Bread and Butter Note From Serve Peru Team 2010

Well folks Serve Peru 2010 is officially over for all of us now. The first group arrived in Prattville around 8 o’clock yesterday, and the second group is still trekking along and will be home soon. I’ve been told to do a review of the overall trip for you guys, and I will try my best to allow you to see yourself in Peru with the 40 of us.


Scott had a saying for the entire trip while we were there and I believe most of us did just that. The phrase was “Get Your Serve On”. This meant in whatever we did to do it with a servant’s attitude and to the best of our abilities. A verse that was commonly shared through the course of the week was Mark 10:45 it says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This verse spoke to all of our hearts while we were in Peru and gave us the strength and motivation to do whatever task we were faced to do there. 

To give you a little background on myself before I just go and dive in to all of the details of the week, this is my third mission trip to Peru with Scott and I have thoroughly enjoyed everyone. Each year we have done many new things all over Peru. One thing has remained the same though in all of my years in Peru and all of Scott’s years there is that we have always helped construct something with an orphanage in Chilca, this year was no different. Three years ago we dug 3-foot trenches for the dining hall they would use. Last year we poured concrete and boulders in to the trenches to give the building a strong support. This year we were finally able to see a somewhat final result of our project by laying concrete on the flooring of three rooms for the building. It was an amazing God thing to me to be able to see that my three years in Peru weren’t a waste. The orphanage will now be closer to having a place they can eat properly.

Now back to the trip. Construction for the week was spent heavily at the orphanage, but two things were done during our stay. First thing that we began on was laying concrete on the dining hall floor at the orphanage. Many of us were proud to hang our hats on the fact that we finished that job that has been three years in the making. The other task on hand for the week was to construct a soup kitchen in a near by village called Benjamin. Luckily with the help of Craig Clement and Hayden Allen-Galusha these walls were built with ease. Concrete was laid for this building on Friday, the walls were put up on Saturday, and on Sunday a few ladies and their families came there with us so that we were able to pray for the ground and the future of it. God is so awesome when we allow Him to take control of us and humbly serve Him in whatever it is we do, construction for the week showed all of us that. 

Two other things were done during the week while we had construction crews out working on those projects. We had two groups go out in to the near by villages around the area on a prayer walk and just talk with the people and ask them if they had any thing they could pray for them about. A common thing repeated through the week was that everyone was amazed as to how open they were of their prayer concerns and needs, and also about expressing their faith with a couple of complete strangers from the states. By seeing this we are allowed to see how strong the faith of people in Peru have that they would be able to openly express their needs and to also share a bit of their walk with us. Another group went to a soup kitchen to help prepare and serve soup at a nearby soup kitchen. The look we all saw from people when you would give them a bowl of warm soup was absolutely amazing and such a great God thing to happen during the week for all everyone.

Everyday after we finished with construction, prayer walks, and helping with a soup kitchen we went to a nearby village named, Lomas. VBS consisted of playing with the kids, singing songs, a message with a visual skit, and a craft. Three years ago we began a trial run with VBS here in the village and saw the kids act out in all kinds of different ways towards us. This year the kids were pleased to see us come once again. Through many discussions we had at night a few of the trip veterans saw how much the kids of Lomas had changed over three years. Our first year a lot of the kids didn’t know what to do with themselves and took a lot of our supplies away from us and they acted very selfish. This year we saw kids coming back to us and handing our toys and crafts supplies back to us with a big smile, but the biggest surprise to see was how they all were loving towards their neighbors and us. There was no pushing shoving, snatching, or arguing with them this time; we only saw love out of them the whole time. We have created a special kind of place in Lomas now, and it is with such a humbling and powerful thing to have the people of Lomas know about and love the same God that we also know and love. 

On Saturday we had a community outreach night for the whole village of Lomas to come to. We had manicures for the mothers, balloon animals to make for the kids, skits planned out to do, Billy put together a slide show of the week at VBS, and Scott delivered a powerful message to them. During Scott’s message he spoke on how we must have a complete relationship with Christ by praying, reading His word, and living it out in our lives. The people in attendance also got a free bowl of soup that we helped prepare with one of the local storeowners in Lomas. When we went out to hand people a bowl we commonly saw older siblings giving there’s up to their parents or younger sibling. Everyone was glad to see our final day of VBS was a grand celebration. This week God was shared with the people of Lomas, Peru, but most importantly we were able to show them God’s love.

