We are going back to Chincha, Peru, this year on July 18-26, 2009! This blog will pick up again from last year's trip to keep friends and family in the loop on our activities. Plus, check the blog often for news about the trip or to find music to practice in Spanish.
Praise the Lord for all the many blessings He brought to us in last year's trip and pray that this year we may see even more amazing things that is He bringing to fruition in Peru.
Stayed tuned!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The babies
This was my third mission trip to Peru and I always come home with images of the babies in my head. Fortunately the babies we saw in Chincha were chubby and happy.
One day, I was helping a woman who had a precious little year old boy with her who kept falling asleep in the chair as we tried to take her blood sugar. Finally I picked him up and rocked him in my arms as we walked around to the doctor station thinking about how beautiful he was and how he slept so soundly in the midst of all the commotion. I asked her how old her grandson was and she said that he was adopted. He was the product of a rape of a 16 year old girl who then abandoned him and this woman had taken him in.
We all hit the wall at some point when the situation overwhelms us. This was my hit the wall moment. I had to quickly hand the sleeping toddler over to another person in our group and ran to the rest room and had a really hard cry. (Yes, we had a bathroom with three toilets and running water...a true luxury!) I went next door to the dental office for tissue and after telling them about the little boy, we all had a group hug and group cry.
The displayed picture is of a different child later in the week but was just so precious I wanted to share the picture.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Re-entry problems
For me, it has been hard getting back into "real life". I had a staph infection in my finger and had to go immediately to the ER and have it lanced. After two more visits to the doctor, it is looking much better.
When I got home, I called to go get my big dog out of where he was being boarded. I was told that he had died on Tuesday before we got home despite all efforts to save him. I am really struggling with this as he was such a happy dog and a real joy in my life. I am so sad and miss him terribly.
I promise I will write more about the special time we had in Peru and the victories we shared in order to recapture the joy of the mission trip.
When I got home, I called to go get my big dog out of where he was being boarded. I was told that he had died on Tuesday before we got home despite all efforts to save him. I am really struggling with this as he was such a happy dog and a real joy in my life. I am so sad and miss him terribly.
I promise I will write more about the special time we had in Peru and the victories we shared in order to recapture the joy of the mission trip.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tonight was the celebration ceremony
I have been so exhausted the last two nights, I have not had the energy to post here. I will recap the last two days in another post but wanted to let you know that we have completed the clinic and the evangelism. The celebration ceremony tonight was beyond description! We were in a small soccer field and filled it with joyous singing and dancing. Then lots of tears and hugs as we said goodbye to the wonderful people we met this week. You will just have to see the video to understand what I mean.
We are going back to Lima in the morning and then some of us will go onto Cusco and others will return to the US. It has been a glorious trip! I have so many stories to tell and don't have the strength to tell them right now.
To our friends and families...thank you for your prayers...we have really felt them and needed them.
Will post more later...
We are going back to Lima in the morning and then some of us will go onto Cusco and others will return to the US. It has been a glorious trip! I have so many stories to tell and don't have the strength to tell them right now.
To our friends and families...thank you for your prayers...we have really felt them and needed them.
Will post more later...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Again, we had such an incredible day. It started when we got off the buses at the medical site. We had a good line already waiting for us when we arrived. We set up shop and then went back outside for an opening devotional and prayer.
We "warmed up the crowd" with a few simple songs and Bill Powell gave a wonderful devotional about living a life of peace and serenity thanks to the grace of God and gave a demonstration with the small plastic vials that are then heated and blasted into two litre bottles for softdrinks. Two litre Coke bottles are things that anyone in practically any country can relate to.The prayer time was really meaningful and set the day off on a perfect note.
Today I got to work in the vitamin and worming station outside the pharmacy. That is one place where EVERYONE comes to get the anti-parasite medicine and their vitamins. So today was a little more hectic than yesterday but I can sure say"take one vitamin every day with your breakfast" really really fast now in Spanish.
