Missions Home
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
They are His...
Regino is His ... He is a dear 69 year old man. He is in great pain due to cancer and lives alone but warmly thanked Marco for the pain medication we gave him and smiled widely as he looked through his new glasses. He cannot read but needed them to tell one medicine from the other. He knows there is nothing medically that can be done to extend his life but he is looking ahead to when he will be with God. It was a privilege to talk with him about seeing him in heaven.
Carmen is His... She is a 64 year old woman whose husband died last year. She gets up at 2am to retrieve the newspapers she sells each day. What a joy it was to see her face light up and hear her quickly say "si" when Marco offered her a Bible.
Mercedes is His... Her very humble home and few possessions were lost in a fire recently. She cried with great sorrow as she told us the story but ended it with proclaiming that God is all she has and all she needs. She told us how statues have eyes but they cannot see, have hands but they cannot touch, and have ears but they cannot hear - that He alone is her hope. He alone is her peace. What a challenge to my reliance on much other than God.
I have so enjoyed being on this trip with many who are His, doing what we can for the people of Collique to provide physical relief and encourage them spiritually. Seeing each person use the gifts God has given them, as He leads, is an opportunity to see the body of Christ work in an amazing way. A miraculous way really.
Carmen is not yet His... She is in her 30s and is sullen and withdrawn. She received pain medication, vitamins, and calcium today and some medicine for her seven children. One of her children is a special needs child. Jesus, may she soon become Yours. You are her only hope for eternal life and for peace in her difficult life now. Pray for Carmen and the others of Collique who are not yet His...
Phyllis Dunn
==============
Back in the comfort of my apartment nestled nicely between the Medical Center and the Third Ward, I am trying to allow my memory to drift back over the course of this week, so that I might recall the soft spaces in my soul in need of kneading and coaxing so that yet even more understanding might surface. Today, a ragged band of weary missionaries, healers, builders, strugglers, saints, sinners, believers, doubters, and spiritual-paupers poured off Continental flight 590. In the haze of this cool, sacred Houston morning, we were met by the smiling faces of friends, family, and mystical mixture of the two. Overjoyed to be greeted by one of my youth, Johnny, Susan, and I piled into the Moore's van with Bill and Rachel. As we shared stories, I could see our breath dancing in the soft blow of the air conditioning, like the wisps and whispers of the memory and remembrances we were attempting to convey. We carried on the only kind of conversation humans are capable of after a red-eye flight and a week of immersion into another world.
What stories can we tell? What words can exhaust the experiences we share on this (or any) mission trip, journey, adventure, battle, struggle, retreat, etc etc etc...?
The difference, it seems, is infinite.
Experience is a powerful tool, and at times it makes all the difference between clarity and confusion. How many times have you heard someone finish a story with, once the story is met with faint chuckles, "Oh, well, I guess you had to be there..."? Yet, are those not the stories that bind groups of people together who, in fact, were there? Our experiences draw us together in a way that is very much human AND divine. I love the story of the Incarnation and how this idea becomes the fusion of flesh and Word, blood and spirit. God weaves us together into a patchwork of journeys–some victorious, some devastating–that allow us to make sense of our experiences together as friends and fellow-pilgrims on this road we call life. Such a journey was shared this week.
The heavenly sound of children playing, the crow of the roosters, busy echoes of the OSA House, the piercingly loud door-bell, the putter and cough of the exhaust pipes as our bus climbs the hills of Collique, and laughter and conversations shared by the team over Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches prepared by the loving hands of Charis Smith and company...these are the fragments of experience I brought back to Houston with me.
