http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416 Every day students and leaders from Mission Peru will be posting a blog entry. Stay tuned daily for updates! AdvancedMinistry We have arrived home! The teams have headed there respective ways for the night. God Bless, Peter http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25829 25829 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:56:00 +0000 We're safely arrived in San Salvador. We're currently on time and are looking forward to seeing you tonight! God Bless, Peter http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25821 25821 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:19:00 +0000 We arrived safely in Lima at 6:30 this morning, a stunning trip of 8.5 hours!  We are currently waiting for our flight to San Salvador.  We'll try to update you when we arrive.  God Bless, Peter PS. Happy Birthday Penny http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25803 25803 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:24:00 +0000 Hey Everyone, We're about to get on the bus back to Lima.  Please pray for safety and the ride will be shorter than last time. In Him, Peter http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25778 25778 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:53:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25749 25749 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:18:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25746 25746 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:52:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25748 25748 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25747 25747 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:57:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25711 25711 Tue, 9 Aug 2011 23:59:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25710 25710 Tue, 9 Aug 2011 23:58:00 +0000             I haven’t been in Peru for very long, but I feel as though my time spent here has already made an impact on me that will last for the rest of my life. Whether it was the children in the daycare, people hosting us at the church in Lima, or the people in the dump, each person I’ve come in contact with has made an impact on me. I’ve already learned many lessons here that will stay with me forever. I learned a very valuable lesson on Sunday when our team went to the beach for the day. After swimming in the Pacific Ocean, I decided to put on my baby alpaca fur sweater over my bathing suit, throw my clothes and freshly bought souvenirs into my bag and go for a walk. While enjoying the beautiful scenery, I decided to stop and take a picture. Being the trusting, naïve person I am, I put my bag down and took the picture. Going back to get my bag, I realized that somebody took it. Luckily, I had my appropriately long alpaca sweater to cover me and I didn’t miss my clothes too much.             Today was very eye-opening for me. After waking up at 7 and having our routine bun and jam for breakfast we headed off to the construction site for the morning. Rather than doing my usual brick making process, today I was throwing rocks into a trench where some other workers were pouring cement, then I shovelled rocks into the cement mixer. Everyone here has been doing a really good job of choosing joy while working, even during some of the strenuous tasks that need to be done. At about 12:30 we all washed up and piled onto the bus to go to the church for lunch. Rather than chicken and rice, we got spaghetti, and potatoes which was a welcomed change by all of us, I think. Next, we went out to the fruit market to buy some fruit to hand out to the people living and working in the dump. I spent 5 soles, which is about $2 Canadian, and got 50 bananas. The fruit market reminded me of China Town in downtown Toronto. There were many unidentifiable fruits, and Zoey had a nice encounter with some decapitated chicken hanging from a rope, apparently there was an interesting stench let off by these chickens, I can’t imagine why. Well, after buying our fruits, we headed off to the dump. The dump is something you can’t really fully understand until you’ve actually been there. Looking around, all I could see was mountains and mountains of garbage, piles of garbage on fire and men, women and children sifting through the garbage, sometimes in bare feet. The smell was almost unbearable. Many of the things I saw in the garbage were dangerous and I couldn’t wrap my mind around the children I saw walking through it and the men and women that had no shoes on. We had a silent bus ride back to the guest house as we all thought about the day’s events.             We’ve all come to realize just how fortunate we really are to have the lives we do, and it amazes me that some of the people here have next to nothing, yet they’re so joyful. Thanks to everyone who’s been praying for us and supporting us throughout this whole journey. Hola to everyone at home, I miss you and can’t wait to see you and eat grilled cheese with ketchup and chocolate milk!!!!! Love you Mom, Dad, Nick and Alicia and happy belated birthday to Kyle and Alicia, I hope you enjoyed your birthdays even in my absence.  http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25709 25709 Tue, 9 Aug 2011 23:57:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25689 25689 Tue, 9 Aug 2011 13:01:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25671 25671 Tue, 9 Aug 2011 01:37:00 +0000 Hola! Wow, I can’t even begin to explain to you how amazing it feels to be typing on a laptop right now. Being unplugged has been pretty tough, but definitely worth it. I have been very focused on the task at hand… lol. This trip has been unbelievable so far. The things I’ve seen have changed my perspective on how I live my life, and more is yet to come. Tomorrow we head to the community in the garbage dump here in Trujillo. This morning we woke up at 7 for breaky, and had devotionals after. Jaccy lead the devotion today, yay good job jaccy! Everybody go read Isaiah 41: 9-10! After deviotionals we went to the construction site. In the morning I made bricks, it’s a very dirty job. We make the bricks out of a mixture of sand, dirt and water, which I happily mixed together by jumping around in it in my bare feet. Zoey helped of course. At about 12:30 we washed up and went to lunch at the church.  We ate chicken, rice and potatoes. Surprising... haha, no, its not actually surprising. That is what we have everyday, and its always super delicious. Thanks to the locals at the churches for cooking us lunch and dinner everyday! When we went back to the site after lunch I levelled sand with pansy and the T-Bay boys. We found a sheep skull. It was gross. We had…. Chicken, rice and potatoes for dinner, and then we came back to Helping Hands (the name of the guest house) for a worship session on the rooftop. Soooooo much fun.   I’ve been having an amaizng time so far and have made so many new friends from the mission peru team. I miss everyone, especially my mommy and daddy and KB. Thank-you to all the people who supported us so that we could come on this trip, it truly has been life changing. Can’t wait to see you all! Lots of love, Melissa Van Andel   P.S. Love you mom, good luck tomorrow, were all praying for you! I miss you tons. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25669 25669 Mon, 8 Aug 2011 23:18:00 +0000 Well before I start to talk about our day today I just want to send a message to Mr.Housh: Jeff will not stop using your line! his response to everything is either "there's a high" or "there's a low". Everyone was really confused about it at first but now they are all used to it and starting to say it too! Anyways back to the point.  Today was a  very tiring day. We worked both in the morning and in the afternoon for the first time. Also it wasn't just the usual day, it was Sean's birthday! We celebrated with cake and the Sauga girls made him a top hat (he has wanted one for very long). The day started early in the morning and everyone was exhausted especially me. We had the ususal buns for breakfest along with bacon and eggs. I wasn't too hungry probably because I was so exhauasted.Jaccy did an awesome devotional for our group today about a memory verse that gave her confidence and encouragment for the physical labour (which she was worried about). We then headed out to the construction site to begin our full day of hard work. My job the entire day was making bricks which is my favourite job since it does not involve carrying very heavy buckets of cement. Today I got to stomp in the mud to mix it all up to make the bricks. It was quite fun! Ifelt we all worked very hard today especiallly considering how exhausted we all were in the morning. My brick making group had a great time making bricks and chatting together! The amount of talking we all do makes the day go by so much faster. For lunch we had chicken and rice... of course. But it was still great! I am so thankful for the church taking the time to makes us lunch everyday and also for the church that gives us dinner. After lunch we got back to work for about 2 1/2 hours then we were off to the guest house to get ready for dinner. After dinner we had a another emotional and awesome worship service on the roof led by Paul. I really enjoy the worship, I think that it'sthe fact we are actually in Peru singing as a team all together on a rooftop.... how awesome does that sound?  Well I don't even have words to describe how incredible this experience has been for me so far, from daycares and dumps to cell groups and spanish church services. I know that this  trip has and will change my life and my walk with God has already grown stronger. Thanks so much to all the people praying for us at home and supporting us. We love you! Looking forward to coming home to share all the stories.  -Victoria Mortimer p.s. Love you mom, dad and brent! See you all soon! http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25668 25668 Mon, 8 Aug 2011 20:18:00 +0000 So today, my new friend Sean dropped his communion bread on the floor. He lent down, picked it up, blew it off, and put it in his mouth. This all happened this morning at church after we had been greeted at the door and done some worship that was epically awesome and lively which everyone liked. After church we went back to Helping Hands(the guest house we’re staying in), packed lunch and piled on to the bus, on route to the beach. When we got the beach most of the boys went to try out the waves on some boards and the rest went shopping for a while. Bargaining with the people for souvenirs was very fun, especially when I personally know as much Spanish as the flowers in the somewhat green grass. After shopping we went to the beach and some went in the indefinitely cold water while a group of us went to the chocolate shop. I took Carson, the 8 year old that absolutely adores me,  to get brownies to share but both decided they were not to our liking. Carson decided while we were there that breaking glasses with smoothies in them was entertaining, as well as flashing the 6 of us with him. Then back at the beach I took Cassidy, Carson’s sister, to go and get braids in our hair which was very colourful and fun to spend time with another of the Kimbros family. Then to dinner it was where we ate some great fries and chicken and where I was swarmed with more love from Carson. Last but definitely not least, we played soccer at a local soccer pitch, well I personally was not a player but personal cheerleader for Pansey was more like it. Here I also got to get to know Luke, another of the awesome Kimbros fam jam. Overall the day was great and I have had a fabulous time in Peru so far, getting to know my team and people who are part of helping Inka-link. P.S The work isn’t so bad when you had awesome people to work with J  -Love Always Zoey p. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25654 25654 Mon, 8 Aug 2011 02:08:00 +0000 Today was a great day; I did not get defecated on by a pigeon. For those who don’t know the whole story, here’s where your imagination comes into play. The Thunder Bay team was standing on the roof having a discussion about the occurring day, as we were coming to a conclusion, Paul asked the cliché “Any more questions?” At that moment, an airborne pigeon decided to poop on my forehead. The fecal matter landed in mid forehead, and dripped down into my eyes, and even my mouth. My immediate response was to ask what was on my face, although I clearly knew that it was what it was. As the whole team was laughing at my misfortune, I ran to Paul thinking that his “Degree In Nursing” brain could aid me in the situation. He apparently didn’t want to, because he just took a picture of it. I then repeatedly asked “What do I do? What do I do?” No one had sufficient advice, so I ran downstairs and scrubbed my face in the shower. It’s only been brought up about 40 times since. Now onto my experience so far. This trip has truly been a life changer for me. Seeing the poverty stricken Lima and Trujillo has really opened up my eyes. I see so many pictures of countries like this, but until you’re actually there with all your senses do you consider the reality of it. There are actually families with children living in dumps here. I feel ‘inconsiderate’ and almost ‘arrogant’, if you may. I take so much stuff for granted, such as water, and even life, while children here are living off literally nothing. But they still manage to stay happy and optimistic. I pondered and pondered last night just deeply saddened by the poverty paradigm. God has really blessed us all. We haven’t really spent much on construction yet but I do believe that it will be a blessing to the city. God has really worked through me, and I am giving 110% towards Him. Today, we went to Huanchaco beach and I went surfing kinda. We spent 4 hours there, and we shopped the market, and bought a bunch of useless stuff. Paul bought a ginormous turtle shell for his office? We then had a delicious dinner and played more soccer with the locals. It’s really a challenge, and I’ve learned how bad my reaction time really is. It’s been a really, really great trip so far and I’m looking forward to doing more work on the site, and seeing God work through the team. To my famjam and friends, miss you all. John P.S. Thunder Bay, step it up with the comments! All the comments are from the other teams parents, none from Tbay. Come on guys http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25653 25653 Mon, 8 Aug 2011 01:30:00 +0000 Hey everyone! It’s the 6th day and we’re having so much fun in Trujillo! Who knew making bricks would bring so much joy? Haha. The process is a bit messy but it definitely is a great experience and I really enjoy it! It’s all for the glory of God! Although we’ve only been in Trujillo for two days, we’ve experienced and learned a lot. Today after lunch, we visited the outside of the local dump where hundreds of kids/their families live and work. They’re living in this condition, yet they’re super excited and filled with joy and happiness. I think it’s a great reminder for everyone. We shouldn’t take what we have for granted and just be thankful for everything God has given us. When the kids were doing a “Sunday school”, they were all so into it and just really involved and happy. Even though we didn’t actually VISIT the local dump, it still broke my heart seeing 3 little girls huddle together with frightened faces. I went to go talk to them, but they were so shy and they just looked so scared and helpless. One of the girls cried if you tried to pick her up, the other moves away from you if you come close to her and the other slaps you multiple times if you touch her. We all tried so hard to try to get them to join the Sunday school, but they refused to go. When I saw those kids, it really just touched me. I can’t really describe it, but seeing them sad and afraid, made me feel the same way. I pray that God will keep us all strong yet at the same time break our hearts for what breaks His. He truly is working miracles at the dump and at the daycare and just everywhere else in Peru. Later on in the day we had cell groups with members of a local church. Even though we have a language barrier, we were able to connect and just get to know them. We worshipped, did devotions and just praised God for everything He has given us. Everything was in Spanish, but luckily we had Ben to translate for us! Common songs such as “Open the eyes of my heart Lord” and “Hosanna” still have a great impact on me, even though it’s in Spanish. I really learned a lot during that time and I just thank God for that! Please continue to keep us in your prayers. For our unity and just be able to learn more through this trip and expand our God view! God bless~! ^^   Much love, Rebecca Ye.   PS. This is to my brothers! Every day I find something new to tell you! I have a ton of stories for you! I really miss and love you all! I’ll be home soon! <3 PPS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JOSH NG’S SISTER! J http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25640 25640 Sun, 7 Aug 2011 01:14:00 +0000 Hey all, 1st time blogging =O So its really late and we gotta follow the curfew, so a short form is all I have to give for tonight. There is just so much to talk about. Can’t believe it’s Saturday already, day 6 and already halfway through the entire trip! What to say…for now I guess I'll just have to name /list the topics. It was during our traveling moments, on the busses, on the plane, where the team had the chance to bond, whether it was inter-church relations or just within our own churches. Bonding is such a big part of this trip with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, gonna have to elaborate more tomorrow. Another thing is the experiences and sites we encounter. I know, it’s such a broad topic, there’s just wayyyy to much to mention. I’ll say this I guess, every encounter we have with children is one that does the most impact on me and I think many of the group. The time’s we share with the local Peruvians at the churches were also memorable, just seeing how different our culture is but how similar at the same time our faith is in Christ. Kay really should go now, already passed the mentioned curfew =S One last thing, the reason that I just HAD to send at least part of the blog tonight is for this: ~HAPPY 9TH B-DAY GLORIA ^_^~ Sorry I can’t be there for the real day )= Hope you’re not having TOO much fun without your brother there =P LOL I’ve met so many kids that are the same age as my sister, and each time I see them, something just relates. When I see their similarities, a warm happiness just flows through cuz even though they’re from such different situations and circumstances they can live like a child should, at least in part. However, the differences are hard to look at, to see what children my own sister’s age have to go through and to think of how many kids in this age group have to go through all the hardships, like living at a garbage dump. Its also scary to think how easily my sister could have had to live like that too. Sigh I’ve said too much =/ already passed the curfew Dx Better end here for tonight, gonna write so much more tomorrow! ~_^ teehee   God Bless! Josh Ng ^^D p.s. ……I think I wrote too much for a “prologue” >_>’’ http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25639 25639 Sun, 7 Aug 2011 00:55:00 +0000 Helloooo everyyoonneeeee!!!! It’s the fifth night here in Peru and it is 12:00 yet everyone is still awake and walking about (11:00 is supposed to be bedtime… so… whoops)! So much has happened in the five days that has passed which I am sure