Jessi and Nicchola's birthdays!

Man did we ever celebrate for our teammate’s birthdays??!?? Jessi’s birthday was April 18^th and Nicchola’s birthday was April 21^st. We had been planning to go on a small trip for their birthdays. A couple of days before we decided to go leave, we decided on going to Huaraz. We were going to get a room for the 3 of us girls and a room for Nicchola and take a couple of different day tours. We took an all-night bus ride to get to Huaraz, got to a hostal Monday morning after being literally – stalked by a tour guide, ate a quick breakfast and went out to look for tours. We got to a tour place and he was explaining different options, and he mentioned camping. Jessi decided that was what she wanted to do, she was so excited, I was a little (or maybe a lot) skeptical, but that was the consensus of the team, so off we went! 

On the bus ride there. Sleeping in the "camas"

It was a beautiful hour drive out to the mountain. The tour guides quickly set up our tents (2 person tent – that 3 girls slept in & a pup tent for Nicchola with sleepy bags that had probably not been washed in a long time), ate some yummy bread and avacado, and then set off for a hike to the waterfall. Might I add, we were cold so we put on most of the clothes that we brought, since part of the trip we were going to be back-packing with all of our stuff, we didn't bring many clothes. We got to the waterfall, and it was BEAUTIFUL. Right when we got there, it started pouring down rain, my camera got ruined in the rain, and our clothes were soaked. I literally only had another pair of dry jeans to put on, but no other tops. Angela and I both practically had no clothes, so we just had to get in our sleepy bags half-naked, and it was pitch black outside at 7 pm. We had a tiny tiny flashlight that Angela had brought for just in case on the trip. We ate some Peruvian food that the guides made, and then just talked for a little while as it continued to rain. Then we decided to go to bed since there was literally nothing else we could do. That night I was having horrible dreams and hallucinations that someone was in our tent, that there was a huge spider, etc. I finally just got up and read for a while. Then we woke up at 8 to go on a mountain hike on horses. Can I just state that I had never ridden a horse, and I was absolutely terrified, but I was going to do this because it was for Jessi’s birthday and she LOVES riding horses. We set out for our hike, it is super straight up hill and 8,000 meter mountain! Did I explain that there were huge rocks, rivers, trees, and thorns that you had to go through. Oh yeah, we had to get off our horses several times because it was too steep and too scary to go riding on horses.  Oh yeah, and Jessi had really bad asthma without her inhaler. 3 ½ uphill hours later, we get to a pretty lagoon. Right before we got there it started sleeting on us. While Angela and Jessi waited, Nicchola and I went exploring to see the other lagoon and a waterfall. 

Such a beautiful drive there. 

Camping

Waterfall the first day. 

Our sweet friend Sylvia who walked all the way up and dow n the mountain with us. 

The beautiful lagoon at the top of the mountain

I am riding a horse!

One of the many rivers/ waterfalls on the mountain.

Then we started the famous descend. Oh yeah, we couldn't use our horses for the like the 1^st hour because it was too steep and dangerous. Then our tour guides just left and took off without us with Angela. Angela finally made them stop for us. Since Nicchola, Jessi, or I did not know the way down, we literally walked down for the first hour in rivers. Then we finally caught up with our guides because Angela made them wait for us, and it started a downpour for the next 2 hours. It was literally freezing. I could not feel from my waist down. After 2 hours of walking down a mountain in pouring rain, we finally got to our campsite without any clothes to put on. We put on our swim-shorts and get back in our sleeping bags until someone comes to pick us up so we can go back into the city. We ditched the other walking part of the trip. We get into the city, picked up our luggage, took showers, and get back on a bus to go 8 hours to Lima. All I can say about this trip, was it was an adventure. Lesson learned: Be prepared if you are going to go on a backpacking trip! At least, it was a trip that will never be forgotten. J

Then on Thursday, Jessi’s actual birthday, we surprised her with a funfetti birthday cake (cake mix all the way from the states), took her to Chili’s, bought her some cute accessories, then we had a surprise nertz/ papa john pizza party for her. It was a really fun but chill day! 

We had a birthday week for Jessi, a little something special each day of the week!

Sporting her new pants!

Funfetti cake with lots of candy!

Chilis!

