Oh, How He Loves Us!

God, you are beyond amazing. I had thought that my last post was the last post for 2011 but I can't not blog about what God did today. Today, Luchin and I had stuff to do and we were on our way to catch the bus when my cell rang. In the depths of my cavernous purse. The first miracle was that I heard it ring and answered on time. I ususally never hear my cell phone ring in my purse. Jose Luis, one of the youth from the streets was on the other end in a panic. He had just been kicked out of his girlfriend's family's home and now had nowhere to go. Luchin and I delayed our plans and went to meet him in Ciudad. He told us parts of why he was kicked out but it was no surprise really, as his breath reeked of alcohol from the night before and he regularly smoked pasta and snorted coke. We fed him, made him drink jasmine tea to sober him up a bit and just listened to him and counselled him. He wanted to change, he said. We counselled him, spoke to him at length about real change and not just temporary change just to get a bed for a night. We sat there wondering where we could have him stay. 


Luchin had to go get something checked at the hospital so we decided we were just going to take Jose Luis with us until we could figure out where he could stay and he seemed to like the idea as his face lit up when I said, "well, you're coming with us and hanging out with us until we find a place for you". Enroute, he mentioned that his wrist hurt a bit as he had fallen about 3 days ago. Since we were headed to the hospital anyways, we figured he might as well get it looked at. We spent the entire day at 2 hospitals. The first one to get xrays done and to have the doctor do a diagnosis. Jose Luis had been drunk when he fell because he couldn't remember and had been high and drunk for most of the time so it hadn't hurt too much. However, as the day wore on and he being with us, and having had no access to drink and drugs started to feel the pain on his wrist  as the effects of the drugs and alcohol from the night before wore off. It became evident why the pain was unbearable when the xray showed that his wrist was broken in 2 areas. We then got sent to a state hospital where they set his wrist. I was just in awe at the fact that we were going to the hospital anyway and he mentioned that his wrist was hurting and so we got it  checked. I shudder to think that if he never called today, that the probability of his wrist getting set would be zero and the chances of him getting it infected and not being able to use his wrist properly would have been really great. God was definitely taking care of him. That took till about 6:30pm.


 Our next problem was finding him a place to stay. Luchin had called several rehab centres but they cost more than an arm and a leg per month and we could not register him as we are not family. The only one we know of that is Christian and does not charge was not answering our calls. Since Jose Luis does not have a DNI (ID), we could not get him a hotel room either and since he was fresh off the streets, we did not feel at peace to have him stay with us at our home. I kept praying that God would give us a solution, that He who takes care of sparrows would find a place for one that He loves to have a place to stay. At that moment, we were close to the church of a friend of ours, Pastor Juan and I knew that every Tuesday night his church has a prayer meeting. Luchin and I figured that at the very least we could take Jose Luis there and have others pray for him and a solution and maybe Pastor Juan would have a connection somewhere. We went in and after the meeting ended and we had talked to Ps Juan about the dilemma, he mentioned that his mother-in-law would most likely be able to help as she is very much in the know regarding rehab centres as she has had to deal with them personally. Another miracle? She was there at the meeting when she normally does not go and she told us later that she wasn't planning on going tonight but felt to go. We followed her home and she gave us some phone numbers and connected us to several people on the way, all of whom laid hands and prayed for Jose Luis. We kept telling him that God was showing him how much He loves him to create all  those connections so that he could go where God wants him to go and be safe. We finally got to Victory Centre, the Christian rehab centre that does not charge, but only asks for a minimal donation, at 10:45pm and finally registered Jose Luis at 11pm and left him in the capable hands of the people in charge. It is a centre that does not believe in capturing people against their wills to be rehabilitated and totally uses only the Word of God as their primary and only method of therapy. 


Luchin and I felt at peace and promised to come back for Jose Luis on the 3rd to take him in for the check up on his wrist. He was scared we were going to leave him there and never see him again. I told him no, we would be checking up on him and making sure he was all right and we would visit him once a month according to the rules of the centre. At 11:30pm tonight, Luchin and I headed for home, totally in awe of how God had put everything in place to bring about this miracle in the life of one he loves so much. Please pray for Jose Luis Arcos Tito that he will perservere and allow God to work a real change in his way of thinking and in his heart. 

Looking Back To Look Forward

Ahhhh yes, the close of a year and the beginning of another. 2011 has been a year of many miracles in my own personal life and also in the life of Siembra S.O.W., the ministry the Lord has called me to start up here in Lima. This blog was started with the intention of it becoming a personal blog but, because my life is so intertwined with that of the ministry as well as the fact that I'm not Shakira or Kim Kardashian  whose lives are so full and interesting, it ended up becoming a ministry blog with splatters of my personal life sprinkled into it. 


Siembra started out the year thinking it was headed in one direction, and even though I felt uncomfortable with some of the projects we were going to embark on, I kept going instead of stopping to take stock and see if that was what the Lord truly wanted because it was already on the agenda. And despite all that I was doing, the Lord kept shutting doors. I had moved to Jose Galvez, this area on the southern outskirts of Lima which to me might as well have been the ends of the earth, to live in a house that was seemingly perfect for the ministry and myself. It was, at the beginning and God brought the first Siembra team together during this time. I was starting to feel that perhaps the area was not the best area for the type of ministry we were doing when we couldn't find any homeless drugged out youth. I believe I was the only person in all of Lima at this time constantly begging people if they knew where the street youth lived and hung out. Most people ran the other way, I wanted to run to them. People thought I was nuts. Helpful neighbours introduced us to drug addicted gang members but they had homes and jobs. Not the ones we were looking for. The Home Refuge part of the ministry never flourished despite the fact that the Lord kept downloading ideas on how to sustain a Home as well as to teach the youth practical ways on how to manage small businesses. Yet, everything except the street ministry was a flop. Later, as I prayed into it and surrendered the idea over to the Lord, I realized that He never asked me to do the Home Refuge. He asked me, however, to do a Drop In Centre. The idea of the Home Refuge was originally that of a friend and I had taken on that idea believing it to be the logical way to do things as things are done here. At this point, things started to close drastically in terms of having a home refuge for street youth. The house became a hazard when water started pouring in through electrical outlets and the main box during the rainy season. The landlords started becoming odder. I made the decision to leave the house and felt like a total failure. The saving grace for me was that the street ministry was going well. 


I learned many things, however, when I lived in Jose Galvez. I learned how to use praise as a weapon against stuff that made the hair rose on the back of my neck at nights in the house. I learned how to not be afraid because the Word was in me and it came out through me as a promise for me and a weapon against the enemy. I learned that if God is for me, no one can come against me. I also made good friends with the people around me and saw what community was all about. The day I left for good, the lady across from the house who runs the little store received Jesus into her heart. My being in Jose Galvez was not in vain. God had used me to sow the Word there even though my original intention of being there never materialized. I knew in my spirit that the Lord wanted a drop in centre in Ciudad itself but with the failure of the Home Refuge fresh in my mind, I was reluctant to jump into it. That was 6 months ago. 


Today, I know the Drop In Centre is an idea from God. Confirmations come when I see the need for discipling and a quiet place to sit with the guys or women to listen to them; when they ask me where there is a place that they can come to talk to us; when I watch a movie that I know will touch their hearts and I have no place to be able to play it or to have a place to hold events or workshops for them. I have submitted my plans to my lawyer so he can draft up a good write up to present to the mayor of the district so that the Municipality will know what we are about. Yet, there is a voice in me that goes, "What if, you rent a place, put in money and time and no one comes? Isn't that a waste of money?" And then I also hear, "Obey me and you will see what I will do. Your job is just to obey me." So, I push on and up because I know whose voice I will listen to and obey. I have made mistakes but I will not let those mistakes keep me oppressed to the ground. I will push on and push up and keep going and rise up so that I can keep running the race that is set before me. I will trust that the Lord will lead me and keep shutting doors and opening doors that need to be opened and shut. It has been 6 months and I keep checking to see if He truly wants a Drop In Centre and the sense I get is that it is needed and so step by step I will take with the Lord holding my hand. He leads and I follow. 

