Ramen Noodles: January 30, 2010

Condevilla from the top of the hill

Oh, an extra hour of sleep! How wonderful! Due to the hazardous conditions in the ocean, our original plans to swim with sea lions were canceled. Instead, we met in the Upper Room before heading back to Condevilla. Bree Peterson led us in a devotional that was perfect for our last day in Peru. She challenged us to consider what we’d take back with us; most of us will be returning to families, classes, jobs, and the responsibilities that go with them. As we pondered what the Lord has been teaching us in the past week, we loaded the bus once again for Condevilla.

Our Peruvian siblings, having said goodbye to them only a few hours earlier, greeted us warmly. There were tears the night before but joy was the overwhelming emotion as we were reunited. At this point, the team split up into two group: the climbers and the flatlanders.

The Climbers: After filling our bags with extra vitamins and other meds, we began our trek up the giant hill separating Condevilla from the next village. Condevilla began as a squatter’s community about 30 years ago and only the poorest of the poor live on the hillside. Many of these people do not have running water and spend many hours each week climbing up and down the hill for supplies.

We soon realized these people had to be in great shape because we were huffing after only a few feet! The hill itself is an Inca burial site and consists of sharp slate-like rocks. As we divided our group to knock on doors, we drew much attention from the locals who were confused by why 15 American care providers and a few Peruvian translators were strolling around their town.

What an incredible experience to meet and talk to these people! They were so grateful for the medicines they received and many considered attending church on Sunday. This was a humbling experience that forced us to think about what is important in life and what we take for granted in our comfortable lives.

The Flatlanders: This group consisted of team members who preferred to serve by packing action packers, walk the streets in prayer, were too sun burnt or were operating on Lucho’s toe.

Many team members walked hand in hand with the Peruvian children to pray for the city of Condevilla. As they weaved in and out of the streets, they met many people who had come to the clinic and were thankful again for the services they received. We saw a few people who were reading the newspaper with their new reading glasses and others who excitedly told us how they had brushed their teeth the night before. What a sweet time to see some of the fruit that come from the clinic.

After our morning in Condevilla, we went to dinner at a Brazilian steak house. We were amazed at the amounts of meat that came on large spears. The waiters would come around to each person and shave off a piece of meat. You would then dip it into some aji sauce and eat it up!

The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent shopping at the markets and grocery stores for last minute gifts. We cleaned up, packed up and headed to the airport. We had another round of goodbyes to make, departing from the Peruvians but a few of our teammates as well. Six people from Woodlands stayed to attend church on Sunday and do some follow up ministry with people from the clinic. They will return on Monday.

As our time in Peru came to a close, we spent time reflecting on our experiences and counting our numerous blessings.


PRAYER REQUESTS:

*For effective ministry for those six team members who will be staying an extra day.

*For the people at Esperanza Viva as they transition from their missions emphasis to follow up with people from the clinic.

*For our transitions as we come back to the U.S. and resume responsibilities while still riding the emotional high.

Nuevas Criaturas-Baptism: January 29, 2010

All of the "new creatures"

What a glorious day! We began with words from Chris Russell who explained his testimony. He had recently accepted Christ into his life and began growing in his faith through the Essentials class at church. When he began researching baptism and what it meant for a believer, he knew he wanted to be baptized…and what a better place and time than at the end of our trip, with our Peruvian family, in the ocean! He and his wife Jennie are extremely thankful to all of you who are helping out with their kids in order for them to be here. As a team, we thank you for allowing them to be here!

There was a fun surprise in our day that lead to pure joy. Matt Kolling, Sarah’s husband, decided to fly down for the baptismal service and join his wife in being baptized. There was not a dry eye in the room as the couple was reunited! Matt was thrilled to be back in Peru to not only witness Sarah’s baptism but to be baptized right along side of her.

With all of this excitement, we loaded the bus for the beach about an hour and half away. As we arrived at the Christian camp, many of us were overjoyed to see green grass where we could toss a Frisbee around before heading to the sandy shores. The beach was porous with crab holes but it was some of the finest sand we’d ever touched.

