Journal 8

 

Yesterday was our first free day in the CRV, and we all enjoyed sleeping in!  I refused to get out of my bed until 10, and it was Oh-So-Nice!  For the most part it was a day of relaxation without doing much of anything except hanging out.  We did our laundry for the first time!  It got hand-washed, then hung on a line to dry.  (Not everything got dry though because of us not lining up the laundry with the sun), but it was all good in the end!  In all, it was a 24 hours well-spent. 

Thanks to the Creator who demands His creations take a break!

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Genesis 2:2

Journal 7

May 27, 2012
     A week in Peru!  (It feels so much longer though.)  Monday is our 'day of rest', so I'm looking forward to today!  However, Yesterday! was a lot better than Saturday.
     We started our day with breakfast and then broke apart for whatever we wanted to do.  I put on my new hat and went to do a quiet time between the pool and the river.  Hopefully I can get myself back on a rhythm with that study! (Bible-in-a-year plan).  It was good as I learned about Gideon and how God can show us proof multiple times that He is real, but we still have to have faith that He is true.  After some qt, the four of us played some phase ten.  This was the first time I played with points.  So far, not doing too well, but we had to pause the game to head back to Vachaycocha.  The hike went so much better than the day before!  I was able to get a consistent pace and go with it.  (of course I had to take many breaks in between), but we made it in an hour and twentyish minutes!  Making record times.  Once we got there, we decided to try the shop first to call the US and to get bananas.  The phone store was closed, so we went to the one where Jessica is working and got some bananas.  They had some pink to them, but boy they were good! :).  It was good talking with Jessica again.  Hopefully we can build up a relationship there and God will open an opportunity to share Christ with her!  She works every day until 9.  After our banana break, we hiked up to Betty's house and met with her family again.  We didn't have much time to catch our breathes before the girls were pulling for us to go play volleyball.  Liz, Javier, and I went to the plaza to play while Morgan made some bread with Betty.
     At the plaza, there were kids of all ages, and more came out as we kept playing.  I didn't play too long before I let one of the girls come and take my spot.  The volleyball was hard as brick, and I was still attempting to catch my breath!  Also, there were some younger children sitting and watching the game and I was hoping God would open some doors to build relationships with them.  There's no telling what they thought about the crazy “gringo” girl that kept making silly hand motions and speaking horrible Spanish.  Thankfully Javier could come over during a game break and speak a little bit for me.  I was able to kind of teach a hand game to one of the two shy girls that were sitting next to me, but I don't think she enjoyed it... or at least understood the point of it.  I looked pretty silly for sure!  It was encouraging, however, that the girls kept scooting closer to me while we were sitting and watching the volleyball game.  Soon the kids started playing another game, which when translated actually means 'kill people'.  Basically, two people stand on the outside with the rest in the middle, and you try and throw the ball at people to get them out.  One of the girls playing volleyball asked me to play, but I felt like I was getting some bonding time with the two girls and some of the other kids that were kind of young to play.  Those kids have the most beautiful names! (even if i do have trouble pronouncing or spelling them!).  Celeste, is just one, but I don't know how to spell any of them, so saying a whole lot of their names is hard to do right now.  After a little more butchered Spanish on my part, I got up to join the next game that ten of the children ended up playing with us.  The good old favorite of throwing the ball up into the air, calling out a number, then having that person catch and saying stop.  Then, you get three steps and try to get somebody out with the ball.  Sometimes while we were playing with the children, there were some loud bangs, like gun shots.  At first, I thought it was gunshots.  It turned out to be a kind of fireworks that were shot off when a certain kind of food-drink was made.  Not entirely sure the rules, but we heard them on and off for the rest of the night.  We played outside with the kids until about 5:30, and it was so great to see how overjoyed they were.  Filled with smiles.  (Oh! 7 Cents was the name of the game we were playing!)
    When we got back to Betty's adobe, Morgan and Betty had plenty of DELICIOUS bread ready for us.  Imagine funnel cake, except soo good it doesn't need the powdered sugar.  We also had some hot chocolate with... cinnamon!  Twas delicious!  There was another Sister of the faith there who invited us to come milk cows and make cheese with her on Saturday!  She'd feed us cheese and potatoes.  I'm Very excited about making some cheese!  Betty had also reminded us that she would teach us knitting!  We’re going to make all kinds of things, and I'm excited!  We left a little early so we could go and get washing detergent from the store for today (washing day!).  Church was similar to Saturday's service, except that we got up and gave a small lesson- Morgan headed that one up.  Oh, and Javier volunteered us to lead worship next week, so Liz and I are working on that…
     We were able to get the taxi again and rode home (with three cute little stow-away girls in the trunk-space).  Again, the stars simply took my breath away.  Got home, ate dinner (no trout this time), and went to the hot springs!  For a moment, we were stuck inside our new bath-house choice (they were cleaning out our usual bath room).  But, eventually we were able to get out! Yesterday brought a lot more encouragement for our trip than we had on Saturday.  But we could see God opening doors and providing comfort from the town. 

