Lucille's Adventures in Peru

Change is in the Air

alleen — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:04:00 GMT

Well, change is inevitable. Just like the changes out at Wichanzao in this picture, there is always going to be change. It is true. Right now there are so many changes in my life, I do not know if I even recognize it anymore! So, with those changes, I am changing the blog. I am moving back to a blogspot blog. It is so much easier to update, add photos, etc. And you can still find it by clicking this link: httop://lucillegoestoperu.blogspot.com/ or you can google "Lucille's Adventures in Peru" and find it. I think I will be the second result. Thank you for your support, prayers and being a part of my journey in Peru. It is exciting to see what the Lord is doing and I hope you will continue to follow along at the new site.

Feliz Día de Mama

alleen — Sun, 9 May 2010 17:44:00 GMT

Happy Mother's Day! I am so blessed to have a mother who loves me, cares for me, and is a Christian. What a blessing from the Lord. Thanks mama for being you! I love you dearly! And my two sisters are both moms also. Happy Mother's Day Melissa and Adele! Thanks for being such great moms and allowing me to spoil my niece and nephews endlessly! I am so thankful to have been and continue to be a part of their lives.

In Peru, they celebrate Mother's Day like no other! And it is odd to me. It is a huge event. It has been advertised for weeks if not months now. There are flowers everywhere. Everyone is saying "Feliz dia" to all the moms. Twice I got greeted on the street by strangers with "Señora, feliz dia." It is a large celebration. Yet, one of our biggest struggles and cultural barriers to a flourishing church here is the lack of male leadership. The men often have more than one woman and children with more than one woman. They do not stay in marriages. If they are married, they have women on the side. They catcall and whistle as you walk by on the street. It is a serious problem of how men treat women and/or fail to treat them. So, it is an oxymoron to me that this culture then places such emphasis on women on this day -- Mother's Day. I love that it is a big deal here and properly emphasized. I just wish the remainder of the year they would show these women respect. Marry them. Stay with just one woman, not 3 or 4. But we live in a broken world. And we are called to restore it and we will work towards that goal all of our lives. It will never be fully restored until Christ returns.

So, until then we will continue to do what we can. I will be Peruvian and on this day say, "Feliz dia! mi mama". To all the mother's out there, Happy Mother's Day! Thank you for all of your sacrifices and long, thankless hours you put in to serve your family. It is a high calling to be a mother! Muchisimo gracias todos!

525,600 Mintues. How do you measure a year in the life?

alleen — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:54:00 GMT

“525,600 minutes. How do you measure a year in the life? How about love?”

This is the question some bohemian artists struggling to make it in New York ask themselves in the 1996 Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway play “RENT”. Today marks one year that I have lived in Peru. I have also been pondering this question, “How do you measure a year in the life of a Peruvian Missionary?”

· 16 short term teams/vision trips

· 6 weeks in Arequipa for language school

· 3 trips to Cajamarca

· Countless trips to Lima to meet teams

· Several new job responsibilities

· 1 new Church plant

· First Christmas away from family and home (and many more other “firsts” from trying guinea pig to surfing)

· 3 weddings (Lenin and Elva, Calin and Heather, and Julton and Julie)

· 4 roommates

· 2 goodbyes to dear missionary families (Bradford’s and Ball’s)

· 1 new family in the field (Mills)

· 5 new families raising support (Davenports, Hills, Lewis’, Suttons, and Ueltcheys)

· 26 Peru Mission interns/fellows (including a name change mid year from Internship to Fellowship)

· 1 big, beautiful new office building!

· Untold number of new friendships (Peruvian and American)

· Countless blessings to be able to serve my Lord and follow Him wherever He may lead me and know there is no safer place than the arms of my Savoir!

“Lord, are you sure about this? Do you really want me to go to Peru? Please make your will known, because if this is what you want, I will go!” January 2008. I still remember writing that in my journal as I lay in my tent in the Peruvian Andes after a long day of hiking and thinking and praying. I had just finished my first mission trip ever. It was a trip to Trujillo, Peru, to put on the first Twin Lakes Camp in Peru. Little did I know how that trip – 8 short days – would change my life? While in Trujillo, I felt the Lord’s presence like I never had before. After the mission trip, I stayed in Peru and went hiking in the Andes. It was supposed to be with a group of people, but in God’s providence, it was just I. This allowed me 4 days of solitude and hiking and praying about God’s plan for my life. After returning home, I prayed for 6 straight months and had others praying for me. Then on June 15, 2008, I told Matthew Nasekos that I felt God calling me to go to Peru. His excitement was so encouraging—especially since I told him, I specifically wanted to do his job (he was raising funds to move there also). That night I went back to Sheila and Matthew’s house at Twin Lakes to enjoy some time of fellowship and prayer with their staff. We split up into groups to pray for Twin Lakes, but we prayed about Peru. I will never forget Matthew’s plea that the Lord would not only open this door if it be His will, but that it would be flung open. I had the mental image of the door that flies open so strongly it bangs against the wall. And the Lord did indeed fling open the door and push me through. My comments to my mom that this would be a year long process, maybe longer, to get to Peru turned out to be untrue! Within six months of that first conversation with Matthew, I had filled out an application, been approved, tried one last Baycol case, began raising support, quit my job and moved to Guatemala first for language school and then Peru. What a whirlwind! Nevertheless, such a joyous and blessed one. I would not trade my life for anything in the world.

