Dearest Friends,
Please be blessed to hear from some of the young people on the trip. It was an especially sweet time and I was very blessed by their passion to serve the children of Peru.
From Leslie:
Last year after leaving Peru, I wrote that I couldn’t wait to go back, and God did not disappoint with this trip. It began with a connection that only God could have made happen. The pastor we worked with was a friend of our missionary contacts in Zambia. We set up the shows over Skype while in Africa! That’s the best part of the Body of Christ: our family in Him extends beyond all borders!
Reuniting with our family from last year was one of those joys that can’t really be described. One unexpected blessing was getting to hear reports from the teams we trained the year before. They’re still so excited about sharing the Gospel! They’ve reached so many kids in their regions! Praise God!
The last part of the trip took us to one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I won’t forget how excited the kids were to see us or how well they listened. Please keep praying for the new Ayacucho team as they continue to reach these kids for Christ. And for the other 6 teams in Peru, please pray that God keeps their passion burning bright. Like the year before, I can’t wait until God brings me back.
From Kelsey:
Peru has always felt like a sweet place to me. The children are always eager to hear the Gospel. They always greet us with warm smiles and say goodbye to us with those same smiles. You honestly cannot help but fall in love with them. They are so happy, but yet have so little. Some of the children seem to be begging for someone to love and care for them. Even when they have so little, they smile some of the biggest smiles I have seen.
We met some of the greatest people. They all challenged me to love God and others more. The team that we were so blessed to equip was so eager to learn. I know they will use the equipment constantly and tell many children about Jesus. It truly excites me.
Thank you all so much for praying for us. From the beginning we had troubles, but by God’s grace it all worked out for the best.
From Drake:
Peru
Before we left for Peru, we prayed that it would be a trip that changed not only the kids that we were sharing with, but also changed us. I believe that Peru did change us.
You expect for things to go wrong on puppet trips, It’s just one of those things. But this trip we had more problems then usual. We had problems with equipment, cars, hotels, and countless other things. But we saw God’s hand in all of these things and saw Him work these problems for His good. We saw God give us a driver that had his heart changed. We taught the teams how to deal with problems while doing shows and God even blessed us with a great hotel. God taught us that no matter how many things go wrong, He is working everything for His glory.
The kids that we saw were amazing, like always. At times I felt like we were going to the ends of the earth to do shows, and I loved it. I loved that some kids didn’t know what puppets were and we got to show them and tell them about Jesus. God blessed us with amazing opportunities and it was wonderful.
While God changed the hearts of our driver and children for him, He also changed my heart. And I think He changed the heart of the rest of the team. I know you guys read the stories and I hope you can imagine the faces of the children because that image is priceless and I pray that God changes you through these stories. Thank you for going with us in prayer.. Dios te Bendiga!
In Jesus, Linda