Hello Everyone!!!
I know so many have said this, but it really is true when I say little words can express the amazing things God has done these last few days. We began our journey on a long and bumpy ride to our awaited destination Joska! When we arrived there was instantly a swarm of kids waiting to welcome us! It was one of the best welcomes ever. Immediately a young girl named Lea, who later became a dear friend of mine, came to welcome me and grabbed my hands and started dancing and smiling! I thought I looked weird being the only one dancing around but not long after I actually looked up to see everyone dancing with our new friends! The kids at Joska really are something else! We had a great week of VBS, soccer, dancing, laughing, crying and so much more. It was such a blessing to really be able to talk to these kids, hear their stories, and get to know them. A beautiful moment for me was when each of us was able to take a class out to ourselves and just spend time on a prayer walk with them. I grabbed class “7 Yellow” and we began to walk into the fields of Kenya, and as we were walking we had a clear view of this road that was straight and went on forever. We all started to pray about some personal things as well as to never veer off Gods perfectly straight path He has for us. Then we went further into the field and started worshiping in our Fathers creation (in English and Swahili) in the most beautiful ways.  Saying good-bye today was so hard for so many of us but we left comforted knowing they are all under God’s protection and sooner than later we will see many, doctors, pilots, performers, engineers, politicians and possibly even the next president! We love and miss you all.

Blessing,
Missy and Kenya Team

Hello All!
        So we just arrived back from staying 3 days in Joska, a place and name that will always stay with me forever. It is a Place of joy, smiles, friendships, and most of all HOPE. Joska is a boarding school that houses 600ish kids that come from some of the worst conditions in the world and gets them away into the country. Slums, Abuse and hopelessness plaque their past but because of Joska hope and Career goals like Cardiology, Neurosurgeon, Pilot, Engineers, and so on, now fill their future. Being at Kiamaiko Centre and seeing a school in the middle of a slum give these little kids so much and now seeing Joska, brings an immense since of Joy to my heart. Being able to spend 3 days with these kids cannot be explained in words. All that can come close is HOPE! Beka and I have had the blessing of being able to sponsor a little girl named Mackilne Kerrubo. We spent time with her over the 3 days in Kiamaiko and 1 day in Joska and all we can say is that she has stolen our hearts. For me sponsoring a child has a whole new meaning seeing what little money we give does for a beautiful 6-year-old girl. Mackline wants to go to Joska, which is amazing, and seeing Beka surrounded by 5 awesome girls from there and Mackline in Joska truly has changed my life. I cant change their conditions, I cant take away the abuse at home, I cant take away their past, but Beka and I and the team have been truly blessed with changing their future and hope in this world. I wish the pictures and video we show when we are home could even come close to showing you what has been experienced but the smiles and joy can only be experienced in person. You know those commercials with the old man standing next to a sad kid in the middle of a slum and him begging you to sponsor. It’s all a lie! These kids have joy that we will seek our whole lives searching for and it only begins with knowing Christ. Like Sid said last year “we went looking to change their lives, But they changed ours!”
With Immense Joy and Perspective,
                                Scott W. Anderson and Kenya Team

“ God is willing!”

This is an experience that is nearly impossible to put into words. We have spent the last 3 days at Joska, a boarding school for 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students that have come from the slums of Niarobi. As we arrived, we were each greeted by a student that acted as our guide during our stay, but became a part of our heart by the time we left. My girl’s name was Carol! The students and staff were all so excited and grateful to have us there with them. They greeted us with the most beautiful church service. The first song they sang, brought me to tears. It was a prayer asking God to change the slum valley they are from, into a mountain of God. We spent time getting to know all of them. We listened to their stories, shared our own testimonies, encouraged them to continue with their schooling, and prayed with them. They threw us the most amazing Farewell Party! Even the children from Kiamaiko and Pangani were there! I danced with our little Anthony, that Brian and I sponsor, and with my new friend, Carol too! The students put on skits, sang songs, and prayed for us. They hope and pray that all of you will come to visit them soon too and they send their love! It was heartbreaking to say goodbye. We had all grown so close in such a short amount of time. I pray that this team can share our stories with each of you when we get home, and even more children will be sponsored and loved here. This has been the most challenging, the most stretching, and the most rewarding time of my life. I am so thankful to everyone who helped me get here and especially to God for all He has shown me and blessed me with here! I can’t wait to share all that God has done, and is doing in the lives of these children, and in mine! We’ll be home soon!