I am not sure how to measure a year in the life of a Peruvian Missionary, but I hope the Lord allows me many more to try to figure it out! The photo at the top is from January 2008, my first mission trip to Peru where it all began.

New Church Plant

alleen — Tue, 2 Mar 2010 16:37:00 GMT

We have started a new church plant here in Trujillo! This is an exciting time for the mission. Trujillo is a city of 1 million people and many universities. We have felt the call to have a "downtown" church and had hoped one of the existing churches we work with would fill that call. But that church is not in the city center and it became evident that it would not be what we desired of a city center church, so we have planted a new church. Right now we are meeting in our offices (outside in the garden area). Until now, we have met only on Sunday nights since Pastor Wes Baker is the Sr. Pastor of this new church plant and he has been preaching Sunday mornings at Arevelo. God has blessed us with a new minister in Arevelo (Ricardo Hernandez) and so now starting this Sunday, March 7, we will have morning services. We are in the midst of planning for our Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services also. Easter Sunday will be our first official "kickoff" service.

Please be in prayer for this new work and the leaders that are involved--both American and Peruvian. We plan to have cell groups led by Peruvians and so also pray that those would form nicely and that the leaders would be well equipped to lead them.

Our night services have been well attended -- Praise God from whom all blessings flow! The picture with this story is from one of our very first night services.

Sunday is a Great Day

alleen — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:28:00 GMT

I love Sundays here. Our routine right now includes mission lunches on Sunday. All the families and all the interns gather together and we share a meal and then worship in English. We sing hymns, share prayer requests and prayer together in our native tongue. It is often a great encouragement after hours of Spanish worship. Do not get me wrong, I do love the Spanish services. It is a wonderful reminder of how alike we are -- Peruvians and Americans -- and to see that we are all created to worship our lord and king and we can do that in any language and it is very powerful! It brings home how large the kingdom of God is and what is important to bind us together is that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. So, I do love the Sunday mornings in the Spanish Church, but it is also nice to have some time of worship in your first language! And this time of fellowship is wonderful to help keep the bonds of our team strong and to encourage one another in prayer. So, after Spanish Church, we have a good old fashioned Southern Sunday Lunch complete with singing hymns and prayer. Each time we end our time of worship with On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand. I will never sing that song again and not fondly remember my time here in Peru.

A Farewell to Terri

alleen — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:08:00 GMT

We had another intern head home. Terri Attardo worked with us for almost 6 months in the clinic. She was such a great help and such fun to be around! Terri is from Connecticut and we had fun figuring out that she lives in a town that my sister, Adele, lived in when she moved to CT! What a small world. It is one of the best things and worst things about my job. . . getting to know these young ladies and mentoring them, but then having to say goodbye! But we know God's timing is perfect and so selfishly I want them to stay, but understand they are here for just the right amount of time that God has planned for them.

Goodbyes in Peru are serious business. I've uploaded a few of the pictures from Terri's farewell party (despedida) that was combined with grupo de jovenes (singles group) at our new church plant. Thanks Terri for your service, your friendship and the work you did here in Peru! Many were blessed by your time with us!

Thanks IPC!

alleen — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:55:00 GMT

“Thank you for coming! May God bless you!” This was the greeting as patients began to see the doctors, dentists, nurses, and other persons that came to minister to their physical needs here in Trujillo. The gratitude was palpable. Independent Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN, sent 27 eager participants to come and labor in Trujillo for a week in February. They made it despite all obstacles. There were travel advisories in Peru due to the floods. Memphis was experiencing rare snow storms and airports were closing, but nothing is impossible for God! He opened the airports, prepared their way and they arrived ready to work! We had a wonderful week with our friends from Memphis!

All week we were able to offer services in medical care, dental care, eyeglasses for reading were provided, some minor surgeries were done, and we had the chance to share the gospel with kids and families that were waiting. First, we held a clinic at our church in Arevelo. It was a great turnout and nice to have the sanctuary to use as our makeshift clinic. The next day we went to Mocollope, a town north of Trujillo. This town does not have access to medical care and so it was a great day to provide services free to people that do not have access or easy access to any medical or dental care. Mocollope is supposed to be close to El Brujo, a very interesting archeological site where a mummified woman was discovered in 2005. A true archeological find that made the cover of National Geographic. So, a small group of us ventured towards El Brujo after the clinic this day. I felt as if I was on a tour with the SS Minnow (remember when the 3 hour tour landed Gilligan and the others on an island forever?). What was just 15 minutes away turned into a tour of the Peruvian countryside as we made detour after detour and followed rocks on the side of the dirt road that had El Brujo painted on them. In addition, this is all through sugarcane fields as far as the eye can see. Nevertheless, we finally made it and it was well worth it as we enjoyed the adventure of getting there and back to Trujillo as much as we did the museum and archeological site! Thanks to the brave souls that ventured out with me and were so patient as we wandered through the sugarcane fields looking for the mummy!

Wednesday was a hot day here in our Peruvian summer. Moreover, it landed us at the hardest site of the week. We had to put up tents in a dirt road, and it was blazing hot! However, we labored on and again saw over 100 patients before stopping for lunch around 2:00 p.m. Thursday we visited Clementina and were able to use the new adobe church building to see patients and for our pharmacy. It was nice to have a small patch of shade. Over these 4 days, the group from IPC saw approximately 625 patients! Mercy was shown, the gospel was shared, patients were prayed with and for, and it was a full week of ministry and blessings to those serving as well as those being served.

