails and send a few Facebook entries on our STEP:PERU group page and neither of which were conducive to writing any personal entries by our student team members. We intend and hope to remedy this tonight with several shorter posts from the teens.
Currently, many of them are recovering from their most recent adventure, our exciting trip to the Incan city of Machu Picchu. I will not go into any details, as I am hoping that the students will take time to do that in their posts tonight, but instead, would like share one of the many blessings that I have been able to enjoy, as I have watched God do some wonderful things in the lives of these students during our time over breakfast.
Every morning, other than on our trip to Machu Picchu, our team has enjoyed a time together in the Word over hardboiled eggs, drinkable yogurt, fruit, corn flakes, rolls, coffee, etc. I spent some time before the trip picking out passages that I thought might be applicable to the students during various stages of our trip. However, I never imagined that God would use them in such a pointed way to encourage, challenge and convict us. The passages chosen included the following veses in order of time read:
Pastor Matt
Currently, many of them are recovering from their most recent adventure, our exciting trip to the Incan city of Machu Picchu. I will not go into any details, as I am hoping that the students will take time to do that in their posts tonight, but instead, would like share one of the many blessings that I have been able to enjoy, as I have watched God do some wonderful things in the lives of these students during our time over breakfast.
Every morning, other than on our trip to Machu Picchu, our team has enjoyed a time together in the Word over hardboiled eggs, drinkable yogurt, fruit, corn flakes, rolls, coffee, etc. I spent some time before the trip picking out passages that I thought might be applicable to the students during various stages of our trip. However, I never imagined that God would use them in such a pointed way to encourage, challenge and convict us. The passages chosen included the following veses in order of time read:
- Monday - Psalm 27:1; Romans 1:16-17
- Tuesday - Matthew 25::31-46
- Wednesday - Hebrews 4:14-16; Jeremiah 33:3
- Thursday - Colossians 3:12-17
- Friday - Isaiah 40:27-31
- Saturday - Matthew 9:35-38
- Sunday - Hebrews 12:1-2
- Monday - Philippians 4:4-7
- Tuesday - Habakkuk 3:19
Pastor Matt
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Jacob Miller - Day 8
An unofficial motto of our mission trip to Peru has been, “It’s not about me”. Over the last week I have learned the importance of this phrase. We can only be the true servants God wants us to be when we step outside ourselves and do hard things in faith for God. I’ve personally struggled with focusing on my own issues and concerns, and being a selfish person in general. However, through this mission trip, I’ve seen that the more I surrender to my petty issues to God, the more I can be used by Him.
Last night during our final VBS ministry, I realized how far I had come in just one week, and all the credit for that goes to God. After dancing around with a little girl who spoke no English, I realized how much I was enjoying it, and that can only be of God. I remember the first night, standing terrified of interacting with these little kids who spoke no English, knowing that I had a working Spanish vocabulary of eight words. But God pushed me to try to get out of my comfort zone and stop focusing on my own fears. With His help I learned ways to interact with the kids without using words; through high-fives, handshakes, rock-paper-scissors, and sometimes dancing. Last night, dancing with a little girl from Peru, something I would never do out of my own will, I got a glimpse at the joy of living a life freed from myself, and for Someone else.
Jacob Miller
Last night during our final VBS ministry, I realized how far I had come in just one week, and all the credit for that goes to God. After dancing around with a little girl who spoke no English, I realized how much I was enjoying it, and that can only be of God. I remember the first night, standing terrified of interacting with these little kids who spoke no English, knowing that I had a working Spanish vocabulary of eight words. But God pushed me to try to get out of my comfort zone and stop focusing on my own fears. With His help I learned ways to interact with the kids without using words; through high-fives, handshakes, rock-paper-scissors, and sometimes dancing. Last night, dancing with a little girl from Peru, something I would never do out of my own will, I got a glimpse at the joy of living a life freed from myself, and for Someone else.
Jacob Miller
Rachel Hartong - Day 8
Wow! Day number eight is drawing to an end here in Peru! Sometimes it feels like we really have been here a full week, but other times it seems like just a couple days. I was set to blog a couple days ago, but due to some unforeseen circumstances I was unable. That being said, the last couple days have really opened my eyes and taught me a lot putting a lot on my mind to share with you so hope you have some time to spare!
First, I will explain the delay that we had yesterday, which turned into possibly the most convicting moment in my life. In Peru, there are police officers everywhere and yesterday we had an encounter with officers on the side of the road who randomly select vehicles for checking paperwork. Needless to say we were one of the lucky chosen vehicles to pull over, and it turns out that our bus had tinted windows without the proper permit which would require us to drive to the police station to pay the fine which would take at least a half hour. This was our last day of the VBS campaign and we were in route to our destination with a bus full of people and balloon animals which we had made for the kids. We were already a bit behind schedule and the last thing we needed was a detour to the police station. Rev. Kim’s wife got out of the bus to talk to the officers and we all stayed in the bus to pray that the higher official would allow us to go to our site and deal with the fine at a later time. I was in the back of the bus with Pastor Matt and Rebecca, so we got together and prayed for that very thing. A few moments later Edwin, our amazing driver, and Mrs. Kim climbed back on the bus. Rebecca looked at me with a “thumbs up” and said, “The power of prayer!” I looked to the front of the bus and saw that the officer also got on the bus. My interpretation was that this officer was to escort us to the station to make sure we pay the fine, therefore delaying us even more. I looked at Rebecca with my thumb pointed down, with a pouty face, and said “Well that didn’t work did it.” Matt had gone up to check on the amount of the fine and to offer to pay it. He came back laughing and told us that the officer had decided to escort us to our site, to avoid any other incidents with police and that he and Edwin would deal with the fine during our VBS program. WHAT?! I immediately looked at Rebecca, never having felt so guilty, broken, pessimistic, disappointed in my life. I had just doubted God, and the power of prayer and His ability and desire to care for His servants. In our time of prayer, God cleared our path to get to our destination, which turned out to be a brand new location for the ministry. We found out later that because of our program and the attendance, a new church will likely be started in that town. No wonder Satan tried to place obstacles in our path. What an amazing, convicting, and eye-opening experience!
Now I need to change gears a little to share with you what we experienced this morning at church. First off, these people know how to worship the Lord! We definitely came here to teach people about God, but I feel that the people here have taught me a lot as well. Their music is so uplifting, and even when we don’t understand everything in a song it just feels amazing to be a part of that worship. Martha, the worship leader gave Josh one of their CD’s so I’m sure we will be sharing some of the music with the church when we get back. Pastor Matt gave the message on Hebrews 12:1-2, pointing out the importance of casting off all sin that hinders us so that we may serve God and run the race of this life properly in order to meet Jesus at the finish line. It was an amazing message as we are here to do God’s work and we cannot do that successfully until we cleanse ourselves and give our complete lives to Christ.
