Today started out the same as most of the days here in Trujillo, except this morning, we had the most magnificent breakfast, or desayuno in espanol, that we have had thus far in our trip. Today, we had french toast, and it was the best french toast I have ever had in my entire life! After breakfast, we collected all of our necesities and loaded on the bus for another morning at the worksite. We were tired, sore but our spirits were high as Ray led us in song ALL THE WAY to the site...how nice of him....:)
Many of us spent a small portion of our Peruvian soles on a special meal prepared for us by a National friend that we have met this week. Her name is America and she had made these meals to raise money for some medicine that one of her family members needs. As she passed out delicious looking meals, many of us gave our food to the local workers and the neighbourhood kids of PorVenir, which is the neighboughood that we are working in. It was so gratifying seeing the look on the faces of the children who received food, and I wondered when the last time they received food like this was.
After eating lunch at the Por Venir Alliance Church, we headed out to our afternoon at the Por Venir Day care. This day care was started up by Inca Link with the money raised by short term missions teams like us. It allowed many of the kids from the dump to be taken out of their situation after school and hang out withy other kids. T hey do crafts, receive meals and hear a bible lesson daily. When we arrived there, we hung out with the kids first and played some games. Then, our friends from the south did a VBS type program with them with songs, a story and a craft. It was hard to leave them when we were finished. They loved being around us and I don't think I have ever received a better hug than from the kids of the dump.
After the day care, we came back to the guesthouse as per usual, got dressed, showered and headed out to dinner. After dinner, however, we headed out to a Christian worship concert at the big stadium in Trujillo where our very own Lisa Brown and her band would be opening for a major worship bacnd in South America. Corban, Lisa's band, was great and it was awesome to see her rocking out. Many of us bought Rojo t-shirts. Rojo was the featured band that was headlining this concert. Many of the Nationals that we've become friends with were there, helping us translate and just hanging out and having a good time.
Today was an awesome day, but there is still more to come! Keep checking for updates!
Love you all!!
Jessica Thompson:)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
My Belief Awakening by Katelyn Knight
Last night was pretty awsome. We had our first small group meeting with the Larco church. We met at the church and than went into seprate small groups and made our way to peoples houses. My small group was a bit scary at first because I was really nervous but it turned out really well. I had to give my testimony and I thought it was going to be really hard but when I started to speak, all of the nervousness went away. It went well and I got alot of encouragement. When we got back to the church a small worship band was out front and tyler started to play Hillsong songs with them and we have a small worship service on the street. People thought we were crazy but I didn't care, I was praising God.
When we got back to our place where we were staying we had our debrief and we had to come up with one word that God has been teaching us, mine was Belief. This trip to Peru has been teaching me so much about my life and about God. I was really struggling with my faith before I came here and there have been so many miracles and moments where things wern't possible unless we had Gods help. 1 Thing being on Monday, when we were working all we could see were feilds and a couple of hills. On Tuesday though I was down in a pit diging and when I came out after a few hours I was amazed! It wasn't feilds but we were surrounded by mountains! It was so amazing!!
Today was a day where I really had to depend on Gods strength. I was not feeling good at all and all I wanted to do was sleep. I knew that the work had to be done and I couldn't let my team down. I kept on going by praying to God and singing to him. The morning went by really fast. I still wasn't feeling good but I choose Joy and pressed on. For the afternoon we were at the daycare center and we played games, told stories, and did a craft. The kids were so happy that we were there. They didn't care where we were from and what we looked like, but the fact that we were there to play and be with them. A little girl grabbed me and and held on for dear life. After about 15 min she fell asleep and stayed asleep untill we left. It was really hard to let her go. The other kids had an awsome time and loved every minute of it. Tonight we are going to a concert. I am hopefully going to go to bed early tonight so that I will feel better for our journey home. Thank you all for your love, support and prayers. I can't wait to share my stories with you all. I also want to share with you a verse that has been really encouraging for me. Psalm 91:14-16 " Because he loves me" says the Lord, " I will rescue him; I will protect him for he ackknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." Thank you and God Bless.
P.S. Darrin, Mom, Dad, Mike, Beth, Matt, Oma & Opa I miss you all very Very much and I can't wait to see you. I love you All!!! Mom I am doing good, a little sick but I hanging on. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed when I get back.
When we got back to our place where we were staying we had our debrief and we had to come up with one word that God has been teaching us, mine was Belief. This trip to Peru has been teaching me so much about my life and about God. I was really struggling with my faith before I came here and there have been so many miracles and moments where things wern't possible unless we had Gods help. 1 Thing being on Monday, when we were working all we could see were feilds and a couple of hills. On Tuesday though I was down in a pit diging and when I came out after a few hours I was amazed! It wasn't feilds but we were surrounded by mountains! It was so amazing!!
Today was a day where I really had to depend on Gods strength. I was not feeling good at all and all I wanted to do was sleep. I knew that the work had to be done and I couldn't let my team down. I kept on going by praying to God and singing to him. The morning went by really fast. I still wasn't feeling good but I choose Joy and pressed on. For the afternoon we were at the daycare center and we played games, told stories, and did a craft. The kids were so happy that we were there. They didn't care where we were from and what we looked like, but the fact that we were there to play and be with them. A little girl grabbed me and and held on for dear life. After about 15 min she fell asleep and stayed asleep untill we left. It was really hard to let her go. The other kids had an awsome time and loved every minute of it. Tonight we are going to a concert. I am hopefully going to go to bed early tonight so that I will feel better for our journey home. Thank you all for your love, support and prayers. I can't wait to share my stories with you all. I also want to share with you a verse that has been really encouraging for me. Psalm 91:14-16 " Because he loves me" says the Lord, " I will rescue him; I will protect him for he ackknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." Thank you and God Bless.
