My experience

By Sherry Rettinger

This entire week was very exciting! We all had several experiences that brought us closer to the children and closer to the Lord. Heather and I spent our mornings in the Tikari casa with forty 12-15 year old girls, teaching them about salvation and showing the love of Christ to them. We stressed to them that it is faith in Jesus Christ dying for our sins that gets us to Heaven and nothing that we can do for ourselves. Also, we made sure they are aware that there is no sin too bad that will cause them to lose their salvation, nor is there anything God will not forgive. All of these things were completely against the beliefs they had been taught their whole lives, but the girls were hungry for the truth. We saw ten girls in our casa come to Christ, and many more that were not quite ready to make that decision, and are very excited to see how they will now grow with the Lord. Lauren holds a new Christians’ class to continue to disciple to them. It is very exciting to imagine how those ten girls can impact their world in the future!

Our last day at the Orphanage was on Friday. That day, before we said goodbye to the older children, Shawn, Gavin, and I went to the baby house to deliver some baby blankets and clothing and say goodbye to the babies. We also had some small gifts of a candy bar, some hair ties, and a puzzle book for the casa mothers there. Four women run that house which is an incredibly big job since there are about thirty small children ranging from six months to two years old. Once we got there, we gave the gifts to Olinda (one of the house mothers) who was so very thankful to us. I then started looking for other things in my backpack to give her. I had some baby wipes and kleenex that I did not need, so I gave them to her (since they did not have any there). Then I came across the Spanish Bible I had been using all week during our small group time. We had already given Bibles to the older children and their casa mothers but had not in this house. So, I gave that Bible to her. She hugged the Bible to her chest, started crying and said Thank you (in Spanish) over and over to me. Then she came and hugged me and we cried together. I felt so blessed to be the one to give her this gift and I am so thankful that we were able to bring Bibles to the community. We tend to take for granted that we have Bibles available to us everywhere, yet there are many in the world who do not.

On Saturday, we had some free time before getting on the plane that evening. Several of us went to the square downtown to look around. I took a tour at the Cathedral de San Francisco, which is the oldest church in Peru. The church is filled with statues, paintings and carvings of Jesus, Mary and other catholic saints. This idolatry opened my eyes to the dangers of Catholicism. All of the catholics in Peru pray and bow down to these images every day, thinking that will get them to heaven. We also visited the underground catacombs where over 200,000 people had been buried. The tour guide explained to us that the richest people were placed directly under the statues of saints, the middle class were next, and then the poor were on the outskirts. She also said everyone wanted to be buried under the church because the closer their dead bodies were to the saints and the church, the closer they were to Heaven. The most shocking thing to me was that there were several passages of scripture from the book of John posted throughout the catacombs. One was John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” They have the truth right in front of them, yet they have complicated salvation to include works! The great deceiver is very hard at work there.

Thank you all so much for allowing me the opportunity to visit with these wonderful children and share the gospel. I saw God at work there and I know there are many more blessings to come. I can’t wait to go back!

Pictures

Connection problems. Will post later!

Irma

Last 2 Days

It does not seem possible that we have been here in Peru almost one week. The last two days at the orphanage have just flown by and we have seen miraculous things occur. There is so much evidence that the Holy Spirit has been working 24∕ 7 not just at the orphanage in the part of Ventanilla by the orphanage. Many children and teenagers, as well as adults, accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior this week.

This afternoon the residents of the orphanage gathered to say goodbye to the U.S. friends they have made this week and to those who became friends last year. The orphanage band played spicy Latin beats and children and adults crowded the floor to dance. When the time came to say goodbye the children ran to the workers with plenty of hugs and kisses to last till the next time they see us. It was a time of joy and sadness all wrapped up into one. It was a joy because we knew that so many of them came to know how much Jesus loves them. They learned all week long that there is nothing they can do that will make Jesus stop loving them. They learned that Jesus Christ died to pay for the sins of those who accept Him and love Him, and that getting into heaven is not dependent never sinning or doing good works.
The sad part was saying goodbye to the children that we grew so close to during the week.

