Why Don´t You Come In?

Seven sweet faces staring at me from behind bars. Seven pairs of eyes full of questions, their ponytails lopsided, hands damp from washing and hanging clothes.

Why don´t you come in? They ask. 

I can´t. I respond. 

My hands reach through the bars that separate us to touch their hands, to let them know that not only do I care about them, but that I love them with a love they may never understand.

http://tinyurl.com/3mgvbjn

Many of you know that I lived in an orphanage with 800 kids last year teaching English and the Bible to the kids who lived there. I taught these kids, ate with them, played with them, shared a year of my life with them. 

About four months ago, I was told that all strings between the orphanage and myself and Lauren had to be cut. I was told that there were suspicions that I was helping construct another orphanage, and the director thought I was only there to try to take kids out of his orphanage and bring him to my orphanage. I tried to explain the truth, that we are not trying to establish an orphanage nor are we helping anyone start one. We are here to study the Bible. He didn´t believe me. So I never told the kids or the people that were a part of my life for a year good bye...I just left. There was no time for any of that. 

To this day, the kids do not understand what happened. They do not understand that the situation is much deeper than we can see- that there was a spiritual battle being fought.  When we see some of them outside the orphanage from time to time, we are able to explain what happened. 

Today was kinda one of those days. 

We went to go visit a family that lives right next to the orphanage, and as we were walking by, some of the girls saw Lauren and I walking by and began calling our names. 

We stopped and talked to them, telling them how much we loved and missed them and reminding them not to forget what Jesus did for them on the cross and that He wants a person relationship with each of them. 

That was just a few minutes ago that all of this happened. I am asking God to show me what to do. If I should go back and talk to Miguel and see if I can reconcile things...somehow explain things all over again and pray that he will listen.

There are over 100 children in that orphanage who gave their lives to Christ last year, and before any of this happened today, the Lord laid on my heart to go back and ask permission to baptize them...not because I believe in any way that baptism saves, but because as I study the Bible I see that baptism almost accompanied salvation...the outward sign to the inward change. 

I would appreciate your prayers during this time. For wisdom and grace, maturity and boldness. I know that God has called me for such a time as this. (Esther 4:14). 

I am not only thankful for the time I spent in this orphanage, but I am thankful that I was forced out. Because in that, the gospel has been spread to the surrounding cities and districts. The time I would have spent in the orphanage, I now spend outside the orphanage, and many families have heard about how to have a relationship with Christ. 

But now more than ever, we need direction and a clear short term vision. Please join us in prayer for this.

Walking right on by

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

http://tinyurl.com/3gqklgj

"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses." Proverbs 28:27

"You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall." Isaiah 25:4

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained ^[b]by the world. James 1:27

"If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1

Proverbs 31:8-9

Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:20

http://tinyurl.com/42a8xwy

I want to be this woman. The woman that opens her hands to the needy.

The truth is that I can´t even really find pictures on the internet that resemble the situations of the people I  am going to tell you about. None of these pictures are taken from the actual situations I am writing about. I refuse to take pictures of them in their situations because that would only mock them, so I will do my best to tell you about some of the specific people that have touched my heart over the two months.

Sachi

http://tinyurl.com/3gkeh3g

Sachi apparently was robbed of her most important worldly posessions within the last year and now lives on the street. She tells us that she had a good job as a some type of social worker, but that that she lost her job somehow around this same time. She has been living on the street for some time. Several well-meaning people have tried to take her a nursing home, but she always ends back up on the street because she says they mistreat her in the nursing homes. Sachi is about 50 I think, but looks like she is 70. She apparently has two families with which she sometimes stays, but many times she is on the streets through the night. She works for about 10 soles a day (equivalent about $3) by watching a street vendor stand. A cheap meal in the part of town where she is costs about 10 soles. Sachi told us that she had surrendered her life to Christ about 2.5 years ago, but I honestly have not spent enough time with her to learn more about her story.

Samuel

http://tinyurl.com/3g62ca8

Samuel is a blind man who sells candy on the streets of the rich touristy part of Lima. I met Samuel when I was walking with Lauren one night, and stopped to talk to him. I only talked to him for a few minutes, but in those few minutes, Samuel told me that he had given his life to Christ and was a follower...yet still he is on the street. He might sell 10 soles worth in one day, I really have no idea, but I know it´s probably not much. My heart goes out to this man.

Rimac Teens

http://tinyurl.com/3vvj2q9

Rimac River

Then there are the kids that I have only heard about but never seen go to river Rimac in Lima and hang out there doing drugs and just spending life there. I want to talk to them, and tell them there is hope beyond Rimac River. Lauren was the one who found out about these kids, and I am so glad she did. Several of our guy friends have said they would down there with us and spend some time with these kids. We plan to go there sometime soon, the Lord permitting.  Please pray for God´s hand to touch the hearts and lives of the kids there.