So as one door shuts, I look forward to other open doors and windows for the year to come. We've seen guys come to the Lord, kick their habits because they want to, heard women say they need to change their lives when they thought we weren't listening, guys out of the blue telling us they want to change and accept the Lord. Sometimes, we take one step forward in victory and it seems like two steps back after. But all I know is that we are just to obey the Lord and follow His plans and designs for these diamonds in the rough. The Lord will touch the hearts of those He came to die for. I can't wait for the day when I will see them rise above their addictions to finish school, have a job and serve the Lord with all their hearts, minds and strength. 

You Just Never Know....

Last week in Ciudad we befriended a new working street girl, Cecilia. I spoke to her at length and found out that she attends the mormon church, teaches their bible in sunday school for adults, volunteers as a director for a school and is in charge of dealing with 700 parents. As far as she was concerned, the only thing wrong in her life is her prostitution. And she knew that had to change and talked about being a street vendor to get out of prostitution. Today, she told me that she is a licensed lab tech for orthodontic prosthesis but she worked for a dentist who didn't pay her very much and that she only wants to work for a Christian dentist now. It is interesting to note that when we want to take the easy route, we will justify anything and everything in our own heads so as not to have to do anything overly hard or difficult. Cecilia is able to work a proper job that will allow her dignity but she chooses the easy road; the path of less resistance. In doing so, she loses her dignity, self esteem, the core of who she is and walks farther away from God. 


We see a lot of this in Ciudad. And this is why our job is not easy. It's not just about converting someone to Christ. It's about getting them to be hooked on to Christ and then see that they truly need to change from the inside out, from their way of thinking to habitual behaviour. It's about having them learn to leave aside their pasts to move into the future and hope that God has planned for them. It's about helping them understand why they behave they way they do and how to change that. It's about truly just saying that our "problem" is really sin and there is only one  solution: repentance. I guess we are showing them that we choose to stick with them, choose to love them, to be their friends, to accept them despite what they do; that with them, we choose the harder road and that we will not give up on them. One day, the Lord will open their eyes to see Him, I just hope it's soon. For their sakes.


Today, I saw Angie, this girl from way back when who used to sell her body. Back then, the Lord gave me a precise Word for her and she left with tears. I saw her a couple of months after that and she told me she had stopped hanging out on the streets with the same people and was staying home more. I was happy for her. Today, she saw me and greeted me happily. I was pleased to see her and she looked really well. She has stopped hanging out on the streets of Ciudad and now works with her mom in her mom's carpintry workshop. It was a joy to see her and it touched me that she was happy to see us.  Jessica (of jessica and henry) saw me too and called out to me and she had both her kids with her. She said that she hangs out more at her mom's house now because the older boy is sick. I hope she decides to stay away from the streets more for the sake of her children.  Luis has not appeared since we saw him on his birthday. He has my number and email but has not contacted me. I want to know if he's ok. But this is how it is on the streets, we sow the seed of the love and the good news of the gospel and we have to pray lots and trust that the Holy Spirit will care for His own because so often after, we never know what happens to them as they're so transient. The fact that I haven't seen Luis is a good sign. I'm hoping he has gone to his uncles to live with them. 


Tonight it was Elizabeth, Luchin and me. When we went to see the working street girls, we split up  so that we could be more effective in conversing with them. I got to share how God has been blessing Luchin and I and it was good to just be able to share what God's doing in our lives and letting them know that God cares about the everyday details of our lives too. Luchin had to come "rescue" me later as this creepy man was lurking behind me while I was talking to the girls thinking that I was one of them. If there were no johns there would be no prostitutes. I think that the next time we're out there, we need to also talk to the johns. This job sure is interesting. I have to admit that I do love my life as it's never ever boring!!!


Your prayers are coveted, please do not stop praying for them and the ministry and us who lead it.   Thanks. 

Little by Little; Bit by Bit

I always learn new things which is good as it indicates that I am not dead. So, on the way to Ciudad tonight, I had to take a taxi as Fedex didn't show up with my parcel until 7:30pm. Talking to the cab driver, I found out he used to live in Ciudad, used to do drugs because of the people he hung out with and knew all of the guys out there. He was surprised there are still guys out there as he thought they had all moved downtown. I told him they are still there. He told me he left that lifestyle when his daughter was born and he completely left the area and the people and moved to a different area. I was encouraged by his story as he showed that this is not impossible. He kept saying he was old now but he's like 28 years old. I know in my heart that Luis can change. And we will continue to be there for him. 


He didn't show tonight. We didn't see him. Maybe that's good. But I want to feed him the word of God more, to give him a foundation to stand on when things get difficult. We will keep praying for him and be there for him. The cops were in abundance tonight. The guys were not permitted to be around us to even receive food. So Jorge and I left for the hospital area to see the street girls. Luchin could not meet up with us today so it was just the two of us. 


Walking on the sidewalk where the street girls work proved to be dangerous for Jorge tonight. A he/girl lunged at him as he walked by to try to seduce him and I was only a half step behind so I quickly stepped in turned to face the person and said, "Hi". Which calmed the person down. The transvestites don't like me, they won't talk to me at all and the hate on their face when they see me is incredible. The street girls are different. They greet us and ask about us and listen to us.  Later I told Jorge that by the hospital, the roles are reversed. I would have to protect him from the girls on that street!


One of the girls Katy asked about where she could go to meet me to converse about problems and such. I gave her my card and told her to call and we will go out for coffee and talk away from there. Later, we saw Susana, another Katy and 2 other girls whose names I can't remember. One of them, I have talked to extensively and I was sharing about Luchin and my wedding plans so as they gave their opinions on marriage, Jorge and I took the opportunity to teach them about how God sees marriage and sex without being judgemental of them. Then the Holy Spirit showed me the condition of one of the girl's heart whereby her heart was so fortified by chains and bars and walls that she had put up because she had been so abused and hurt by people. However, deep within was a little girl imprisoned, dying to get out and be free. I told her that. She told me that at night in her room when there is no one, she would cry and cry and cry all night to release all the pain she felt. But on the streets, she is hard as nails because no one was going to hurt her again. I sensed the Lord say to give her a real big hug so I asked her if I could. She laughed but I told her it was important that she knows that she does deserve to be hugged and loved without conditions attached. She let me hug her. And the others as well. As we left they had tears in their eyes. 


Claudia hasn't been there for a while. Hopefully that means she has changed for the better. Karina wasn't there tonight although I did call her last week. Little by little as we show them that we mean what we say, that we will love unconditionally and that we keep showing them that we are there for them, I know that they will start to see Jesus in us and let Him into their hearts too. 


Please keep praying for them. We hope to have a drop in centre by next year where they can come and just rest for a bit and not feel judged. Pray for that too please. 

Not In Vain : Luis' Story, A New Beginning

For some reason it felt darker in Ciudad tonight, physically and spiritually, even though the street lights were working fine. There was a lot of movement and not a lot of police presence. Jorge and I started out first as Luchin was going to be late. We prayed in our usual spot, at the door of the casino then headed to the usual areas. Jorge had a bag of clothes for Luis and in my heart, I was really hoping he would show up tonight. Most of them will say that they will show up but then they never do...time and space has no place in their lives as their movements and behaviour are lead by the drugs they smoke. But Luis showed up. A totally different Luis. 


