2010 Mission's Trip to Peru

    Report to FUMC

Mission Trip to Peru

July 8-17, 2010

Thursday, July 8, 2010

We arrived safely about 9 pm in Lima.  Landing was a bit rough and several passengers in the back applauded when the captain brought the plane safely down.

Getting off the plane four days after the Fourth of July in the U.S., it's like Christmas in July in Peru. Huge crowds hustle, about people wearing coats and jackets on July 8th! They were observing the curious Americans who walk off the plane in flip-flops and T-shirts. Temps are in the upper 50s---compared to upper 90s in Dallas.
 
One of the key features of Lima, Peru is San Martin Square featuring a large statue of San Martin, the man who freed much of South America from the Spanish, on horseback.  Well, that Square is right out our front door.  
 
We stayed in a 1920s style hotel, Gran Hotel Bolivar.  Still, it costs less than a typical Motel 6 in the U.S.   Looks a little like the hotel in the Jack Nicholson movie The Shining. Especially about tonight when some of us were walking around about 11 pm down a darkened hallway with just a flashlight to guide us.
 
Our team of 16 includes the 6 of us from First UMC Irving, our Go International Guide Randall Morton with whom we traveled to Monterrey, Mexico last year, Randall's wife Robin, sister, niece, and college-age daughter and son, plus four other college-age students.  What is great is that this year we have lots more Spanish speakers on the team.  Two of the ladies from Alabama arranged for their Sunday School class to donate a set of hand bells which we will be presenting to the ministry in Chincha Alta.
 
We meet Pastor Gerardo Guzman the founder of Vina del Rey at the airport and he arranged for a small bus to take us to the hotel, hauling our luggage behind in a trailer.    He is a humble, friendly man who God has used in mighty ways the last twenty years to change lives of families and bring forth the gospel of Christ to a very impoverished people.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Today we take a three-hour bus ride to Chincha Alta. Riding in a comfortable coach church ministry bus out of Lima, we see a cosmopolitan Latin city, seemingly larger than Monterrey, yet similar. Street vendors selling lots of fruit and tabloids, shops selling auto parts or offering to fix shoes.

Once out of the city, we see the desert and the poverty all the more. Shanty town barrios off the highway with homes put together with scrap board and whatever is available. Rows and rows of houses. Even though this is a coastal plain, this part of Peru gets less than two inches of rain per year. And it shows.

Lunch at the home of Pastor Gerardo and his lovely wife Persia. All 16 of us will stay there. Randall and his wife Robin are staying in the main house along with all the other ladies on our team. The seven remaining men will stay in a separate building out back, on mattresses on tile floors. There is a shallow pool and breezeway in between the two structures. We are not sure if the pool is for swimming in the summer (January, February and March) or just to allow a cool breeze. The house is in a very poor neighborhood, surrounded by a large wall with spikes on top of it. Their sweet dog, Lulu, is the house dog downstairs who always wishes us well. There are two guard dogs on the roof of the structure in which we stay. On the roof of the main house, Pastor Gerardo and Persia raise chickens.

In the afternoon, Pastor Gerardo takes us on a tour aboard a much more rustic bus that will haul us and our construction materials these next several days.

We first visit Satelite Primavera. It is a ministry led by Pastor Jose and feeds a meal to abut 50 children on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Jose shows us the kitchen and it is almost out of food—only two cans of evaporated milk, half a large bag of Avena which we think is grits, and a half bag of sugar. A church in Pump Springs, Tennessee, sends money each month and Jose hopes to receive funds soon so he can buy more food. Satelite Primavera also has a campus encircled with a concrete wall, soccer field, playground, equipment and even a computer room. Funds for it came from a Peruvian concrete company.

Next we go see Shalom Church and George Washington Williams School—where Pastor Gerardo's son, Pastor David Guzman, is the Pastor and Principal. We gather and lay hands on Pastor David Guzman, and David Turner leads a prayer for him. The sanctuary has a roof, but with big gaps in the top for air circulation. Rain could get in---but it hardly ever rains.

We visit outside with one of the teachers, Luis, who speaks some English, and with Leslie, a friendly, 13-year-old girl who is eager to learn English.

Later, we visit Alta Larran where the ministry has built a church as well. It is led by Pastor Julio who is a university-educated teacher at George Washington Carver High School in the city. His immediate need is for money for windows for his sanctuary. They are covered with plastic sheets now. They meet on a mud floor. A donkey and a giant hog are out back in a pen.

Looking around, the living conditions are even more Third World than we experienced in Monterrey, Mexico. Many are living in bamboo shacks with dirt floors, no electricity, no running water. Some of us have never seen such poverty.