Friday we went to the orphanage and saw all 42 kids for dental care and a few for medical visits. We also were able to service the Peruvians that worked there also. It was a fun day to see the kids and be able to just play with them also while they waited to see the doctors and dentists. It was a great way to cap off our week of hard work! After the orphanage, we had just enough time to enjoy lunch at the beach before the team had to pack up and head back to the airport.

Thank you very much IPC Memphis for a great week. You were such an encouragement to all of the missionaries, Fellows, and Peruvians you served. What a hard working team with tireless energy and a heart to serve others! We cannot wait to have you return next year!

Twin Lakes in Peru 2010

alleen — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:08:00 GMT

It was a week full of smiles, laughter, singing, and sharing the love of God! What a blessing and special time for us here in Peru. January 4 to 7, 2010, Twin Lakes and First Presbyterian Church of Jackson sent a team to Trujillo and for the third year in a row we held a summer camp for kids. Ages ranged from 6 to 13 and we had 165 campers! 18 Peruvians were translators or counselors. 6 Peruvians provided music and singing for our assemblies. We also had a Peruvian Camp Director and assistant. It was a wonderful time of ministering to the children of Peru and also building relationships among the camp staff—both American and Peruvian.

The kids came from our 3 churches – Larco, Arevelo, and Wichanzao – and also the albergue (orphanage) here in town. Finally, 13 missionary kids were able to enjoy a taste of home with summer camping in Peru! It was a special time for our churches to work together also. This is the only project all year where we can work together – all churches – with a team from the United States. It provides a wonderful time of fellowship and growth as church members work side by side with their sisters and brothers from other churches here in Trujillo as well as Americans. This year’s theme was David and Goliath. We talked about how God looks at a man’s heart—not what is on the outside. This was reiterated through object lessons at each activity, the evangelism tent, and through our songs and lessons each day at Assembly.

The kids began their day with Assembly (this includes, prayer, singing, and having fun), then rotated throughout 5 activates and also enjoyed lunch during one hour of the activities. Our activities included sports, pool, super fun games, archery/face painting and evangelism tent/crafts. One day we enjoyed horseback riding also during the sport period. Needless to say, the pool was often the favorite of all the kids and counselors alike! Our Assembly time was great fun and encouraging as we learned about Saul, David and Goliath. And how God used the kings, but Jesus is king of our hearts.

It was a very special week and we are excited about the growth of camp. Each year it has been bigger and bigger. We are already planning for next year here in Peru and in the States. It is a huge undertaking to pull off this camp and it has been exciting to see how God prepares the way for everything to fall into place and has continued to bless the camp each year.

On Friday after 4 days of camp, the team was able to enjoy a tour of the ministries Peru Mission is involved in and do an impromptu VBS in Clementina—one of our church plants from Wichanzao. It was incredible to see the turnout at Clementina. We think we had almost 50 kids in the church to hear the story of David and Goliath, sing songs and enjoy a time of playing futbol! It was a great way to cap off an amazing week! Thank you so much First Presbyterian Church and Twin Lakes for sending down 21 amazing people to minister to the kids of Peru and along the way, the counselors and others involved. It was a great start to 2010 and we cannot wait until 2011.

Photos: Short Term Trips 2010

alleen — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:34:00 GMT

Teams that visited Peru during 2010

A Quick Update

alleen — Mon, 4 Jan 2010 01:15:00 GMT

Well, another year has passed and it has been quite a year. A lot of changes for me and lots of blessings. I need to write more about that, but at a later time. For now, we are off and running in 2010. But not until after we bid farewell to 2009 and welcome to 2010 in grand Peruvian style. We had an amazing New Year's Eve Party at the Smith's home. Allen did a great job of reforming some secular traditions and making it fun for us all. Then we danced for hours. The Peruvian culture is a very late night culture. So, when I got home at 3 am, my doorman was quick to inform me that I was, indeed, the first person home in the entire building. Thank you very much for that information. So much for me thinking I had a "Peruvian" New Year's Eve. . . Apparently to be truly Peruvian, you do not come in until the sun is up! My friend Sandi has some great photos from our night and a good description of our celebrations. Check it out here: http://allenandsandi.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-years-in-peru.html.

Now, we are off and running with our first of over a dozen teams that will come and visit this year to Peru. Twin Lakes from First Presbyterian Church is here and we are preparing to start camp on Monday. We've had a great trip so far and it has gone especially smoothly. They have a blog they are keeping and you can follow along here:

www.twinlakesinperu.blogspot.com. We will host 165 tomorrow for camp. I'll try to do another post later this week or update after they go home with photos and more details. Please be in prayer for this camp-- January 4 to January 7.

Final bit of news is that we had the first earthquake I have ever felt in Trujillo. This afternoon the team leaders and I were meeting to go over schedules and other details when it hit. We all 4 immediately were quiet with mouths agape.

"Was that an earthquake?"

"Why I think it was!"

Oh my, it was really strong. And then another aftershock after the quake. But no damage or injuries. We later found out that it was a 5.7 in Northern Peru about 100 miles from Trujillo, but it shows the magnitude for us to feel it so far away.

