Day 4 (Paola i a day behind)

Posted by Paola on Monday, July 19, 2010. Tag: Peru

Day 4

Today, on our way we had to make a quick stop at the hardware store to purchase a wheelbarrow. You can see from the photo that Alfonso got quite a ride!

This morning, the guys went to a different part of the community to build some stairs so that left just us girls (Americanos y Peruvians) to carry sand and walls. While the sand is not that difficult, the walls are extremely heavy! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that because I was too busy carrying walls! We did very well if I do say so myself!

We did have to wait for more sand to be delivered, so some of the girls taught their new friends some hand games. Be sure to check out the video and pictures!

We had to leave early today because we had been invited to a late lunch at the mayor's house. None of us wanted to leave unfinished work, but it was important to honor the invitation and encourage the government's involvement. We arrived at this huge barricaded complex and were led inside. I can't even explain to you our amazement at what awaited us! A huge catered lunch of traditional Peruvian and local food, elegant tables and chairs draped in white satin and gold and a huge garden/pool/recreation area! The food was amazing and the amount of food was crazy huge! We all went crazy over a green sauce that was served with the steaks and chicken. Diane even convinced the mayor to get the chef to give her the recipe. So those of you who know Diane and her cooking, know that we should all be getting to taste this wonderful sauce very soon. I think Diane and the mayor have a great marketing scheme cooked up!

Some of the team members expressed to the mayor a great desire to form a medical team and to provide access to a free clinic sponsored by volunteer doctors, nurses, dentits, etc. Mayor Carlos Burgos seemed very excited about this and promised to provide whatever expertise and resources were required to do this. Including providing an NGO to coordinate lawyers, licensing, etc. This is a big deal! We have seven nurses on our team and I can't imagine how heartbreaking it must be to not be able to help in that way!

The mayor also explained that for the past 10 years (he has been in office only three years) he feeds the children in an impoverished area in his district. He does this every Saturday and Sunday morning for about 2000 children! Mayor Burgos invited all of us to come and help serve tomorrow morning! We are all looking forward to this. Of course, when the kids found out that we had to be ready to get on the bus by 6:30am..some were a little less enthusiastic! Especially when Sunday is usually the day to sleep in and go to church. But as Linda said, "It's time to take church outside the walls!"

Amen to that!

Love, Paola

Photos from Peru

Posted by Bryan on Sunday, July 18, 2010. Tag: Peru

We've uploaded some photos from the Peru trip to Flicker. Most are by Cas.

Get Behind Us Satan ..... You Will Not Win!!!!!

Posted by Diane on Sunday, July 18, 2010. Tag: Peru

Hola,

OK .... now the enemy is starting to tick me off!!!!!  Kristina is sick and had to stay behind at the hotel.  No .... it is not the water.  We have some sort of virus we are passing around.  I stayed behind at the hotel just in case she needs me.  She really had a rough night.  However she is determined to feel better by lunch time.  Bryan is also having a rough day.  He is here as well. He actually was not feeling very well yesterday either.

The team has gone, at the request of the mayor, to help feed 2000 people in the San Juan de Lurigancho district.  He does this out of his own pocket every Saturday and Sunday.  They get oatmeal and a muffin.  The interpreter said they bring big jars with them so they can take some home for the rest of the family and for the next day.  I hope all is going well.

By the way, my spanish is terrible.  The children and adults try and try to get me to roll my tongue to say the words.  It is hilarious!!!  I try my hardest, but I usually end up telling them my Espaniol is broken.  One little girl tried for over an hour to help me say her name correctly.  Her name was (I am spelling like it sounds) Mar-e-lou-sell-o.  I finally got it after tons and tons of laughter from our team and them.  The little girl would grab my face and try to make my mouth work right.  LOL.  Just as funny .... if you can imagine me trying to teach them English.  Did you know dog is really a three syllable word.  Oh and I said ,"come on y'all" the other day and one of the children repeated it.  Toooooo funny!!!  Peruvians with southern drawls and slang.

I have to tell y'all this is a FANTASTIC team.  I love every single person that is here and every single person has served some important part in the success of this mission.  Sometimes I just stand back and am in awe of the work God is allowing us to do.  We have taken hundreds and hundreds of pictures but all the pictures in the world cannot express the feeling you get when one of the little ones runs up to you and literally jumps in your arms or when they run down the hill chasing the bus because they don't want you to leave.  I told the mayor yesterday that we had seven nurses, a physical therapist, a dentist, and a pharmacist on this team.  We need to do a medical mission in addition to the construction team next year.  Linda, Steve, and Alfonso talked to him about building a clinic in the Santa Rosita community for a dental office and possible family practice to try to provide the much needed care.  I would love for us to be able to provide vitamins (especially prenatal), toothbrushes, diapers, sanitary products, antibiotics, medicine for parasites, and hygiene information to these community members.  Clean drinking water for everyone is a must.  We have soooooo far to go but the improvements in the community because of God providing a way for us the get involved is mind boggling.  They learned a great deal from us last year and have contnued to practice what they learned through the year.  Alfonso has also been a blessing provided to these people by God.  He really cares about improving their living conditions.  One more thing we have done for the people is provided them with the ability to trust.  Others have come and siad they would help but then they did not come back.  We not only came last year but we kept Alfonso coming all year and then came back ourselves this year.  Mary Lee said she now understands.  We have to come back!!! She needs her boys to come next year.

We know y'all are praying for us.  We feel your prayers.  I really mean that.  Please continue to pray for us.  Pray for our safety, our strength, our health, our ability to carry forth with what we feel the Lord is telling us to do, and for Satan to Leave us alone.  I have talked to most everyone on this trip and everyone knows they are here because this is what God told them to do. 

Lovw

Diane

PS .... I had to redo this 3 times because my message kept disappearing ...... I am not joking .... the enemy is working overtime!!!!!!

Lima Day 3

Posted by Paola on Sunday, July 18, 2010. Tag: Peru

Day 3

This was a wondrous day to say the least. We spent the morning in our lines to pass sand and haul walls. We must be doing some major work for God, because Satan really tried his best to put a stop to it! Two of our team members, Esther and Alex, had to stay behind at the hotel because Alex had a tummy virus. Then, after lunch, another of our team had a choking trauma and continued to have difficulty breathing. An ambulance came to pick her up, but before it arrived, we all prayed for Shelby's healing. It was a very powerful moment. Later, when I asked Josh what his favorite part of the day was...he told me it was when we all laid hands on Shelby and prayed for her. I believe his exact words were, "That was sweet."

We also had a worship time with the community members! A couple of our team members are pastors and worship leaders. We sang "Shout to the Lord" in English and then in Spanish! I shared a song sheet with a Peruvian woman and I giggled when she tried to sing in English, but when I tried to sing in Spanish, she laughed out loud! It was very funny. After the worship time, the gentleman that was in charge of the microphones and speakers put in a music CD with Spanish praise music. I actually recognized one of them...just not the words. Several of the team members grabbed some children and just started dancing and jumping around. To see the team members and children and even some of the mammas dancing together...well, it was beautiful. As my Maggie would say, "It made me happy like polka-dots!"

Tomorrow is supposed to be a very hard day and we have less time to get the work done. We are going somewhere special for a late lunch...will fill you in soon!

Thank you for all the prayers! Keep them up...they are working and we need them!

Love, Paola

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