This blog is a recap of the trip 4 youth, myself, and another adult took to Peru. I've been meaning to post it for ... oh ... only 2 months now. Better late than never I say. I hope for the other 5 that went, this helps them to re-live our adventures, and reminds us of how we have hope in Christ and for the Gospel in the lives of some of the children in Conima Peru. I hope you enjoy reading about our "tough travels," being "cold in Conima," "McDonald's at midnight," and the "glimmers of Gospel hope." I hope you take the time to read this (even though it's long), because the end is worth it. Also, we'd really appreciate your prayers for those listed at the bottom, that they would come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
James: Time to Say Goodbye...
Well, it's my last night in Peru, and I can't believe it finally got here. It's TREMENDOUSLY bittersweet to leave. I would love to stay because I feel like the last few weeks in Conima were really fruitful! And I believe God was really moving more in those weeks than before.
After Ellen and Molly left, our (Patty, Katie, and I) goal was simply to finish strong and not think of home. We had about 9 days left until Patty left. We had to first figure out all the airport flight mess due to the riots that caused Taca to stop flying from Juliaca. But once we figured that out, we went to WORK!
We went out into the fields and talked with a family. We helped them with their field work, which was rather difficult, so they really appreciated the help. Afterward, we shared the Parable of the Sower. The father at least, if not the whole family, seemed to be receptive and understanding. I can't remember exactly, but I believe they were 7th Day Adventists for the most part. However, we really poured into them that they needed to be reading the Word and become receptive to it's and God's message. They needed to read for themselves what it said and not simply blindly follow a pastor or church. They were really appreciative toward us and thanked us for our time and seemed to be left with a better willpower to learn.
Later, we went to a man and his brother in Succuni (sp?) (this is a village on down from Conima). Jonathan, Patty, and I met him on a bus back from Juliaca. He wanted us to come visit him, and we were finally able to contact him and find a day to meet him. They were Christians they said, and it seemed to be true from the little we found out about them. They said they had grown up with Catholic influence but eventually strayed away toward Christianity. (The type of Catholism in Peru is so different and mixed with the Pagan culture here that it's often deemed NOT Christian. They rely heavily on the saints and Mary as well as cultural idols like Pachu Mamma (mother earth).)
Anyway, they told us that they talk to any missionaries or religious travellers they can to ask them questions and see what they have to offer. They said, however, that our answers to their rather tough questions were the clearest and most truthful seeming they had heard. They were asking about Baptism and if it was what saved you, in that was it needed for salvation to be complete. We talked about Nicodemus and how Jesus told him to be baptized with water AND spirit and that the spirit part was what was most important...for the spirit to come upon you. We also talked about Phillip and the Eunoch and how baptism one) didn't have to be a giant spectacle (though it could be a good witness tool to others, we explained) and two) it had to be a PERSONAL choice. We left them with the definite sense that they were hungry to be baptized and make that choice.
We also poured into a young boy named Yasmani the last community story day. We combined the Crucifixion and Ressurection, so it was a big story to listen through and grasp. He brought some of his friends, but they only listened some of the time. He, however, simply stared at us and absorbed every word. You can see the desire to know Christ written on his face. He flat out told us he wanted to know more about Christ's life, so we gave him a Spanish New Testament. HE NEEDS PRAYER! He has SUCH potential to be the future for this village! He is right on the verge to being the light for his friends and everyone else. Despite him being about 12 or 13, he is so mature for his age and spiritually as well. However, he has (probably) no adult models and role models to guide him. He needs prayer that despite his age and possible isolation from other true believers that he can come to know God, Christ, and their love for him, AND that older people will listen and pay attention to him when (not if) he becomes saved. This is my upmost request of prayer from everyone.
But the day came for us to leave. Katie and I stayed with Pastor Ruben in Huancane from the 20th to the 26th. Then we've been in Lima at debriefing until tomorrow. We can't wait to see everyone on Sunday!
After Ellen and Molly left, our (Patty, Katie, and I) goal was simply to finish strong and not think of home. We had about 9 days left until Patty left. We had to first figure out all the airport flight mess due to the riots that caused Taca to stop flying from Juliaca. But once we figured that out, we went to WORK!
We went out into the fields and talked with a family. We helped them with their field work, which was rather difficult, so they really appreciated the help. Afterward, we shared the Parable of the Sower. The father at least, if not the whole family, seemed to be receptive and understanding. I can't remember exactly, but I believe they were 7th Day Adventists for the most part. However, we really poured into them that they needed to be reading the Word and become receptive to it's and God's message. They needed to read for themselves what it said and not simply blindly follow a pastor or church. They were really appreciative toward us and thanked us for our time and seemed to be left with a better willpower to learn.
Later, we went to a man and his brother in Succuni (sp?) (this is a village on down from Conima). Jonathan, Patty, and I met him on a bus back from Juliaca. He wanted us to come visit him, and we were finally able to contact him and find a day to meet him. They were Christians they said, and it seemed to be true from the little we found out about them. They said they had grown up with Catholic influence but eventually strayed away toward Christianity. (The type of Catholism in Peru is so different and mixed with the Pagan culture here that it's often deemed NOT Christian. They rely heavily on the saints and Mary as well as cultural idols like Pachu Mamma (mother earth).)
Anyway, they told us that they talk to any missionaries or religious travellers they can to ask them questions and see what they have to offer. They said, however, that our answers to their rather tough questions were the clearest and most truthful seeming they had heard. They were asking about Baptism and if it was what saved you, in that was it needed for salvation to be complete. We talked about Nicodemus and how Jesus told him to be baptized with water AND spirit and that the spirit part was what was most important...for the spirit to come upon you. We also talked about Phillip and the Eunoch and how baptism one) didn't have to be a giant spectacle (though it could be a good witness tool to others, we explained) and two) it had to be a PERSONAL choice. We left them with the definite sense that they were hungry to be baptized and make that choice.
