Nazca Bound

Today we leave for Nazca for mid-summer at 1:00! We were told it would be about a 6 hour bus ride, which would put us there at 7 or a little later tonight. When talking with one of our friends here in Coracora, he told us we wouldn´t be getting there until about 1:00 tomorrow morning, so we are expecting to be there sometime between about 10 or 11 tonight, hopefully! We are all very excited about going to Nazca but also very sad to be leaving Coracora this weekend. This weekend is a festival of food in Coracora, and as much as I love food I would almost be willing to start a strike for the buses so we could stay but I really do want to see all my friends again!

Things have been going great this week. We have had a busy week. We went to a school about 8:30 on Monday morning and hung out with the kids, sung a few songs and taught some English. Before leaving, we scheduled another meeting with them on Thursday with guitar and Bible story in hand. On Tuesday we headed to another school at 8:30 in the morning and hung out with the kids, taught them English, and sung a few songs. That seems to be the story for every school trip. We then scheduled another trip to visit them on Friday. This is also the school of the teacher who speaks English. We talked to her that day and Allen was telling her about his bilingual Bible, I told her we had one more and asked if she wanted. She then told us that she doesn´t read the Bible. At that point, things became a mission for me. I really want to work with her and reach out to her with Christ! We could really use her as a translator for a woman´s Bible study and maybe even asking her to do that would be a good way to get her started in the Bible.

On Wednesday we went to the MMM Pentecostal church with our friend Yulber and that is all we really did that day. We didn´t have anything scheduled in the morning so we all kinda slept in a bit. Oh, also this week we have been teaching a woman English in one of the plazas and then playing basketball or suppose to be playing basketball at about 3 or 4 in the afternoons in the municipal building. The two days we tried to play basketball in the municipal building, they ended up having volleyball or soccer or a men´s Coracora vs. Nazca game going on. We just stay and watch and then leave for dinner time. It has been fun to watch games, reminds me of home a bit.

Thursday was a good day at the school, Ben shared a lesson in the Bible and we sang 4 songs with the guitar and were scared we were losing there attention but when we started putting up the music, they asked for one more song. It was a good time with the kids and we are planning to visit them again when the Creative Ministry Team comes to Coracora on July 5-9. We also had Bible study on Thursday night at the Pastor´s house that we have House Church on Sunday mornings at. We actually ran into Flor (the amazing English speaking teacher) in the internet cafe Thursday afternoon and invited her to Bible study, and she came! God definitely blessed that because I really wanted to invite her but wasn´t sure where we would see her again and God just worked there.

That Bible study really opened our eyes to some things that could possibly be happening and something that has really kinda bothered me and question why he would bring something like that up. Towards the end of the Bible study, the pastor started talking about a tall American girl playing guitar in a plaza one day and singing songs of praise but it wasn´t really praise because of the guitar. I don´t think he realized that who he was talking about was me but I really want to know where he bases his belief off of. We are also scared that some other doctrines of his may not be right but that we have been translating what he has said to agree with what we know is right. Needless to say, after that Flor had a lot of questions to ask and she told us how deep she thought the songs were and just talked to us about that time and asked about why he didn´t believe that if someone were to use an instrument it wouldn´t be praise anymore. Like we do with everyone who is new to the Bible study, we invite them to dinner and pay for their meal and she joined as at Junior´s Pollo a la Brasa and we talked to her there.

Friday, we went back to Flor´s school with guitar in hand. They enjoyed that time and instead of doing a Bible story, we sang Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) and explained that song to them. They definitely did not have the attention span that the other school did. After that, Flor cooked us a potato sauce kinda thing that was absolutely amazing and we ate lunch with the students, then we went to a field kinda thing below the amazing swing bridge here in Coracora and tried to play American football with the kids. It was a lot of tackling and just beating up on each other, never really did the football come in play at all. Some older girls from a different school came down to hang out and Albee and I ended up hanging out and talking with them while the guys played with the boys. Albee sang songs in Chinese and I sang songs in English and then the girls sang us a song in Spanish called Amiga, it is a really popular song here. We hear it everywhere and all the girls love to sing it.

Last night we went to a musical festival in one of the four plazas located here in Coracora, it was very fun at first until all the drunk Peruvians seemed to be attracted to us. At that point, we decided it was time to leave and go to bed. I got a video of a very cool Incan group doing a dance on the stage and it was awesome. They had fireworks without the lights and a huge bonfire. The fireworks only shoot up and pop, they don´t glow big lights. We are thinking about getting some of those for the 4th of July, we gotta celebrate somehow!