As our Peruvians siblings arrived, we spend time playing in the water, playing games and chatting. The baptism service then began with each person telling their story of how God had changed their life. How sweet it was to hear how God had grabbed a hold of each person’s heart in different situations, different points in life, in different countries.

Another sweet moment of the trip was Gerry's baptism because he was baptized by his son, Alex. A huge part of Gerry's story is the love his family had for him despite poor decisions he made. Through Alex's involvement at Woodlands, Gerry began attending and accepted Christ exactly one year ago today. How awesome!

Alex and Gerry after being baptized.

Pastor Jim made it clear that baptism doesn’t save a person but it is simply an act of obedience to the Lord and a public declaration to live for Christ. 14 people were baptized, 4 from La Esperanza Viva and 10 from Woodlands. What an awesome act to witness!


The rest of the day was filled with swimming, body surfing, food and fellowship. Many of us drove under the waves and tried to catch a big one to ride back to shore. Unlike any other beach we’d been to, this one had an abundance of crabs called moi moi by the locals. The further out you swam, the more crabs there would be nibbling at your feet. Not to worry, they were small and harmless but it was the strangest feeling.

Dr. Bob enjoying the ocean.

We left the ocean fully cooked, but fully satisfied. Tears were shed as we left our Peruvians brothers and sisters and boarded the bus. It’s amazing how close you become to people in a few days!

We ate some sandwiches at the hotel and then grabbed taxis to El Parque de Aguas. This fountain park was build to sway voters opinions in a recent election by providing the people of Peru a beautiful park filled with stunning displays. Some of the fountains can be played in and many of us got wet for the second time. It was a great way to end the day.

One of the fountains at the park.

As mentioned yesterday, we would like to share some more God sightings from the clinic. Here are a few more snapshots.

Trevor- would like to thank Bob and Doug for their teaching. He was humbled to rely on translators but witnessed many incredible things.

Parker- was overwhelmed by the love God has for us; the Peruvians were in awe of us, but think of how much more God loves us!

Nancy- increased her prayer with and for patients. As she’s in a transition state of life, she wants to be in places like Condevilla and praying about how her gifts can best be used.

Bree- gives thanks to the water boys for their constant encouragement. She was in tears when people refused work when they desperately needed it. The cultural differences were hard to understand.

Bret- prayed for extractions and was able to do them. One person needed 5 teeth out and answered with, “Ok, As long as I’ve got enough teeth to eat with…”

Sarah- “my gifts are good.”


PRAYER REQUESTS:

* Please pray for our last day in Peru. We will be going back to Condevilla to hand out vitamins and basic supplies to the least- outcaste people living on top of an Inca burial site. The original plan to go swimming with the sea lions was cancelled due to the size of the waves.

*Please pray for our safe travels returning home…for the many bus, taxi, car and plane rides.

*Please pray for the 6 of our teammates who will be staying an extra day to do some follow up ministry at La Esperanza Viva on Sunday before returning home.

Snapshots of God's Love: January 28, 2010

Our last day of clinic began with a devotional from Bret. He used his personal testimony and Scripture to demonstrate the impact one person can have in someone’s life. For Bret it was a college friend who’s life change forced him to consider the claims of Christ. He encouraged us to ponder the impact we would have on one, two, or hundreds of Peruvians, in addition to our teammates.

With that, we loaded the bus for our last trip to Condevilla. As we neared the clinic, the line extending from the entrance was massive and wrapped around the block. We set up and started seeing patients. Historically, God has a way of allowing us to see just as many patients on the last half day as we have on full days in the clinic. This year we saw about 300 in the last 4 hours. In total, we served 1,405 people.

After the clinic, we enjoyed another wonderful lunch made by the women of the church. The entire village was then invited to a reunion. The clinic was packed to the brim with Peruvians who wanted to worship God and those that were curious. A sweet time of worship was shared in both English and Spanish. People were amazed as Carrie painted a mural of Christ’s pierced hand during the music.

In full Peruvian style, we spent the next hour and a half hugging and kissing (not to worry, just kisses on the check) goodbye to our new friends. Many tears were shed as we loaded the bus to leave for the last time.

We dined together down by the ocean and then spent some time reminiscing about what God has been doing in our lives. Here are some snapshots:

Gerry- so thankful for team, especially his son. Alex worked extremely hard the entire week in dental and never complained about having to do the bad jobs. Poor equipment forced him to look at the people, not the services.