The Lord is generous in answering prayers and providing for His children, whom He Incredibly loves!

Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.

Mark 9:37

Photo 2 via Morgan Payne

Journal 6

May 27, 2012
     I can't believe we have only been in Peru for a week!  It feels like it's been forever!  Yesterday was our first full day in the CRV.  We had a familiar breakfast of bread and jam, with some hot tea... (at least I think we had tea yesterday...).  Wake up time was about 10 o'clock (not counting the 6 o'clock car horns).  One thing about Peru, Peruvian drivers LOVE their car horns!  The morning mainly consisted of us looking around the hostel and some nearby exploring.  We had peanut butter sandwiches and some of the chips Toni donated to our food stashes during orientation for lunch.  We decided as a group we'd be going through the book of 1 Timothy.  I don't really recall a time I’ve studied that one.  I could be wrong though!  ..I was So ready to go to Vachaycocha.


     A little before two, we set out for the mountain. Wow.  It was quite the hike for our second day in the mountains! There definitely were some difficult parts to the 3.1 mile hike, but we all enjoyed plenty of breaks and water!  An hour and a half later, we finally made it to town!  Our main goal was to visit one of our sisters-in-Christ, Betty.  Of course, she would be located at one of the highest houses in the town!  But by God's strength and provision, we made it!  Winded, but there, we enjoyed hours of spending time with her young girls that were all there.  We played go-fish and another card game I had never heard of before: Nervous.  It was fun!  Later, once Betty got back, we had bread and coffee inside her cooking room and enjoyed the company for a while!  While we were up there, they had a lamb, alpaca, cat, and plenty of chickens and roosters!  I pet an alpaca!  It's so cool to see this life style that better relates to how they used to live in Biblical days!  There was a donkey on the road as we were climbing up to Vachaycocha.  we joked God had provided us some transportation!  There was also another mule that ran up past us on the street, up the hill, as we were playing cards.
     We left Betty's for a little bit to go and watch a little of the soccer match that was announced through a speakers' system throughout the town.  We stayed for a little and then went to the shop in town.  It usually has a phone and internet, but they would both be out for about two months.. oh the irony.:).  Now I've got to figure out some way to contact home and fix that situation!  It'll all be good though.  It's so relieving not to have fear while trusting God is going to fully protect you as you do His will.  Comfort.:).  We were able to chat some with the girl in charge at the shop.  She said she's been to church, but has not recently since she travels back and forth from Lima.  We stayed in the shop for a couple of hours as we were waiting for the church service to start at 7.  I bought a hat!  For about 5 American dollars (15 solace).  ¡Es muy bonita!  Due to a miscommunication, and a little laziness on our part (or exhaustion), we actually left the store, walked a little down the road in the cold, then ended up going back into the store and sitting until time for church.  oh Javey!  I'm surprised how well he's putting up with us so far! :).  The service was good and slightly different than the US churches.  There is no current pastor there, only a president and some devoted members.  But where three or more are gathered... right? :)  So there was worship, and people would take turns sharing something from the Bible.  We got up front and introduced ourselves.  Eventually, Betty's husband took us in his taxi back to Collpa, so we wouldn't have to walk back in the dark! °Someone° forgot about making dinner reservations ahead of time, but thankfully the staff was willing to cook up some trout and potatoes, with some delicious tea.  We were starving, it felt like!  Morgan DEVOURED that fish.  The first night, she barely ate a thing from it.  The second, she even mocked it (picked up its head and everything! ...twice!).  We hit the hot springs after that and then went to bed, exhausted as ever!  and now, it's time for day two! 

Praise God for His strength to do His work!

You have heard these things; look at them all.  Will you not admit them?  “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.”

Isaiah 48:6, NIV

Photo 1 and 3 via Morgan Payne

Journal 5

May 26, 2012

The day had finally come! 

