Peru Team Update #2

Okay - we're now in Canta. It has been wonderful and FREEZING! We got up Sunday morning and went to Wong's for groceries. Then we headed up the mountain to Lachaqui. That trip took about 6 hours. We had safe travels, other than a minor delay for a landslide that blocked a large part of the road. We stopped in Canta for lunch. The hostel in Lachaqui was certainly a different experience. More on that later. Even though the rainy season is supposed to be over, it poured that evening and most of Monday. We spent Monday and Tuesday in the schools in Lachaqui. The director, Dulia, gave us full access and is very excited that we are returning. We sang songs, played games, taught Bible stories, and loved on the children. We were also allowed to pass out a New Testament (with Psalms/Proverbs) to EVERY secondary student, along with a lesson on the Romans road! We gave out many pairs of reading glasses to the adults, as well as New Testaments, and sunglasses to the children. We met with the village nurse and president (each village has its own) and discussed community needs, who we were, and future visits. Everyone is very welcoming at this point. This morning, (Wed.), we headed down the mountain to Carhua. The school director remembered the Renshaws and Liesa Holeman, and welcomed us in immediately. We were again able to sing, play games, do Bible stories, and love on the kids. We passed out New Testaments to every child in both the primary and secondary schools, and the director gave them an assignment from Matthew to be completed by Monday. He is also excited about a return visit and is willing to let us use the school for any activities we may plan. We gave away more glasses, spoke with some of the ladies that had attended Bible studies in July with another IWC trip, and headed down the mountain to Canta. The schools are closed tomorrow for Holy Week holiday, so we are planning to head over to see the waterfall, then stop by Huacos to see the progress that has been made on the church there, and possibly see Pastor Jaime. Tonight we are having dinner with Pastor Miguel, who works with the Canta church, Pariamarca, and possibly Obrajillo. This has been a wonderful vision trip - we have had the opportunity to meet community leaders and persons of peace in both villages. We have heard the needs of the community and are bringing back ideas for what we can do in the future. God has blessed us at every turn! Keep praying!