?

http://tinyurl.com/3f7q2me

Then there´s the man with only one leg. He sits on the bridge and ¨rents out¨ his scale. No, he doesn´t sell scales, but for 10 cents, you can weigh yourself on his scale. People here many times only have enough money to live for the moment. Which means you don´t buy a scale...you weigh yourself for 10 cents when you have the extra 10 cents. I have yet to talk to this man. I pass him every time I go to Puente Piedra to go to the market or the grocery store.  He is someone who God loves and who, everytime I pass, wonder about him- his story, and if I should share the gospel with him.



I walk by these types of people every day. And so do you. They may not have limbs missing or be blind, but they are desperate need. Need of love. Of Christ´s love. Need of physical things. Need to hear the gospel. Need of a hug. Need of a warm meal. Need of a million different things. I ask that the Lord shows you who is in need and what their need is. Don´t walk right on by like I have done countless times with the man on the bridge. They have faces and names. Why do I not know them?


Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ Matthew 25:44-45

http://tinyurl.com/3tfp6bx

Please pray for us as we seek a way to help the homeless, poor and needy. And please pray how you too can be a part of helping the people of Ventanilla / Zappallal   Lima, Peru.

These Days...

Here are some pics from our Biblestudies and other events we have been doing. God has been so good to us...we now have five weekly meetings with different groups of people where we study the Bible. Call them Bible studies, house churches or missional communities, they are something that we are so thankful for and hoping they will grow and multiply.

The kids outside the market in Ventanillia. They don´t like to listen sometimes...but they sure like to play soccer!!

They all love having their own Bibles though, and reading from them (or if they don´t know how to read, sometimes they just pretend)

Teaching.

Scratch my back, PLEASE!!!!!

Nearly every Bible study at each of the locations includes at least 4 kids.

One of our friends invited us to an event he was doing at a nearby school. It was so cool because like 50 kids showed up...on a SATURDAY!!! We got to play with them, talk to them and study the Bible with them. There are some amazing kids that live in my city.

Playing ¨The Hand Game¨ It´s a game that tells the story of Christ coming to earth, dying for our sins and then rising again. 

Human knot.

Playing basketball.

Playing volleyball. I´m kinda upset I didn´t play sports as a kid...it´s hurting me now  ;) In the states, you could always be a ¨cheerleader¨ on the sidelines if you weren´t playing...here, you´re just weird if you don´t play. hahaha. 

Playing ¨Senior Lion¨ after church. It´s like Red Light, Green Light.

Mili and I getting a quick bite to eat at McDonalds before heading to Camino De Vida...a church in Surco that we go to when we have the time. 

Mansfield Muchachos come to Peru!!!

Well, needless to say the last month and a half have been full ones...like our time here has pretty much been Wow...Sorry it´s been a while since I´ve blogged. There just has not been time to record all of the things that have been going on. Gonna take a bit to catch up!! First off, First Baptist Mansfield Church brought their team to help us out for week. We did events in 8 different public and private schools surrouding the area where we live. The events included a Bible story, skit, songs, craft and snack. Some days we did this repetition up to 12 times because of all of the different grades we worked with. It was something we could not have pulled off without this group and our Peruvian friends that helped us here. 

Preparation for the group started months before they came. Our Peruvian friends gave up weeks of their time to come and even live with us for a time and help us make fliers, put together the props, crafts, etc. 

Milagros, one of our dear Peruvian friends, also gave up two weeks to help us. She is so creative and knows how to serve like nobody´s business. She is incredible.

One of our other sweet Peruvian friends, Melissa, helping us out. She came in from over 2 hours away to be with us and help us out. 

Having a little fun with Pringles while we go to the different schools and coordinate events, busses, times, etc.

Trying on costumes...well...Nicchola trying to make sure the ¨wrapping for Jesus´body¨  (for the skit of the death and resurrection) would fit over a grown man...

More trying on costumes...Well, mine wasn´t exactly a costume...

SATURDAY JUNE 18, 2011 GROUP ARRIVES!!!! =)

Along with the group came some awesome suitcases =) My sweet mom packed one full of my favorite stuff...cheez-its and socks just happened to be in that suitcase...thanks, Mom! 

And the action begins. Monday thru Thursday we did events in the schools. We told a Bible story, shared the gospel, gave out arts and snacks. We got to minister in 8 different schools.