P.S. Darrin, Mom, Dad, Mike, Beth, Matt, Oma & Opa I miss you all very Very much and I can't wait to see you. I love you All!!! Mom I am doing good, a little sick but I hanging on. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed when I get back.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
My life changing experience
I don't know how to say this any other way ,but this missions trip to Peru had totally changed my life. The experiences that I have had here in Peru have been full of heart break, guilt , and pain. However, I have seen God in a completly different way. Peru is a beautiful place, but more than that it contains beautiful people. I have seen and am living these people;s daily lives. Yesterday was a day like nothing I have ever experienced before as my team went to the dump. I can't even describe what a horrible place the dump is. It is a a huge garbage dump that contains hundreds of pigs and sick dogs. There is garbage everywhere and the smell of this place is so disgusting that it would turn anyone's stomache. And in the middle of all of this are thousands of families and hundreds of children. Due to the thanks of so many people shoes, hygiene products, toys and soccer balls where given to these children and so we praise God for these things that were given for us to provide. When we arrived at the dump I was disgusted by what I saw and did not want to be there. So I asked God to help me and he did by bringing a child to my attention. At the end of the day I was sitting in the garbage with a beautiful four year old little girl on my lap and I didn't care how these kids looked or smelled, nor did I care where I was; all I cared about was how to show Jesus to these children. The things that I have experienced on this trip I don't have time to write them all down, but all I can say is God has been so close and so real and he continues to show his power. So, I say, "Praise God!
Victoria Smith
Victoria Smith
Day 6 - by Cory LaFlair
What a day! It was another day of working in the work site. Still plenty of things to do. We had a pit to dig out, cement to make and pour and rocks to move. Unfortunately the cement mixer broke which gave us some time to catch up on other projects.
We had lunch at an Alliance Church not far from the construction site, and the food was excellent and gave us energy. Paige brought us all Inca Cola's after lunch to encourage us to get the job done!
Back at the work site we were almost finished digging the pit, and the cement mixer was fixed and the team was once again pouring the cement extremely fast.
After a nice shower later in the afternoon we had dinner at another Alliance Church, and the food was of course once again excellent. Then we went to the Larco Church to divide up into smaller groups and go out to the cell groups.
They were a good chance to experience this side of the culture. There were awkward moments, but it was a very good learning experience.
Everyone had different stories of how they learned from their cell group experience, and hopefully we will take what we learned back home.
It's been a long day, C U in 4 days!
Cory LaFlair
We had lunch at an Alliance Church not far from the construction site, and the food was excellent and gave us energy. Paige brought us all Inca Cola's after lunch to encourage us to get the job done!
Back at the work site we were almost finished digging the pit, and the cement mixer was fixed and the team was once again pouring the cement extremely fast.
After a nice shower later in the afternoon we had dinner at another Alliance Church, and the food was of course once again excellent. Then we went to the Larco Church to divide up into smaller groups and go out to the cell groups.
They were a good chance to experience this side of the culture. There were awkward moments, but it was a very good learning experience.
Everyone had different stories of how they learned from their cell group experience, and hopefully we will take what we learned back home.
It's been a long day, C U in 4 days!
Cory LaFlair
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
More day five reflections.
It's been great to see everyone working together this week and we have realy seen God working though us. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are calld according to his purpose for them. It has been so great to work on the worksite that God has provided for the alliance church here in Trujulio And to know that everyone here was chosen by God to be here. Today we were at the dump it was hard for everyone to see those peaple and how they live in the dump sleep and eat in the dump. God has shone me that it's important to remenber that the only difference betwene them and myself is that i was borne in Canada and they were borne in Peru and alot of them in the dump. We were all afected in different ways at the dump and all had different experience's at the dump. But one thing i think we all had in commone is that we all left asking God why he allows these peaple to live that way and what there purpose is in life. One verse that has realy been on my mind is Psalm 100:5 For the lord is good . His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. It's important to remember that God love's those peaple the same as the rest of us and i hope the peaple saw the love of God though us and that it's God doing the real work and he is just useing us to forfill his purpose in Peru. I'm sure that i'll never know what there purpose in life is only God knows the answer to that. I feal that after seeing those peaple is that the last thing i should be woreing about is God's purpose for my life because i know that he has one for me.
by Jereme Berg
by Jereme Berg
Day 5 and emotions are high
Hola from Trujillo, Peru!
Today was a pretty heavy day. Personally, it was extremely emotional.
I will begin from the first events of the day. We all dragged ourselves out of bed between 7 and 7:45 this morning. Muscles sore and aching bodies. We got dressed and ready to head to the worksite for the morning. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the worksite and along the way we pass through the shanty towns, some on the ground and others tucked away in the beautiful mountains. I usually don't talk much on the bus rides. I love just taking in the amazing sights, smells, and emotions that come along with viewing this country with eager eyes. Today, driving through the town to get to the worksite, I looked upon the broken down, one house, no roof homes, and my heart broke. It is a huge culture difference and you truly never see anything like this in Windsor or Niagara Falls, actually in most of North America. I spent that time praying for the people we passed on the streets and praising God for still being faithful and giving hope to these people through us.