He was cleaner and almost unrecognizable. He had clean clothes on and he had this amazingly huge grin on his face when he saw us. He couldn't wait to talk and tell us what was on his mind. I was in awe. The whole week, I had been thinking that I wanted to celebrate his birthday and since he received the Lord last week and his birthday is in November, it would be a great time to take him out for a chicken dinner to celebrate and also to have an opportunity to sit down and talk to him without distractions around. When I suggested that, his smile grew bigger, "Today is my birthday, I turn 18 today!" I squinted up at him menacingly with my tiny chinese eyes. "So, why did you lie to me and tell me you didn't know the date of your birthday?" I never mince words with them. I just go straight to the heart. "I don't know. But really, today is my birthday!" he said still with his huge grin. "I want you to know that you don't have to lie to us, Luis. You can always tell us the truth and we won't think badly of you. " "Yeah I know," he said. Meanwhile, I'm going in my head, "Dang, now what else did he lie about?" But then, I had to change my attitude. I was in their world and until they trust us, they will lie and hide things from us. But tonight, there was a change in Luis, a huge change and he couldn't stop wanting to tell us about his change. And I really didn't care if he had lied because I know that God will deal with him and transform him.


We went to a chicken restaurant and let him talk. He told us that after what we had told him last week, he couldn't stay the same. He couldn't live in filth and just exist the way he did, living beneath the bridge. So he decided that he had a future and he began to hope (yes, that is the power of the living God working in him!!) and the first thing he knew he had to change was the way he viewed himself. So he made a date with soap and water and got clean and felt better. Then he went to look for a place to rent. He found a place to rent for 10 soles a day in a hotel (rent is expensive for them cos they have no documents and fixed jobs, so no one will let them rent long term)  and he gave up smoking terokal 4 days ago and has stopped stealing. I asked him again if he had stopped smoking terokal and stealing and he said yes and he couldn't do it anymore because he felt bad. So he now works helping direct passengers to the minibuses and he makes about 10 soles  or a little more each day. Jorge told him to talk to his landlady about lowering his rent a little more in exchange for him cleaning the passageways or certain parts of the hotel. 


He started telling us that he also decided to stop living the way he did because he has a 3 year old daughter who lives with his ex girlfriend and her new boyfriend. And that through his sister in law, he found out that the ex girlfriend and boyfriend both beat his little girl and his main concern now is to get her out of there. I told him to not take matters into his own hands but to go through the proper channels of authority. But first, we need to help him keep bettering himself so he can help his daughter. And also to pray for God to lead and open doors in this case. He also wants to finish high school so he can attain his dream of becoming a cop. I told him that Siembra will and can help him if he truly wants that. He does. And Siembra will also help him go through the channels to help his daughter. 


Tomorrow I will check with Blanca, the policewoman in charge of children's rights in Lima on how to proceed with Luis' daughter's case.  In the evening, I will meet him at 6:30pm to take him to church with me. He wants to go. He has never been to church before nor does he know anything of God. And yet, God has never left him nor abandoned him. 


If you're reading this, please pray for Luis. And his daughter Anjeli. And us to know how we can keep helping him.  God is just awesome. 

His Strength is Made Perfect in My Weakness

It has been a while since I last posted an entry. Street ministry has never stopped, we go out every week each time praying for a God encounter for them, a victory to loose the chains of slavery to addiction. I may have been silent on the blogging front, but the work continues. It seems like we had been on a flatline for a while, trying to reach the street people while they didn't want to be reached. But tonight, it seemed like God reached down and something just happened. 


Luis is 17 going on 18 in November. He doesn't know the exact date of his birthday. He has lived under the Atocongo bridge for 2 years now, since his mom died and his dad remarried. He has no siblings and smokes terokal once a day. I love honesty like that when they tell you that they are addicts and do not try to hide it. He hangs out alone, robs to feed himself. He was sooty black. Everything on him, his skin included, is black. Not because he has African descent, but because he has probably not had an encounter with water and soap in a long while. His shoes are wide open, with black toes sticking out of them. We had never met him before now and he was open to talking with us and talk we did. We wanted to convey that we care for him, that he can call us and not have to be alone. We talked to him and at the end asked if he wanted Jesus in his life to transform it and to be able to live an abundant life. He had tears in his eyes and he wanted to be transformed. We prayed and he prayed and received Jesus in his life tonight. And Jorge told him he will get him clean clothes and shoes for next week. 


We talked to Jhonny too. And it turns out that he has received Jesus into his life before and had gone to church. That was before his addiction to marijuana and probably something else. He lives on the streets of Ciudad because he is running from responsibility; to his child and ex girlfriend and to his mom and siblings. He's 19. I started talking about the image of God that most of them have, that God is a God with a lightning rod waiting to strike down and punish, and he nodded at the picture. Then I told him that God is not that kind of a God, that He loves us so much and that He wants to bless us but it is us who decide to turn away from Him. Jhonny told me he knows the Word of God, having gone to church before. I told him it gives life, it never returns void. He said he knows. Then I said that he just needs to call on Jesus and right aways Jhonny quoted Jeremiah 29:12 word for word. We prayed for healing in all aspects, for his hand that was burned in a fight, for his heart that needs to be turned into a heart of flesh, for his mindset to be transformed by the living Word, for him to desire after the Lord instead of substances. He prayed with his own words as well. And promised to call with unshed tears in his eyes. 


We then took a bus to the Hospital area as we normally do, to talk to the street women there. It's still in the area of Ciudad, just 5 blocks away. Jorge had decided he wasn't going to speak to the women tonight. Generally, the guys in our group leave the talking to the street women to me or whichever female is there just so that the street women don't think that they are soliciting them for their services. However, he made a joke in the vicinity of one of them who is named Karina. She then thought he was there for her services but he quickly told her he was there to share about God. She opened up and told him that today, she had wanted to kill herself. And in the taxi that she was in, the taxi driver turned out to be a Christian who started sharing the Gospel with her without knowing what her intentions were. The Word of God calmed her down so that she didn't throw herself in front of a car after being dropped of.  She had wanted to throw herself off a building too. And now Jorge was there to talk about God. She wanted to listen because it had calmed her down in the taxi. He shared the Word and she received the Lord in her heart. And now she wants to go to church with us. She has my number and I have hers. I will be calling her for sure. 


Coincidences? Not a chance. Not a one. God's presence tonight was so evident and so palpable that those hearts melted before Him. He had gone before us and He has given us His favour and grace. The feeling in my heart is indescribable. All four of us were so thankful to have experienced such an amazingly tremendous night as His instruments out on the streets. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. 

6 Years in Peru

Where have I been? To tell the honest truth, it seems like everywhere. I don't think I can ever and will ever know how to relax and just sit. Yes, I am learning how to be still and know that God is God, that I am well aware that I need to do. However, if my life were just to be a regular life, with everything just going on as planned, I think I would waste away from boredom. Thank God I have God and because of that, my life can never be boring. 


Well, with our wedding coming up, Luis and I have had to run around getting prices for stuff. 99 days isn't that far away. We have been seeing how God's hand has been in all this, blessing us with blessings untold and unforeseen, through people who must love us very much. Something deep in me tells me that we will be able to pull off this wedding and also go on a honeymoon on the very tight shoe string budget that we have, just because our God is our Dad and He wants the best for us. And that through all of this, all the glory will go to Him. We are already seeing this. The costs of our wedding rings are already covered by friends, another friend is blessing us by paying for the wedding cake, people have been helping us get points through their shopping. God is good.


On the ministry front, we are working both ministries now, Luis' La Taba V and the one God has called me to do, Siembra S.O.W. La Taba V is a ministry that reaches out to the community through drama and comedy. And right now, Luis is working to raise it up by giving worskshops and cultivating talent within churches. Siembra is praying for God's timing to work alongside with the community of Ciudad de Dios to start up a drop in centre within Ciudad itself. I am not rushing into starting the project asap because I want to be sure I can be there most times and also for God to provide people who can work turns with me.  With our wedding in the works and me having to travel before, it just seems unwise to jump into having a drop in centre where I will be absent for most of the time. The work on the streets continue as we keep going down to offer food and the Word. 