you all have read from all the other blogs. Highlights: -Lima’s freezing showers. Due to such conditions not many people showered at all… imagine the wondrous smells that filled the air each and every day (especially emanating from the boys who played soccer all day long). -Then the amazing race to catch the bus to Trujillo: this consisted of me changing my soaking wet pants during bus transit using 10 people to build a wall around me. Then imagine 31 teenagers running through the malls of Peru as fast as we could led by Tucker and his half dancing-half running ready to pee into his pants any second moves, and then finally getting to the bus early and ready for Lima. -Then the 9hr bus ride… that turned into an 18hr bus ride… this one… is self-explanatory T_T And now we are here in Trujillo! This morning was our first time at the construction site. I currently find myself struggling to simply type on this computer due to the pain in my arms. Conclusion: I will go home with beast arms. For those who don’t know me… I am a very short and tiny Asian that… really doesn’t ever work out. So try imagining me with beast arms :D. Anyways, I find the most meaningful thing that happened today to me occurred when we went to the daycare centre with the little children. For a while now, I have wanted to become a doctor. I wanted to do missionarying, volunteer in tiny clinic in an undeveloped country. Today was able to give me that small taste of what I want in my future. I was playing with a little boy named Julio. We were playing with the sand until another boy accidentally kicked him in the face. As he began to cry, I quickly carried him all the way back to the day care centre. When the daycare workers saw him they took him the medicine room and went through a giant case. I looked at his eyes and realized that sand was deeply lodged inside of his eyes. The volunteers seemed to be very scared and didn’t know what to do. Not to get into the details on how I got the stuff out of his eyes (because apparently it’s too grotesque to describe) but I did. Although it wasn’t some crazy medical surgery but it meant a lot to me. A simple smile from the children we were with today was able to warm my heart and make me happier than I could ever be. I can only pray that God will continue to bless them.  Thank you God for such a wonderful experience so far!   A little side note to my little brother:  I MISS YOU!!! And I found a lego store in a Peru mall… took a picture for you.  http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25632 25632 Sat, 6 Aug 2011 00:26:00 +0000 Hola amigos from Canada! Our team has been in Trujillo, Peru for approx. 30 hours. Its amazing to realize how much has happened in so little time, and how fast time flies when you're experiencing things you've never done before, and spending valuable time with people you will never see again. We started the day off at the construction site where some of us had our first encounter with the cement mixer: a friend/foe for the T-Bay boys and Chris. Friend because we don't have to hand mix the gloopy stuff; foe because... you should have seen their faces. And clothes. Imagine a paintbrush loaded with bird poo (see PSS) being flicked on canvas men.   Peruvian-Style Cement Recipe Ingredients: 6 pails of sand3 pails of water1 cement mixer1 really heavy bag of cement mix3 pails of assorted rocks and pebbles1 baus Peruvian man for lifting emergencies Directions: Add sand, water, cement mix, and rocks into the cement mixer. Consult baus Peruvian man for further instruction.  After an intense workout at the site, we ate lunch at the church, and hopped back onto the bus to visit the children's home. I was super nervous, just because I didn't know what to expect from the kids; or from myself and how I would feel or act around them.  I crawled through the little blue door. And walked into... a mass mayhem of screaming Spanish-speaking kids. Je no comprendo. However, a little girl in a white dress came up to me and gave me a hug. She gave me the brightest smile, hopped onto my lap, and spoke to me in espanol. After a dangerous game of tag with the other girls and (very dangerous) spinning around in circles, I found out that her name was Arlise. At that moment I realized that even from spending a short time with the Peruvian kids here, miles away from home, we can still distinctly see the difference between our cultures. These kids are happy with practically nothing, and we grew up with practically everything. So why are we so spoiled? Why are we still less grateful for what we have? EH? I'm praying that all of us on this trip and all of us reading this blog will take some time to thank our Gracious God for giving us all that he has given us, and not ever taking it for granted. Please pray for the kids in the children's home: for their safety, health, and happiness. Sincerely with Love, Pansy. [aka. Pangee @Jackie] PS: Missing you mom and dad! Missing [M.A] boys and Team H.I.T; see you guys for our last game on the 13th! PSS: John got pooed on by a bird.  START----> forehead -----> dripped down his nose -----> into his mouth. FINISH bullseye!!!     http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25629 25629 Fri, 5 Aug 2011 23:33:00 +0000 I wanted to briefly take this opportunity to thank all of our visitors not just for "hits" on our website, but more importantly for your prayers. I firmly believe that your prayers have affected our safety, especially getting to our bus on time (If you're wondering about details, please see the previous blog post entitled "Amazing Race and Bus to Trujillo"), I believe that we were kept safe on our 18 hour bus ride also as a result of your faithful prayers. Finally, and this one might surprise yoiu, I am convinced that your prayers helped our team members display that attitude of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5) as they persevered through our entire journey and are now safely and quietly resting in their beds, at the guest-house, here in Trujillo. I am so proud of our students who were kind with one another, bonded uniquely, and chose joy by making the most of an incredibly long bus ride. They seem poised for a great start early tomorrow morning as we are introduced to the Children's home. Pray for energy and enthusiasm as we head out to work hard tomorrow morning.   http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25601 25601 Fri, 5 Aug 2011 01:04:00 +0000 While in Lima we had many opportunities to become cultured. We appreciate Sean's willingness to share from his journal a part of the day's events. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25602 25602 Thu, 4 Aug 2011 23:53:00 +0000 We had to get back from the Park of water in Lima… this place was beautiful… fountains everywhere and a great light show to top of a sweet day… all was well… we were on time and in control.. but not for long! As we boarded the bus to get back for our long haul trip to Trujillo, little did we know what would unfold in the next few hours… THE RACE BEGAN!  After 35 mins we realised we had jumped on the wrong bus and instead of going south… we went north… Time was ticking and the departure time from Lima to Trujillo was fast approaching as we changed buses and started to back track and then head south back to the Church to grab our bags! So as we eventually made it back to our proper stop we had to take off and run back to the church! We ran for about 15mins and the time was ticking away… departure time to Trujillo was now about 1hour 15mins away! We made it back to the church and with the help of the student ministry team from the church in Lima we got our bags of our connection bus to the big bus station! We were off… We had missed supper but all was not lost… the guys arranged for papa Johns pizza joint to chase us down Indiana jones style on their motorbikes to give us our grub! Pizza ordered and delivered bus side and we were eating and the bus was racing to get us to the station on time! With some prayer from Elaine and Liz we made the approx. 1 hour trip to the main bus station in around 20mins… we were super thankful for that little miracle! This was not the end of the drama for us though! We got the bus, which was awesome and had super comfortable chairs that reclined a lot… the movies were all in Spanish with Spanish sub titles which made for and interesting entertainment experience for all of us who only know English… we shoulda studied Spanish harder…oops The 9 hour bus journey took in the end 18 hours because of a terrible accident on the main road… but it brought us closer together as a team as we learned patience and learned to be joyful even in the rough patches! Robby continued to remind us at every opportunity that ‘it could always be worse’ thanks Robby! We arrived safe and sound to Trujillo and are excited for a great nights sleep! -Paul http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25600 25600 Thu, 4 Aug 2011 22:58:00 +0000 After our 9 (read 18) hour bus ride we have finally arrived in Trujillo.  We're about to go out for dinner, we'll explain later! Peter http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25597 25597 Thu, 4 Aug 2011 19:30:00 +0000 Good morning from Peru!  Today is our last day in Lima,  I know I have had a fantasic time here with the local youth learning more about them, their language and their culture.  Tonight we'll going on an 8 hour bus ride to Trujillo,  and if the local roads are anything to go by prayer for safety (I'm not sure if turn signals don't exsist here, or if they choose not to use them). The bus ride means that this will probably be the last post on the website until tomorrow morning.  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, Peter http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25538 25538 Wed, 3 Aug 2011 09:28:00 +0000 As a leader of one of the Mississauga Chinese Alliance Church, I was lucky enough to be invited to a pastoral meeting held by the local alliance church.  