We also poured into a young boy named Yasmani the last community story day. We combined the Crucifixion and Ressurection, so it was a big story to listen through and grasp. He brought some of his friends, but they only listened some of the time. He, however, simply stared at us and absorbed every word. You can see the desire to know Christ written on his face. He flat out told us he wanted to know more about Christ's life, so we gave him a Spanish New Testament. HE NEEDS PRAYER! He has SUCH potential to be the future for this village! He is right on the verge to being the light for his friends and everyone else. Despite him being about 12 or 13, he is so mature for his age and spiritually as well. However, he has (probably) no adult models and role models to guide him. He needs prayer that despite his age and possible isolation from other true believers that he can come to know God, Christ, and their love for him, AND that older people will listen and pay attention to him when (not if) he becomes saved. This is my upmost request of prayer from everyone.
But the day came for us to leave. Katie and I stayed with Pastor Ruben in Huancane from the 20th to the 26th. Then we've been in Lima at debriefing until tomorrow. We can't wait to see everyone on Sunday!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Ellen: The End (of this Adventure)
So I last wrote when we were in Huancané. After that, we went to Conima via a big bus on which was just us and the drivers. That was nice. Pastor Ruben and Louisa saw us off. When we got to Conima, the first thing we realized was that we couldn't use the oven (thus the stove as well) in the kitchen. So we call the ever-faithful Pastor Ruben, and early the next morning, he brought the stove top the team used last year. We spent the day walking around (a lot): we went the beach and waded and then we went to a overlook from which we could see all of Conima and the areas around it. Then we walked to Nancy, a lady who sells firewood and has a great interest in and knowledge of the Bible. We went often to visit her through the weeks and talk about different things. She professed Jesus as her Savior through grace and was always willing to chat.
By the way, despite buying wood from her, we never could light a fire properly in the fireplace that was in our living room on the fourth floor. Funny story: we wanted to have a fire one night but couldn't get just the wood to light. So Patty tells us the word to use to buy stuff to help us in our mission. Katie, James and I all thought she was saying the word for "coal," but actually it was the word for alcohol. So armed with this word that obviously sounds like and certainly means "alcohol" but to us is "coal," we go from store to store, politely asking for alcohol. Somehow we figure out the implications of our request and laugh about how we the gringo missionaries were seemingly seeking a nip late on a cold night. We do go back to each store and explain that we wanted alcohol for lighting a fire only. We get some, but we must simply lack the primal skill of making fire because we personally never did get that thing to light for long.
Our days were different. For most of the time, we went to one of the schools on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That was enjoyable. We taught English (numbers, colors, greetings, body parts with "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Feet"), Bible stories (Noah & the flood, David & Goliath and the birth of Jesus) and songs ("Padre Abraham," "Eres Todopoderoso" and "El Amor de Dios").
One thing we did the entire time was community storying. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, we would go to the municipal building and tell Bible stories in chronological order to whomever came. We spent a lot of time inviting people; the main group who came were kids. That was a bit hard; we knew those at the church back home would be expecting us to minister to more than just kids - who we saw at the schools, with whom we played soccer and frisbee outside the house a lot, and now who came to the storying - but as a team, we came to except it. If these precious, sometimes wild kids are who God sends, let's embrace it and run with it. So over time, we adapted our stories to be more kid-friendly (meaning shorter with lots of questions scattered throughout).
We still built relationships with some adults as well. Nancy, mentioned earlier, was one we visited about once a week. One man, Juan de Dios, was very welcoming. He lived down this very steep hill in town and always home when we came by to talk. So it was always precarious as to whether we were willing to check on him; that trip usually only produced an unanswered door and five huffing-and-puffing missionaries. But one of the times we checked, he was there, and we had a very good conversation about religion and how one is saved. He is hard-of-hearing, so the conversation could also be described as loud and slightly disconnected between the questions and responses. Another person we really got to know was Sophia, the niece of the man who lets us rent his house and the owner of the tienda a few steps outside our front door. She was always so friendly, probably the most patient with us and our lack of English and change. We saw her many times a day, buying food for meals and other things like matches and these Bolivian chocolate wafers that we fell in love with. I never got very deep with her, but I believe some of the others did.
One area in which we did not sacrifice much was in our bellies. Sure, we didn't have fast food or unbottled water, but we had Patty. She is a marvelous cook. One of our favorite splurges was to buy lamb and make something that sounded like "esto faudo" but that is not the right spelling and I can't seem to find it online. But it very, very good. Another of Patty's specialties was lomo saltado made with chicken. She also made chicken ceviche once - a very popular Peruvian dish. I liked it a lot; it was much better than the pricey fish ceviche than I tried at the Lima airport - that tasted exactly like what ceviche was: spicy raw fish "cooked" with the acid from the lemon. Other successes: Molly and James made some good arroz chaufa (chinese-fried rice) once while the Bible school team was there; Katie made a great spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce; and I mastered the art of french toast. And of raman noodles, our nearly everyday lunch: you crush them, boil them, and junk them up with the packaged flavoring. Of course, I already knew make a delicious bowl of raman before Peru, but not with hen-flavored raman. It was exciting to try, but to those of you who are wondering, it doesn't taste much different than chicken-flavored.
The two things God really taught me were patience and trust. Patience with the very slow life that is to found in Conima, Peru, and trust in his not-always-clear-or-even-logical plan. We did not sweep the community into a storm of evangelizing and baptizing like I had subconsciously prepared myself for. We did not start a church. We did not even have someone come to profess Jesus as Lord (at least while I was there). But you know what, I did get to dance with a precious girl named Katie on almost a daily basis. I did get to glorify in God's creation every time I stepped outside and looked at the lake. I did get to take the weight of people at the medical clinic, from the 70 and 80-year-old Aymarans with their bowler hats and canes to the little babies who never failed to cry in the hands of a gringa. I did get to ask a room full of third and fourth graders who Jesus is and hear them respond with "Dios!" This is a truth God has taught me: The mission wasn't a failure by any standard that matters.
