On the Way Home...

So I shall be home in a week, how strange is that? Very! Seems not that long ago at all that I was leaving, and here I am 5 months later... It would be impossible to write down everything about those 5 months, and would probably take away from it all but suffice it to say that it has been AMAZING, the most fantastic 5 months and thank you so much to everyone who made its possible... and lets praise God for his goodness, he's enabled me to see and experience so much and learn so much about him and his providence and plans for my life - and just taught me so much about how I want to live a holy life in gratitude of all that he's done for me. Its so exciting seeing a totally different culture and the way things are done differently, and the similarities, and the Peruvian Church is so interesting... each one different but all totally praising and exalting our amazing God. Not really sure what else to say but thank you!! xx

Hello! As probably all of you know I have just had typhoid - but I am recovered so no need to worry! I've had 4 weeks in bed (hence the absense of updates!) but I am now a lot better. I had to move away from the team to Lima so that I didn't infect them all but I am preparing to go back to Huaraz tomorrow...

Thank you so much for all the emails, love, support and prayers. Its been amazing to see the power of faithful prayer and God at work in me making me better, so thank you for all your prayers and praise God!

Not a lot to report - the team are all healthy and surviving... as far as I know (!) the project is going well, although its hard work its very rewarding as we are working in a remote community where they do not have a lot. I am going this week so will be able to tell you more after I've been!

Sorry I don't have much to say - other than thank you and thank you God!

Latest Photos

Team Report 5

Well, it has been a while since I last updated you on what team Peru are up to!

We finished our project in Arequipa and had a big party to celebrate and say thank you to the church for all they had done for us. We had relay games with bricks and worksite equipment, and a quiz hosted by Jamie and Stephanie. We had also prepared a drama of our time at the church and summed up our stay in 10mins or so. It was very humorous and the church loved it! It was heart-warming to see how close we had all come to the church and how sad it was to leave. And it was especially hard to say goodbye to Fermin, and as he waved us off at the bus station we realised how close a friendship we had all formed with him. We are all so thankful because Fermin gave his life to Jesus before we left Arequipa. Praise the Lord!

So we left Arequipa and headed off to Bolivia, to lake Titicaca, for our team holiday. It was great to chill and see a new place. We went back into Peru and visited the uros floating islands and stayed a night with traditional families on the island of Amantani. It was incredible to experience the basic, but perfectly sufficient conditions they lived in. We all dressed up in the traditional clothes of the host families and joined together for traditional dancing!! The boys dressed in ponchos and knitted hats, and the girls in floaty skirts, big shirts, and headscarves! Then we moved on to 'canyon de colca' where we did a 3-day hike down into the depths of the canyon, staying in bamboo and palm huts. We were encouraged by our guide who was intrigued by Christianity and tired of the idols of the overriding catholic faith in Peru. We pray he keeps searching. Our last day we were up at 2.30 ready to trek back out of the canyon before the full moon could be replaced by blazing sun. We all managed it and were filled with a great sense of achievement at the end, and a great view.

Our journey from Arequipa to Huaraz was a bit of a nightmare. We managed to lose a box of presents, a guitar and spend 36 hours on various coaches. Only 16 hours over what it was meant to be! But we are here now and the guitar is on its way back to us, so Joel will be able to lead us in song again shortly!

Our project here in Huaraz currently consists of a lot of sanding of table legs at a 'carpenteria' for the computer desks at the orphanage, lots of games of mafia and the culinary delights of our domestic gods and goddesses. Huaraz is beautiful and our accommodation is more than sufficient for our needs. The church is really welcoming and the people are all really friendly. The bible teachings have been really good, and even better with our improving Spanish.

So all in all it has been a really good start to a new project.

Gloria a Dios.


prayer requests

- couple of tummy bugs, but nothing serious
- that we all keep learning and growing in the knowledge of Christ
- that we make the most of our last project

(from the steps team website www.stepsteam.org)

In Huaraz

I´m really sorry but this is going to be really quick... we´ve arrived in Huaraz... was really emotional leaving Arequipa... i wasnt really prepared for how hard it was going to be, our maestro Fermin became a christian a week before we left and it was SO hard to say goodbye to him, he cried which set all of us girls off again! but Huaraz is an amazing city, much smaller than Arequipa and already noticing differences, again here we are surrounded by amazing scenery and the weather is good, much cooler at night but sun hot in the day. None of us have had any problems with altitude sickness thankfully and so far we are all well (except a few tummy bugs) but nothing too bad. getting stuck in to the carpentry work we´ll be doing for 2 weeks, and have been to the orphanage we´ll be working with and the kids are gorgeous. will tell you more when i can grab a moment! xxxx

Just a really quick addition to say please send post to the second address from now on.... were leaving in 2 weeks and because of the delay its probably safer that way. Also just want to say I am really sorry for being so rubbish at keeping in contact...!