Friday night, we start to see how God is working through all this. With poverty, bamboo homes, bleak futures, the families with nothing come Friday night to church to hold on to what they do have: a contagious faith in God.

Pastor David Turner preaches with Randall Morton translating on the topic: “Brother, are you saved?” (Hermano eres salvo?) Various groups from the outlying churches sing. We Americans sing and introduce ourselves and it all becomes clear: Jesus Christ reigns. We are His hands, His feet, His body.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

We awake early to the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking – this is Latin America. This town of 200,000 is about the size of Irving, Texas, but the similarities end there. There are no high-rise glass buildings, eight-lane highways, shopping malls or huge car dealerships.

Most buildings are one or two floors, made by hand out of bricks, concrete and frequently bamboo. Many are crumbled or in various states of repair following the 2007 earthquake that damaged 60% of the homes. There are a few asphalt roads, but most are dirt roads—at least it does not rain hardly at all, so they are not muddy and won't wash away. This is a flat city on a plateau 10 miles east of the Pacific Ocean and 20 miles west of the Andes Mountains—which are obscured even on sunny days like today by the dusty, overcast sky.

Our hosts bring the sunlight to the city. Vina del Rey (The King's Vineyard) is just that: growing, loving, reaching people throughout the city—even those who don't or can't make it to church.

We divide into two teams: the first one we drop off at George Washington Carver School, next to Vina Del Rey's main church on Begonia Street. They sand down the walls of an open-air pre-K classroom and a hallway smooth as silk and then paint the upper areas of the room with a soft cream color.

The rest of us head out to Satelite Primavera with word that we are going to build a “lean-to with bamboo.” That is an understatement.

It is not just a lean-to. It is a new church. In the desert. Surrounded by bamboo shacks, we build a bamboo sanctuary, and we do it in just two days. God is good. All the time. Next weekend, while we are back in Irving, a Satelite congregation will have had services in its first building, a church with the name Senor de los Milagres, fittingly, “Lord of the Miracles.”

After lunch and a brief siesta, we bus to the main church. Robin Morton prays for us and we venture off to 11 separate locations: five churches and six home cell groups.

Pastor Dave plays soccer with his group. Sharon Phares goes out to a distant farming community where 12 families come out of the mountains to hear her testimony and learn about Jesus. Pete goes to an impoverished community in the shadow of a fruit processing plant. Children are left by themselves all day, even on Saturdays. The cell group gives them a Sunday School of sorts on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

We sleep in until 7:30 am today. Sabbath. Day of rest from construction work—but not in terms of church work. Three separate events.

Escuela Domincal – (Sunday School) – We help teach Sunday School at the main church.

After lunch at Shalom, the church on the campus of George Washington Williams School) we head home for the World Cup Championship. Most are for Espana (Spain) but Pastor Gerardo's youngest son, Leo, is for The Netherlands, because he thinks Spain should have lost to Germany. Spain ends up winning in extra time, 1-0.

A group of us heads by bus to Alta Larran where Pastor Julio and his wife, Persia, daughter of Gerardo, are pastoring. We are a little early so we go into the walled courtyard of the church and practice futbol (soccer) with the boys, mainly 8 to 10-year-olds, and some volleyball with the girls.

Inside, we practice singing, then help out with their afternoon Sunday School classes. Later, Pastor Dave preaches and Michelle translates on the fields being white with harvest. They are in Peru, both the cotton field and the spiritual field. We dine on pizza and ask Julio about the windows and the struggles and joys of building his church. He came, he says, when there were just five families. He started preaching on tithing, and the number dropped to one family! Pastor Dave says he can relate! Thankfully, the church has strengthened. There are about 25 children and 20 adults there tonight. I gave out snacks like cookies and gave each child and adult a blessing in Espanol as I went—sort of like serving communion.

We think we are going home, but we head to the main church---for one final service. This one is led by Pablo (Randall Morton) with some of us Americanos singing, My Jesus, My Savior. Others, including Pastor Dave, go to Shalom where Pastor Dave preaches.

Monday, July 12, 2010

A new church is born! Senor de los Milagres or Lord of the Miracles. First we stopped at “Bamboo Depot,” This time, it's mainly just Pastor Dave, Rick, David Anderson, Nathan and Pete, along with one local church member, Eleazor, who is the brains of the operation but he does not speak any English.

The new church is a big deal. When we return later that afternoon, there is music playing on a boom box powered by electricity installed that very day. Luis is outside on a microphone, inviting people to come.

Perhaps 40 children come. The boys play with the new soccer balls we brought from the U.S. The girls play with the Frisbees. There is much joy. The children learn new songs. They delight in playing with our college-age students.