We arrived on the worksite at around 9:15am. Right away we began working. Phil, Doug, Chris, and myself finished digging one of the water ditches and then started the other one. Everyone else worked at the cement site and doing other jobs involving rocks and lifting... which seems to be the main work ethic here. I love the worksite. It's hard work, I will say that... but it is sooo rewarding and sooo much fun. This morning Ray told us to look at the worksite with new eyes today- to look at it as if it were the finished product. So we got excited about the finished product and we all worked very hard.
At 12:00pm we went to the church for lunch. At the church Dan, one of the interns here, showed us a model of the orphanage site. It was incredible. Sooo beautiful! I cannot wait to see it when it's done in a couple years. Lunch was very good, as always.
After lunch we got back on the bus and started on our way to the dump. Some of us were nervous, some were scared, but I think it's safe to say we were all very excited. I didn't really know what to expect. As we drove into the dump the air got noticeably thicker and grey from garbage burning. The smell was bad but I did expect worse. My eyes were wide and I was taking everything in. I saw people covered in dirt picking through the dump. Children were playing in the garbage, with broken glass and pointy objects everywhere. I saw groups of people going in and out of small tents. Now, when I say tents, I don't mean our nice, rip-free, easy to set up tents. No. I mean big sticks in the ground sticking straight up with some kind of fabric or plastic tarp material over top. These are their homes. From that moment I started crying. It broke my heart. And that seemed to be the reoccuring emotion of the day. Driving further in, there were more and more tents, more and more people, and pigs. Thousands of huge pigs trampeling through the dump, picking through the garbage. The bus stopped and a crowd of children and people ran to the bus, like magnets to a fridge. Then a line started forming from the bus door before it even opened. They knew we had things for them and they were anxious. But we didn't take anything out yet, except for ourselves. I needed to take a moment to stop my tears and get myself together so I could put smiles on for the people and children in the dump.
Getting off the bus we were bombarded by children. As I was standing there a little girl, covered in dirt, and in need of a shower, ran to me and wrapped her arms around my waist and looked up at me. In that moment all my fears left me. There was this look in her eyes that I'd never seen before in a child. I still cannot explain it, all I can say was that it was beautiful. Then a couple other girls ran over to me and hugged me. We exchanged names and right away began playing simple games like running in a circle holding hands, playing clapping games, and then a big game of pato, pato, gonzo (duck, duck, goose) with a bunch of other kids. We got a couple small soccer games going and just playing with the soccer balls. We were all holding it together and having a lot of fun with the kids. Having a child come up to me and put their black-with-dirt hand in mine was indescribeable. Squeezing their hand tight to let them know they have worth and they are precious is probably the most rewarding thing I've experienced.
The children are incredible. They were sooo happy to meet us and play with us. It is crazy how they have nothing but so much at the same time. The things they have are not tangible. They are more welcoming than anyone I have ever met and I can say that confidently and honestly. Lisa Merritt started writting numbers on the children's hands after about 40 minutes of being at the dump. These numbers represented the order in which we handed out items and who they went to. The last number we wrote on a person's hand was somewhere just past 300. There are about 2000 or more people in the dump so this was just a fraction of the people lined up to receive what we had to offer. We started off with handing out soccer balls, then we distributed volleyballs, shirts, shorts and other clothing items, hygeine bags, and last came the shoes. Throughout the day that seemed to be the primary concern- if we had shoes to give. My answer was always "quizas" which means "maybe." I did not want to give them a "si" or "no" answer because we did not have 300 pairs of shoes. It was really hard to be holding a little girl or boy in my arms with torn and broken shoes (or maybe even no shoes at all) and trying my best to get them a pair but not having their size. We did meet some needs in the dump... but not nearly as much as we'd all have liked to.
One girl hung out with me the whole time at the dump. Her name is Korrina. She is 9 years old and adorable. She's pretty tiny so I held her a lot of the time. We had a lot of fun trying to speak to each other. She gave me sooo many hugs and kisses. I braided her hair and played with her. Near the end of our time in the dump, Korrina's mom came, she told her that they needed to go. Korrina kept saying "no" and holding onto me tighter. Finally she got her way and got to stay til we left.
Saying goodbye was the hardest and the worst. Hugging the kids for the last time (for a while at least!) and saying my "ciao's" was too hard and I didn't linger but just got on the bus. As soon as I sat down all tears broke loose and that was it. It was a good cry... much needed and I'm sure there will be many more to come.
My heart is broken for these people. In the best way ever. I have fallen in love with these people and am falling more and more in love with God each day I am here. A popular question hanging around the house seems to be "Why is God letting poverty happen"... and the answer- "God did not do this to the world... We did." And we need to rise up and start change. I feel God is calling me to be one of those persons to step out and be a part of this change. Maybe through Inca Link, or maybe through another organization or mission... but no matter what way I go about it... I want to glorify His name and serve His people in need.
[ For my family on a more personal note: Mom and Dad, Elyse and Sheri, I really wish you guys could come here sometime to experience what is going on here. I know you would all love it. The kids are incredible, the people are soooo nice and welcoming. My goal for this year- learn spanish! :) Mom- I am perfectly fine. Sore and a little headachy, but nothing I can't deal with!! There are so many dogs here roaming freely on the streets, Emma would have a field day! Oh and also, it was really sunny here today ;) love all of you soo much! ]
I'm going to end this now... although I really have only said half of what went on today.. .there are sooo many emotions and sooo many things going through my mind right now. But for now, I will just say that everyone here is in good health. Everyone is a little sore and in need of a good nights rest for our full day of work tomorrow!! We are all having a blast and there is so much spiritual growth happening here it's insane.
Keep praying for us, that God would continue to give us great strength. That we would be Jesus Christ in the flesh and that our hearts would continue to break for God's needy and broken people. That His restoration would be brought to these people through us and everyone else here at Inca Link.