According to our dentist, Bill Powell, there was one little boy about six years old whose teeth have all become rotten and will have to be pulled. He pulled some today and over the next couple of days, the poor little boy will have all of his teeth pulled.
One little girl about 8, her face painted with flowers on each cheek, came up excitedly and asked if we were going to be there in her neighborhood "for ever". Her little face fell when I told her today was the last day.
We ended our two days at this location with a really large Bible study and the attendees will hopefully be the core of a new church established in that neighborhood. I was fortunate to meet a number of really strong women over the last two days and hopefully they will be leaders in the new congregation.When we left, a group of about 30 people lined the little road and waved goodbye to us! It really touched my heart to see their faces.
Tomorrow we go to a new location and I understand it is actually inside a newly built church. The conditions at the last location were not that bad except for the dirt floor. There was a functioning toilet which makes life a LOT easier.Tonight was our first free time and Veronica, Egla and I walked down to the main Plaza and of course, found an ice cream parlor. I had something called maracuya and it was delicious.
I will write more tomorrow but we are leaving extra early as the new location is on the far outskirts of town.
We "warmed up the crowd" with a few simple songs and Bill Powell gave a wonderful devotional about living a life of peace and serenity thanks to the grace of God and gave a demonstration with the small plastic vials that are then heated and blasted into two litre bottles for softdrinks. Two litre Coke bottles are things that anyone in practically any country can relate to.The prayer time was really meaningful and set the day off on a perfect note.
Today I got to work in the vitamin and worming station outside the pharmacy. That is one place where EVERYONE comes to get the anti-parasite medicine and their vitamins. So today was a little more hectic than yesterday but I can sure say"take one vitamin every day with your breakfast" really really fast now in Spanish.
According to our dentist, Bill Powell, there was one little boy about six years old whose teeth have all become rotten and will have to be pulled. He pulled some today and over the next couple of days, the poor little boy will have all of his teeth pulled.
One little girl about 8, her face painted with flowers on each cheek, came up excitedly and asked if we were going to be there in her neighborhood "for ever". Her little face fell when I told her today was the last day.
We ended our two days at this location with a really large Bible study and the attendees will hopefully be the core of a new church established in that neighborhood. I was fortunate to meet a number of really strong women over the last two days and hopefully they will be leaders in the new congregation.When we left, a group of about 30 people lined the little road and waved goodbye to us! It really touched my heart to see their faces.
Tomorrow we go to a new location and I understand it is actually inside a newly built church. The conditions at the last location were not that bad except for the dirt floor. There was a functioning toilet which makes life a LOT easier.Tonight was our first free time and Veronica, Egla and I walked down to the main Plaza and of course, found an ice cream parlor. I had something called maracuya and it was delicious.
I will write more tomorrow but we are leaving extra early as the new location is on the far outskirts of town.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
First Day in Chincha
Wow...what a day this has been! God was really at work in our lives today during our first day in Chincha.
We saw about 240 people in the medical clinic and about another 100-150 people in the eye clinic. I don't know how many people the dentist saw, but there was always a line as his station too.
Everyone who did door to door evangelism talked about how well received they were everywhere they went.
Tonight, I got to give my testimony at a church located on the ourtskirts of Chincha. The pastor, Carlos de la Cruz (Charles of the Cross) led a most enthusiastic crowd in singing songs of praise for half an hour before I gave my testimony. Afterwards the pastor graciously acknowledged those of us from the U.S. and as we left, the singing and dancing started again. We were told that the service could continue as late as 10:30pm. Their enthusiasm was so energizing. I will go back there on Wednesday to do door to door evangelism.
In the cab ride back to the hotel, I spoke with the taxi driver who told me he lost his house in the earthquake and a year later, there was just a shell of his house rebuilt with plastic for a roof. He said the worst thing about the earthquake was that his two year old daughter is now so fearful that the earth will move again in such a destructive way.