All has been going great, we have really had an amazing time here and are very excited about the two teams joining us in July. Both teams will arrive in Coracora on the 5th and one of the teams will stay for a full week and the CMT will only stay for a few days. After both teams leave, we will only have two weeks left in Coracora and then it it back to Lima for Albee´s flight to China. It is all coming so fast, I can´t believe I have been here for a full month already!

God Provides

These past few days have been amazing...Jon from one of the Barnabas came to visit us for a couple of days because the whole group wasn´t able to make it earlier in the summer because of our altitude.

As I write this, I have three girls standing over my shoulder watching and asking me questions in Spanish...majority of time, I have no idea what they are asking but I am able to answer some of the small stuff...Internet times are the best here because in the States where everyone prefers privacy, no one here cares about privacy especially when it is a grenga (Spanish for a white girl)...Everytime we come to the internet cafe, there are always children and even some younger teenagers who come up to see what we are doing, it is amazing. They are currently hagging the boys and trying to get them to count to a thousand in English...I told them that I didn´t know how to count to a thousand, good way to get out of that, even if I do look stupid...

Okay so yesterday, we went to a Catholic school and shared a bible story with the kids. It was a great time, they were very quiet, no questions to ask and never really talked to us...Then after going to the Catholic school, we came back to our hostel, grabbed a few things and headed to the Plaza to find out that yesterday was the 183th anniversary of Coracora´s existence...Very event filled day...We hung out in the plaza for a couple of hours, with kids swarmed around us, and two English professors came up to us and asked us to come to their schools. One we will be going to on Monday and the other on Tuesday! We also ran into a woman who wants us to teach her English everyday this week before she has to go to Lima for something so we are going to help her...Just being out and about in the city has really opened up some doors as we saw yesterday! I really enjoyed showing Jon around our city and introducing him to our friends!

Okay so one thing to pray about: one of the English teachers that we ran into is a woman and her English is absolutely amazing! We go to her school on Tuesday, and are actually going to talk to her about possibly being a translator for a woman´s Bible study!!! I hope it all works out, and the woman´s Bible study will be started as soon as possible! Hopefully before mid-summer!

Mid-summer is only 6 days away and my heart is very excited to see people that I haven´t seen since orientation! Mid-summer also marks the halfway point of being home! Not that I am homesick but I have a feeling that things are going to either go by much faster once mid-summer is here! We have two teams come in July to see us, the Creative Ministry Team and a team from the church that is sponsoring Coracora! I will enjoy that time and showing them around. And then after that point, things will only be a couple of weeks away from ending...But I am not near that time now...People are already asking when will we be coming back and all I can tell them is I don´t know...that is such a hard question because I have no idea where God is going to lead me next summer or if I will ever be back here in Coracora! I wish I could give them a definite answer...

Hope Rising

Today there has been a cool breeze in the air which can be very significant of something...Mom is not going to be happy about this one but the wind gust could actually be a sign of an earthquake soon to come...I don´t know about any of y'all but I have never been in an earthquake and I really do want to feel one...It doesn´t have to be big, I just want to feel one...But I know my mom is praying against that while I am here in Peru and honestly I am not really sure if where I am located at times in the day is where I want to be when one hits...The building structures are not the best here, most houses are made of mud bricks or a stuco(SP?) sort of thing, not many would be very sturdy structures if a good sized earthquake were to hit Coracora...I´m afraid the only thing left standing would be the huge Catholic church...

This morning we went to one of the schools and taught the children English, it was a grand time with the kids and lots of laughs, I definitely enjoy these times and I learn lots of Spanish when doing this...During the class, we got a great big burst of wind gust that shook the tin roof...Romi, the teacher we were helping told us that the gust don´t normally happen until August. Then she told us about it being a sign of an earthquake. Romi, is an absolutely amazing woman! She is like a mom away from home for sure and is such a blessing! I love her tons and her daughter Sisary! I am happy to be spending the next month and a half with those two. They have invited Albee and I to live in their house with them come July and I am excited about this offer I just don´t feel like having to pack everything up and move again.

After school today, we went walking around town and realized that power was out throughout the town, not sure for what reason why but no lights or anything was working...It was nice and quiet, we walked towards a plaza that we found the other day and ended up running into a bunch of kids who had us say a lot of things in English...Then they asked us about these bracelets that we have on our arm. It is called the salvation bracelet, a lot like the beads that some people wear, except this was the colors all weaved in a braid as a bracelet. Allen explained the significance of the colors and it was just a great time of spreading the gospel, even if the kids didn´t understand there were some women in the back of the group that seemed to be very interested! I just pray that God will move in the hearts of those women and in the kids! We will probably make a few trips back up that way to continue what has started now! God is definitely working here and I am giving Him all the glory!!!