All for now. . .it is 1:15 and I need to be leaving my house in 5 1/2 hours for camp! :) Maybe a little sleep first.

Celebrations

alleen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:22:00 GMT

Tis the season to be jolly, fa, la, la, la, la, . . . Well, it is the season to be jolly and we have enjoyed some fun times here at Peru Mission as we celebrate the advent season. First, we had a PM Christmas Party. The Smiths and Bakers and I hosted the Fellows to an evening of good food, good company and good fun. We had pizza, and some homemade guacamole and salsa and several yummy deserts. Everyone brought a gift of no more than 30 soles (around $10) and we played White Elephant where you can either open your gift or take someone else’s. It was great fun. My turn came and I decided to steal a gift. I had passed out all of the gifts and one was so soft. . . I thought maybe it was a stuffed animal—WRONG! It was 22 rolls of toilet paper!! This is a very practical gift here and actually a very sought after gift. It was stolen from me and I never got it back. We had a great time opening presents and playing. Afterwards we sang Christmas hymns and carols and enjoyed another game where we split into groups and did lightening rounds and had to come up with Christmas songs within 5 seconds. Hearing all the different songs and who knew them and who didn’t was great fun! We ended our night in prayer for the mission and its churches and our Fellows who would be traveling home for Christmas.

Two days later, we said goodbye to 2 of our fellows—Chip and Katie are going home and not coming back. It was very sad! I have enjoyed getting to know them both, but Katie has lived with me and I will miss her dearly! All of our community will miss them both. We had their despedida (going away party) in my apartment. It was a HUGE success! We had tons of Peruvians over and enjoyed good food, shared stories about Chip and Katie, they spoke, we prayed for them, offered thanks for them and even had a special guest appearance. Our favorite band, Muyupampa, came and played at my home. I truly enjoy this Peruvian band that is composed of mostly members from one of our churches. They are a talented group of musicians and it is always fun to sing and dance with them. Katie is an excellent dancer and had learned a traditional dance for a wedding recently so she performed with 2 of our Peruvian brethren—Raol and Milton. Chip and Katie were a valued part of Peru Mission and made very valuable contributions while here. We will miss them dearly.

Check out the pictures of both events in the photo album section. It has been good to have the community of Peru Mission and the Peruvians around during this special season. It is a reminder of why I am here and whom I am working for. I hope that you too are able to stop and remember the real reason we celebrate this Advent season in great anticipation of Christmas Day.

Hmmm, where to buy Christmas lights?

alleen — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:45:00 GMT

Christmas time . . . just say those 2 words and everyone can conjure up memories of family, friends and traditions. As December 25 draws nigh, we enjoy festivities, anticipation of celebrations, homecomings, and much more. This year, I will be having Christmas in Peru. My first Christmas not at home and it, like all my life in Peru, has proven to be an adventure already.

Because I was not able to go home for Christmas, I went home for Thanksgiving. As I was shopping around Trujillo in November, I noticed lots of Christmas decorations. And I thought to myself, “Well that will be fun. I will come back after Thanksgiving and buy some things and decorate my apartment.” Who knew that the first week of December all decorations would be gone and what was left would be 60% off?? Good for me that it was on sale, but not much to chose from. I did find a few things and was able to start to decorate. Then a friend came over and I was discussing how I didn’t know that in Peru I needed to buy things so early. He informed me that where I needed to go was Zona Franca. This is an area of town that they would call a Mercado and has a lot of shops and stands. It is was one of the most interesting Christmas shopping experiences I have ever had.

The picture with this story is of the market where I bought garland, Christmas lights, and ribbon. It was interesting to say the least; as always it was crowded and there is no such thing as personal space so you are up close and personal (i.e., touching bodies you stand so close) as you shop and also interrupting each other to find out prices and haggle for the fair price. But I was right there with the best of them shopping for my Christmas lights. I had taken one of the guy interns with me as this is not the safest of areas to shop, but he also got a good dose of Peruvian shopping in the market. At one point, I look back (he is standing away from the fray) and ask his opinion on cost or the amount of lights and he has not one, but two homeless looking women rubbing on his arm begging for money or for him to buy something from them. He is just ignoring them hoping they will go away and I will hurry and finish and he could get out of there! Also, it is VERY popular here to have lights that blink (various options—on and off, racing, in groups, etc.) and play music. So, finding some that I could turn off the music and chose an option of just “on” was a feat in and of itself; but I managed. All the while almost breaking a sweat because it is hot and I forgot and wore jeans . . . too hot for jeans. Note to self, next time Christmas shopping in Zona Franca proper wears is something light and breezy.

I have pictures of my apartment decorated for Christmas in my photo album Life in Peru. It was really fun shopping and then coming home to decorate. Thank goodness for my roommates who helped figure out what to do with garland and ribbon I bought. The garland was too short for the balcony outside of our living room, but perfect for part of the staircase handrail you see from the living room. And the ribbon was a great touch to the garland. Finally, they had tried to set up our hand me down artificial tree and were unsuccessful while I was gone, but we managed together to figure out how to salvage it and it actually looks pretty good! I am pleased if I say so myself. So, after an adventure of braving the crowds and heat in Zona Franca, the beggars clawing at us for money, and haggling over the price of Christmas lights and what is better, colors or blanca, I am the proud owner of some white lights that can be turned to just on, Christmas ribbon, garland, and other decorations, and an alumni of another adventure in Peru!