We all woke up on Sunday morning and went to church in Chilca. Pastor Jorge’ spoke to us on how prayer is the strongest tool we have to use in our walk with God. During the week in Peru I have prayed more than ever. I find it to be such an awesome thing when God is able to reveal to you something slowly, and then have that thing come slam you up in the face later on. God has mysterious ways of doing things to us and for us, but that’s all apart of his grand scheme for us.

On our last full day in Peru (Travel Group 1) we met the orphans at a place called La Granja Villa. To put this place in something you could understand was to call it Six Flags over Peru. In the park they have bumper cars, boat rides, small roller coasters, a big water slide, and a petting zoo. It was such an amazing thing to be able to see the laughs and smiles that were brought to the orphan’s faces while we were there at the park that day. It ended our trip on quite a high note.

One last final thing I will share to you about the trip was at night after dinner we had table discussions about out highs, lows, and how we saw Christ in the day. I’ll give you some of the highs, lows, and how we saw Christ through the week.

Highs: Finishing dining hall floor, soup kitchen completion in Benjamin, USA beating Algeria, the fun day with the orphans at the park, giving someone a hot bowl of soup, Scott’s jokes, new friendships, and being able to work together with everyone as a team

Lows: Cold showers, hitting our heads on things, hard beds, beds breaking, USA losing to Ghana, soup kitchen wall difficulties, and having the trip go by too fast

How we saw Christ: In the faces of rookies at VBS, Scott’s devotions at the hostel, community outreach night in Lomas, In an orphan’s smile, spinning/holding a kid at VBS, God blessing us for us to be able to do things we have never been able to do and serve Him to the best of our abilities, and many more things.

I hope you guys have enjoyed following and reading our blog through the entire trip, and the completion of it. Your prayers for us really did work and we were able to be God’s hands and feet for the trip. I can’t wait to be able to share more about the trip with you guys at church on Sunday morning. Thank you everyone that donated, helped us out, ran or helped with the Centerpoint Challenge, Servant’s Day participants, and the entire church for allowing us to share God’s love on foreign soil. Our lives and their lives were able to be centered on Christ through this trip. Thank you all again so very much for all you have done for us.  With God’s love anything is possible.

Sincerely your brother in Christ, 

Austin Haisten 

Philippians 4:13 =)

Hola!  This is my first mission trip and first time out of the country!  I have had an amazing time so far and plan on having a great rest of the trip.  I was a little nervous about coming at first because I kept hearing about people getting sick while they were here.  I just prayed for good health, and God has answered my prayers.  Throughout this trip I feel like I have come out of my comfort shell.  Before now I never thought I would be able to speak any Spanish or pray aloud.  The translators have really helped, so I could just catch on to what they are saying.  The kids just talk to you and I may not know what they are saying, except for some words, but I am able to respond sometimes.  When I was first told to go to the prayer walk I was very nervous.  I don't usually pray aloud due to fear of not knowing what to say, but I went out there and I just felt that I should pray for these people and not worry about anything.  This trip has also showed me how different people live.  I always knew that people didn't live like we do, but you never truly know until you have seen it.  Even though they may not live like us, the kids are just as happy as can be.  There is one little girl that just captured my heart.  Each time I would go to the VBS site and see her smiling up at me, I just feel so awesome that this little girl has someone to go to to be loved on.  When we left the VBS site on Saturday, I just about started crying because I wouldn't be able to see these little kids again for a whole other year.  I just hope that next year I can come again and see them.  Today, we visited a church that was near the VBS site.  It was a very cool experience to see what they do in church and to meet another mission team from Missouri that will be staying this coming up week.  After church we went to the site of the soup kitchen that we helped build.  It was really cool to see the same walls that you helped build that would help a ton of people receive food.  As we were leaving I saw a lady that I had met the day before.  She told me that she would never forget me and that her house was my house.  I just felt so awesome that I had made a difference in that she remembered me.  Well I am going to get some sleep because I hear that we are going to an amusement park tomorrow with the orphanage and that to them it is a Disney World and that it is going to be awesome!, and please keep us in your prayers because we have some people not feeling well.

