Well, I'm "home," although it doesn't feel much like home anymore!
We had 3 days of debriefing, in which we shared team testimonies, as well as had some really awesome worship time. Before getting back to Lima for debriefing, I was ready to be home. The last village we were in was filled with people who did not talk to us, but rather stare at us as if we were statues in an art gallery. I was tired of it by the end of the week, and just wanted to be back in the states with my friends and family. And then I got to debriefing... and being around my (American) friends made me realize that it wasn't that I wanted to be back in the States, I just wanted someone that I could relate to again. And once I had those someones, I didn't want to leave Lima to go to the jungle. And once I was in the jungle I didn't want to leave it to go back to the states. And now I'm here. I know that God has me here for a reason, and I am so excited to get involved in Beautiful Feet and start talking with the girls in my classes again, but right now, while I'm still re-introducing myself with the culture, its hard.
I cried when I had to say goodbye to all of my gringos at the REAPSouth office. I cried when my airplane left the ground in Lima. I went out to eat with Dave and my mom the night I got back, and I started crying because A) it was so expensive, and B) everyone was just eating- they hadn't cooked for hours to have food to eat like Peruvians do. I bawled my way through church on Sunday, first because it was so overwhelming, second because we sang one of the sang songs that we sang in Peru, and third because its SO different than how I think church should be. Ironically, most Peruvian churches are closer, in my opinion, than most American churches.
But, I AM very glad to be home! I'm so glad to get to see all of you again, and to get to talk on the phone with those of you whom I can't talk to in person. I keep hoping I run into people I know, just so that I can see someone! Ask me every single question you want to know about Peru... I'm more of a question and answer gal than a public speaker. :-) I am SO appreciative of all of you guys and gals for everything that you've done for me this summer to support and encourage me. Know that each and every one of you has blessed me beyond words. Thank you so much, and God bless you!
-En Cristo,
Kathy
Check this link to see some pictures from my trip! -->
http://tcu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2069805&l=16615&id=18301768
or if you don't have Facebook, try this-->
joykjc's AOL Pictures Public Gallery.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Long Time, No See!
Well, well, well... so sorry I haven't written in a while! I'll try to make it brief, but we all know how good I am at that!
After Nazca, we got rerouted because of the road strikes here... our detour was Bolivia! It was pretty cool to get to say we went to another country for the day! However, the night before, I was rushed to the emergency room... Not only did I have parasite number 2, but I also had traveler's disease, and an allergic reaction. I got lots of drugs for the first 2, and a booty shot for the allergic reaction. That was an interesting night, to say the least.
We went to Lampa after that. Brad, a journeyman, is the "village team" there, so it was my team, the Barnabus team (encouragement), and him. We jumped on with his ministries in his town, including going to a families house 45 minutes away to do Bible study, and playing daily tennis with new believers in Lampa. :-) We also did a performance in the plaza, to which over 100 people came. It was pretty awesome! I brought two girls from the hostal (Aydé- 9, and Anni- 18) and really befriended them over those couple of days. The hostal owners were definitely our favorites from the summer, and I hope to keep in touch with them through email. Also, we went on a tour of the Catholic church there, which has a moselium with lots of dead bodies (bones) in it, and went to Juliaca (the neighboring city) for Brad and Amy's birthdays. It was a laid-back and fun village.
Our last village for the summer was Nuñoa. It was COLD. And they only had electricity maybe 3 hours a day. :-/ We played with kids a lot, and did a performance this morning in the only school that was open. (Along with the transportation strikes plaguing the country, the teachers have been on strike since the beginning of July, which has meant no school as well! I just think that's awful!) The most exciting thing for me in Nuñoa was quite a coincidence, to say the least. Marguerita, the woman I had Bible study with in Cusicancha and later found out accepted Christ, was at the market on Sunday! It was awesome! I ran over to her and we hugged for a while. It was so nice to see her and find out how she has been doing! Our main ministry in Nuñoa was the church there. They were having a "church retreat," so we performed for that, as well as in church and children's church on Sunday morning.
We're in Puno tonight, and after touring Lake Titicaca tomorrow, we will be on a 20 hour bus ride back to Lima for debriefing. I´m missing home and family and friends terribly right now, so please keep praying for me! And don't forget to leave comments! ¡Chao amigos!
After Nazca, we got rerouted because of the road strikes here... our detour was Bolivia! It was pretty cool to get to say we went to another country for the day! However, the night before, I was rushed to the emergency room... Not only did I have parasite number 2, but I also had traveler's disease, and an allergic reaction. I got lots of drugs for the first 2, and a booty shot for the allergic reaction. That was an interesting night, to say the least.
We went to Lampa after that. Brad, a journeyman, is the "village team" there, so it was my team, the Barnabus team (encouragement), and him. We jumped on with his ministries in his town, including going to a families house 45 minutes away to do Bible study, and playing daily tennis with new believers in Lampa. :-) We also did a performance in the plaza, to which over 100 people came. It was pretty awesome! I brought two girls from the hostal (Aydé- 9, and Anni- 18) and really befriended them over those couple of days. The hostal owners were definitely our favorites from the summer, and I hope to keep in touch with them through email. Also, we went on a tour of the Catholic church there, which has a moselium with lots of dead bodies (bones) in it, and went to Juliaca (the neighboring city) for Brad and Amy's birthdays. It was a laid-back and fun village.
Our last village for the summer was Nuñoa. It was COLD. And they only had electricity maybe 3 hours a day. :-/ We played with kids a lot, and did a performance this morning in the only school that was open. (Along with the transportation strikes plaguing the country, the teachers have been on strike since the beginning of July, which has meant no school as well! I just think that's awful!) The most exciting thing for me in Nuñoa was quite a coincidence, to say the least. Marguerita, the woman I had Bible study with in Cusicancha and later found out accepted Christ, was at the market on Sunday! It was awesome! I ran over to her and we hugged for a while. It was so nice to see her and find out how she has been doing! Our main ministry in Nuñoa was the church there. They were having a "church retreat," so we performed for that, as well as in church and children's church on Sunday morning.
We're in Puno tonight, and after touring Lake Titicaca tomorrow, we will be on a 20 hour bus ride back to Lima for debriefing. I´m missing home and family and friends terribly right now, so please keep praying for me! And don't forget to leave comments! ¡Chao amigos!
Friday, July 13, 2007
BEST PLACE EVER!
Well, as you know, my team has been stuck in Nazca the last 3 days. God had great- amazing- plans for us though. Because of the things that have happened here, we have claimed Nazca as our village since we don't have one of our own. :-)
Yesterday, John and Salomon met up with one of the bus drivers we met on our way into Nazca 2 weeks ago from Bella Union. They had given him a Bible then and he had been reading it. He had lots of questions for the boys when they found him, and after talking with him in his car for a few hours, he accepted Christ into his life! How awesome is that?!? We weren't even supposed to be here (according to us), but look what God had planned!
We decided that, because that happened, everything that we had gone through (and are still going through) with the strikes was completely worth it. And today, it became even more worth it.
Last night, we visited our favorite coffee/cake/ice-cream shop, called Coffee Break and talked with our friends who work there. It is a family, and the kids all work there. Julio is 24, Demaris is 22, Josie is 14, and Yanpol is barely 14. We asked them if we could come in today and help them bake (because after looking at these cakes for two weeks I have been wanting to bake so badly). They said yes, so we came at 8 am this morning and hung out with them ALL day. It's 4:45pm now, and we have been in their shop since 8 am, minus our lunch break. :-) Not only did we make like 7 cakes (completely from scratch) with them- and let me say, they looked and tasted amazing-, but we also got to share the gospel with the whole family. Julio, who is a Christian, had to go to his other job at 2:00 pm, so we didn't get to spend as much time with him, but we poured into Demaris (she was so inquisitive and interested), and she decided to accept Christ into her heart and life as well! OMG could God get any better?!? I was just unexplainably happy for her!
