This is an email I got to send home on Monday, and I know some of you have read it, and it's a little redundant, butI thought I'd include it for those who didn't get to read it before.
Subject: hello from Peru! Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 09:36:29 -0600
Hello everyone! It is Monday, Aug 14 and we are on our last day in the valley before we leave for Cuzco tomorrow. I didn't think I'd be able to communicate with you at all while I am here, so this may be the only letter you get until I return. About 10 of us just drove to the next town (Vitor) in the valley today because there are no locals to hang out with today since they are working and we are not. Here is a type of internet cafe, so we are all emailing at once! It's great! The past week has been challenging and most of us have gotten sick, but most of us are all better now, which is an answer to prayer. We have had a wonderful time being with the people here and trying to communicate with them in Spanish. Many of them just smile or laugh at us when we try to say something, but they have had great patience and want to know what we mean. The children's VBS was less organized than we had intended, but nonetheless, was successful, and I think all of the kids had a really good time! They simply want anybody who will be with them and have fun because many of their parents don't since they are always working to put food on the table. The ladies night was powerful for me because one of the Peruvian women shared her testimony and it was a hard one for her to tell and she needed to stop because she was crying. I was choking it back, since you all know me and how much of a crier I am. After she finished, I gave her a huge hug and she said ´God bless you´ and I was thinking, ´No, God bless you!´ The movie night was also really great and I hope and pray that it touched some hearts of those watching who had not yet recieved the Lord as their Saviour. Saturday, work was done early, so many of the men went swimming in the pool, and they made a good time of it with Canadians throwing in Peruvians and Peruvians doing the same to us! We all had a good laugh over that. It is not hard to see the relatiionships developing, and already, some are asking if we are coming back and when. I praise the Lord for this. Yesterday, pastor Chris preached twice- once in Arequipa (and we were very well received there), and then last night in San Luis (which is in the valley, in walking distance of the camp where we've been staying). Chris shared a big part of his heart last night with the people and his desire for the entire valley to be reached for the Gospel. He had such a longing and deep passion for them that I don't even fully understand after only a week here, but what he was saying was what God was saying to me, because I sat and cried (again, I know) for this same thing. What an incredible thing it is for people to be able to tell of God's incredible love to others. Minister to your neighbours and your neighbours' neighbours, he said. I can't fully describe the burden of love on some of our hearts here, but I'm going to carry this with me home. The world is a dark place and we ARE light who know God, so why shall the world remain dark? It shall not indeed, I say! The Word says, ´they will know we are Christians by our love´, and this has definitely spoken loudly this past week. God has already been working in the hearts of these people and we want to continue to see his work done here. Pray for the young church here that it will grow to maturity; that it will be unified and not torn apart by the Devil; that more would be added to it; that trained Peruvians will take responsibility and leadership roles to help with the minstry and discipleship. I don't know if we have ministred to the Peruvians more, or if they have minstered to us more! It's an incredible thing, this fellowship. They love us with no reason, except that we came here, leaving behind everything else in North America. They bless us in ways they don't even know, but maybe this goes both ways. :) Onto a lighter topic, all our hard work is done and the next 3 days will be for fun! Touring around and shopping. I have learned that all of us Canadians suck at bartering! They say a price, and we say ´Ok!´ The Dargatz's shake their heads... I guess we are just too polite! In Canada, the price simply isn't negotiable, but in Cuzco, it is very negotiable, and Vegas warned us that we may have to be rude, because some many people want to sell you so much stuff! I guess we'll see how it goes. Thank you for all your prayers. I could say much more, but this is long as it is. And thank you to those who wrote in my Encouragement book from HLAC. You don't know how appropriate many of the entries have been so far. God bless you all! In Christ, Carmen PS: I love and miss you Drake!