Beunas noches!
Danae Masse
Today was a pretty heavy day. Personally, it was extremely emotional.
I will begin from the first events of the day. We all dragged ourselves out of bed between 7 and 7:45 this morning. Muscles sore and aching bodies. We got dressed and ready to head to the worksite for the morning. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the worksite and along the way we pass through the shanty towns, some on the ground and others tucked away in the beautiful mountains. I usually don't talk much on the bus rides. I love just taking in the amazing sights, smells, and emotions that come along with viewing this country with eager eyes. Today, driving through the town to get to the worksite, I looked upon the broken down, one house, no roof homes, and my heart broke. It is a huge culture difference and you truly never see anything like this in Windsor or Niagara Falls, actually in most of North America. I spent that time praying for the people we passed on the streets and praising God for still being faithful and giving hope to these people through us.
We arrived on the worksite at around 9:15am. Right away we began working. Phil, Doug, Chris, and myself finished digging one of the water ditches and then started the other one. Everyone else worked at the cement site and doing other jobs involving rocks and lifting... which seems to be the main work ethic here. I love the worksite. It's hard work, I will say that... but it is sooo rewarding and sooo much fun. This morning Ray told us to look at the worksite with new eyes today- to look at it as if it were the finished product. So we got excited about the finished product and we all worked very hard.
At 12:00pm we went to the church for lunch. At the church Dan, one of the interns here, showed us a model of the orphanage site. It was incredible. Sooo beautiful! I cannot wait to see it when it's done in a couple years. Lunch was very good, as always.
After lunch we got back on the bus and started on our way to the dump. Some of us were nervous, some were scared, but I think it's safe to say we were all very excited. I didn't really know what to expect. As we drove into the dump the air got noticeably thicker and grey from garbage burning. The smell was bad but I did expect worse. My eyes were wide and I was taking everything in. I saw people covered in dirt picking through the dump. Children were playing in the garbage, with broken glass and pointy objects everywhere. I saw groups of people going in and out of small tents. Now, when I say tents, I don't mean our nice, rip-free, easy to set up tents. No. I mean big sticks in the ground sticking straight up with some kind of fabric or plastic tarp material over top. These are their homes. From that moment I started crying. It broke my heart. And that seemed to be the reoccuring emotion of the day. Driving further in, there were more and more tents, more and more people, and pigs. Thousands of huge pigs trampeling through the dump, picking through the garbage. The bus stopped and a crowd of children and people ran to the bus, like magnets to a fridge. Then a line started forming from the bus door before it even opened. They knew we had things for them and they were anxious. But we didn't take anything out yet, except for ourselves. I needed to take a moment to stop my tears and get myself together so I could put smiles on for the people and children in the dump.
Getting off the bus we were bombarded by children. As I was standing there a little girl, covered in dirt, and in need of a shower, ran to me and wrapped her arms around my waist and looked up at me. In that moment all my fears left me. There was this look in her eyes that I'd never seen before in a child. I still cannot explain it, all I can say was that it was beautiful. Then a couple other girls ran over to me and hugged me. We exchanged names and right away began playing simple games like running in a circle holding hands, playing clapping games, and then a big game of pato, pato, gonzo (duck, duck, goose) with a bunch of other kids. We got a couple small soccer games going and just playing with the soccer balls. We were all holding it together and having a lot of fun with the kids. Having a child come up to me and put their black-with-dirt hand in mine was indescribeable. Squeezing their hand tight to let them know they have worth and they are precious is probably the most rewarding thing I've experienced.
The children are incredible. They were sooo happy to meet us and play with us. It is crazy how they have nothing but so much at the same time. The things they have are not tangible. They are more welcoming than anyone I have ever met and I can say that confidently and honestly. Lisa Merritt started writting numbers on the children's hands after about 40 minutes of being at the dump. These numbers represented the order in which we handed out items and who they went to. The last number we wrote on a person's hand was somewhere just past 300. There are about 2000 or more people in the dump so this was just a fraction of the people lined up to receive what we had to offer. We started off with handing out soccer balls, then we distributed volleyballs, shirts, shorts and other clothing items, hygeine bags, and last came the shoes. Throughout the day that seemed to be the primary concern- if we had shoes to give. My answer was always "quizas" which means "maybe." I did not want to give them a "si" or "no" answer because we did not have 300 pairs of shoes. It was really hard to be holding a little girl or boy in my arms with torn and broken shoes (or maybe even no shoes at all) and trying my best to get them a pair but not having their size. We did meet some needs in the dump... but not nearly as much as we'd all have liked to.
One girl hung out with me the whole time at the dump. Her name is Korrina. She is 9 years old and adorable. She's pretty tiny so I held her a lot of the time. We had a lot of fun trying to speak to each other. She gave me sooo many hugs and kisses. I braided her hair and played with her. Near the end of our time in the dump, Korrina's mom came, she told her that they needed to go. Korrina kept saying "no" and holding onto me tighter. Finally she got her way and got to stay til we left.
Saying goodbye was the hardest and the worst. Hugging the kids for the last time (for a while at least!) and saying my "ciao's" was too hard and I didn't linger but just got on the bus. As soon as I sat down all tears broke loose and that was it. It was a good cry... much needed and I'm sure there will be many more to come.
My heart is broken for these people. In the best way ever. I have fallen in love with these people and am falling more and more in love with God each day I am here. A popular question hanging around the house seems to be "Why is God letting poverty happen"... and the answer- "God did not do this to the world... We did." And we need to rise up and start change. I feel God is calling me to be one of those persons to step out and be a part of this change. Maybe through Inca Link, or maybe through another organization or mission... but no matter what way I go about it... I want to glorify His name and serve His people in need.