With True Love ~ Carol Duarte and Kenya Team

Unending Love ~ Amazing Grace

Trying to describe the day without using the words amazing or awesome is certainly a challenge because it was nothing short of it. A part of the team and I were in Madoya having our final VBS with the kids and it was such an experience that I’m sure none of us will forget. Being able to spend time with the children and interact with them through games, crafts, stories, and snacks has been such a blessing. Today was extremely difficult for many of us because it being the last day with them meant we had to say goodbye. The past couple days with these kids has built a bond that made many of us not want to leave. I know personally I had a hard time saying goodbye to all the children that I have been able to run around with and build relationships with. Three days with these children has really been such a blessing and they have taught us far more than we have taught them but despite the hardship of having to say goodbye I know many of us are at piece with it because God willing we will all be back next year to have this experience all over again. 

P.S dancing with a beautiful girl named Celeste today was such an amazing experience because with knowing my amazing dancing skills she sure had far greater skill than I could ever dream of!
With Love,
Charlie and Kenya Team

Crazy to think that God speaks every language and crazy to think that to think that God is everywhere and is in everything. I’m finding amazement in the simple fact that they know the same Jesus that I know. It’s incredible to see how much you have in common with someone living on the opposite side of the globe just through the simple connection of Jesus Christ. Today was our last day of Vacation Bible School at Madoya/Kaimaiko. As supremely stupendous as it was, it was so hard saying goodbye to all the children. I wrote down the names of Oscar, Otierno, Isaac, Wasike, Kevin & Calvin and promised to keep them all in my prayers. They have each stolen a piece of my heart. Before we left Kaimaiko, Missy, Sid and I got the privileged of teaching a crowd of street kids the Soulja Boy Dance, the hokey-pokey, the Carlton, the electric slide, the reject, and our own little remix called “Teach Me How to Pray, Teach Me, Teach Me How to Pray.” The kids also taught us some new moves and sang Shakira songs to us. Aside from that wondrous little adventure, the day was consumed with compiling and handing out hundreds of baskets of food to each and every family of every student of Kaimaiko. The school was a madhouse full of crazy Jesus-lovers throwing together all of these baskets within a couple of hours. It was comforting and rewarding knowing that the food we gave out will fuel their soul as well as giving them physical strength. Each basket was estimated to feed a family for about two weeks. Every day, the team and I witness the way that God laces miracles and divine appointments through the lives of His hands and feet. We continue to thank Him for blessing us with the opportunity to see a glimpse of His beauty through something as simple as a child’s smiling face.

With Love,
Cassidy on the Kenya Team

TODAY WAS INCREDIBLE!  I worked in VBS Madoya.  We played soccer, made beaded bracelets and ate vanilla wafers with the kiddos.  After VBS we all went outside and sang, played and danced.  Ernie, Kaylie W,  Kaylynn, and Cassie all busted some serious moves with the kids.  Back at Kiamaiko, we all got to meet our sponsor children and their parents.  I cannot even put to words how that felt. My little boy is Ibrahim.  Before I met him, I felt like I was going on a date.  I was so nervous!  When I finally saw him, my heart stopped and everything else got kind of quiet.  He was so quiet and didn’t say hardly anything, but it was so amazing!  We then went for bring the light.  I was with Brent, Brooke and our social worker, Vitalis.  We were stopped by a 90-year-old woman, Mary’s, shanti. We had barely stepped through the threshold when she smiled brightly asking us to come closer.  She did not stop smiling the whole time we were there!  Her eyes had turned blue from cataracts and I’m not sure if she could walk.  We were there to bless her and did pray over her, however, she blessed us so much!  She kept thanking us and blessing us and saying that we are always welcome in her home. I am so honored to be on this team.  The kids, Mary and so many other stories have impacted our lives, and we are only half way through this journey.

