PERU MISSONS TRIP

Wednesday - May 14:

YES!!!! It was a busy day but also a good day!

We had a slight delay - 10 minutes - because our teenage translator could not go today - but her substitute did a good job - Ernesto (I think this is his name, but at this hour I will not guarantee anything – it is 11:30 PM).

We arrived 15 minutes ahead of time – CHUDA! (Russian for "miracle"). After introductions to Pastor Edgard (Guillermo) Sifuentes we walked 100 feet to the school where the LTI students spent 20 minutes with each level of the three level school students. The first session was a tough challenge for them. Imagine! Hip LTI students talking on a pre-school level and leaving out all of their youthful slang! It almost ripped their tongues right out of their mouths. And then we had to keep saying to them: "Keep it simple........." It is hard to forget all of the North American slang and then also drop the "Christianeze" that we use so casually without remembering that many people do not understand our "Christian terms." By the end of the second session - probably the 1st through the 3rd or 4th grades - they were getting better and so at our request they kept it at that level.
With all joking put aside, they did good! (But don’t tell them I said so. I still want them to think they just made the grade and that is all.)

We all piled into the van - now there are twelve of us in there with all of the gear, props and my traveling office - and headed to the home of the pastor. Marilyn and I got out and the team went to a mall to eat at the food court and to purchase paint and supplies to paint the children’s room for the Church.

We (Marilyn and I) spent time with Pastor Guillermo and his wife, Lisseta in their home. They have the cutest girl one and one-half years old. Her big brown eyes sparkled. Her brother, came home from school at noon but he is so shy that he hid from us and would get as far away as possible when we had to move close to him. Once when they had guests from the US who were over six feet tall, he approached his daddy and said, "Where did those giants come from? I am afraid of them!" They told us that he is the same with even the Peruvians who visit the home.

We were served a typical Peruvian meal – white rice with lomo (beef strips), tomatoes, onions and I can’t remember if there was anything else in it or not. It was a delicious meal.

The LTI students lined up at Burger King and with Marco’s help they got some grub and returned to paint almost half of the room. When they arrived at the apartment where we were I was not sure they got any paint on anything else but one-another. At least that is Biblical! They "preferred one-another" to the wall! But they were happy and that is what counts. Right? Well they were happy because they could take a shower and stay there while Marilyn and I walked three blocks, caught a taxi and proceeded to the evening couples seminar on marriage.

This was the most alert, involved and hungry group we have had on this trip. It was a pleasure to teach and watch their response. The time flew by - 2 hours of teaching. Now, wait a minute! I did not do it all! Marilyn was involved! And they were actively involved in asking questions the last 30 minutes.

Pastor Guillermo introduced me to a blind man and told me that he was a pastor from a neighboring city. He also told me that this man had 38 students from his Church in Universidad Impacto de Vida (Covenant Life University). WOW! By-the-way, I found out today that we have currently have twelve schools here in Peru and more waiting to get on board!

9:30 PM rolled around and we packed into the van and after much discussion and by an executive decision made plans to stop at McDonald’s for our late evening meal. Believe it or not, but the food at McDonald’s overseas is better than in the US! This decision was made due because of the time factor. It took us over one and one half hours to get home by the way of dropping of our second interpreter, Magally Falcon.

So we rolled in about 11:00 dragging everything with us, said our "good nights" and listened as Zac rejoiced declaring that he had been able to see deliverance from his affliction which has handicapped him only slightly for the last 4 or 5 days. Everyone appeared to be in good health now - excluding two with either a sinus struggle or a raspy throat – but nothing serious!

What I am trying to figure out is why it is so quiet here? I guess I am the only one up and the morning begins at 6:00 and will not end until about 11:30 PM. But it is only two weeks in their life and ours, so we will make it. At least we can rest on the bus trip of about eight plus hours on Friday. The quieter they sit, the better they will make the trip over the 15,000 Andes Mountains. (I have an oxygen tank to take with us in case someone appears to have any problem.)

That is enough for this report – AND DO NOT WORRY ONE OF THE STUDENTS WILL FINISH THE THURSDAY REPORT – so keep on reading to find out what happened!

Dr D, Marilyn and the LTI Team: Zac, Brian, Lindsay, Mikaela, Bethany