This week, we had a group of guys hanging out with us and we had the chance to counsel a couple of them with the Word. they have questions, they need a place to go to and I know  that a drop in centre would give them a place to go where they can feel that someone will listen to them, a place where someone cares, a place where they can go without having their friends listen in on what they want to talk about. God's timing and hand in this is crucial in procuring a place that will not break us in rent. We are hoping that the municipality can help us in this area. 


Today marks my 6th anniversary here in Peru. Hard to believe I'm still here and probably going to be here for some time yet. I almost went home to Canada for good several times in my first 3 years. But I see now that God allowed me to go through everything I went through so I will learn how to get over myself. With that said, I can say that I still need to go through refining and molding but I hope that now, I can react in a way that Jesus will be seen in the fires of my refining. I was asked if I would have said yes to God if I knew all that I had to go through these last few years. Though I may not have started up movements that rocked the nation, though I have blundered through many situations, though I haven't done more, there have been lives that were touched. Lives that came to know the Lord, lives that returned to His feet, lives that needed to hear and know that He loves them, lives that needed to know how to love the Word, lives that got healed. So, I guess with all that said, I think I would still say yes to the Lord if I had known all that I would have had to go through. Even if God had sent me here for just one soul, it is worth it. Because that is His heartbeat. Every one of us. 

Seasons and Faith

I had written up my entire blog and then it got erased. Gotta love technology. I guess it has been incredible to me to see that every time I sit down to write my blog, something happens and I have to leave it and when I get back to it, it's weeks later.


Heavy on my heart is to have a drop in centre in Ciudad, to be more of a permanent presence there. Yet, I am only at the praying stage now, not willing to go ahead with it, scared that I will fail, scared that I stepped out on my own flesh. I guess the doors closing on the house in Jose Galvez has made me hesitant. In my previous blog I had mentioned that doors had closed to using the house there as a rehab centre. Yet, I know my time there was not in vain as God used me to minister to various people in the neighbourhood. However, that does not lessen my fear of starting something up in Ciudad now. I guess if it had to do with me alone, it would be one thing. But now that it has to do with a ministry which people are supporting and blessing, I am scared to take steps. Yet, it remains heavy in my heart. It sucks in a sense because what stops me other than my fear that I am doing this of my own flesh is that we lack resources for the rental of a place and also labourers for the harvest. Right now, it's just me and Luis, my fiance, and when we have the drop in centre, it will only be me covering it all the time. That is not wise as many things can happen especially since I am dealing directly with drugged up youth. I am in no position to pay anyone to work with me but unless I do that, I don't think I will have anyone. However, I don't think paid workers are needed but people who have a heart, a love and a calling to do this work. 


In the last weeks, we saw God's hand in the streets. We got Henry his ID card which was the only thing stopping him from working a real job and he didn't have money to get one, and we found out that he is now working at a warehouse for one of Peru's largest departmental stores. We also got invited to Claudia's (a street worker) house to share the gospel with her husband but we ended up sharing with her cousin Yolanda who has had a constant migraine headache for a very long time and who had gone to witchdoctors to get cured and been made to drink dog's blood. We shared the truth of the gospel with her and she joyfully accepted the Lord and last night we spoke to Claudia and she said that Yolanda's headache is slowly going away. Our God is a healer God! Claudia knows the Word, was preaching it to her cousin when we were there but is still pulled to work the streets. Having a drop in centre would perhaps get her to visit us and talk and perhaps through that she would see Jesus in a tangible way and not as mere words on the street. All I know is I have to trust the Lord because His ways are not mine and they are higher. And nothing is impossible with Him.


We will keep doing what we do, it is not in vain. I have asked the Lord several times, is this in vain? People have told me that it is in vain. Some days, it gets really discouraging. Yet, every time I ask my Lord that question, He shows me that it truly is not in vain and to keep going. Perhaps we are not reaching hordes and multitudes of people but the one life we might touch with the love and truth of the Gospel of Salvation might be the one to totally change and transform all of Ciudad and beyond for the Lord. I will keep believing and doing because my God is a big God.

New Directions

It has been almost a month since my last blog. I apologize for my tardiness and although there is no excuse, I do have to say that my personal life got super crazy and busy in the last 2 months and also due to some other changes that happened in Ciudad, there was nothing to write about. Shocking, huh? I got engaged about 2 months ago and all of a sudden, my life got all hyped up with a lot of drama and activity like meeting new friends and family, particularly people from my fiance, Luis' life. Then came a whole bunch of wedding planning which we're still doing, just that it's a whole lot more manageable right now and not so overwhelming like at the beginning when people would continually ask me what I had planned and what decorations I was getting, etc, etc. when I had absolutely no clue how to even begin. In Ciudad, there was a heavy police presence for the last few weeks and we could find none of the street youth. Not a one. Poor Luis had to eat a lot of sandwiches those few weeks. We also learned that aside from that, they did not come anywhere near me because they thought that Luis is an undercover cop. Oops. Once we learned that, we set things right and they are appearing again.


Last week, we talked to this couple, Jessica (18 years) and Henry (21 years) and found out that the reason he wasn't working a real job was because he had lost his DNI (ID) and he didn't have the money to get another one. They have a baby, Emmanuel and a 3 year old son, Joshua who lives with her mom. They rent a room for 20 soles a night which is a lot.  In talking with them, Henry demonstrated that he wanted to work. He does love the baby and Jessica. It shows. So we told them we would pay for the paperwork of getting the duplicate DNI. They followed through and showed up each time we said to meet so we could go and do the paperwork. Well, Henry should be able to pick up his DNI this Wednesday and his younger brother said he will try to get him work in the warehouse of Saga Falabella, a huge departmental store here. It made me glad to see that we could help in a tangible and practical way to help this couple learn to fish for themselves. We sowed the Word too and we hope that in time, they will see us as people who really want to help them and will also come to us because they see Jesus' love operating through us. 


Luis, another youth (aka Naño) and I talked extensively last week when I brought them sandwiches. At the end of our conversation, he invited Christ into his life. He is 22 years old. Been smoking pasta for the last 8 years, too embarassed to tell me that he works as a beggar musician in the buses. I went to look for him tonight but he wasn't there. I haven't seen Luis Enrique or Carlos for a very long time and I'm scared for them.


Tonight, I met Daniel who smokes marijuana. He's 20. Been smoking it for the last 7 years. I don't understand when people say that weed is a herb. If it's just a herb, you could stop whenever you want to. If it's a drug that causes addiction, you will be controlled by it. Why is it that they don't see that? I shared Jesus with him and tried to make him see that he needs a different lifestyle. He gave me his phone number. I desperately want to find him a job to at least give him a push, some sort of motivation to  do something in the day. 


Later on, I met Felix (17 years old), his girlfriend, Lucero (18 years old), their daughter Genesis (7 months) and Felix's cousin, John Howard if that's his real moniker (16 years old). They rent a hotel room for 30 soles a day. I don't know how they make 30 soles a day. They work in the buses, selling candy and doing comedy. I want to help them work real jobs. 


I know that Siembra, our NGO, needs to have a drop in centre in Ciudad and that is what we're praying into now. A place where they can come during the day to rest, to talk, to eat, to seek help. I also know that somehow we need to find those who are capable of working, real jobs so they can start moving ahead. Right now, we need prayer for God to lead us regarding the drop in centre (the rehab centre will have to be in the future because God has to provide us with land outside of Lima to do that) and to provide jobs for some of them and also funding. Please also pray for Luis (Naño), Luis Enrique, Carlos, Anderson, Henry, Jessica, Daniel, Alex, Felix, Lucero, Jhon Howard, Oscar, Carla to name a few. We also need more workers who have a heart to work with street youth.

