Bendiciones
I finally have enough time to try recollecting any important details from the past week and a bit worth documenting on here for people who refuse to join Facebook–which, BTW I think is a missionary’s best communication tool besides podcasting. To read captions with most of my pictures, it really is best to view them on Facebook. On my blog I try posting them in one entry, so I don’t have one entry per picture, and in the process it’s hard to put the captions properly underneath or next to each picture in a way that doesn’t look retarded.
Things I’ve been doing lately:
In really important missionary news (to me), I went to the dentist for the first time in almost 8 years. I was scared that over the years I’d maybe not taken enough care of my teeth in light of not having the looming threat of dental visits twice a year to keep me in line, and was worried I might have some cavities. In some of the only English Ruth could speak, she congratulated me for not having any, but it was necessary to go through some teeth whitening procedures, based on how I’ve got “coffee teeth”. She made a mold on my teeth and used that to make a plastic thing that fits over my teeth. I then fill that with this whitening cream she gave me, before going to bed and then removing it in the morning. While going through this process, I’m not allowed to drink coffee or tea, no colored pop, and no oranges or lemons, no really hot food or really cold food.
In other words, no happiness.
This was all ridiculously cheap compared to what I’d pay in Canada–which is part of the reason I’d never gone since I didn’t have any insurance for it. I paid 189 sols–which would be about $70 at the moment. So other than the inconvenience of not having any happiness, I’m pleased about being able to do something so important for so cheap while I’m down here. I will see her tomorrow to determine if I need to go longer (for the love of coffee, NO!), but I anticipate taking them for a few more days–my teeth are not so yellow no more, but definitely not bright white or anything.
On Thursday and Friday much of Lima was shut down for some crazy celebration here with over 20 presidents of other nations–mostly from South America and Europe–were meeting for some kind of summit about helping the poverty and hunger in Peru with exporting some of their products–like all these unique varieties of potato they have. There’s a picture below of a picture of a giant inflated potato that looks like it has eyes on it. If you were wondering why, now you know that it was part of a parade.
I preached again this past Saturday night, and this time for my largest group, which was at Catedral De Fe, where my interpreter attends and works as receptionist. Unlike the other occasions so far where I would preach my heart and share what God had given me, they asked me (through Sara, the interpreter) if I could preach on sharing your faith. That’s easy. So I got a few of my Scriptures together to make it Biblical, and then just shared some funny and not so funny stories from experience mostly geared about methods, but most importantly–getting out of one’s comfort zone. I am told it went over well.
As per part of the title I gave this entry (for effect), I’m not satisfied with what I shared that night, because the next morning in the shower it hit me like a ton of barking chickens that I never adequately taught on the cross and Christ crucified. In my endeavor to correct some mistakes that are commonly done in the Body of Christ, I didn’t appropriately explain the most important aspect of all. I totally took for granted that these youth would already know the way to be saved. Nobody I asked had noticed it or deemed it a problem, but still, I repented and have vowed never to make that mistake again.
On Sunday we went to Pachakutec, which is about an hour away from Lima, where people seem to live in shacks and might have running water. A missionary I’ve met through Dean lives and works there and directs a mission that evangelizes to a lot of children, leading Bible studies and games and so on, as depicted in the pictures below from my visit.
Then on Monday I went with Ron Smith, the FIRE International missionary here, to Chincha and Pisco. Pisco was there epicenter of the big earthquake last August, killing many thousands of people and destroying much property. Ron has a program he initiated called “Feed My Starving Children” where he gets an order of food where each rice and dried meat packet contains 23 or some number of vitamins that if the children eat only this meal, they’d get all their necessary vitamins.
This initiative is something that keeps him particularly busy, and he invited me for the day long road trip down there and back. In fact, it was eye opening, because given the fact that only 1% of Peruvians live at a standard of living of the area of Lima I’m staying in, I still hadn’t really left Lima (it’s a HUGE city, somewhere around 13 million people is what I’ve been told). So to see more huts in the mountains and shacks that apparently 45% of Peruvians live in was eye opening for me, and broke my heart further for this place.
Now, I’m at Dean’s apartment chilling and trying to edit another healing podcast I recorded with Dan before coming here. On Friday I’m going with Rolando–a good friend of Dean and a local here–to central Lima where apparently it’s dangerous for a North American like me to go to alone, and with his reputation he’s going to help me get a good podcasting microphone for only $70. I’ve finally caved and decided to try improving the quality of our shows, given that more and more people outside of The Netherlands listen. I don’t know how soon before posting a new FIRE On Your Head show with the new mic, but I can’t wait to use it and have it in place.
This trip has gone so fast, and it’s hard to believe I’ll be home late next week. I really don’t want to leave. Tomorrow I’m going to a town or village named Tarma. Whatever it’s called, it’s near the Chilean border about an 8 hour bus ride to get there and I’m told if I haven’t gotten sick to my stomach on this trip yet (which–praise God–I have not gotten sick like some other people)–then that this trip would do the trick! We shall see, and I’m sure it will make a great experience/story to share.
My next week before going home is not specifically planned out, but I shall make the best use of it.
Blessings, and fire on your heads!
Ciao!