 Lots of Love,
Mallory

Joshua 1:9

I was so excited when I woke up this morning: I was going to do VBS at Madoya! Having been last year and seeing Kiamaiko again yesterday, I was excited to see a school I didn’t get to see last year. Madoya was incredible; the kids there are amazing. The school is a little more sophisticated than Kiamaiko and it was so cool to hear the kids understand the memory verse and repeat it back to us. We went back to Kiamaiko to join the other half of the group after VBS to do bring the light, but before we went out for bring the light we got to see the kids we sponsor. I got to see Perris, the little girl my family sponsors. She’s so beautiful. Last year she didn’t say anything and barely smiled. This year she spoke a little English, but she smiled more. In every picture we have of her she has a thumbs up! She loved everything we gave her. When the teacher was asking her about her presents she asked Perris what she was going to name the teddy bear we got her. Perris responded, “Ashley.” Tears flooded my eyes as I was over swept with emotion. I loved that time with her; she is so precious.  I am so blessed to be returning to Kenya and to be seeing all the kids again and familiar faces. God is moving so much through the work of CMF and the schools. I love seeing how much we are impacting the slums of Nairobi. Bwana Asafiwe!

Ashley Vargas
Psalm 27:1

Today was our second day of VBS in Kaimaiko.  Our team played soccer with the kids and it was a blast.  These kids get so excited when they see the “Futbol”.  They couldn’t contain themselves.  I just love seeing these little eyes light up as they kicked the ball back and forth with each other.  They are so well behaved and they are just so humble.  I am really thankful for having the opportunity to share this time with these kids. But the most exciting part of the day was seeing Anthony, our child we sponsored over a year ago.  He is a sweet, shy, and happy little man.  We met him for the first time yesterday and he was extremely shy.  But today he was all smiles and waves.  We had some time to give him a few things like a Toy Story shirt, a pair of shorts, a race car, a stuffed animal, a ball and a few other small toys.  He couldn’t put his new shirt and shorts on fast enough.  It blessed my heart to see Anthony, a boy we only knew from a picture and a few letters. Now to meet him in person is God’s miracle. I just want to say that this experience so far has been filled with so many emotions.  Words cannot even begin to describe the conditions these people live in.  It breaks my heart and makes me angry all at the same time to see that humans actually live like this.  Let me assure you, we have nothing – and I mean nothing – to complain about.  I pray that God will continue to work in these teachers at Kaimaiko.  These people are such an amazing blessing to teach and love on these kids.  I am so thankful for how God has worked at this school.  I want to encourage every person to sponsor a child through CMF.  You cannot even believe that $35 a month gives new life to a child. Sure you hear the stories and wonder if the money is actually going to the child. Let me assure you I have seen it with my own eyes, it absolutely does.  These children would literally be on the streets and most probably wouldn’t have food, an education, or even know Christ.  I thank God for this organization and the people who have shown the Love of Christ to these children.  I also want thank God for my children Daniel, Noah, Allye & Logan. 

Please continue to pray for our missionary journey as we continue to share the Love of Christ to those that desperately need it. 

With love,
Brian Duarte
Jeremiah 29:11

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a morning person…..  That being said, I woken up everyday hours before our alarm goes off!!  God only knows how I’ve managed to function this past week, but after today, I think I’ll take up being a morning person from now on.  Showing up to Kiamaiko this morning bright and early to hundreds of  joyful children singing to us was an unbelievable feeling.  Sid, Scott and I were thrown into our room to set up the stage for our epic puppet show only 5 minutes before we were to start and it was a great success!  Before arriving here, I hoped and prayed that I wouldn’t have to work on the medical team because I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it and where did I end up after lunch????  WELL… I’m glad to say that I couldn’t have been more wrong! Taking temperatures, getting people signed in, and assisting Dr. Don was an experience I’ll never forget.  Helping people who have everything from a runny nose to malaria to AIDS is an opportunity we wish more people could have.  We as Americans get so lost in how big or expensive things are in OUR world that we forget what truly matters.  In the economic decline of our society we still haven’t learned any of the valuable lessons that these people have ingrained in them.  These people have nothing and yet they are so rich.  Compared to them, we may be wealthy, but their wealth goes much further than we could ever imagine.  They are rich in spirit, in hope, and in love.  I’m elated at the progress the Pangani Center has made in the slums of Nairobi and I’m eager to see what awaits them in the near future.

Only 7 days left……  Dianna Lopez ( Kiamiko school)

Today I had the opportunity of being on the medical team at the school in Kiamaiko. Suzanne and I worked frivolously to take vitals on all of the patients before they saw Dr. Hoechelin. There were a few moments where I looked up to see hundreds of people in line and it was a bit overwhelming but the faces of the kids and parents made it all worth it. They were so thankful to be getting help and to be getting help. There was a child named John who was very timid but when I bent down to shake his hand and introduce myself he cracked a smile. I was then able to joke with him while taking his height that he was possibly the tallest one in the whole village. When he left to see the doctor his mother thanked me because going in to it, he was very afraid to see the Doctor, but when he left triage he was looking forward to it. It was amazing to see that when God is in control something as routine as checking height can brig a child joy. We saw 218 patients in total and will be able to see more tomorrow. Praise God!

