My life is crazy. The minute I returned from Peru all hell broke loose at home.
2 Timothy 2:3 says "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus."
John 16:33 says "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
I guess I should be used to Satan's attack because I absolutely refuse to not do what I feel the Lord is leading me to do. But even though I expect it I wish it would stop. I'm growing weary. I'm struggling with depression and doing my best to stand on God promises. So if you're reading this please pray for my family.
Now back to Peru.... Day 3
This day we visited a typical school in the city. Peru is 90 something percent Catholic so project new hope has experienced some resistance when they have presented themselves as a Christian organization. So we went to this school telling the authorities that we were going to teach Bible principals and do crafts and games with the kids without telling them we weren't Catholic. Sneaky yes. But they were all for us teaching the kids about the Jesus and the Bible. It really struck me how fortunate they were that God was not taken out of the schools like it is here. It made me sad for us Americans and our children.
In Peru it is required you send your child to school but not enforced. The schools require uniforms and books be paid by the parents. Many parents can't even afford the lunch much less the clothes. So only the more well off kids go to school. Many kids are made to stay home and take care of the younger ones. The thing about this school is because of crime it had a very high wall around it with razor wire or glass on top. While we were playing games there was a young boy probably 10 or so standing on his roof outside the school watching us play. I could see the longing in his stance. I took a picture of him. It hurt my heart. One other thing we did a skit about the servants and the talents and the kids had to guess what our talents were. I sang Jesus loves me for them. It was amazing. I have been singing in public since I was 3 and never have I had this happen to me. Every child got perfectly quiet and even the kids in the classrooms that were not supposed to join us came to their windows. When I finished singing they roared with applause. It was a special special moment for me.
That afternoon we went to Barrio 5 the barrio by the sea. They made us a wonderful meal there. (Side note... I think I mixed up my days for morning activities. Day 2 morning was school Day 3 morning was special needs. ) I ask to visit homes this day because we had not yet seen the inside of a house and the other teams had. So the wife of the Barrio director took us around to several houses. Some were horribly poor and others were nicer. But it hit home with everyone how fortunate we all are in America. This barrio was full of kids and our men’s construction team had been there that week already putting in new playground equipment. So the kids came from everywhere when we called. (Via loud music) These kids had planned to put on a talent show for us. That is one thing I really loved about these people they love to dance for you. We gringos were the judges and then we got to dance with them. It was fun.
Day 4
We were scheduled for another school this day but because of the swine flu they closed the schools for the rest of the week. So we spent our whole day in Barrio 6 which is the one Parkway sponsors. Trent went with us this day too. We had a relay race with teams and did a youth thing inside the community center with the young people only. It was fun.
This day however we went to visit many homes in this barrio. One of the men of the church (Santiago) who had married the mother of his children last year. Wanted to show us his home. It was in the poorest of the poor part of this Barrio. He had done a great job with what he had and what he had wasn't much. The walls were plywood and woven palm and the roof was palm. The floors were sand like in all the homes. There was no kitchen just a large tin can in the back that his wife cooked their meals on. But he was beaming with pride. From what Trent said he had come a long way. We also visited a ladies home that held Bible studies there. She has breast cancer and had saved enough money for surgery to have her breast removed and some chemo. She was bald but she opened up her home to us with warmth and a glowing smile. We prayed with her to be healed. Me being the only person with a Charismatic background laid hands on her as we prayed. I really felt the Lords presence there and I felt prompted to tell her that I too had had cancer and the Lord healed me and he could her too. She needs to believe and claim it. She grabbed me hand hugged me so hard we both started crying. It moved me greatly and she thanked me for encouraging her to carry on and have Faith. I shall remember that forever.
Day 5
This was our final day with the team. We went to another special needs school that was in the city and much better funded than the first. We did crafts and made Indian fry bread with them. They sang and danced for us. These kids had varying things wrong with them. We gave out 14 angels to these kids. Each of us took two children to pray for, for a year.
Our last Barrio was one that did not have a community center. We got to this one early so we climbed the mountain/sand hill to look around. The poverty was astounding. I took pictures from the top and it just seemed to go on and on. We could see several barrios from this vantage point. Then we went down and set up make shift table in the sand and made homemade kites and butterflies. There seemed to be more kids here than any other barrio and when it was over I was exhausted from making butterflies with them and having kids hang on me for hours.
Our days were spent teaching, playing and helping and our nights were filled with talking and sharing everyone’s experiences. It seems we all had different ones but it affected each of us profoundly. We made good friends with other people from other churches and with the New Hope people who have dedicated their lives to Peru.
Now I know how to answer my Father when he asks me if I want to take over his Mission ministry when he is gone. The answer is YES!
Thanks for listening,
Sherry
Thanks for sharing.....
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