From the time I made the decision to be a part of the Mission Peru Team I knew that God had a purpose for my coming here. I just did not know for sure what that purpose was. I had been telling stories to the 3 to 5 year old girls and boys and the 6 to 9 year old boys and girls. It had been a good week, with good responses from them. But it still did not feel like that was God´s purpose for me coming. Then on Thursday, as I was leaving the 6 to 9 girls house, a little girl came to the door with so many questions she wanted to ask me. I answered a few, but I had to go to talk to the next group. When I was finished with the next group I went back to the area where we gathered for activities. I turned around and saw her standing there wanting to talk with me some more. She is 9 years old with no family that comes to see her. She had so many questions about sin, salvation, Jesus, fear, lonliness, and her situation. We spoke for about 20 minutes and I tried to answer her questions. I shared the plan of salvation with her and she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior. When she left she had a huge smile on her face. I saw and spoke with several times today and each time she had the biggest smile she had had all week. She and another girl danced to the music of the band. She and the other children gave me some many hugs and kisses that they almost knocked me to the floor. All of them called me “Abuelita Irma˝, which means “Granny Irma.“ I knew then that God had brought me here for this one little girl. But God had someone else he wanted me to talk to. He was a 14 year old boy who was a helper in the 6 to 9 year old class. He had been listening attentively all week. As I was leaving the house Beth Baldor told me that she noticed that he was sort of crying during the story and that I should speak to him. I asked him to come outside. I asked him if he understood the plan of salvation. He said that he did, but that he could not go to heaven because he had done something very bad … he had stolen some money and he felt very guilty. He was so sorry he had done it, but now, he felt, he had messed up his chance of going to heaven. We spoke again about the plan of salvation, but on a very personal level for him. I told him to put the money in an envelope, write a note saying that he had stolen the money and was very sorry, and that he was returning it. (no signature.) Then I told him to ask God to forgive him and to give him the strength to resist Satan´s temptations in the future. He had not really understood the plan of salvation before, but he said he did after our talk. He said he felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off his shoulders. Then he gave me the biggest hug he could. I realized that God did not bring me to Peru just because I speak Spanish. He brought me because He had picked the very specific children with whom He wanted me to share the difference that accepting God as their Savior could make in their lives! There are other team members who had different, but wonderful experiences with the children and adults at the orphanage.

Great things also happened with the people in the town of Ventanilla. There were activities for children of all ages. Adults and children alike received salvation bracelets and other items to take home. Each day Juan Baldor shared with them what it meant to accept Jesus as Savior. The highlight of the week occurred on Friday. A limited number of Spanish Bibles were being handed out to those who wanted one. Children, women, and men of all ages were excited to get a Bible. Some of the people opened their Bible as soon as they got one and started reading them. This year was the first year that the team went outside the orphanage. The people played and got to take home goodies and refreshments. But was most important was that they stayed and heard the story of Jesus! For most of them, that was the first time they had heard it. We believe that this was just seeds that were planted for a wonderful and bountiful harvest in the years to come.

God did indeed had a very special purpose for each of us who came to Peru this year. I am sure that we all fulfilled it. Some of did and did not really know what it was. I, for one, know that I discovered what that purpose was for me. Praise God for His wonderful love, patience, and wisdom!

Irma Teniente

Check next blog for more pictures

Day 3 Pictures

These are some pictures of some of the children in the orphanage.

Day 3

By Sherry Rettinger

¡Hola de Peru!

We had a wonderful day today! My first praise is that Heather Castoe and I led nine girls to Christ this morning in their casa! It was very exciting! The girls are from 14-17 years old (picture on the left). If that isn´t enough for one day, I have more good news. I received an email from my 7 year old son today that he was led to the Lord last night by my father! I am so happy and proud of him. So, as you can see I had a wonderful day.

The entire day in the orphanage was fantastic. It is quite obvious that all of the children are grasping a great understanding of salvation, which is amazing when they have been taught completely differently their entire lives. They are full of questions and hungry for the Word. It is a wonderful place to be in Ventanilla, Peru.

I can´t wait to get up in the morning to see what God has in store for us tomorrow.

Until then,
Sherry

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

By Irma J. Teniente



We had another great day at the orphanage today! What is most amazing is how very loving these children are. They just come up to you and hug you and start talking to you. Most of them seem to be so full of joy and so eager to learn from anyone willing to teach them. They have so little, but they are so grateful for what they do have. They know about Jesus and they are so excited for the opportunity to learn more.



Today they were told they were going to get a surprise. Like most children, they could hardly wait to find out what the surprise was. They waited with great anticipation. Their surprise was a Spanish Bible. They were so excited when they received their Bible, and even the children too young to read were looking through it with great interest. The ones who could read started reading them right away.