Thank you for caring; thank you for reading. Thank you for any and all prayers. If you would like to continue, there are still two Aledoians there, in Huancané. Patty is one her way home to Lima, I believe. And there is still a community of lovely people in Conima, some of whom believe they have to strive for their salvation, some of whom simply don't know. Some, I believe, are serving God and his Son with their whole hearts - another thing I learned was to not assume we were the only "true" Christians there (1 Kings 19). God was at work there before we came, yet He choose to use us, choose to use me. Quite remarkable.
(A treat for those who endured to the end: For some reason, videos aren't loading onto this blog easily but I have two on this very same blog entry that is posted on my personal blog. Here's the link: ellen-grace.blogspot.com)
By the way, despite buying wood from her, we never could light a fire properly in the fireplace that was in our living room on the fourth floor. Funny story: we wanted to have a fire one night but couldn't get just the wood to light. So Patty tells us the word to use to buy stuff to help us in our mission. Katie, James and I all thought she was saying the word for "coal," but actually it was the word for alcohol. So armed with this word that obviously sounds like and certainly means "alcohol" but to us is "coal," we go from store to store, politely asking for alcohol. Somehow we figure out the implications of our request and laugh about how we the gringo missionaries were seemingly seeking a nip late on a cold night. We do go back to each store and explain that we wanted alcohol for lighting a fire only. We get some, but we must simply lack the primal skill of making fire because we personally never did get that thing to light for long.
Our days were different. For most of the time, we went to one of the schools on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That was enjoyable. We taught English (numbers, colors, greetings, body parts with "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Feet"), Bible stories (Noah & the flood, David & Goliath and the birth of Jesus) and songs ("Padre Abraham," "Eres Todopoderoso" and "El Amor de Dios").
One thing we did the entire time was community storying. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, we would go to the municipal building and tell Bible stories in chronological order to whomever came. We spent a lot of time inviting people; the main group who came were kids. That was a bit hard; we knew those at the church back home would be expecting us to minister to more than just kids - who we saw at the schools, with whom we played soccer and frisbee outside the house a lot, and now who came to the storying - but as a team, we came to except it. If these precious, sometimes wild kids are who God sends, let's embrace it and run with it. So over time, we adapted our stories to be more kid-friendly (meaning shorter with lots of questions scattered throughout).
We still built relationships with some adults as well. Nancy, mentioned earlier, was one we visited about once a week. One man, Juan de Dios, was very welcoming. He lived down this very steep hill in town and always home when we came by to talk. So it was always precarious as to whether we were willing to check on him; that trip usually only produced an unanswered door and five huffing-and-puffing missionaries. But one of the times we checked, he was there, and we had a very good conversation about religion and how one is saved. He is hard-of-hearing, so the conversation could also be described as loud and slightly disconnected between the questions and responses. Another person we really got to know was Sophia, the niece of the man who lets us rent his house and the owner of the tienda a few steps outside our front door. She was always so friendly, probably the most patient with us and our lack of English and change. We saw her many times a day, buying food for meals and other things like matches and these Bolivian chocolate wafers that we fell in love with. I never got very deep with her, but I believe some of the others did.
One area in which we did not sacrifice much was in our bellies. Sure, we didn't have fast food or unbottled water, but we had Patty. She is a marvelous cook. One of our favorite splurges was to buy lamb and make something that sounded like "esto faudo" but that is not the right spelling and I can't seem to find it online. But it very, very good. Another of Patty's specialties was lomo saltado made with chicken. She also made chicken ceviche once - a very popular Peruvian dish. I liked it a lot; it was much better than the pricey fish ceviche than I tried at the Lima airport - that tasted exactly like what ceviche was: spicy raw fish "cooked" with the acid from the lemon. Other successes: Molly and James made some good arroz chaufa (chinese-fried rice) once while the Bible school team was there; Katie made a great spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce; and I mastered the art of french toast. And of raman noodles, our nearly everyday lunch: you crush them, boil them, and junk them up with the packaged flavoring. Of course, I already knew make a delicious bowl of raman before Peru, but not with hen-flavored raman. It was exciting to try, but to those of you who are wondering, it doesn't taste much different than chicken-flavored.
The two things God really taught me were patience and trust. Patience with the very slow life that is to found in Conima, Peru, and trust in his not-always-clear-or-even-logical plan. We did not sweep the community into a storm of evangelizing and baptizing like I had subconsciously prepared myself for. We did not start a church. We did not even have someone come to profess Jesus as Lord (at least while I was there). But you know what, I did get to dance with a precious girl named Katie on almost a daily basis. I did get to glorify in God's creation every time I stepped outside and looked at the lake. I did get to take the weight of people at the medical clinic, from the 70 and 80-year-old Aymarans with their bowler hats and canes to the little babies who never failed to cry in the hands of a gringa. I did get to ask a room full of third and fourth graders who Jesus is and hear them respond with "Dios!" This is a truth God has taught me: The mission wasn't a failure by any standard that matters.
Thank you for caring; thank you for reading. Thank you for any and all prayers. If you would like to continue, there are still two Aledoians there, in Huancané. Patty is one her way home to Lima, I believe. And there is still a community of lovely people in Conima, some of whom believe they have to strive for their salvation, some of whom simply don't know. Some, I believe, are serving God and his Son with their whole hearts - another thing I learned was to not assume we were the only "true" Christians there (1 Kings 19). God was at work there before we came, yet He choose to use us, choose to use me. Quite remarkable.
(A treat for those who endured to the end: For some reason, videos aren't loading onto this blog easily but I have two on this very same blog entry that is posted on my personal blog. Here's the link: ellen-grace.blogspot.com)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
I'm Alive!- James S.
Well, HELLO everyone! We finally have internet again! The team (Ellen, Molly, Katie, Patty, me, and Ellen's aunt and uncle) are here in Arequipa on our mid summer retreat. We were going to go to Puno City, but riots erupted there on Friday or Saturday, so we needed to change.