Pray for these 2 new Christians- for your brother, Carlos, and for your sister, Damaris, and for their continuation in their relationship with Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. God put us in the midst of a nationwide crisis so that we would share with the people of "our village"- for such a time as this!
GOD IS SO GOOD!
Yesterday, John and Salomon met up with one of the bus drivers we met on our way into Nazca 2 weeks ago from Bella Union. They had given him a Bible then and he had been reading it. He had lots of questions for the boys when they found him, and after talking with him in his car for a few hours, he accepted Christ into his life! How awesome is that?!? We weren't even supposed to be here (according to us), but look what God had planned!
We decided that, because that happened, everything that we had gone through (and are still going through) with the strikes was completely worth it. And today, it became even more worth it.
Last night, we visited our favorite coffee/cake/ice-cream shop, called Coffee Break and talked with our friends who work there. It is a family, and the kids all work there. Julio is 24, Demaris is 22, Josie is 14, and Yanpol is barely 14. We asked them if we could come in today and help them bake (because after looking at these cakes for two weeks I have been wanting to bake so badly). They said yes, so we came at 8 am this morning and hung out with them ALL day. It's 4:45pm now, and we have been in their shop since 8 am, minus our lunch break. :-) Not only did we make like 7 cakes (completely from scratch) with them- and let me say, they looked and tasted amazing-, but we also got to share the gospel with the whole family. Julio, who is a Christian, had to go to his other job at 2:00 pm, so we didn't get to spend as much time with him, but we poured into Demaris (she was so inquisitive and interested), and she decided to accept Christ into her heart and life as well! OMG could God get any better?!? I was just unexplainably happy for her!
Pray for these 2 new Christians- for your brother, Carlos, and for your sister, Damaris, and for their continuation in their relationship with Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. God put us in the midst of a nationwide crisis so that we would share with the people of "our village"- for such a time as this!
GOD IS SO GOOD!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Prayer Request
So, I didn´t think I would be posting again so soon, but we have a bit of a prayer request. And by bit, I mean much...
Pretty much the entire nation of Peru is on strike right now- teachers, transportation, farmers, etc. The teachers are becoming the most violent (ironic), and it is becoming somewhat dangerous to travel. That would be our problem IF we were able to travel... but, we aren´t... We we stuck in Pausa for 2 days, Puquio for 1 day, and now Nazca for an undetermined amount of time. We might be able to get a bus to Arequipa tonight, but we´ll be stuck once we get there if we go. We have alrady had to completely cut out one of the villages we were supposed to travel to because of the delays, so its getting a bit frustrating that we can´t get to where we need to be. (Upside- we´re still not in the FREEZING part of Peru!) Please pray that the strikes (paros and vueltas) diminish enough to allow us to get to where we need to be. Also, pray for the safety of the people of Peru... there is a lot of governmental corruption that is surfacing right now, and I am not exaggerating when I say that it is pulling Peru to a grinding halt.
Story to show you God´s protection over us. (I think its cool- Mommy and Daddy might not, but don´t worry!) We were stuck in Pausa three days ago, setting us 1-2 days behind. We finally got out of there and to Inquio, where we planned to get on a bus last night, only to find out that there were no busses leaving there either. (We took a taxi from there to Nazca today.) Last night on the news, we saw that there was a bus that overturned earlier that evening. The strikers put rocks in the road, and, not only was the bus completely totaled, but 14 people were killed. (Pray for their families, please.) The cool part of that story, tragic as it is, is that might have been the bus we should have been on... we don´t know for sure, but according to our schedule, it could have been. God is watching out for his children with such great care!
Please pray for continued protection and that the strike would dissapate. I love you all so much and appreciate you greatly!
Pretty much the entire nation of Peru is on strike right now- teachers, transportation, farmers, etc. The teachers are becoming the most violent (ironic), and it is becoming somewhat dangerous to travel. That would be our problem IF we were able to travel... but, we aren´t... We we stuck in Pausa for 2 days, Puquio for 1 day, and now Nazca for an undetermined amount of time. We might be able to get a bus to Arequipa tonight, but we´ll be stuck once we get there if we go. We have alrady had to completely cut out one of the villages we were supposed to travel to because of the delays, so its getting a bit frustrating that we can´t get to where we need to be. (Upside- we´re still not in the FREEZING part of Peru!) Please pray that the strikes (paros and vueltas) diminish enough to allow us to get to where we need to be. Also, pray for the safety of the people of Peru... there is a lot of governmental corruption that is surfacing right now, and I am not exaggerating when I say that it is pulling Peru to a grinding halt.
Story to show you God´s protection over us. (I think its cool- Mommy and Daddy might not, but don´t worry!) We were stuck in Pausa three days ago, setting us 1-2 days behind. We finally got out of there and to Inquio, where we planned to get on a bus last night, only to find out that there were no busses leaving there either. (We took a taxi from there to Nazca today.) Last night on the news, we saw that there was a bus that overturned earlier that evening. The strikers put rocks in the road, and, not only was the bus completely totaled, but 14 people were killed. (Pray for their families, please.) The cool part of that story, tragic as it is, is that might have been the bus we should have been on... we don´t know for sure, but according to our schedule, it could have been. God is watching out for his children with such great care!
Please pray for continued protection and that the strike would dissapate. I love you all so much and appreciate you greatly!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Marcabamba
Well, I'm not feeling super well right now, so this will be short (you lucky kids!)
Marcabamba was laid back, yet very exciting! The first day we were there the highlight was taking a walk... without looking at my journal, that's all I can remember. :-/
The second day we performed at two of the three schools in the village, but couldn't perform at the third (and had some opposition to the second one) because the ENTIRE nation of Peru is on an education strike- that's right- for an undetermined amount of time EVERY school and EVERY teacher in Peru is on strike. Isn't that crazy?!? But the Lord took care of our needs and got us into the schools we needed to get to. He's pretty cool like that- que mostro! That afternoon Lindsay and I had a Bible study with 9 elementary school girls (of about 8-12 years of age.) They had asked us if we could read the Bible with them, so Lindsay let me lead completely. AHH! My dream! She was there to help me with words I couldn't remember, but I totally led a Bible study in Spanish and people understood it! It was so awesome! Correction- God is so awesome!
The third day we woke up at 6:30 to climb these steps- 1,037 to be exact- up to the top of a mountain. It was so flipping cool! Then, once we got up there, we walked flat ground (PTL) to a beautiful waterfall. The boys climbed up into the waterfall, and then up the mountain some more, but I stayed down and had like a 45 minute convo with God, which was so peaceful (at the foot of a waterfall and the top of an Andean mountain range) and exactly what I needed at the time. :-) Even more exciting, though, was that afternoon at Bible study. We talked about Abraham and God's promises for our life (because we had taught them the song Father Abraham), and it got into Jesus and salvation. The girls (6 this day) knew every answer to every question we asked them, but when we asked them if they had a relationship with Christ, they said no. We thoroughly explained to them the decision and the importance of it being personal, and then asked them if they wanted to do it, and they all raised their hands. One of them did it out of peer pressure, but the other 5 I really believe were genuine. I WAS SO EXCITED! Glory to God! Then, that night, we did a presentation for the whole village in the comedor (community building). It was just children at first, but so many people came in- there ended up being like 70-something people there, which is HUGE for a village in Peru! We clearly presented the gospel, and feel like God was working there.
