Peru- August 8

It's Tuesday! The day everything starts. Liliana rang the big bell at 6:30am. (to wake everyone up). Right now it is 7:10 and we are supposed to have group devotions. 7:30 is breakfast and Carlos and Yolanda are wiping the tables off. The view here looks really cool with the sun up now. It's quite green down here and there are some tall trees that look like Cedars.
Lord, I just want to serve you today!
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Now, it's just after supper. People are mingling and talking and I feel a great need for a nap- so I'm writting here instead. Breakfast was porridge and I ate about half of mine (I really don't care for porridge) with bun things and jam (marmalada). All jam seems to be the same kind here and it's always called Marmalada. We did the VBS this morning and it was quite something. I don't know how the other stations went, (since there were many like one for the story, one for the craft, one for the horsebackriding, etc) but I did the craft the whole time and it went pretty good. Some kids had a challenge listening to sit and then after the craft , we talked a little bit about the sunshine (that we had painted with our hands) and how it related to Jesus.

Yolanda and I did the four groups (which were categorized by age) one after another, but the last group came late and not all of them got to do the craft, (which they were upset about) because it was noon and they had to leave back on the big wagon that brought them here.

"The men all came back for lunch (our team and the locals) and we all ate together. We had squash soup (which was quite good b/c they added just the right spices). And we had rice & chicken & potatoes (pollo y papas) in a sauce.

After lunch Tanya & I didn't know what to do (b/c we were not needed to help with the dentist), so Vegas gave us a job of staining some picnic tables, and as we did, we met a new friend, Samuel, who is 25 and lives in Arequipa. He helped stain two tables, and a little guy named Jordan (Hordan) helped too. He's not that young, maybe 10 or 12? Anyways, we were ready to be done then, so we ended and I found I have a large blister full of liquid on the inside side of my thumb on my left hand from the paintbrush! It took a while to get our hands clean b/c we needed someone to find us some varisol or paint thinner to get it off. One of the older men on the camp got some and poured a little out on what looked like cheese cloth so we all got some. That was real great, b/c we really didn't want to stay that sticky! After, we went for a short walk around the camp to see more and came back for supper.

"I am thankful Lord, that you helped us make this friend. He left, but he'll be back next week. I can see that a lot of good relationships are developing with many people, and I thank you Lord. Liliana is still doing very well with her English and though she stops in confusion with strong and solid expression b/c she is thinking so hard, she keeps trying, keeps laughing and smiling. Thank- you . Her smile makes me smile. She is beautiful to me. And Lord, thank you for Tanya and Sari. I think they are doing excellent too, though they are a little shy-er to strike up conversation; this is their first missions trip and I pray that you would work in them. Lord, sometimes your vision gets me, just for a glimpse, and I really do want to cry. Oh, what incredible love! Oh, what joy! You are our hope and our only light. We are a lost people, Lord, and it is no different in any culture. I think it was yesterday, I thought to myself, if I do go on missions, I want to go somewhere that they already speak English. Then, I don't have that language barrier and can really start ministering and having deep conversations with those around me about God. But Lord, something inside changed. Perhaps I like the challenge of learning Spanish, but it would take twice as long to get to the same place but I guess then you still have developed a relationship during that time. That's important too. Lord, you know what is best and I trust you. It's not up to me anyways! You are Lord. You are King! Reign in me! Oh, for your Glory reign in me! Thank you for Anton and that he is here and growing in you. Thank- you for his devotion & personal stories. Bless him in Jesus' name. Amen.

My Journal- Aug 7

0 Our team had the opportunity to meet and visit with many other missionaries this morning from all over and everyone got prayed for by someone else. It was a cool experience and I'm grateful for it.
0 "Andrew Newman shared his testimony- it was nothing flashy, but honest and transparent (as God wants us to be).
0 "Liliana is doing very well with her English and is teaching us girls more and more Spanish.
0 "Physically, I am very well today- we had a good sleep last night, Thank you Lord.
0 "We also did 'The Amazing Race' Christian style when Tina (the host) sent us in teams on a hunt to go around Arequipa in a Taxi (run by a Christian Taxi company) and make various stops and complete simple tasks..." We did this for 2 reasons: to see the city and also to practice our Spanish and bartering skills. "She was nice though. She split us up so that each group had at least one person who could speak Spanish fluently. My group was Sari, Tanya and Ann Dargatz. We had lots of fun.
Tanya got her shoes shined by a boy, I got a 'chullo' (chew-yo) hat, Sari got to send a postcard home, and we fed pigeons bird seed and all went up the steps to the top of the observation tower." (Our assignment here was to count how many steps there were to the top and we counted 103.) It went by fast and we ran out of time to feed the llama! :(
0 "Then we all had lunch at a restaurant and had..." something like strombolies. "The Triangles (in Spanish) had ham, cheese and chicken in them and I liked them the best! And we had a Spanish cola that looked and tasted reminiscent of cream soda."
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"We are in the old-school yellow bus again on our way down to the valley. The scenery is like nothing I've ever seen and at some points, rock cliffs come right up to the edge of the road and you wonder if any will fall down because they don't look very sturdy. All you can see for miles and miles is rocks and sand and it is very hilly so it goes on for layers and layers deep.


"Now that we are at the camp it feels nice to be in one spot for a while. I can actually unpack and not have to repack tomorrow. I am very happy to be here and I know its going to be a great week and God's gonna touch hearts and lives. I am looking forward to the VBS feel better organized because we met tonight to go over things.

" 'God, it's all about you and I want to honour you. Help me not to be anxious or afraid but just to trust.'

"As I was writting this, a beatle bug thing came crawling out of one of the holes (in my journal's binding) and I freaked out a little. 'How long has that been there?!' and thinking 'I wonder if there's more!' As I search wide-eyed for any signs... It wouldn't bother me so much but I'm lying on my bed right now. With a flashlight because the other gilrs are asleep I think by now. I should go too. Tell you about tomorrow, tomorrow! Buenas Noches!"