Here
I have posted entries from a journal that ALan kept while in Peru.
It
was important to him to make entries each night so that events and thoughts
were
still fresh on his mind.
Alan
went there to work and to minister to the needs of the people there.
What
he wasn't expecting was to be on the "receiving end" of a tremendous
amount
of blessings and spiritual growth.
Even
after his return home his thoughts and emotions have been overflowing,
so
some of the entries are his reflections of the experience.
We
pray that you will be blessed through reading about this trip and that
God
will speak to your heart through these words.
God
Bless...
Alan & Denice
Day
1
The
flight from Cincinnati to Atlanta was good but the flight from Atlanta
to Lima...well...
First
they told us that 2 volcanoes in Equidor were erupting so we had to fly
around them because of the ash. So they had to take on extra fuel
which meant that they couldn't take all the baggage...some of the baggage
would be delayed for a few days. The flight was so crowded and hot! THe
a/c didn't work right. It was so bumpy, lots of turbulence.
When
we got to Lima all of my baggage was there but a few of our people were
missing a few pieces.
My
first impression of Lima was that it's dirty and I was overwhelmed by the
smell of diesel fuel and burning garbage. The whole city looked like a
slum. Then we went to Ventanilla and it was much worse.
Most
of the tiny shacks that the people called their homes had no floors, no
running water or electricity. The driving in the city is something that
you just have to see for yourself! There seems to be no traffic laws and
no one obeys street signs or lanes...cars are just all over the street
in all directions! There were stray dogs everywhere and 100's of
children
of all ages played in the streets.
But
it was obvious right away that these people were hungry for God! Emotion
overwhelmed me and I knew that God was in this with me. He had brought
me here...not to work on a building, but to spread the Word and the work
of God.
I
miss Denice and the girls but I'm already looking forward to their coming
with me on the next trip!
adw
Day
2
Today
we worked at the job site and it was great getting to know the locals who
were working on it with us.
This
was THEIR church and it was important that they have an important part
in building it. We were just there to help.
Even
though we didn't speak the same language we were still able to communicate
with each other.
We
got the rest of the forms poured since the last team didn;t finish them.
Tomorrow we will start laying the bricks that were delivered today. The
children are amazing! I could see Jesus in their little faces and I pray
that they could see Him in mine.
When
I wasn't working the children would come up to me and hold my hand or ask
me to pick them up, which I gladly did.
Aarron
made the mistake of buying a few of them a bag of "Cheetos" and before
you knew it he had about 20 or 30 kids all around him. He bought 3 little
stores out of "Cheetos" and "Coca Colas"! The children followed Aarron
everywhere! He was like the "Pied Piper"!! Every 5 or 6 houses there's
a little store. This is one of the ways the people have to make a living.
Everywhere in Lima people have little shops or carts that they seel things
from or they have a Taxi. The people make a living any way they can.
Denice,
I just came back from our "Praise Meeting". God was really there, we could
sense His presence!
I
miss you and I talk about you to all the guys. Time to Sleep.
adw
Alan
with some of the children of Ventanilla.
He
has his arm around "George" who you will read about later.
Day
3
Today
we worked on the bricks and got started on the walls. Again, the children
came to help us. it is important to them to have a part in building their
church. They are so excited about it!
We
also went to the Leper Colony today and we had a wonderful time! Several
people accepted Christ there today. We handed out treats to the kids, Lotions
to the adults and medical supplies to the man there who treats the Lepers
wounds.
Someone
had asked about the possibility of our contracting Leperosy, but Roma Lee
explained to us that it is in an arrested stage and is not contagious.
THere are lots of families that live in this abandoned hospital because
even if just one member of the family has leperosy no one in that family
will be accepted in the general population. They are ostrasized and treated
terribly. A few of the people sang songs for us and some of our people
shared their testimony..telling them what God has done for them. We are
very near the Pacific Ocean here and it is beautiful. I got to put my feet
in the Pacific Ocean and I found a beautiful stone that I will take to
Denice. Aarron is so good with the kids! He spends his money freely with
them, buying them candy and cheetos". Aarron and I have got to talk a lot
together and he said he is really enjoying this trip.