Kaylee Messner ( Kiamiko school)

HOPE!!!
That’s what I wanted to see when I came here and that is what I have seen so far. It has been PERFECTLY illustrated by the kids. All the joy and love that these kids show is overwhelming and powerful and shines towards a bright future for Kenya. We started this morning in prayer and praise on the way to the school and it totally started the day off right. It was awesome helping at Madoya! It is totally a blessing to see the kids get excited for everything! They loved everything we did today! I got to work with Vince, Kaylie and Charlene to entertain hundreds of kids with a story. I got to portray Satan as a puppet and I did my best to scare the kids with my “Batman/Mr. T” voice. I think I did a pretty good job since I almost had a little girl cry.  They were all scared until they learned that if they read the Bible everyday and pray everyday they will be able to defeat Satan. Also it was really amazing to see a male teacher in the school, because a lot of the children don’t have a father and because of his dedication and love of the students they have a male role model. Later on today we worked with “Bring in the Light”. The first house we went to was Brooke’s sponsor child’s house. We were able to install a skylight into his ceiling of his home. We also got to talk with his older sister Carman, who is 13 and couldn’t go to school because she didn’t have the funds to do so. We were able to pray for her and we gave her a small painting that had a heart with the word “Love” written on it. When the skylight got put in place a beam of light settled around that heart and it caught all of our attention. In that moment, God showed that He is moving in Kenya and Jesus Christ really is the light of this world.  With Him there is always hope. 

Brent Ingram ( Madoya School)

Waking up this morning at 6:30am we quickly boarded our bus and headed to Kiamaiko for our official first day of VBS! We prayed that God would prepare our hearts for what we were about to see.  As soon as we arrived to the school the children sang us welcome songs as well as worship songs! It’s so heart warming and such a blessing to see how excited the kids get when they see us.  Their eyes are filled with joy and appreciation it literally brings me to tears! Leading worship with Natalya today was such a mind-blowing experience!  We taught the kids several worship songs along with hand motions and had a blast with it! I also was given the opportunity to help Dr. Don with medical assisting.  It was so amazing to hold the hand of a little boy or girl who had never seen a scale before and just love and comfort them through this. I remember looking up to what seemed like an endless line of patients but they were so eager and so appreciative to be seen and helped by us they didn’t even mind how long we were taking. I am truly blessed beyond words by these people! After VBS we worked with “Bring the Light” and I was in a group with Vince and our translator Robert where we went in the slums and shared with a group of men who had previously been street boys.  There were already 3 born again Christians in the group and 3 who accepted Christ today! We also had one guy who is thinking about accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior and we are supposed to visit him tomorrow in hopes that he is ready to accept Him. God has revealed so much to me just within the short time we got to spend in Kaimaiko. I can’t wait to see the lives that are going to be transformed within the next couple of days!

Katelyn Daw ( Kiamiko school)

Kaylynn Johnson- Kenya Team
Today was our first day in the field and this morning when we woke up I wasn’t sure what to expect. We were told to keep our windows closed and all of our bags down so just from that I knew it was going to be a different experience then I have ever had before. As we drove through you could see the changes. We arrived to the school and the first noise we heard was children singing and it was such sweet sounds to the ears. I brought tears to my eyes that I had to fight back. It was the most beautiful thing to hear. We started into the slums and to some it would look gross and most would feel bad; surprisingly I didn’t as it was so beautiful to see everyone working. There were kids running up to me and the wanted to just hold our hands and touch us. The feeling was more than I could even express over the computer. We left the slums and went to Kiamiko where the children were outside waiting for us to welcome us and sing to us. I started to tear up when they started singing because it reminded me of my mom back home because the sang “this is the day that the Lord has made” and I just thought about how much joy these children had and how blessed I am to enjoy their love. I couldn’t help but think about how blessed I was and am to have the family I have waiting for me back home. I can’t express how much joy these children have and some of them are walking around without shoes but with HUGE smiles and never stop singing.