Estoy lista--Feliz Navidad!! (I am ready—Merry Christmas!)

Give Thanks

alleen — Wed, 2 Dec 2009 10:23:00 GMT

Okay, does this picture not make you smile? It does me. And I have a lot to smile about and be thankful for this year! It has been an eventful, hard, challenging, exciting, joyful and adventurous year! My life is rarely dull and I am so thankful for a Lord that loves me, cares for me, provides for me, and leads me in His way! The past few months have been so busy! We had a wonderful spiritual retreat at the beach as a mission. It was our first time to do this and may become an annual event. We are all so busy in Trujillo with our own jobs that we rarely are all together as a mission. It was a great time of spiritual renewal and a physical rest also.

We have also moved into our new offices, which was a huge job! But what a blessing to have such an incredible space to work in Trujillo. It is truly an oasis in the midst of a desert and we hope to be a spiritual oasis for thirsty souls. We still have some details to finish, but we are enjoying the space already and have used it many times for meetings, seminary classes, and our grand opening.

The Lord provides and provides abundantly. I personally was sad to see the Balls pack up and plan to move to the States so Brad can be our executive director for CMS; and the Bradfords to stay in the States so Bill could answer a call at Lawndale Presbyterian church. But, at the same time, I am excited about the work they will do! And the Lord provides. We've just approved a new pastor to join us, a physician to come and work for a year and a half in the clinic, another man to come and work in the woodshop, someone to lead all of our construction projects in the works and future plans, and a recent college grad will come work in the administration/accounting office. All of these new recruits are answered prayer and just a reaffirmation that the Lord will provide all we need to continue doing His work here in Trujillo.

And now I am home for a visit over the holidays. I was able to spend Thanksgiving with my family and am enjoying quality time with family and friends. This time at home has been a true blessing for me and my family to be able to visit in person. God provides all you need and when you need it. I have been very busy at work (and will be when I return) planning for Twin Lakes camp. Camp this year is January 2 to 7 so that is why I was home for Thanksgiving rather than Christmas. I need to be back in Trujillo and preparing for camp the last few weeks of December.

Finally, I am thankful for all of my supporters who have faithfully prayed for me, given financial support and been there through it all. Without you, I could not be doing what the Lord has called me to do. What a blessing to watch Him provide for me through such a great group of people!

I could go on and on about other things to be thankful for, but you get the point. . . I AM THANKFUL! So, a heartfelt thanks to my Lord, the blessings he bestows upon me, and the special people he has placed in my life.

Peru Mission Finds a New Home

alleen — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:00:00 GMT

A lot is happening here in Trujillo and we are so excited about all of the positive changes the Lord is doing to help us be more effective here in Peru! Brad Ball has been named the new Executive Director for Christian Missionary Society. While we are sad to see him and his family return to the States, we are thrilled about his taking over the reigns and leading us into the next stage of life as a Mission. Chris Bolton has taken over as Administrator for Misión Reformada en el Perú. He is already doing a great job of getting us organized and helping us grow into an even better organization.

Our other biggest change is the location of a new office building. Since closing SALI, the Fellows have been working out of our offices in the morning before going to teach English in the communities in the afternoon. We have grown in our number of missionaries and basically have outgrown the current office and are literally busting at the seams. So, we are renting this gorgeous new house on San Martin. We are very excited about the new location as well as the opportunities we will have in the new office. We will be able to have a SALI coffee house in the first floor, classrooms and conversation areas, and a library. The second floor will house the missionaries, Fellows, and our accounting department as well as provide us a room for our meetings. In the back of the property behind the main house and a nice garden area is another large space that we will utilize for teaching seminary classes. It is really exciting to walk through and see all of the possibilities for outreach and our ministries in addition to our own internal needs.

We had a workday today and everyone went and pitched in on scrapping paint, sanding, breaking ground for landscaping and whatever else was needed. The building is an old beautiful building that needs a little work, but when finished will be extremely nice. We have uncovered some gorgeous floors in our renovations. The main entrance opens up to a staircase to the second floor that is solid mahogany. The Fellows’ office space had carpet that when ripped up uncovered gorgeous cedar floors. And the room where we will put desks or cubicles for the missionaries had pine flooring. Amazing what all we have found as we begin to ready the property for our use. We hope to move the offices in November 9. Please be in prayer for our work as we physically move into new spaces and also as we navigate through a time of transition in our leadership that will provide us more direction and organization to be even more of a force for the Lord in Peru!