Then on Sunday, we surprised Nicchola with about 12 of his family members mostly from Lima or other areas far away from Ventanilla came to eat a homemade Peruvian lunch that we had made with Nicchola’s mom that morning. Then we had 2 Bible studies. Then we tried to go see a movie, but once we got there, we realized they were just selling tickets for it a few days in advance. So Jessi, treated Nicchola to Chilis for his birthday dinner! It was a great time of celebrating our teammates birthdays and might I add a little CRAZY!

Nicchola's family!

Nicchola's daugher

His granddaughter

The Soppranis!

The art ministry continues

We have been working on starting a new art ministry since January. It has been a stressful, rewarding, learning, fruitful, confusing experience. We were sitting in Huaral in the living room and there were several ladies knitting and we had brought 2 ladies from Ventanilla and they knew how to knit as well. I was looking around and saw all kinds of poverty, yet at the same time so much talent. I decided right then, that we should help these ladies make a better living for themselves. Although this had been an idea that had been tossed around for a long with my dad, and I had thought about it too but the timing was not right. This time, I felt like it was time that we should start it. We gave each lady 200 soles. The art ministry started out with 9 different people involved, we took a group of ladies from Ventanilla to go shopping and we went shopping for the ladies in Huaral. We gave two of our men neighbors who did wood art work supply money to start out as well.

Jessi and I going to check out Kennedy Park to see about selling stuff there.

Out to eat lunch with the ladies while buying their materials. 

Oh you know, just yarn shopping. 

Sorting through all the materials. 

We had to get permission from the City of Mira Flores to sell in Kennedy Park, have a meeting with all the workers, etc. All the people involved from the project got together and set up tables in my house and at Huaral and sold their first group of things to the CrossPointe team. It was beautiful seeing how excited they were to sell, how much it boosted their self –esteem, and to see how excited the Americans were to buy their products. It was beautiful, and they ALL made a great amount of money. The first night each person made anywhere between 75 – 175 soles which is A TON of money for them, and in Huaral the ladies made anywhere between 150 – 175 soles. It was a great start.

Marta and Dora selling to the Crosspointe group. 

Norma and Ester selling to the Crosspointe group. 

Hermando selling to the CrossPointe group. 

Team meeting.

Then in April we started selling in Kennedy Park. Everyone has really seemed to enjoy selling in Kennedy Park. We took out the Huaral ladies a couple of weeks ago to see where the products are being sold and to Lima to buy more materials. They had a blast. They hardly ever leave Huaral, so to go to Mira Flores was just over the top for them. They had never been. We ate chicken for lunch, went shopping all day for supplies, went to look at an art market for ideas, and then went to Mira Flores, and McDonalds. It was such a sweet time to get to spend with these precious ladies outside of the normal context of studying the Bible.So far the ladies have made a decent amount of money each week. That is not all profit because their transportation and materials are not included. Most of the materials they have been using I bought for them. Once they have to start buying their own materials and paying the weekly rent, I don’t think it will be enough profit to be worth their time.

Marta and Dora's first day selling in Kennedy Park

First customer. 

Ester and Norma's first day!

Taking out the Huaral ladies to Lima to buy materials. 

Learning how to do a new style of crocheting just by watching for a few minutes. 

Nicchola, just chillin' waiting for the ladies to finally finish shopping. 

Eating chicken for lunch! A big luxury for them!

Getting ideas of new things they can make. 

Seeing the place where the stuff is sold at. 

Eating at McDonald's for the first time ever. 

Yum!

I am not sure what God wants with this project. I do know that it has been very overwhelming for me because the majority of the team members have broken the rules and we have had to put A LOT of time in it. Would you please pray that God would show us what form to continue this project? Would you pray that he would give us wisdom about an online ministry or what we need to do here to sell it in Peru? Would you pray that He would give us direction on if we should turn this ministry over completely to the people working in it? This is our last week to sell in Kennedy Park. We are going to spend the month of May praying and looking into possibilities of how God would have us continue this project. I know this project has not been a waste in the least, it has shown them that that they can make money for their families doing things they are very talented at and has raised their self-esteem to be able to earn money in the future. It has shown them that maybe there is a way out of poverty, and it includes them working as well not just waiting for what the man of the family can bring home. It is so incredible to see uneducated women be able to make and learn to make beautiful pieces of jewelry and clothes and for them to know that they might be able to add or subtract very well, write very well, or read very well, but they are so talented in other areas!