First, I will explain the delay that we had yesterday, which turned into possibly the most convicting moment in my life. In Peru, there are police officers everywhere and yesterday we had an encounter with officers on the side of the road who randomly select vehicles for checking paperwork. Needless to say we were one of the lucky chosen vehicles to pull over, and it turns out that our bus had tinted windows without the proper permit which would require us to drive to the police station to pay the fine which would take at least a half hour. This was our last day of the VBS campaign and we were in route to our destination with a bus full of people and balloon animals which we had made for the kids. We were already a bit behind schedule and the last thing we needed was a detour to the police station. Rev. Kim’s wife got out of the bus to talk to the officers and we all stayed in the bus to pray that the higher official would allow us to go to our site and deal with the fine at a later time. I was in the back of the bus with Pastor Matt and Rebecca, so we got together and prayed for that very thing. A few moments later Edwin, our amazing driver, and Mrs. Kim climbed back on the bus. Rebecca looked at me with a “thumbs up” and said, “The power of prayer!” I looked to the front of the bus and saw that the officer also got on the bus. My interpretation was that this officer was to escort us to the station to make sure we pay the fine, therefore delaying us even more. I looked at Rebecca with my thumb pointed down, with a pouty face, and said “Well that didn’t work did it.” Matt had gone up to check on the amount of the fine and to offer to pay it. He came back laughing and told us that the officer had decided to escort us to our site, to avoid any other incidents with police and that he and Edwin would deal with the fine during our VBS program. WHAT?! I immediately looked at Rebecca, never having felt so guilty, broken, pessimistic, disappointed in my life. I had just doubted God, and the power of prayer and His ability and desire to care for His servants. In our time of prayer, God cleared our path to get to our destination, which turned out to be a brand new location for the ministry. We found out later that because of our program and the attendance, a new church will likely be started in that town. No wonder Satan tried to place obstacles in our path. What an amazing, convicting, and eye-opening experience!
Now I need to change gears a little to share with you what we experienced this morning at church. First off, these people know how to worship the Lord! We definitely came here to teach people about God, but I feel that the people here have taught me a lot as well. Their music is so uplifting, and even when we don’t understand everything in a song it just feels amazing to be a part of that worship. Martha, the worship leader gave Josh one of their CD’s so I’m sure we will be sharing some of the music with the church when we get back. Pastor Matt gave the message on Hebrews 12:1-2, pointing out the importance of casting off all sin that hinders us so that we may serve God and run the race of this life properly in order to meet Jesus at the finish line. It was an amazing message as we are here to do God’s work and we cannot do that successfully until we cleanse ourselves and give our complete lives to Christ.
So much on this trip has brought me back to the concept of the power of prayer. At the beginning of this trip, I was feeling a bit discouraged that our schedule here wasn’t filled with enough measurable ministry and that we weren’t making an impact. A couple of us had a very deep conversation about this with Pastor Matt and Krista and they told us to look for all those indirect ways and little things that can be a chance for us to serve. Prayer is ministry that never has to cease and that can be performed no matter when or where you are. After being a sole service trip to Nicaragua, I have struggled with the indirect, spiritual and emotion support we are giving these people opposed to leaving a tangible building or something similar upon our departure. I have wondered about the effect prayer has, but its power has become more clear every day. Seeing the smiles of the kids, the pastors, the parents, and other people from the towns have been so uplifting. The conversations I’ve been able to create have been amazing! The people we are serving have so little, and although we give them some food and some little gifts which they enjoy, we are really here to give them love and the knowledge of God – a gift that will last forever!
Rachel Hartong
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Andria Nelson - Day 7
Good morning of day 7 in Peru! Today we are recording ourskit that we have been using to share the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den with children in the Lima area. It is a bit scary being in front of the camera, but it is totally worth doing. Even if this helps lead even one person to Christ it will be worth it! What isa little stage fright compared to someone being lead to open the word, right?
After we eat lunch at the Kim’s house later, we will get onthe bus and make our way to the place where we will be ministering. During thebus ride we’re going to make some balloon animals for the kiddies! I hope todaywill be as fruitful if not more as the others. I can’t wait to see what Godwill have in store for us today!
AndriaKrista Otto - Day 7
We are back in the recording studio today at the AMED
ministry. AMED is a ministry that the
Kims work with to produce VBS and Sunday school material for Spanish speaking children. While the Kims were working in the
shantytowns, like the ones we have been ministering in, they discovered that
the church workers lacked the material to help them teach the children. Through the past 11 years, the AMED ministry
has really grown. They have their own
office and studio where they can record music, film videos for the motions to go along with
the music, and create animation and drama.
They do all this with four full time employees! They have an administrator, graphic designer,
sound technician and secretary. They
also have many volunteers to help! Most recently, some of these volunteers have been working
to redesigning their website. After four long
months of hard work, the website went live yesterday and it was so fun to be
here to celebrate with them. The website
has so many great features. An example of some things they offer are bible
stories, music with motions, advertisements for your event, banners, and decoration
ideas. These are available for the church leaders to use with a simple click of the mouse.
The most amazing part is that they provide all this valuable information
and resources for free on their website!
I am truly amazed how God is
using this ministry and humbled that they would like for us to participate in
recording our VBS songs and Bible story.
It’s amazing to think how we have such an abundance of teaching
resources in the US and yet there is such a need for them here. I wish I had better skills to offer
them. It’s amazing to think that it’s
difficult to make a name for yourself in the US in production, sound, and writing curriculum,
yet if you have those skills you could use them now to create materials to
share the gospel with millions of children around the world as the Kims and their ministry is doing!
This afternoon we went to another shantytown to minister to
the kids. It was the first time that the
Kims had been brought a mission team there.
What a great time we had again. Near the end of our time, I was
approached by two ladies. One lady works
for Compassion International. I hear so
much about this ministry each time I am at a concert or Christian event and it
was so interesting to actually meet someone who works with the kids instead of
just hearing about the kids. She has 200
children in that area that she works with that are sponsored children. Some of them were there at our meeting! Wow, again it was so neat to see these
children and be encouraged how their life is different because of
Compassion. The other lady I met is
actually a missionary with her husband and they work mainly with children’s
ministry. She really enjoyed our VBS
time with the children so much and wished that we could come back again. She talked with Pastor Kim after our
conversation and together they discussed her desire to have help starting a
church farther up the hill into the poorer portion of the shantytown. It’s exciting and humbling to think it’s possible
a new church plant will start because of our ministry today.
Krista
Friday, July 6, 2012
Rebecca Fiecoat - Day 6
Greetings!
Just as the previous five days, today was nothing short of amazing! God is continuing to show me - as well as the rest of our group - great and mighty things. A Bible verse that Pastor Matt shared with us during our morning devotions the other day happened to be my favorite verse, Jeremiah 33:3 which says, "Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." This week, I have really taken this verse to heart and through it, I have learned so much about the power of prayer. I have learned that if only I take everything to the Lord in prayer, He will indeed show me great and powerful things! Every day, our group travels by bus to the locations at which we will be ministering. The traffic here in Peru is absolutely crazy and it takes us quite a while to reach our destination. While our group often will play games and have conversations, Pastor Matt has recently encouraged us to take time to ourselves to pray for our VBS ministry for that particular day. Ever since, I have daily taken time to do this, and what a blessing it has been! Usually, I pray for things such as the weather (because the sky almost always looks like it could start raining at any moment) and for the people that we will be serving that day. Each and every day, God has answered these requests and granted us additional blessings. We have had at least 100 children attend at each of out ministry locations, and with the exception of one drizzly afternoon, the weather has been great! These are only a few examples of how God has shown me the power of prayer.