The next day, the team we were with (Jacob and Derek) had planned to go to a hot springs "paradise" with a man, named James, who is SO inquisitive, but mildly refusing Christ's salvation. Pray for him! It was a fun time to just relax and hang out. We went in the hot pools (Lindsay and I with our man-hairy legs that we're not shaving this summer) and it was so fun! Also, LISTEN UP!!! I ate cuy... what's that, you ask?? Um, guinea pig, a delicacy in Peru. Yummy... it wasn't anything special, but now I definitely have bragging rights. :-D That night we had a Bible study with the girls again, and Roy, Alexandra's brother. One of the girls who became a Christian didn't have a Bible, so we had given her one the night before. She came to Bible study and said that she looked for Juan like I told her, but that her Bible didn't have that book. I told her it did, showed her where it was, and she was SO excited! It was so cute! So, we decided to teach them how to read the Bible. It was so great. It was hard to say goodbye to those girls, but I know they are in God's hand, and hopefully they'll get plugged into the small evangelical church there. :-)
We're stuck in between cities right now, trying to travel to VERY FREEZING Pomacanchi. (Pray for me in the cold, which I despise!) But, we're "stuck" at Cindy's house. She's a missionary here, and she makes really good pancakes! :-)
I am so excited for Marcabamba and what is going on there! Pray for those new sister's in Christ, as well as for James and his questions of salvation. The guys are going back to visit him (he lives in another village) again next week, so hopefully he is more confident in Christ after that!
Thank you guys and girls for your continued ministry in Peru by praying for and encouraging me and my team!
Marcabamba was laid back, yet very exciting! The first day we were there the highlight was taking a walk... without looking at my journal, that's all I can remember. :-/
The second day we performed at two of the three schools in the village, but couldn't perform at the third (and had some opposition to the second one) because the ENTIRE nation of Peru is on an education strike- that's right- for an undetermined amount of time EVERY school and EVERY teacher in Peru is on strike. Isn't that crazy?!? But the Lord took care of our needs and got us into the schools we needed to get to. He's pretty cool like that- que mostro! That afternoon Lindsay and I had a Bible study with 9 elementary school girls (of about 8-12 years of age.) They had asked us if we could read the Bible with them, so Lindsay let me lead completely. AHH! My dream! She was there to help me with words I couldn't remember, but I totally led a Bible study in Spanish and people understood it! It was so awesome! Correction- God is so awesome!
The third day we woke up at 6:30 to climb these steps- 1,037 to be exact- up to the top of a mountain. It was so flipping cool! Then, once we got up there, we walked flat ground (PTL) to a beautiful waterfall. The boys climbed up into the waterfall, and then up the mountain some more, but I stayed down and had like a 45 minute convo with God, which was so peaceful (at the foot of a waterfall and the top of an Andean mountain range) and exactly what I needed at the time. :-) Even more exciting, though, was that afternoon at Bible study. We talked about Abraham and God's promises for our life (because we had taught them the song Father Abraham), and it got into Jesus and salvation. The girls (6 this day) knew every answer to every question we asked them, but when we asked them if they had a relationship with Christ, they said no. We thoroughly explained to them the decision and the importance of it being personal, and then asked them if they wanted to do it, and they all raised their hands. One of them did it out of peer pressure, but the other 5 I really believe were genuine. I WAS SO EXCITED! Glory to God! Then, that night, we did a presentation for the whole village in the comedor (community building). It was just children at first, but so many people came in- there ended up being like 70-something people there, which is HUGE for a village in Peru! We clearly presented the gospel, and feel like God was working there.
The next day, the team we were with (Jacob and Derek) had planned to go to a hot springs "paradise" with a man, named James, who is SO inquisitive, but mildly refusing Christ's salvation. Pray for him! It was a fun time to just relax and hang out. We went in the hot pools (Lindsay and I with our man-hairy legs that we're not shaving this summer) and it was so fun! Also, LISTEN UP!!! I ate cuy... what's that, you ask?? Um, guinea pig, a delicacy in Peru. Yummy... it wasn't anything special, but now I definitely have bragging rights. :-D That night we had a Bible study with the girls again, and Roy, Alexandra's brother. One of the girls who became a Christian didn't have a Bible, so we had given her one the night before. She came to Bible study and said that she looked for Juan like I told her, but that her Bible didn't have that book. I told her it did, showed her where it was, and she was SO excited! It was so cute! So, we decided to teach them how to read the Bible. It was so great. It was hard to say goodbye to those girls, but I know they are in God's hand, and hopefully they'll get plugged into the small evangelical church there. :-)
We're stuck in between cities right now, trying to travel to VERY FREEZING Pomacanchi. (Pray for me in the cold, which I despise!) But, we're "stuck" at Cindy's house. She's a missionary here, and she makes really good pancakes! :-)
I am so excited for Marcabamba and what is going on there! Pray for those new sister's in Christ, as well as for James and his questions of salvation. The guys are going back to visit him (he lives in another village) again next week, so hopefully he is more confident in Christ after that!
Thank you guys and girls for your continued ministry in Peru by praying for and encouraging me and my team!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Randoms!
Okay, so I have realized that there are some random things that I have forgotten to tell you about, but that are still exciting and important!
1) I was in Cusicancha, my 3rd village, and all of us gringos were in our room hanging out one night. There was one Peruvian girl (6-7 yrs.) in there with us. We were all sitting down and she was standing up, so I decided to ask her if she wanted to sit on my lap. I looked at her and said, "¿quieres sentir?" to which she replied, "¿que?" I repeated myself and she repeated herself as well. I said, "aqui" and rubbed my leg, as if to tell her that she could sit on my leg if she wanted. She looked very weirded out, and I had NO IDEA why. Later, I found out that I didnt say "do you want to sit down," but "do you want to feel." (Quieres sentar, not sentir.) Its amazing the difference between one letter will make!
2) Marguerita, the girl that I talked about in my previous entry IS A CHRISTIAN now! How exciting! Leslie told me in Nazca, and I told her that we dont get to see people accept Christ because we arent there long enough, but that knowing that Marguerita made that decision made everything Im doing this summer completely worth it!
3) I went to a 74 year old's birthday party... and there were lots of really old people dancing with us... it was super fun!
4) In my current village, Incuyo, there is nothing but what we call a squatty. Those of you that have travelled to less affluent countries understand what this is. For those that dont, its a hole in the ground that you go to the bathroom in. And, from my experience, they are scariest at 1:30 in the morning in the PITCH black (when you cant see anything, including the hole). Yes friends, this is the summer I became hardcore. :-)
5) I almost died on the side of a mountain. In the last village I was at, Bella Union, one day the 4 girls decided to hike a mountain. The boys had done it before, so we thought we would be fine. Lindsay sat down pretty soon after we started climbing, but DeAnna, Jennifer, and I hiked pretty high up. We were trying to follow a path (or mudslide, we arent quite sure) but we ended up LITERALLY on the side of a mountain with about 7 inches of path before it doropped off. We looked down to see rocks falling from under our feet and breaking at the bottom, and we were thoroughly freaked out. We didnt know how to get back down because our feet were sliding, so Jennifer started praying, and we very slowly made it back down. We were so thankful for our lives. That was what some of you Southcliff kids like to call a "come to Jesus moment." Needless to say, it was a thrill!
Thanks for you comments and prayers! Keep em coming!
1) I was in Cusicancha, my 3rd village, and all of us gringos were in our room hanging out one night. There was one Peruvian girl (6-7 yrs.) in there with us. We were all sitting down and she was standing up, so I decided to ask her if she wanted to sit on my lap. I looked at her and said, "¿quieres sentir?" to which she replied, "¿que?" I repeated myself and she repeated herself as well. I said, "aqui" and rubbed my leg, as if to tell her that she could sit on my leg if she wanted. She looked very weirded out, and I had NO IDEA why. Later, I found out that I didnt say "do you want to sit down," but "do you want to feel." (Quieres sentar, not sentir.) Its amazing the difference between one letter will make!
2) Marguerita, the girl that I talked about in my previous entry IS A CHRISTIAN now! How exciting! Leslie told me in Nazca, and I told her that we dont get to see people accept Christ because we arent there long enough, but that knowing that Marguerita made that decision made everything Im doing this summer completely worth it!
3) I went to a 74 year old's birthday party... and there were lots of really old people dancing with us... it was super fun!
