Hey family and friends...sorry it has been a LONG time since I last wrote. I feel that is how I've started all my blogs since arriving in Peru, but I assure you it's not for lack of things to write about, on the contrary, I have TOO many things to write about and I'm busying DOING them all the time! But as my time is winding down (unfortunately), I feel as though I need to write again.
I am currently working with the 2nd Riverside group. We are having a GREAT time. We have a little more variety in our schedule with this group. We are doing some construction (definitely NOT like the last team with tearing down a building, but rather clearing out the rocks, dirt, cement, and garbage that was covering the lots). We are also doing some painting of a study center for some children, plus a little work at the recycle house. These are all our morning activities, in the afternoon, we have been working with the Nor Oeste church on a VBS program, mostly helping out the troop leaders. That has been fun, especially getting to know kids after spending 2-2 1/2 hours 4 days of the week with them. It's been fun and special. Then the nights have consisted of door to door evangelism, small groups, or fun times with the leaders of the church. So we have had some CRAZY busy schedules!!
This team will be heading out Sunday morning by plane and Kari and will follow Sunday night by bus. I do not look forward to leaving. As many of you know, I love Peru. Every time I come, I never want to leave, yet each time I must. This time is even harder as I have met SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many people and have built SSSSOOOOOOOO many friendships. I have realized that in 2 1/2 months in Peru I have met and build more friendships than I have in 6 months in Costa Rica. That's not to say I don't like CR and don't have any friends, it's just the difference in cultures and people. The friends I have in CR are GREAT and I love them to death, but it's not the same. Especially since in Peru I have met friends my own age, a HUGE bonus, something I didn't realize I missed until I got here. All this said, I know my time here in Peru has almost come to a close (at least for this year ;) ) and I know my responsibilities are in CR. Please be praying for me as I transistion back to CR. Pray that I will be able to jump right back into things full heartedly. Pray for me as I know I will become lonely after returning to CR, as I won't have tons of friends around ALL the time, but also as Kari returns to the States shortly after returning to CR, Chuck and Robbi will be heading to MN help their daughter move into college and visit their sons and families, and as a missionary family that are my good friends will be moving to Mexico City - all happening within a week and a half of my returning.
Also, please pray for my parents as they are coming to visit me for a week shortly after I return to CR. This highlight is definitely something to return to CR for!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Pictures!!
Here are some pictures from the Corban concert we had on the Saturday the big group was playing games in Trujillo. For those who don't know (which is probably everyone because I didn't know Corban before), Corban is a Christian band from the Alliance churches in Trujillo. They are a fun group of guys who have a message to share with a great way to share it! Enjoy the pictures!!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Project in Chepen
Hey everyone... I just thought I´d let you know what´s happening in Chepen.
With the group of 27 people (plus me and another intern), we hoped to get the roof started on the church...however due to various problems with the cost of materials rising, we were not able to get as far as we had hoped. Also, having 30 people, 60 hands, was a bit much to have here at this time. So that was the discouraging part. However, it has been great getting to know the people on the teams. When I was told I would be working with 28 other people, I was thinking, "how and I ever going to learn all their name??" I also wasn´t sure how all the translating would go. Fortunately, I have learned ALL the names of everyone I am working with! Plus the translating hasn´t been as bad I was thinking. A few of the girls on the team speak a little spanish (like what I knew the last couple years), so that definitely makes it easier because they can talk to people a little as well!
Our focus wasn't only on construction, but also on evangelism. So we spent 1 night in the Plaza in groups of 2 with a Peruvian talking to different people about God. This was a great experience for everyone. It was great talking to the team later that night at our debrief and hearing how many of them enjoyed their experience. (We were supposed to do this another night, but there was a concert in the plaza, si we couldn't, we had a birthday party for one of the team members instead.) Half the group also visited various people from the church in their homes. The time was spent getting to know people from the church and praying for them.
I think it´s interesting to see how things are different this year than in years past. I think things are different because this is a group primarily of people between the ages of 14 and 18, also including 21, 22 (2 of us), and 28 (2), with only 2 people above the age of 40. This just brings about another whole dimension to the group. This is also a group made up from 2 churches that didn´t know each other before landing in Lima, and actually before getting to Chepen. It has been fun to watch how they have bonded into 1 group. There are no longer 2 churches, but 1 family and I LOVE it! The only thing that could make me happier would be to see the people in these group bond and form a family with the Chepen church.
Then Saturday, all the teams (all 180 people, plus interns, and locals) had a sports day in Trujillo. It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of competition in the games we played. My AMAZING team got 2nd in 2 games (one was tug-a-war, where I cheered so much I lost my voice) and we got 1st in a game sort of like Steal the Bacon. It was a lot of fun to see them all come out of their shells a bit and get into the events. We didn't do so well at soccer, but the improvement over the 3 games we played was HUGE! Volleyball also didn't go so well for us, but all had fun and that is the most important. (Plus with the amazing win in Steal the Bacon, it didn't matter how everything else went, everyone was high off that win!)
I wish you all could have been here to experience this week with me. It was way better than I could have imagined and I am SO thankful to everyone who came and helped and encouraged the church of Chepen!
With the group of 27 people (plus me and another intern), we hoped to get the roof started on the church...however due to various problems with the cost of materials rising, we were not able to get as far as we had hoped. Also, having 30 people, 60 hands, was a bit much to have here at this time. So that was the discouraging part. However, it has been great getting to know the people on the teams. When I was told I would be working with 28 other people, I was thinking, "how and I ever going to learn all their name??" I also wasn´t sure how all the translating would go. Fortunately, I have learned ALL the names of everyone I am working with! Plus the translating hasn´t been as bad I was thinking. A few of the girls on the team speak a little spanish (like what I knew the last couple years), so that definitely makes it easier because they can talk to people a little as well!