 ~ Allison Johnson =)  

Day four in Peru

Day four in Peru was absolutely life changing for me and the rest of the team. This morning we started with a devotional about Peter and John going to a church called “Beautiful” where they spoke to a crippled beggar and told him to stand up and walk. The crippled man as soon as he heard this stood up and jumped to his feet. Soon after the devotional we headed back down to Chilca and finished mixing concrete at the orphanage for the dining hall, a second group began construction at San Jose’, and a final group had an amazing time at a village named Benjamin (funny Spanish pronunciation).

VBS was a total blast today! At the start of VBS today we began playing with the village children. This consisted of playing soccer, making jewelry, blowing bubbles, signing “autographs”, and spinning children around. Today’s message was about the Prodigal Son. We had a big crowd today, which was absolutely amazing to see happen for us. The skit we did with the story went over very well today. Many laughs were made today thanks to the comic styling of Tucker Clement (Prodigal Son). The craft we made went over great today with the children. We made salvation bracelets, which was a gigantic success and majorly popular with all. After crafts we then played with children, again. Doing all of the spinning our shoulders and our brains could contain.

Everyone was so tired and soar today when we got back to the hostel. This just goes to show how much work we’ve done so far, and will continue to do for the duration of our trip. At dinner tonight we were served creamy mashed potatoes with gravy and some juicy delectable steaks. Oh, and some rice and soup.

Tomorrow we will be having a photo scavenger hunt in Lomas with the village children. After the scavenger hunt we will be having a community outreach night where we will be serving soup to all that come. All the supplies have been bought and are ready to go for tomorrow night. We are already to get our serve on.

Dictated by Ty McBurnett
Written and perfected by Austin “Chop” Haisten

day 3, feeding of 5,000.

 













Day three in Peru. It's amazing to see what all God does and how he works in our lives. This morning we did a devotional about how Jesus was able to feed 5,000 people out of five loaves of bread and two fish. This applies to our trip because there are around 40 of us, a certain amount of supplies, but even with a certain number of supplies we are able to touch the lives of countless adults and kids.

Our day started out with breakfast and a devotional. We then went to the orphanage in Chilca and split into smaller work groups. Some went to a soup kitchen and others went on a prayer tour. The rest of us stayed at the orphanage and poured concrete to make a floor in a diner hall. Later, we all moved to Lomas to play with the children in the village. I met this one little girl named Anita who was absolutely adorable. We went back and forth tickling each other and calling each other "loco". It is amazing to see how great God is! We then finished the night off at a mall and got some gelato. I decided to play it safe and stuck to mint chocolate chip, hahaha!

Love and miss all,  Drew Wade

Hi Mom!

This is my first year to come to Peru, or out of the United States for that matter. After only two days, I feel my relationship with God reaching a whole new level. Today I went on a prayer walk in the town of Lomas. The people welcomed us into their homes, and shared their prayer requests freely. The trust these people have in God is astounding even though they live in terrible conditions. The women seem to be more forward with their prayer concerns, and the men seem to be strong and independent. On several occasions, I felt the need to fall to my knees and weep at the feet of God. Everywhere you look God is here. The children playing in the rocks, God is there. The woman sweeping her dirt floor, God is there. The man unable to care for his family because of his blindness, God is there. I met a young boy at VBS named Mariano. The immediate connection was so overwhelming that the language barrier did not matter. We had our own form of communication. When I was confused by the speedy Spanish language, Mariano helped me and I helped him. That has been the most honest encounter I have had in years. Now back at the hostile, the group seems to be strengthening with every laugh and joke. We have grown from a group of forty people, into a team. God has brought us joy through these experiences. I can only imagine the trip getting better and better from here because I have seen God's face today.

Anna Davis
P.S. Hi Mom!

