Horario

When I get the opportunity to talk to friends and family at home over facebook or skype, one of the first questions they ask is "What does your week look like in Peru?" So I thought it might be beneficial to post on here the weekly schedule my team and I try to follow for those I haven't gotten a chance to talk with one on one yet.

-Sunday-
In the morning and early afternoon we meet at the ministry center to prepare for the day and the rest of the week. At 3:30 we go out into our neighborhood to gather up the kids for our 4 o'clock bible study in our neighborhood. Bible study starts out with a small game while waiting for all the kids to show up, followed by a time of worship through fun songs.

Playing "Mar, Tierra"

Teaching the kids one of the new songs

Lauren or Nicchola then teaches a lesson from the bible (right now we are in John) and then we read the memory verse for the week.

Lauren leading the neighborhood bible study

Afterward, we all play games with the kids and just spend time having fun and fellow-shipping.

Playing soccer with the kids

At 6 o'clock we have discipleship in the ministry center. There is usually anywhere from 7 to 15 people that come to discipleship, and these are the people in our community who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and want to go deeper in the Word. After a time of group worship, Lauren leads the lesson and encourages discussion within the group. We then have a time of prayer together, and afterwards we hang out as a family of believers.

Fernando and I leading worship

Our discipleship group + Lauren's Mom and Aunt who came to visit

-Monday-
Mondays are our "choose your ministry day." We don't have a set schedule for Monday, they are our day to catch up on whatever needs to be done: house visits, blogs, paperwork, cleaning, ect.

-Tuesday-
Tuesday morning we also spend time preparing for the week. In the afternoons we go to the orphanage and do bible study with the younger kids and help them with their homework. *unfortunately, we don't have permission to post pictures from the orphanage online.* Tuesday nights are free to do home visits, hospital visits, or whatever needs to be done.

-Wednesday-
Wednesdays we spend the whole day in a mountain town called Hural about an hour north of Ventanilla where I live. We start out in the early afternoon doing a bible study with a group of 4 ladies who are faithful to meet with us every week and learn about the bible. We spend time talking and fellow-shipping with them and their children, and then Lauren teaches a lesson.

Our faithful ladies

After that, we go knock on doors all around the community inviting kids and their parents to join us for our bible study.

Some kiddos helping us knock on doors

We normally have about 40 to 50 kids come sing, learn, and play games with us.

Singing "Poderoso"

Playing Capture the Flag

One of the older girls helping a little boy do our spoon relay

After bible study, we go do house visits in the neighborhood, checking on families that we already know and meeting new people to share the Good News of Christ with. 

-Thursday- 

Thursday is our day off to rest, run errands, and do whatever the heck we want!

-Friday-

Friday morning we prep some more, and then in the afternoons, we go to a neighborhood about 20 minutes away and do a bible study with the kids there. It is our smallest group, but my favorite! 

Playing a song game before bible study

Singing the B-I-B-L-I-A

Playing "What time is it Lion?"

After bible study and games, we go to the house of a lady who lives near by who is suffering from stomach cancer. Rosemary is the sweetest lady, and we are praying for the miracles of salvation in her life, and for healing for her body! Please join us in praying for Rosemary.

-Saturday-

Saturday we spend the entire day at the orphanage. We go for a few hours in the morning, break for lunch, and then come back until late that evening doing bible studies with all of the kids. This is the largest orphanage in South America with over 800 children living there so we have a big job. There are 12 houses of ages 5 and up and we focus on these houses all day Saturday. Our goal is to get to spend time hanging out and teaching the kids in all 12 houses each week. I wish I could post some pictures of the houses and children, but I'll have some to show when I get back to the states later this year. 

Although every week looks different, these are our scheduled ministries. We don't miss bible studies, but some weeks we have more time for home visits, and we do a few house churches different times throughout the week depending on our schedule and the Peruvians' as well. 

I love so much the work God has called me to do here and am so thankful for my friends and family's support back home. I wouldn't be here without YOU and I appreciate you all so much. 

Familia

It's now been 20 days since I landed in Peru, and I am unsure if I feel as though I have just arrived, or have been here forever. 

I was greeted at the airport in Lima by my new teammates

Lauren

Jessi

and Nicchola.

I have shared every day and almost every hour of the last 3 weeks with these people, but it only took a day or so for them to feel like my family. One of my prayers coming here was for my heart to be joined with the people I'd be ministering with and God certainly exceeded my expectations with this one. 

•••

Lauren is our faithful team leader who is the driving force behind the work we are doing here in Peru. She has been living with and loving on these people for over 3 years now, and her passion and burden for the lost is something that has been an ever-present challenge and encouragement to me since day one. I love her consistent and complete honesty, and that she is not afraid to look like a "nerd." I have yet to have a friend quite like Lauren, but I have no doubt she will be a friend for life. 

•••

Jessi feels like home. A fearless 19 year old who came to serve in Peru straight out of  high school, she is now basically a local here in Ventanilla after 8 months (and 12 more to come!) of jumping into their culture of interesting cuisine, dirty feet, and colorful pants. She even has a Peruvian son! 

Although she is much more Peruvian-ized than I am at this point, she and I would have definitely been friends in Texas. We love the same music, movies, clothes, and boys... 

(We watch a lot of Criminal Minds)

AND homegirl knows how to make me laugh. Jessi's forever positive attitude and infectious smile make her so much fun to be around. She's heading out next week to spend a few months in the states, and I am missing her already! I can't wait for her to rejoin us in July :)

•••

Nicchola is our Peruvian dad. He drives us around, makes sure we're always safe, and tells us (or maybe just me) to sit up straight. After befriending Lauren and her previous teammate a few years ago, he got saved and surrendered his life to full-time ministry in his home country. He is an integral part of the work we are doing here and I admire his commitment to serve the Lord. 

Nicchola is also a huge help in my endeavor to learn Castellano (What Peruvians call Spanish.) He knows enough English to help me when I get stuck on a word in Spanish, but not enough for me to be lazy and just speak in English. I am very thankful for him in that regard. 

•••

These people are my family here in Peru, and just like any family, there are moments already where they drive me nuts and I am at a loss as to why they do and say some of the things they do and say. However, my love and appreciation for them is real and deep, and I have no doubt that these next 6 months would not be nearly as sweet without them.