We are home!

We are home and are so thankful for all that God did in us and through us during our amazing mission trip!  Due to internet issues and limited time (and the need for sleep), we were not able to keep all of you nearly as updated as we would have liked.  Sickness hit all 3 of us toward the end of the trip, making the trip home a challenge for Megan and me.  It has taken me several days to recover enough to write this post.

Wow!  Where do I start?  Three of our six ministry days were each spent in a different community in Lima.  It was eye-opening for us to see the living conditions in these poor areas.  In the mornings of these days, we played with the children, painted faces, invited people to the drama performance, and helped with laundry (one of the days - done by hand in a tub). Some members of our team washed children’s hair.  I helped brush one girl’s hair after she had had it washed…yes, I saw lice nits.  (I was told that we do not do anything about the lice because the kids will just get it again.) After eating lunch on the bus (peanut butter and jelly, Nutella, honey, or marshmallow fluff sandwiches), the cast put on their costumes and makeup.  We attracted people from the community by playing music and dancing.  Children and adults gathered around the cement soccer field or the designated dirt area to watch the 22-minute drama, which presented an allegory of the Gospel message.  After the drama, with the help of a translator, someone from our team explained the drama and someone else shared a short testimony.  Before we left, we talked and prayed with the people in small groups with translators.  It was amazing to pray with people about needs in their lives and to pray with them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  For those who did not have a church, we wrote down their contact information so that a local church could follow-up with each person.

One of the other ministry days was a Saturday, and we presented the drama in some public areas where people were gathered for recreation.  First, we did it in a park.  The other two performances were done in two different amphitheaters.  Another day, we presented the drama at 3 different schools.  The children were so excited that we were there and enjoyed interacting with us after the drama.  Our last ministry day, we presented the drama at a market, complete with hanging chickens and other meat, and another park.  During our 9 days in Peru, our team presented the drama 11 times.  Each time, lives were impacted for the Lord.

After ministry each afternoon, our team (Team 1) returned to our hotel where we joined the other 2 teams for dinner and FUAGNEM (Fired-Up And Going Nuts Every Minute), which was a time of worship and Biblical teaching.  God did amazing work in all of our hearts during these evening events.

During the trip, we were encouraged to prepare our testimonies and were given opportunities to share them with others.  This process helped to increase my confidence to share my faith with others.  I loved how we were each given opportunities and nudges to do things that were out of our comfort zones.  When we stepped out in faith, God helped us.

One highlight of the trip was meeting the amazing people on our team and some who were on other teams.  Megan, Savannah, and I greatly enjoyed making many new friends.  We miss them a lot!

Next year, Big World Ventures is going to Guatemala, and we would love to go.  (Many people participate in these trips year after year.)  We are praying about God’s plan for us.  If any of you feel called to do a mission trip next summer, we would highly recommend this trip for all ages.  One woman on our trip is in her 60s and pulled around her oxygen with her everywhere that we went.  You would not believe the health problems that she has, but she does not let anything stop her, and God used her in mighty ways to impact many lives.  Please let us know if you are interested.

Thank you so much to all of you who supported us in prayer and financially to make this trip possible.  We are very grateful!  It truly was a life-changing experience!

-Mindy