Alix Constant – Kenya team 2010

First off, we are all praying for Generate tonight and all of the lives that are going to be changed! Praying the eating contest goes well with Pastor Cody. Today was an amazing day, the children at the school are beautifully courageous and strong. To see how they work together, have community, support eachother and grow is an amazing thing to be a part of. There was one moment that I will never forget, it was one of the first nights being here. We were able to go to Sumburu, Kenya and go to the Samburu village. As we were walking around seeing the different huts they lived in, met all the different wives they had and how their culture worked a little girl walked over to me, she was beautiful! But this is where conviction took place in my heart. This girl was holding a little tin can as she walked towards me, my initial thought was “Wow! They have already taught this little girl how to beg for change, how sad!“ as soon as she came close enough I got to see inside the tin…There were  a few pieces of corn left in there that she was able to eat for the day. I began to pray and ask God to please work in my heart, to show me how to hope the best in people even children. I got to feed that little girl the rest of her dinner, I got to hug her, I got to pray over her and I got to allow God to do something in me He had never done before. I was changed by a little girl eating corn out of a tin in Samburu, Kenya, what have you allowed God to do to change your perspective?

Ps. Albert’s new Kenyan name is Wekesa “The handsome one” they all think he is Kenyan and love him!

Albert Kilgore – Kenya team 2010

The trip so far has been amazing, the safari that we had the chance to do was such a blessing being able to see God’s beauty in that form was a once in a lifetime experience. Going into today knowing that we were heading into the slums I had this preconceived notion that I was going to break once I saw the poverty and the kids and the conditions they were living in. This is where God really moved in my heart I continued to ask why am I not breaking why are my emotions not on this roller coaster as I expected. It wasn’t until I walked into the last classroom and saw the smiles on the kids faces and had the chance to play “hot-hands” with them that my whole perspective changed. I was actually preventing God from using me. There is no reason for me to be sad because these kid’s aren’t they have a joy that I can only pray to obtain one day!

For the past three days we have been experiencing the most amazing beauty. Our God is such an artist. We took a 6 hour drive into Samburu and were able to get our first taste of the Kenyan lifestyle. The first morning I was able to get up a few minutes early and do my devotion sitting along the river watching the sunrise. It was INCREDIBLE. For three days we saw elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, birds, monkeys (who stole our stuff straight from Missy, Charlie, and Vince’s hands!). And we were so lucky to see cheetah AND a leopard in the same day which is so rare. Then we went and met the Samburu tribe. They danced with us, made fire from two sticks, and showed us their huts (made out of poop). Just being able to share with these people and learn how they live was so awesome. It makes you feel so blessed we live in the lifestyle we do. It was amazing to have the team get to know each other and have time to bond and become stronger together. Now we are going to be beginning God’s work tomorrow with a tour through Pangani. We are all safe, healthly, and loving this whole experience with God and each other! Thank you for all our prayers and support! We love you all!

With love, in His name,

Brooke Conlin and the team

Don’t really know where to begin.  What an amazing Creator we worship!  Everything still seems so unreal and fake!  The skyline, the clouds, the animals that roam freely as God created, it is absolutely breath taking.  I must admit, I have been quite fearful of the bugs!  I check our room every night and tuck my pj bottoms into my socks.  Ronny finds this quite funny, as I insist on using the mosquito nets over our bed every night!  On a separate note, Ronny & I have been loving experiencing this all together and are so excited for what the next week holds for us.  The people here are precious and the children have the most amazing smiles & joy.  Ronny & I cannot wait to meet our child, Charles, that we sponsor!  I can’t wait to hold him, his picture has been on our fridge for so long it seems unreal that I will get to meet him.  Excited for what God has in store for the entire team!

Love,
Natalya Roa & Team Kenya

Hello Friends and Family!

We have finally arrived in Kenya! After an 16 hour flight, an overnight stay in Dubai, and another 5 hour flight from Dubai to Kenya we are finally here! We arrived safely at the Methodist House in Nairobi, Kenya today and have been enjoying a little rest before we start our amazing journey! All the team is doing very well with no sickness!

We have an early start tomorrow at 5:30am as we continue our team bonding and cultural training on a 3 day Safari journey. The Safari is a great opportunity for our team learn how to adapt and experience the Kenyan Culture to better influence our work with the projects and natives.

Please continue to pray for our teams safety, the people hearts that we come in contact with, and the love that will be shed! Blessings to you all as you are in our prayers. We love each and every one of you.