Dental Team: Bret, Aleah, Alex, Gerry, Bree

Angie K- was touched by a woman who was soon to go blind. As she prayed with this woman in optical, she knew there was nothing the team could do to help her physically. She hopes this moment will effect the translators who are going into the medical field to change the future of medicine in Peru.

Lori- was able to spend time with Yolanda, a Peruvian woman who lost husband this year. She was encouraged to spend time with women from the church and watch them mentor each other. She was reminded of the first chapter in James and how she’s seen growth out of perseverance in these women.

Lori with her Peruvian sisters

Anne S- amazed by how much the Peruvians held on…old ladies are strong! They see love and want to hang on to it.

Roy- enjoyed sharing laughs with the Peruvians. She met with a woman who looked like she had wet her pants. He thought triage sent her to the “Urologist” to take care of toileting issues (in reality, Terry had spilled water on this woman, accidentally, while making the water rounds). After diagnosis, Roy knew we didn’t have meds with us that she needed and apologized. The woman simply smiled and said, “At least I got a shower out of it!”

Pam- was affected by the numerous people who took photos and didn’t smile. She explained how it seemed they had no hope and no souls in their body.

Jaz- was deeply impacted by the love the kids she worked with had on her. She was in tears as she explained how they taught each other their languages and culture during the week. It culminated by singing a song in English together.

Scot- was greatly affected by a prayer walk on Tuesday. One of our translators, Christian shared words with Scot through a prayer that will affect him for life. “Lord thank you for the opportunity to live here.”

Emily- was excited to combine a passion for children and her new skill of sharing her faith in Spanish using the EvangeCube while sharing the Gospel with two little kids in the clinic.

We’ll share more of our God sightings in tomorrow’s update.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

*Pray for our last day with our Peruvian brothers and sisters on Friday. We will be having a baptismal service in the ocean, which should be a powerful time of worship.

*Pray for safety in our travels in the next few days. We’ll be taking buses to the baptism service and our culture day on Saturday- anyone who’s been in South American on a bus will know why we need prayer for this! ☺

*Pray for sustainability for the Condevillian church. We will be leaving shortly and want the church to be able to continue serving the needs in the community when we’re gone.

Finishing the Race: January 27, 2010

The lines coming from the clinic

Our third day of clinic started with some words from Lori Galuk. She compared our experience here to running a marathon. At this point, we feel like we’re at the 16 mile mark- we’ve got a lot of ground behind us but we still are pressing on toward what is ahead. Lori used Hebrews 12:1 to talk about our “great cloud of witnesses” as being our teammates; they will be the ones cheering us on to the finish line.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
-Hebrews 11:1

Dr. Gerry with a patient

With this analogy in mind, we laced up our shoes once again and headed to clinic. As we arrived, we were amazed to see the length of the line extending from the entrance had grown immensely. Word had got out and people were flocking to this mysterious medical clinic, hoping to receive care.

We set up in record time and started seeing patients. By the third day, we had the flow of the clinic down and were more efficient in our efforts. The Peruvian women running the check-in reported we saw over 400 patients, making the grand total of people served around 1,200. In years past, a clinic may have only served 1,000 people for the entire week…and we still have a day left! This number alone shows how Woodlands Medical Missions continues to grow and improve throughout the years.

A heart-wrenching story that came out of clinic yesterday was of a woman who had travelled from the northern most point of Peru to attend our clinic. The translators said it would be the equivalent to driving in a car for 20 hours, except this woman walked and took a bus in order to receive medical care. She was overjoyed to have new glasses and medications but now faces the harsh reality that she is out of money, has no food and must find a way to survive. Please pray for this woman, that she would place her hope and faith in Christ, not the medical clinic in Condevilla.

Scot and Dr. Doug operating on a patient

Another story from the day comes from Dr. Douglas (pronounced Dr. Doog-lass by the Peruvians). He treated a man who had previously been diagnosed with skin cancer. Instead of undergoing the prescribed surgery to remove the affected areas on his face, he opted for alternative treatment. This has lead to a large growth on his face, which is literally a ticking time bomb. Knowing there was little he could provide, Doug spent the time talking to this man about eternity. At the end of the conversation, Doug and Terry prayed for the man and it is believed that he accepted Christ as his Savior.