As I walked under a sign that said ZONA RESTRINGIDA I entered into a room full of pastors and leaders.  After some brief introductions on our part in Spanglish, the pastor was gracious enough to breakdown the strategy of his church while Jeff was gracious enough to translate. The statistics: Seven years ago, there were 40 cell groups in this church.  Today there are 720 cell groups (no, I did not accidentally add an extra 0 to that number) 40, the number of people who come to Christ every Sunday Six years ago, there were 1300 adults in the church.  Today there are over 3000 adults. 350 students enrolled in the Christian school, of which 40% are Christians Five services every Sunday Sister churches located around the area The main church will plant sister churches but the sister churches do not act independently from the main church.  The pastors of the sister churches are paid by the main church.  What they discovered in Peru was that if a sister church runs independently too soon, they tend to die quickly. Now onto strategy.  I wish Pastor John was here to sit in on this meeting.   How Do We Win People for Christ? As attractive as the numbers are, I want to concentrate on how this particular church does not simply abandon people once they know Christ, but takes the time to really develop these new brothers and sisters into full blown spiritual leaders.  The Head Pastor said that the key to growth, and the foundation of this Peruvian church, was the cell groups.  As I write the next few lines, I want you to keep in mind the Great Commission: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. For the Peruvian Alliance church, they place emphasis on edification and evangelism while covering topics such as doctrine, marriage...etc.  Flyers are given out for people to invite their neighbours, friends, and family to themed events, cell groups or church services.  In Peruvian culture, people tend to come to these events as long as someone will invite them.  Once people are saved, they attend a cell group.  They take a course called "My New Alliance With Jesus" (clever name!) for four months and then they get baptized. In one year, they become leaders of a small group. The Christian brothers and sisters receive training at different camps or retreats for women, men, evangelism, edification.  There is a leadership retreat for the cell group leaders and leaders of the church. In addition, the church places heavy emphasis on missions, whether it is planting a sister church or supporting their members on mission trips.  The church also runs a Christian school for Junior, Primary and High school students. 60% of the students are non Christians which means that one of the main objectives is to win these students over to Christ. In addition, the church also runs a "school for dads",  teaching them how to be good fathers, but with the intention to win them over to Christ - notice the running theme? At the meeting, Jeff shared with the pastoral team that in North America, people are less receptive to invitations to church events and asked the Peruvian church to continue to pray for their Canadian brothers and sisters, as we promised to pray for our Peruvian church family. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to ask any questions given the time constraints. As I exited the pastoral meeting, I wondered to myself, is it possible for us to duplicate the successful model of the Peruvian Alliance church? Would this model, or a modified version, even work in Canada given our cultural differences? Or is there something else going on behind the scenes (right now I'm thinking of the Holy Spirit  in the the growth of the early church)? On a side note, one of the cell group leaders was amazed that we have fellowships in our public schools and universities. As she put it, it was very hard for her to find fellow Christians when she was in school.  How lucky we are in Canada! That's all from me. Elaine (from MCAC)    http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25533 25533 Tue, 2 Aug 2011 23:14:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25535 25535 Tue, 2 Aug 2011 16:27:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25534 25534 Tue, 2 Aug 2011 11:14:00 +0000 So, yesterday was the day that the team met all together for the first time at Pearson airport at 6:30 in the morning! Tired and excited, we arrived at the airport. We all got our tickets and sent away our luggage (most of us had one team bag and one personal bag, plus our carry on, so it was kind of a challenge for the less muscularly endowed people...like me) and we said goodbye to our families for the last time for 2 weeks (Jeff gave us about 2 and a half minutes) Getting onto the plane we discovered that the individual teams (Missisauga, Bolton and Thunder Bay) were basically split up throughout and put with people from other teams, and although it was nerve wracking (well it was for me, anyways) it ended up being a blessing in disguise! There isn't a much better way to get to know each other than sitting next to each other on a 5 hour plane ride! The first flight was great, and smooth, although it might have been a little scary for people who were first flying! Once we arrived in San Salvador the fact that most of us had gotten way less sleep than we were supposed to the night before started kicking in! We waited in the airport for our flight to Lima to get here, and once it did we packed ourselves up and boarded. The plane ride to Lima was not as smooth as the one to San Salvador! There was a lot of turbulance and a lot more Gravol taken! Thankfully after much praying and clinging to our armrests we landed safely and walked out into Peru, anxious as the fact that we were finally there was kicking in. We waited a while for our luggage, which for first time flyers (well maybe not all of them, but I know for Victoria!) was scary, because we were nervous our luggage might not arrive! Again, after praying and patience it all arrive and we left the airport. Landing in Peru for me was an experience that made me feel a mixture of emotions, I was excited, yes because we'd finally made it through all the flights and into Peru, but at the same time it was all so new and so scary, there were so few people that spoke English and the culture was so different! Jeff's friend who is a pastor at a huge Alliance church here in Lima and his family picked us up from the airport (thank goodness for that, because we would not have been able to get our luggage out alone!) We all boarded a big bus and started to drive. Once we got on the bus Jeff came to the front and told us that instead of staying in a hotel like what was planned, we were going to stay in the quarters that the Alliance church had set up for us! On the bus we even got to sit with a few of the people who attend the church, and although their English (much like our Spanish) is broken, we managed to make great friends, they're so nice! We dropped off the luggage at the Alliance church and all the  girls were told to stay on the bus while the guys unpacked the suitcases (I don't think any of the girls minded this at all, I know I didn't) and then we were told by our new friends that we were going to have "a real Peruvian feast!". So the boys boarded the bus again and we drove to a restaurant, the name of which..I think was called Bigui. But we ate some of the best chicken, fries and salad I have ever tasted, we also got to try Inka Cola (which Jeff never stops talking about) and I really liked it (I can't describe the taste, but if I could I would say it's a mix of Cream Soda and Bubble Gum). By this time it was about midnight, our time (in Peru) so most of us were falling asleep. So we packed up and walked back to the Alliance church. While walking I noticed just how different Peru is from Canada, the houses are so open and close together (if that makes any sense). And the traffic is INSANE!  Cars everywhere, and all you could hear was people honking! When we got to the Alliance church we got to talk to the Peruvians more, I honestly can't even find words to describe how generous and kind they are! The girls got lead down to where we were sleeping and we settled in (we slept in 2 seperate rooms and the boys all had their own room) when we walked into the room we saw a bare floor, we were so tired and greatful for the hospitality of the church that we were totally willing to grab some clothes and use those for beds and pillows. But once we put our suitcases down, our new friends arrived with mattresses for all of us! It was so nice! I loved my room of girls, and we quickly adjusted and got into our pj's, went to our bathroom, wrote in our journals, found our light switch (after about 15 minutes of looking) and talked until the early hours of the morning, because no matter how hard we tried we couldn't fall asleep! Our first day was a tiring one, that's for sure, but it was also really exciting, it really set a good tone for the trip and I'm super excited to see how the rest of it goes! We made lots of new friends and lots of new memories and that was after flying all day! So I can only imagine what it's going to be like when we're out and about!  