Packing

Wednesday night was our packing night.  We stuffed 6 suitcases with ministry supplies (and additional supplies were shipped to our 7th team member to pack) with special attention to where the supplies will be used and whether they would be used with the women or the children.  Some  of our supply suitcases will have to be left behind in Lima when we travel to the mountain and jungle regions so we had to plan for that as well. If we need to, some of the dresses and baseball caps will be left with the local missionaries for later distribution to the children when they return to those regions again in December.  While we'd love to see the children receive these gifts, I'm sure it will bless the local missionaries' ministry to be able to hand them out later, so all is well.  We unfortunately learned that we will be unable to go to the Compassion International site in Oxapampa because it has been raining a lot and the roads are bad.  While we are disappointed not to see these children I'm sure God has plans for the extra day we will have with the women and children in La Merced.


I want to say a special thank you to all who collected baseball caps and beanie babies, made pillowcase dresses and dolls, helped us to cut yarn and stuff bags with necklace supplies, and trimmed scripture cards for us to take.  You were a tremendous help and are very much a part of this trip and blessing these women and children. It is so much fun including you in our work. I'll cherish the memories of women running back and forth wrapping yarn around 8' tables, cutting it, draping it around necks to be counted while others stuffed over 600 bags with 6 strands each!  Also a big thank you goes out to those of you that have sent money to help us with the cost of the ministry supplies.  The last I heard it looked like we would reach our goal.  It would be a joy to further fund scholarship money for the poor pastors who have to travel to receive the training at SETA with any extra money that comes in.

The Bigger Picture

Last night we talked about how having our eyes too much on the tasks to be done - good things - can keep us from doing the best things - like building relationships.  We tend to be either "Marthas" or "Marys".  Both are needed, but their interests sometimes cause tension in the group.  The key is to value each other and try to keep our eyes on our purpose at all times.
It was fitting that Pastor Rob came in to speak to us last night about the Bigger Picture - the reason the church is sending us to Peru.  There are two good ways for churches to do valuable mission work.  One is to be called to a difficult place where no one is doing anything and start a work.  The other is to find where God is moving and join Him.  We are taking the second approach.  God is moving in Peru right now.  That is the only explanation our Peruvian friend, Pastor Roberto, has for the huge growth in his church in Lima, one of the places we will be ministering.  With fast growth comes the need for solid training of more leaders.  Our church has already begun partnering with ministries that are doing that with the men, work that the men's team will be continuing on this trip. Our women's team will be focusing on getting to know what is happening with the women and children in Peru.  The craft times with the ladies aren't the focus of our ministry, they are simply a vehicle for building relationships, both between us and our Peruvian sisters and also between our Peruvian sisters and their invited friends who need to know Christ.  It is an more than an opportunity for us to help our sisters reach out to their friends.  While doing this, as we get to know our sisters in Christ, we will be keeping our eyes open for more opportunities for us to support them in the future and needs we might have resources to help meet.

So our bigger purpose isn't making crafts with women or playing games with the children or singing with all of them, or even teaching the good lessons we have prepared for them all or even loving on them - all very good things.  Our bigger purpose is to see what God is already doing and find the best way to join Him in His work.  To do that we will need God's eyes for seeing and God's ears for listening and the Holy Spirit to translate.

a kaleidoscope view

This trip is starting to remind me of a kaleidoscope.  I recently received a very beautiful handmade glass one as a  whimsical birthday gift from my husband.  As I hold it up to the light my view is constantly changing.  So too is my colorful image of what is to come on our trip. 

Once again our schedule keeps changing.  The women's group going to the mountains will be adding a location and an overnight in Oxapampa 3 hours from La Merced.  We won't have the 250 kids in the school, but we will get 130 Compassion International kids in Oxapampa for an after school program and women in the evening.  How do we keep that many kids under control and busy outside for two hours?  We are working on lots of games (they work well with only 4 Gringas and one translator) a few songs, a bible story skit and some things to pass out (clothing? candy? a Bible verse card?).  Pray for us as we make these plans.

Our craft time with the women is taking shape.  This weekend we all learned to make the necklaces and earrings that we will be helping the women make.  We need to nail down the teaching time now.  Our schedule is set (I think) and we are getting the numbers of women and children to expect.  Sometimes we will be working with both women and children simulaneously.  Pray that we hear God's guidance in our decisions about the lessons we teach.

And yesterday most of us got our shots and instructions from the nice man from Passport Health (who was also a pastor and prayed with us before putting on his work badge to start his official work for the company).  Yellow fever shots for those heading to the jungle cities, Typhoid shots, Hep shots, malaria meds, antibiotics and instructions for food related sickness, bugs spray for clothes and lotion for our skin, and lots and lots more instructions!

Back to the kaleidoscope... All our plans need the light of Jesus to shine through them to be beautiful.  Pray for us.