The children live as a family in one of the "casas" or houses. From 35 to 60 children live in each house, with a "housemother" and one or two helpers. They are grouped according to age. Josie Cole, Juan Baldour, and I, the Spanish speakers on the team were assigned to visit each house to tell the children the story of how and why Jesus died. We wanted to make sure that they know that Jesus loves them, even when they sin, and that He will never, ever leave them or stop loving them. We wanted them to know that they only way they will get to heaven when they die is through faith in Jesus Christ. Lauren and Nancy, our resident missionaries at the orphanage have done a great job of teaching the children about Jesus and in getting them so excited to learn more about what it means to be a Christian.



Tracy Miller, Jessica De Roache, and Raechel Kirby did a wonderful skit, showing that just being good is not the way to get to heaven, but faith in Jesus Christ is the way to get into heaven. One of the ten Peruvian translators told the story while Tracy, Jessica, and Raechel acted out what the story was telling them. There was music and drama, and all the children were actively involved in all of it.



A total of twelve teams of two to three members taught the children how to make bracelets, crosses and other craft items in the casas. Others led the children in playing outdoor games, teaching them new Christian songs, and different dances. Susan Jernigan was the principal photographer, trying to capture the excitement of the children and the workers with her camera.



Today, for the first time, members of the group went outside the orphanage to have an opportunity to share the joy of knowing Jesus to the people of the town of Ventanilla. Mothers brought their children, grandmothers came, aunts, uncles, fathers, etc. The crowd just grew and grew! Some of the team members were teaching the children and the adults how to make bracelets using embroidery thread, others taught them new games, there were markers, crayons, soccer balls, hula hoops ... well you get the picture.

Each child received a cross, a butterfly, and craft paper on which to stick them on and make of picture to take home.



Just before snacks were distributed to everyone there, those remaining were asked to gather round to listen to a story about Jesus. Many sat while others stood while Juan Baldour told them about what it means to get to know Jesus in a personal way. After he finished the story, Beth Baldour and I were talking with a couple of Moms and noticed a gentleman standing there. At first we thought he was with them, but they left and he stayed. We introduced ourselves and started chatting with him ... about life in Peru, the economy, etc. I sensed that he was interested in learning more about Jesus. I shared the plan of salvation with him and about how Jesus can help each of us get through the tough times that we must all face in life. We invited him to come back tomorrow and he assured us that he would. What an amazing feeling it was to be able to share the joy of Jesus with someone who is seeking a better way of life, a life with hope instead of hopelessness!



Then I turned a little mean. There was a sack of boxes with crayons stacked with other items, ready to be taken back to the orphanage. A little girl asked me if those were for them to take and I told her that they were not. She said that a little boy had just taken a box out of the bag and had walked across the street to his house. I told her that I could not go to his house. Her brother took off and in a few minutes came back with the little boy who took the crayons. I asked him if he had taken them and he said he had not. Then I played a little trick that I used to use on my children. I told him that I could tell if someone was telling the truth by feeling their pulse. Immediately he said that the other little boy had told him to take the crayons. I told him that if he brought the crayons back I would not call the police. He left in a flash and brought the crayons back. I promise I will never do that again! Really, I promise!



Except for that last part, it was a fantastic day for the children and for all of us who participated:

Mary Ann and Gavin, Miranda, Shawn and Heather, Deanne and Hannah, Hayley, Josie and Jeff, Tracy and Jessi, Tera, Alex A, Brian and Lisa, Susan, Amy, Raechel, Wendy, Kevin, Juan and Beth, Kevin, Alex M, Darjuan, Evan, Sherry, Michael, the translators, the medical students who came to work in the orphanage clinic and then came to help us at the orphanage and me.



We all owe a special thanks to Lauren Robertson, who has been in charge of it all (Nancy has been out of the country). She has so much excitement about her love for Jesus and about how He is using her to touch so many. It´s contagious and everyone around her feels it!



Read the blog by Sherry Rettinger tomorrow ... she will have lots of pictures!!



Ciao!



Irma

A note from the orphanage

Those of us staying at the orphanage are having a great time! This afternoon we went to a bible study Lauren led for new believers. They sang songs in Spanish and English, which was amazing to listen to! Lauren taught them from James. Even though most of us don't speak Spanish, we could tell what a great job she did! This evening we went to another bible study with her for some of the older boys. They are so much fun! Evan played the guitar and sang, and the boys loved it - he has another engagement tomorrow! The study was about Jesus washing the disciples feet, and then we got to wash the boys' feet. It was really neat.