Hasta luego! Jacqueline :)   http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25516 25516 Mon, 1 Aug 2011 23:50:00 +0000 http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=25517 25517 Mon, 1 Aug 2011 23:30:00 +0000 by Ray Majoran, West London Alliance ChurchIt's been just over a week now since we arrived back in Canada, and its just come to my attention that I missed posting five testimonials. Sorry about that! (Thanks to Jake Worrad for pointing it out.) :) Without further delay, I invite you to watch each of them, below: Chris Lewis, Midland Marie Vetro, Alliston Cherie Wartman, Glengate Christine Walton, Alliston Nigel Garnaitis, West London http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13596 13596 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:00:28 +0000 by Adam Beswick, West London Alliance ChurchNot more than two weeks ago, a cluster of assorted high school students from all over Ontario, clogged up the baggage check-in lines of Pearson International Airport. They wore matching T-shirts and all had suitcases packed mostly by their respective mothers. We had clean socks, pressed shirts, and had absolutely no idea what to expect.Yesterday, a cluster of unified high school students clogged up the customs lines at Pearson International Airport. They wore matching T-shirts and all had suitcases which they had managed to pack by themselves. But if you were a parent who watched both of these events occur (or a particularly observant airport employee), you might have noticed something different about us. Because this group saw God in the city of Trujillo, Peru. As many of you know, we experienced overwhelming joy and paralyzing sadness. We shoveled like nobody?s business. We sang enough camp songs to make a person lose his mind. We learned what it is like to feel loss when the last churro is sold to the person standing in front of you in line.And through this trip, we are a living testament to the fact that prayers are answered. We called for safety, and it was granted. We asked for opportunity and it saturated our trip from day one. We asked to be broken, and this trip rocked many of us to the point of feeling shattered. Through this trip we have proven that miracles exist beyond gringos actually managing to uphold some resemblance of dignity when playing the beautiful game with Peruvian Nationals. God literally moved mountains through our blistered hands. Nobody can look at what just happened in Peru and claim that they cannot see God in the world.It is important to remember that miracles do not happen only when we find ourselves in a foreign land. Miracles occur every single day of our lives, it just so happens that we manage to find them more easily when we are not distracted by so much of the nonsense fed to us by our own culture. Admittedly, nobody could have prepared themselves for the stench of the garbage dump, or the faces of children realizing that you have to leave them. But it was things that I would never have expected to hit me which were the most moving. The love in these people is overwhelming. I was bracing myself so much against the sorts of suffering I was about to see on this trip that my world was thrown for a loop when I saw the happiness, the community and the love displayed through these beautiful people. The poor in Peru acting with mentalities of things like : love thy neighbour, the willingness to share with strangers, the hope placed on God in darkness that I witnessed in Peru brought up huge, uncomfortable questions not only about how we need to help the people of Peru, but also about how the people of Peru can help us.Our God does not see borders. Our God sees people in need and calls for action, and this is not strictly limited to the need for material possessions, but also for spiritual richness.One day after a very tough afternoon at the worksite, I read a verse which particularly impacted me which I will not soon forget. Psalm 127 says : ?Unless the Lord builds the house,its builders labor in vain.? Thank you for your outpouring of support through the blog and through your prayers both before and during our mission. This work needs to continue well after we get back to figuring out how to live our lives differently after seeing what we have been able to see in Peru. And of course, Que Dios le bendiga.  http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13479 13479 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:09:38 +0000 by Ray Majoran, West London Alliance ChurchAs we prepare to board a bus for Lima this morning, I want to leave you with this video. This was taken last night at America Sur Church in Trujillo. Some of our group were downstairs discussing the week and praying, while the others sang this song upstairs. Our prayer would be the God to reign in the city of Trujillo and pour out His spirit on it.May the Lord be with us as we travel for the next few days. God bless! http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13444 13444 Fri, 9 Jul 2010 09:03:22 +0000 by Ray Majoran, West London Alliance Church The final day of work has now come and gone. As the team prepares to go home, I'd like to leave you with these testimonials. God bless! Tracy Phelps, Glengate Gregg Wartman, Glengate Eric Provost, West London Alliance Cody Neale-Horner, Glengate Chris Schmitt, Midland Alliance Jake Worrad, West London Alliance Jamie-Lynn Chaisson, Glengate Cory Acri, Intern for IncaLink Jordan Duke, Intern for IncaLink Amber Kasnick, Intern for IncaLink Samantha, Intern for IncaLink http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13443 13443 Fri, 9 Jul 2010 08:52:33 +0000 by Chris Schmitt, Jackie Moreau, Taylor Haveman & Michael Farquhar, Midland Alliance ChurchMike ? The construction sight is very amazing! To see how far it has come in just this short period of time is crazy. After only a few days we have been able to level and concrete an entire cafeteria floor among other things. We have done so much. It is a great feeling to see the amount we have done and also the fact that the kids will be living in there soon. This mission trip has shown me so much.We went to a house for a small group. It was sweet! There were 9 of us and we managed to fit in one cab, 4 in the front and 5 in the back. We started the night with worship and then had a message so powerful. I have learned that these are the most loving people. After the message they gave us a cup of tea and bun and we got back into a cab and went home. I am loving this trip and don?t want to leave.Taylor ? Today we visited the Daycare Centre. The instant we stepped into the little blue building we were swarmed by the children. We were there for about three hours, much of which was helping get the kids to eat. I met two boys named Antonio, a shy little boy that another kid told me was named Avi and a girl named Arrice who is the most affectionate and adorable little child I have ever met. I spent the most time trying to get a boy named Julio to eat his beans and rice. After they all finished their food we went outside and played on a small Soccer/Basketball court. Soon after I went outside my new amigo Arrice came over and asked to be spun around. She worked me like crazy and I was constantly running, spinning, lifting, twirling, twisting and hugging her over and over. Once in a while we had shoulder races where we would run across the court. Thinking back on all the kisses I got from her, it almost makes me cry when I realize I may never see her again. Two years from now I plan on coming back and if she is still there I don?t think I could withhold the tears (tears of joy) that I am just holding back as I write this now. Listening to them go on in Spanish is so fun and enjoyable because, even though we don?t understand eachother, we still understand the basic feeling of love they are trying to relay to us. After all the time we spent with those kids playing and just absolutely loving on them I was totally heart broken and emotional when leaving. It took all I had to hold back the hurricane of tears that I knew too well would come out if I let them. On top of that Trina started balling her eyes out which brought me that much closer to loosing my ability to hold them at bay. All in all the Daycare visit was an emotional roller coaster, some points high and some points low. People were laughing, crying, smiling, screaming and being just so absolutely crazy with joy. Seeing these kids so happy in these circumstances is a real testament to the work that Inca Link is doing here in Peru. I love every one of those kids and it nearly killed me to drive away. I thank God for the many people who sponser these amazing children and I look forward to maybe sponsoring one myself. Today was definitely one of the best days of my entire life.Chris ? My most eye opening thing this week has been the garbage dump which I talked about in my video blog as well. In this blog I am going to talk about the worship. I always thought Canada was the centre of the universe but I no longer think that. Even though the music was in a different language I knew the songs by the melodies being played. God is everywhere and this mission has re-lit my fire for God. The sad thing is leaving. I have made many friends within the team and when we leave I?ll probably never see them again. Everyday we worked I had a vision of what the final result would be.Jackie ? One evening we were blessed with an opportunity to connect with the local community. Families invited us into their homes for worship and prayer. These families were so humble and loving. They had no judgment about culture differences and they wanted to hear our testimonies. Our family lived up the mountain in a small home made of homemade clay bricks. They used string and sheets as their doors. Their floors were dirt and most of their chairs were makeshift probably for our visit. Although they have very little and live in what we would call poor conditions they are richer than we are because of their loving nature, humbleness and their love for the Lord. We talked about Genesis 6:9 and how Noah was a righteous man and built an Ark for God. Jesus Christ is our Ark into heaven because we believe and love him. To sing and pray with this family was so powerful and I was blessed to have met them during this mission to Peru. I thank God everyday for all the blessing he has poured upon me and all the things I have learned while staying in Trujillo Peru. 72 of us were sent here by God and we are all apart of his plan. We know that the work in Trujillo is far from over but we trust that greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city. We also know that our work at home lies ahead and pray for strength and courage to find our own paths and missions in Canada. Our hearts will be touched forever. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13440 13440 Fri, 9 Jul 2010 02:45:06 +0000 by Matt Stranks, West London Alliance ChurchWell today I got to meet my Compassion child. Her name is Nayelli Fernandez and she is one of the cutest and sweetest girls you will ever meet. We met this morning in a local church called Por Venir and she was really shy at first, but with a little love and some high fives she started to warm up to me.I had brought a backpack down full of everyday supplies she could use from pencils and pens to clothes and a frisbee that she could call her own. As she began to unpack these things from her backpack her smile kept getting bigger and bigger! It was the most beautiful thing ever! What really touched me in that moment though was when her mom broke down in front of us and wept! The words she kept saying are ones I will never forget. They are??God Bless you, you are a gift from God and a prayer that has been answered?. All I could do was give her the biggest hug I could while trying to fight back tears. For a long time I just sat there and hugged her while I prayed to God and thanked him for bringing them into my life!After we had finished unpacking and I sat there looking at everything on the table I realized that these things are so basic to us; like pencils, pens, crayons, colouring books, some toys, finger nail polish, hair elastics. They are all so basic to us yet to Nayelli and her mom they were so precious that it brought her mom to tears. The different perspectives at that moment was a slap in the face for me as I realized how fortunate we really are in North America to think that we have it rough is something I am now ashamed to even think about because in all honesty we don?t. We just live at the absolute maximum that we can afford, while people down here live on the bare minimum so that they can afford to eat, send kids to school, buy clothes, and still have enough to faithfully tithe. The passion and faith these people have for Christ is something I have never seen but something I want to be able to say I have?it is unreal! After we had gone through what is now Nayelli?s she decided we would play some frisbee, which she actually really loved and became very good at very quickly. We did some colouring in her new books she got and to finish the days activities off I was very happy to get to paint her nails before taking A LOT of pictures with her and Nigel?s and Andrew?s Compassion Children. By far this is and will be the highlight of my trip. To God be the Glory and may God continue to do his Will in Peru; and with the help and support of your prayers plus the never wavering faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Anything is possible! http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13439 13439 Fri, 9 Jul 2010 02:34:56 +0000 by Gregg Wartman, Glengate Alliance ChurchI met an old woman in the garbage dump today. Well, at least she appeared old to me. I wonder how this place might age a person beyond their years. Chi Chi, a man who lives in the dump, appears to be in his late 30?s early 40?s, but he is only 28. Imagine a life spent on a pile of trash, living in the refuse of people who don?t even know that you exist. Image the years of worry, fear, anger, and desperation that have been added to these people?s lives.I don?t speak Spanish; I only know a few simple phrases. I needed something to say to these people as I handed them a fruit. Dios Le Bendiga ? Glob Bless You. I think I said it about a 100 times in my head on the bus to make sure I had it down. I probably asked about 3 times to make sure I had it right. Dios Le Bandiga. I said it to that old woman as I handed her a tangerine and she repeated it back to me. She had more to say but I could only catch a few words. She pointed skyward and I heard the word Padre, which I knew meant Father. Her eyes began to water slightly as she spoke in Spanish about her Father in the sky. I also think she was talking about how much she appreciated us being there, thanking us for the gift of a simple fruit ? the best thing she probably had had to eat all day, maybe all week. Her Father in the sky. I said Cristo Lama, the other phase I had learned and practiced on the bus, Christ?s Love. She understood. We started to move on and I pointed skyward and said ?See you again in Heaven?. I don?t think she understood me, but maybe something deep inside her did. We left her to move to other parts of the dump, to see other people, listen to other stories.It was soon time to leave the dump but I was still thinking about that old woman. I asked Amber, who could speak Spanish, if she could help me say goodbye, well at least goodbye for now. I asked her to tell her ?I will see you again in Heaven?. I gave her another tangerine, a hug, and a cheek to cheek kiss which is customary.We left her again but she did not leave my mind, I will always carry the memory of her with me. Maybe I will be back here some day and I will see her again. Maybe she will die before that happens. But I am confident that I will see her again, whether it be on this Earth or someday in Heaven with our Father in the sky. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13438 13438 Fri, 9 Jul 2010 02:29:16 +0000 by Haley Welch, Gregory Drive Alliance ChurchWell, to start off I?d just like to say hello from Trujillo, Peru! And also a big thank you to all of you who are following the blog and praying for us. We appreciate your love, support and prayers. This trip has been life-changing and thank you for supporting us along the way. So, I?ll just tell you a little bit about our day today.We started the day by waking up and having a delicious breakfast of French toast and fresh fruit juice. Then we drove over to the construction site for our final morning of work. It?s so cool to see how much work we?ve done in only a few days of working. We?ve moved a lot of sand, dug some trenches, leveled sand, tied grass and made the cement floor in the dining hall. The work is hard and physically demanding. And honestly, physical labour is not my favourite thing to do, but God has given me strength to keep going despite the difficulties. God is so amazing. Another thing that?s so cool is that we can all work together towards the common goal of serving God. I didn?t know most of the team before this trip, yet we can all work as team to finish the work.When it was almost lunchtime, we cleaned up our tools and gathered in the dining hall to pray one final time before leaving. Graham explained to us that our extra money (thank you everyone for donating money!) is buying beds, dressers, laundry facilities, and kitchen supplies for the children?s home. It?s so cool to know that we can help both with building and with material necessities. Another thing that we want to do is to buy a bus for the children who will be living there. This bus will provide safe transportation for the kids. All of our churches want to work together to buy this bus. I?m sure you?ll be hearing more about this soon, but please consider donating money for this bus. It?s awesome to know that we?re all a small part of something that feels so big.After the work site we went to one of the local churches, Por Venir, for lunch. We had?chicken and rice!!(which we eat every single day, but surprisingly I?m not tired of it yet). For the afternoon, my group went to the market to do a little shopping. And for my family who is reading, I did get you gifts. The market was fun, and bartering in Spanish was a challenge for some, but overall I think we did pretty well. Of course, to the Peruvians we probably sounded crazy! From the market we went to the guesthouse and then to dinner at another church, America Sur. And we had?chicken and rice!When dinner was done the saddest part of the day came. We got to meet the Inca Link Peru Board and they gave us each a gift, and also a gift for each church. We all sang praise to God and then went into our smaller groups for debrief. This was the sad part. It was our last debrief and so we all wrestled with some hard questions about why we came to Peru and what God has taught us here. Please pray for us all as we try to process everything and apply everything to our life.In conclusion, thank you again. The next two days hold many hours of travelling for us, but we?ll be home soon. Be ready to hear many stories and to see many pictures, and thank you again for all of you support. See you soon! http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13437 13437 Fri, 9 Jul 2010 02:02:12 +0000 by Long Dinh, Freedom in Christ ChurchMark 10:31One of my favorite verses reads, ?But many who are first will be last and the last first?, from the passage of the rich young man. This verse stuck with me for years; through both major and minor struggles Mark 10:31 is what I would look back upon. It?s the verse that lead me here to Mission Peru and to who I am today. I came to Peru with many distractions, like a jigsaw puzzle unscrambled, all throughout my mind. It was too overwhelming, so I decided to come with a purpose. My purpose was to see the other problems people overseas face; the real problems that make mine seem so childish, problems that just minimize mine. My blog should?ve been done a few days ago but I am glad I didn?t complete it then but rather now, due to what I saw at the garbage dump. It was a tragic but warm feeling at the same time; never could I imagine working there. My goodness, homeless people desperately