We have another day of clinic in our present location which is not too far from downtown. We will be moving to a location further out of town where they are erecting a new town for people who lost their house in the earthquake. They are using prefabricated housing donated by the Red Cross.
As always, it is the children that really touch your heart. Today, thank you, Lord, we did not have any seriously ill children. Instead, we had dozens of preschoolers having their faces painted, making crafts, singing songs and learning about Jesus. How delightful!
I can't wait to see what amazing things God has in store for us tomorrow!
We saw about 240 people in the medical clinic and about another 100-150 people in the eye clinic. I don't know how many people the dentist saw, but there was always a line as his station too.
Everyone who did door to door evangelism talked about how well received they were everywhere they went.
Tonight, I got to give my testimony at a church located on the ourtskirts of Chincha. The pastor, Carlos de la Cruz (Charles of the Cross) led a most enthusiastic crowd in singing songs of praise for half an hour before I gave my testimony. Afterwards the pastor graciously acknowledged those of us from the U.S. and as we left, the singing and dancing started again. We were told that the service could continue as late as 10:30pm. Their enthusiasm was so energizing. I will go back there on Wednesday to do door to door evangelism.
In the cab ride back to the hotel, I spoke with the taxi driver who told me he lost his house in the earthquake and a year later, there was just a shell of his house rebuilt with plastic for a roof. He said the worst thing about the earthquake was that his two year old daughter is now so fearful that the earth will move again in such a destructive way.
We have another day of clinic in our present location which is not too far from downtown. We will be moving to a location further out of town where they are erecting a new town for people who lost their house in the earthquake. They are using prefabricated housing donated by the Red Cross.
As always, it is the children that really touch your heart. Today, thank you, Lord, we did not have any seriously ill children. Instead, we had dozens of preschoolers having their faces painted, making crafts, singing songs and learning about Jesus. How delightful!
I can't wait to see what amazing things God has in store for us tomorrow!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
We are in Chincha!
Everybody arrived in Lima last night and this morning we set out on a bus for Chincha! The drive was at times breathtaking with the ocean on our right and the desert on our left. Occasionally we had pockets where greenery beat out the desert.
We checked into our hotel and then got everything organized for tomorrow. The hotel is nice and even has wireless!
After a delicious dinner of Chifa...which is a type of food that combines Peruvian flavors with Chinese food, we set out for the opening rally at a local church.
It was a great worship service ...a lot of celebrating...good music and welcoming people. It was held out under the stars as the church has only a straw roof. Tomorrow we start the clinic and the door to door evangelism and this rally was a delightful beginning to our week.
Driving down to Chincha from Lima, it is amazing that they have repaired the Pan American Highway since the earthquake and obviously there is a lot of construction going on. Over 500 people were killed in the earthquake in Chincha alone. You see buildings in ruins right next to buildings that weren't seemingly touched. One house I saw, only the green garage door was standing ...the rest of the house was in piles of bricks around it.
Please keep us in your prayers as we set out this week to minister to the people of Chincha both physically and spiritually.
We checked into our hotel and then got everything organized for tomorrow. The hotel is nice and even has wireless!
After a delicious dinner of Chifa...which is a type of food that combines Peruvian flavors with Chinese food, we set out for the opening rally at a local church.
It was a great worship service ...a lot of celebrating...good music and welcoming people. It was held out under the stars as the church has only a straw roof. Tomorrow we start the clinic and the door to door evangelism and this rally was a delightful beginning to our week.
Driving down to Chincha from Lima, it is amazing that they have repaired the Pan American Highway since the earthquake and obviously there is a lot of construction going on. Over 500 people were killed in the earthquake in Chincha alone. You see buildings in ruins right next to buildings that weren't seemingly touched. One house I saw, only the green garage door was standing ...the rest of the house was in piles of bricks around it.
Please keep us in your prayers as we set out this week to minister to the people of Chincha both physically and spiritually.
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