Anyway, we're all doing great and the city is huge and beautiful! The weather is fairly warm, which is such a nice change. It will surely be missed. Well I haven't been able to read the blogs Miles has been updating you all with, but here's a quick synopsis of what has gone on.
We've mostly been story-ing at the municipal building MWF and teaching at the school as well those days. On TTh we go to a few people that we've made relationships with and individually story with them. However, the school for some reason doesn't really want us to teach anymore, so we decided as a team to not teach there anymore instead of pressing the issue and causing a problem.
Another minor set back per say has been that at community story-ing, it has mostly been kids, which if that is who God wants us to speak to, then so be it. However, we really pray that we can story with more adults.
When the BST came, VBS was very successful. The kids really seemed to enjoy it, and I pray that they will remember what they learned.
This retreat has actually been very well placed because I feel as though we can recuperate and regroup and come up with different ways to talk to people when we get back. But, God has been doing AMAZING things in Conima, and I wish we had internet in Conima to update more thoroughly. We pray that everyone back home knows how safe and great we're doing and doesn't over worry about us. We can't wait to get back home, but it will be bittersweet for sure.
Well, like I said, I wish I could update more, but if I typed everything I've written out so far, you all would be reading straight for hours.
Until next update (which Katie and I will have internet for sure the 22nd of July), God BLESS!
Psalm 18 and 23
Anyway, we're all doing great and the city is huge and beautiful! The weather is fairly warm, which is such a nice change. It will surely be missed. Well I haven't been able to read the blogs Miles has been updating you all with, but here's a quick synopsis of what has gone on.
We've mostly been story-ing at the municipal building MWF and teaching at the school as well those days. On TTh we go to a few people that we've made relationships with and individually story with them. However, the school for some reason doesn't really want us to teach anymore, so we decided as a team to not teach there anymore instead of pressing the issue and causing a problem.
Another minor set back per say has been that at community story-ing, it has mostly been kids, which if that is who God wants us to speak to, then so be it. However, we really pray that we can story with more adults.
When the BST came, VBS was very successful. The kids really seemed to enjoy it, and I pray that they will remember what they learned.
This retreat has actually been very well placed because I feel as though we can recuperate and regroup and come up with different ways to talk to people when we get back. But, God has been doing AMAZING things in Conima, and I wish we had internet in Conima to update more thoroughly. We pray that everyone back home knows how safe and great we're doing and doesn't over worry about us. We can't wait to get back home, but it will be bittersweet for sure.
Well, like I said, I wish I could update more, but if I typed everything I've written out so far, you all would be reading straight for hours.
Until next update (which Katie and I will have internet for sure the 22nd of July), God BLESS!
Psalm 18 and 23
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Bible School Team long journey to Conima
The Bible School Team (BST - Jonathan Mansur, Mike Denny, Annie May Denny, Allison Brooks, Josh Williams, Jake Valdez) made it to Lima as scheduled the morning of June 27 to find that the Juliaca airport (final flight destination) was closed due to damage from a labor protest. So after several phone calls and working with LAN airlines, they flew to Cusco and took a 9 hour bus ride to Conima, arriving there at midnight. The Summer Missionaries had a "feast" ready for the BST members consisting of "raman noodles, French toast, eggs, and chocolate wafers and oatmeal cookies” :)
Pray for the team that the Bible School will go well, the Bible stories will be effectively communicated, and that the Aymara people of Conima understand their need of Christ's redeeming love and God's great offer of redemption. Also for the physical safety and health of the BST and Summer Missionaries.
Also the Conima house now has heaters in the bedrooms! Hopefully these will work as expected and make the house more comfortable during those cold nights.
Miles Phillips
Pray for the team that the Bible School will go well, the Bible stories will be effectively communicated, and that the Aymara people of Conima understand their need of Christ's redeeming love and God's great offer of redemption. Also for the physical safety and health of the BST and Summer Missionaries.
Also the Conima house now has heaters in the bedrooms! Hopefully these will work as expected and make the house more comfortable during those cold nights.
Miles Phillips
Friday, June 17, 2011
Updates from 2011 Summer Conima Team (June 17)
Greetings from Miles Phillips (Ellen's Dad). The Internet services in Conima are not working so the team has not been able to update this blog( or update facebook or read/send emails). They call family members every few days so I thought that I would share a few updates. Hopefully these are accurate but the team can correct when they get online. Our Bible School Team is scheduled to arrive in Conima June 27 and return July 3rd so they will have some first hand updates to share at that time. Also the team has a retreat scheduled July 4-7 and should have Internet access at that time and can provide us an update. Your prayers for the people of Conima and our teams are greatly appreciated.
James, Ellen and Patty stayed in Huancane with Pastor Ruben and family until Katie and Molly could join them on June 7th, after which the team traveled to Conima. They are speaking/teaching at one of the elementary schools most every day and building relationships with the people there. They were able to share a Bible story with a lady named Nancy and her children, which apparently was well received. Nancy was very interested and our missionaries are following up with her. The team has started community storying sessions Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:00 p.m. The first session had 3 or 4 children and one lady and the story was well received. As they meet people throughout the day, they invite people to the storying sessions which hopefully will gather more attendees but even if just one comes, it can be lifechanging. The team has met with Pablo, who now works in the government office and they see him often. Pablo was the young man who made a profession of faith last summer but needs encouragement and discipleship. Some of our team members attended a service at a local evangelical congregation last Sunday, which was unknown to us but discovered by the Peruvian team that went to Conima in May 2011 after following a lead by John Grady. Katie was able to share at this service. The team plans to attend this service again this Sunday and find out more about them. This could be a start of a wonderful new relationship to encourage and minister with this group of believers. Some of the team members have assisted in the medical clinic as well.
Please continue to pray for their physical safety and wisdom. God is directing their steps as they acknowledge Him in all their ways.