Love,

The Kenya Team

Hey Everyone!

Below is a great new update from our Chile Team! Make sure to see the great pictures below!

Jerry, Mike and Diane Underwood had the opportunity to be do a little impromptu counseling with a lady who is a very good and close friend of Heidi. This lady was very hurt over a few issues that had recently occurred at a church where she attended and served. Ever since this happened, she’s felt discouraged by the church and has stopped attending church on a regular basis. This, added on to the stress of the recent earthquake had her feeling very depressed and with many questions towards God, as well as suffering from panic attacks. Her self esteem was very low due to the events that had happened which led her to stop attending her church. The team was able to share with her that she matters so much and that God still has an important role for her to play as long as she’s around and willing to heed God’s calling in her life. The team was able to remind her that not only does God look forward to the moment when she decides to come back but He awaits with arms stretched open. As the time passed, the team could see visible signs of her spirit being uplifted and her demeanor changing by what was being shared with her. The team was able to close with prayer and a challenge to have her take this week to pray and be the one who invites them to join her at church next week. She seemed very excited at this and things look very promising! Jerry, Mike and Diane wait with excited anticipation for what could be a powerful healing moment next week!

As our team members were sharing with this particular lady:

Caleb, Joe, Kyle, Heidi, Jake and myself were out purchasing materials for the work that’s to be done at Iloca. Jake will be picking up Dr. Hoechlin in the morning and we’ll make our way to Iloca (5hr drive).
We won’t have internet access in Iloca so I will be texting you short updates while we’re on site (Monday – Friday).
We will be making our way back to Santiago early Saturday morning.

Fun fact: Being that Iloca is right next to the ocean, we’ve been promised lots of fresh fish and we’re looking forward to that =-)

Gotta run…Jake is preparing his special Chilean BBQ!!!

Sincerely,
Team Chile (Caleb, Joe, Jerry, Mike, Diane and Danny)

Hey everyone!! Our G.O. Chile team has arrived safely! Here is an update!!

Our flight from Dallas, Tx to Santiago, Chile was long but calm. I believe that for the most part everyone was able to get an hour here and there of sleep while up in flight. Caleb of course slept like a baby. It took us about an hour to get our Visas and get through customs but once that was done, we were able to spot Jake and Kyle and meet up with them. We put our luggage into two SUV’s and made our way to Jake and Heidi’s home. We’re currently having lunch with Jake, Heidi and Kyle.

What Jake has planned for us today is a church service followed by an authentic Chilean BBQ prepared by him and just rest the remainder of the day.It sounds like we will be heading to Iloca tomorrow morning and begin our work there. Jake and Heidi are amazing! Heidi is glowing from her pregnancy! We’ve heard a little about what they’ve been doing here, future plans for this area and their plans for Egypt. It’s obvious God is using them in amazing ways.

 Danny Vazquez

Lighting/Audio Tech

Crossroads Christian Church

Ps: As I’m writting this, we experienced a small earthquake!!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve God during our recent trip to Peru! I saw how God opens doors for us to grow closer to Him and to share His love with others during our brief period of time on this earth. Working in Cusco was an open door for me and my 12 year old Daughter, Sofia. What a beautiful experience, to see Gods Love in such unbridled and raw form! It is a little difficult to find the words to fully explain this trip as it was such a gift to us.
    I would have to say that the Church leaders, Stephanie and John Vasquez were wonderful. They were so organized and helpful, always ready to work, even in challenging or difficult situations. We are so thankful to both of them and to Crossroads for having the foresight in choosing excellent leadership. The missionary couple Ricky and Tracy was so wonderful too. They were very helpful in planning opportunities for us to serve and to be involved in the small and highly effective Church they have founded in Cusco. This couple is such a blessing to the City and especially the neighborhood that God has placed them in. The love that they share with others was incredible to witness. The neighbors are very happy with having such a dynamic Church close by. I was so glad that the people felt so comfortable coming by the Church to offer help or at times to ask for help.
   We had so many activities, and we grew close as a group. We were involved in a VBS for the children of the Church. There were over 100 kids involved. The laughter and happiness was beautiful. We also visited a local orphanage and a Children Hospital to help with various duties. As I look back at my pictures, I am reminded of the awesome experiences we all had. Praise God.
                                              Sincerely and respectfully yours,
                                              Dr. Jacquelyn Lacera and Sofia Oruene

It’s hard to pick a best part of the trip. My favorite moments were the time spent at the Children Hospital, delivering the food baskets and playing soccer with the kids. The Children Hospital was also the most difficult. It was hard to see those kids in a condition, where those who live in the hills have no way to get around in a wheelchair, so they ended up at the hospital. I also imagine the parents probably can’t visit as often as they’d want, making it even more difficult on these children. Passing out the baskets was nice in two ways: We got invited inside the people’s home and got to see a little better how they live, and at the same time be able to share our message. According to Rick and Tracy, some people came to Church the following Sunday because of the baskets.