After doing a little craft prep for tomorrow, we went to eat at the "chicken shack" - fabulous!

Thanks for you prayers!




-Amy Pierce

Day One-Success!

We had a great day at the orphanage today! To the left is a picture of us decorating the orphanages' chapel or capilla for the Christmas Party we threw for the children today.They had a great time. First we served them chicken (pollo y papas) box lunches furnished by Southmont Baptist Church (thank you!) which were delivered in three seperate taxi cabs. The first children were served at 12 and the last meals did not arrive until almost 1pm. But, one thing we did not account for is that the children do not begin to eat until all have been served. We were all a little stressed out over this, but the children are quite accustomed to it, and did not complain a bit while quietly sitting and staring at their lunch for almost an hour without being able to eat it!
After lunch, we had a Christmas play in the Capilla, narrated by Dr. Baldour which the children loved! We then sang songs, did crafts, then gave each child a gift consisting of a beanie baby, a hot wheel, and some candy. They were very excited about their gifts and it was so rewarding to be able to offer these gifts to them. Along with meeting dozens of children who wanted nothing more than to hug me, find out my name, and talk for a minute; I was able to spend some time in the baby house, which was a wonderful experience.
We are now preparing for an exciting day we have in store for tomorrow. We will go into the dorm rooms or casas for small group lessons. We will tell them the stories of Jesus´death, burial, and ressurrection during the next few days and will also present salvation to them.
In the afternoons we will have large group time in a VBS style program. During the same time, some of the group will be going into the city of Ventanilla outside of the walls of the orphanage to share the gospel with the neighborhood children.
This is an exciting time, so please pray for us and for the people we will be witnessing to in the next few days.
-Sherry Rettinger

We made it!

We arrived safely at our hotel in Lima just a few minutes ago. We´ll get a few hours of sleep and then be off for the orphanage in about 6 and a half hours!

Thank you for your prayers!

It is Christmas Eve and our lives are filled with last minute shopping, plentiful food, family gatherings, homes decorated with cheer, and presents in all sizes and colors to be opened tomorrow morning. All of these trappings give me pause, I stop and think of the 800 plus precious kids that I will see in the 26th. I think about how today and tomorrow is such a stark contrast to ours. I can hardly wait to get thru my hoilday gatherings so that I can be on a plane to Peru. We are taking gifts but none as great at the gift of salvation. There is no better gift that I can share than the Good News of Jesus Christ. That God has been seeking each of these children and has arms open wide waiting to be their Father-forever!

Bibles! Bibles! Bibles!

The project of getting a Bible to each child in the community was laid upon our hearts in the late fall and the task seemed so impossible. There was the cost, finding 800 + spanish translation from one source, logistics of getting them to Ventanilla and it all seemed to be a dead end at each stop. However once again God proved that when you are walking with Him that nothing is impossible. Our mighty Father led many people to give generously to fund the Bibles and Lauren was led to one source in Peru that saved us an enormous amount in shipping expense and available space. Mission Peru will be taking a Bible for each child to call their own. We are certain that this precious gift will draw many closer to salvation and a personal relationship with Jesus. We give God all the glory and praise!

Crafts!

We've been as busy as elves in December, preparing the crafts to take on our trip. Thank you to everyone who has helped cut, tie, sort, and prepare!

We've also been assembling Christmas gifts for the children. Each child will get a Beanie Babie, a Hot Wheel car, and some candy.

In less than two weeks, we'll be placing these gifts into the hands of those precious children and working with them to complete these crafts, along with telling Bible stories, sharing the plan of salvation, singing songs, playing games, and giving lots of hugs! Please continue to pray for our team as we make final preparations.

Bibles for Peru

The following was shared by Tracy at the Peru benefit concert:


Library day at school was always an exciting day for me. While I think most kids look forward to library day, I don't know that all of those library books are actually read. In fact, sometimes those books are lost and have to be replaced - as my family has experienced!

In the orphanage in Ventanilla there are 20 copies of one book. This book is so popular that it is never on the shelf, never lost and never dusty! The book I refer to is the Bible.

The kids must sign out the Bible. They love to read it and they have never before been able to do that. Because of the generosity of a Sunday school class here at Southmont they can.