4) In my current village, Incuyo, there is nothing but what we call a squatty. Those of you that have travelled to less affluent countries understand what this is. For those that dont, its a hole in the ground that you go to the bathroom in. And, from my experience, they are scariest at 1:30 in the morning in the PITCH black (when you cant see anything, including the hole). Yes friends, this is the summer I became hardcore. :-)
5) I almost died on the side of a mountain. In the last village I was at, Bella Union, one day the 4 girls decided to hike a mountain. The boys had done it before, so we thought we would be fine. Lindsay sat down pretty soon after we started climbing, but DeAnna, Jennifer, and I hiked pretty high up. We were trying to follow a path (or mudslide, we arent quite sure) but we ended up LITERALLY on the side of a mountain with about 7 inches of path before it doropped off. We looked down to see rocks falling from under our feet and breaking at the bottom, and we were thoroughly freaked out. We didnt know how to get back down because our feet were sliding, so Jennifer started praying, and we very slowly made it back down. We were so thankful for our lives. That was what some of you Southcliff kids like to call a "come to Jesus moment." Needless to say, it was a thrill!
Thanks for you comments and prayers! Keep em coming!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Midsummer Debriefing aka Family Reunion
This is an entry straight from my personal journal last night...
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What a fabulous 24 hours it has been! I mean, what a day! Let's see, I woke up and had bfast before I attempted to lead worship (I lost my voice from practicing so much!). After a few songs, groups started sharing their group testimonies. It was such an encouraging time to hear the work that is being done in villages that we've already passed through, as well as those we will venture to soon. Many times I am sad that I do not get to form strong relationships with Peruanos this summer and that I do not get to see completed work, but God has continued to bless me with the knowledge that he has planned this summer- and my life for that matter- out so perfectly. The testimonies of teams today were just another proclamation of that truth. Good grief- God has blessed us! Even if it weren't for the stories of salvation and rededication to read, learn, and live the truth, I would consider every team blessed to have so many people to be able to share truth with. I prayed for Marguerita tonight- that she will seek truth in God's word and that she would believe it with all of her heart. I hope to pray for her and others this year, and hear stories of them next summer.
It has been so incredibly fun to hang out with everyone today! It really does feel like a fantastic family reunion. I know I'll be bawling at the end of the summer when I find out that I won't get to see them again. I mt with Kathy Weaver today for my personal interview time, and it was very encouraging (as she always is!). Also, tonight we watched a "movie" called "Eek-Taow: The Story of the Mouk People." It was a great missions video that shows exactly what I want to do- exactly- chronological Bible storying to people who have never heard (Romans 15:20-21). In it, they talked about how God shook the earth in the Bible, and how right after the missionary shared that story there was an earthquake. And the people were not scared, but rejoiceful that God was continuing to show his power. And then, we- no joke- had an earthquake. One of those little ones, but still... God is awesome! I was crying from the video, so I couldn't tell if it was just me or not, but it kept going and I was overwhelmed with amazement at the God of the universe. (Apparently there were 3 other quakes during the night last night, but I didn't feel them!) The only bad thing about today was the food, but that's something I've already shared was a big problem, so please continue to pray about that.
Well, I'm extremely tired and have another long day ahead of me, so ¡bueno noche y dulce sueños!
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I still have today and tomorrow morning in Nazca before we all head out again, so please be praying for our time, and for my health! Love you guys!
-Kathy
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What a fabulous 24 hours it has been! I mean, what a day! Let's see, I woke up and had bfast before I attempted to lead worship (I lost my voice from practicing so much!). After a few songs, groups started sharing their group testimonies. It was such an encouraging time to hear the work that is being done in villages that we've already passed through, as well as those we will venture to soon. Many times I am sad that I do not get to form strong relationships with Peruanos this summer and that I do not get to see completed work, but God has continued to bless me with the knowledge that he has planned this summer- and my life for that matter- out so perfectly. The testimonies of teams today were just another proclamation of that truth. Good grief- God has blessed us! Even if it weren't for the stories of salvation and rededication to read, learn, and live the truth, I would consider every team blessed to have so many people to be able to share truth with. I prayed for Marguerita tonight- that she will seek truth in God's word and that she would believe it with all of her heart. I hope to pray for her and others this year, and hear stories of them next summer.
It has been so incredibly fun to hang out with everyone today! It really does feel like a fantastic family reunion. I know I'll be bawling at the end of the summer when I find out that I won't get to see them again. I mt with Kathy Weaver today for my personal interview time, and it was very encouraging (as she always is!). Also, tonight we watched a "movie" called "Eek-Taow: The Story of the Mouk People." It was a great missions video that shows exactly what I want to do- exactly- chronological Bible storying to people who have never heard (Romans 15:20-21). In it, they talked about how God shook the earth in the Bible, and how right after the missionary shared that story there was an earthquake. And the people were not scared, but rejoiceful that God was continuing to show his power. And then, we- no joke- had an earthquake. One of those little ones, but still... God is awesome! I was crying from the video, so I couldn't tell if it was just me or not, but it kept going and I was overwhelmed with amazement at the God of the universe. (Apparently there were 3 other quakes during the night last night, but I didn't feel them!) The only bad thing about today was the food, but that's something I've already shared was a big problem, so please continue to pray about that.
Well, I'm extremely tired and have another long day ahead of me, so ¡bueno noche y dulce sueños!
---------
I still have today and tomorrow morning in Nazca before we all head out again, so please be praying for our time, and for my health! Love you guys!
-Kathy
Bella Union
Short entry due to awful keyboard...
Bella Union was not my favorite village... we didnt get to hang out with children as much, nor was the town centralized (rather, very spread out), so I didnt feel like we connected as well with the people there. The on-site team there was great, but the factors of my sickness and not feeling used by God there made it a hard few days. However, we did have a few really great experiences. My favorite was a Bible study that the four of us girls went to do at a lady's (Julia) house/ peloqueria (hair salon). We were starting the study when two clients came in, so she had to stop and cut their hair. One of the guys saw our Bibles and asked us if we were reading it. We said yes, and he asked if they could stay. We said of course, and the "15- 20 minute study" turned into over an hour of questions concerning catholicism, saint worship, etc. It was awesome. He got answers straight from the Word of God, and we are hoping that Julia and her husband continue to minister to those 2 young men (a little younger than me). :-)
We headed off to midsummer debriefing after that, which convenientely is the next blog entry!
Bella Union was not my favorite village... we didnt get to hang out with children as much, nor was the town centralized (rather, very spread out), so I didnt feel like we connected as well with the people there. The on-site team there was great, but the factors of my sickness and not feeling used by God there made it a hard few days. However, we did have a few really great experiences. My favorite was a Bible study that the four of us girls went to do at a lady's (Julia) house/ peloqueria (hair salon). We were starting the study when two clients came in, so she had to stop and cut their hair. One of the guys saw our Bibles and asked us if we were reading it. We said yes, and he asked if they could stay. We said of course, and the "15- 20 minute study" turned into over an hour of questions concerning catholicism, saint worship, etc. It was awesome. He got answers straight from the Word of God, and we are hoping that Julia and her husband continue to minister to those 2 young men (a little younger than me). :-)
We headed off to midsummer debriefing after that, which convenientely is the next blog entry!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Santiago de Chorcorvos
Well, this was a different week... kinda.
We rode in the front of a truck carrying potatoes, livestock, and who knows what else on the way to Santiago. I sat next to the colegio (High school) math teacher and in front of a Peruvian missionary. RANDOM! Well, I had great conversations with both of them over the 7-8 hour bus ride. At one point the missionary, Pedro, and I were sharing our testimonies with each other, when Karin, the teacher, turned around and told us that our convo was very interesting. (Everything is everyones business here!) It was great though, because that gave Pedro the opportunity to share Christ with Karin. I saw her twice in the village after that, and introduced her to two girls who are on that village team.