Because Spanish is the prominent language here in Peru, I must say I was a little nervous about not being able to communicate with the people and develop relationships. Again, I took my fears and worries straight to the Lord as the Bible tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with prayer and supplication, make your requests known to the Lord." God quickly gave me peace and comfort and I have even been able to hold short conversations with the kids! Today, I was truly blessed by meeting two young girls. Before we began our VBS program, I was able to learn their names, introduce myself, and even teach them a few words in English! Their faces lit up with excitement as I took about ten or fifteen minutes to teach them simple words such as apple, headband, or watch. They wanted to know more and more. I was really able to connect with them and they taught me a lot, too! After this, they would not leave my side. Through our entire program, they were right beside me. Their faces grew sad as I told them I had to get on the bus and one of the two girls gave me a huge hug and whispered in my ear that she loved me. This brought tears to my eyes! For so long, I was very nervous about trying to communicate with the kids. However, as soon as I presented my fears before the Lord, I not only was able to communicate with the kids but I was also able to connect with these two girls, who have made an impression on me that will last my entire life.
God has been so good and again, I have been learning so much about the power of prayer. Even now, I pray that I will continue to be moldable and teachable as God continues to reveal Himself to me during my time here in Lima.
Rebecca Fiecoat
Just as the previous five days, today was nothing short of amazing! God is continuing to show me - as well as the rest of our group - great and mighty things. A Bible verse that Pastor Matt shared with us during our morning devotions the other day happened to be my favorite verse, Jeremiah 33:3 which says, "Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." This week, I have really taken this verse to heart and through it, I have learned so much about the power of prayer. I have learned that if only I take everything to the Lord in prayer, He will indeed show me great and powerful things! Every day, our group travels by bus to the locations at which we will be ministering. The traffic here in Peru is absolutely crazy and it takes us quite a while to reach our destination. While our group often will play games and have conversations, Pastor Matt has recently encouraged us to take time to ourselves to pray for our VBS ministry for that particular day. Ever since, I have daily taken time to do this, and what a blessing it has been! Usually, I pray for things such as the weather (because the sky almost always looks like it could start raining at any moment) and for the people that we will be serving that day. Each and every day, God has answered these requests and granted us additional blessings. We have had at least 100 children attend at each of out ministry locations, and with the exception of one drizzly afternoon, the weather has been great! These are only a few examples of how God has shown me the power of prayer.
Because Spanish is the prominent language here in Peru, I must say I was a little nervous about not being able to communicate with the people and develop relationships. Again, I took my fears and worries straight to the Lord as the Bible tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with prayer and supplication, make your requests known to the Lord." God quickly gave me peace and comfort and I have even been able to hold short conversations with the kids! Today, I was truly blessed by meeting two young girls. Before we began our VBS program, I was able to learn their names, introduce myself, and even teach them a few words in English! Their faces lit up with excitement as I took about ten or fifteen minutes to teach them simple words such as apple, headband, or watch. They wanted to know more and more. I was really able to connect with them and they taught me a lot, too! After this, they would not leave my side. Through our entire program, they were right beside me. Their faces grew sad as I told them I had to get on the bus and one of the two girls gave me a huge hug and whispered in my ear that she loved me. This brought tears to my eyes! For so long, I was very nervous about trying to communicate with the kids. However, as soon as I presented my fears before the Lord, I not only was able to communicate with the kids but I was also able to connect with these two girls, who have made an impression on me that will last my entire life.
God has been so good and again, I have been learning so much about the power of prayer. Even now, I pray that I will continue to be moldable and teachable as God continues to reveal Himself to me during my time here in Lima.
Rebecca Fiecoat
Alyssa Crow - Day 5
I can’t believe that the Peru trip I long awaited is finally
taking place. God blessed me so much while raising support and preparing for
this mission trip. He also blessed me with safety, as this was my first time
flying. I couldn’t ask for a better group to share this opportunity with or
better youth leaders to guide the team. The Lord completely relieved all the
fears that consumed my mind before leaving for Peru, and I am completely blown
away by the power of prayer. He has been so good to me, and He has shown me His
power to overcome anything.
Our VBS ministry has meant the world to me over the past few
days. I was worried before we left that the language barrier would put a limitation
on what God wanted me to share with the children. Even though it sounds really cliché,
this trip has proven that actions speak so much louder than words. I have been
able to touch the lives of Peruvian children through simply giving them a hug
and making sure they feel loved. Or speaking the little Spanish I know, even though
they laugh because I’m sure I sound completely ridiculous. During every VBS, I’ve
ended up with at least one child that clings to me throughout the program. God
has given me so many opportunities to love and give attention to children who
might not get it otherwise. Today, God blessed me with a one and a half year old
to make special friends with. She was the most adorable little girl I have ever
seen and she gave me so many hugs and wanted me to hold her the whole time,
which I gladly did. She had the cutest laugh, and it was really difficult for
me to say goodbye.
Today began with a meeting with missionaries from all over
the world, serving in Peru. I met missionaries from Switzerland, England,
China, and also from all over the United States. It was so incredible to see
how the Lord led each and every one of them to Peru in order to serve Him. I
had the opportunity to speak and pray with a young woman named Andria from
Colorado, someone I look up to very much. She shared how she gave up a two year
relationship with a potential husband because she felt God was calling her to
the mission field, while her boyfriend thought God had other plans for his
life. Her courage and willingness to sacrifice herself was so inspiring to me,
and it reminded me that I always need to be open-minded to the plans God has
for my life.
The people I have met through VBS have truly changed my
life. The Lord has humbled me many times over the last 5 days. It’s amazing to
experience the generosity of these Peruvian people. They have absolutely
nothing, however they are willing to give so much. A little boy in my group at
snack time especially humbled me today. He had torn clothing and a dirty face, yet
the first thing he did when I gave him Ritz crackers was open the pack and
share them with me. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it because
his selflessness and generosity is so convicting to me. I never anticipated
being able to learn so much without speaking to anyone, but God has made that
possible, and I praise Him for that.
As for new experiences go…. the Lord gave me courage to try
sushi! I didn’t like it, but I hope mom is proud of me for trying new food. I
also learned how to make balloon animals, something that the children enjoy
very much. Thank you to everyone who is praying for our team; we definitely
need it. I can’t wait to share all of my experiences with everyone when I get
back!
Alyssa Crow
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Sam Miller - Day 5
Hello everyone! These past few days have been a blast! I wish I could go into detail about each day but I've been instructed to only talk about my day. Before I begin, sorry mom and dad about the phone call and voice message... or lack there of. Love you!
So, today was really packed and busy, but really cool as well. In the morning, we got to sit in on a Bible study with some of the missionaries that serve with SIM. Matt was asked to lead the Bible study with about ten missionaries from around Lima, Peru. The study was similar to the ones back home, except very different. It is so different to be apart of a Bible study where everyone is passionate about Christ and furthering His kingdom. Matt's lesson was very brief but really packed a punch. He spoke of the parables of the men finding the hidden treasure and the priceless pearl. How often do we actually slow down and think about things like that? Heaven really should be the most valuable thing in our lives, but how often do we go hours, days, weeks, even months without thinking about it? We really need to make that more of a priority, myself included. After the devotions, we broke into small groups and got to learn more about some of the individual missionaries. My group included three missionaries: Bill, Ernst and Martin.