These are the signs we use most commonly to share the gospel here. The have been such a blessing to use. Thank you http://www.kingswitness.com/ for coming up with the great idea and for letting us use it here in Peru. 

One of the assemblies. This was held at a school that had just been built. Before this school, the teachers and students were meeting in wooden/ cardboard- looking shacks.

Tyler hanging out with some of the kids. Tyler used pretty much every second that the group wasn´t doing something to be with the kids. It was so sweet to watch the kids interact with him.

Josh and Jessica dancing around at the beginning of one of the programs. They were great with coming up with impromtu dances if we needed to fill a second of dead time. 

Nicchola and Jeanette being fishermen during the ¨follow me¨skit. 

Some of the kids working on the art project.

Kids in elementary school doing motions to the songs we taught.

Are you ready??? SIIII!!!!! =)

Well, this is Lauren and I looking like goofballs singing the ¨fisherman¨song.

Thursday of that week, we threw a huge city wide event. We invited about 12,000 people, but not near that many came. It was the first event (of this type and size) that Lauren and I had ever planned, so we learned alot from the event to say in the least. To be honest, about everything that could go wrong did, but the group was great in the midst of it all...they did the very best they could without even really being able to speak the language (Except for Kap-I-tan and Lourdes). A special thanks to the group for hanging in there with us to the end. The good news is that many people heard the gospel that night, and we may never know in this life how many seeds were planted. 

The group...Peruvians and North Americans working together toward one common goal. So cool. Wow. This is the body of Christ...the Church. Christ´s beautiful bride. 

The group left Ventanilla on Friday of that week to head back to Texas. We were so blessed to have them here for that week. One of the biggest blessings that happened during that week is that our Peruvian dad, Nicchola, became a Christian. He had been hearing the gospel for about a year from Lauren and I talking about it, and up to this point had not put his faith and trust in Christ. When he saw the sacrifices this group made (giving up their jobs, leaving their spouses and families etc. for a week to come tell people in Peru about Christ), he realized that he too wanted to be a part of the family of God. Nicchola gave his life to Christ one night in his hotel room (I think it was Wednesday night) and told us about it the next day. I was translating for him as he was telling the story to the group (I didn´t know about his decision at this point)....and when he said that he gave his life to Christ, I just stopped dead cold translating and looked at him. My mouth dropped open and I turned and gave him a huge hug. I think the group figured out by body language what was going on. Such a cool experience. So thankful God allowed me to be a part of it. 

God also gave me another brother the night of the event. His name is Carlos and he is 17 years old. He is a university student who came to the Thursday night event and ended up giving his life to Christ that night at our house after the event was over. Please pray for the body of Christ as God keeps adding to the number those who are saved. (Acts 2:47) Pray that God will show us how to be disciplers. 

Wordjournal: Thoughts These Days.

Wow. So much to think about lately. I am sitting here with so many thoughts running through my head. Just finished reading Katie´s blog (http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/) and wanting to show the love of Christ as she shows it. Wanting to live my life with the kind of faith and love she does. Wanting to be open and transparent with what is going on. I constantly battle with what to write about in my blogs...constantly feeling like I have to swerve this issue or omit that because it isn´t glittery and shiny. It´s hard being transparent. And weird knowing that people know about my life and that I may not have the opportunity or time to know theirs. But it´s okay. I´m so blessed that there are people that care enough to read and it´s not about that anyways, it´s about making Christ´s name known here on the earth.

As I went to the market this morning, there were several people that I crossed paths that I wanted to stop and talk to. I didn´t. What would I tell them? Explain to them that Jesus loves them and that he died for them and rose again, and that they have to give their lives to Him in order to spend forever with Him? Is that all? Should I be having a Bible study in my house that I can invite my neighbors and people I meet in the street to? Will people think the gospel is something that is linked to being my race or age, or will they welcome it with open arms, knowing that they too can open up their homes and make them places to study the Bible. Lord, show me how to lead by example. Let the gospel never become old to me, and let me never make excuses to not share with someone what you have done in my life.

How do I share out of love and not out of duty? This too requires vulnerability, and as I am learning more about desciplesship, I am seeing that telling someone what Jesus has done in my life is part of explaining the gospel. Telling them what He´s teaching me, What He´s healing. Being open to share faults and shortcomings, and even more, letting people in close enough to see them. It´s impossible to understand grace without understanding our sin and faults. As I´ve mentioned before, one of the sins I struggle often with is fear.

¨Today I gaze at my Savior and I know: courage is not the absence of fear.