We all got up for an early breakfast and an 8:00 session by Guy, Mindy’s pastor from back home.  Brooke also had her graduation back home that morning, so I attempted to call and congratulate her, but no answer.  I left a message for my dear sister.  I truly am so proud of her and her accomplishments!  I rushed to repack my suitcase since the Collpa team would be the first to head out at about 10.  It was hard to say goodbye.  We were excited to leave and finally meet the people we were learning so much about, but it also hurt to say goodbye to new friends we wouldn’t see again for two months.

Eventually, it was time to move out.  We FINALLY met Javier, who we had begun calling Javey long before we actually knew him.  Jim came with his truck and Morgan, Liz, Javey, and I piled in.  Then, we hit the road!  Literally.  There were a lot of speed bumps!  It was amazing to look out and see all the colorful houses on the sides of the mountains.  Peru, or at least in Lima, gets a Very small amount of rain each year.  If it received more than that, such as the giant downpour we’re accustomed to in the South, all the houses would come sliding down the mountains.  We stopped in a store to get some water, and the three gringas (not an impolite term in our experience, though it may be in other cultures) stuck out more than we had before.  We definitely caught a couple of stares, but it was new and interesting. 

 

 

 

 

 

After many speed bumps, stomach- dropping dips, about half an hour of waiting for road conditions, some close views of Very high drop-offs (think California), and some of the most beautiful rivers and waterfalls I will probably ever see in my life, we made it to Collpa!  Collpa literally is nothing except for the hostel and hot springs.  In fact, it is the name of the hostel. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We placed our dinner order, 3 trout for the girls and the guys got milanesa (breaded chicken), then went ahead to Vachaycocha.  There were dogs, sheep, alpaca, donkeys, and all sorts of animals everywhere!  Bailey would love all these sheep!  The sheep without a shepherd around confused me, so I deemed them as Wild Sheep.  That got a few laughs as people explained that the town knew which sheep belonged to whom, so it was perfectly normal for wild animals just to walk around unattended sometimes.  We saw the church building and schools that we would be working at, and stopped to visit with some children and a couple of the adults for a few minutes.  The cutest little girl, named Marisol, had a little blue ribbon tied for each of her two braids and came up talking to me a million miles an hour.  Thank goodness for Javier!  You could see the excitement glowing off of her face.  She came up and hugged me and held on until it was time to leave.  The other girls had stood back a little bit, but I think Marisol had been expecting us.  She immediately invited us to join her family for dinner, but we still had much to do.  So we promised them we would come back today and then left to go visit Pacaraos.  (These two towns are the ones we’re going to be working in the most).

We mainly drove around in Pacaraos, but stopped for a moment as we saw Chilolo walking by the truck.  He shook our hands from inside the car and talked for a moment before we each went along our own ways.  We then went off to unpack our bags and eat dinner in Collpa.

Dinner… I had to say an extra prayer, at least for myself.  The trout was full fish –eyes to tail.  Wasn’t expecting that at all!  I had to take a moment to build up my bravery.  Dad would be proud; I ate it and tried not to think about the eyes so much.  I guess it was a good warm-up though.  So if I ever eat at someone’s house, I’ll be prepared for something… unexpected.  Sometimes, you just have to suck it up and go for it! And quite possibly, just maybe, you’ll find it’s not as bad as you think.

Jim left after dinner, and the three girls quickly got on swimming suits and hit the hot springs.  Javier gave us a fifteen minute limit for our first time in because of the sulfur possibly making us light-headed.  It was SO nice to have hot water!  Lima’s hostel had mainly cold showers, in my experience.  We situated our stuff after the springs and were asleep probably no later than 10:30.  The sulfur Did unfortunately make my necklace turn black around the base, but it’ll always be there to remind me of Peru! 

 Thanks to the Lord, the Creator of All, for allowing me to be here!

 

The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8, NIV

Journal 4

May 25, 2012

Yesterday was our last full day in Lima as a team!  (Today, we each split into our groups and headed separate ways.)

The morning was much like all the others, and everyone again enjoyed being spiritually filled!  Toni spoke with us today, and he’s quite hilarious. His lesson was more about the Bible and relating religion in the cultures.  He would throw out candy to answered questions, and sometimes even chips.  Which is why I have Plenty more snacks for the summer!

For lunch, we ate some delicious sandwiches at the hostel.  I promise the fruits and vegetables are magical here!  I love these wonderful friends I’ve been making.  We’ve gotten so close, so fast! 