Peruvian Sprinkler System

alleen — Wed, 7 Oct 2009 07:53:00 GMT

Peruvians are very poor, but they are also very smart. Most anything can be fixed over here where at home, we would throw it away broken. They make do out of very little and do very well. They take care of their things that we may consider trash better than many of us do our prized possessions. It is not uncommon to see a woman sweeping her dirt “yard” or area in front of her house or tienda (store). She is taking care of what the Lord has given her with a grateful and thankful heart. And while the city is very dirty and structures are thatch or often half built, in the middle of it all are parks everywhere. All through the neighborhoods there are parks with beautiful landscaping. And as we are going into summer, they are being cared for, watered, groomed, and loved. As I walk each morning here in Arequipa, I pass many of these parks and always enjoy the spot of beauty in the midst of what we all would consider a dirty and sometimes ugly neighborhood. Often they are being watered and I am again reminded of Peruvians ingenuity. I have yet to see a sprinkler system or even a sprinkler. Most of the time it is a bucket of water thrown on the sidewalk and then swept or water thrown on your dirt floor after sweeping so it would not be so dusty and your dirt floor would be “clean”. But in the parks I have noticed sprinklers. Upon a closer inspection it is a plastic coke bottle attached to the end of the hose and holes punched in the bottom of the bottle. Check out the picture. It works pretty well. And all those sprinklers I went through at home and they would break and I would throw them away; when all I needed to do was save my diet coke plastic bottle and screw it on the end of my hose, punch some holes in it and I would have been good to go! I am learning a lot from the Peruvians—and not just how to be cleverer with my resources, whatever they may be, that the Lord has given me. I am shown daily how to love one another, care for one another, and find true contentment from the Lord. Who is being ministered to here? Them or me? I think the line gets blurred as it always does when you dive into a ministry. As you minister to others, the Lord will inevitably minister back to you. And along the way you find helpful hints such as plastic bottles as sprinklers!

Soo-E, Soo-E, Soo-E

alleen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:36:00 GMT

Microbus, la combi, el autobus . . . it takes on many names, but it is just a van or small bus that drives a route around the city. You get on and off wherever you like. You pay different amounts depending on the city and routes, but it is never more than 1 sole (equivalent to $0.33). Here in Arequipa, I take la combi to school and back each day. I pay 70 centimos (about a quarter $0.25) each way. Many people do not like these. A new couple at language school has been having a time trying to get to school because they have to walk to the bus route, then get on a bus that may or may not have a seat, and then it is crowded and sometimes hot. I cannot empathize with this couple. Something they find a hassle is pure enjoyment to me, but then again people-watching is one of my favorite hobbies and this is a virtual cornucopia of people! Further, it is cheap and efficient transportation. And lately, it has been a lesson in kindness. Constantly I am inspired as I watch young men and women (really boys and girls) get up to let an elderly woman sit. Men constantly offering a seat to a woman before taking one himself, or getting up to provide a seat for a lady, or the disable, pregnant, the list goes on. It also can be interesting as you stand and brace yourself with your feet or hold on to a rail bolted to the ceiling as the van careens around corners and slams to a near halt to go over a speed bump only to take off again once the aforesaid speed bump has been maneuvered. And then there is the doorman, yes each bus has a doorman to shout the route as he pulls up to the “stops”—do not be fooled, you pretty much get on and off wherever you are just by waiving it down or telling the doorman, “bajo” and then the place you’d like to exit the bus. The doorman also takes your money and makes change and at the busy stops yells, “Soo-e, soo-e, soo-e!” (My attempt at phonetic spelling) to encourage those of us boarding to climb aboard quickly. He is really saying “sube, sube, sube” (climb, climb, climb), but it comes out “soo-e”. Being from the south, and it is football season, I always chuckle to myself thinking I need to get this man an Arkansas Razorbacks hat! (Though his soo-e is short and crisp, not drawn out like the Razorbacks, but it sounds like the same word.) Tonight coming home, I was standing in my very Peruvian posture right over someone’s seat holding on the rail bolted to the ceiling wondering if I’d get a seat or stand the entire way home. And hoping my deodorant worked so the poor soul beneath me was not being tortured with the smell of someone’s armpit since that was about where his head was . . . but yes, I enjoy the bus. It is a good time. I am planning a trip home for Thanksgiving. I will miss traveling by bus and cannot imagine being in a car again and not a combi, collectivo or taxi. A personal car as transportation is very odd to me right now. What will that be like? Can someone please be sure to yell, “Soo-e, soo-e, soo-e” so I’ll know to get in and then take my quarter?

A Lord's Day in Trujillo

alleen — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:57:00 GMT

What a perfect Lord’s Day here in Peru!! Today was a gloriously, beautiful day in Trujillo. The sun was out, but the day had cool temperatures--and it was the day the Lord had made so I rejoiced and was glad in it. I started my day by going to church at Larco as I always do. It was a wonderful service and the music, as always, was moving and fantastic. Also today, I was able to understand more than I have in the past. Each service has four scripture readings. Often I must hear the book, chapter and verse said more than once to understand and then I still might get the verse wrong. Today, I heard and understood them all on the very first try and was able to read along in my Spanish/English bible very easily. I understood most of the sermon and probably 80% or more of the entire service. After over four months, I recognize all the songs, know most of the words or can speak well enough to read them off the over head for all the songs and have a few memorized. This fact is very encouraging to me. So, church was really good and I enjoyed it very, very much. The fact that it is my last Sunday in Trujillo for 6 weeks made it even more special. (I leave Saturday to go to Arequipa for six weeks to ABC Español language school. More on this in another post.) Just for the six weeks I will be gone, I am going to miss this Church and the people so much! I cannot imagine what it may be like after two years or more to try and leave Peru!