Martin and Ernst are both from Switzerland and Bill is from England. They all spoke great English so it was very easy to talk to them. Martin had to keep stepping out because one of his children kept crying, but we got to learn a lot about Bill and Ernst. Bill is working in the shanty-towns and has been for 14 or so years. He is about to retire now and would like to have prayer that he would leave the ministry in the hands of another and that he could leave happily without any regrets and not become too upset with leaving the relationships he has made. Ernst is teaching at the seminary we are staying at during our ministry in Lima. He is a great, fun-loving guy who knows five different languages: German, Swiss-German, French, English, Spanish, and he teaches Greek at the seminary. He asked for prayer for his three children, because he never sees them. We got to have a great time in prayer with these three and it was really great to see how similar they were to us. We asked them what was the most important part of mission work and they responded with "just be yourself." I thought that was really awesome! Being able to see these godly men who serve the Lord act and sound like us was really encouraging! They prayed, spoke and even laughed like we do. They were very "down-to-earth" and that was really amazing to me. After our time with them and our group prayer, we had an incredible dinner that Mrs. Kim cooked. Now let me take a moment to stress INCREDIBLE! (By the way mom, I spoke to Mrs. Kim and she said she will give you cooking lessons in Korean and Peruvian food if you fly down her... Just FYI). Mrs. Kim is truly a fantastic cook! After I was so full they had to roll me into the bus, we went to do our missions work.
Each day God has blessed the team and me with a better feel for the language. We are all getting much better. Don't misunderstand, we can by no means speak to the people fluently, but we can get by. I am becoming better and better at understanding them now and that is a blessing from God. Today's group of kids were great! I really feel like I connected with a lot of them! We had an excellent time interacting with them through songs, followed by our drama. We only got a few "otra vez" (encore) this time compared to the chants and demands we have been receiving at other locations, but they really liked it. Jake is doing great with his acting! The kids absolutely adore him! After the drama, Matt and Kyu presented the Gospel. Everyone said the prayer! I know that doesn't really mean much, but I am sure that at least some of them are going to start coming to church and hopefully the seed has been planted in all of their hearts. We then got to paint the faces of the kids and give them some food and a Bible tract. I then thought it would be a great idea to let the kids paint my face... I was wrong! Within ten seconds, I was surrounded and swarmed by kids and my face was COVERED in face paint. They even went as far as to put some of the red paint on my lips like lipstick. It was a lot of fun for the kids though, so I'm okay with it.
I strongly feel God working in my life on this trip. He has broken me down lately with my relationships and future life plans, and I feel that He is now ready to start building me back up into the man He wants me to be. On the last mission trip I was a part of, God displayed His power and the power of prayer to our entire team. On this trip, I think God is trying to make me more bold in my faith and aware of the people who desperately need Him. Every devotional that we have been doing as a group has had something to do with boldness, even if it is only alluded to. The more bold I am with the kids the more they respond. I hope I can be God's tool and be used by Him! continue to keep us in your prayers and be comforted that we are all having an amazing time no matter how tired we may be!
In love,
Sam
Philippians 4:8
So, today was really packed and busy, but really cool as well. In the morning, we got to sit in on a Bible study with some of the missionaries that serve with SIM. Matt was asked to lead the Bible study with about ten missionaries from around Lima, Peru. The study was similar to the ones back home, except very different. It is so different to be apart of a Bible study where everyone is passionate about Christ and furthering His kingdom. Matt's lesson was very brief but really packed a punch. He spoke of the parables of the men finding the hidden treasure and the priceless pearl. How often do we actually slow down and think about things like that? Heaven really should be the most valuable thing in our lives, but how often do we go hours, days, weeks, even months without thinking about it? We really need to make that more of a priority, myself included. After the devotions, we broke into small groups and got to learn more about some of the individual missionaries. My group included three missionaries: Bill, Ernst and Martin.
Martin and Ernst are both from Switzerland and Bill is from England. They all spoke great English so it was very easy to talk to them. Martin had to keep stepping out because one of his children kept crying, but we got to learn a lot about Bill and Ernst. Bill is working in the shanty-towns and has been for 14 or so years. He is about to retire now and would like to have prayer that he would leave the ministry in the hands of another and that he could leave happily without any regrets and not become too upset with leaving the relationships he has made. Ernst is teaching at the seminary we are staying at during our ministry in Lima. He is a great, fun-loving guy who knows five different languages: German, Swiss-German, French, English, Spanish, and he teaches Greek at the seminary. He asked for prayer for his three children, because he never sees them. We got to have a great time in prayer with these three and it was really great to see how similar they were to us. We asked them what was the most important part of mission work and they responded with "just be yourself." I thought that was really awesome! Being able to see these godly men who serve the Lord act and sound like us was really encouraging! They prayed, spoke and even laughed like we do. They were very "down-to-earth" and that was really amazing to me. After our time with them and our group prayer, we had an incredible dinner that Mrs. Kim cooked. Now let me take a moment to stress INCREDIBLE! (By the way mom, I spoke to Mrs. Kim and she said she will give you cooking lessons in Korean and Peruvian food if you fly down her... Just FYI). Mrs. Kim is truly a fantastic cook! After I was so full they had to roll me into the bus, we went to do our missions work.
I strongly feel God working in my life on this trip. He has broken me down lately with my relationships and future life plans, and I feel that He is now ready to start building me back up into the man He wants me to be. On the last mission trip I was a part of, God displayed His power and the power of prayer to our entire team. On this trip, I think God is trying to make me more bold in my faith and aware of the people who desperately need Him. Every devotional that we have been doing as a group has had something to do with boldness, even if it is only alluded to. The more bold I am with the kids the more they respond. I hope I can be God's tool and be used by Him! continue to keep us in your prayers and be comforted that we are all having an amazing time no matter how tired we may be!
In love,
Sam
Philippians 4:8
Sierra Basista - Day 5
Hello everyone! We are having such an amazing time here in Peru. God has shown us so many wonderful experiences and I feel that I am learning so much. Every time I see a little Peruvian kid I get a huge smile on my face and then once I see one on theirs, I smile even bigger. A lot of these kids live in shanty-towns, their houses all stacked together on the hills, and most don't have running water. Every time we visit a place like that, God reminds me how blessed we are in the U.S. and how many things we take for granted; going out to eat at a nice place or going to a big shopping mall, isn't something that these kids have probably even gotten the chance to do. But it is amazing how giving and generous they are. It seems that the people with hardly anything to give, are always the ones giving. As a group we talked about this and that it reminded us of the parable of the women with two coins. She gave everything she had and was then blessed for doing so. At our first VBS, a little girl gave me a little popsicle and then on our fourth day, another girl gave me an orange. I thought that that was so cool that even though we just got there and they had just met us, that they wanted to give things to us.