Courage is to say, “I am afraid,” but walk it anyway. Courage is to stand broken and limping and look into these faces around us, His faces, and say, “Not my will but yours Father.” Courage is to say, “I don’t want to do this,” but to grab tight to a slaughtered Son and let His blood pool in my sin-holes and allow Him to pull me with Him into glory.¨ -Katie (http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/) 

This is exactly where I am. Looking the temptation of fear between the eyes every day. Some irrational, some rational, but all come with a choice to succumb to it or walk in courage. Courage is based on hope in God, and hope in God comes from knowing who God is in the deepest part of who you are, and founding your life on who He says He is.

Worship has a huge part in this too. I think one of the deepest forms of worship is giving God glory, praise and adoration in the midst of the battle, and in the midst of suffering. Feeling fear sitting on your shoulder and crying out to God, refusing to believe the lies it is whispering in your ear, but instead clinging to the promises of God. Worship is simply reaffirming who God is, and Satan hates nothing more than to hear God´s children verbally giving Him glory and praise.

I enjoy washing the dishes, because it allows me time to do something (I get so restless sitting still) while my mind is free. It is the perfect time to pray. You know when you´ve asked God a million times for something and you bring it up to Him again? Same prayer...five bajillionth time. Okay so there I am praying, and I am reminded of when the Israelites ask God for a king to rule over them, and God gives it to them, not because it was His will for them, but they had rejected Him. 

 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day; with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods; so they are doing to you also.” I Samual 8:6-8

My prayer was that I not be like Israel and that God not give me over to the thing I am asking if it is not His will. That very same day, I opened up the Bible to the part I was going to read for that day, and within the first chapter of my reading, this is what I saw:

Psalm 81

 ⁹There shall no strange god be among you, neither shall you worship any alien god.

    ¹⁰I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

    ¹¹But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.

    ¹²So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust and let them go after their own stubborn will, that they might follow their own counsels.

    ¹³Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!

I guess now would also be the time to mention that the Lord has been revealing idolatry in my life. Things that I try to fill the void of loneliness or insecurity instead of running strait to God. It is a battle I am fighting and ask for your prayers. It was interesting that this particular prayer that I was praying (that God would not give me over to my desires if they were not His will) was imbedded in idolatry...hmmm.

So, first of all, Israel worshiped idols. 

Secondly, Israel had a deaf ear toward the Lord. 

Thirdly, they gave way to lust, a stubborn heart, and their own counsels. 

And that is when God gave them over to their desires and gave them judges for some 400 years.

My prayer is that God would break down the idols in my life, in our lives. That he would help us to have hearing ears and a receptive heart, and that we would not give way to lust, abstinence, or our own counsels, but instead open wide our mouths to the Lord because he promises He will fill it.

**Funny how I like to get full on the donuts and potato chip junk food of facebook and skype and then when I come into the presence of the Lord I´m not really ¨hungry¨ for the dinner feast He´s planned.**

My prayer for me here and for you wherever you are is that you would open your mouth and he would satisfy the deepest longing of hunger within you. 

And yes, for those of you that were wondering or already guessed it, that whole conversation with the Lord when I was washing dishes was about getting married...which brings me to the next blurb God has been talking to me about.

I have been thinking alot how to glorify the Lord best as a single person. I truly believe that married people can demonstrate God´s relationship with the church in a way that single people can´t, but that single people can demonstrate the dynamics of being part of a family that married people can´t. Namely, God´s family. 

(Singleness)¨...is not a calling to extend irresponsible adolescence into your thirties. It is a calling to do what only single men and women in Christ can do in this world, namely, to display by the Christ-exalting devotion of your singleness the truths about Christ and his kingdom that shine more clearly through singleness than through marriage. As long as you are single, this is your calling: to so live for Christ as to make it clearer to the world and to the church

1) that the family of God grows not by propagation through sexual intercourse, but by regeneration through faith in Christ;

2) that relationships in Christ are more permanent, and more precious, than relationships in families;

3) that marriage is temporary and finally gives way to the relationship to which it was pointing all along: Christ and the church—the way a picture is no longer needed when you see face-to-face;

4) and that faithfulness to Christ defines the value of life; all other relationships get their final significance from this. No family relationship is ultimate; relationship to Christ is.¨ -Piper, This Momentary Marriage

So praying for other Christians here with whom I can be family. It´s hard feeling stuck in between two cultures. I can hardly say that I am living an American lifestyle, but Peruvian still look at me like I have a third eye and am green. I think one of the hardest struggles that I am facing right now is just feeling alone. While I´m still American and always will be, I am living in a Peruvian world. I love being here, but that doesn´t mean it is challenge free. Please pray for the grace to and courage to connect with those around me. To find a group of believers whom I can interact with on a daily basis and be discipled as well as disciple. 