Valley of Dry Bones

It has been a long time since I made an entry. The last few times we were in Ciudad  nothing really happened. It has been hard looking for the guys. We haven't been able to talk to them or find half of them. Sometimes, it seems as though we take one step forward and two steps back.    We started off with Carolina, Vladimir and Milagros as a team, then lost them one at a time to job situations. We still have Milagros and I am truly grateful for that. On the bright side, Jose and his sister have joined us as has Luchin, my fiance. But it seems that it is more elusive now to find the guys on the streets. In the meantime, the plans for the refuge or the home to get them off the streets have been placed on hold. Every door to get it going has closed, yet, God keeps placing ideas in my head on how to work the home and I finally figured out that God's vision is much bigger than mine and that I was thinking to start small but God wants to go big. And so we will have to wait until God provides everything needed for His bigger vision regarding the home. In the meantime, we focus on the street and how we can be more effective out there. 


At this point, I have to admit that I do feel like a failure, that I have failed. With the plans for the home part postponed, and having difficulty meeting up with the street youth I do feel in  a sense that I have failed. Yet, I know I cannot leave my post. I know that Ciudad is where God has called me to be and where He has placed me. But I see no fruit. I see nothing. It seems like a whole valley of dry bones out there and I'm calling them to come to life, but nothing is happening. I see nothing. Yet, the Lord tells me to keep going, to be faithful to what He has called me to do. He tells me that He will be faithful to His ministry and that I need to keep being faithful even though I see nothing. It is not easy. I feel like I have failed people, their expectations. Yet the Lord says to keep going. 


So I will keep going. I will take one step at a time. I will search for the guys. I will keep walking out there even though it seems like nothing. Even though I see nothing. I will keep going, I will keep searching, I will keep praying and I will keep sowing. I will be faithful to do my part and prepare the land for the rain. And God will be faithful on His end to bring the rain when He is ready. I can't be a failure. Because I am more than a conqueror. I can't be a failure because of He who lives in me. I can't be a failure because when I am weak, I am strong. I can't be a failure even though I feel like one because He is the One who has called me to this, and He is the One who will grow His ministry. 


All I can do and will do is to be faithful. Because He is faithful.

A Milestone Reached

Last week when we were in Ciudad, we were made aware that the storeowners thought that we were prostitutes, not by what we were wearing, but because all the girls that we were always talking to, even though they had their babies, were prostitutes. That was good to know although it was not nice to know. The one guy we saw, Diego, didn't want us to hang around too long cos he wanted to go rob someone. It was kind of a damper night.


Tonight, I asked the Lord if He would give me a sign to let me know that what we were doing is worth it or just something in vain. I was by myself and felt discouraged because I saw nothing, no change, and I hate going down there by myself. So I asked the Lord if He would show me something tonight. I was also tired of constantly searching for the guys all the time. I checked all the usual haunts and as I walked past the bus stop, one of them called out to me. Alex is his name. I recognized him by the cuts on the left side of his face.  The came a couple, Yesica and Henry and their baby Emmanuel. We talked about the name Emmanuel and Josue which is Joshua in English which is the name of their oldest son. And Yesica asked me about my Yeshua tattoo. While we talked, Angie came along and when I asked her what she does out there, she kinda gave me a sheepish smile and tried to lie. Right aways I felt that the Lord was giving me a word for her. I told her later that she is worth a lot and she doesn't have to sell her body to live and that she doesn't have to do what her boyfriend wants all the time. I gave her some more words that the Lord placed on my heart and she teared up. 


Luis Enrique showed up tonight and it was good to see him after such a long time. He was excited tonight as he told me he's going to be a dad and that his girlfriend is 3 months pregnant. I talked to him some and asked him what he was going to tell his child when he was old enough about what he does for a living. Luis Enrique said he needed to change. He told me he wasn't hanging around the others anymore but that he still needs to rob because he can't get a job. I told him we will find a job for him so he can stop doing what he's doing. While we were talking, a fight broke out amongst three guys. I started backing away from the group as I didn't want to get caught up in the middle of a fight.


From the periphery, I observed a lot. Alex immediately came to my side and Luis Enrique started to put himself between me and the guys who were fighting and tried to push them away saying "La hermanita esta aqui, que les pasa?" (The little sister is here, what do you think you're doing?) and made sure I was covered at all times. It was good to see what they think of me. After that was over, Luis Enrique asked about going to church and I said I would come by and get him on my way to church on Thursday evening. He mentioned it several times before he left. I invited Angie too and she lighted up and said she would be there at the bus stop on Thursday as well. 


Alex was more receptive tonight as I spoke into his life and he allowed me to pray for him. Then on my way home, as I was about to get on the bus, another guy yelled from the pavement, "Gracias hermana, por tu pan!" (Thank you sister for the bread!) . I think I got the sign I was looking for from the Lord. It was clear tonight that it is worth it all and I am never more alive than after being out on the streets with them, sharing the Word and just loving them. I love my job!


Please pray that Luis Enrique and his girlfriend and Angie will show up on Thursday and pray pray pray that Luis Enrique really wants to change and that we will find a job for him. 

Straight Up and Straight Through the Heart

I didn't want to go to Ciudad tonight. My body is fighting a cold and the last thing I wanted to do was go there especially when I would be alone as Milagros and Carolina couldn't make it. But I made the sandwiches, pulled on a sweatshirt and left the house. The weather is way colder now and the sweatshirt over my short sleeved T shirt did not cut it, I was cold. I wondered if I would see any of them tonight. Last Saturday I could not go and Carolina told me that they couldn't find any of the guys even after praying and walking all over the place. Honestly, tonight, I was so cold and my head was so heavy that all I cared about was my bed. I decided that if I didn't meet any of them, I'd just give the sandwiches away and get on the next bus home. 


The area that we used to go to all the time before was flooded and several streets below that area was flooded as well. It was awful; filthy water running through the streets like a river. I plucked my way through the water, hoping that the motor taxis would be considerate enough to not drive through the water quickly to splash the water up at pedestrians. I couldn't deal with getting wet with filthy water on top of feeling yucky. No one was at the corner where we used to go to. The flood did not make for a great hang out place. I went to the other street that was quieter, no one there either. I was ready to go home by this point and just wanted to get rid of the sandwiches when I decided to walk along the bus stop area in front of the market. I ran into Anderson who had big attitude today and it was a good thing he didn't hang around too long. Met Alex who had knife cuts all on one side of his face and  said he had gotten into a fight the night before. While talking to him, two other guys walked by and started mocking us, telling me I should bring Alex to a rehab centre and other unmentionable stuff. With the way I was feeling, I wanted to deck them. Instead, I turned the tables on them and said that they look like they need to go to rehab themselves so why would they point the finger at someone else. Anyways, what was really funny was that the Holy Spirit had me focus on one of the two guys and I ended up talking to him most of the night and giving him straight truth, no holds barred a la Adeline. And he listened. I didn't mince any words, just direct, straight through the heart truth and it hit him. He had me pray for him at the end and asked me to keep praying for him. His name is Carlos, yes another Carlos. 


William came by later and gave me candy for me and Carolina and then Carlos gave me a charm bracelet, one of the ones he sells on the combis. That was kinda neat cos most of them take but don't give so it was something different. I guess when I left, I felt that it was worth it to have gone out there tonight, and because I was feeling yucky, I didn't care if they were going to hear or not, I just went straight for the heart with the truth of the gospel the way I operate best and something shifted for me. I didn't care if they felt that they could trust me or not. I was there to help them, to help them see that through Jesus, there is an alternative and another opportunity to have a real life and it doesn't matter if they lie to me, manipulate me, whatever. If they never trust me to speak truthfully to me, it doesn't matter. But what matters is that I give them the truth of the gospel, straight up and straight to the heart and tonight I realized that I will do that, keep doing that, not mince words and not worry about them trusting me or not. It's not about me, it's about Him and He is the only One who can set them free. 