It’s amazing how much joy an ultrasound can bring! Angie and Jose are a young couple in the church that are pregnant with their second child. If you’ve been to Condevilla, I’m certain that you’ve met Ivana, their older daughter. A sweet moment happened when Angie was able to see her baby boy on the ultrasound machine with her mom, Juana standing right next to her. Juana then ran around the clinic showing everyone her new grandson, as any proud grandmother would do. It’s clear that the ultrasound machine was meant to be at the clinic…praise the Lord He passed it through customs!

Ivana, soon to be big sister

The rest of the night filled with fellowship through pizza, music and dancing. All of us gringos impressed the Peruvians with our moves, despite our “concrete hips.” We were humbled when the church gave us each a gift that was made in the mountains. I’m certain God must have been smiling as He looked down on His children, singing and dancing with so much joy!

The relationships we’ve made here is going to make it even harder to leave…

PRAYER REQUESTS:

*Continue to pray for energy and enthusiasm. We’re energized after the dance party but the reality of little sleep and long days are catching up.

*Pray we’d finish the race strong, encouraging our teammates to the end.

*Pray for the reunion Thursday at 3pm. We’ve invited all of the people attending the clinic to return for a time of worship and prayer. The Gospel will be clearly communicated at this celebration, pray it would not fall on deaf ears.

Walk Humbly with Your God: January 26, 2010

Our second day of clinic started with a devotional from Sarah Kolling. After a prompting for the Spirit, she spoke on humility using the children’s book The Bears Vacation. Though she was hesitant to use a children’s book with all of us “professional” people to teach a lesson, it was exactly what we needed. She rewrote the book to fit our situation and connected the story with our team verse:

“He has told you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God.”

-Micah 6:8

Sarah taking a woman's temperature.

After devotions, we headed off to clinic and set up for the day. Many changes were made and the flow of the clinic was much smoother. We had many “God sightings” throughout the clinic; I’ve summarized a few below:

The optical team celebrated the discovery of using regular reading glasses to correct a few elderly peoples vision that could not see near or far. The team had tried everything they learned in their training but nothing seemed to work. Carrie literally jumped up and down and had tears in her eyes because these people could see for the first time in many years! Can you imagine living life with blurry vision and instantly being able to see?

Tamara was also working in optical and dealt with a few people who had perfect vision but skewed the truth in order to receive a pair of glasses. She knew the glasses would eventually hurt the patient’s eyes, but they were insistent that’s what they wanted and had paid for. She made the connection that this is a great example of our relationship with God. Many times we demand what we want but God knows it’s not the best thing for us. Still, He chooses to use our prideful ways to mold and shape us.

Annie Tillotson was encouraged by a woman who wanted a picture taken of Annie and her son. This woman told Annie that the medical team was “Christ’s Angels.” The service we are able to provide to the Peruvian people is well received and greatly appreciated.

A couple of the beautiful Peruvian children.

In the spiritual clinic, we saw many positive gains. I (Emily) was stretched in my faith by spending the day sharing the Gospel in Spanish. Using some tools from campus ministry and the EvangeCube, I shared the Gospel with more than 40 people and had a few people indicate decisions for Christ. As you can imagine, my brain has turned to mental mush at the end of the day.

Jeff also spent some time in the spiritual clinic. After conversing with two men for almost 2 hours and using every tool we had, the 2 men made decisions for Christ. Praise the Lord for the eternal life changes that are happening in Peru!

With another day at the clinic under our belt, we headed to a local sandwich shop to get some grub. Our patience was tested as we had 40 people order food and wait about 1.5 hours to receive it. Our motto of “That’s just the way we like it” needed to be restated frequently but we survived.

In true Bomb-Proof Adaptability style, the team made a resilient comeback in the Upper Room. Before worship, many of us danced around and even created a tunnel for the rest of the team members so they could enter the room in style.