The children have also been given Proclaimers. These are audio Bibles that don't require electricity or batteries. Quechu, Spanish & English are the versions they currently have. You just wind them up and play.

Often when casa's misbehave, they are put under restriction. Lauren Robertson tells the story of a group of kids confined to their casa for misbehaving. They had nothing to do! What do you think they did? That's right! They listened to their proclaimer. All of it! They must have gotten into pretty big trouble!

I believe that the children are quickly learning to love the Bible. I can understand why. Can you imagine reading the story of David and Goliath for the first time? They can relate! They are David and the life they face each day is Goliath.

The loneliness they feel from losing parents to death or abandonment is probably similar to the loneliness Jonah felt in the belly of the whale!

How exciting it is for them to read about a Father who loves them and will never leave them!

They love these stories because they know they are true. The Holy Spirit tugs at them and tugs on their hearts with every word.

I wonder how many of the kids pray for their own Bible. I believe God will say yes to this request. If we become a part of this blessing I know in heaven we will meet these kids - orphans no more. And they will say "thank you." I received my first Bible because you said yes and gave me that precious gift.

We are still collecting money for Bibles for the children at the orphanage. If you are interested in making a donation it may be sent to Southmont Baptist Church at 2801 Pennsylvania Drive, Denton, TX 76205. Please designate "Peru Bibles" on your check.

Illuminate!

The Mission Peru benefit concert, Illuminate!, was a wonderful evening of music and worship. Thank you to all who attended and took part in the program. A special thanks to Kevin and Angeline for sharing their musical gifts with us, and to Wendy for coordinating the event.

Kevin and Angeline did an amazing job leading us in worship:

Larry served as MC, Josey shared scripture, Dr. Baldor shared about his call to join our team, and Jessica shared of God's provision.



Tracy shared the call to bring Bibles to the children of Sagrada Familia Orphanage, Wendy shared about the work God has already done since the trip last January, Shawn shared about his experience on our first trip to the orphanage, and Michelle shared a call to prayer.



After the concert Team Peru gathered for a group picture.

It Starts With One

The following was shared by Wendy at Illuminate!, the Peru benefit concert.

It starts with one, one salvation.

Last January, Liz accepted Christ as her Savior. She had been praying that God would send her someone to show her what she was missing. She believes that Lauren was the answer to her prayers. ONE

Carlos our lead translator prayed for Christ to walk with him. TWO

In March, five girls were led to Christ by another teenage girl at the community. SEVEN

A security guard accepted Christ in April. EIGHT

Two more teenagers accepted Christ. TEN

In July, Doris, the local dentist became a Christian. ELEVEN

Alvaro, the religion teacher made the decision to follow Christ in August. TWELVE

Since September 60 children have put their faith in the one true God.

SEVENTY TWO – 72 new believers in Jesus Christ.

Because of the work started a year ago and continuing now daily with Lauren and Nancy there is a momentum that cannot be stopped. Alvaro, the religion teacher is sharing the Good News in his classes with curriculum that teaches about Christ and salvation. Doris, the dentist is using her office as a house church each week. Liz shares her testimony and helps to prepare crafts for hundreds of kids at the public schools outside the orphanage. Lauren is becoming entrenched in the community where contacts are helping her reach many new people.

The Peruvians who have accepted Christ are excited and eager to share the Good News with the community.

What will you do to ensure this number continues to grow?

The Journey Continues!

God has clearly been at work, assembling the team for our next mission trip to Peru! December 26, 2010 - January 2, 2011 we will be traveling to Lima, Peru to work with the children at Sagrada Familia Communidad de Ninos, as well as the surrounding community.

In the next several weeks we will be posting stories of how we see God working to bring together everything necessary for this trip. We know He will provide for us and guide us and we are excited to share the process with our church family and friends. May God receive all the glory!

Please pray that God will continue to prompt those who are to go on this trip and those who are to give so that others may go. Pray that we will rely on Him to guide us each step of the way in preparing for our mission.

Buenos Dias! The trip has already been an adventure...after changing flights, waiting in Mexico City for 15+ hours, we finally made it Peru and we hit the ground running. :) Praise God we only missed the morning with the kids on Monday! Our first day of activities went so well we had more kids come last night! In addition to doing a mini-VBS in the afternoon, we've assisted Nancy and Lauren in their classes, cared for the little ones in the baby house, and started work on the new computer room/library. Thank you for all the prayers while we were traveling, we felt each one and we knew God would provide the way! Continue to pray that we continue to have unity within our group and that God grows us each day! - Jessica

South

Update on the school and our missionaries at the orphanage

Praise God for His provision for the school at the orphanage, through the generosity of members and friends of Southmont!
The second floor of the school was completed in time and is being put to use. Two of our own, Lauren and Nancy, are teaching in the very school that your gifts helped to complete. God is amazing in His provision and plans!