[ For my family on a more personal note: Mom and Dad, Elyse and Sheri, I really wish you guys could come here sometime to experience what is going on here. I know you would all love it. The kids are incredible, the people are soooo nice and welcoming. My goal for this year- learn spanish! :) Mom- I am perfectly fine. Sore and a little headachy, but nothing I can't deal with!! There are so many dogs here roaming freely on the streets, Emma would have a field day! Oh and also, it was really sunny here today ;) love all of you soo much! ]
I'm going to end this now... although I really have only said half of what went on today.. .there are sooo many emotions and sooo many things going through my mind right now. But for now, I will just say that everyone here is in good health. Everyone is a little sore and in need of a good nights rest for our full day of work tomorrow!! We are all having a blast and there is so much spiritual growth happening here it's insane.
Keep praying for us, that God would continue to give us great strength. That we would be Jesus Christ in the flesh and that our hearts would continue to break for God's needy and broken people. That His restoration would be brought to these people through us and everyone else here at Inca Link.
Beunas noches!
Danae Masse
Monday, August 4, 2008
Whew, it's nice to sit after spending the day at the worksite and although I am physically tired, I can't wait until the next time I get put to work. Since the team has arrived in Peru we've all shared in new experiences some of which include attending a Latin American church service, physical labour on the worksite, and playing soccer against some of the locals.
The church service was impactful, although I'm not quite fluent in Spanish I've seen how a different culture handle their worship and faith in community with one another. The first thing I noticed was the simplicity of the church, which, for the most part consisted of one room, the santuary. Interestingly enough everyone passing by in the street not only hears the service, but can see it because the front wall is almost entirely glass. After the service we listened to the Pastor tell us his story of how he was thrown in jail for his faith and how he came to be a Pastor of the local church. Both of which were rather long stories and I couldn't do them justice if I typed them out.
As far as physical labour goes, it tends to be equaly hard in Peru... only there is much more to be done. Today I was carrying water to the cement machine, moving sand and digging a ditch. All the of the work we do is done in teams and that helps the time go by, but it's easy to carry on when you know what you're doing could very well change a person's life one day. As I look around I'm touched by all I see and the Lord is speaking to me in many ways. Today I am blessed by this passage from my devotions:
"We tend to think that a person with natural ability will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not a matter of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us...The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship."
-Oswald Chambers
The church service was impactful, although I'm not quite fluent in Spanish I've seen how a different culture handle their worship and faith in community with one another. The first thing I noticed was the simplicity of the church, which, for the most part consisted of one room, the santuary. Interestingly enough everyone passing by in the street not only hears the service, but can see it because the front wall is almost entirely glass. After the service we listened to the Pastor tell us his story of how he was thrown in jail for his faith and how he came to be a Pastor of the local church. Both of which were rather long stories and I couldn't do them justice if I typed them out.
As far as physical labour goes, it tends to be equaly hard in Peru... only there is much more to be done. Today I was carrying water to the cement machine, moving sand and digging a ditch. All the of the work we do is done in teams and that helps the time go by, but it's easy to carry on when you know what you're doing could very well change a person's life one day. As I look around I'm touched by all I see and the Lord is speaking to me in many ways. Today I am blessed by this passage from my devotions:
"We tend to think that a person with natural ability will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not a matter of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us...The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship."
-Oswald Chambers
Hola, me llamo Carissa,
and that is the extent of my spanish.
Today was our first day at the worksite.
On the bus ride to the site, little scenarios had been going through my mind of what I had expected it to look like. What it was turned out to be quite different than what I had in mind. I had expected it to feel like work, but it didn't, it was just... different.
Staring out the window as we travel there, the scenery and culture that we observe is amazing. Little kids are running outside to wave at us passing by. They're so excited just by the simple fact that we pass by their home. The people are so open and friendly here, everyone greets everyone, which is very different from home. Personally, I can't stop looking at the homes that are built into the side of mountains. I also like looking at the structure of the houses here, it's so different from Canada.
The land we're working in is 30 000 square metres. There are a lot of different jobs that have to be done, and all of them involve teamwork, which is comforting. While working, we got a chance to talk to other people and bond with other members of the team. For example, we've taught the interns that have been in Trujillo for 3 months Oh Canada, and now every time someone says "Canada", we tend to break out into song.
I'd also like to add in that the guest house we're staying in is amazing. There are so many rooms it's like a maze, and most of us have gotten lost in it. There are also stairs that lead to the rooftop where the whole team sang, shared why they came on the mission's trip and worshipped God two nights ago.
Tomorrow we'll be working again and also visiting the dump, which I'm a little nervous about. The people here have already impacted my life a great deal, and we haven't seen the most heart wrenching yet. I'm excited but anxious at the same time. How should I feel when waiting for a life changing experience?
Carissa Curtis
and that is the extent of my spanish.
Today was our first day at the worksite.
On the bus ride to the site, little scenarios had been going through my mind of what I had expected it to look like. What it was turned out to be quite different than what I had in mind. I had expected it to feel like work, but it didn't, it was just... different.
Staring out the window as we travel there, the scenery and culture that we observe is amazing. Little kids are running outside to wave at us passing by. They're so excited just by the simple fact that we pass by their home. The people are so open and friendly here, everyone greets everyone, which is very different from home. Personally, I can't stop looking at the homes that are built into the side of mountains. I also like looking at the structure of the houses here, it's so different from Canada.
