Plans are taking shape.

As we continue this process of preparation, a few things have been determined.  We will be divided into 2 teams for most of our ministry time.  It looks like Team 1 will be Insung, Joyce and Jane.  Team 2 will be Beth Anne, Kelly, Sally and Kathy.  While we are in Lima we will all be staying together and both teams will split their time between the suburban church in Miraflores and in the Quechuan town of Chosica 2 hours away.  After 2 days of ministry, we will have a day to rest, review, sight-see and attend Saturday evening church.  Then our two teams will head in different directions.  Team 1 will fly over the mountains to the "jungle" side cities of Tingo Maria and Pucallpa.  Team 2 will be driven up into the mountains to the cities of Huancayo (11,000') and La Merced (2,500').  The men will also have 2 teams going to each of these places to do their teaching and medical ministries.  After each day of travel we will have a day to aclimate (especially important in the high altitude) and rest (also good after a long winding bumpy road trip) before spending 2 days doing our various minstries.

After much research and hard work by Beth Anne we have settled on some fun simple crafts to teach the women.  We will be making some beautiful necklaces finger crocheted out of special ribbon.  In most places the women will be able to make one for themselves and one to give as a gift to someone for Christmas.  These are crafts they could later adapt to make from local supplies to sell if they choose.  We will also have the opportunity to share stories of God's love with these women and sing a few songs. With the suburdan women in Miraflores, at their request, we will also be demonstrating to them how to make an American style Christmas table deocration which we will raffle off at the end.

The team going to la Merced will also be doing ministry at a school.  After learning last week that we will have 250 kids, not the 50 we expected, we've ditched the now unmanageable idea to do a craft in favor of acting out a story, singing songs and playing games.

Best Laid Plans

Welcome to our blog for the Peru Missions team 2011 from Browncroft Community church. 
We are seriously in the planning stages of our trip Nov.2 - Nov. 13.  As our support letter puts it:

We will be working together with a missionary named Pastor Gabe Agostini and SALT Ministry. SALT stands for Supporting And Leadership Training.  Their main work is to teach and train the Quechuan pastors who live in the remote cities of the Andes Mountains and in the jungles of Peru.  The Quechuan pastors would not have opportunities to take Seminary courses if it were not for SALT Ministry. They earn credits toward a Seminary degree and it’s wonderful to see that they can continue to grow in the Lord to become better pastors for their communities.  Our team is made up of 7 men and 7 women. The men will be teaching the seminary classes and running a health clinic for the pastors and families.  The women will be ministering to the community women and children by teaching them to make some Christmas crafts and sharing with them words of encouragement from the Word of God.

Right now we are trying to figure out what our ministry will look like, who will do what and how and who will be on each of two teams that go to different locations.  We need plans, however we need to hold those plans loosely because on trips like these things rarely turn out as we think they might.  Plans give us a place to start, dream, prepare... and be ready to alter as needed when God's plans intersect our own.


Our group includes:

Men: Blake Shipp, Jamie Roussie, Bob Brentson, Jessie Pepper, Carl Luger, Dr. Manny Marques, Manny Marques

Women: Insung Kim, Kelly Dapprich, Jane Rogers, Kathy Roeters, Joyce Kim, Beth Anne Hawn, Sally Warner