Lauren and Nancy have now been teaching for about a month, and things are beginning to settle into a routine of sorts. Things in Peru just don’t work the same way as they do in the States, especially in regards to scheduling and time. Both Lauren and Nancy have blogs of their own; the links are posted later in this post.


Here’s an update from Nancy, excerpted from her blog:


The school indeed was finished in time for the government to pick up the teachers’ salaries, so of course that called for a celebration. Actually, it called for TWO celebrations!!! The ministry of education (education department) came out to the school and they had a fun celebration and then came back and did a formal celebration on Saturday. I got the worst sunburn of my life during that celebration. We are A LOT closer to the equator here...

Please pray for spiritual and emotional strength for both Lauren and I.

-That our lives would constantly be pointing to Christ and that everything we do would be glorfiying to Him

-That Satan would not distract us from the goals God has set before us, and that we will only use the energy God has given us on things that really matter.

-For continued opportunities to share the gospel.

-That peoples’ minds and hearts would be open to the Lord and that the Holy Spirit would draw them toward Himself.

-That I would be able to learn Spanish quickly.

-That the Lord will give me wisdom on how to plan my classes and most importantly, how to integrate the Bible into my classes.

Nancy's blog address: http://www.iwanttobeinperu.blogspot.com/

And here is an update from Lauren, excerpted from her blog and an email from her:


Thanks so much to everyone that cut out all of my laminated things and helped me get ready for this school year. Things were so much better because people in Denton helped me get prepared before hand.

On Wednesday of that week (their first week there) there was an official opening of the school. All of the government officials came and had a formal celebration on the soccer field. The government brought new clothes for the children and manipulatives for teaching. The community’s band played a few songs and then they officially cut the ribbon and broke a jar of wine for the school to open. A plaque was also presented that is on the wall of the school. This was I am sure a very exciting day for Miguel, the orphanage director, because now his school is a certified school and he can receive funding from the state which is very helpful when it comes to paying the bills.

Praises from the past couple weeks:

We have had great favor with the Peruvian translators, Miguel - the director of the orphanage, and all of the teachers we will be working with.

The new school is now being put into use, and all of the new materials that Southmont brought are in the principal’s office for any teacher to use at their convenience

We have had many opportunities to share the gospel from taxi drivers, to translators, to people in town, and of course to the people living in the community.

Prayer Requests:

Emotional, spiritual, and physical strength. We are in great spiritual warfare here.

For God to raise up leaders in the community of children to come to know Him that will have a catalyst effect in the rest of the community.

For Joy for me personally

For the school schedule that is still in the works that God would have us in the right places at all of the right times

Lauren's blog address: http://www.laurenservinginperu.blogspot.com/


Please also pray for the group from Southmont’s college department who will be traveling to the orphanage in May. They will be working on some projects around the orphanage as well as holding Bible studies and English classes. If you would like to support them financially, gifts can be made through Southmont Baptist Church.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 8:8-9

Dick's Story

"A God-Moment" - Experience

The significance of our trip hit me on the first day as we listened to Miguel share his story. Here was a man used of God to give life, hope, security, and a future to hundreds of children who would otherwise live in extreme poverty in the existence of "street children", and we were to become a small part of this inspiring story; to share the love of Jesus by loving and giving of ourselves to the children. As Lisa said, "who knows, maybe a Peruvian Billy Graham will come from this orphanage!"

I was very impressed with the sewing, baking, woodworking, and music workshops at the children's home, but it was the musicianship of the children's (older kids, of course) band that was so impressive. We really enjoyed the live fiesta performance on Friday, but I was really surprised at excellent quality of the cd I bought from them. The musicality of the performers on all the various instruments (keyboard, guitars of all sizes, drum and percussion instruments of all kinds, various wood flutes, and ethnic "pan pipes" of every size and key you would need), and the professional level of the recording made the cd a great pleasure to listen to. Their participation in this workshop will give all the youth great satisfaction the rest of their lives, and perhaps some will be able to make music their life's vocation.