Two weeks and Two years

Today has been a very tough day...Today not only marks two weeks before I am off to Mid-summer, the halfway point of my ministry here in Peru but it also marks two years since my bestfriend was killed in a car wreck...I am very excited about only two weeks being left for me to go to Nasca and being united with everyone and receiving a fresh presence of people who encourage me so much...But my heart can't help but hurt today...

Not so funny thing but God definitely has a way of giving me a fresh reminder of how short life is...I have been wondering about what the tradition is for people who pass away here in Coracora since this town is built around traditions...Well today I got my answer that I really wasn´t looking for in this moment. When Albee and I were walking to the big store here to grab a few snacks and a gatorade, we heard a band in the distance...As it got closer and as we got closer, found out it was a funeral procession...casket and all...Tears couldn´t help but fall from my face, my heart started breaking as all I could think about was Tim and the very second I received the news of his death and his funeral and the casket and everything just rushing through my brain at once...

Not only was I thinking about Tim but I was thinking about my grandfather...On June 16th, it will be a year since he has passed away...It´s going to be so hard for my dad and for all my family, especially since tomorrow is Father´s Day, I am glad that the reunion doesn´t fall on Father´s Day...I don´t know how any of my family would be able to handle that...

These next few days are going to be really tough, three deaths in three days to remember...one I did not know but it was a friend of a dear friend of mine and not only that but he wasn´t a Christian so it makes it all the harder as I try to find some way to be of comfort to her at the two year mark...We were serving together in California for summer missions when we both received the news of our friends´deaths...

Okay, so off of this subject, and on to the now...things have been slow...everyone is getting sick, sadly the day after I got sick...our translator got sick with a stomach bug and then the next day our other guy got sick with a stomach bug and then yesterday we went and ate breakfast at a Pastor´s house...we had some type of tamale without meat also with some type of oatmeal chocolate colored drink...Needless to say, my stomach still wasn´t feeling up to eating something of that nature, I ate about a tamale and a half and I definitely only had a few sips of that oatmeal thing, it did not help with my stomach...Well after that, Albee got sick with a stomach bug so these days have been very slow since we have all been sick with something...I still have my cold, still trying to overcome it but I think it might stick with me until I get into a warmer place...Oh and FYI: here, they have no concept of heaters or insulation or things of that nature...the hostel we live in has no heater, no insulation, and the door in our room to our balcony has very huge spaces between it and the wall so it gets very cold in our room during the day and during the night...So that is definitely not helping with my cold here...Winter is definitely not my favorite season...

Today we are going to the Orphanage about 3:00 to play games with the kids and then share a Bible story...I am praying that they are very receptive and that their hearts are opened to God, who is their true Father...I don´t want the word ¨father¨ to be a bitter taste on this children´s lips because of situations that they might have went through, I want them to realize Who a real Father is, especially since tomorrow is Father´s Day!!! Pray for these children with me, that their hearts are open and broken for someone to be a father for them and that they choose God to fill in that gap!!!

A Cold Says It All

So I knew getting sick was inevitable, except getting sick with a cold is much different than getting sick over the food...none of the food has made me sick yet, I knock on wood after I say this...but I am sadly getting a cold, I always get a cold during the winter season and well for Coracora, it is the winter season. I don´t think I slept a wink last night from running a fever, to not being able to breath, to freezing to death, to burning up, and to spending most of the night trying to keep my throat from exploding of pain...

Today, my throat is a little soothed after a hot 100% coco drink, very bitter but felt wonderful on my throat, needless to say I think I added about 10 spoon fulls of pure sugar just so that I could drink some of it...We were also suppose to play basketball today with our landlord but God is definitely watching out for me, the landlord is having to move it to Wednesday because he is going to Lima. I just hope that I am not worst by Wednesday.

The Barnabas team comes in today to check up on all that has been going on! I am very excited to get some fresh faces in here and to be reunited with some friends!

Oh please pray for a female translator or that God will bless the tongue of a woman to communicate between the women of Coracora and Albee and I...The cry of my heart is to have a woman´s Bible study for the women here and last night, we went to our usual picarones spot! Picarones is a lot like a U.S. dough-nut but they pour a syrup/tea kinda thing on it and they are so good! We go to this place every night almost. Good example: we go to this place so often that these women already have our testimonies and everything about us memorized. Last night some people came by and were asking us some questions about why we were in Coracora and other things and the women were answering the questions for us! It was absolutely amazing! Well the women who make the picarones want to start a Bible study with her sisters and her! This is the perfect ministry opportunity; however, there is no one to be able to communicate between us and them except for our male translator... My heart longs to be able to speak with these women, I am not liking the language barrier at all!