We performed at the jardin (kindergarten), primero (elementary), and colegio (high school), and were well recieved by all three.
We didnt have a village team for the first two days. We found out when they showed up that they were in another village and werent expecting us until later. We dont know how that miscommuncation happened, but it was nice because my team took our day of rest... we watched movies and lounged around the hostel. :-) There are six people on their team, and four of them went back out to another village hours after they got to Santiago, but thats okay... we got by pretty well on our own! (I mean, who can resist puppets, songs, and dramas?!?)
I met several of the kids in the village, and my heart melted as always. One girl, named Luz, took to me quite quickly. She lived in the hostel because her mom owned it, and she and I had lots of fun together. It was fun to see her at the school and get to present to her and my other friends (one of them was a great boy named Emerson. He was awesome!)
We also got to know one shop owner pretty well. Her name was Gisella and she was 27 years old. We played voleibol with her, ate at her "restaurant" twice, and just hung out with her for at least some part of the day every day. We even got to have a conversation with her about Christ, and we are waiting to hear followup updates from the village team about what comes out of that! Exciting stuff!
To end our time there, we rode back on the same kind of truck, except this time we sat on the outside instead of in the "cabin" part... literally on boards that were ON TOP of 5 cows, 5 goats, and 2 giant sheep. And we were sitting with watermelons, potatoes, firecracker stands, and a box of cuy (guinea pig). Interesting to say the least... and COLD through the dessert... it made for a great memory though!
Prayer requests:
-That my team has a fruitful time in Bella Union before we have midsummer debriefing in Nazca.
-For my health. I have been waking up every night for the past week and a half with really bad, knife-like cramps (but way worse than regular cramps) all throughout the front part of my core. Also, my muscles all throughout my body have been really tight and achy, and my energy level has been WAY down. Ive tried several different things to figure out what is wrong, but I cant seem to figure it out.
-For my sister, Kelli. I have not heard from her lately, but she was not doing well last time I heard, and I woke up last night feeling that something was really wrong with her. Please keep her and her mental and physical health in your prayers.
Leave comments! Love you and aprreciate the work youre doing in Peru by praying!
We rode in the front of a truck carrying potatoes, livestock, and who knows what else on the way to Santiago. I sat next to the colegio (High school) math teacher and in front of a Peruvian missionary. RANDOM! Well, I had great conversations with both of them over the 7-8 hour bus ride. At one point the missionary, Pedro, and I were sharing our testimonies with each other, when Karin, the teacher, turned around and told us that our convo was very interesting. (Everything is everyones business here!) It was great though, because that gave Pedro the opportunity to share Christ with Karin. I saw her twice in the village after that, and introduced her to two girls who are on that village team.
We performed at the jardin (kindergarten), primero (elementary), and colegio (high school), and were well recieved by all three.
We didnt have a village team for the first two days. We found out when they showed up that they were in another village and werent expecting us until later. We dont know how that miscommuncation happened, but it was nice because my team took our day of rest... we watched movies and lounged around the hostel. :-) There are six people on their team, and four of them went back out to another village hours after they got to Santiago, but thats okay... we got by pretty well on our own! (I mean, who can resist puppets, songs, and dramas?!?)
I met several of the kids in the village, and my heart melted as always. One girl, named Luz, took to me quite quickly. She lived in the hostel because her mom owned it, and she and I had lots of fun together. It was fun to see her at the school and get to present to her and my other friends (one of them was a great boy named Emerson. He was awesome!)
We also got to know one shop owner pretty well. Her name was Gisella and she was 27 years old. We played voleibol with her, ate at her "restaurant" twice, and just hung out with her for at least some part of the day every day. We even got to have a conversation with her about Christ, and we are waiting to hear followup updates from the village team about what comes out of that! Exciting stuff!
To end our time there, we rode back on the same kind of truck, except this time we sat on the outside instead of in the "cabin" part... literally on boards that were ON TOP of 5 cows, 5 goats, and 2 giant sheep. And we were sitting with watermelons, potatoes, firecracker stands, and a box of cuy (guinea pig). Interesting to say the least... and COLD through the dessert... it made for a great memory though!
Prayer requests:
-That my team has a fruitful time in Bella Union before we have midsummer debriefing in Nazca.
-For my health. I have been waking up every night for the past week and a half with really bad, knife-like cramps (but way worse than regular cramps) all throughout the front part of my core. Also, my muscles all throughout my body have been really tight and achy, and my energy level has been WAY down. Ive tried several different things to figure out what is wrong, but I cant seem to figure it out.
-For my sister, Kelli. I have not heard from her lately, but she was not doing well last time I heard, and I woke up last night feeling that something was really wrong with her. Please keep her and her mental and physical health in your prayers.
Leave comments! Love you and aprreciate the work youre doing in Peru by praying!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Hola de Ica!
I´m in the city of Ica tonight, passing between Cusicancha and Santiago de Chorcovo.
Cusicanchi was definitely my favorite village so far. The people received our Creative Ministries so well, and the village team was so hospitable towards me and my team!
Four cool things:
1) We asked to perform at the colegio (high school) and it just so happens that they were having a Father´s Day celebration the same day. We got to perform not only for the kids, but also for several of their parents who came!
2) That same night, we performed again in the plaza. It was SO cold (I was wearing 4 shirts, 2 pants, 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of gloves, and scarf and a hat) but so many people came out to watch it. This is the first village we did the box skit at (the skit I got from my church youth minister, Stu) and it went really well both times. I think it is a fun way to clearly show the gospel´s effects on different people´s lives. Our other dramas are going really well too, and everyone loves our puppets and singing (English or Spanish).
3) We had a very impromptu Bible Study with a woman (22) named Marguerita. She was walking home from work, we asked her if she would like to study the Bible with us sometime, and she said sure... now! It was good. She seemed very interested and the village team set up a second date with her.
4) The last night, Audra, Leslie, and I were out in the plaza and were hanging out with a bunch of the teenage boys. We taught them a bunch of "American" dances like the running man, C-walk, Thriller, etc. Then, we did ballet stuff with them, and they all tried to do the splits. :-) We also made lots of animal noises- I´m a really good goat for those of you who haven´t heard my goat yet- and sand lots of songs. We taught them some random words too, that they put into this sentence: "Tomorrow, beuatiful, I love you." It was so funny!
God is really doing mighty things in Peru! I´m excited to travel to other villages (despite not liking spending a large portion of my time in buses) and see what transpires!
Keep commenting please! Love you all!
Cusicanchi was definitely my favorite village so far. The people received our Creative Ministries so well, and the village team was so hospitable towards me and my team!
Four cool things:
1) We asked to perform at the colegio (high school) and it just so happens that they were having a Father´s Day celebration the same day. We got to perform not only for the kids, but also for several of their parents who came!
2) That same night, we performed again in the plaza. It was SO cold (I was wearing 4 shirts, 2 pants, 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of gloves, and scarf and a hat) but so many people came out to watch it. This is the first village we did the box skit at (the skit I got from my church youth minister, Stu) and it went really well both times. I think it is a fun way to clearly show the gospel´s effects on different people´s lives. Our other dramas are going really well too, and everyone loves our puppets and singing (English or Spanish).
3) We had a very impromptu Bible Study with a woman (22) named Marguerita. She was walking home from work, we asked her if she would like to study the Bible with us sometime, and she said sure... now! It was good. She seemed very interested and the village team set up a second date with her.
4) The last night, Audra, Leslie, and I were out in the plaza and were hanging out with a bunch of the teenage boys. We taught them a bunch of "American" dances like the running man, C-walk, Thriller, etc. Then, we did ballet stuff with them, and they all tried to do the splits. :-) We also made lots of animal noises- I´m a really good goat for those of you who haven´t heard my goat yet- and sand lots of songs. We taught them some random words too, that they put into this sentence: "Tomorrow, beuatiful, I love you." It was so funny!