One of the many things that I have learned is the importance of prayer. Without it, our group wouldn't even be here serving in Peru. Yesterday we got the chance to go to the beach and do a prayer walk. It was a great time to finally be able to kinda relax and be able to think things through about what God wanted us to do and what he has already done for us and through us. I prayed that God would show us something amazing at our VBS that day and I love how he always does that (Jeremiah 33:3). That day I was able to talk to a little girl named Rachel. I found out that she was nine years old and was in fourth grade in school. The rest of the time we were there she didn't leave my side unless they were playing a game or doing crafts. She stood right beside me as I played the guitar for the music portion and would smile whenever I looked at her. While I was playing, a lot of the kids surrounded me and all wanted to play and strum the guitar, and I was just so happy that God sent me here to serve and glorify him in Lima. I was really sad when we had to leave because I wanted to spend more time with Rachel and all of the other kids. Right before we were about to get on our bus, some people from the local church came to us and gave us all cold bottled water and gloves, socks, and bright colored turtles that they made themselves. At that moment, I felt so humbled and almost embarassed because of their willingness to give and my stubborness sometimes not to give. I have also learned that you really have to put of your faith and trust in God, because we can do absolutely nothing on our own.
Thank you so much for your prayers and I can't wait to see what else God has to teach and show us during the rest of our trip!
Sierra Basista
Philippians 4:13
Thank you so much for your prayers and I can't wait to see what else God has to teach and show us during the rest of our trip!
Sierra Basista
Philippians 4:13
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Kaylee Van Winkle - Day 4
Hi! Well, it's hard to put into words all that the Lord has been teaching me. The Lord started to really work on me - or I just started to pay attention - Monday afternoon. It was our first VBS program, and I was excited. But I had a problem. I was going into it with an attitude of "Oh ya, I'll trust You Lord, but I can do this by myself!" BIG MISTAKE! Needless to say, I had a hard time Monday afternoon, because of being shocked by their living conditions and because of my attitude going into it. The Lord reminded me of how much I really need Him. Like Pastor Matt said in our devos this morning, "We have nothing to offer these kids without Jesus." Nothing. No food. No games. No smiles. Absolutely nothing. Jesus is the source of our very being, so why do we treat our bodies like we own them? We don't. God has really been challenging me to completely put all of my faith and trust in Him. He is the only One Who can protect, care, and love me completely.
Yesterday's devotional passage for the day was Matthew 25:31-46. These verses were so encouraging, and yet so convicting:
While walking around yesterday to gather kids for VBS, we were yelled at a couple of times by teenage boys, which was slightly terrifying. That is when I realized that I am not in control of my surroundings, protection, or even my life. Right at that moment it clicked for me that I MUST trust and put my faith completely in Him and Him alone. That attitude then spilled over into the kids, making our ministry SO awesome!
A few more observations: the poorest are often the most generous, while the wealthiest are so often spoiled or self-centered. No matter how little we think we have, these children - and many like them - have significantly less! When we were walking the hills to gather kids this afternoon, I was able to look into some of their "houses", which were more like shacks. Some barely even had a roof or walls. The children were dirty, had horrible living conditions, and some had no education. How can I complain that the temperature is too hot outside, when I have an air-conditioned house to go into?
After the VBS program, the church gave our team water, and hand-made turtles, shawls, socks, and gloves. I was so humbled and humiliated at the same time. These were the poorest people I have ever met, yet they supplied us with water and gifts while they themselves have no bottled water. Wow!
Finally, I was so blessed by the prayer walk we took this morning. First, to be on a beach was great! Second, to be able to share my heart with an amazing young woman who not only has a heart for the Lord, but also shares struggles with me was wonderful. Our prayer time together meant so much to me. Kyu also shared an awesome illustration right after our prayer walk. We were talking about how we were struggling with patience and wanting to see results right away. As we were walking on this rock covered beach, he pointed out that this beach will one day be all sand. It will take a lot of time and a lot of waves, but it will eventually be all sand. That really impacted me. We are planting these seeds and since we have the ultimate Gardner, they will eventually sprout. It may take a lot of time, weeding, and watering, but there will be fruit.
PATIENCE, Kaylee, PATIENCE!
In Christ Alone my hope is found. He is my Light, my Strength, and my Song.
Kaylee Van Winkle
Yesterday's devotional passage for the day was Matthew 25:31-46. These verses were so encouraging, and yet so convicting:
- Encouragement: Being Jesus to someone isn't just presenting the Gospel. It is about loving the unlovely, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick (vs. 34-36).
- Conviction: Why am I not being Jesus to the unlovely and hungry and sick at home? What is my excuse? Is it, "I don't have enough time, money, or resources?" Well, that is just lame. IT'S NOT ABOUT ME according to Philippians 2:3-4!
While walking around yesterday to gather kids for VBS, we were yelled at a couple of times by teenage boys, which was slightly terrifying. That is when I realized that I am not in control of my surroundings, protection, or even my life. Right at that moment it clicked for me that I MUST trust and put my faith completely in Him and Him alone. That attitude then spilled over into the kids, making our ministry SO awesome!
A few more observations: the poorest are often the most generous, while the wealthiest are so often spoiled or self-centered. No matter how little we think we have, these children - and many like them - have significantly less! When we were walking the hills to gather kids this afternoon, I was able to look into some of their "houses", which were more like shacks. Some barely even had a roof or walls. The children were dirty, had horrible living conditions, and some had no education. How can I complain that the temperature is too hot outside, when I have an air-conditioned house to go into?
After the VBS program, the church gave our team water, and hand-made turtles, shawls, socks, and gloves. I was so humbled and humiliated at the same time. These were the poorest people I have ever met, yet they supplied us with water and gifts while they themselves have no bottled water. Wow!
Finally, I was so blessed by the prayer walk we took this morning. First, to be on a beach was great! Second, to be able to share my heart with an amazing young woman who not only has a heart for the Lord, but also shares struggles with me was wonderful. Our prayer time together meant so much to me. Kyu also shared an awesome illustration right after our prayer walk. We were talking about how we were struggling with patience and wanting to see results right away. As we were walking on this rock covered beach, he pointed out that this beach will one day be all sand. It will take a lot of time and a lot of waves, but it will eventually be all sand. That really impacted me. We are planting these seeds and since we have the ultimate Gardner, they will eventually sprout. It may take a lot of time, weeding, and watering, but there will be fruit.
PATIENCE, Kaylee, PATIENCE!
In Christ Alone my hope is found. He is my Light, my Strength, and my Song.
Kaylee Van Winkle
Kari Nelson - Day 4
What a blessed day we are having in Lima! What hit me most today is an accumulation of what has gone on since we started preparing for the trip. It is not about me! Pastor Matt wanted us to keep this point in mind throughout the trip and had us write the sentence somewhere in our journal as a constant reminder. When we went to church for the first time here, I was amazed but not surprised to find out that Pastor Kim was preaching on the same topic. He taught the church about pride and said that a person with an attitude of humility will be exalted by God and have His grace. How easy it is to talk about ridding yourself of pride, but I always find myself struggling with that issue. I pity myself for not getting my way in simple things that have no impact at all on the rest of my life or even tomorrow.