I know this blog is a little different from the norm, a little more serious. So, on a lighter note...today was my day off, and I was able to spend it part of it cooking (or experimenting in the kitchen if we´re being honest). I finally worked up the guts (hahahah) to cook chicken foot soup. Peruvians are so resourceful in many ways when it comes to using every part of the animal they are cooking, so it is custom to cook the ¨normal¨chicken parts (drumsticks, breast, wing, etc.) in the oven or whatever, and then make a soup out of everything else (gizzards, chicken feet, neck). Soooo, that´s what I did! Here´s proof =)

Chicken foot soup!

Finally made causa....one of my favorite peruvain dishes. It looks a little questionable here, but let me tell you, it´s delish. It´s made from potatoes, and filled with chicken, onions, olives, boiled egg, cheese and mayo. You just have to try it. Come visit me and I just might make it for you =) Oh wait…now some of you may NEVER come visit haha.

Prayer Reqests: 

1. One of my friends called me tonight saying that he was very sick and had been bleeding for two days. Please pray for his healing physically. He is supposed to go to a specialist on Friday. He has told me in the past that he has given his life to Christ. Please pray for him and his family during this time.

2. One closest Peruvian friends is very close to coming to know the Lord. He´s over at our house all the time and have been exposed to the gospel multiple times. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would knock SO loud on the door of his heard that he cannot ignore it any longer. He has been involved in various other religions, and may see Christianity as ¨just another religion.¨ Please pray for him in his pursuit of truth.

3. Please continue to pray for the house churches. We are have about 5 right now (in some form whether in beginning stages of Bible study or actual house church). We are battling discouragement because leaders seem to be hard to come by, and enthusiasm is lacking. Please pray that we are able to figure out how to teach in a way that a 6 year old and 60 year alike can understand and appreciate.

4. We are praying about having another person join our team. She would be a huge asset to the spread of the gospel (she knows about 5 languages) , and she is a dear friend; we just want to make sure it is what she is supposed to be doing and that the timing is right. She is praying about this decision as are we. Please join us.

5. Please pray that God would show Lauren and I our giftings in ministry. It is obvious that Lauren has the gifting of evangelism, and I believe I have the gift of pastoring and teaching, so please just pray that God shows us exactly how that works in our team and how we can use our gifting to glorify God and encourage each other and those around us. 

6. A mission team from Texas will be coming to join us in about 10 days to work with us for about a week. Please be lifting them up in prayer as they prepare to come and share Christ with the people here. We will be doing school rallies and events in addition to the normal house churches, and it will be a pretty high energy week. So, please not only pray for strength, but for the kids, teens and adults that will hear the gospel during this week. Pray that their hearts would be open and receptive. Pray that they will understand the dramas and dances that we are doing and the message they bring. 

7. This last one is a praise. I just wanted to let all of you who support me financially know that I am so thankful for you. None of this would be possible without you.  I never know what my month to month income will be, because it is based on individuals and churches who give different amounts or at different times. Because of church confidentiality agreements I do not know who the checks come from if they are sent to Southmont, so I just want to say thank you to all of those who have helped out in that way. You know who you are, even if I don´t, and I am truly grateful. 

Quick overview of the week: Photojournal

Well, this week has been crazy, and I must admit, I love it (surprise). =) People just show up at our house and hang out, which I LOVE. I have enjoyed cooking for alot of people again and there being constant noise (Mom, it´s okay...don´t have a heart attack that I just admitted this...). But I guess I want my house to always be a place where people can come and hang out and can feel safe there. So thankful. We also got to see two of our best friends this week who unexpectedly came into town, so that was so great. This week´s events were pretty much a repeat of what we did last week (I mean life here is never a repeat, but as far as schedule wise, it was a repeat) except that we started the first house church with the family I blogged about a few posts ago. We´re still trying to figure out house church is supposed to work...the families seem to want to stay together, but finding something to apply to a 2 year old and a 50 year old can sometimes be hard. Need some wisdom on that one...

 Friday street corner house church

 Please pray for this sweet girl. I think she will become the leader of this house church.

PIJAMADA (sleepover) 

 

Take out chicken!! 

Such fun.

 

House church on the farm. This was our first official gathering.

 Singing.

 That little bowl of green stuff you see is aloe. Yes, I ate aloe plant. Legit, huh? Haha.

 Such cuties.

Please pray for this precious little girl. Her mom died a few months ago of a brain aneurysm. She has having a very hard time dealing with everything. She came over to our house yesterday and we hung out and played. And, of course ate. Spaghetti always makes things better. =)