This blog title is brought to you by the rest of my team and was inspired by a particular bathroom facility in Carhua. Pictures to come when back in the states.
Sorry it's taken so long to post. Yesterday (Saturday) was a very busy day. We were afraid that we wouldn't have any kids at VBS since it was the weekend. When we pulled into Carhua, there were about eight kids waiting for us and more heading in. We were greeted with shouts and hugs. Rhonda shared the story of the woman at the well, we made origami cups with Bible verse water droplets, and played lots of soccer and frisbee. As we went to Lachaqui, we had lunch at the big rock. Those of you who have been with me know that it is not just 'a' big rock... but it is "THE" big rock. While we were taking pictures, Stephanie twisted her ankle a bit. It swelled a little, but didn't bruise. We elevated and wrapped it, iced it as best we could, and it is looking better all the time. She is doing great, but prayers would be appreciated. We had quite a few children come out in Lachaqui as well, and they all enjoyed our activities. Dinner was fun - question of the day was "what would your superpower be and why?" We spent the rest of the evening and into the late hours preparing for our last day, laughing, telling stories, laughing...well, you get the point. By the time we went to our rooms, I was far too sleepy to blog.
Today (Sunday) was our last day in the villages. It is a bittersweet experience. We had another crowd in Carhua, as well as several adults. This was perfect because John and Bethany shared the gospel. There were some very good questions asked and I hope a LOT of seeds planted. Rhonda and I were able to speak with Susanna, an elderly lady that I have prayed with before. Please pray for her, as she fell and broke her arm four months ago and still needs surgery. We also distributed reading glasses and sunglasses to the adults of Carhua today. We couldn't have done it without our driver and friend, Emilio! He basically took over the whole program and I just delivered the right strength of lenses. It was awesome! I need to say a BIG THANK YOU to EVERYONE who donated glasses and school supplies to the White Christmas Offering. You cannot even imagine the difference you made in the lives of both the children and adults on this mountain.
Lunch by the river was followed by our last trip to Lachaqui. Again, we had a large number of children and quite a few adults. The gospel was shared and seeds were planted. Rhonda and I spent some time with Jaimito, who is part of the family we hoped to Bible study with. We made plans to meet with them on our next trip and pray for them until then. Leaving is always difficult and today was no different. Some of our kids cried. Some of us cried. It was hard. But I know without a shadow of a doubt that God is working on this mountain. It is my heart's desire that someday an adult from this area will look back and remember that some crazy gringos came and helped them learn about the love, grace, and forgiveness of God.
Two dinner questions tonight: 1) What was your favorite part of the mission? and 2) a rousing game of "two truths and a lie". We know each other VERY well now!! We also just finished up a team game of South American Yahtzee. It isn't different than the regular, but Michelle has played on almost every other continent. Their family traditions are a bit weird, and now I can say that I have done ballet leaps around a Andes hostel. We are heading to bed now. We go to Lima tomorrow and get ready for the long trip home. Keep praying, friends! We're not back yet! There are tons of people we can still minister to before we see you again!
Prayer points: Stephanie's ankle to continue to feel better, safe travels to and around Lima, and opportunities to love on people as we go.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
No Conozco..... Nadie
Translation: I don't know... Anyone.
Today's fellowship game was an old one. Name three people that you would love to have a conversation with and what would you talk to them about. The first rule was that no one could actually say "Jesus" because it was our first answer and truly our real answer. We had a wide range of interesting answers - some lofty and some shallow - and unfortunately, Bethany isn't familiar with most of them. We are teasing her a lot and Emilio, our driver, is leading the pack. He kept asking her if she knew the people listed (like Princess Di, Elizabeth Taylor, Mother Teresa, Osama Bin Laden and Joe Biden) and her answer was "No Conozco". :) We are having a great time fellowshipping together! Tomorrow's question - what would your superpower be and why would you use it?
This was another wonderful day. I am telling you that we can tell when people are praying for us! We had even more children at both schools today. They loved the story Stephanie told about Jonah and the whale - focused on obedience to God. The others acted it out and it was fantastic! They made paper whales with Jonah getting swallowed, and the Carhua kids even made a cool boat. We played "whale tag", which is a LOT like freeze tag but whales chasing a bunch of Jonahs is more fun. We got to see our friend, Agosto, in Carhua, too. He opened the museum room so that the team could see the mummies. I was slightly disappointed to see that our cases did not stop the ancestor worship. They have just started leaving a bowl of coca leaves and burned cigarettes in front of the cases. At least they aren't damaging the actual ancestors anymore.
We had one disappointment, but it wasn't a huge surprise. We had been asked by Zoraida to come and do a Bible study today, but when we showed up, the store was padlocked and we learned that the family had gone on a trip. Oh well. :( We will try again later!!
After another good dinner (and a game), we have prepared our stories and activities for tomorrow. We're currently sitting around working knots out of shoulder muscles and talking about, basically, everything. This is what I often miss when we get back home - the fellowship!
Prayer points for tomorrow: Continued good health, lots of kids to come out on a Saturday instead of going to the field, safe travels, and the possibility of Bible study again.
Today's fellowship game was an old one. Name three people that you would love to have a conversation with and what would you talk to them about. The first rule was that no one could actually say "Jesus" because it was our first answer and truly our real answer. We had a wide range of interesting answers - some lofty and some shallow - and unfortunately, Bethany isn't familiar with most of them. We are teasing her a lot and Emilio, our driver, is leading the pack. He kept asking her if she knew the people listed (like Princess Di, Elizabeth Taylor, Mother Teresa, Osama Bin Laden and Joe Biden) and her answer was "No Conozco". :) We are having a great time fellowshipping together! Tomorrow's question - what would your superpower be and why would you use it?
This was another wonderful day. I am telling you that we can tell when people are praying for us! We had even more children at both schools today. They loved the story Stephanie told about Jonah and the whale - focused on obedience to God. The others acted it out and it was fantastic! They made paper whales with Jonah getting swallowed, and the Carhua kids even made a cool boat. We played "whale tag", which is a LOT like freeze tag but whales chasing a bunch of Jonahs is more fun. We got to see our friend, Agosto, in Carhua, too. He opened the museum room so that the team could see the mummies. I was slightly disappointed to see that our cases did not stop the ancestor worship. They have just started leaving a bowl of coca leaves and burned cigarettes in front of the cases. At least they aren't damaging the actual ancestors anymore.
We had one disappointment, but it wasn't a huge surprise. We had been asked by Zoraida to come and do a Bible study today, but when we showed up, the store was padlocked and we learned that the family had gone on a trip. Oh well. :( We will try again later!!
After another good dinner (and a game), we have prepared our stories and activities for tomorrow. We're currently sitting around working knots out of shoulder muscles and talking about, basically, everything. This is what I often miss when we get back home - the fellowship!
Prayer points for tomorrow: Continued good health, lots of kids to come out on a Saturday instead of going to the field, safe travels, and the possibility of Bible study again.
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