Seeing the examples of selfless people here is truly convicting. Yesterday at dinner I was talking to our bus driver, Erwin, who is incredibly giving. He started by showing me pictures of his kids and telling me sweet little moments that he has with them. He told me about going to the movies and buying them popcorn, soda, more popcorn, candy and more popcorn. Erwin also told me that a couple nights ago his youngest son was sick with a high fever so he stayed up with him until 4:00 am and then had to get his other son up at 6:30 am to go to school. After that, he had to be here at the seminary at 9:00 am to pick us up for the day and we don't usually get back until 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm. Erwin is so devoted to his family and takes such pride in his sons who I can tell are respectful and love their father a lot. But he works such long hours and doesn't get to see them much anymore since taking this job. It is not uncommon for him to go back to his house late at night on work days. His willingness to serve us and serve God creates the kind of conviction that you can feel in your chest. I mean, it really makes me long to be that kind of servant.
One last thing that I want to share is a little story of what happened on the beach this morning. We went to Miraflores, which is on the coast, in order to have a prayer walk. We asked God to bless our day, bless Lima, anything that we felt we should pray about. After sitting in the pebbles and telling God how big he is to make the ocean of which we could only see such a tiny part of, Andria told me that there are more stars than there are grains of sand on the beach. So we picked up a handful of pebbles and counted out nine of them to represent the sun and the planets in our solar system (poor Pluto doesn't count), which I have always thought is pretty big. Then we threw those rocks out onto the beach and they became unidentifiable. They were completely lost among all the other pebbles out there. How awesome is God that, as Brenna pointed out, He created space in one day of which we haven't even been able to see a notable fraction since its creation! The size of the God we serve is too big for us to have any pride in ourselves or take ownership for the things we have done.
Un abrazo fuerte,
Kari Nelson
Seeing the examples of selfless people here is truly convicting. Yesterday at dinner I was talking to our bus driver, Erwin, who is incredibly giving. He started by showing me pictures of his kids and telling me sweet little moments that he has with them. He told me about going to the movies and buying them popcorn, soda, more popcorn, candy and more popcorn. Erwin also told me that a couple nights ago his youngest son was sick with a high fever so he stayed up with him until 4:00 am and then had to get his other son up at 6:30 am to go to school. After that, he had to be here at the seminary at 9:00 am to pick us up for the day and we don't usually get back until 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm. Erwin is so devoted to his family and takes such pride in his sons who I can tell are respectful and love their father a lot. But he works such long hours and doesn't get to see them much anymore since taking this job. It is not uncommon for him to go back to his house late at night on work days. His willingness to serve us and serve God creates the kind of conviction that you can feel in your chest. I mean, it really makes me long to be that kind of servant.
One last thing that I want to share is a little story of what happened on the beach this morning. We went to Miraflores, which is on the coast, in order to have a prayer walk. We asked God to bless our day, bless Lima, anything that we felt we should pray about. After sitting in the pebbles and telling God how big he is to make the ocean of which we could only see such a tiny part of, Andria told me that there are more stars than there are grains of sand on the beach. So we picked up a handful of pebbles and counted out nine of them to represent the sun and the planets in our solar system (poor Pluto doesn't count), which I have always thought is pretty big. Then we threw those rocks out onto the beach and they became unidentifiable. They were completely lost among all the other pebbles out there. How awesome is God that, as Brenna pointed out, He created space in one day of which we haven't even been able to see a notable fraction since its creation! The size of the God we serve is too big for us to have any pride in ourselves or take ownership for the things we have done.
Un abrazo fuerte,
Kari Nelson
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Kendra Caddell - Day 3
It's not really possible to describe in detail all that we do in a day. There is too much that goes on, but I will do my best! Most of us girls woke up about an hour after the "dream murdering" bell - Andria named it - went off at 6:15 am in the morning. After getting ready for the day, the team ate and had our daily discussion over our assigned scripture passage.
We loaded on the bus at 9:00 am and headed toward the Museos Oro del Peru y Armas del Mundo, which translates to The Museums of Gold in Peru and Weapons of the World. We drove through the wealthier part of Lima for the first time on our way there. The gap between the rich and the poor is hard to describe. Having spent time in the shanties yesterday, the fact that those two opposites coexist in the same city, is shocking!
The Museum was really fasinating. It had everything from German daggers from WWII to stone mirrors that dated back to the pre-Incan era. It really made me wish that my dad was here to see it, because he would have loved it!
After visiting the museum, we ate lunch and left for our ministry site. It was different from yesterday in that this time we were in a small building in a more urban area, and it was raining a little bit on and off. With the help of a national named Marco we walked through the streets and invited people to come to VBS. The culture here is so different! It is considered polite for a man to kiss a woman's cheek when they say hello, and I didn't actually know that, so it kinda weirded me out the first time it happened to me. It is also acceptable for you to approach a child and invite them to come with you. The parents don't really seem to mind, which is something that I still haven't completely figured out.
Anyway, VBS started about a half an hour after we got there, and I am in charge of Photography! So I began to photograph the children and the menbers of the team interacting with one another. I might as well have been passing out gold! It was unreal! I had mothers, children, fathers, and anyone else coming up and asking me to take their photo. Now, I found out once we got back to the seminary for the night that they were also asking me to send the photos to them, but I can't speak their language, so when they asked I was most likely nodding like an idiot and going, "Yeah, photo! Photo, si, si, si!" It didn't take them long to flock to Kari and give her addresses, only I never learned the names of the people in the photos and thus have no way of knowing which one to send them.
I also had the pleasure of having fun with Becca, and two Peruvian girls named Nicole and Julia. It is hard to guess the ages of the kids due to malnutrition, so I don't know how old they were, but they were so sweet. They loved for me to take their pictures and were even more excited when I turned on the video setting and told them in Spanish to dance. They gave Becca and me hugs and we got some of my favorite photos from this trip so far with them.
When VBS was over, we met a man with a heart that truly burned for the Lord. He was 98, and quite a character. I couldn't understand a word he was saying, but he sounded pretty sharp to me. Right before we got on the bus, all of the members of our team, and the members of the church that were hosting us for the day held hands in a giant circle in the middle of their one room church and he led us in prayer. What a powerful moment that I will remember for years to come!
It is difficult to be in a country which leaves you illiterate, unable to communicate outside hand motions, and the culture confuses you to no end. But I am so blessed to be here at the same time. God has really been working in my heart, explaining the meaning of faith, patience, and unconditional love. The people of the churches here are so on fire for the Lord, and so loving toward us, even though many of us can't speak to them. We are equals to them in their eyes, even though I feel helpless standing in the middle of the dusty street with a slightly confused look on my face. God is working here in Peru, and not just in the shantytowns we have visited, but in the dormatories at Lima Evangelical Seminary in the hearts of teenaged Americans from small town Ohio.
Kendra Caddell
We loaded on the bus at 9:00 am and headed toward the Museos Oro del Peru y Armas del Mundo, which translates to The Museums of Gold in Peru and Weapons of the World. We drove through the wealthier part of Lima for the first time on our way there. The gap between the rich and the poor is hard to describe. Having spent time in the shanties yesterday, the fact that those two opposites coexist in the same city, is shocking!