 Overall, it was a great experience. Stephanie and John did a good job. We had a nice team and I think everybody went along really well. I’m looking forward to another reunion!

Chris.

The experience that most touched my heart was interacting with the children of Cusco. The children have so much joy in their hearts even though they live in such poverty. The trip to Peru meant many things to me. First, it was a way to make new friends and fellowship with other Christians. The trip was also a way to help others who truly are in need. Finally, it was a way to serve God and grow closer to God.

 The most joyful moment for me was going into homes with food baskets and praying for the families in need. The opportunity to pray with people who do not have enough food to eat was a moving experience. It brought me great joy to provide hope to these families.

 The most difficult moment of the trip was hearing the stories of struggle from the people of Cusco. The Peruvians deal with issues of hunger, poverty, alcoholism, and broken families. Many of them have no hope of ending their struggles.

 Mike Judson

For me, Peru was a once in a lifetime experience that I hope I get to be a part of more than just this once! Every time I look at pictures, all of my precious memories are brought back, which leads me to still have my heart tugged at for the kids, my friends, in Cusco. Whether it had been a day at the clinic, at the church, or playing at the park, each day was filled with love and joy that will never dull or be forgotten.

 I remember on the very first day that we got to meet all of the kids. A little girl named Melissa came up and began talking to me, and she just talked and talked and talked! I felt bad that I didn’t understand anything that she was telling me but after she was done talking, she came and sat on my lap and gave me a hug! And then there was the day at the park, Sunday Morning. When walking to the park, I had two girls holding my hands, which melted my heart right away. But on the way back, I had six girls jumping around and all trying to hold my hand and walk as close to me as possible! There was also the day at the clinic when I got to feed a little boy, Digson, who has down syndrome. Seeing his smile and getting to play games with him was yet another precious moment. Along with these children, there was the day that I was able to teach a group of girls “ring around the rosies”. There was also the day that we played “pato pato gonso” (duck duck goose) and our circle kept growing larger and larger as more kids joined us! There is no possible way that I could completely explain my experience — my change of heart — while on this trip. Words do not give justice to the way that the children at the park, or the children like Melissa and Digson changed my heart forever.

 Part of what I also found to be the greatest experience while on this trip was when we got to walk through the homes of these families. Although the stairs were steep, although strange smells filled the air, and although the roads were rough and tiring, there was never a time when I could have complained but instead I found such joy in being able to personally experience the difficulties that each of these families face everyday just to get to a room that they could call their own home. Seeing the smiles on the faces of all those that we were able to visit,and all of those that we were able to go to and pray and talk with easily took away any moments of weariness and instead easily put a smile on my face, as well.

 This trip was filled with so many instances that changed me forever. And that is the reason why the last day was the most difficult for me. I so easily remember leaving the church on Monday night and I told the girls that I would see them the next day. But Monday night I got sick and was not able to see them again. I was not able to say goodbye. Tuesday was the longest day for me wishing I could be playing with the kids.

 As we prepared for this trip I was filled with such excitement and curiosity as to what God had in store for this week. While packing and getting ready to leave the only thing I knew for certain was that God was sending me to Peru for a reason and no matter what my surroundings held I was going to do what He called me there to do. While in Cusco, I still couldn’t put the reason I felt called to Peru into words, but now that I am home there is just one simple reason. God knew that Cusco is where my heart would reach out to. He knew that Cusco would forever hold a place in my heart. And so even when this trip was over I still did not want to say goodbye but instead I found myself saying see you again. I know God is not done with what He has in store for me and my new friends in Cusco and I still find myself with the exact curiosity and excitement that I had before I went. I still wonder what the future will hold for me there and I pray that God will continue to use me to reach out to his children, mi amigas, in Cusco.

 Joyann Putulowski