Team Report 4

Hi again from team Peru!! Glancing back over our last report I have decided to update all of you dedicated readers as to how amazingly God has answered our prayers over the last few weeks. And we really do appreciate the ways in which you are all so evidently supporting us ...

- Lisa and Millie are back on form and in extremely good shape, eating lots again!-not only have we had opportunities to share bits of the Bible with Fermin , our maestro, in the mornings , but he joined us in church on Sunday and brought his little son Juan along to Sunday school too. We were so pleased to have them there. Juan smilied from ear to ear for the duration!Hopefully they will come next week.

- our Easter experience in Camana was a great success. Playing with the local children in a kids club we put on, reminding them of the importance of Easter for Christians and them too. We sang songs and played lots of boistrous games, which they loved. We were really lucky as language was not a problem at all.-we asked for your prayers in finding new ways to evangelise and involve ourselves into the community. Since then we have planned a party for the church members and locals, as a way to say goodbye but at the same time encourage newcommers into the church. One way we are going to do this is by handing out flyers and doing some street drama.

We would really appreciate your ongoing prayers with this.Just some bullet points of things we have been up to:
- recently we went into a school and ran two assembleys and a couple of classes. We were a little nervous however the kids loved our silly entrance and ropy spanish, which just made the whole thing really enjoyable.
- we went into two new churches this weekend, in the outskirts of Arequipa. We were amazed and blown away by the passion in which these incredibly poor people praised God and were happy with what they had. It was truly inspiring to feel the warmth inside a dusty, dark, unpainted shed when we started singing and praising God along side these people.
- on a rather amusing note, rushing back for the boys weekly football match, with all of us squeezed into a couple of cars and Stephanie and Jamie shouting 'faster Herman faster', the 2 cars collided and a front bumper was torn off as the loser pulled to a halt. With the once encouraging passengers feelling a little guilty, Herman's loving character luckily shined through!!
- this monday we went to a ranch with a swimming pool and horses; we were slightly dissapointed when half way through trying out the horse one by one to supposedly see if we were capable of riding we found out that was the horse ride and that our imagined all day ride over hills and beautiful countryside was not so. However, it was just as nice chilling by the pool.
- and a note on the building work...we have now finished all of the brick work and are making reinforced concrete columns to make the building strong enough to withstand earthquakes. We still need to plaster the walls, put the roof on and put the windows in place.

prayer points
- that Fermin and his son would continue coming to church, especially once we have left.-that we would all keep growing in the knowledge of God
- that the ubanas volcano near Arequipa which is currently spitting ash and killing livestock would not have a devastating effect on the local people.

(from the steps team website www.stepsteam.org)

Muchas Photos

Hopefully this will give you a bit of feel for things here... so that you can imagine our lifestyle etc, a couple of photos of us all on the building site... us arriving in Lima... Joel´s birthday meal... us playing with the kids at the camp by the beach over easter weekend. All lots of fun and hope this gives you a feel of things here! lots of love to all xxx

Photos

Team Report 3

GO team.
Last weekend we found ourselves tearing up trees and ripping out weeds in a missionary house by the beach. We did two hard core mornings of work and then took the afternoons to chill out on the sand, with the boys playing beach cricket and the girls topping up their tans. We were all reminded of God's power by the force and sheer size of the waves, they knocked us for six every time.

13th of april, Joelito turns 19. As it was the Thursday before Easter it was a bank holiday, this meant the building sight was bustling with enthusiastic church members eager to help out. We joined together to sing a fantastic rendtion of happy birthday. We were overwhelmed that with such short notice, having found out the day before, they managed to produce a massive cake and opened one of their houses to us and lots of church people for a party. We than hit the town to celebrate in style overlooking the Easter parades from the comfort of a high restaraunt balcony. The birthday boy and a few others ventured out and tried alpaca steak, which was much enjoyed, especially with a floresent glass of inca cola.

on the building sight - we are now awaiting our final batch of bricks to finish off all of the walls. Our superb maestro, Fermin, who is a machine, may be moving on soon to another job. Amongst other things this is due to a tough family situation. It has been great to open up the bible with him and pray each morning on the building sight, and to try and help him out at this difficult time.

This weekend we are heading off with the pastor to a poor area near the coast, where our church has links, and puts on a weekend of services over Easter. We will be travelling down in a combi with all our stuff, and will be involved in all 6 services ranging from kids to adults.

Dios te bendiga, love team peru x


Prayer points

-that Fermin would continue to grow in his faith and would have the chance to look at his new bible.

-that all stomach bugs would clear up, Millie and Lisa especially at this time.

- for the church that have welcomed us so lovingly and given us so much.

- new possibilities to share with the local people in the community about the church, and put on some events.

-this weekend , as we work with the pastor at camina, that even with a language barrier we can share the word of God and make an impact on the people there.

(from the steps team website www.stepsteam.org)