God is really doing mighty things in Peru! I´m excited to travel to other villages (despite not liking spending a large portion of my time in buses) and see what transpires!
Keep commenting please! Love you all!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Short and Sweet
Hola a todos! I have about 5 minutes, so this won´t be long...
We are leaving from Ayacucho in about an hour to head to Cusicanchi. We left Huancapi yesterday. We spent most of our time with the local evangelical pastor and his family. He expects a lot of material things from missionaries, and, while we couldn´t provide those things for him, he was very thankful that we had come- he said we were a great encouragement to him and his family. We also performed at three schools- the primary girls school, the primary boys school, and the kindergarten, called "jardin". THEY WERE SO CUTE! Good thing I super like kids!
Things about Huancapi:
1) No running water, except for one faucet... that made going to the bathroom interesting, and showering nonexistent.
2) I ate trout twice- watched it caught, killed, gutted, and I cooked it, skinned it, and ate it (the eyeballs were still there). And, it was good!
3) The pastor´s trout farm was right by the river- cold, but very pretty.
4) The MOST AMAZING STARS I´ve ever seen in my entire life. Like, wow... you could see the Milky Way and a kajillion stars.
5) Not as cold as Huarochiri, which was very pleasant!
6) Way more receptive to Christians and Christian messages!
Team prayer requests:
-My sister, Kelli- ongoing problems with anorexia
-Brian- he just found out today that his best friend, Matt, died in a skateboarding accident.
You ALL mean so much to me! Thank you for your prayers and comments!
We are leaving from Ayacucho in about an hour to head to Cusicanchi. We left Huancapi yesterday. We spent most of our time with the local evangelical pastor and his family. He expects a lot of material things from missionaries, and, while we couldn´t provide those things for him, he was very thankful that we had come- he said we were a great encouragement to him and his family. We also performed at three schools- the primary girls school, the primary boys school, and the kindergarten, called "jardin". THEY WERE SO CUTE! Good thing I super like kids!
Things about Huancapi:
1) No running water, except for one faucet... that made going to the bathroom interesting, and showering nonexistent.
2) I ate trout twice- watched it caught, killed, gutted, and I cooked it, skinned it, and ate it (the eyeballs were still there). And, it was good!
3) The pastor´s trout farm was right by the river- cold, but very pretty.
4) The MOST AMAZING STARS I´ve ever seen in my entire life. Like, wow... you could see the Milky Way and a kajillion stars.
5) Not as cold as Huarochiri, which was very pleasant!
6) Way more receptive to Christians and Christian messages!
Team prayer requests:
-My sister, Kelli- ongoing problems with anorexia
-Brian- he just found out today that his best friend, Matt, died in a skateboarding accident.
You ALL mean so much to me! Thank you for your prayers and comments!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Huarochiri
My team just got back from our first village, Huarochiri. It was great! It was a 7 hour bus ride away, and it was FREEZING because its in the mountains. But, we really feel like God is using our ministry to the glory of His name. We are the CMT, but we are just as much a team of encouragement as we are a team of dramatics. The village team that was there, Blake and Anibal, was discouraged because the town is very turned off to evangelicals because of past experiences. No one was coming to their Bible study, and many people didn't even want them there at all because they are Baptist. However, the people started opening up to us and I really feel like they trust Christians more now. We met 2 different men who were so excited about finally having a real light in their village. One man said that he had been hoping for something like this for a long time, and that he wishes other people in his village realized that you can never learn too much about God. Our conversation with him was really encouraging.
We played with the kids a lot, which was great for me, because I pretty much love kids. :-) My favorites were Yanela (pronounced Yuhnelah), Leonela (Layohnelah), Abigail (Ahbeehaiel), and Janet (Yahneht). We also did three performances of our puppets/dramas/songs- two for the high school and one for the elementary school. They went much better than I expected, especially the high school ones. The priest of the village highly approved of our being there, which was surprising and encouraging because its the first step to breaking down the Catholic vs. Christian divide. I'm so excited to see what opportunities God has already set in place for the boys (Blake and Anibal)!
The altitude is really going to get me this summer. That and long bus rides. My head hurt the entire time I was in the village, so be praying for health!
I have eaten more ice cream and papas fritas (fries DRENCHED in grease) that I am pretty much grossed out. I could definitely eat ice cream every day (because we do- sometimes more than once a day) but I really don't need to. Impulse eating is becoming a very bad habit.
Here are my randoms from Huarochiri:
1. There was no light in the one bathroom that all 7 of us shared. And you can hear everything that happens in there from every room in the hostel. Needless to say, we're a closely knit bunch.
2. They started playing music- really bad music- over the town loudspeakers at 5:30 in the morning. Like really loud, REALLY bad music.
3. There are tons of dogs there. We adopted one named Blancita (Whitey). She was black.
4. Priests play futbol and wear sweatpants. Really.
5. There were only 2 "restaurants"- we ate at one for lunch and one for dinner. And had papas fritas every night. blah...
6. Only cold water (when they don't turn the water off), so I didn't take a shower for 5 days. I'm rugged, I know.
P.S. You can't flush toilet paper anywhere in Peru. If you even have toilet paper. You Americans better appreciate your toilet paper. A lot. :-)
Prayer Requests:
1. Spanish improvement.
2. Focus and intentionality for the entire team.
3. Safety and health during all of our traveling.
4. Good personal time with God.
Dios te bendigo!
ALSO: My list of places I'm going, in case you want to track me on a map:
June:
2-5: Huarochiri
8-11: Huancapi (in Fajardo)
13-16: Cusicancha (in Huaytara Alto)
18-21: Santiago de Chocorvos (in Huaytara bajo)
23-26: bella Union
27-29: nazca for mid-summer debriefing
July:
1-4: Chumpi (in Ayacucho)
5-7: Pausa (in Ayacucho)
8-11: Marcabamba (in Ayacucho)
13-15: Pomacanchi (in Cusco/Cuzco)
16-18: nunoa- the second 'n' is an n with a wavy tilde on top, but I can't do that on this computer (in Puno)
20-22: Chupa (in Puno)
23-25: Lampa (in Puno)
26-29: Lima for final debriefing
30-3: traveling for my vacation somewhere... I don't know where yet!
We played with the kids a lot, which was great for me, because I pretty much love kids. :-) My favorites were Yanela (pronounced Yuhnelah), Leonela (Layohnelah), Abigail (Ahbeehaiel), and Janet (Yahneht). We also did three performances of our puppets/dramas/songs- two for the high school and one for the elementary school. They went much better than I expected, especially the high school ones. The priest of the village highly approved of our being there, which was surprising and encouraging because its the first step to breaking down the Catholic vs. Christian divide. I'm so excited to see what opportunities God has already set in place for the boys (Blake and Anibal)!
The altitude is really going to get me this summer. That and long bus rides. My head hurt the entire time I was in the village, so be praying for health!
I have eaten more ice cream and papas fritas (fries DRENCHED in grease) that I am pretty much grossed out. I could definitely eat ice cream every day (because we do- sometimes more than once a day) but I really don't need to. Impulse eating is becoming a very bad habit.
Here are my randoms from Huarochiri:
1. There was no light in the one bathroom that all 7 of us shared. And you can hear everything that happens in there from every room in the hostel. Needless to say, we're a closely knit bunch.
2. They started playing music- really bad music- over the town loudspeakers at 5:30 in the morning. Like really loud, REALLY bad music.
3. There are tons of dogs there. We adopted one named Blancita (Whitey). She was black.
4. Priests play futbol and wear sweatpants. Really.
5. There were only 2 "restaurants"- we ate at one for lunch and one for dinner. And had papas fritas every night. blah...
