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!