Oh and by the way, I didn't see a single robbery tonight. Pretty good huh? 

This is war.

I went to Ciudad today to meet up with Milagros the girl who sells cell phone calls as we had agreed to meet today to hang out. She never showed and Carla who was there said she hadn't seen her all morning. Then Carla told me about the burial today. I was a little confused thinking it was for Jose Carlos who was killed last Thursday but he had already been buried. Then she told me it was for Felipe who was killed by a combi last night as he was running. I know he was running away after robbing someone and was probably being chased and that was why he never saw the combi that hit him. Two deaths in one week. 


What bugs me is that they still think they're invincible and can get away with it all. I don't want to lose any more guys or girls. This is war. The enemy cannot do this anymore , not to them, not anymore. If you're reading this please pray for them, all of them who are lost and are the walking dead out there; please pray for their salvations, for them to be turned back to God and to choose life, for their hearts of stones to be changed into hearts of flesh, for the dry bones to live and rise up! Satan is trying to kill an entire generation and the generation that comes after; please don't let him. Please pray along with us for them.


With God, nothing is impossible, will you agree with me on this and pray for the youth in Ciudad?

Just Another Regular Night....

As I arrived at Ciudad in the bus tonight, a now very common scene unfolded before me; another guy being chased by thieves on the sidewalk except that this guy got away and the thieves, in frustration jumped onto a big city bus through the open back door, ran through it targeting cell phones easy for the picking. I really can't believe the audacity of these guys because as they were about to leave without getting anything, one of them saw a guy sending a text message on his cell phone in the seat just ahead of the back door and he leaned so far in, I couldn't believe the victim didn't feel his breath on his ear, and in one swift movement, the thief grabbed the cell phone out of the victim's hands and voila! just another regular robbery on the streets of Ciudad. This is truly becoming the norm of my opening paragraph every week. I guess I should write when there is no robbery instead. 


Tonight, we were told the guys no longer hang out at the same corner so we prayed to find them and went searching. We found them 2 blocks away, most of them in full work mode. Luis Enrique was there and he pretended that we did not exist. I don't get offended anymore because this is the way they are. However, later I realized why he ignored us. He was in work mode and every time he is with us, the Holy Spirit gobsmacks his conscience and he can't rob anyone after that and him being "at work" looking for pickings at that moment meant that he could not associate with us because he wouldn't be able to do what he thought he needed to do. God is working. 


We met new guys. Ronnie, Anibal, Jonathan, William. And they treated us with the same respect as the others normally do. God answered a prayer tonight in having us meet this group of newbies. The cops moved us away from the main drag and where we ended up being at was a great spot for being able to converse with them without distractions. Words of life got sown a lot tonight. I'm thankful for that. We found out that on last Thursday, one of them got killed with a knife to his chest by some other guys over a girl. He was around 18 and had a child by the said girl. His name was Jose Carlos Mata Gutierrez. I don't know if I know him but I name him here because he is not a nobody, not an invisible person. He mattered to many people who knew him even though he was involved in vices that hurt him and others. He was a living breathing person whose life was taken prematurely and violently. 


God actually protected Milagros and I lastThursday afternoon from being witnesses to this murder. We actually had made arrangements to meet up with our Carlos for lunch and we were there at 1pm and he did not show up. We looked for him for about a half hour and when we couldn't find him we decided to leave Ciudad to hang out together and have lunch elsewhere. If we had met Carlos, we would have still been there at Ciudad when the murder happened at 3:15pm close to where we had normally hung out with the guys. I know the time of it as one of the guys has the police report/certificate of the homicide and he showed me it. I have no idea how it got in his possession and I didn't ask. At first I was worried that the youth who passed away was our Carlos as we didn't see him tonight either. But our Carlos does not have a child and one of his names is Lucero and the other is Flores so I can seriously breathe a sigh of relief knowing it was not him.


Milagros the girl who works selling cell phone calls was friendlier tonight and we set up a time to meet next week to have lunch and hang out. She doesn't belong on the streets nor is she involved in any of the vices. She is a single mom who lives there and works there and she's actually a sweet person. On the way home, in the combi/micro (van used as a bus), the fare collector fell out of the combi and almost got run over by the same combi. As we pulled into a bus stop, he opened the sliding door, lost control of the door and fell out but he managed to keep his balance and grabbed onto something and I'm assuming it's the outside door handle  which allowed him to run alongside the combi until it stopped instead of being dragged under it. That was freaky. Nothing is normal on Saturday nights apparently.


Please pray for more labourers as there is only the three of us and we're all women. We need men in the field too, especially Godly men who can counsel and are able to love them with the Word of God.

My Socks Got Blessed Right Off!

 Today has been a very eventful day. A few weeks ago Siembra S.O.W. was blessed with some money and I have felt to get furniture for the refuge house with it like bunkbeds, mattresses, tables, stove/oven and possibly couches to begin with. I priced the bunkbeds first and they were a decent price but I hummed and hawed, not sure if I should get them. Then this week, I was introduced to Mercado Libre which is Peru's answer to Craigslist and I found 2 sets of bunk beds listed for about 60 soles less for each of them than what I had seen and they were of better quality wood and a larger size. After asking the vendor a few questions, I bought them unable to believe that they were still available. He came today with his wife, set up the bunkbeds in the dark (there isn't a light fixture to screw in a lightbulb in that particular room yet) while I used my cell phone as a flashlight. Then it turned out that the bed slats were a separate price altogether but they had failed to mention that in their listing so when he found out I didn't know about that, he waived it. I ended up paying an incredibly good price for  beds of high quality wood with free installation and slats. The guy actually lost money on this transaction but he wanted to do it even though I asked him 3x if he was sure. God sure is blessing His ministry.

This is the picture of one of the bunkbed listing in Mercado Libre. This is not how the actual room is for the guys, it's not even the house. :-but it's the bed for sure!!!

Milagros and I went to Ciudad today with a friend of hers, Erika. The guys were in full workload. As we got off the bus, three guys beat up a guy to steal from him on the street. No one lifted a finger to help the victim and we didn't know the three guys who were doing the stealing. Oscar was there, but Oscar ignores us and only comes near us when he is hungry. he wasn't hungry tonight and wouldn't even look at Milagros when she talked to him. Carlos was there and we spoke to him and every time I tell him how much we care about him, he tears up, even though he was half high today. I told him that we'll keep trying to be in touch with him because as soon as the refuge house is ready, and he wants to get off the streets, he definitely has a place all ready for him. He teared up. Then gave us big hugs. Milagros and I will meet up with him on Thursday to take him out for lunch and to be able to speak with him personally and away from the streets. I can't wait. 


The girls were non responsive today, staying and talking only within their tight circle. Aside from Carlos, there were no other guys out tonight, probably all working in some form or other. We saw a guy drive by in his car and about four girls selling themselves got into his car. The look he gave them was so lecherous, it made my skin crawl. Erika was wide eyed to everything that she was seeing and learning about and I wonder what she thought about it all. I didn't have the time to ask her tonight as we left Ciudad late and I had to catch my bus to get home. 


Even though most of the time it seems like nothing's happening, God is working on the inside of people and even if all we rescue is Carlos, it's worth it all. Please keep praying for Carlos, Oscar, Luis Enrique and all of them. They need you to care, more than they know it. 

The Stars In The Night Sky

Sometimes I am at odds at what I should do and what I do. Especially out on the streets. An older man got robbed last Saturday but did not get hurt in the process and while I did not see all of it, I caught the tail end of it. It is a fine line I walk, negotiating between doing what is right and keeping my mouth shut to gain the confidence of those I am called to serve. I could not say a thing to the police because that would completely annul every shred of trust I have built with the street youth. Yet, someone got robbed. It's such a strange world out there on the streets of Ciudad, codes of ethics and behaviours that are compassionate on one hand and yet, cruel on the other. For someone like me who sees in black and white, it is a world most difficult to manouever.


