Monday, September 21, 2009

Thanks for your prayers

Thanks for praying about Kid's club yesterday. I think it went well (other than telling the kids that God stopped the sun so that the Israelites could peal-pelar instead of fight-pelear). Many kids were there and they did a great job listening. God definitely helped me with words and not shaking with nervousness. Thank you for praying!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Prayer Requests

I would appreciate prayer these next couple of weeks as we are starting Personal Evangelism class on Tuesday. I am already nervous! We are praying that the Whipples will have found a location for their church so we can invite people when we are doing street evangelism, that we will be able to present in a elementary school (and distribute cds of Bible stories). We will also be traveling 2 hours each way to their house every day (to a part of town that is new for me). I would appreciate pray as I am teaching in Spanish for kid's club this Sunday (about Joshua right before he died telling the Israelites to choose who they are going to serve). Thanks in advance!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Trujillo

This last week we were given a break from studies in Lima and sent to experience some of the ministries in Trujillo. The eight hour bus ride was lovely. I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time and watched the sunset over the waves. I wished we could have stopped to take pictures, but we did the best we could through the windows. Even the desert was beautiful. We saw fields of sugarcane and small villages with scrawny cows. I think I am falling for Peru (but I still miss corn and bean fields...God's creativity simply amazes me! all so lovely).

While in Trujillo we attended 4 different Baptist churches and went to various classes at the seminary. Living in the dorm for the week was a wonderful change. The girls were so transparent and willing to share their lives with us. As I walked through the campus, I was slightly homesick for FBBC, but at the same time, many things were very different. There wasn't any hot water, only one option for meals, four girls fit in a room the size of room 6 in the camp staff building (basically big enough for two bunk beds and a table attached to the wall that functioned as a desk with shelves above it), the concrete floor in the chapel and upper level of the dorm wasn't even leveled, all the students shared one piano and a few other keyboards (and music is one of the 2 majors offered) yet, these didn't phase the students in the least. They were thankful to be there and learning. I was challenged to think more on things above.

Other activities:
Monday: Pastor's kid's club (in spanish) then dinner with the Stilwells!
Tuesday: Camp Fortaleza! I am excited about serving there this summer (January).
Wednesday: Prayer meeting at Victoria.
Thursday: Chan-chan (largest mud city ruins in the world) and Huanchaco (the Beach!...although not to swim because it is much too cold. While shopping for souvenirs, another teammate asked for something made of cuerpo (body) instead of cuero (leather)...the language bloopers continue.
Friday: Free time with the seminarians. We sang songs and played games that I will have to bring home for youth group in the states (need to add games to my list of things to write down in my journal).
Saturday: visited a little town in the mountains devoted to La Virgin de la Puerta ( a doll of Mary) where many Peruvians pilgrim and pay homage. It was sobering to see how lost they are in their devote beliefs. (That day we at a sack lunch by a waterfall). I also went to a Peruvian wedding (which only started an hour late!)

It was hard to leave these people whom I had learned to love in such a short time, but Monday we headed back to Lima. It was a little odd to see the lights of Lima and think, 'I'm almost home.' It was a blessing to see my Peruvian family and friends once more.