6. Only cold water (when they don't turn the water off), so I didn't take a shower for 5 days. I'm rugged, I know.
P.S. You can't flush toilet paper anywhere in Peru. If you even have toilet paper. You Americans better appreciate your toilet paper. A lot. :-)
Prayer Requests:
1. Spanish improvement.
2. Focus and intentionality for the entire team.
3. Safety and health during all of our traveling.
4. Good personal time with God.
Dios te bendigo!
ALSO: My list of places I'm going, in case you want to track me on a map:
June:
2-5: Huarochiri
8-11: Huancapi (in Fajardo)
13-16: Cusicancha (in Huaytara Alto)
18-21: Santiago de Chocorvos (in Huaytara bajo)
23-26: bella Union
27-29: nazca for mid-summer debriefing
July:
1-4: Chumpi (in Ayacucho)
5-7: Pausa (in Ayacucho)
8-11: Marcabamba (in Ayacucho)
13-15: Pomacanchi (in Cusco/Cuzco)
16-18: nunoa- the second 'n' is an n with a wavy tilde on top, but I can't do that on this computer (in Puno)
20-22: Chupa (in Puno)
23-25: Lampa (in Puno)
26-29: Lima for final debriefing
30-3: traveling for my vacation somewhere... I don't know where yet!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
PS.
Orphans and homeless are becoming a bigger and bigger passion of mine. We'll see what comes out of that! (Exciting stuff my friends!)
Off to the Mountains!
(Sorry it's so long... it's good stuff, I promise!)
And we're off! My team is leaving today to go to our first village. It is called Huarochirí, and it is a village in the Lima state, but about 7 hours away from where I am staying right now. We will most likely be riding on a cambi, which is like a VW bus that has way too many people on it. I'm hoping I get to sit, since its a 7 hour long (hopefully) journey. Next week we are taking a 23 hour bus ride, so this one is just like a warm up I suppose. :-)
We have been preparing unspoken dramas, puppet plays, kids songs, and adult worship songs all week. I feel SOOO much more prepared than I was before the week began, but still have trouble with some of the words. God is so faithful though, and I can already see his provisions with language barriers coming through. (No, I'm definitely not where I want to be, but getting better and better each day.)
We performed at a very poor school yesterday, as well as a shanti-town orphanage. The school was fun because the littlest ones were right in front of me when we were singing and dancing, and I got to see their faces light up. It was great! Plus, most of the kids knew one of our Christian songs, which made me really happy. Our "line-up" shares the gospel pretty straightforwardly, which I'm really excited about. I wasn't too thrilled when I found out that I would "only" be performing in each village and not getting to spend a whole lot of time relationally with the people. But, if Christ's name is made known, we have done our jobs! The orphanage was amazing. It was SO run down and dirty, and the government doesn't support it at all, so its supported (I think) by this one man and a couple of churches here and there. The kids were so happy we came! There were two girls named Emerelda (about 11) and Estrella (about 5-6) that were so sweet. There were also about 9-10 boys. After we performed, we went and played futbol with them for like 1.5 hours- that was such a thrill for them, because they have to stay inside the orphanage building unless one of the ladies there is with them, so it was sort of like a very short vacation from normality for them. We came back after that and gave them Bibles, coloring books, necklaces, balls (thanks Dillard family!), and candy. (Some of the boys have Bibles from 1.5 years ago when Stephen brought another team in, and they carry them to school every day with them!) They were excited, but even more excited that we had come to visit them. A couple of boys came up to me at the end- I thought they asked me how long I was going to be in Peru, but apparently they asked me when I'm coming to visit them again. I said August, thinking they asked the former question, so we'll see how that turns out. I might just have to stop back by!
Other than that, my team and a Barnabus team (traveling encouragement and mediation) have just been hanging out. Its been really fun getting to know these people so well in such a ridiculously short amount of time.
I'll be back in Lima next weekend, so I'll update you then. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS! Love you all! Vaya con Dios!
And we're off! My team is leaving today to go to our first village. It is called Huarochirí, and it is a village in the Lima state, but about 7 hours away from where I am staying right now. We will most likely be riding on a cambi, which is like a VW bus that has way too many people on it. I'm hoping I get to sit, since its a 7 hour long (hopefully) journey. Next week we are taking a 23 hour bus ride, so this one is just like a warm up I suppose. :-)
We have been preparing unspoken dramas, puppet plays, kids songs, and adult worship songs all week. I feel SOOO much more prepared than I was before the week began, but still have trouble with some of the words. God is so faithful though, and I can already see his provisions with language barriers coming through. (No, I'm definitely not where I want to be, but getting better and better each day.)
We performed at a very poor school yesterday, as well as a shanti-town orphanage. The school was fun because the littlest ones were right in front of me when we were singing and dancing, and I got to see their faces light up. It was great! Plus, most of the kids knew one of our Christian songs, which made me really happy. Our "line-up" shares the gospel pretty straightforwardly, which I'm really excited about. I wasn't too thrilled when I found out that I would "only" be performing in each village and not getting to spend a whole lot of time relationally with the people. But, if Christ's name is made known, we have done our jobs! The orphanage was amazing. It was SO run down and dirty, and the government doesn't support it at all, so its supported (I think) by this one man and a couple of churches here and there. The kids were so happy we came! There were two girls named Emerelda (about 11) and Estrella (about 5-6) that were so sweet. There were also about 9-10 boys. After we performed, we went and played futbol with them for like 1.5 hours- that was such a thrill for them, because they have to stay inside the orphanage building unless one of the ladies there is with them, so it was sort of like a very short vacation from normality for them. We came back after that and gave them Bibles, coloring books, necklaces, balls (thanks Dillard family!), and candy. (Some of the boys have Bibles from 1.5 years ago when Stephen brought another team in, and they carry them to school every day with them!) They were excited, but even more excited that we had come to visit them. A couple of boys came up to me at the end- I thought they asked me how long I was going to be in Peru, but apparently they asked me when I'm coming to visit them again. I said August, thinking they asked the former question, so we'll see how that turns out. I might just have to stop back by!
Other than that, my team and a Barnabus team (traveling encouragement and mediation) have just been hanging out. Its been really fun getting to know these people so well in such a ridiculously short amount of time.
I'll be back in Lima next weekend, so I'll update you then. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS! Love you all! Vaya con Dios!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Orientation is Over
I drank frog juice after watching the frog being skinned, guts pulled out, boiled, and blended with some other sketch substances. Yes, people, I drank it. It tasted like throw-up. :-)
I don't even know what to tell you, because I feel like there has been so much going on. We had preaching pretty much all day the last two days. It was good for the most part, but hard to sit in a seat for so long when all you want to do is get to the field. Chris and Stephanie, I can't even imagine what you're going through!
I have oriented myself pretty well in Lima and, while my Spanish is still not nearly good enough, I feel a bit more comfortable using it even if I'm wrong. We will be staying in a local hostel the next week as my team prepares to go to 8 different villages in 8.5 weeks. That should be interesting. (We are traveling all over Peru pretty much, which I am way excited about!) Also, I have taken two showers so far- one was freezing and stopped halfway through while my hair had shampoo in it. My other shower was scalding hot and stopped halfway through while I had shampoo in my hair. SO... I have decided that showers are definitely optional. :-)
Yesterday, after orientation was over, we went over to Mike and Kathy weaver's house (the head missionaries here) for Thanksgiving dinner because it is fall here, which means Thanksgiving time! It was so good! Best sweet potatoes I've ever had! Then, we went to the 11pm showing of Pirates of the Caribbean 3- it was good but very long. :-) (All the Creative Ministry boys slept through it!)
Our team is getting along really well so far! We have claimed the "weird drama kids," although I don't know how I feel about that. One more thing, we have one more member on our team, which we found out about when we got here. His name is Brian Tropiano and he is a photographer. I'm going to try to get his website so you can see pics. Also, look at Lindsay and John's sites (linked to my page) for pictures.
Adrian Maddox- there is a girl on one of the teams here who's name is Audra who acts and looks so much like you. It makes me happy!