The man gets robbed, the thief grabbed his wallet from his pant pocket and takes off; the victim runs a few feet after him and his keys fall out from his pocket onto the street. The girls I was sitting with all yelled at another guy to pick up the keys to return them to the victim. While the guy goes to pick up the keys, the victim decided to chase after the thief and thus, did not realize that his keys had fallen out of his pocket. I watched, listened and mulled over it. Those girls are all with guys who steal and consume drugs. They all know what is right and wrong, they hate what their partners do but they choose to stay with them still, many of them spending days and hours out on the sidewalks with their babies, waiting for their boyfriends to be done with their "jobs". They watch as innocent people get robbed, saying nothing, like me, yet, they feel compassion to call for another person to return the victim's keys to him. I wonder, would the feelings of compassion and right and wrong die within them as they get accustomed to seeing delinquent behaviours happen regularly? Would their children grow up thinking it is normal?


I guess this is how hearts get hardened, how compassion and love and value of life dies eventually. I sit there, I watch and try to make sense of what I see around me. I don't understand on a heart level although I do in a psychological and pathological manner. I don't understand why there are older women with suckling babies sitting on the sidewalks selling candy when they say they have husbands who work but that they are there selling candy because they are bored staying at home. I watch as their teenage daughters hang out with people of questionable characters. Does ignorance override common sense? Or is common sense a learned trait?


I sat with teenage girls that night, all with babies in their arms and some with babies in their wombs, all waiting out there for their guys to finish "working". By 18, most of the girls already have 2 children. I asked some of the guys if they ever think about what they want to do for their futures and most of them figure that what they have is pretty good. I asked if the thought ever crossed their minds that they might get caught and be sent to prison some day. They looked at me as if I was crazy. They're invincible and cannot fathom the possibility of that or anything else happening to them. To someone else but not to them. It's a pretty good life that they have going. But the girls who live with them? The babies who are their children? Their thoughts only go as far as themselves. 




I sat with the girls that night and wanted to shake some sense into them. They know they have no futures with the guys that they're with. They know that one day they might never see the father of their children again. Yet, the heart, the ever irrational heart rules over them and they will stay with the guys and make no demands whatsoever. They will stay and accept the lifestyle that they lead. Why? Because they know no better? No. It's because they would rather live this lifestyle than face the fear of living a life alone. 


I pray that God will give me the opportunity to share Him with them more, on a one on one basis rather than in a group setting, and that he will provide the people needed for the home/refuge to get started so some of them can get off the streets. I fear for the babies, for the next generation, I fear that they will grow up believing that delinquency is normal, that a life on the street is normal and that there is nothing better for them out there. I fear that they will grow up not knowing how to dream, to see beyond and to learn that nothing is impossible. God showed Abram the stars in the night sky so he could grasp the vision and dream that God had in His heart for Abram and his descendants. I pray that for these ones on the street, they too will be shown the vision and dream that God has in His heart for them so that they could grasp and reach for the potential and future that is theirs.

Missionary Hands Out Sandwiches, Incites Riot On Eve of Presidential Elections....Just Kidding!!!!

I had fun tonight with the youth in Ciudad. And also almost got into trouble with the cops because they thought I was trying to incite something the night before the Presidential Elections. I went alone tonight because both Carolina and Milagros were unable to go and I went earlier than we usually do and it was actually a better time as almost all of them were there. The first person I saw was Andrea and she looked haggard for all of her 14 or 15 years. She had told me a few weeks back that she was smoking terokal again and wanted to be rehabilitated. I asked her about that today and she denied it and yet while we were talking she kept asking me when we were going to start the refuge and I asked her why and she said, "no reason". I wish her mother would take the responsibility and get her into a rehab centre. I walked around after talking to her and when I came back to the corner, almost all the guys and some girls were there and Luis Enrique waved me over. 


I crossed the street and went to greet them and they me and Marco Antonio actually laid a cardboard sheet on the sidewalk for me to sit on and aside from that it was on a dirty street corner and it was a sidewalk that they were inviting me to sit on, and they're all street youth, it might as well have been us all in someone's house and they were inviting me to sit on the couch. Carla was there today with the baby and it was good to see her again and we hugged. So while we were all chatting, there was about 12 or so of them around me and I was handing out sandwiches, cops suddenly showed up with their batons and encircled us. Everyone tensed up and I was going, "uh oh" in my head. The cops asked what we were doing there and that we had to disperse because people on the street didn't like seeing the guys together like that, thinking that they were going to steal from people. One of the guys explained that they were there to talk with me and also because I was handing out food. So then I explained that I was there to converse with them and to share food and that we weren't doing anything illegal. The same cop then said he thought we were up to something as well because tonight is the eve of the Presidential Elections. And one of the street vendors vouched for me and the guys to the cops and they left us alone but maintained vigil across the street and for good reason as that corner is the worst corner for robbery. Every week, except for the last week and today, every time we have been there, a robbery occured at least every 10 minutes. So, it was good the cops heightened their presence there.


It was difficult talking to the guys personally today as there were so many of them around and every one wanted to say something, but I got to pray with Carla and tell her that God accepts her the way she is and loves her no matter what she has done. Roberth, her boyfriend and father of her children was working in the buses tonight, playing for tips. It's good to know he is completely healed from the gunshot wounds in his abdomen. Carla was closed off today, she was happy to see me, wanted to sit by me but as soon as I said God accepts her as she is, she closed up. Oh well, He will pursue her for Himself. He has up till now and He won't stop. It was good to see Luis Enrique too. I hate what they do, in his case, rob people, but I don't want to see them go to jail and I am always afraid that when I go there, I would find out that one of them had been taken to jail. Luis Erique had a fat lip because he was with his girlfriend and 4 guys whistled at her and he went after them to beat them up and he got beaten up. I was like, "Couldn't you have just walked away?" and he was like, "They disrespected my woman, I could not let that go". Ok. Funny how if he had whistled at some girl, it would have been alright and would not have been disrespectful. Just as it is ok that guys cheat on their wives and girlfriends but heaven forbid if their girlfriends did that to them. There are at least 2  jealous-rage-murder stories that make it to the news everyday in this city alone, all perpetrated by men against their girlfriends or wives or ex-girlfriends because she was talking to some guy. Go figure.


I then asked if I could take photos of them some day and they all basically laughed in my face. None of them want to be recognized and I guess I have to figure out a way to get some pictures so I can do up a website. Sigh. On my way to the bus stop, I went to let the cop who had asked me all those questions know who I am and how many of us there are who go down to Ciudad and why we go there. And he was like, "So you're a missionary then." I nodded and he asked where I go to church and I told him. And then he was like, "Oh, I'd like to go to your church, what's the address?" Yeesh. Whatever his motive, he will hear the Word of God and that will never return void. So it's all good. 


As I got into the bus to go home, a guy in the back yelled, "Chorro!" and every one in the bus sprang into action and pulled shut the windows.  A thief had tried to steal that guy's MP3 through the open window but he managed to pull it back. My heart sank because I knew there was a good chance I would know who the thief was. I craned my neck to look and sure enough I did know who it was; Oscar. And there he was, after his failed attempt, scouting for other opportunities through other open windows. Yet in all of this, there is hope. It won't happen over night but we need to keep sowing God's Word and we need to love them but also in a tough way and change will happen. Also, God needs to bring more men and women to do this work because the 3 of us is not enough to reach out to so many of them. And there is a definite need out there in Ciudad de Dios.


By the way, just as a side note: They all like my Chicken Salad sandwiches. They think it's good and also "elegant". That warms the cockles of my heart (whatever that means) as I love making sandwiches for them. :-)

Ohhhh What Would Our Mothers Say....