At the end of a stressful day, worshipping our Creator has a way of calming your soul. Carrie and Parker have done an excellent job of leading us worship…I don’t think I’ve ever heard a sweeter version of “How Great is Our God” than the one we sang tonight. The room was resounding with singing!

Zak with some friends

**A special note to Pam's small group: we've had semi-overcast and breezy conditions each day we've been here. Thanks for the prayers! Speaking of prayers...

PRAYER REQUESTS:

*As always, energy and enthusiasm. We are pooped, tired, tuckered out and many are developing some digestive issues (if you’ve travelled abroad, you know what I mean). Pray that the power of the Holy Spirit would keep us going strong!

*Pray for our time of fellowship with the Condevillian church Wednesday night. This has been a sweet time of worship and bonding with our friends here in Peru. Pray for deep connections and a sense of oneness in the body of Christ.

*Pray for those that have heard the Gospel while at the clinic. Pray for understanding and repentant hearts as well as a community in which to grow. We’ve invited all people back for a reunion this Thursday afternoon, as well as church service on Sunday.

Want to see more pictures? I've uploaded some more at this address: http://www.facebook.com/editphoto.php?aid=2141668#/album.php?aid=2141668&id=185002477 Copy and paste it into your browser. Enjoy!

Clinic Day 1: January 25, 2010

Our first day of clinic began with a devotional from Dr. Bob Tillotson. Bob encouraged us by affirming our different giftings and charged us to continue writing our testimony during the clinic. He explained that our story doesn’t stop the moment we begin a relationship with Christ, rather we continue the script through the daily lives we lead.

With that, we spent time in worship through song and loaded the bus for Condevilla. We’ve been using our “bus time” to connect with other team members and gear up for the day ahead.

As we pulled into the clinic area, it was AHOD time…all hands on deck! In 30 minutes we managed to set up enough of the clinic for patients to begin trickling in. Within an hour, Peruvians were packed into the tent and forming lines throughout the space.

As expected, there were a few glitches in the first day’s routine. Despite minor setbacks, we served 363 people- the most ever on the first day of clinic! Here are a few notes from the different areas of the clinic:

Optical: Served so many people that they needed to be split into two groups because there wasn’t enough space! Angie did a great job organizing people, equipment and glasses.


Pharmacy: Handled the pressures of many orders at one time with patience and grace. With only one pharmacist and a handful of pharmacists-in-training, this team distributed the much-desired medicine to our patients.


Dental: Gerry and Bret quickly revamped their set up when the generator stopped working about 5 minutes into the clinic. Though they expected many extractions, most Peruvians wanted fillings.


Photo: Pam and Jaz worked tirelessly to take and print family photos. Most people do not have a family portrait in Peru and this picture becomes a treasured family item. Despite a broken printer, these ladies pressed on to put a smile on many faces.


Medical: The highlight of the day was by far the story from the Russells. While Chris was administering care to a woman who had come for knee pain, it was discovered that she was very depressed and suicidal. After realizing that this woman needed more than physical healing, Chris, Jennie and their translator spent time in prayer with this woman. This spiritual intervention was exactly what she needed and a divine appointment from God. Those witnessing the power of this event were just as much affected as the woman herself. This is why we’re here, for people to experience life change through Christ!


The day was completed with a dinner at Norky’s, a local restaurant chain. Exhausted yet encouraged by the first day at clinic, we returned to the hotel for a sweet time of worship in the Upper Room. Celebrations and planning followed. Bring on day 2 of the clinic!

************************************************************************************
PRAYER REQUESTS:

*We are exhausted! Many of us are running on 4-5 hours of sleep and working long, hard days in the sun. Please pray for energy during the day and rest during the night.

*Pray for the spiritual clinic. Changes are being made in the format for Tuesday but pray this portion of the clinic would clearly communicate the Gospel of Christ.

*Please pray for the logistics of the clinic- the set up, the personnel, the effectiveness, etc. We will be making changes for day 2 in order to serve everyone who enters our doors with the best quality of care possible.

Thank you for your prayers! We’re feeling them here…

Un Reunion de la Familia: January 24, 2010

Family Photo

After a few hours of much needed rest, we loaded the bus for Condevilla. The hour ride went by quickly as we took in the sights and sounds of the city- the beautiful monuments in the middle of roundabouts, the groaning of the buses as they shift gears, and street vendors hollering out their wares.