The land we're working in is 30 000 square metres. There are a lot of different jobs that have to be done, and all of them involve teamwork, which is comforting. While working, we got a chance to talk to other people and bond with other members of the team. For example, we've taught the interns that have been in Trujillo for 3 months Oh Canada, and now every time someone says "Canada", we tend to break out into song.
I'd also like to add in that the guest house we're staying in is amazing. There are so many rooms it's like a maze, and most of us have gotten lost in it. There are also stairs that lead to the rooftop where the whole team sang, shared why they came on the mission's trip and worshipped God two nights ago.
Tomorrow we'll be working again and also visiting the dump, which I'm a little nervous about. The people here have already impacted my life a great deal, and we haven't seen the most heart wrenching yet. I'm excited but anxious at the same time. How should I feel when waiting for a life changing experience?
Carissa Curtis
A Quick Note from Ray RE: Day 3
Hola,
So first of all I must apologize that we did not get a blog written yesterday. Our time here at the guest house was very limited, and even now I am writing this with very limited time. However, please know that everyone on our team (GAC & HPAC) are doing well. Yesterday our team attended our partner church here in Trujillo and connected with the lead pastor. After the service the pastor stayed around to meet with us and he shared his testimony. I will let others comment more on that later today.
God has been so good, not only in getting all of us here, but also for giving us some amazing interns to work with. They are knowlegable, competant and very fun to serve with. I am confident in their leadership and it has been a tremendous blessing serving with them.
Hopefully you read Sheena's blog from Saturday, and if not, please take the time to read it. It is amazing to see how God has used that situation to increase our dependancy and trust on God. As difficult as it was at the time, we see how God is using it in the lives of our team to bring them to a new place of trust and reliance on our Father who holds everything together (me included).
Today we embark to our work site to spend the day extending the Kingdom through some elbow grease. We will be working along side our parnter church to aid in building this camp and orphanage. Please pray for the following;
1. Strength - we have had late nights and early mornings. Today will be physically exhausting for the team.
2. Relationships - Please pray that we do not get lazy with our communication with one another on our team, and that we continue to build strategic and Kingdom relationships with those that we come in contact with.
3. Wisdom - In Peru EVERYTHING is subject to change. We have already experienced change of schedule, and we simply need wisdom in knowing how to navigate our time here, and also to deal with any challenges that we may encounter.
4. Boldness - Please be praying for our team to boldly step out of their comfort zone into what God has for them. I am sincerely pround of the team for taking advantages of opportunities already, however that can become increasingly difficult as fatigue sets in. Please pray that God grants a focused and singular mind on our calling here, and the boldness and confidence to take hold of all that God has called us to.
I am so thankful for your love and suport. Without prayer NOTHING happens! We are completely dependant on our loving Father to supply all that we need today. May you experience the closeness of God today even as you lift us up in prayer.
You will hear from (hopefully) 2 students later today. We hope to make up for lost time, and have two of our team members blog.
In His Love,
Ray
So first of all I must apologize that we did not get a blog written yesterday. Our time here at the guest house was very limited, and even now I am writing this with very limited time. However, please know that everyone on our team (GAC & HPAC) are doing well. Yesterday our team attended our partner church here in Trujillo and connected with the lead pastor. After the service the pastor stayed around to meet with us and he shared his testimony. I will let others comment more on that later today.
God has been so good, not only in getting all of us here, but also for giving us some amazing interns to work with. They are knowlegable, competant and very fun to serve with. I am confident in their leadership and it has been a tremendous blessing serving with them.
Hopefully you read Sheena's blog from Saturday, and if not, please take the time to read it. It is amazing to see how God has used that situation to increase our dependancy and trust on God. As difficult as it was at the time, we see how God is using it in the lives of our team to bring them to a new place of trust and reliance on our Father who holds everything together (me included).
Today we embark to our work site to spend the day extending the Kingdom through some elbow grease. We will be working along side our parnter church to aid in building this camp and orphanage. Please pray for the following;
1. Strength - we have had late nights and early mornings. Today will be physically exhausting for the team.
2. Relationships - Please pray that we do not get lazy with our communication with one another on our team, and that we continue to build strategic and Kingdom relationships with those that we come in contact with.
3. Wisdom - In Peru EVERYTHING is subject to change. We have already experienced change of schedule, and we simply need wisdom in knowing how to navigate our time here, and also to deal with any challenges that we may encounter.
4. Boldness - Please be praying for our team to boldly step out of their comfort zone into what God has for them. I am sincerely pround of the team for taking advantages of opportunities already, however that can become increasingly difficult as fatigue sets in. Please pray that God grants a focused and singular mind on our calling here, and the boldness and confidence to take hold of all that God has called us to.
I am so thankful for your love and suport. Without prayer NOTHING happens! We are completely dependant on our loving Father to supply all that we need today. May you experience the closeness of God today even as you lift us up in prayer.
You will hear from (hopefully) 2 students later today. We hope to make up for lost time, and have two of our team members blog.
In His Love,
Ray
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Day One Adventure
Hello Canada!!!
Sheena here, I have been chosen to make our first blog entry (for reasons you will soon read about!)
We are safe and sound in Lima and waiting for our delayed flight to Trujillo. For the most part the trip was fairly uneventful. And when I say "for the most part" what I mean is that for all of the other 18 team members security checks, boarding passes, checking in and out of flights all went very very smoothly.