Nonetheless, these experiences are not enough. We must return not as weekend warriors who have done our good deed for the year, but as the Prophets and Preachers who proclaim into the darkness, "Behold, God is making all things new..." while still clutching onto the words of Saint Andrew at the feeding of the hungry multitudes, "...but, what is this among so many?" Marco told us today that we saw over 1,500 people in the clinic, and after the first day I spoke with Vince in the optometry office about how things were progressing, and he informed me that we had passed out 78 pairs of glasses. With a mixture of sincerity and levity, I said, "Wow, that is 78 people who before coming here could not see...Jesus didn't even heal that many blind people in the Gospels!" After my somewhat flippant response I was immediately reminded of a verse that has plagued me for years:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do..." (John 14:12)
For the longest time, I thought this verse meant greater in quality (Resurrection, Miraculous Healings, etc), and as one who does not have much of a taste for the pageantry of Benny Hinn, I put these red letters aside for another day. Now, here I stand, a stranger in a strange land, nose itchy and throat hoarse from the dust of the waterless earth of Collique, this text emerged in my soul once again. When Christ left, he did not leave us to do what we could with what we have–Christ gives us himself. He gives us himself in the form of the Holy Spirit...he gives us himself in the form of Community...he gives us himself in the creativity of the God-searchers and Christ-followers who first established hospitals, orphanages, monasteries, social programs, homeless shelters, and so many more things We do when We are at Our best...he gives us himself the skillfulness and discipline of doctors and carpenters and the giftedness and compassion of teachers...he gives us everything we need to be all he calls us to be. Every eye exam Susan Young gave, and every pair of glasses Vince and Anna Beth meticulously organized before the whole team arrived, was one person...a whole, entire human being...given the gift of sight so that they like the blind man might declare, "All I know is I was blind...but now...I see." Every pill passed out by Patti is a stepping stone on the journey to wellness for a people who otherwise have nothing. Every nail driven deep into softened lumber by Johnny is a building block of not just a home, but space for a family to discover dignity. Every craft Melissa helped the children make becomes a gift joyfully given to a friend, parent, or one of us by the children...for "it is in giving that we truly receive," and these children–these dear, sweet, wounded, yet vibrant and bubbly children–who have quite literally nothing are the ones who had to teach us who have so much wealth, power, influence, treasure, and stuff.
So, here I sit in my comfortable apartment nestled between Med Center and Third Ward. I sit in my soft chairs, watch my television, and wrap myself in comfort...and I can't help but realize that "they" are where Christ is and are who Christ is in our world. But, "they" are not just in Collique. They live in Eagle Pass, Guatemala, China, Mexico, and Houston. They are sleeping on the steps of South Main. They are huddled in shelters trying to make their way home. They walk the halls of our offices and schools, devoid of love and human contact. They are in every city, every town, every village, every hamlet, in every valley, and every mountain on this big, blue planet of ours. So, even with all the good we do as the Church, there is so much left to do. Maybe we pray the words of our Lord, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few! Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the fields." (Luke 10:2)
I leave you with the words of Dr. Luis Campos, one of the many people throughout history who have turned a listening ear to God and a discerning heart to the winds of the Spirit:
"...Give them Hope! Hope in Him who is the Maker of the Universe but, '...had no place in this World to lay His Head.' He knows all about poverty...[for] 'Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.'"
In the name of the God who Dreams the Dreams we are called to live out loud, Amen.
Grace & Peace,
Kevin Sinclair
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
It’s Saturday morning, and we’ve been thinking about the past five days of mission effort in Collique. OSA is once again thankful for Kristen Mostello who filled the role of mission team optometrist for the fifth consecutive year. Several lay volunteers assisted Kristen in the task of distributing eye glasses to people with impaired vision. Have you recently thought about how life would be different for you if you could not see well enough to read normal sized print, the computer screen, or if the details of your surroundings were always blurred? Unfortunately that situation is the constant reality for most adults and some children in Collique. (We saw several kids age 10 or less and our oldest patient was 107.) In total approximately 260 patients were seen in the eye clinic at OSA house and lots more at the main medical clinic. Many of these people were provided with used prescription glasses and even more were helped with ordinary reading glasses. Even with our limited Spanish speaking skills, we knew when got it right by the glowing smiles on the faces of people when they could see well for the first time in many years. Several of the older people told us that they wanted to see better so they could read their Bibles. It was reassuring to them to be able to read the small print version of John 3:16 on the reading cards. While it was heartwarming to help so many people, there were also disappointments. In a few cases, we had the difficult job of telling people that there were no glasses sufficiently close to what they needed. Kristen gave most of these a written prescription and a pair of frames that could be taken to a commercial optometrist. With those items in hand, they would only need to purchase the proper lenses. Sadly most will not be able to afford this “luxury” given their limited resources. Next year we expect to add another 600 pair of eye glasses to the inventory bringing our total to about 3000. Maybe next year we’ll have the right glasses for these and others. Let’s hope so.
Vince & Anna Beth Smith
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009
Today is the day that we finish up this trip´s work to be done and then we pack our supplies away for our next trip. We say "Goodbye, see you next year" and they know that we will be back. It will be the first time for the new people on our trip, and it is sometimes very emotional. Please pray for all of us as we try to continue relationships with the people of Collique and with each other.