James, Ellen and Patty stayed in Huancane with Pastor Ruben and family until Katie and Molly could join them on June 7th, after which the team traveled to Conima. They are speaking/teaching at one of the elementary schools most every day and building relationships with the people there. They were able to share a Bible story with a lady named Nancy and her children, which apparently was well received. Nancy was very interested and our missionaries are following up with her. The team has started community storying sessions Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:00 p.m. The first session had 3 or 4 children and one lady and the story was well received. As they meet people throughout the day, they invite people to the storying sessions which hopefully will gather more attendees but even if just one comes, it can be lifechanging. The team has met with Pablo, who now works in the government office and they see him often. Pablo was the young man who made a profession of faith last summer but needs encouragement and discipleship. Some of our team members attended a service at a local evangelical congregation last Sunday, which was unknown to us but discovered by the Peruvian team that went to Conima in May 2011 after following a lead by John Grady. Katie was able to share at this service. The team plans to attend this service again this Sunday and find out more about them. This could be a start of a wonderful new relationship to encourage and minister with this group of believers. Some of the team members have assisted in the medical clinic as well.
Please continue to pray for their physical safety and wisdom. God is directing their steps as they acknowledge Him in all their ways.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Huancane, The Beginnings - James S.
Yes, I know all of my Blog titles are cheesy =D
Well, I was late to worship after all, but it all worked out. I was just going on Peruvian time is all. Here, relationships mean much more than time, so it's common for people to be late to meetings or or events even when a designated time has been set. The REAPSouth staff prayed over all of the teams, and then we were off!
Before and while we were at the airport, we met Patty's mom who is such a sweet and nice lady, but she doesn't understand much English, so it was very difficult for Ellen and me to talk to her by ourselves when Patty wasn't there. Ellen tried Ceviche at the airport for lunch, which is a dish of raw fish that is "cooked" by an acidic sauce and has some spice of some kind. But, it was a little too spicy for Ellen and a little too fishy tasting for my taste. I'd eat it again though. I had...McDonald's of course! I wanted to get my last "American" meal out of the way befor we got to the villages.
By the way, the Peruvian planes, at least the TACA flight we were on, are SO much nicer than US planes. Tons of leg room and overhead room, comfortable chairs, etc etc...just saying. We arrived safely in Juliaca and got to Pastor Ruben's house in Huancane in one piece. We are slowly acclamating to the environment. Ellen has felt a little sick, but only the first night. I, thank the Lord and praise be to Him, have not felt sick at all. But poor Patty has been sick the whole time since we got here. She just has a congested nose and sore throat, but that makes translating all the more difficult. She says she's slowly getting better, but PRAYER WARRIORS! WE NEED YOU! Pray for her health so that she can be the vital team player that she is. Without her, we are literally mute! Or are walking around with one leg.
So far we've: gone shopping for groceries and supplies, helped clean dishes, helped make food, visited friends and family of Pastor Ruben, ate some local food, washed our own clothes, played with the kids, learned some guitar, successfully showered, and tried many a-new things; all of which occurred in 3 days and in VERY NON American ways.
But we're doing great. The Toledo family are perhaps THE micest, most gracious, most helpful, and certainly most patient people on the planet - and we could ALL learn something from them, and I'm not talking about Spanish. OH! Speaking of...here's a fun fact: the people here don't say they speak Spanish. They call it Castayano (sp?) though I know I jus butchered that. It's just the regional Peruvian version of Spanish but still the same. I don't know, I just thought that was cool (or chevere down here). Today we taught local children "Head, shoulders, knees, and...feet" we use feet because toes and fingers are the same word. On Thursday we will teach them some animals and colors in English. We also visited Luisa's friend Veronica, who accepted Christ 2 months ago, but was very insecure in her faith. She didn't know what would happen to her if she died. She also was confused about Darwinian evolution. I told her the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac and how God provided a substitute in Isaac's place and that Jesus was our substitute sacrifice for God. We also told her how evolution was false and that people are just looking for ways to explain things they don't understand. But we told her man is created in God's image and that we have souls whereas animals do not. We tried to talk to her about getting Baptized but she was scared and didn't know why she needed to. We somewhat ran out of time, but we told her to pray for what God had in his Will for her life and that she needed to make the decision for herself and that we couldn't for her. I said that getting Baptized was like when Jesus was ressurected. Your old life dies, but your new life is risen a-new. Somewhat of a stretch, but it clicked with her somewhat.
Anyway, we're currently trying to make preparations for the Barnabus team (a team from REAPSouth that comes to give us encouragement) who come on Saturday. We're also trying to see if we can get to Conima earlier than expected because Patty said she thought the house was completely ready when she was there in April. But we'll keep you updated.
Until next time, God Bless and Adios!
Psalm 18:1-3
Well, I was late to worship after all, but it all worked out. I was just going on Peruvian time is all. Here, relationships mean much more than time, so it's common for people to be late to meetings or or events even when a designated time has been set. The REAPSouth staff prayed over all of the teams, and then we were off!
Before and while we were at the airport, we met Patty's mom who is such a sweet and nice lady, but she doesn't understand much English, so it was very difficult for Ellen and me to talk to her by ourselves when Patty wasn't there. Ellen tried Ceviche at the airport for lunch, which is a dish of raw fish that is "cooked" by an acidic sauce and has some spice of some kind. But, it was a little too spicy for Ellen and a little too fishy tasting for my taste. I'd eat it again though. I had...McDonald's of course! I wanted to get my last "American" meal out of the way befor we got to the villages.
By the way, the Peruvian planes, at least the TACA flight we were on, are SO much nicer than US planes. Tons of leg room and overhead room, comfortable chairs, etc etc...just saying. We arrived safely in Juliaca and got to Pastor Ruben's house in Huancane in one piece. We are slowly acclamating to the environment. Ellen has felt a little sick, but only the first night. I, thank the Lord and praise be to Him, have not felt sick at all. But poor Patty has been sick the whole time since we got here. She just has a congested nose and sore throat, but that makes translating all the more difficult. She says she's slowly getting better, but PRAYER WARRIORS! WE NEED YOU! Pray for her health so that she can be the vital team player that she is. Without her, we are literally mute! Or are walking around with one leg.