I however had a very different experience in getting to Lima today! It all started fine, we got through customs at the Detroit-Windsor border and were at the airport by noonish. We got everyone checked in and then we started checking in our leaders. When it was my turn the lady at the desk realized that my ticket had been booked in my married name (McKay) and my passport was still in my maiden name (Stevens). I had checked this over with Delta 2 nights ago and had called the Canadian Passport agency to verify that this was ok for international flights. Both had advised that I carry my birth certificate with me and that as long as I had other documentation showing I was Sheena McKay I would be fine to travel. The Delta lady however said that I needed the ORIGINAL copy of my marriage certificate. This of course was not one of the thousands of documents I had carried with me. So while everyone else checked in we made a frantic call to our saving grace Lynne Stenlund and she made a very crucial, and life saving trip first to our apartment to pick up our marriage license and then over the border to the Detroit airport with a 2 hour time limit in order for me to make that flight. It came down to the point that Ray and Phil, who had stayed behind to wait for me, had to leave me in the line-up waiting for my marriage license and run to their plane that was being held specifically for them.
God knew long before I got to the airport that I wouldn't be on the same flight as the rest of the team, I know this because 2 people from our team (Estaban and Chris) had been booked on a later flight to connect with the over sea flight to Lima. So for the next 4.5 hours Chris and I worked at trying to switch my flight so I could fly with the other 2. Lynne arrived with the license within 2 hours of us calling her and we thought that was the end of our worries.
The night before we left I had prayed for God to bring me to my knees on this trip. I have known for a long time that He wants more from me, and so I prayed for His will and left our apartment on Friday morning awaiting His response in Peru (Little did I know He wanted to humble me long before I even got on a plane).
In the proceeding 3 hours I was brought to my knees. Our original response from Delta was that I would have to pay $2681 to switch my flights. We made a call to Ray who was now in Cincinatti safe and sound with the rest of the team and got the ok to go ahead with this "administration" fee. We then went back to the desk to tell them we were willing to pay for the switch and were met with the shock of our life. They tried to pull up the booking they had quoted and it was gone, we were told that there was nothing they could do to connect me with the rest of the team. We spent what seemed like hours begging and pleading with them, explaining what we were doing in Peru and how crucial it was that I make that flight. They still said there was nothing they could do.
We stepped away from the desk, called Ray to update him and in tears (well it was just me crying on this end of the flight) we prayed. We prayed for His will and I remember specifically praying "OK God, I get it, I am on my knees and I understand that you can stop me from being on this trip". Humbled and broken Chris and I went back to the desk and made one more plea for their help.
The lady at the desk was on another call and for 15 mins Chris and I listened to one side of a conversation that seemed to have changed in tone. She took our credit card, charged us $200 and printed my tickets to get me on the same flight as Estaban and Chris and to connect us with the rest of the team in Atlanta. By this time we had 50 mins to get through security, and to our terminal so I jumped over the counter hugged the Delta lady (Lisa B) and we RAN to our security check point.
I made the joyouse call to Ray to advise him of God's handywork. The tears of relief started on Ray's end of the phone as he had just finished praying as well.
Chris, Estaban and I were barely fazed when we got to our terminal and saw that our flight to Atlanta (where the rest of the team was waiting) was delayed another 2 hours. At this point we were just relieved to have a flight itinerary for me, and well, we knew that God hadn't brought us this far to stop us in Detroit.
All this being said, the 3 of us were reunited with the team 1 hour before we left for Lima and never before have I been so relieved to see my husband (Phil) and the familiar faces of the rest of the team.
I knew that Satan would be working against us on this project, we are afterall doing everything he hates, and that is showing the love of God through servanthood. I had never considered that God may put a stop to this trip for me though. We have been constantly reminded leading up to this trip that we need to have our hearts in the right place to allow God to work through us. And I have allowed the business of life, work, pregnancy, and even just Peru prep to interfere in my spiritual preparation to serve in Trujillo this week. In the last 24 hours God has taught me that he truly wants the humble to do His will. And I can safely say that I am there.
So there it is, my Day one adventure of getting us to Peru.
The team has been doing so well, and we have had little to no resistance with getting anyone through the whole aiport process.
Because our flight to Trujillo has been delayed 8 hours we are practicing the art of "airport sleeping"
In the next 2 hours we will be on a plane to Trujillo to meet up with the Alliance missionaries on the ground.
Your continued prayer is appreciated and necessary.
A couple quick shout outs
1 Mom I am ALIVE!!
2 Happy Birthday Trina (Ray misses you and loves you!)
3 Kelly ann - something about trees
And we're out until tomorrow
Sheena on behalf of the Peru 2008 team
Sheena here, I have been chosen to make our first blog entry (for reasons you will soon read about!)
We are safe and sound in Lima and waiting for our delayed flight to Trujillo. For the most part the trip was fairly uneventful. And when I say "for the most part" what I mean is that for all of the other 18 team members security checks, boarding passes, checking in and out of flights all went very very smoothly.
I however had a very different experience in getting to Lima today! It all started fine, we got through customs at the Detroit-Windsor border and were at the airport by noonish. We got everyone checked in and then we started checking in our leaders. When it was my turn the lady at the desk realized that my ticket had been booked in my married name (McKay) and my passport was still in my maiden name (Stevens). I had checked this over with Delta 2 nights ago and had called the Canadian Passport agency to verify that this was ok for international flights. Both had advised that I carry my birth certificate with me and that as long as I had other documentation showing I was Sheena McKay I would be fine to travel. The Delta lady however said that I needed the ORIGINAL copy of my marriage certificate. This of course was not one of the thousands of documents I had carried with me. So while everyone else checked in we made a frantic call to our saving grace Lynne Stenlund and she made a very crucial, and life saving trip first to our apartment to pick up our marriage license and then over the border to the Detroit airport with a 2 hour time limit in order for me to make that flight. It came down to the point that Ray and Phil, who had stayed behind to wait for me, had to leave me in the line-up waiting for my marriage license and run to their plane that was being held specifically for them.