adw
Day
4
We
got up and went to church this morning. Afterwards we handed out treats
to the children and then went to another church service. This church was
up half-way up a mountain and we had to hike up. Margie couldn't make it
up but Craig and Roma Lee did, inspite of their bad legs. We packed Sunday
School supplies up the mountain in backpacks. I was the first one to make
it up and into the little church. They sang for us and then they
introduced their Sunday school teachers. They were 3 teenage girls- about
14 years old, and they are so dedicated to serve God! We were about
to leave when the Pastor came and got me and led me to an elderly woman
sitting on the last bench. he took my hand and placed it upon the womans
head and he did the same and we prayed together for this dear sister. I
couldn't understand his words and I'm sure he couldn't understand mine
but we were both praying to the Lord, asking for healing for this woman's
body. We were off by ourselves and it was such a special moment. I felt
honored that out of all our people this pastor came to me to pray for this
woman. Afterwards both the Pastor and the woman thanked me for praying
with them and I thanked them for the honor. And I thanked God for such
a privilege to be used in this way. We came back to Willie's for lunch
and several kids from the Deaf School came to eat with us. One of
the young men is a gifted painter...inspite of the fact that he's deaf
and going blind. He was selling his paintings to several of our team members
but they were a little too expensive for me.
Later
on this afternoon we went to a different church where our Pastor Allan
preached with Willie interpreting. It was a very good service...the Lord
really used Pastor Allan, as many more were saved. People from Ventanilla
were also there as well as some people from the church we had visited earlier.
One of the chidren from Ventanilla came and sat on my lap. her name is
Gracia and she is about 7 years old. She also has a younger sister named
Rosita and an older one named Katrina. I would like to look into sponsoring
these girls. Earlier in the day Aarron met 2 boys that live on the
same street as Willie. They are in a Folk Dance Troup and they taught Aarron
how to do it. I also learned the steps. The boys asked us where we had
been earlier this morning and Aarron told them about the churches (Aarron
cane speak pretty good Spanish and Alan cannot)Then I told Aarron to ask
them if they would like to come to church with us later tonight. They said
they had to ask their parents if they could come. We were so happy when
it was time to leave to go to the church and the boys showed up!
adw
Day
5
Went
to the work site today and layed more bricks and the sun was out today
for the first time since we've been here.
Rodney
got sun burned and so did John Parker from Ky. The children were at school
in the morning and they have to wear uniforms. After school they run home
to change their clothes and then they all run to the work site. The
older ones ages 10-16 help us work and the younger ones watch us work and
they play until Margie calls for them to come and do crafts with her.
Little
Gracia came right to the job site after school to see me and Aarron until
Margie called her to do crafts.
Then
after crafts she came running to me and gave me her name tag and her cotton
ball sheep. Willie told me more about Gracia's family....about her Dad
and his drinking and how he disappears for days at a time. He used to come
to church but he doesn't anymore. But their Mother and the girls are always
faithful to attend services. I asked Willie about sponsoring the girls
and he said they were going to start a sponsorship program at Ventanilla
before the end of the year. Aarron and I plan to go together to sponsor
Gracia and her sisters. Roma Lee gave a talk about duct tape today during
devotions. It was very funny. THen we got serious about why we are here
and we sang praises to the Lord. All of us...those of us from Millville
church and those from Ky. and the other places have formed a great relationship.
We are one family with one mission in mind. To allow the Holy Spirit to
work in us and through us.
adw
A
mother and her children in front of their home
*
Day
6
We
layed brick again at the job site today but the work seemed to go extra
slow. We talked to a boy named George who is 14 years old. He helped us
work and he knows pretty good english. He leads the singing in his
church and I really think he will become a pastor. He has such a love for
the Lord and he loves to share his testimony! Later in the afternoon we
all went to Pizza Hut for lunch...it was funny to be in a Pizza hut in
Lima. It was just like Pizza Hut at home. When school let out for the morning
we were hoping to see the girls. Katie and Rosita showed up but Gracia
had to stay home to help her mother. But right before I was ready to leave
the work site Gracia showed up. She came running toward me with open arms
and wanted me to hold her and give her a hug and then when I left she gave
me a big kiss on the cheek.
At
supper the boys that taught Aarron and me the folk dance came in and ate
with us. Those 2 boys may have a future working in the church. They too
are so outspoken about their love for the Lord. It is so nice to see so
many young people who are thrilled to share about their faith and love
for God. THat is not something you see a lot in the U.S.
"Grasis
Senor Jesus Christo"
adw
Day
7
Today
was a free day...we didn't work at the job site. We got to go to the School
for the Deaf and they sang and put on skits for us. We had lunch with the
Millers, a missionary couple that's ran this school for 50 years. They
are both also deaf.
We
bought a new bed for a Pastor of the church on the mountain. His daughter
has extreme arthritis and cannot get out of bed. The Pastor sleeps outside
on a board and the daughters bed is just 1\2" foam. There were 11 of us
that carried the bed and mattresses up that mountain in the dark and the
rain. The people didn't know we were coming. What a wonderful blessing
that was for all of us! We also went to the Market place earlier today
and I bought Gracia a sweater and a doll. I wanted to have a gift for her
for the last time I will see her. While we were in town Riot police were
out in force because there were Protestors out. They were protesting against
the President because they had an election and he was voted out but he
refuses to step down. he is still in control of the military there and
he will stay in power another 6 years.