The Museum was really fasinating. It had everything from German daggers from WWII to stone mirrors that dated back to the pre-Incan era. It really made me wish that my dad was here to see it, because he would have loved it!
After visiting the museum, we ate lunch and left for our ministry site. It was different from yesterday in that this time we were in a small building in a more urban area, and it was raining a little bit on and off. With the help of a national named Marco we walked through the streets and invited people to come to VBS. The culture here is so different! It is considered polite for a man to kiss a woman's cheek when they say hello, and I didn't actually know that, so it kinda weirded me out the first time it happened to me. It is also acceptable for you to approach a child and invite them to come with you. The parents don't really seem to mind, which is something that I still haven't completely figured out.
Anyway, VBS started about a half an hour after we got there, and I am in charge of Photography! So I began to photograph the children and the menbers of the team interacting with one another. I might as well have been passing out gold! It was unreal! I had mothers, children, fathers, and anyone else coming up and asking me to take their photo. Now, I found out once we got back to the seminary for the night that they were also asking me to send the photos to them, but I can't speak their language, so when they asked I was most likely nodding like an idiot and going, "Yeah, photo! Photo, si, si, si!" It didn't take them long to flock to Kari and give her addresses, only I never learned the names of the people in the photos and thus have no way of knowing which one to send them.
I also had the pleasure of having fun with Becca, and two Peruvian girls named Nicole and Julia. It is hard to guess the ages of the kids due to malnutrition, so I don't know how old they were, but they were so sweet. They loved for me to take their pictures and were even more excited when I turned on the video setting and told them in Spanish to dance. They gave Becca and me hugs and we got some of my favorite photos from this trip so far with them.
When VBS was over, we met a man with a heart that truly burned for the Lord. He was 98, and quite a character. I couldn't understand a word he was saying, but he sounded pretty sharp to me. Right before we got on the bus, all of the members of our team, and the members of the church that were hosting us for the day held hands in a giant circle in the middle of their one room church and he led us in prayer. What a powerful moment that I will remember for years to come!
It is difficult to be in a country which leaves you illiterate, unable to communicate outside hand motions, and the culture confuses you to no end. But I am so blessed to be here at the same time. God has really been working in my heart, explaining the meaning of faith, patience, and unconditional love. The people of the churches here are so on fire for the Lord, and so loving toward us, even though many of us can't speak to them. We are equals to them in their eyes, even though I feel helpless standing in the middle of the dusty street with a slightly confused look on my face. God is working here in Peru, and not just in the shantytowns we have visited, but in the dormatories at Lima Evangelical Seminary in the hearts of teenaged Americans from small town Ohio.
Kendra Caddell
Monday, July 2, 2012
Josh Campbell - Day 2
Los dos dias pasados eran algo de los...Oh wait, I don't have to speak in Spanish anymore.
The past two days were some of the greatest of my life. Although you might have read a summary of what has happened thus far, I would also like share a little bit.
Once we arrived early Sunday morning, we had only a little time to eat and take a nap before the worship service. From where we were eating, we could hear the worship time of the early service in Spanish. After breakfast, we went into the service and sang along with the congregation. It was just an awesome experience when we realized that one of the songs they were singing was El Poder de Tu Amor, our English worship song The Power of Your Love. Sandi Patty, in her song "Love in Any Language", sings the following lyric: "We teach the young our differences, yet look how we're the same". That worship service gave the line so much more meaning. The entire day was such a great experience.
Today, we got to one of the sites where we will be doing the VBS. With very loud music and beckon, we drew in so many kids! While the Kims and other experienced Spanish speakers drew them in, the rest of the team started to paint faces or began small conversations in Spanish. At one point, probably the most common question was something along the lines of "Will you paint my face too?" Once the program began, we started games of Red Light, Green Light and Simon Says. It was amazing to see these games conducted with such a huge crowd of kids, played in such a small area and directed completely in Spanish. Following the games, we sang several songs in English and then shared the story of Daniel in the lions' den. The children so enjoyed this, that at the end of the drama they shouted for an encore - "Otro! Otro!". Unfortunately we had only prepared one, so we continued on to craft time with the face paint and the colored bead bracelets (a means by which the Gospel could be shared). When we did this, we were mauled! We were mobbed by well over 100 kids while trying to hand stuff out. I was almost knocked over and the team ran out of all of its daily supplies.
The VBS experience was amazing! Everyone payed so much attention, and how the kids all wanted the bracelets was incredible! I so enjoyed being one of the lead translators today. When I originally was thinking about the trip I was very doubtful of my skills. After this experience, I know that God blessed me with a great gift in communicating in Spanish, and I am so thankful.
Con mucho amor,
Josh Campbell
The past two days were some of the greatest of my life. Although you might have read a summary of what has happened thus far, I would also like share a little bit.
Once we arrived early Sunday morning, we had only a little time to eat and take a nap before the worship service. From where we were eating, we could hear the worship time of the early service in Spanish. After breakfast, we went into the service and sang along with the congregation. It was just an awesome experience when we realized that one of the songs they were singing was El Poder de Tu Amor, our English worship song The Power of Your Love. Sandi Patty, in her song "Love in Any Language", sings the following lyric: "We teach the young our differences, yet look how we're the same". That worship service gave the line so much more meaning. The entire day was such a great experience.
Today, we got to one of the sites where we will be doing the VBS. With very loud music and beckon, we drew in so many kids! While the Kims and other experienced Spanish speakers drew them in, the rest of the team started to paint faces or began small conversations in Spanish. At one point, probably the most common question was something along the lines of "Will you paint my face too?" Once the program began, we started games of Red Light, Green Light and Simon Says. It was amazing to see these games conducted with such a huge crowd of kids, played in such a small area and directed completely in Spanish. Following the games, we sang several songs in English and then shared the story of Daniel in the lions' den. The children so enjoyed this, that at the end of the drama they shouted for an encore - "Otro! Otro!". Unfortunately we had only prepared one, so we continued on to craft time with the face paint and the colored bead bracelets (a means by which the Gospel could be shared). When we did this, we were mauled! We were mobbed by well over 100 kids while trying to hand stuff out. I was almost knocked over and the team ran out of all of its daily supplies.
The VBS experience was amazing! Everyone payed so much attention, and how the kids all wanted the bracelets was incredible! I so enjoyed being one of the lead translators today. When I originally was thinking about the trip I was very doubtful of my skills. After this experience, I know that God blessed me with a great gift in communicating in Spanish, and I am so thankful.
Con mucho amor,
Josh Campbell
Brenna Mahn - Day 2
Despite being our second day here, today surpassed yesterday in "firsts." For the first time in my life I awoke (to a wake up call at 6am) in another country. Being a rebel, of course I snoozed till seven or so, but I did eventually face the annoying creaks of my bed to arise. Breakfast consisted of new things: bananas only a bit thicker than my thumb, "tuna" (not fish, but fruit from a cactus actually), and some other fruits I have yet to identify.