So far we've: gone shopping for groceries and supplies, helped clean dishes, helped make food, visited friends and family of Pastor Ruben, ate some local food, washed our own clothes, played with the kids, learned some guitar, successfully showered, and tried many a-new things; all of which occurred in 3 days and in VERY NON American ways.
But we're doing great. The Toledo family are perhaps THE micest, most gracious, most helpful, and certainly most patient people on the planet - and we could ALL learn something from them, and I'm not talking about Spanish. OH! Speaking of...here's a fun fact: the people here don't say they speak Spanish. They call it Castayano (sp?) though I know I jus butchered that. It's just the regional Peruvian version of Spanish but still the same. I don't know, I just thought that was cool (or chevere down here). Today we taught local children "Head, shoulders, knees, and...feet" we use feet because toes and fingers are the same word. On Thursday we will teach them some animals and colors in English. We also visited Luisa's friend Veronica, who accepted Christ 2 months ago, but was very insecure in her faith. She didn't know what would happen to her if she died. She also was confused about Darwinian evolution. I told her the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac and how God provided a substitute in Isaac's place and that Jesus was our substitute sacrifice for God. We also told her how evolution was false and that people are just looking for ways to explain things they don't understand. But we told her man is created in God's image and that we have souls whereas animals do not. We tried to talk to her about getting Baptized but she was scared and didn't know why she needed to. We somewhat ran out of time, but we told her to pray for what God had in his Will for her life and that she needed to make the decision for herself and that we couldn't for her. I said that getting Baptized was like when Jesus was ressurected. Your old life dies, but your new life is risen a-new. Somewhat of a stretch, but it clicked with her somewhat.
Anyway, we're currently trying to make preparations for the Barnabus team (a team from REAPSouth that comes to give us encouragement) who come on Saturday. We're also trying to see if we can get to Conima earlier than expected because Patty said she thought the house was completely ready when she was there in April. But we'll keep you updated.
Until next time, God Bless and Adios!
Psalm 18:1-3
Monday, May 30, 2011
Ellen - Catching up quickly
Hey, readers!
I am in Huancane, in a noisy internet cafe, and I have only twelve minutes to catch you up on my exciting weekend before it will cost more than one sole (about 36 cents) to use the computer. Anyway, on Friday, our last night in Lima, I went with Patty, James, another Peruvian named Martine, and two other American missionaries to ¨Pizza Street.¨ We went to a karoke restaurant and sang songs while enjoying a juice made of purple corn. It was all very fun. Lima is an exciting city. Saturday morning, I went jogging with Kerrigan, a friend on one of the REAPSouth teams. We went through some of the very nice exercise parks in Miraflores, basically the Beverly Hills of Lima. Then we flew to Juliaca on what seemed a unnaturally short flight. The mountains seen from above were so, so lovely.
Huancane, where we are now, is like that. The town is bordered by mountains, and the weather is nicely cool. We are staying with the Toledo family: Pastor Ruben, his wife Louisa, and their children, Edith (8) and Elias (1.5). They are so wonderful, and it is great to be with them, chilling (ha - get it? it´s slightly cool) and learning my stories better. I have also gotten to read for fun, and it is neat trying to teach the family some English while I struggle (not a strong enough verb) through my Spanish.
Thanks for reading! My prayer requests are just that I can learn to communicate better and that I can measure our success on God´s plan, not on my own. All right - ¡chao!
I am in Huancane, in a noisy internet cafe, and I have only twelve minutes to catch you up on my exciting weekend before it will cost more than one sole (about 36 cents) to use the computer. Anyway, on Friday, our last night in Lima, I went with Patty, James, another Peruvian named Martine, and two other American missionaries to ¨Pizza Street.¨ We went to a karoke restaurant and sang songs while enjoying a juice made of purple corn. It was all very fun. Lima is an exciting city. Saturday morning, I went jogging with Kerrigan, a friend on one of the REAPSouth teams. We went through some of the very nice exercise parks in Miraflores, basically the Beverly Hills of Lima. Then we flew to Juliaca on what seemed a unnaturally short flight. The mountains seen from above were so, so lovely.
Huancane, where we are now, is like that. The town is bordered by mountains, and the weather is nicely cool. We are staying with the Toledo family: Pastor Ruben, his wife Louisa, and their children, Edith (8) and Elias (1.5). They are so wonderful, and it is great to be with them, chilling (ha - get it? it´s slightly cool) and learning my stories better. I have also gotten to read for fun, and it is neat trying to teach the family some English while I struggle (not a strong enough verb) through my Spanish.
Thanks for reading! My prayer requests are just that I can learn to communicate better and that I can measure our success on God´s plan, not on my own. All right - ¡chao!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Onward We Go -James S.
Well, today is the last day of training, and we'll be having a commisioning send off service today. We've learned so much about the culture and the possible barriers, and I just can't wait to use what we've learned!
While I appreciate what Ellen said in her last post (and while I really try to stay positive and confidient), my spanish is not quite as good as she made it sound (and hers, I'm sure, is much better than she's making it sound). However, the spanish I learned in high school is really starting to flow back to me, and that's exciting. I bought a Dios Habla Hoy (God Speaks Today) bilingual Bible in the Good News translation. It's the Bible John Grady advised us to get. I'm really looking forward to being able to read straight from it in Spanish since I can thankfully read the language well.
But as Ellen said, Patty is SO nice and helpful. She feels bad all the time because she doesn't think her English is that great, but it really is. We found out this week that we'll have 2 teams from REAPSouth visiting us in the villages (Barnabus Team and the Creative Ministry Team), but they're mostly coming to give us encouragement and to let us see new faces.
There's a lot more I'd like to type about here, but I'm running late to getting to worship! So, I'll save it for the next blog post. I hope eveyone back home is doing well, and know that prayers can be felt no matter how far the distance, and you guys have no idea what it means to know there are people praying for us.