Day One on the Field

This is my first trip to Peru, but I have been on many mission trips. This trip is very different from language barriers, to how they live, to how welcoming the people are. We are staying in a hostel, which is kind of like a hotel. After a great breakfast with yummy bread and a devotion on Mark 10:43-45, we hit the road to start our mission days work.

For me coming into Peru for the first time ever was a contrast. The housing struck me as being very different then what you see in Alabama. There is nice housing, but mixed in are many one room shacks and the power lines are strung up in the village to get it there, but it is rural. I take so much for granted. There are water tanks at the homes where water is delivered and then they sterilize it for use by a boiling process - not a real simple task like turning on the faucet.  Landscaping is random with some beautiful areas, but for the most part there is dirt and hills. The Pacific Ocean is rolling in too with some huge waves with a few surfers.

Today was the first day on the mission field and we broke into groups of 15 or so each to different service groups and locations. I worked on the construction crew that cleaned an area to level for the orphanage dining room. This meant we were moving rocks, finding very interesting things such as corn cobs, and getting it ready to pour concrete.  We are working with an orphanage through Frontline Peru in Chilca. The orphans there are very welcoming and want you to play with them, even though you have a communication barrier- everyone understands the language of throwing a ball. We did not get to play much with the kids before we headed over to the village in Lomas, because they are still in school. Here it is winter.

After working and having a sack lunch at the orphanage, we headed over to the village for VBS and playtime with the kids. While in the village it is amazing that these kids may know some of our group, but are very welcoming to those of us that they don't know yet. They are loving, ready for whatever- and all you have to give -as you love on them. Before we started VBS we had lots of balls, jump rope, bubbles, nail polish, chalk, and construction paper. With the construction paper and chalk all of the kids began asking everyone, in Spanish, to write their name on the paper. VBS had all the kids doing music, crafts and hearing the day's story. The theme of today's story was Zacchaeus, we sang songs that we all have known for years and even a few new songs, in Spanish. The craft was tracing the child's hand, placing leaves and Zacchaeus in the tree and putting with Jesus by the trunk. Hopefully this will help reminds the kids that Jesus loves them too.

We finished and attempted to load the bus and head back for a great supper of soup, spaghetti and orange drink that tastes like a tangerine.  We debriefed in our table groups and talked about the highs, the lows and where we saw Jesus. Lots of comments about who was a servant during the day and I can tell you that this group is full of them and we became the hands and feet to do some wonderful things today.

Becca Stackhouse

LIFE!

Well we made it!! After a full day of traveling, a bed was just about the best thing I could lay my eyes on at the time.  This morning we started off with devotion with the following verse, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many," Mark 10:45. Well there goes everything the world tells us what life is about. The world is full of companies telling us to climb our way up the mountain of success and when you reach the top let everyone bow down and praise your achievements.   On the other hand Jesus, the most powerful man that ever walked the earth, came DOWN to our level and served!  Today as I looked out among the people of Peru, I saw life! Yes there standing on dirt roads with children who were dirty and some maybe hungry, life appeared!  Most people might not say this but I am blessed with the opportunity to give up a warm shower, a cell phone, and the little things we enjoy as Americans.  The last 24 hours has been a joy to see where life can occur.  Whether we were spinning children, working with construction, or praying among the village, I was able to see Christ in it all.  So now I have to ask myself what will happen in 9 days when we return to the States?  Will life go away for me? I sure hope not! I hope it does not take all this for me to experience life.  Now I challenge myself and ask you to join me, what is in this world that is hindering me from experience LIFE?! Now.....GIVE IT UP! Let go, serve others, and SEE life!

As we say here...Get your serve on,

Anna Lauren Schumpert

Group 2 is on the ground in Lima.

Group 2 is on the ground in Miami and group 1 is on the plane ready for take-off. Pray for safe travel for the rest of the trip for team and that God shows himself this week.

Let the travel begin!

Group 1 of the Peru Mission Team is on the ground in Miami. They have a bit of a layover and take off about 45 minute after the other group lands

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Keep the Peru Mission Team in your prayers for the next 10 days. The first wave should be on the way to Miami, the second wave is still sitting in the Atlanta Airport until early afternoon. I understand the group still waiting is trying to teach Scott how to play hacky sack. I really would love to see that video!