We met with Emily and Matt, who had recently been up to Collpa when the Kentucky team (the church that has adopted the area in the CRV) came in the Spring.  Matt was actually a summer missionary to our area last summer through his church.  Jim, a missionary of IMB who would transport us to and from Collpa, held a q&a time for our team to learn some from Emily and Matt about the area and people.  We also learned a little bit about what they were doing in Peru, which was working at an orphanage in Lima independently.  Apparently the children extremely outnumbered the people working there and conditions were Not the greatest.  There are about 850 children to a staff of less than 10.  It’s insane.

After learning some more, we had chill time.  I took a nap. Happy times!  we had a lot of social time with each other, and pizza for dinner! More hang-out time, and I was able to mail out another email before bed. 

Thanks to the Lord for this Awesome opportunity!

 

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23:6 (NIV)

Journal 3

May 24, 2012

The doors are opening for the Lord’s wisdom to shine inside of us!

Yesterday was breakfast as usual which was just as delicious as ever.  My luggage received a MUCH-needed reorganization.  Now I can find things so much easier while las chicas are sleeping!  Morning session began with two missionaries, David and Cameron, talking about Quechua culture and what to expect once we get there, while their baby boy, Pete, held a slight distraction for this girl in his adventures running around the room.  I’m a sucker for kids, what can I say?  I love the simple and relational aspects we’ve learned so far.  Such as people are mostly late arriving places because if they run into someone while walking, they Always stop and talk, for even up to an hour.  Forming relationship are so important up there.  We learned a lot more, but I’m sure once we actually go up to Collpa, the lifestyle will speak for itself.  (Yup).  I love this culture and its caring, talkative, and loving people!

We went to a menú for lunch.  Which is basically large amounts of premade food that cost barely anything.  Peruvian fast food!  Apparently that will be a major part of the dining for the three teams.  Except it will just about always contain chicken, rice, and potatoes.  After lunch we walked back for some general discussion about what to expect for our specific teams.  Oh yes!  We also broke up into our specific teams and got to know each other a little better.  I’m looking forward to a God-filled summer with Morgan and Liz!  (Side note: sitting outside, drinking hot herbal tea, and writing in a journal is quite enjoyable!) 

After our final discussion with Mindy, we mainly relaxed around the hostel until dinner came.  The Peruvian food here is pretty delicious!  Just some talking after dinner, and I believe all of the girls were in bed before 10:00.  Traveling about 9 hours and filling your mind with cultural information can leave a lasting exhaustion.  Orientation over-all has been so nice.  God’s been showing us such great stuff.  I’m definitely blessed with this opportunity to make a difference and am constantly praying for God to lead me through this journey! 

Last note:  worshipping in Spanish brings me joy here!

“Therefore I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, I will sing praises to your name.”                                   2 Samuel 22:50 (NIV)

Photo 1 via Morgan Payne

Journal 2

May 23, 2012

It has been Amazing to see how God is building us up, getting us ready for the summer!

Yesterday, breakfast contained jam-filled croissants and multiple kinds of fruit. Now this, I can learn to get used to! Delicious. We started lessons around 8:30 to begin educating ourselves in acting in the mission field and what to expect as we go. Donnie was first up to teach us how the Quechua people love to hear the Bible in Storying form. I loved learning this method. We said it, drew it, and acted it. With the method, these choices can be repeated multiple times and is very effective! Ask me a while from now, and I will still be able to speak about the demon-possessed man! (And this will be one of the beautiful examples of how God uses stuff in our lives to share His Glory down the road: with sweet Kandy a couple of weeks into the CRV).

Then, after some more training, we had a lunch of sandwiches and Peruvian snacks. Don’t know why, but Peruvian carrots are extremely delicious ! We had another session about being ready to accept their culture as is and not try to fix what works for them, but we think is broken. It’s about learning to embrace what they know as life!

We finished at about 3 (it felt like 5 because we were all so tired!). Then we walked to a grocery store (Wongs) and the beach after that! It was Beautiful! It was my first time to really see the Pacific Ocean. Wonderful big waves!

Photo via Morgan Payne

Then, we walked to our first Peruvian restaurant, and I enjoyed grilled chicken and fries and… cow heart! Ew. It was alright. Too mushy for my taste. Mindy only answered “beef” when we asked the name of the food. The smile on her beautiful face while replying gave away her dishonesty though. I decided to try anyways and she told us today what it Really was. We came back to the hostel for the night and enjoyed doing nothing but playing a couple of games, then sleep!

My teammates (even the ones we only get to see like 10 days the entire summer) are great! I’m going to love getting to know everyone better. All for now!

But I won’t make a move until You move in me.

Move in me (Paul)                                                             Jeremy Camp                                                                   Music Inspired by the Story