I have been reflecting on the experiences that I have had this week, and how I would like to continue some of the experiences once I have returned home. Definitely, I have experienced God´s presence with me as I have provided water for the thirsty and comfort for those who are hurting physically as well as emotionally. I believe that God is present just as much in Houston as in Collique; I pray that I may be more aware of His presence and listen to his voice when I pray. I have also experienced humility and simplicity this week; it has been a good experience. I pray that I can be more like Jesus in these ways when I return to Houston. It has been a great week, and I pray that I will leave Peru a better person than I was when I came and that I may continue to practice these things that I have experienced.
Thank you for your prayers and support. I will see you on Sunday in church.
sam law
WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18-19, 2009
Things I experienced today:
One 107 year old man who wanted reading glasses
One beautiful young girl who had had acid put in her eye
One five year old girl who loved her big round glasses, though they dwarfed her pretty face
Ten cataracts
One tiny Indian woman with no teeth and a big smile
Various growths on eyes
Twenty people with diabetes
One small child who would only have his eyes tested if I called him a soldier (in Spanish)
Lots of smelly people on my bus (from South Main)
Fifty kisses from the people
The love of God
Susan Young
=======================
When I began preparing for this mission trip to Collique in the Spring, I was unsure of what to expect. From past mission trips I have taken, the experience turned out to be one where I received more from the experience than I probably gave. I wanted to look at this opportunity in a different way. I wanted to make sure that I gave my all and hopefully made an impact on someone’s life. I began by praying for direction for the trip as I was responsible for the travel arrangements. My next step was to prayerfully consider how I could contribute to the effort. My only choice would be construction of some sort. I was happy to be able to help in that way. Once arriving in Peru, I began to feel the tug at my heart that I was about to experience something wonderful. I was right! Our first trip to Collique on Sunday was great. Part of our team was taken around to view some projects that we would be working on during the week. I knew immediately that just a little effort by the team would make the impact that I had envisioned earlier in the year. Once Monday rolled around and after we were back in the village, reality was hitting me hard. The choice of projects was house building and petition construction at the school. I ended up on the wall construction. The project was a petition for the principal of the school to have an office that would be equipped with a computer. It would require constructing the wall in a manner that would restrict access to the office during office hours. After the project going from a 2-day effort, it soon became a 4-day project. I wasn’t sure that we were doing the greatest carpentry job in the world but the school workers commented on it daily – bueno!, muy bonita, etc. This sure made us feel great! After the end of the workday today, we were proud of our accomplishment. I can’t wait to see what the school workers and the principal have to say about it. I know they will find great use out of the new room.
The most favorite part of our day is the 4-hour bus ride to and from Collique – not! Actually, it is the morning devotional each morning before we go to our perspective work areas. The singing and the brief talk by one of our team members is a refreshing experience. I see God working in each person in some form whether it were Kent working in the dentist office or Charis preparing sandwiches for the team everyday. Each person is here for a reason and I am thankful for each one’s willingness to travel and give of their time to this wonderful effort. I pray that OSA will continue to prosper and continue to help the children and community of Collique. Speaking on behalf of our team from Rome, GA, thanks to the Campos’ and South Main for allowing us to participate in such a wonderful mission effort.
God bless everyone….
Chris Cook
FBC Rome, GA
=======================
Greetings from Lima!
This is your friendly neighborhood VBS team coming to you live from the Southern Hemisphere! It's been an exciting week in Collique working with the local children but also a team of outstanding Peruvians! Our VBS program has consisted of two two-hour sessions in the morning and afternoon, with four rotations.
Each morning and afternoon, we begin with the sound of cheering, laughing children storming the patio behind the OSA House, and immediately we are engulfed in the hugs and smiles of a host of children. Despite the radical poverty and suffering plagueing Collique, the joy overflowing from the energy of the children reminds you that you are in the presence of the Sons and Daughters of God. We begin with a few songs led by Giuli (Our Peruvian friend working for Buckner at OSA and in the Orphanages nearby), Kendra Shattuck on female vocals in impeccable Spanish pronunciation, and Kevin Sinclair on guitar mumbling in as much espanol as he can fake at the moment. After a few songs (To name a few: "Tengo Paz Como Un Rio," "Dios El Es Bueno," and their favorite "Kum-by-ya."), Giuli immerses the whole group in narrative through her teaching/story-telling style that could only be described as enchanting. Our theme for the week has been on the Exodus and that God is...powerful, faithful, and caring.
