Lauren in Peru

Carnaval (aka water balloon fights)

The month of February is the month for Carnavales. People literally will pour buckets of water on people they don't know, kids fill up water balloons to throw at people etc. The people that get attacked don't really get mad because it is water balloon fight month. It is something I still don't competely understand. It is not as big of a tradition in Lima, but it is bigger in the more rural towns. Anyway, we decided to participate again this year. At each Bible study we took 100s of water balloons to have a water balloon fights. The kids loved it! We are playing one more time this week, the last week of February because school starts here in the beginning of March. We have been really enjoying doing fun things for the kids during the summer vacation!

Victor and Elizabeth become Christians!!!

The Sunday following the team of people coming in November was an incredible day. It was such a busy day, we had all the typical Sunday things, plus a birthday party we were throwing for a person in our discipleship group, and then a girl from the jungle came to surprise visit me all at the same time that people came to talk to me about giving their lives to Christ. Elizabeth had come to talk to me during the week the group was here and said she was just searching for the truth about Jesus. She had seen us having Bible studies in the neighborhood for a long time but had never come, but now she really was desperate. I invited her to the different events during the week, and she came!! On Sunday, she said she was ready to accept Christ. Victor, Nicchola's brother heard her, and said I want to do the same thing. Elizabeth needed to go home and take dinner to her kids, so I spent a long while talking with Victor. Then he gave his life to the Lord. Then Elizabeth came, and I spent a while talking with her, and then she gave her life to the Lord. It was a miraculous night. People do not become Christians here very often because they are so steeped in the Catholic tradition and they have been taught a ton of lies and have not been taught about the Truth about Jesus. So for two adults to come to know Christ the same day was amazing. I missed the birthday party and didn't get to talk to my friend that came to visit me from the jungle, but it was ALL worth it. Both Victor and Elizabeth are doing great. They are growing in their faith and are passionate about their relationship with Jesus!

Elizabeth

Elizabeth, Victor, Nicchola

Christmas Eve/ Day

I was so excited to have 2 days just to do nothing. I was even thinking about going to the beach for 2 days. We had been working for over a month 12 to 16 hour day doing stuff for Christmas, and I was so excited for just a time to be alone and do whatever I wanted. And then the phone rang....... This phone call kind of reminds me of the movie skipping Christmas if any of you have ever seen it. It was a lady from Huaral her mom had been transferred to a hospital in Lima. She had called the night before, but I had told her that I lived far away from Lima. Then I had call after call early in the morning Christmas Eve. Nicchola came to work at 10 like normal, and I was so confused. He wasn't supposed to work that day. Well another culture thing, Peruvians work on Christmas Eve and apparently I had not made it clear that he had the day off. I called back all my missed calls, and it was the sister of the lady that had called me the day before. She said she was worried about here sister, her sister's phone charger had died, she couldn't get in touch with her, she had no warm clothes, and I think she said she didn't have any money to buy food while she was with her dying mom in the hospital. Several days before, we went to the hospital in Huaral to witness to this lady that was dying of cancer. We had to beg the nurses to let us break the rules and go into traumatic shock room to talk with her for a few minutes about the gospel.

So anyway, back to Christmas Eve, let me just admit this missionary had a bad attitude about having to decide to go help someone or not. I know it just seems obvious, it was Christmas Eve of course I should go help someone in distress in the hospital, that is obviously what Jesus would have done. I was just so tired and I was being so selfish. I decided to call my mom. I thought she would tell me, Lauren you have worked so hard, and you have already shared the gospel with this lady, it will be okay, just stay at home and rest. BUT of course, she told me decide to do whatever you can live with. She told me that it wouldn't be as bad as I was making it out to be if I just went and did the right thing and that she would be praying for me. Okay, so after that convicting phone call, it was clear that I should go. Plus, Nicchola had the right attitude and said that he would take me and that we should go and help her. I, of course, still had a bad attitude complaining the whole way there, saying is there never a minute I can just have to myself and not have to help someone. I know, terrible missionary, please don't judge me.

So we got there, in perfect timing, God's timing, right in time for visiting hours. Then I was humbled by my horrible attitude. This hospital was huge long hall rooms with about 100 beds in each room of people horribly sick. A room full of men, then full of women, and it was just a huge hospital full of sick people on Christmas Eve. The room we went to was just terribly sad. When we first walk in, a lady that weighs about 80 pounds was sitting up in her bed and gave me the sweetest smile and waved at me. We got to the person that we were going to visit. Granted their were not even curtains separating the beds. Just bed after bed of people in all kinds of conditions. We got to the lady and started talking with her, then she just started writhing around in pain and didn't want to listen to anything. Then she needed to throw up and the nurse literally took like 5 minutes to bring her a tray to throw up in. So her daughter had to take everything out of her bag for her to throw up in. The nurses in this hospital literally do not care at all if someone is dying, if their medicine is out etc. It is just a job to make some money for them, and that is all.

Since she was so sick, I decided for just a little while to go visit other people in their hospital beds. I first went to the lady that had smiled at me when I walked in. It turns out she is the sweetest lady originally from Russia. She has been in and out of the hospital for 7 years. She is so skinny and frail you can smell the medicine in her body through her skin. She was such a delight and blessing to talk to. We were able to share with her the gospel and give her a Bible. Then I was able to talk to another young girl who just was admitted to the hospital a week before, but she said she is going to be in the hospital for months. I don't know what she had, but it was so sad. We were able to share with her the gospel and give her a Bible also. Then I went to share with one more young girl, I didn't have any more Bibles with me, but I shared the gospel with her and gave her some bracelets I had on just for fun for a little Christmas gift and the lady beside her was a believer and gave me a New Testament to give to her!