Mommy, Daddy, and Kelli- I'm sorry I haven't called yet- we still haven't found calling cards. I WILL call eventually! (I still love you though!)
Maddox family- I miss you tons too!
Davey, you know I miss you like infinity times a bajillion.
Everyone else, I'm so thankful to be able to say that I have such great prayer partners! Please send me your requests as well! The CMT will continue to pray for requests from our partners back home.
You are blessings! Vaya con Dios.
~Kathy
I don't even know what to tell you, because I feel like there has been so much going on. We had preaching pretty much all day the last two days. It was good for the most part, but hard to sit in a seat for so long when all you want to do is get to the field. Chris and Stephanie, I can't even imagine what you're going through!
I have oriented myself pretty well in Lima and, while my Spanish is still not nearly good enough, I feel a bit more comfortable using it even if I'm wrong. We will be staying in a local hostel the next week as my team prepares to go to 8 different villages in 8.5 weeks. That should be interesting. (We are traveling all over Peru pretty much, which I am way excited about!) Also, I have taken two showers so far- one was freezing and stopped halfway through while my hair had shampoo in it. My other shower was scalding hot and stopped halfway through while I had shampoo in my hair. SO... I have decided that showers are definitely optional. :-)
Yesterday, after orientation was over, we went over to Mike and Kathy weaver's house (the head missionaries here) for Thanksgiving dinner because it is fall here, which means Thanksgiving time! It was so good! Best sweet potatoes I've ever had! Then, we went to the 11pm showing of Pirates of the Caribbean 3- it was good but very long. :-) (All the Creative Ministry boys slept through it!)
Our team is getting along really well so far! We have claimed the "weird drama kids," although I don't know how I feel about that. One more thing, we have one more member on our team, which we found out about when we got here. His name is Brian Tropiano and he is a photographer. I'm going to try to get his website so you can see pics. Also, look at Lindsay and John's sites (linked to my page) for pictures.
Adrian Maddox- there is a girl on one of the teams here who's name is Audra who acts and looks so much like you. It makes me happy!
Mommy, Daddy, and Kelli- I'm sorry I haven't called yet- we still haven't found calling cards. I WILL call eventually! (I still love you though!)
Maddox family- I miss you tons too!
Davey, you know I miss you like infinity times a bajillion.
Everyone else, I'm so thankful to be able to say that I have such great prayer partners! Please send me your requests as well! The CMT will continue to pray for requests from our partners back home.
You are blessings! Vaya con Dios.
~Kathy
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Hola de Peru!
I am here safely!
We had a VERY long immersion day today... We did an Amazing Race type of thing around the city and it was exhausting! I love being here! It´s possibly even better than I have been imagining the last few years, so that´s awesome!
We are having orientation the next few days, so hopefully I´ll get a lot of great information about where I´m going and when soon. I´ll try to let you know!
My Spanish is not super great, pero yo salgo some. haha. Keep praying for that please!
Prayer Requests-
Spanish abilities
Energy
Getting along with team and stepping out of my shell and making friends!
Love you all so much! Chao!
We had a VERY long immersion day today... We did an Amazing Race type of thing around the city and it was exhausting! I love being here! It´s possibly even better than I have been imagining the last few years, so that´s awesome!
We are having orientation the next few days, so hopefully I´ll get a lot of great information about where I´m going and when soon. I´ll try to let you know!
My Spanish is not super great, pero yo salgo some. haha. Keep praying for that please!
Prayer Requests-
Spanish abilities
Energy
Getting along with team and stepping out of my shell and making friends!
Love you all so much! Chao!
Monday, May 21, 2007
Off to Peru
Well, this is my last entry before I leave! I leave DFW at 11 am tomorrow morning, where I will fly to Atlanta. From Atlanta, I have a 5:15 pm flight out to Lima, and should arrive there at about 11 pm. Please pray for safe travel, as well as clarity and ease through customs, baggage claim, and finding my group.
As for the summer... I am very excited to be there, but within the last week my anxiety about going has increased. Do I have everything I need? Am I going to be able to carry this HUGE backpack everywhere I go? And the biggest one- am I going to be able to talk to anyone with my Spanish as poor as it is? But not once have I questioned that God wanted me to go. So, if I don't bring what I need, or if I fall over from my backpack being too heavy, or if I share Christ more through my actions than through my words, I will still be serving Him. Praise God that he doesn't NEED me to do his work, but that he ALLOWS me to be part of his magnificent plan.
I am going to miss everyone here very much, but I know that you will be praying for me, a fellowship that cannot be matched. I also have the peace of knowing that I will be doing exactly what God has called me to do. :-)
Thank you for your prayers, emails, and comments! Keep 'em coming!
I leave you with this:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ~Colossians 4:2-4
As for the summer... I am very excited to be there, but within the last week my anxiety about going has increased. Do I have everything I need? Am I going to be able to carry this HUGE backpack everywhere I go? And the biggest one- am I going to be able to talk to anyone with my Spanish as poor as it is? But not once have I questioned that God wanted me to go. So, if I don't bring what I need, or if I fall over from my backpack being too heavy, or if I share Christ more through my actions than through my words, I will still be serving Him. Praise God that he doesn't NEED me to do his work, but that he ALLOWS me to be part of his magnificent plan.
I am going to miss everyone here very much, but I know that you will be praying for me, a fellowship that cannot be matched. I also have the peace of knowing that I will be doing exactly what God has called me to do. :-)
Thank you for your prayers, emails, and comments! Keep 'em coming!
I leave you with this:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ~Colossians 4:2-4
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
6 Days and Counting...
Hola amigos y familia!
I am SO excited to get to Peru and will be there a week from yesterday! Ahh! I'm getting a bit nervous, but mostly excited! I have a lot of packing left to do, but other than that, I'm just hanging out with some friends and family before I go.
I have found a website that tells a bit about Peru... you can check it out to find out more about where I'll be this summer! http://southamerica.imb.org/Country_Profile/peru.htm
Also, I have fixed my blog site so that anyone can leave comments, whether you have an account or not. Yay! Please leave me comments so that when I get to check my blog and email I'll have something fun to check! :-)
One more piece of news is that my team for the summer is set. We have myself, Lindsay Swain, John Green, and Solomon Grados (our newest teammate who is a bilingual Peruvian native!)
Alright- you'll hear from me once more before I leave! Chao!
~Kathy
I am SO excited to get to Peru and will be there a week from yesterday! Ahh! I'm getting a bit nervous, but mostly excited! I have a lot of packing left to do, but other than that, I'm just hanging out with some friends and family before I go.
I have found a website that tells a bit about Peru... you can check it out to find out more about where I'll be this summer! http://southamerica.imb.org/Country_Profile/peru.htm
Also, I have fixed my blog site so that anyone can leave comments, whether you have an account or not. Yay! Please leave me comments so that when I get to check my blog and email I'll have something fun to check! :-)
One more piece of news is that my team for the summer is set. We have myself, Lindsay Swain, John Green, and Solomon Grados (our newest teammate who is a bilingual Peruvian native!)
Alright- you'll hear from me once more before I leave! Chao!
~Kathy
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Some of you have asked about whether or not you can send me letters and packages while I am in Peru. Technically you can, but I am going to tell you that you probably shouldn't. We received an email saying that it can take up to 5 months for the mail to arrive at its location, and that some of it never arrives. Don't worry, emails are definitely okay with me, and anything that I'm homesick for (like PB&J!) I can just have when I get back. Thanks for thinking of me though! Chao!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
let's see...
I'm hoping this works. If you know me, you know that computers are technologically smarter than me. SO, I'm hoping this blog does not disappear into cyberspace like the other one I made and cannot find. :-) This blog is being created so that all of my friends, family, and supporters can keep tabs on me while I'm in PERU! Plenty more updates to come... as long as I can find the site!
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