Back from Peru

What follows is my best attempt at condensing a week long missions trip in Lima Peru into a short blog post written over a few minutes of my lunch break.

I'll start with a few basic facts. John and I joined my church (Fountain of Grace) and another Christian Missionary Alliance church (Elizabethton Alliance Church in Tennessee). Our team of 27 people traveled out on Sunday morning to join the Alliance Churches in San Jaun de Lurigancho, a district of Lima Peru of about 1 million people. The Alliance church is thriving. They have a large church and then many smaller sector churches that meet throughout that area.

Our team was involved in several different ministries during this trip: children's vbs, medical, eye and dental clinics, evangelistic meetings, gospel presentations at local schools, drama presentations, ladies meetings, youth meeting, and Bible training seminars for church leaders put on by three of the pastors that came.

This was my second time to be a part of a trip so I wasn't surprised at the poverty, but it still was a reminder of how little some people have. But as Amanda who was on the trip with me said so well, what the people there really need is not the stuff we have, but the Savior. This world is temporary. I think sometimes we get to liking our lives here a bit too much.

One ministry that I was privileged to have a closer look at on this trip was the medical ministry. On two of the mornings, John and I were able to hang out taking pictures and video of the medical, dental and vision ministry.
Seeing people receive glasses and better sight was a joy. But the more exciting part was seeing the care at which the local church volunteers took in sharing Christ with the people that were coming to the clinics.

I don't have all the pictures I'd like to post yet. And I don't have enough time to talk about my upcoming move to Ohio on Sunday, but more will come eventually.