Afterward, we feed the people snacks and head back to the bamboo sanctuary for a prayer dedicating the new church building. Before we do so, a mother with a sick child rushes in and brings her son, saying, 'Pray for him.” He had been to the hospital and was not better. Robin Morton, Randall's wife, prays for him in Spanish.

Pastor Gerardo shares his story with us tonight. We gather around the big table downstairs. He is like a Grandfather, speaking to his children and grandchildren. Randall translates. It is a story of hope, risk, trust and great reward.

A university professor, he heard God call him to become a pastor three times while standing knee-deep in mud near the Amazon River. When he got home, he thought his wife, Persia, would steer him otherwise. But she said, “If God is calling you, who am I to stand in His way?”

It soon became a family affair with Persia, their three sons and two daughters taking active roles. They started by feeding and caring for children with a street ministry called Vaso con Leche or Cup of Milk. It has since grown to two schools, a Bible Institute, five (make that six after today) churches and five weekly cell groups, each with 30 or more attendees each Saturday afternoon in outlying areas of Chincha.

We are touched an moved by his obedience---and the Spirit of his wife and children to obey, follow and trust God.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The bamboo church complete, we start a new project today, panting two classrooms a breezeway and a wall facing the basketball courts at George Washington Carver School.

We use a very bright mustard color with oil base paint so it will be easier to clean. We learn this trip is more about God than about us. And how He wants to use us as His instruments in big and small ways.

We play basketball: old guys vs. young guys. The old guys win. Imagine that! Will miracles never cease! The old guys are just glad the game ended with no heart attacks. We go home to siestas.

In the late afternoon, we go further than we had ever gone before, to an agricultural community many miles from a paved road, the community of Juncal. In fact, it is many miles from a smooth road of any kind. We pass cotton fields that are literally “white with harvest” and so is this community spiritually.

Melinda Dorrell from my church in Irving, who served with our team last year in Monterrey, plays a game with the children with balloons with answers to questions written on them. She and the other young people also play Frisbee and color with the children, truly engaging them.

After singing and coloring with the children, many in our groups are playing Frisbee. Sharon Phares, who has just given a wonderful testimony to the adults about her life, spots some young men, perhaps in their early 20s, standing on the periphery near a small patch of sugar cane, the huge cotton crop next and the Andes Mountains in the distance. Sharon says to me, “They need to hear this.”

They seem sort of sarcastic, cautious, skeptical, yet curious.

Michelle, a Texas girl and recent Baylor grad with a degree in Spanish, speaks to them. She presents the Gospel of Christ in fluent Spanish with clarity and completeness. Finally, she asks each one individually if they would ask Jesus to be Lord of their lives. The first, Luis, says “Si.” Then the second, the third, the fourth, and finally Juan. Si. Si. Si. Si. Si. Michelle turns to Anthony, a humble and holy young man of God and says, “Go get Pastor Julio.” He does and Pastor Julio comes out and leads these five young men in the sinner's prayer. What a glorious moment it is!

We congratulate each one and Anthony goes to get his Spanish Bible. He gives it to Luis and takes him aside, pointing out the Gospel of John, encouraging him to read that first. Luis asks how old Anthony is. Turns out he is 23 and Luis turns 23 later this year. They talk for quite awhile.

The Heavens are filled with the Glory of the Lord! And we saw a piece of it today at the edge of a cotton field that was truly white with harvest.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

More painting today at George Washington Carver and then a treat for the children: Peruvian Teachers vs. American Missionaries in volleyball. Our hosts have been very gracious and merciful---up to this point! But on the volleyball court, they show no mercy. After two lopsided games, they decide to integrate the teams to half Peruvians and half Americans, and then we actually have a contest.

As part of our lunch that day, Pastor Gerardo's daughter Persia, who is the Principal at George Washington Carver, invites us to the fifth-grade classroom where the students have been celebrating Peruvian culture this week. They have each brought a dish from home, prepared by their Moms, and want the Americanos to sample them.

After siesta, we travel by bus to Salto la Lesa, a one-year-old church building near the highway. A huge crowd of children—62 in all—rushes up to greet us, hug us, invite us to sit by them. Dancing, singing, puppet show with Rocky the Ratonito, coloring books. This will be our final night in Chincha with the many people with whom we have ministered these last days.

Salto la Lesa is also a very poor neighborhood, but one where last year Randall and Go International built a concrete cistern on the church grounds. It holds thousands of gallons of water and has really changed the community.