Our focus wasn't only on construction, but also on evangelism. So we spent 1 night in the Plaza in groups of 2 with a Peruvian talking to different people about God. This was a great experience for everyone. It was great talking to the team later that night at our debrief and hearing how many of them enjoyed their experience. (We were supposed to do this another night, but there was a concert in the plaza, si we couldn't, we had a birthday party for one of the team members instead.) Half the group also visited various people from the church in their homes. The time was spent getting to know people from the church and praying for them.
I think it´s interesting to see how things are different this year than in years past. I think things are different because this is a group primarily of people between the ages of 14 and 18, also including 21, 22 (2 of us), and 28 (2), with only 2 people above the age of 40. This just brings about another whole dimension to the group. This is also a group made up from 2 churches that didn´t know each other before landing in Lima, and actually before getting to Chepen. It has been fun to watch how they have bonded into 1 group. There are no longer 2 churches, but 1 family and I LOVE it! The only thing that could make me happier would be to see the people in these group bond and form a family with the Chepen church.
Then Saturday, all the teams (all 180 people, plus interns, and locals) had a sports day in Trujillo. It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of competition in the games we played. My AMAZING team got 2nd in 2 games (one was tug-a-war, where I cheered so much I lost my voice) and we got 1st in a game sort of like Steal the Bacon. It was a lot of fun to see them all come out of their shells a bit and get into the events. We didn't do so well at soccer, but the improvement over the 3 games we played was HUGE! Volleyball also didn't go so well for us, but all had fun and that is the most important. (Plus with the amazing win in Steal the Bacon, it didn't matter how everything else went, everyone was high off that win!)
I wish you all could have been here to experience this week with me. It was way better than I could have imagined and I am SO thankful to everyone who came and helped and encouraged the church of Chepen!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Next Group
I realize I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up with what I've been doing during my time here...I'm SUPER sorry for that. When the groups are here, I'm busy almost ALL the time with them, and when I'm not working with groups, I'm off doing other things.
Last weekend I spent about 2 days in Chepen. It was a VERY short trip, but I was able to talk about the next group and what some of the plans are for them. Just a little background. The next group that is coming is from Ohio. It's a district-wide missions trip so we will be having 180 people here. We are taking them to 4 locations, one of those locations is Chepen. We will be having 27 people (from 2 churches) in Chepen (plus me and anther intern), so almost 30 people!! I'm so excited for having them all come and help further the church there. I think this will be a GREAT encouragement for everyone. We will working on putting the roof over the part of the church that is currently finished.
If you could be praying for this time. The hotel that we stayed at last year will be able to hold us all (YAY!!), but for the meals it could be a little difficult with such a large group. Our lunches will be at Pastor Juan and Martha's house, which really isn't all that big and could hardly hold our group of 10. Our dinners will be eating in restaurants, which in Chepen really aren't that big either. Pray for the ladies who will be cooking our food, that they won't get stressed over the number of people coming. Pray for the church to not be overwhelmed meeting so many gringos all at one time. Pray for the groups as they prepare to come and that while here we can bond as 1 team, completely united. Pray for me and Patrick (the other intern whom I have yet to meet) that we will do good at leading the groups and keeping communication open between the 2 of us and the pastors and the groups. Finally, pray for me, as far as I know, Patrick doesn't know Spanish - or at least not much - and I'm not sure on the groups either, so please pray that communicating for 28 other people will not be too much for me.
I'm really excited about this opportunity to share Chepen with another group of people whom I hope will fall in love with them as well and will consider returning to help in the years to come! (Especially as a cement floor is REALLY needed as the last time I was in Chepen my arms got bitten way too much and I still have the bumps and itches to prove it!)
Thank you for your continued love and support!
Last weekend I spent about 2 days in Chepen. It was a VERY short trip, but I was able to talk about the next group and what some of the plans are for them. Just a little background. The next group that is coming is from Ohio. It's a district-wide missions trip so we will be having 180 people here. We are taking them to 4 locations, one of those locations is Chepen. We will be having 27 people (from 2 churches) in Chepen (plus me and anther intern), so almost 30 people!! I'm so excited for having them all come and help further the church there. I think this will be a GREAT encouragement for everyone. We will working on putting the roof over the part of the church that is currently finished.
If you could be praying for this time. The hotel that we stayed at last year will be able to hold us all (YAY!!), but for the meals it could be a little difficult with such a large group. Our lunches will be at Pastor Juan and Martha's house, which really isn't all that big and could hardly hold our group of 10. Our dinners will be eating in restaurants, which in Chepen really aren't that big either. Pray for the ladies who will be cooking our food, that they won't get stressed over the number of people coming. Pray for the church to not be overwhelmed meeting so many gringos all at one time. Pray for the groups as they prepare to come and that while here we can bond as 1 team, completely united. Pray for me and Patrick (the other intern whom I have yet to meet) that we will do good at leading the groups and keeping communication open between the 2 of us and the pastors and the groups. Finally, pray for me, as far as I know, Patrick doesn't know Spanish - or at least not much - and I'm not sure on the groups either, so please pray that communicating for 28 other people will not be too much for me.
I'm really excited about this opportunity to share Chepen with another group of people whom I hope will fall in love with them as well and will consider returning to help in the years to come! (Especially as a cement floor is REALLY needed as the last time I was in Chepen my arms got bitten way too much and I still have the bumps and itches to prove it!)
Thank you for your continued love and support!
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