In August of 2009, the church in Condevilla moved to a new location a few blocks from the original site. As we drove into unfamiliar territory, we knew we were home when Lucho, Victor, Jim and the rest of our brothers and sisters greeted us. Many besos y abrazos were given before the service began.

New church

The next couple of hours were spent in praise and worship. We sang many songs- Soy Nueva Criatura, Abre Mis Ojos, and Dios Puede Salvar were a few that Victor lead us in…and there’s nothing like Victor belting out the chorus with a microphone! Praise the Lord for providing us with a small picture of what Heaven will be like!

Most teammates stayed for the sermon and remainder of the service while a few of us had the opportunity to lead Sunday school. We packed 15 kids into a small room and discussed God’s creation through pictures and then made our own creation using modeling clay. What fun!

Emily teaching Sunday school

Next on the agenda was to check out the site of our clinic. Due to the change in location of the church, we had to move the clinic. As the poles and cloth went up, we saw the clinic take shape and started planning for tomorrow’s opening day.

All this activity worked up an appetite, so we ate at the local restaurant El Tigre. Many teammates tried the Peruvian specialties of ceviche (raw fish) and chica morado (purple corn drink) for the first time. After lunch we were off to the market for a bit of shopping. Most teammates were carrying large bags back to the hotel with them, so hopefully that’s a good sign for family and friends reading this back home.

Danielle trying octopus

We met as a team to talk of tomorrow’s logistics in the clinic and were treated to gelato at the end. We’re ready to launch the clinic and love the people of Condevilla through our actions.

Want more pictures? Check them out at this address: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=185002477#/album.php?aid=2141668&id=185002477&ref=mf

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Please pray for our first day of clinic tomorrow, Monday. Pray for patience, organization, and energy. Also, pray the Peruvians would not feel intimidated by their American teammates.
• Please pray for the patients who come through the clinic. Pray we’d be able to meet their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.
• Please continue to pray for the physical health of the team, as we press on with little sleep and our bodies adjust to new foods.

Hurry Up and Wait: January 23, 2010

View of the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico

We applied. We were accepted. We support raised. We prayed. We packed. We sat and stood. We talked and slept. We negotiated. We spent the last 24 hours traveling and we’ve safely arrived in Peru…just the way we like it!

Our day began at 3 this morning when we arrived at church to load action packers, luggage and ourselves on a coach bus for O’Hare. We departed at 4am and arrived shortly after 8am. The plane to Atlanta left at 11:30am but checking in a team of 30 people is no small task! We arrived safely in Atlanta with no glitches and boarded the plane for Lima shortly after. 3,300 miles and 6 hours later, we had arrived!

Since our travels had gone smoothly thus far, it was inevitable that we would run into some troubles. Many of us hadn’t slept for more than 24 hours as we weaved through the immigration and customs line. We began to pray that our action packers, filled with valuable medical equipment and supplies, would pass through.

More than two-thirds of the team had made their way through the final checkpoint and were greeted by Jim and Victor, our host missionary and church elder. Six of our team members were being held in customs for questioning- the item of interest, Dr. Bob’s ultrasound machine. After 30 minutes of discussion, much prayer from the team and a small fee, our teammates were free to go with all our supplies. Praise the Lord!

La Hacienda Hotel was a welcome sight. We’ve unloaded our bags and will get some precious shut-eye before worshiping with our Peruvian brothers and sisters in the morning. Thank you for following us back home…we feel your prayers here!


PRAYER REQUESTS:

*Please pray for energy and enthusiasm for the week. Many people have been up for 40+ hours with only short catnaps on the bus and plane.

*Please pray for our time with La Esperanza Viva, the church in Condevilla. Pray for our time of worship on Sunday and the relationships that will be formed throughout the week.

*Please pray for our health as a team: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So far no one has been sick and everyone is in high spirits. We’re finally here!

Action Packers

2010 Peru Medical Missions Team

Pictured above is 2010 team before packing a week before departure.

Pictured above is most of the 2010 team after a December meeting.

Packing on 1.17.10

Packing on 1.17.10

Trip Itinerary