We fly out today to begin our journey into the villages. We'll be in Huancane until June 15th when we'll go to Conima. I'm simply in awe of what the Lord will have in store for us and the people.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
This has been somewhat of a mini-theme verse here, and I hope in every single way, I can live it out. Until next time, God Bless!
While I appreciate what Ellen said in her last post (and while I really try to stay positive and confidient), my spanish is not quite as good as she made it sound (and hers, I'm sure, is much better than she's making it sound). However, the spanish I learned in high school is really starting to flow back to me, and that's exciting. I bought a Dios Habla Hoy (God Speaks Today) bilingual Bible in the Good News translation. It's the Bible John Grady advised us to get. I'm really looking forward to being able to read straight from it in Spanish since I can thankfully read the language well.
But as Ellen said, Patty is SO nice and helpful. She feels bad all the time because she doesn't think her English is that great, but it really is. We found out this week that we'll have 2 teams from REAPSouth visiting us in the villages (Barnabus Team and the Creative Ministry Team), but they're mostly coming to give us encouragement and to let us see new faces.
There's a lot more I'd like to type about here, but I'm running late to getting to worship! So, I'll save it for the next blog post. I hope eveyone back home is doing well, and know that prayers can be felt no matter how far the distance, and you guys have no idea what it means to know there are people praying for us.
We fly out today to begin our journey into the villages. We'll be in Huancane until June 15th when we'll go to Conima. I'm simply in awe of what the Lord will have in store for us and the people.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
This has been somewhat of a mini-theme verse here, and I hope in every single way, I can live it out. Until next time, God Bless!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Ellen - Cat Eyes
Hello! I am typing this when I should be going to get breakfast, but hopefully I can write quickly and do both this morning.
The training sessions fill most of the day - we eat, sing, listen, repeat, basically. I appreciate it though; I have grown in confidence about my purpose. Unlike James, my Spanish is still not good enough for carrying a conversation. I really wish I could speak to the people in their heart language, and not through a translator. But Patty, our fellow teammate who will also act as our translator, is great: she speaks English so well. She lives in Lima, Peru, when she is not going on missions with REAPSouth. She is very involved in her church in Bellavista, an area on the other side of Peru. I am very excited to work with her.
I have gotten to go near the beach. It is a very lovely area with parks and statues and big waves. Last night, I walked with a group that went to Parque Kennedy; a neat place with lots of cats. Jackie, one of the Peruvians working with REAPSouth, told us a myth about cats. When their irises are slits, it means to is going to sunny. When they are circles, it is going to rain. (Or possibly the other way around.)
I am reading through Acts. I find the apostles´ missions as examples of encouragement and hope - they trusted God in all that they did. Peter told the council in Jerusalem, "Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead...And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:10,12)
The training sessions fill most of the day - we eat, sing, listen, repeat, basically. I appreciate it though; I have grown in confidence about my purpose. Unlike James, my Spanish is still not good enough for carrying a conversation. I really wish I could speak to the people in their heart language, and not through a translator. But Patty, our fellow teammate who will also act as our translator, is great: she speaks English so well. She lives in Lima, Peru, when she is not going on missions with REAPSouth. She is very involved in her church in Bellavista, an area on the other side of Peru. I am very excited to work with her.
I have gotten to go near the beach. It is a very lovely area with parks and statues and big waves. Last night, I walked with a group that went to Parque Kennedy; a neat place with lots of cats. Jackie, one of the Peruvians working with REAPSouth, told us a myth about cats. When their irises are slits, it means to is going to sunny. When they are circles, it is going to rain. (Or possibly the other way around.)
I am reading through Acts. I find the apostles´ missions as examples of encouragement and hope - they trusted God in all that they did. Peter told the council in Jerusalem, "Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead...And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:10,12)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Where to Begin? - James S
It seems like it was only yesterday when I first started thinking about going on this mission trip, but I'm so grateful it's finally here. Ellen's previous post has most of the flight/travel related things I was going to put down, so I'll talk about the training we are receiving here with REAP South.
As Ellen said we are focusing on storying and how to be effective, which is what our teams from FBCWP have been doing, so I was very happy that we weren't getting any mixed or conflicting training. The main message I've recieved about storying is that you have to relate it to people's lives or things they deeply know about or their experiences. I was actually amazed when we were told that most, if not all, of the people in the villages will believe every single word we say and know it's true (to some extent) but that because they don't see how it's applicable to their personal lives or because it's not presented in a memorable way, it falls on deaf ears.
But then they explained that this is how it's always been done. In Jesus' life when he's talking to farmers or field workers, he talks to them in analogies of the field. Jesus constantly used examples of people's daily lives to teach His message. We have to do the same, or the people don't think it matters to them specifically.
The training has been extremely beneficial, and I'm very excited to see how I'll get to use it in Huacane and Conima. Furthermore, my Spanish is definitely improving; it's really coming back to me from high school, and I can tell the Holy Spirit is really working in me in that area.
I think that's all for now, but please keep praying for us!
Oh, I want to make a special thank you to Pastor Kyle for preaching on Ephesians 6 right before this trip. The passage about the armor of God will DEFINITELY be one I look over daily here, and I seriously think God had a part in allowing that to be preached right before we left.
Until next post, God Bless!
Ellen's Beginnings
I wrote this Monday, starting at 6:51pm on the plane from Panama City to
Lima. Sorry to be so out of date in my posting.
Traveling has gone quite smoothly, as traveling goes. James
and I are on the Copa Airlines plane in Panama, waiting to head off to Lima.
Both relatively inexperienced travelers, we have succeeded so far. Between our
connecting flights in Orlando, we did have to go through security again because
we were confused as to where our gate was and went too far. But it is neat to
experience the efficiency of airports, even unecessarily. One thing that is not
neat to experience is airport prices. It was a good $9.58 chicken sub,
though.