searching for food, hours a day. Only question that pops through my mind is ?are they happy?? A couple of days before we went to a daycare, these poor kids as well. All I could ask myself is ?are they happy?? They have nothing but really their smiles, their joy is huge and it shows that they are happy. Much happier than we would be. I picked this verse because it shows that even though they may be thought of last here, in the Kingdom Heaven, in God?s eyes they are first. For God is fair and he is a God of justice as our Lord has his plans in store for us.Amen http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13436 13436 Fri, 9 Jul 2010 01:47:34 +0000 by Graham Farquhar, Midland AllianceThere is so much that I could write about my experiences and my feelings, it is unbelievable. God has really been teaching me the importance of people and reminding me of the importance of constant love and encouragement. The team of 72 is now more like a family of 72 and it has been amazing to see just how unified this team has become.Another thing that God is teaching me is to fully and completely surrender all of my thoughts and emotions to him and to allow God to be the Lord of my everything. True surrender only happens after an experience where one can slightly grasp the amazing power of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that through this trip, through these people and through my experiences, I truly have a better grasp to how Awesome my God is. Continue to keep us in your prayers as we complete our last few days and pray for greater things to happen in the city of Trujillo and that revival dominates these amazing people! http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13435 13435 Thu, 8 Jul 2010 23:46:33 +0000 by Chelsea Chen, Glengate Alliance ChurchToday was a full work day for Team J. After lunch, the other team went to the day care. During the entire day, there was a great spirit of team work at the construction site. In the morning, I worked with the cement team to fill buckets with dirt. In the afternoon I continued to fill buckets and also wheelbarrows full of cement. By the end of the day we were able to finish most of the areas that needed to be topped with cement in the cafeteria. All that there's left to do is the stage. Everyone worked very hard. We played with the kids when we were waiting for work. While working we sang songs, made cheers, and conversed. It was a good day.After supper we encouraged each other by giving each other beads. Each colour meant something different. I fell like it brought us closer together. For me the best thing about being here is the unity amongst the people. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13415 13415 Thu, 8 Jul 2010 08:28:20 +0000 by Ray Majoran, West London Alliance Church We've already had 34 people share their testimonies through previous blog posts. Well here's five more that you'll want to watch! Thursday will be the last opportunity for anyone that wants to share something on video. Stay tuned for more... Enjoy these five videos! Katelyn MacLeod, West London Alliance Jessica Thompson, Glengate Cassie Morris, Glengate Colin Beswick, West London Alliance Lauren Suggs, Intern for IncaLink Stay tuned for more videos. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13414 13414 Thu, 8 Jul 2010 08:16:52 +0000 by Ray Majoran, West London Alliance Church As I mentioned in my last post entitled ?21 Examples of How God is Working in Peru?, we are going to be recording videos throughout the week of anyone that wants to stand in front of a video camera and share their story. Below are 13 more stories on how God is making a difference here. God bless and enjoy! Hayley Powling, Alliston Alliance Katrina Alblas, Alliston Joey Li, Mississauga Alliance Jenna Graham & Maddy Haveman, Midland Sydney Collins, Alliston Kieran Ingram, Alliston Anthony Lau, Mississauga Alliance Chelsea Chen, Glengate Maggy Renaud, Heritage Park Kerry Provost, West London Alliance Kirstie Hayhoe, Alliston Marcus Wybrow, Glengate Andrew Latham, Midland Alliance Stay tuned for more videos throughout the week. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13394 13394 Wed, 7 Jul 2010 02:57:04 +0000 by Bethany Parr, Gregory Drive Alliance ChurchHello everybody! It?s hard to believe that we only have 2 more days in Trujillo and only 3 more days in Peru! I am very excited to share everything about my trip, here has been a lot to see, think about, experience, and remember. The garbage dump wasn?t as emotional as I expected, but then again, I tried not to think about it before hand because I wanted it to be what it was, not what I wanted it to be. I don?t think what has happened has hit me yet.There is a small community outside the dump named Miracle where we had the opportunity to hand out some donations. After the initial mad dash and all my balloons were gone I went over to a group of children. In the group there was a little girl about 2-3 years old. She had hair in her eyes, her face was dirty, her clothes were filthy and she had no shoes on her feet. The fact that she had no shoes on her feet hit me the hardest. I went and asked around if we had some more shoes for this little girl but to my dismay we had none. Disappointed I returned and just picked her up and held her. As I held her I thought about how sad she looked, there was no hope in her eyes as she stood in the midst of the children. After a few minutes I was told that we were leaving. I put her down after one last squeeze and walked back to the bus. I knew that if I turned around and looked back I wouldn?t be able to handle it. From the time I first saw her to the time I saw her last she didn?t smile, not once. I am very used to children smiling and laughing so it was a very different experience for me. That little girl will stay in my heart forever. I still have to process the whole thing and figure out what I am supposed to learn from it so please pray for me as I wrestle with some very deep questions.Please pray that I keep thinking about all of these things for a long time after I return. The days go by so fast, just like a blur!One of the things that the interns and Inca Link have shared with us is the contract. The contract has 4 components: a hundred and ten percent, choose your challenge, choose joy and be here now. The one I find the most challenging is the last one. The purpose behind Be Here Now is to help us to remember that even though we may miss our families, friends and Canada we have to remember that right now we are here in Peru, and thinking about home won?t change the fact that we are here. The reason I have trouble with this one is that when I am tired I it is hard to remember not to think about things that make me miss home. So, when I am tired I get sad and home sick. Please pray that I get enough rest. I need to focus on Peru, right now.Thank you all for praying, there are times when I just feel myself being lifted up in prayer. There are also times when I miss family friends so much that it is physical pain. There is an old saying that I think applies to how I feel right now, ?Absence makes the heart grow fonder.? This is certainly true for me as I didn?t know how much my family and friends meant to me until I had to function without them.Love you guys, see you in four days! ;p (HEART) http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13392 13392 Wed, 7 Jul 2010 00:44:54 +0000 by Eric Provost, West London Alliance ChurchThis afternoon we did a local church tour. We eat each day at America Sur and Pourvenier. The third church that is part of the local group is Larco. Larco is the parent church that planted America Sur in 2000 and Pourvenir in 2008. Larco was built by short-term missions groups and now plants churches, runs a school and a seminary out of the facility. It was great to see what the end result of hard work can be.America Sur is an amazing place as well. We went to church there on Sunday. The service was great and the worship was so inspiring. Even thought we were singing in 2 languages, we were singing as one group the God we all love and are here to serve.Now for Pourveneir; what to say? Listening to Pastor Juan?s vision for the church and how God has blessed their efforts was phenomenally humbling. The community around them is one of the poorest in Trujillo and their vision is to send out the youth that attend the youth group on missions like ours in 8 countries. Just listening to how the community around them pledges money and then works to pay the pledge debt was amazing. They have nothing (in our eyes) and commit everything to the work of the church, to breaking the cycle of poverty and letting everyone know that God loves them and wants to see Trujillo be a community that honors His work.In the midst of unreal poverty, we saw Gods beauty, people serving people with honest intentions. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13389 13389 Tue, 6 Jul 2010 23:27:10 +0000 by Jessie Chin Ching Ho, Mississauga Alliance ChurchEl Milagro...the Miracle. This is the name of one of three garbage dumps in the city of Trujillo, Peru. Today, Day 6 of Mission Peru, we visited the garbage dump. When I first heard the name, I thought, ?how ironic?. Really, a garbage dump, a miracle? But when I went in, after I experienced it all...er, not even ?all of it? ?but from the bit that I saw, heard, smelled, and felt, I feel like El Milagro, the garbage dump, was really in its own way, a miracle of God. Not the dump itself though, but rather, the people in it.It?s a miracle that the people can work so hard, still with smiles on their grimy, weary faces.It?s a miracle that they are able to laugh with such joy, when they have practically nothing.The joy that I have seen from the Peruvian people in such desperate situation continues to amaze me.Today, when I walked in, I walked in, expecting what I saw, but at the same time still shocked. Flies were everywhere, clustered, buzzing over bags of garbage, flying around us. We walked up the path to the dump, the smell of garbage and animals in our noses. As we got closer, more and more garbage littered the ground. Dogs wandered around everywhere. We saw mounds and mounds of garbage. Some were heaped into hills, taller than 6 feet, and had to be climbed. Other piles were scattered haphazardly around. Amidst the trash were motos (basically a sort of bench-seat with wheels driven by a motorcycle in front) and donkey-drawn carts used for carrying garbage away.Basically what people?s job is, is to go through the piles of garbage, looking for recyclable materials to sell. They get 80 centimos per kilo (for the most valuable product which is plastic bottles). Eighty centimos. Not even 1 sole. And 1 USD is a little less than 3 soles. They take nothing for granted. Absolutely nothing. They work so hard for so little, just to be able to put food on the table for their families? They work to survive. Nothing is taken for granted.This, personally, was something that hit me. Back in North America, we take everything for granted! Everything...even God. Here in Peru, their faith is stronger than many people?s. They have so little, but yet, they have so much of something. That is infinitely more valuable. ?Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.? I saw the truth of this today.We also visited the residents? homes; they live right outside the dump. Their houses are basically hovels, rough walls, with a metal or straw roof. Yet the children greeted us with such happiness. Quite heedless of their destitute surrounding, the children were skipping, running around, smiling. Just like at the daycare, their smiles were so pure. I found myself thinking ?These children are precious.? And they really are. They?re not delicate; their circumstances are completely different, but they have something special.Today, more than I?ve ever experienced before, I felt the joy of giving. The people at the dump received the fruits we gave them (fruits we bought at a market previously- hooray for first time bargaining!) and when I saw them, peeling the oranges or bananas or eating the apples, I felt so happy. Likewise with the little gifts of beaded figures and key chains. The children were overjoyed with so many gifts. I was glad to bless them, in fact, and to even be able to bless them. It was a huge blessing in itself to be able to give.Afterward, we went back and just ?wrestled with questions?. Like the big one: Why has God brought me here? Why has he let us see this? I?m still struggling with these (and more) questions. What can I do in this situation? But, at the same time, I don?t pity them. I feel the injustice of it all, but I see that they are content.They are just the same as us, except in different circumstances I could have been born as one of them, and they could have been born as one of me. God loves us all, and that was really encouraging.On the other hand, before we visited the dump, we went to 2 places. First construction in the morning (as usual), and then the local marketplace! With our limited Spanish, we bartered for toothpaste, toothbrushes, apples, bananas, and oranges. (Later we found out the lady ripped us off, but it?s okay...haha)Peru is really an amazing place. All these new experiences?four days left! Let?s make the most of it!Peruuu! http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13388 13388 Tue, 6 Jul 2010 23:09:10 +0000 by Ray Majoran, West London Alliance ChurchAs the media guy for this trip, it's been absolutely unbelievable to see what God is doing here in Peru; it gives me chills just thinking about it. Today I'd like to share 21 ?real-life? examples of how God is working in this country for His glory. Watch and enjoy. Perhaps you might know someone. :) Tracy Phelps, Glengate Lydia Hauer, Glengate & Madison O'Leary, Alliston Kyle Graham, Midland Alliance Josh Schmitt, Midland Alliance Josh Robinson, Heritage Park John Mah, Mississauga Alliance Jen Lenhart, Heritage Park Jarrod McCourt, Glengate Jamie-Lyn Chaisson, Glengate Jake Worrad, West London Alliance Church Jackie Moreau, Midland Ian Irong, Freedom in Christ Hugo Po Fung, Mississauga Alliance Bethany Baker, Gregory Drive Eliza Argall, West London Alliance Church Cody Neale-Horner, Glengate Brett Worrad, West London Alliance Church Beverly Stone, Freedom in Christ Austin Mix, West London Alliance Church Auedrah Hummelen, Gregory Drive Andrew Gaunt, West London Alliance Church These are just some of the examples of the work that God is doing here. Stay tuned for more throughout the week! http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13375 13375 Tue, 6 Jul 2010 09:06:47 +0000 by Jenna Graham, Midland Alliance ChurchToday we prepared ourselves for the dump. We had debrief with Sam. She talked to us about what we were going to see and what to expect. Then we took the bus to the market to buy fruit for the people in the dump and the people living outside the dump. Then we made our way to the dump, nothing could prepare us for what we saw.There?s no way to describe the smell these people are living in. we started handing out the fruit, and as we were walking I happened to see a middle-age girl sitting in the trash sorting out garbage. So I went over to her to give her a fruit and tried to talk to her. And as I got closer I realized she was pregnant. This girl who lives in the dump all by herself, with no family, is going to have a baby. I don?t know why, but this was the most shocking thing that I saw. I was expecting people, I was expecting sadness, but I was not expecting that.As we got on the bus to leave the dump and started to drive, Sam pointed out that there was a jail on the left. The people in that jail we better off than the people in the dump. It is heartbreaking to think that I only have five more days here and that we will be leaving these people. That night we had debrief. Were Sam asked us to choose one word to describe your experience at the dump. I said hope. I said this because even though they are digging through trash for the means to feed their family, when I said ?Hola? and gave them a piece of fruit, you can see the hope in their eyes. And I know God has a plan for everyone of those people.They are in the worst circumstances possible and for them to even have a smile on their face is indescribable.I just want to leave you with a quote ?the simplest of life allows people to live.? http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13364 13364 Mon, 5 Jul 2010 09:10:27 +0000 by Kerry Provost, West London Alliance ChurchI want to tell you how I feel about a particular experience I have had but I also want to tell you about how your kids and your representatives have impressed me with their ability to tackle the emotional and physical challenge of the day. So here is a small portion of my journal entry pertaining to our visit to the city dump on July 3.Today was the day we went to the city dump. I thought I was prepared for the dump, knowing that we would see people living and working amongst the trash. We had purchased fruit (lots of fruit) as well as rice, beans and carrots to distribute and we also had shoes, shirts and various other items. There are no words to describe how it felt to walk ankle deep in smoldering trash to hand an orange to a man with 1 leg who is digging through garbage for recyclables to sell. Garbage is picked through 4 times here before it gets to the dump in Peru so little more than the toilet paper I am not allowed to flush is left. We all prayed that we would not be paralyzed by awkwardness and fear going into the dump and I must say, as a leader of 12 of the youth, that I did not see one paralyzed with fear. Each on did a phenomenal job ?serving the least of these? Mathew 25: 31 ? 40, and I myself struggled to reach the standard that they had set for serving God?s people. They played soccer in the trash as if they were playing soccer with Jesus, they handed out oranges while shaking hands and smiling as if they were handing oranges to Jesus. Most impressively some even helped load a cart with bags of trash as if they were helping Jesus.For those who know about my personal cry count?.I have decided to count today as one since I have been crying on and off all day and by God?s Grace I must say only at appropriate moments.It is not hard to question why we are so blessed with stuff and they are not but I have learned today that our stuff is not our blessing. It might even be that those we served today are more blessed than we are. I can?t believe that God blesses me more than he blesses them, instead I choose to change my perspective. Blessings are not clothing or steak dinners, brick houses or nice cars, rather blessings are God?s grace and love and the joy that comes from hope in Christ and the salvation he has given us. We must rest on these facts not only because they are the truth but also because it is these truths that allow us to see the people we served yesterday as equals. I choose not to be afraid of head lice or dirt, smell and disease but to shake hands and hug and share reminders with each other (this was not one way) of God?s true blessings and assurances that this pain is temporary. I kneeled in the back of a car speaking with a young girl lying motionless with spinabifida, rubbing her leg and telling her she was beautiful. In this moment my tears flowed freely between her mother and myself and I needed to be reminded of how to choose joy in a moment like that.We all need to process what we have seen a little more but I am sure that many share my sentiment that my heart is now broken for what breaks my Lord?s. http://www.missionperu.ca/index.cfm?i=12640&mid=25&blogid=4416&comments=13356 13356 Sun, 4 Jul 2010 09:45:26 +0000