Wow,
Thursday
Another great day. Woke up and walked down to the ocean and watched some huge rollers crash into the surf.
Last night we went into Lima and attended a Peruvian Pentecostal service at Shalom Church. The ride there was chaos as taxis, buses, and motorcycles honked and weaved through traffic - Lima has a population of over 8 million people. We arrived around 8:10 and immediately were greeted at the door with hugs and smiles and greetings of “buena tardes”. We sat down and immediately stood back up as the worship team began singing to salsa music. We all joined in clapping and occasionally dancing to the beat. After four songs my hands actually got tired. After the singing ended a young woman got up and began giving testimony about her personal journey as a Christian and the stumbling blocks that accompanied everyday life - her particular weakness was herself. She was impatient with others and very unforgiving. Once she recognized this she was able to forgive others as well as herself.
The next speaker was a woman who was introduced by Pastor Moses, the senior pastor. At Shalom Church, part of their process and ministry involves the development of associate pastors. Pastor Moses jokingly said that it was his desire that his associates give a better sermon than him and try to put him out of a job. I laughed at the comment but felt that good news and good spititual leadership were definitely needed in Lima and the United States. She talked about envy and the need for us to not begrudge our neighbor’s success and urged us to take our neighbor’s hand and ask for God to bless them.
Pastor Moses then came back up and said it was God’s wish for us all to be successful financially- first to help build God’s family and second for our own benefit.
He then welcomed the worship team back up and we ended the service with more prayers and a rousing zydeco styled sending hymn complete with disco lights. The plastic chairs we had been sitting in were swept to the side and the whole congregation began rejoicing together. Young men were given silk flags and they ran through he crowd waving them. Each person given a flag was energized, my self included.
I walked out the the service very tired but mentally and spirtually refreshed and watched from the bus window as the congregation drifted out of the church and down the dirt side streets back to the homes.
Thusday - 8:45AM We arrived at Hannah’s home and resumed work on the water system. We stopped enroute and loaded 120 feet of plastic pipe on the bus and began gluing sections together while Wendell the team plumber began installing the various valves needed to use both the city water system and the well.
Thursday 3:00 PM We left for our daily VBS (Vacation Bible School) program in the village of Papa Leon. We have picked up a dozen of the children from the Hogar House orphanage and are busy having fun with the kids as we pull up to our stopping point. The houses are basic brick or concrete dwellings with bits of steel rebar that stick vertically out of the tops of the walls, some with iron doors that remind one of the middle ages. As the bus stops the local children run up to the doors and the Hogar kids pile out and soccer balls, frisbee’s and footballs begin flying. It is good to see that no matter where we are kids are still kids - they love to have fun!
We play for around 30 minutes and then begin VBS. We always start with two or three children’s songs that include dance moves and motions. The kids and their moms all do the moves along with us and laugh at the ”loco” Gringo - Senor Geraldo.
We do bible verses, a drama and quiz with surprises and then sit down in the dirt surrounded by children as they color a cartoon drawing of Jesus and Lazarus in the tomb. The kids are very polite and studious as they color, occasionally asking for a “verde” or some other color crayola to finish their masterpiece.
We then pass out pieces of candy and then begin the heartrending process of packing up and shaking hands, high fiving the young boys, taking pictures, and exchanging “Hastas manana’s”. Some of the older children have given us their e mails and we plan to send the pictures upon our return.
We drive back to the Hogar home and help the younger children with the homework. I am surprised and amazed at the level of enthusiasm the children have for their studies and their intelligence. They humor me when I try to pronounce their vocabulary words - I look forward to learning more Spanish so that when I come back again I can have some meaningful conversations with the kids.
My favorite part of the evening is when homework is down my daughter Jackie and I take Allison - a girl about 8 and Brandon, a smiling boy about 5 out to the fron of the school where they climb up onto an empty window frame and count “uno, dos, tres!!!!!” and then jump into our arms laughing.
Once Jackie and my arms are tired from catching the two, we go to the sliding boards where we tickle them as they reach the bottom. The will tell us “teekle, teekle” or “no teekle teekle” - depending on how intent they are on getting back to the top.
It is always tough going back to the hostel after such good fun - even if we are hungry and look forward to dinner.
It will will be equally tough to go home and wonder how Allison and Brandon are doing - even though they are in the best of hands.
I encourage anyone wanting the opportunity to serve the Lord and your fellow man to give something like this the chance.
It will help restore your trust in your fellow man - seeing how these kids and people place their trust and friendship in us.
It also shows that with simple dirt and concrete for a home, faith in God, and love for one another, it is possible to survive and succeed.
May God bless your day.
Gerry Schmelzer (Geraldo Eduardo)