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!
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