After opening assembly the kids break up into three groups organized and monitored by our fearless leader, the wo-man with a plan, the queen of all things calendar, the Annihilator from Auburn, Suuuuuuuusan Moore!!! One group goes with the glue and glitter soaked Mother of All Things Crafty, Melissa Humphries, to learn the craft of the day. One group goes to meet with the Four-Time Winner of the Miss Collique Pagent in the category for Greatest ESL Teacher, Kendra Shattuck, to learn all sorts of fun English words like, "Mouth," "Grandfather," and "Pants." The third group goes to recreation, AKA Rec, with Giuli, Jefry (A local friend and helper), and Kevin to play soccer, four-square, Red Rover (En Espanol: Red Rover, Red Rover, Que Venga Luis!), and Duck-Duck-Goose (En Espanol: Gato-Gato-Perro!).
VBS is one of those funny things where you do it and almost feel guilty for how much fun you have. Missions are supposed to be hard, right? Even though by the end of the day we are ready to collapse, there is nothing more gratifying than working with children, especially those desperately craving love and attention from healthy adult role models. There is a beautiful simplicity in the way that children just love playing and being around the OSA House. That building has become for them a light in the darkness, a beacon of hope, declaring to the people of Collique that God loves them, and God's people are there to stay. With each meal served, craft taken home to parents, and hug shared, we fulfill the prayer of our Lord, even if just a little, "May your Kingdom come, may your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven."
Thank you, South Main. Thank you, Peru. But, above all, thanks be to God.
Sincerely,
Your Friendly Neighborhood VBS Team
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
 The sun was just above the horizon when we left the clinic area this afternoon. The air was full of smog that you could see and taste. But, in spite of the smog, God was with us today. Evidently the smog doesn´t prevent His being present with us. Many of the experienced workers in the clinic were not able to come this year, but the new recruits are doing great. They have much energy and excitement because it is all new for them. I believe that God is using us to show His love to these "poorest of the poor" and is using them to show us the value of humility and simplicity. We are also tending to some of their medical issues and improving their quality of life a little bit. Most of all, I think that we show them that they are cared for. For me there is much joy in being here with like-minded Christians who are willing to give of themselves in this way. There is no doubt in our minds that we are doing God´s will this week. By the way, the sun was way below the horizon by the time we got to Pardo´s for our chicken dinner. It was delicious and the fellowship was great. Thank you for your prayers. You would be welcome to come with us next year.
Sam Law
================
 What to say about my days in Peru–I am one of the older ones, so maybe I look at things from a different perspective or maybe there’s not a different perspective, for we all seem as one as we try to help the people of Peru.
 I have been in many poverty stricken areas all over the world, but most of the time, I have been an observer. I was in the Peace Corps when I was first married, and as I try to differentiate between that experience and my experience here, God is the difference. When I give glasses to an eleven year old who vitually cannot see and watch his face light up with joy and astonishment, God is there. When I visit with the workers in the day care center, God is there. When I see the sacrifices made by the young missionary couple expecting their second child, God is in their faces. Their life in Peru is not just an adventure for them, but a call from God and a call to be God-like.
 My Spanish is not perfect, but as I dance around the room and be my dramatic self, the people understand me. I am being used by God, I think, and this is astonishing. I am not just a fixture who has to act a certain way. I am not just a mother of two children, a daughter and an ordinary wife, but I am una hermanita, a sister to both the old and the young.
 I appreciate the leaders of our church who have supported this mission and especially Ruth and Luis who have been the constant here. I appreciate the doctors and nurses who are giving their time, their expertise, and incredible energy. And I thank God for my opportunity here.
Susan Young
================
 Rob Campos’ SEEN AND HEARD (Tuesday) in Collique, Comas (the district w/c contains approx. 1.5 million), Peru.
SEEN AND HEARD…
JILL HATCHER- during the morning devotional- “I decided to act as if this is my last trip so that I could savor every moment. All the sights on the bus. The sound of the bags clicking on the hotel tiles. The sound of the hotel door buzzer. The sounds of horns honking. You know the three short peeps to say hello. The one long horn which means to get out of the way.”
LINDA STERNICK- Ist timer nurse converted to drug rep. She is assisting Dr. Viteri. “It’s a great fellowship.”
RICHARD YORK- 1st timer construction crew chief for the Georgia gang-“That red drill is a hoss.”
KENT ELLINGSWORTH-1ST timer and lone dentist- Yesterday he told me he took out 7 teeth. Today I asked and he said, “They don’t look like teeth after I take them out.” Today he said he got to do fillings and he has now seen all of the 40 OSA kids and given them cleanings, “since I don’t have a dental tech. It’s going great.” Tomorrow he will have another dentist GISELY BORBOR to help.