We hung out for a little while, chatting and kicking a soccer ball around, until someone thought to ask the bus driver if we were waiting for the Kims or if we were leaving. Apparently there was a misunderstanding that they were coming to the seminary first before we would leave on our day's activities. Instead, we were supposed to come to their home. So obviously, we left a little late. Our first schedule fail. :)
After picking up the Kims we went to the Plaza Mayor, walked around and took pictures. The governor's palace is by that square and many of my team members took pictures of it and themselves with the guards. I took my first picture of all of them crowded around taking pictures of the guards.
Then we went to the Musea del Congreso y de la Inquisicion. We had to wait for our tour, and while we waited a group of young Peruvian students came out and got very excited to see Americans. They kept saying, "Hello! How are you?" They asked for pictures of us and I think they seriously thought Jake was Peeta. Or maybe they just thought he was cute, but at least one claimed him as her boyfriend. I'm going to assume that being "hit on" internationally was a first for him.
The tour was a little depressing because it was about how the Catholics tried to force people to become Catholic and tortured them if they wouldn't denounce their own beliefs. It always makes me cringe when I hear about people trying to bring people to Christ completely the wrong way. With force instead of love and compassion. It really convicts me to do my best to represent the love and gentleness of Jesus so I don't turn people away from Him.
After the tour we visited the medical clinic and looked around then went to the Kims' home to eat lunch. There I tried tofu for the first time. I didn't plan to eat it, but since I'm vegetarian and need protein, I decided to try it after all, and it really wasn't bad! :)
After lunch we got out stuff together for the first VBS, then headed off. Kids and their families immediately started gathering around, and with some encouragement we soon had a crowd. They were so excited to meet us and simply loved us. We were all really nervous about it, but the whole thing went incredibly well. They loved our skit so much they immediately began chanting for another! We led them in songs and told them the gospel through our "Wordless bracelets" and they mobbed us for them when we started handing them out. I painted faces more times than I could count, and said, "I'm sorry, I don't understand, I don't know much Spanish," even more times. All in all, it was incredible, and I had some of the best firsts of my entire life! :)
That's all I got. Thanks for reading! :) God bless!
Brenna
We hung out for a little while, chatting and kicking a soccer ball around, until someone thought to ask the bus driver if we were waiting for the Kims or if we were leaving. Apparently there was a misunderstanding that they were coming to the seminary first before we would leave on our day's activities. Instead, we were supposed to come to their home. So obviously, we left a little late. Our first schedule fail. :)
After picking up the Kims we went to the Plaza Mayor, walked around and took pictures. The governor's palace is by that square and many of my team members took pictures of it and themselves with the guards. I took my first picture of all of them crowded around taking pictures of the guards.
Then we went to the Musea del Congreso y de la Inquisicion. We had to wait for our tour, and while we waited a group of young Peruvian students came out and got very excited to see Americans. They kept saying, "Hello! How are you?" They asked for pictures of us and I think they seriously thought Jake was Peeta. Or maybe they just thought he was cute, but at least one claimed him as her boyfriend. I'm going to assume that being "hit on" internationally was a first for him.
The tour was a little depressing because it was about how the Catholics tried to force people to become Catholic and tortured them if they wouldn't denounce their own beliefs. It always makes me cringe when I hear about people trying to bring people to Christ completely the wrong way. With force instead of love and compassion. It really convicts me to do my best to represent the love and gentleness of Jesus so I don't turn people away from Him.
After the tour we visited the medical clinic and looked around then went to the Kims' home to eat lunch. There I tried tofu for the first time. I didn't plan to eat it, but since I'm vegetarian and need protein, I decided to try it after all, and it really wasn't bad! :)
After lunch we got out stuff together for the first VBS, then headed off. Kids and their families immediately started gathering around, and with some encouragement we soon had a crowd. They were so excited to meet us and simply loved us. We were all really nervous about it, but the whole thing went incredibly well. They loved our skit so much they immediately began chanting for another! We led them in songs and told them the gospel through our "Wordless bracelets" and they mobbed us for them when we started handing them out. I painted faces more times than I could count, and said, "I'm sorry, I don't understand, I don't know much Spanish," even more times. All in all, it was incredible, and I had some of the best firsts of my entire life! :)
That's all I got. Thanks for reading! :) God bless!
Brenna
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Matthias Otto - Day 1
There's usually this dull, but nagging question in a team leader's head when taking a group of students on a trip abroad. What might that question be? Well, the question is: "Will all our luggage and its contents arrive in one piece?" Thankfully all team members and their respective suitcases have arrived safely! After a couple of hours of sleep, we joined our brothers and sisters in Christ at Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica in Monterrico for a rich worship service. Though I understood no more than maybe 15 percent of the sermon, the music stirred my heart and the communion service reminded me of the unity we share with other believers all around the world.
In the days to come you will be able to read posts from our student and adult team members. Take a moment to pray or comment, as the Lord will use your words to accomplish His work in each participant's life.
Thanks for your participation,
P. Matt
In the days to come you will be able to read posts from our student and adult team members. Take a moment to pray or comment, as the Lord will use your words to accomplish His work in each participant's life.
Thanks for your participation,
P. Matt
Matthias Otto - Columbus (departure)
As I write these words, our entire team is sitting in the Columbus International Airport, ready to step on to flight 3575 to Miami. It truly has been an adventure preparing for this opportunity to serve our Lord in Peru. If you were to open the journals that each of the team members received in the weeks leading up to our departure you would find these words displayed in bold letters and/or colors:
Please pray for us! I have recently been reading a wonderful book entitled A Praying Life, by Paul E. Miller. In it, the author emphasizes the importance of helplessness in our communication with the Lord.
On that note, a gigantic "thank you" goes out to all the parents, who have entrusted their children to our immediate care. We will take the best care of you sons and daughters and approach the next two weeks as a priceless investment that will change our team members forever. It is with great expectations that we travel to Peru for the glory of our Lord, Who is awaiting us at the destination!
Trusting in the name of the Lord our God,
P. Matt
IT'S NOT ABOUT ME!The words above are followed closely by Paul's words found in Philippians 2:3-4:
Do nothing out of sefish ambition or with conceit, but in humility consider others better then yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.Verse 5 says that is exactly what Jesus did! The powerful, sovereign Son of God, Who created all things and sustains them by His might, obediently humbled Himself to His Father's will and for His Father's glory. Our team's aim is to follow Jesus's example, by putting our team members interests, the Peruvian people needs and God's will before our own. It's not about us, but about the great name of our God!
Please pray for us! I have recently been reading a wonderful book entitled A Praying Life, by Paul E. Miller. In it, the author emphasizes the importance of helplessness in our communication with the Lord.
We receive Jesus because we are weak, and that's how we follow Him. Paul told the Colossians, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him" (2:6). We forget that helplessness is how the Christian life works.Our team is completely helpless to accomplish anything of eternal value on this trip, and we are completely helpless to leave a lasting impact in the lives of these students. BUT, GOD IS NOT! We trust His might and the power of prayer to move His sovereign hand.
On that note, a gigantic "thank you" goes out to all the parents, who have entrusted their children to our immediate care. We will take the best care of you sons and daughters and approach the next two weeks as a priceless investment that will change our team members forever. It is with great expectations that we travel to Peru for the glory of our Lord, Who is awaiting us at the destination!
Trusting in the name of the Lord our God,
P. Matt
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