Then we went back to the original person we came to visit. I shared the gospel with her in Spanish and then her daughter translated into Quechua the native language. It turns out that since her mom is so sick, it is hard for her to understand Spanish which is her second language, so when we shared with her a few days before she probably didn't understand. God is so good that he gave us a second opportunity to share the good news of salvation with her. Of course, I don't know if she decided to accept Jesus or not because she was not talking but she was conscious. That afternoon we went and got some food, clothes, and a blanket for her daughter who was staying with her. Since they are from a mountain town, she was "lost" in Lima in such a big city. The mom died two days later, but this visit to the hospital really strengthened our relationship with this family, and we hope someday soon all the other family members will come to know Jesus as their Savior.

The Lord just so humbled me. First of all, he gave me another opportunity to share with this lady in her native language the gospel. I would have been so upset if I had found out after she died that she did not understand Spanish, and we had not gone and shared with her again. Also God was just showing me that my life was so GOOD. I could have been one of those people writhing in pain in a room full of 100 hospital beds with nurses that don't to take care of me, but instead I get to be a missionary and be someone who on holidays gets to bring the hope of Jesus to these people. I am so blessed! It was such a humbling experience and one that my selfish self needed that day. I told those people that I would come back and visit them, and I am planning on doing that soon. Thank you Jesus for using me even when I have such a terrible attitude, but still give me a second chance to do your kingdom work.

Then Christmas Eve night, I had the opportunity to take two of my extremely poor neighbors out to eat, then one of them went with me to the orphanage to celebrate Christmas Eve with them. We met Fernando there as well. They were having a dance party. It was fun to see the kids having fun. Then we watched a ton of fireworks go off at midnight. The orphanage had a ton of huge fireworks they were setting off! (another Latin american tradition). Then on Christmas day, I worked on cleaning and organizing my house all day. Definitely a different Christmas experience then the ones I was used to in the states, but a good one! Plus Christmas isn't about the kind of experience you and I have, but ALL about the Savior being born into this world for filthy sinners. All glory to God!

My Christmas tree!

Mas Navidad!!!!

Apart from the events "Yo Soy" and the Christmas baskets. We had a discipleship Christmas party, where we did a Carols and Candles service. It was a BEAUTIFUL time of worship. I was just so surprised how much God has grown our ministry in a year. Last year we did it with 3 or 4 adults and this year,we had a full living room. It was great. To each family, we gave a Bible concordance and the book Radical by David Platt or the book How Good is good enough by Andy Stanley depending on if they were a Christian or not. We have several seekers coming to discipleship right now. My neighbor has already read both of the books. She was so inspired by both. Please be praying that those that are not Christians that are coming to discipleship will come to know Jesus as their Savior and for those that already know him that they will be radical Christians. We also did Carols and Candles for the adults in Huaral. We did it outside during the day, so it was not quite the same effect since the candles were blowing out in the wind every other second, but it was still good. We also had one more week of Bible study in Huaral between Christmas and the Christmas event, so for the kids in Huaral all 60 kids acted out the story of Jesus birth! We had a TON of shepherds. Every event, that we were privileged to be a part of in Christmas was amazing!

Carols and Candles discipleship service

Opening their Christmas gifts

Huaral Candles and Carols service

Animals for the manger scene

Angels

Shepherds

Wise men

Nicchol's Christmas present: a bilingual Bible!

Yo Soy

"Yo Soy" (I am) in English is the theater production we did for Christmas. "Yo Soy" is an extremely popular TV show here in Peru. It is kind of like American Idol. Each contestant dresses, acts, and sings like a famous singer. There are judges and the audience votes just like American idol. Basically everyone in Peru including little kids have seen this show, so that is what we decided to do for Christmas this year.

Last year, we acted out the Christmas story using costumes and the kids that came to Bible study, but we knew we couldn't do the same thing this year, so we just said let's make costumes like Santa, a snowman, reindeer etc, and then we will come up with a script. Literally 2 days before our first performance, I still did not have the script written. It was about 3 am and the Holy Spirit just showed me what needed to be done. Thanks to God, He had already help me get everything done for Christmas, the only thing that was left was the script. The hardest part..... We had already filled 1,000 Christmas gift bags for the kids, made 1,000 Christmas art projects, hand made all the costumes, made and delivered 14 gift baskets, toys, decorations, and clothes, and now the only thing that was left was to write the script and perform in a lot of different places.

The Holy Spirit literally just poured out ideas to me one Saturday night at 3 am. About and hour and a half later, the script was done. On Sunday night we practiced for a couple of hours, then we had our first performance on Monday afternoon. We spent all day Monday rehearsing and decorating the chapel at the Community (the orphanage) and between 500 and 600 kids came that day. It was great! All Glory to God. The skit was about winning "true joy". Once Santa Claus won "true joy" he didn't feel any different, then someone from the audience ran up and explained how only Jesus brings true joy, and in that way we were able to share the gospel! Then we made Christmas tree decorations, and gave out gift bags and paneton (Christmas cake). We did the same thing in Huaral and 215 people came. We did it in Calle 10 and about 75 people came. We did it in our neighborhood for 100 people. We did it at Miligros' house for about 160 people. We also did another performance for about 25 people at my house. In total we were able to share the gospel with about 1,175 to 1,200 people. All glory to God! It was tremendous how God brought SO many people to help us, Christians and non-Christians!!! We had people stay and help us till 2 am one evening putting together the art project and gift baskets. Women who helped us make the costumes, and a whole set of Peruvian actors that went all over performing and sharing the good news. It was such a blessing. Christmas was filled with such amazing blessings. God was working like crazy here, and I was just in awe of all that he was doing. I am not going to lie though, I was glad when it was over. :) It was exhausting!