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