RUTH CAMPOS-“I MISS IRENE TOWNSEND.”
 LYNSEY SMITH-Rob- “How’s it going in the pharmacy?” Linsey-“OK, but this afternoon I’m doing vacation bible school.” Rob-“Aren’t you a pharmacist?” Lynsey-“Pharmacist in training.”
KENDRA SHATTUCK-is teaching English to the VBS kids. “We are teaching them vocabulary- the body parts and parts of the face.”
DR. RAY VERM-Rob-“How’s it going?” Ray-“Great. My nurse(JOANNE OWENS) is awesome. She’s dialed in. She’s like a machine.”
CHRIS COOK- gave me the Georgia gang construction report. They’ve got the wall up and have applied primer and will be doing the window and door tomorrow at the elementary school.
KRISTEN MOSTELLO- Dr. Luis-“Are you having a good time?” Kristen-“So far.”
PATTI PEYMANN-“We saw 300 patients yesterday and 268 today.”
KIRK HATCHER’S SHIRT-“Destroy the Roof. Mark 2:4”
SUSAN YOUNG-“I’m sort of like triage. (For the eyeglasses group) One young boy came in his soccer shirt. And he couldn’t see at all. And we gave him some glasses and luckily they were cool. That’s important you know. And then he could see, and he was SOOOO excited.” Thank you for standing up all day in your ortho shoes, Susan.
 PATRICIA DE LOS RIOS- Rob- “Como les fue hoy?” Patricia-“Divinamente.” Rob- “Asi.” Patricia-“Divinamente!!-(with emphasis and a lovely smile) “We saw 29 ladies today.” She is the nurse to DR. SAM LAW (OB/GYN) “And 3 of them we gave them the news that they were pregnant.”
LUIS APARICIO-(our man at the gate of the clinic, a very important job)-Rob-“How’d it go?” Luis-“Great. Yesterday it was a little chaotic but today it went great.”
KEVIN SINCLAIR-Kevin to LUIS APARICIO- “What’s wrong with you? There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re exactly like God made you. Come here cuddly bear.”
DR. LUIS CAMPOS- to Ray Verm-“I hope to do great things. I have a lot of ideas” Dr. Ray- “I can do a lot more when I retire.” Dr. Luis went to see the Mayor of Comal today (only kept him waiting an hour.) A donation has been made to OSA of 1 million anti-parasite doses. The Mayor called his health dept. adjunct. Dr. Campos is here, etc. Mayor- “When can you meet with him. Tomorrow at 9 am. De acuerdo. “ Dr. Luis told the Mayor that OSA is considering buying more land for more missions. The Mayor called the gov’t lady who is in charge of that district. Mayor-“You can also meet with Dr. C tomorrow at 9am. Good.”
 DR. MARCO CAMPOS-to Dr. Ray(our camp doctor and gastroenterologist)- “I was just telling these guys, Is it true that you have a love affair with the colon? Dr. Ray-“All parts of the body are wonderful and created by God, but…I could tell you some things about parts of the body…”
TREY MOORE-1ST timer from Chicago and house construction crew member. Rob-“Did you flush the toilet after you went to the bathroom?” Rob-“I don’t think so.” Trey-saying this as he is putting on his gloves-“I just dropped my gloves in there.”
LUNCH LADY CHARIS SMITH- we were commenting on Trey’s lobster red neck, Lunch Lady-“By the end of summer I turn a nice dark white.” LL- Thanks for making me a peanut butter and ham and cheese sandwich-Rob
LUZETTE BERRY-2nd timer to Peru, she came with Tallowood Church last time-“I am teaching 22 ladies to sew. Some of them had never seen a sewing machine before.”
 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
My supporting story for Collique, is the woman who anointed Jesus, not because of the act, but because he said, "She has done what she could." So, I am thankful I can make sandwiches, or I wouldn't be here. They don't even trust me with band-aids! At my station in the kitchen many wonderful things happen. I make a new friend of my local helper and others teach me new words for performing tasks. The children pass by my counter and never fail to smile and wave. Willie of All Trades hoists long benches and carries them through off-center doors to the eye clinic upstairs. The construction crew wants water before any sustenance. I have a list of services I haven't done, but for others to face their afternoon strengthen and refreshed I have done what I could.