After church, I went to Plaza Vea with two of our fellows (Katie and Heidi). We did a little grocery shopping and went back to my apartment. I had signed up to bring desert to the missionary lunch, but managed to forget to actually make something yesterday! So, I splurged and bought a cake mix and icing and then ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies. I went home and we cooked the cake and cookies before going to the missionary lunch. I might add at this point, that today—really just this morning—I noticed very much that I did not have a dishwasher in my apartment. I washed dishes 4 times between 8:30 and 12:30. Once when I got up before church; then when I got home from church so I could cook (some of the dishes I needed were dirty); then after making the cake; and finally after making the cookies. I did not mind, but it did make me take notice that things are just different here and how much I take for granted back in the United States.

Matthew Nasekos and Karina are here for a weeklong visit. It was really great to see them and get a chance to visit! Matthew was my team leader in January 2008 when God started working on me to prepare me to come live and serve here in Peru. He and his family are dear friends! He is in the process of raising support and hopes to come to Peru with his family one day. Currently, due to various circumstances and let’s face it, God’s providence, he and his family will be working for CMS and Peru Mission from the states. Originally, he was scheduled to come to Peru and be a missionary with two specific roles: Children’s Ministry (Twin Lakes Peru and working with some local orphanages) and Short Term Team Coordinator. So, if you ever have heard my story about how God moved me to quit my job as a lawyer and come to Peru, you know it entails a part where I looked at Matthew and said, “I want your job!” And God in his goodness and mercy granted that request. And we laugh about how God can do just about anything! When I met Matthew he was supposed to be coming to Peru, but I ended up here before he did! God has plans for each of us and sometimes we have no idea where that may take us. But, I digress, that is for another post also. Needless to say, it was heartwarming and encouraging to see Matthew and Karina and I look forward to spending more time with them this week. After a tasty lunch of chili with all of the proper fixings and scrumptious deserts, we had a good old-fashioned game of baseball in the park! It was such fun! Everyone joined in from young to old, kids to missionaries, and had a great time. Even our spectators got into the fun during the “7^th inning stretch” and sang Take Me Out to the Ballpark. Be sure to check out the pictures in the Photo Gallery (see right) labeled Trujillo. My friend Heather was kind enough to take some pictures while we played and got some great shots of our day together.

After the ballgame, I had just enough time to go by my house and freshen up for night church, pack a bag to spend the night at my friends the Smith’s house, and get back to church for our Monthly English Service. Once a month, normally the last Sunday of the month, Larco Church allows us to use the church and foregoes its normal Sunday night service so we can have a worship service in English. We do the music, the scripture readings, the sermon, everything and it is all in English. This is such a rich time for us to worship in our native tongue and also serves as an outreach to some of the Peruvians that speak English. What an encouragement to gather together here in Peru where we serve and work in Spanish and worship our Lord and king in English! It is just a special time that we all cherish. And like every other Sunday, my day ended with dinner at Josh and Robin Eby’s home with the Fellows. So, I fully embraced this Lord’s Day and rejoiced and was glad in it!

Now, as the day comes to an end, I am at the Smith’s house typing this. Allen and Sandi are celebrating her birthday and their Anniversary by going to Arequipa for the week and leave Monday morning bright and early. I have the pleasure of staying with their 3 girls while they are gone. While I am pretty excited about it, I think the girls are even more excited!! So, I am typing this from the guest room in the back of the house (more of a mother-in-law suite behind the house) where I stayed when I first moved here to Trujillo over four months ago. One of the things I love so much about Peru Mission is not only the sense of community in the local churches and in the city, but the community of missionaries. We do such a good job of taking care of one another. Allen and Sandi have been especially kind to open their hearts and home to me since the day I first landed. They have truly taken me in as a part of the family. And we love to joke that even though I am older than Allen, we decided he now has another daughter. And my name even fits right in (Abigail, Adeline, Mary Allen and Alleen!). So, I remember being in this room, day one and thinking, “Okay, Lord, here I am. Let’s go!” Little did I know how quickly He would take me up on that statement? It has been a wonderful whirlwind of an adventure. And I cannot believe I am a third of the way through my first year. Soon I will reflect on my time here and what God has done in my life and during my time here. For now, I will bid you goodnight and pray that you too enjoyed a glorious Lord’s Day wherever you may be!

Do Short Term Teams Really Make a Difference?

alleen — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:55:00 GMT

Do short term teams (STT) make a difference? What do they really have an impact? Many people ask these questions. And these questions are often debated. I think STT do make a huge difference and for lots of different reasons, but my favorite example of the impact teams have lately is Valera. She is an eleven (11) year old girl that wandered into a medical clinic that Trinity Presbyterian from Norfolk, VA was hosting. She was alone. Her mom and dad are separated. She splits her time between the two homes, but they both work. Her mom works from about 6 or 7 am until at least 7 at night. Valera is alone most of the day taking care of herself.

You may recall from a prior post that Valera came to our medical clinic when we were in her neighborhood. She was deeply touched by these gringos that came to her neighborhood. They loved on her and talked with her and she got to see a doctor for free for a check up. And God began to work in her life that day. Since then she has come to church at Larco. The first Sunday after the team had gone home she came to church with her father. The next Sunday she was not there. One of the team members from Trinity had left me money to buy her some books (Valera is very smart and we wanted to encourage her studies). I had bought the books and brought them to church the next Sunday. Unfortunately, Valera was not there. I was so disappointed. But we are praying for her as a church and mission. That next week Chalo (an elder from Larco) and I went to visit Valera in her neighborhood. We went deep into this poor neighborhood and found her home, but she was not home. We visited with a nearby neighbor that ran the local tienda (store) and discovered that Valera was in school in the afternoons.