Closing service is led by Pastor Gerardo, this grandfather is full of energy, jumping and dancing and proclaiming the Word of God. It is standing-room-only in there. We ring the bells that Cathy has brought from Alabama. And then Randall presents the bells to Pastor Gerardo as a gift.

Then the Peruvians turn the tables on us, bringing us to the front one at a time with great introductions by Pastor Gerardo. Children come and present us with gifts.

Each Peruvian comes forward and hugs us and blesses us. It is very emotional. We may have ministered to them. But they have done so much more for us.

Our lives will never be the same.

Thursday, July 14, 2010

Packing day. Cleaning up. Heading out on a travel bus to Lima. We get to downtown Lima about 1:30 pm after literally squeezing through the very crowded streets of Lima. Population is 8 million and we must have seen 7.9 million on the way to our hotel. We get to San Martin Square and the Hotel Gran Bolivar.

We go to lunch at Norky's on the Boulevard.

Unfortunately, while at the restaurant, Robin Morton's pink bag is stolen. It contains $600 cash, credit cards, her passport and her son Caleb's passport. Randall calls the police. We search the restrooms in trash cans, but cannot find it. We have gone from the trusting simple country life to the big city and the problems that come with it.

Friday, July 15, 2010

We play tourist in Lima today. Randall has arranged with the Hotel for us to have late check-out, all the way until 7 pm. Our flight out is at 10:50 pm to Miami. Randall, Robin and their kids go to the U.S. Embassy to work on getting new passports for Robin and their son, Caleb.

A travel agent affiliated with Go International, Eunicia (like Eunice), takes us on a tour bus to lunch at Vivaldi's, a very upscale restaurant in Lima. One thing that was very good was the cabrito (goat). Also the tomatoes stuffed with ground beef.

Eunicia then takes us site-seeing to the Pacific Ocean and the neighborhood called Miraflores. High-rise condos make you think you are at Miami in the winter. Very trendy, very upscale. We pass a park called “Lovers Park” and we see that the Peruvians are not bashful when showing public displays of affection.

We then go the Inca Market where we make our contributions to the local economy. Pastor Dave has bought a Peruvian shirt, poncho and leather hat. But in the big city of Lima, he looks a little out of place. So our Peruvian hosts just explain to everyone that “he's from the South.”

While we are shopping, the Morton's are getting special treatment at the U.S. Embassy. A police captain who happens to be a Christian and a friend of Go International, rushes through a police report stating that Robin and Caleb's passports had been stolen. He actually hand-delivered the police report to us in the hotel lobby. The Morton's showed that to the U.S. Embassy and were able to get temporary passports for Robin and Caleb so they could get home.

Next, it's off on a harrowing 90-minute bus drive through Friday night rush-hour traffic in Lima. We arrive in plenty of time, clear Customs and get ready to fly to Miami.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to everyone for your support with this year’s Missions Conference.  It was a wonderful event and continues our church’s legacy of supporting those in the Missions field who work to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was both inspiring and encouraging to see the many ways that God uses the talents and gifts of all those willing to go into the field.  Many have come from our own church and we are blessed to be their partners.

     This summer we will be sending a small group from our church for a short term mission trip to Chincha, Peru, to work on light construction and repairs at a school in this   earth-quake damaged city.  Our group will also be helping children with English and working in the surrounding community each afternoon to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

     Later in the summer or early in the fall, we are also planning a trip to the Methodist Missions Home in San Antonio.  We are currently working with them to plan the project work and the dates.  This will be a wonderful opportunity for anyone in the church to be involved with a hands-on mission. Your help is needed with both of these projects. 

     First and foremost, we ask for your prayers for all of those that will be traveling and working away from home as they travel to Peru.  Please pray for their safety in travel and work and pray that God would put them in just the right place to best use each of them for His will.  Pray that the families they leave behind will be safe. Secondly, we need your help as each of those going to Peru raise their own money for the trip.  Please prayerfully consider helping with their support in any way that you can.  We’ll have several fundraisers to help support them (including a bake sale for Father’s Day) but your gift of $25 or more would help make this work possible.  Please designate ‘Peru trip’ with your gift. Thank you again for all that you do to support our church in fulfilling our legacy of missions and as we go about “to make disciples of all nations.” Mathew. 28:19)

Taking it to the streets, Monterrey, Mexico  August 2009

2009 Mission Trip to Monterey, Mexico

Our 2009 Mission Team

Who are these people? They are Monterrey Mission trip 2009 team members!

David Anderson	Jessica Anderson
Melinda Dorrell	Michael Gaines
Rick Gaines	Richard Mahan
Austin McNabb	Peter McNabb
Glenn Mullen	Sharon Phares
David Turner	Steve Wolfe
Jeff Voss	Sally Voss