Saturday night on the street was an eyeopener. I realized, well, Milagros and I both realized how sheltered we are. We went down later than usual to Ciudad, and there were a lot of police there and because of that, none of the guys were at their usual hang out. Milagros and I took the opportunity to walk around and check things out, to just stand and watch while at the same time search for the guys we know. We learned many things that night. There are gangs, independent thieves and the piranas, who are the guys we are reaching out to. We had already known that there are various groups but didn't know how they each worked. The gangs control and boss around the piranas, getting them to do their dirty work and rob people and in turn, they give them their pasta and money for terokal. The independent thieves like Luis Enrique work for themselves and generally in groups. 


We stood at the bus stop and, wow. We watched Oscar and two other guys scout out the mini buses, running in between each one, checking to see if any windows are rolled down so they can reach in and snatch whatever it is that is available to snatch off a person's lap or off their ears like MP3s, cell phones, etc. Nothing for those three that night. So they ended up washing the mini buses' tires on the fly to earn some change. The "cobradors" or the people who work in the mini buses collecting money off the passengers are in on this too, as they are the ones indicating to the thieves what is worth stealing on board. Then we watched as three older guys (early to mid 20's) climbed into each and every bus that came close to the stop, each walking the length of the buses inside, checking out every passenger to see if any had their cell phones or purses easily available for the picking. One thief stood behind a man who was using his cell phone in a bus, actually almost banging heads with the man trying to see the brand and make of the cell phone before deciding that it was not worth stealing. Milagros and I watched with our mouths hitting the pavement. The brashness, the boldness of what they were doing astounded us. Then the cops came and those three took off. Oscar and his friends left too but I called one of them back, a newbie named Carlos. The cop swung his baton, trying to make him leave but I called him back and Carlos walked towards us slowly while I asked the cop if I could speak to Carlos. The cop looked at me in disdain and rudely said, "What do you want to talk to them for? They're all thieves and nothing more!" and Carlos indignantly opened his mouth to start mouthing off to the cop and I just spoke directly to him and said, "No. Don't be rude." and Carlos shut his mouth. Milagros and I were amazed at the favour God had given us with them because we had never met this Carlos before and he actually listened to us and obeyed. When the cop realized he couldn't find fault with Carlos, he walked away and we started talking with Carlos to find out why he was there on the streets. He didn't want to tell us what he had been smoking but the smell of terokal was so evident that he couldn't deny it when I started telling him that terokal burns the brain cells and he agreed that he was having a hard time remembering facts every time he tried to study. He is 17 and in the last year of secondary school. He has a family and they are good to him and he goes home at nights. I think that while we were talking to him that night, he realized that what he thought was "fun" being out there might end up killing him one day and I think what got him the most was when I asked him outrightly if he wanted to be a slave to the gang members or other guys who had seniority on the streets for the rest of his life. He looked at me with horror and said he was going to return home. When we asked to pray with him, he asked if we could also pray for Anderson who had appeared on the scene. We prayed for the both of them. 


Anderson has grown up in appearance in the months we have been there. He is the 13 year old who has been on the streets since he was 6 years old. He looks more mature but still is as tough and trying to take advantage of every one that he can. He started to mouth off to me and I just gave him a warning look and said, "Hey, be respectful" and he too closed his mouth. An older man who was an alcoholic came up to us after we had prayed for the younger two and right away Anderson said to him, "Don't do anything to hurt them. They're "hermanitas". Hermana means sister and hermanita means little sister in an endearing way. They have taken it upon themselves to respect us with that form likening us to nuns which in this particularly perverse world of Ciudad is good, for our own protection. It was really interesting to see that they respected us and watched our backs. 


Today I went to price out furniture like bunk beds and tables and mattresses. I sense that this is the next step that I need to take and even though I can't see further than my nose especially in the area of who will come to stay with them 24/7 once we start the home, I sense that the Lord wants me to prepare the soil for when He brings the rain. So, there I was, pricing furniture. I am praying for a mature couple or 2 guys who are Godly and mature and who won't be easily manipulated by the street youth but who can and will treat them with respect and love and discipline when needed and who will also adhere to the routine set out for them. So to all who read this blog, please pray along those lines for this ministry. Until next time, be blessed.

Where Do I Even Begin?

So, I thought I came to Cusco to get my resident visa renewed. Apparently, God has other plans. Where do I even begin? I guess the beginning would help.


 I got in to Cusco on Sunday and had a great time hanging out with Carrie and at the Meeting Place church. I also realized that Carrie's apartment is next door to another friend, D's apartment. I had lost my contacts and their numbers along with my cell phone in my purse when it got robbed. And I had no other way of contacting D except through her cell phone, so I thought that this time around and probably for ever, I will never see D again. And whaddaya know? God plunks me right next door to her. I wasn't even sure if she lived there still, if she had moved to another location or out of Peru all together. But heck, if I don't try, I will never know, so on Monday night, I walked to her apartment and stood outside calling out her name. There is no doorbell for her apartment. I saw a dog inside and I was like, she has cats, what is a dog doing there? Does she still live here? Then I saw her fridge and it was in the same position as before. I kept calling her name. As I was about to give up and walk back to Carrie's, D opened her window. All I will say is that night, D shared stuff with me that was way out of this world. I have known her for 3 or more years when we both taught English at Excel here in Cusco. And that night, she was different, and scared. What she shared with me blew me away and scared me for her sake. I shared God with her. I had tried so many times before but she would never want to listen. This time, she did. She even let me pray for her before I left her house. And she said she felt a lot calmer after we prayed. I left her apartment truly fearful for her and prayed for her that night. We set an appointment to meet up on Wednesday for lunch.


This morning, I felt to send her a text message to see how she was doing even though I knew I would meet her tomorrow. She called me to say she felt a lot better after we prayed and to thank me for thinking of her. I asked if I could drop by her house on my way back to Carrie's this evening. She said I could come by and walk the dog with her. I did and we walked to the park. She shared her heart like she never did before and God gave me wisdom to share Him with her. The Lord then asked me to ask her if she wanted to accept Him into her life and when I did, she said yes. This evening, March 22, 2011, D received the Lord into her heart and because I know her, you have no idea what a miracle this is. I am so amazed at how God works. Because you see, that was not the only miracle today.


I went out for lunch with another long time Cusco friend. He too, had never wanted to receive the Lord as he was never ready to give up things in his life. And for the past 3 years he has been seeing this girl and throughout the time I've been in Lima, he's been asking advice about his relationship with her amidst other conversation topics. So at lunch, it was normal to just ask how things were going for them. He shared and then I shared what God's design for marriage and relationships are. And then I told him about John and Stasi Eldredge's books on understanding the hearts of men and women and that maybe they both should read them to understand each other a little more. He was ready to run to the Christian bookstore to get the books right then and there. So we did and he bought 3 books including a Joyce Meyer book on how to control what words we release from our mouths and then asked me to recommend more books for later. In all of those books, the perspective is biblical and there are biblical references and verses and we all know that the Word of God never returns void. So all I could do was just watch how my God worked through the love this guy has for his girl to reach his heart and share His love for both of them. My friend said this to me later, "My mom told me that God had another purpose for you to meet me other than to just have lunch. She was right,". His mom is a Christian. 


I have known these two friends for at least 4 years. It seemed that they would never yield to God. They were so into their own lives and were convinced they did not need God in their lives. It took this long for them to come to a point of readiness to receive Him and His word. I never thought I would see this day. I hoped it would happen but never thought I would see the fruit with my eyes. God can change a nation in one day, He can also work miracles in the hearts of people in a day. Never give up on the people who seem hardened against Him. Keep loving them, keep sharing the Word in love and in actions because you never know if today is the day you will see the miracle you have been praying for.