I scared James at the Panama airport - there was a long line for
the restroom and we didn't have much time to board. But we made it; I just need
to get used to the iffiness of cell phone-less communication.
Mr. Weaver
- the coordinator for IMB REAPSouth teams in Peru - sent us readings, which I
finished up on the last flight. Their common theme was the purpose of missions
and the best way to communicate the good news we are sharing. One talked about
why using stories are more effective than linear-logic sermons. Every culture
uses stories - in daily conversations, traditions, religions - making them an
universal medium of communication. It is also easy to get excited about stories
(at least easier than getting excited about "do's" and "don'ts" or theological
jargon); they are easy to remember. If you teach like they do in many churches
in America, you are in some ways limiting the Gospel to those who can understand
your complicated terms and abstract ideas. They are no dumber than the average
American; some simply have not learned to think about belief and religion the
way we have.
And if you think about it, how did we learn to think like
that? What was our first step? Stories. Simple stories of God's work in the
world. The truth they proclaim is not limited by culture or education. Jesus
came. He died. He rose. We are free to live in his grace and love and peace
forever. What a beautiful, uncomplicated story.
Later, same
flight - 9:56pm
We are about to land in Lima. It was a delightful flight
full of a second free dinner (this time with four Oreos - the other Copa flight
just gave two), Tangled, reading more of Let the Nations Be
Glad!, and trying to say "gracias" instead of "thank you" whenever
possible. I really must appear obviously American because everyone speaks to me
in English right away, not even bothering with Spanish. I was so ready to say
"pollo por favor" when asked which meal I would like. The man asked the
just-as-white-as-me family in front of me in Spanish first, then English. So I
was ready to respond with my "impressive" bit of Spanish. The flight attendant
gets to me...
Lima. Sorry to be so out of date in my posting.
Traveling has gone quite smoothly, as traveling goes. James
and I are on the Copa Airlines plane in Panama, waiting to head off to Lima.
Both relatively inexperienced travelers, we have succeeded so far. Between our
connecting flights in Orlando, we did have to go through security again because
we were confused as to where our gate was and went too far. But it is neat to
experience the efficiency of airports, even unecessarily. One thing that is not
neat to experience is airport prices. It was a good $9.58 chicken sub,
though.
I scared James at the Panama airport - there was a long line for
the restroom and we didn't have much time to board. But we made it; I just need
to get used to the iffiness of cell phone-less communication.
Mr. Weaver
- the coordinator for IMB REAPSouth teams in Peru - sent us readings, which I
finished up on the last flight. Their common theme was the purpose of missions
and the best way to communicate the good news we are sharing. One talked about
why using stories are more effective than linear-logic sermons. Every culture
uses stories - in daily conversations, traditions, religions - making them an
universal medium of communication. It is also easy to get excited about stories
(at least easier than getting excited about "do's" and "don'ts" or theological
jargon); they are easy to remember. If you teach like they do in many churches
in America, you are in some ways limiting the Gospel to those who can understand
your complicated terms and abstract ideas. They are no dumber than the average
American; some simply have not learned to think about belief and religion the
way we have.
And if you think about it, how did we learn to think like
that? What was our first step? Stories. Simple stories of God's work in the
world. The truth they proclaim is not limited by culture or education. Jesus
came. He died. He rose. We are free to live in his grace and love and peace
forever. What a beautiful, uncomplicated story.
Later, same
flight - 9:56pm
We are about to land in Lima. It was a delightful flight
full of a second free dinner (this time with four Oreos - the other Copa flight
just gave two), Tangled, reading more of Let the Nations Be
Glad!, and trying to say "gracias" instead of "thank you" whenever
possible. I really must appear obviously American because everyone speaks to me
in English right away, not even bothering with Spanish. I was so ready to say
"pollo por favor" when asked which meal I would like. The man asked the
just-as-white-as-me family in front of me in Spanish first, then English. So I
was ready to respond with my "impressive" bit of Spanish. The flight attendant
gets to me...
"Which would you like, miss?"
Quietly and ashamedly in English: "Chicken, please."
"And to drink?"
I became brave: "Agua, por favor."
And that, my friends, is self-enforced language
immersion at work.
immersion at work.
"As the rain and the snow
come down from
heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and
making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread
for the eater,
is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return
to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose
for which I sent it."
come down from
heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and
making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread
for the eater,
is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return
to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose
for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:10-11
Sunday, May 15, 2011
New Summer, New Team
So, this coming weekend, May 22, our first few Summer Missionaries (SMs) will be traveling for their 1 week training with the IMB before hitting the town of Conima with the Gospel! We'll have upwards of a dozen at one point and time in the house for a week this summer, with SMs coming and going throughout the whole time.
This is a quick prayer request for those of you who are following. Pray for open doors for the word, boldness in the proclamation, and a love for the people of Conima in the hearts of all going on these trips this summer. God can grow an amazing love for a people group if you just ask Him - ask Him with us to increase our love for the Aymara for the sake of His name and the Gospel.
Here's our SMs list you can begin praying for - staring May 22 they travel:
This is a quick prayer request for those of you who are following. Pray for open doors for the word, boldness in the proclamation, and a love for the people of Conima in the hearts of all going on these trips this summer. God can grow an amazing love for a people group if you just ask Him - ask Him with us to increase our love for the Aymara for the sake of His name and the Gospel.
Here's our SMs list you can begin praying for - staring May 22 they travel:
- Ellen P.
- James S.
- Patty A. (Peruvian native who'll be our translator throughout the summer)
- Katie D.
- Molly D.
- Dave F.
- Elaine F.
The BST (Bible School Team) that I will be leading will go out there June 26-July 3rd. We would appreciate your prayers even now for God to set up a great chance for many children at the schools to hear the gospel:
- Jonathan M.
- Mike D.
- Annie May D.
- Josh W.
- Allison B.
- Jake V.
Thanks for praying - Keep it up!
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the
same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to
declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may
make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders,
making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned
with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians
4:2-6 ESV)
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