Charis Smith
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009
Day one I would call it in Peru on the OSA trip. This is Rob Campos and this is my second trip. I am on the construction crew with five others. More about that later. Our first night and a late one was Saturday. Today we went to the Presbyterian Church of Pueblo Libre with Pastor Pedro Arana. They had a guest preacher who Kevin Sinclair said was “very theological.” He used to be a Dominican priest and talked about the word of God and Grace and Happiness. After church we went to a great restaurant in the area called El Bolivariano. They had a two sided 50 foot buffet with five types of ceviche and a roasted pig and a huge dessert bar. I hear the ice cream is very good but didn’t have any. All of the OSA Peruvian staff ate with us including our missionaries Chris and Jessica who have a 2.5 yr old Joshua and are expecting another baby Dec 12. Dr. Luis said it well during the prayer when he said we should show the love of God to each other and the people that we meet. That is definitely one of the themes of this trip. I know that we are giving service to others, but there is a great feeling of love and camaraderie and serendipity and family. After lunch we drove in our two green buses to the mission site in Collique. It’s about an hour and a half trip from Lima where we are staying in the Miraflores area. Next door to me in the outdoor lobby right now at 9.09 pm are the pharmacy crew counting pills. Vince Smith just told a story of how he has a gun enthusiast buddy who suggested that they could weigh the pills instead of counting. I said, “Are you an engineer?” He is busy answering all the counting and dividing questions under the instruction of our pharmacist Patti Peymann.
When we got to Collique we unloaded all the equipment bags and cases. Quite a lot of those, maybe 60 or 70. I’m not sure but I’m sure Vince would know. Some of them are unbelievably heavy. Kent Ellington the dentist from Rome, Georgia was busy setting up his two dentist chairs. Normally there are three or four dentists in their “penthouse” area. Kent is a first timer and our only dentist along with five others from Rome and they’ve put him in an inner passageway. I went to check on him to make sure he was able to communicate with his assistant and he seemed to be doing great. I guess he knows his Spanish. Thank you Kent. We had an outdoor worship service on the soccer field area with about 40 children from the area and our volunteers. Kevin S. and I played guitar. Maxwell taught us some Spanish songs to sing for everyone. We sang Amazing Grace- the version with the “My chains are gone” Chorus. It’s one of my favorite songs that I brought the music for. Then I went with Chris our missionary and other members of the construction crew to look at our projects for the week. All are located within a few blocks of the OSA house. We have two priority projects. One is to build a 20 X 12 house on a concrete slab. Johnny Villasenor and Richard York from Rome (Georgia that is) are going to be our crew bosses. I hear that Johnny will be able to hook up the electrical. Our other priority project is to build a wall in the elementary school to divide a room. We are also going to put in a door and a window in the school. Also on our list is to install and build the platforms for two 1100 liter water cisterns for two families. The water service is somewhat intermittent so people have storage devices for when the water doesn’t come. Also part of the setup for the children’s vacation bible school was cutting red and yellow straws into pieces under the direction of Susan Moore. They are going to make necklaces to illustrate the story of the burning bush. We made name tags for all the children as well.
We drove back and went to dinner at an Italian joint down the road. Went to dinner with Peter Eversley (Camp Photographer)and Luis and Ruth and Marco Campos(doctor) and Trey Moore who is also on the construction crew and has come from Chicago. Luis was talking about all the serendipitous things that have happened since they started coming here in 2003. What our South Main Baptist Church pastor Steve Wells calls-God winking at you. He said on their first trip they brought 120 cases and the customs lady kept telling them that the paperwork was not filled out correctly and they couldn’t enter with so much stuff. They regularly have issues at customs. (This time we came through with no problems.) Luis was at his wits end. Then he noticed a well dressed man in civilian clothes who seemed to be giving orders. Dr. Luis went over to him and introduced himself and the man said, “Did you grow up on such and such street in Lima?” Turns out this man was Luis’ neighbor as a child. Luis said, so what do you do now. Well, I am the national director of customs enforcement. He said, “Go right on through. “ It seems like they have a lot of these stories. I sure hope I will be able to start coming every year. I know that it is great work being done and it all starts tomorrow. Dr. Ray Verm the camp doctor and gastroenterologist has warned us about all the eating perils here. They have provided us with medicine to guard against these issues. He also says not to eat ceviche. But most of us can’t resist and why should we? Ray certainly does not. So it’s up at 6am tomorrow for breakfast. Then load the buses and leave by seven.
Rob Campos |
Missions Update - Peru / Fall 2009