Also please pray for the health of the team, we have all kinda been passing a cold around or something of that nature...needless to say, it is my turn to have it...I am the last of the group to get it, lovely!!! Just pray that I will heal fast and that I don´t pass it on again to anyone on the team!

Mountaintop

Okay so too much has happened in the past 24 hours for me to wait a week to type out!

Last night, we had a worship time with three men who all want to start a Baptist church here. It was absolutely amazing just hearing them sing in Spanish and hearing songs that we sing back in the USA in their language. The Spirit definitely moved through that time! It was so amazing! Then we had another bible study with what was suppose to be a group of boys but only one showed up! But that time with him was absolutely amazing! He asked us some extremely deep questions and it was awesome!!! Ahh God definitely touched that time!

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Last night one of our team members went to meet with the Catholic priest here in Coracora, and the meeting went absolutely amazing! The rest of us stayed behind to hangout with that boy and talk with him. We are actually going to play basketball with him today and some of his friends in about 30 minutes...Okay back to Catholic priest. So the word is that God definitely moved during that time! The Catholic priest here might as well be a Baptist minister...he doesn´t believe in purgetory(SP?) or praying to Mary...he believes we are all here to reach out to other for Christ and wants to work with us...pray for this situation, this is a huge door that God is opening!!!

Also the kids and teenagers seem to love a white girl playing a guitar! Someone called me Avril Lavigne today and they all gathered round to here me play and sing! The guitar was very out of tune because mine was left in our hostal but tomorrow, the kids want me to bring my guitar and my music and play for them at 2:30, this can be an amazing time of reaching out to them with Christ! Definitely pray for that too!!!

Today we spent the morning trying to get me some money! I am so thankful because it finally came in and I have enough to make it to mid-summer where I can pull some more out! Then we climbed to one of the top of the hills or a part of the mountain and the view of our village/town was absolutely amazing! I wish I oculd upload the pictures I took but these computers are not capable of using my digital camera card...The view was spectacular, we then prayed over our town and begin the walk back down the mountain! Wow! I wish I could express how awesome it was!!!

One Week Into Peru

I honestly cannot believe that I have already been in Peru for a week. It seems like I only came yesterday! The flight from Atlanta here was absolutely amazing, the sunset from my seat was so beautiful and just a fresh reminder of God´s magnificence. We arrived in Lima at about 11:00pm and made it to our hostel at about 2:00am. FYI: going through customs and immigration went very smoothly, I got a greenlight! So thankful! For those of you that do not know, you walk through this part and you either get a greenlight or a redlight. If you get a redlight they take you over to the side and search all of your stuff. God is definitely already come before us becaues I don´t think that any of the 20 of us on that flight got a redlight at all. We began the long but adventurous day with an Amazing Grace race. It was a scavenger hunt through the whole city of Lima with our teams that we will be serving with this summer. The task included everything from buying team t-shirts to sliding down firemen poles to drinking frog juice. Which I must say wasn´t as bad as it was made out to be. It had a lot of honey in it but was very frothy, made for a great adventure.

We then went to the camp where our orientation was. I met some amazing people there that I will never forget. My heart is so excited for God´s movement through these cities and villages, I cannot wait for the Fire to fall down over this place. God is definitely breaking my heart of many things right now. Thing after thing keeps trying my trust in the Lord but this is what I have been praying for. I tried to get money out of my account and it wouldn´t work so I tried to call my mom with my cell phone because I have an international plan and my phone wouldn´t work. So I went to a pay phone and got a hold of her and have gotten her to get in touch with my bank so I can use my card. However, now that I am in Coracora there is no place here that will let me use my card to get money out. I am definitely trusting and I know God is going to provide.

God is already moving here in Coracora. I am on a team of four people: me, Albee, Ben, and Allen. We have held two bible studies in a matter of a 24 hour time period and will be having another one tonight. A man came to know Christ yesterday at our bible study and hearts are opened to us being here. We went to the orphanage yesterday and it was so amazing. Those kids definitely touch my heart in such an amazing way! I cannot wait to spend these next two months with them and getting to know them better. God is opening up huge doors that we could never accomplish alone and I am so thankful that Go is opening up the hearts of these people and continuing to show us different ways in which we can serve. My Spanish is slowly but starting to pick back up. It is going to take a while and a lot of practice but I hope that I can begin to communicate with these people soon. My heart is so excited about spending the next two months in this place even if I am living off of chicken and rice for every meal.