Tonight
when we came back we were all excited to share with the group about our
experience of taking that bed to the family on the mountain!
adw
Day
8
We
went to the job site for the last time today. When we got there they didn't
have the concrete mixer yet so we formed a line and began moving big rocks
into the building perimeter. Not long after that the mixer arrived and
we helped to set it up and get it started. Once we began we couldn't
stop because once you begin you cannot stop until your finished so that
it will all cure together. We went through 60 bags of concrete and needed
more so we ordered 5 more and they delivered them on a bicycle cart. We
each had a job to do: Greg poured water into the mixer, I dumped in the
bags of cement, and everyone else took turns shoveling gravel or
sand or hauling cement into the building. We worked through lunch and by
4pm. we finished what we had to do. We waited about 1\2 an hour and then
we started a church service in the new church. First we had a dedication
inside the new building and then we went over to the tiny "room" that is
their current church. We started out with about 35 people but as Pastor
Allan preached more people began to show up and the crowd began to flow
out because the tiny room was so crowded! By the time Allan was finished
preaching there were about 200 people there and more still coming! After
the church service we said goodbye to the adults and the children. it was
so sad. But the saddest for me was saying goodbye to little Gracia. She
had to leave early so she could have her hair fixed for a wedding she was
in. When her mother came to the work site to get her she cried so hard.
It broke my heart to see her cry. She got onto the bus and sat with her
head out the window crying and waving goodbye. Even Aarron and I cried
too.
When
we left the church service we went back to Willie's to pack for our trip
home. It was such a weird feeling... we were all sad to be leaving and
to say goodbye to everyone but ye we were happy and excited about coming
home.
adw
The
current "church" the people are using until the new one is completed.
Yes,
THIS is the "church" where more than 200 people came to hear our Pastor
preach!
Note
the woven straw "ceiling" and the makeshift "pews".
*
Day
9
We
woke up at 3am. and the bus came at 4am. to take us to the airport. When
we got there the man that owned the house where we had church in Ventanilla
and a young boy named George were there waiting for us to see us off. It
meant so much that they had made the trip to the Airport in Lima...more
than an hour from Ventanilla...so early in the morning, just to say Goodbye
to us. George is the finest young man I have ever met. he will make a great
Pastor someday. I look forward to the day when I return to work with him
again on another work camp.
The
plane ride back to Atlanta was much better than the one there. It wasn't
so crowded and so there were extra seats where we could spread out to be
more comfortable. When we got to Atlanta we had 2 hours to claim our luggage,
check through customs and immigrations and to recheck our luggage to go
to Cincinnati. The flight back to Cincinnati was good...just a rough landing
is all.
When
I got off the place I couldn't wait to get off the ramp to see Denice and
sure enough, there she was. My heart was in my throat and I cried as soon
as I saw her! it was so good to be home and with her again! When I go again
she will be by my side. I praise god for blesing me with this opportunity
and I praise Him for the people who made it all possible, thank God for
brothers and sisters in Christ in the U.S. and in Peru.
"God
is Good All the Time"
adw
My
Thoughts About the Trip
Here
in the United States, we don't know the "Stress of Life". What we know
is the "Stress of Luxury".
We
worry about car payments, house payments, cable bills, expensive sneakers,
college tuitions, etc. All of these are luxuries.
We
don't have to worry abbout food, shelter and clothes. These are the "Stress
of Life".
The
people of Ventanilla have the "Stress of Life" yet they are still happy
and they love others freely and unconditionally. People here are so wrapped
up with the "Stress of Luxury" that we don't have time to reach out to
anyone else or to love others unconditionally. Most people here are filled
with hate, they're unfriendly and always in a hurry.
How
much more should we be like the people of Ventanilla?
Let's
put our lives in perspective. Without the "Stress of Life" we should love
like them and be filled with joy and happiness because of all the blessings
God has given us. But we allow the "Stress of Luxury" to distract us and
to cloud our perspective.
May
God help us to keep our lives simple so we may see Jesus in others and
so we can show Him to others too
Alan
as well as other members of the team have shared so many wonderful stories
of their experiences while in Peru. Some of them are "heart-warming" while
others are "heart-wrenching".
We
pray that your heart will be blessed through the stories of blessings shared...
and we pray that you will be inspired to get involved in missions in some
way through the stories of great need.