We had a good visit with the neighbor, Isabella, and also invited her to church. I was struck as we talked and walked through this neighborhood of how this precious little girl had a life so different from anything I could imagine and how many contrasts I see daily in these neighborhoods. Valera is a precious girl with such a sweet and tender heart and despite living in poverty and conditions we cannot really understand, her light shines. She is a light in a dark world. She is a diamond in the rough. Many of the homes where she lives are adobe brick homes with dirt floors and maybe a roof, maybe not---or maybe the roof is a ripped tarp. Look in the Trujillo album for a picture of Valera’s street. I took this from the end of the street with my back to the Pacific Ocean. She lives on the left about the 3d house away from me.

And then I turned my back to her neighborhood and right there is the Pacific Ocean. (also in the Trujillo Photo Album) Such poverty and dirt and desolation next to God’s magnificent creation of the Pacific Ocean. This is just one example of the contrasts everywhere I looked!

It was quite a day visiting her home even though she wasn’t there. Just being in the neighborhood was an emotional afternoon. This past Sunday, I was hoping and praying Valera would come to church and she did! What a joyful day! Her mother came this Sunday and we had a wonderful visit. Valera was so thankful for the books and purse I had given her from her friend back in America. Valera was ecstatic over the books and you could tell honestly wanted to get home so she could start reading them. She also asked me how to say several words in English. She wants to learn English very much. We had a chance to visit after church and during this time, Valera saw the kids going to Sunday School. I explained what that was and asked if she’d like to go. The look on her face as she lit up and said how much she’d enjoy that! But her mom said they could not stay this day. It would have to be another day. Hopefully next Sunday! Through this all, I kept thinking in the back of my head, I would never have met Valera but for the STT that came down to do a free medical campaign in her neighborhood. She would not be in church reading the bible and looking forward to Sunday School. Her mother would not be in church. She may not have heard the word of the Lord and the sweet message it holds of free grace to her and a life eternal! But because of a STT, she did hear the gospel; she is in church; she does want to go to Sunday School; and she did and continues to impact my own life.

Do Short Term Teams make a difference? YES! Do they make an impact? YES! Thank you Lord for STT and for all of the people who’s lives they touch and change. Thank you Lord for Valera! What a precious child!

A Day in My Life

alleen — Sat, 8 Aug 2009 11:08:00 GMT

Well, short term team season is over and I am settling into Life in Peru Without STT. It is different, but I enjoy them both. My time now is spent finalizing accounts from teams that have come and gone; paying bills for the teams; doing final administrative work on the teams; and already planning for next year. I am also working more with our new Fellows. I have had them over once a week for the first 2 weeks they have been here and think it will become a weekly occurrence.

I always did enjoy entertaining and it is really fun to go shopping for groceries, figure out what to cook and how to make that work here, and then having people in the house. Last Thursday we had sandwiches (ham, turkey, roasted eggplant and bell peppers for the veggie lovers, avocado, basil, and cheese) and mexican salsa. It was fun going grocery shopping for all these fresh veggies. Here you have to wash your fruits and veggies with chlorinated water (or we call it a bleach bath). So, you come home from the grocery, fill the sink, add just a small bit of bleach (a few drops or no more than half a capful) and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes. For the basil and cilantro, I just swished them around the water real good on the leafy side. I will say after putting the veggies in my dishrack to dry there was a ton of dirt in the sink! But it is fun to me. I enjoy the adventure of shopping and expanding my vocabulary. Often I double check what I am buying by looking in my small dictionary that I carry in my purse. "I think Pavo is turkey, but is it? Yes, there it is in the dictionary, it is indeed turkey."

The girl Fellows and I have also started a Thursday prayer group. It was really encouraging. Our theme verse is 1 Thes. 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." It was a great time of encouragement and prayer. I am looking forward to our time together on Thursdays. And we decided to continue Thursday night dinner afterward and we just won't invite the boys until about an hour and a half after we start prayer group. So, I am looking forward to our year together!

Also during my time of just living in Peru, I've joined a local gym. I had not had time for any exercise and it is good to get back into a routine of working out. So far I am just going to different aerobic classes, but I really enjoy it. The music is very LOUD though!! And I do mean LOUD!!! The Peruvian culture itself is very loud so this should not have surprised me! Despite the loud, loud, loud music, I do enjoy the classes. I even caught myself counting in Spanish during one of the classes. So far, Fight Do (similar to Tae Bo) is my favorite. I like the music, the instructor, and his enthusiasm. I also have found some public tennis courts. My next item on fitness agenda is to find a tennis partner. I think a few Peruvians I know play so that is my next goal.

I've added a few new pictures to the Trujillo album of life in Peru. check them out.

God has blessed me in so many ways and I am ever thankful for my life here in Peru!

New Fellowship Program

alleen — Sun, 2 Aug 2009 09:03:00 GMT

Out with the old and in with the new! The old internship program is now the Peru Mission Fellowship. This is a one year or less commitment that young people make to come and serve with Peru Mission. There are 3 components to our Fellowship Program: (1) Service to the Mission; (2) Study of God's word; and (3) Travel in Peru. We are excited about the new changes and are looking forward to a great year with our new Fellows!