God knew long before I got to the airport that I wouldn't be on the same flight as the rest of the team, I know this because 2 people from our team (Estaban and Chris) had been booked on a later flight to connect with the over sea flight to Lima. So for the next 4.5 hours Chris and I worked at trying to switch my flight so I could fly with the other 2. Lynne arrived with the license within 2 hours of us calling her and we thought that was the end of our worries.
The night before we left I had prayed for God to bring me to my knees on this trip. I have known for a long time that He wants more from me, and so I prayed for His will and left our apartment on Friday morning awaiting His response in Peru (Little did I know He wanted to humble me long before I even got on a plane).
In the proceeding 3 hours I was brought to my knees. Our original response from Delta was that I would have to pay $2681 to switch my flights. We made a call to Ray who was now in Cincinatti safe and sound with the rest of the team and got the ok to go ahead with this "administration" fee. We then went back to the desk to tell them we were willing to pay for the switch and were met with the shock of our life. They tried to pull up the booking they had quoted and it was gone, we were told that there was nothing they could do to connect me with the rest of the team. We spent what seemed like hours begging and pleading with them, explaining what we were doing in Peru and how crucial it was that I make that flight. They still said there was nothing they could do.
We stepped away from the desk, called Ray to update him and in tears (well it was just me crying on this end of the flight) we prayed. We prayed for His will and I remember specifically praying "OK God, I get it, I am on my knees and I understand that you can stop me from being on this trip". Humbled and broken Chris and I went back to the desk and made one more plea for their help.
The lady at the desk was on another call and for 15 mins Chris and I listened to one side of a conversation that seemed to have changed in tone. She took our credit card, charged us $200 and printed my tickets to get me on the same flight as Estaban and Chris and to connect us with the rest of the team in Atlanta. By this time we had 50 mins to get through security, and to our terminal so I jumped over the counter hugged the Delta lady (Lisa B) and we RAN to our security check point.
I made the joyouse call to Ray to advise him of God's handywork. The tears of relief started on Ray's end of the phone as he had just finished praying as well.
Chris, Estaban and I were barely fazed when we got to our terminal and saw that our flight to Atlanta (where the rest of the team was waiting) was delayed another 2 hours. At this point we were just relieved to have a flight itinerary for me, and well, we knew that God hadn't brought us this far to stop us in Detroit.
All this being said, the 3 of us were reunited with the team 1 hour before we left for Lima and never before have I been so relieved to see my husband (Phil) and the familiar faces of the rest of the team.
I knew that Satan would be working against us on this project, we are afterall doing everything he hates, and that is showing the love of God through servanthood. I had never considered that God may put a stop to this trip for me though. We have been constantly reminded leading up to this trip that we need to have our hearts in the right place to allow God to work through us. And I have allowed the business of life, work, pregnancy, and even just Peru prep to interfere in my spiritual preparation to serve in Trujillo this week. In the last 24 hours God has taught me that he truly wants the humble to do His will. And I can safely say that I am there.
So there it is, my Day one adventure of getting us to Peru.
The team has been doing so well, and we have had little to no resistance with getting anyone through the whole aiport process.
Because our flight to Trujillo has been delayed 8 hours we are practicing the art of "airport sleeping"
In the next 2 hours we will be on a plane to Trujillo to meet up with the Alliance missionaries on the ground.
Your continued prayer is appreciated and necessary.
A couple quick shout outs
1 Mom I am ALIVE!!
2 Happy Birthday Trina (Ray misses you and loves you!)
3 Kelly ann - something about trees
And we're out until tomorrow
Sheena on behalf of the Peru 2008 team
Thursday, July 31, 2008
And so it Begins!
The Niagara Falls team has safely arrived in Windsor! They successfully made it to dinner on time for 6pm where we enjoyed a fantastically catered meal hosted by Lynne Stenlund and Larry and Janet Masse (t
hanks guys!).
After dinner we spent time in worship together and looked at God's priority in missions. We looked into God's Word and saw how God's primary concern is His Glory. From beginning to end it is about His Name, His Character and His Renown. Our time together tonight was excellent for our team.
Around 9pm the Niagara Falls half of our team went with HPAC 'ers to their homes for a good night's rest. Tomorrow (today) will be one of the longest days of our lives :)
Pastor Jeff Enns and I are currently at my place (Ray) doing some last minute planning and of course blogging. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve God in this way through leading this team. We are looking forward to all that He will do in and through each member of our team over the course of the next 10 days.
Please pray for our travels tomorrow, specifically that we would find favor at the border crossing in Detroit and that we would have smooth transitions for lay-overs. But please also pray that God would grant us opportunities even in our travels to Peru to reflect His Glory.
It is now time for bed.
Consumed by the call...
Pastor Ray Jones
Pastor Jeff Enns and I are currently at my place (Ray) doing some last minute planning and of course blogging. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve God in this way through leading this team. We are looking forward to all that He will do in and through each member of our team over the course of the next 10 days.
Please pray for our travels tomorrow, specifically that we would find favor at the border crossing in Detroit and that we would have smooth transitions for lay-overs. But please also pray that God would grant us opportunities even in our travels to Peru to reflect His Glory.
It is now time for bed.
Consumed by the call...
Pastor Ray Jones
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