Thursday, 12 June 2008
Sorry
I would like to start this blog first of all with apologies from all of us here for the lack of “blogging” over the last few months. We could make all kinds of excuses but I don’t think that will serve for much so if we could all just “forgive and forget” then we’ll be fine. To be honest we have made a number of attempts at updating the blog, different challenges that we had set for ourselves to get it done by a certain time. Those obviously have failed. So now we have a different strategy. We have divided up the work between the four of us so there will be something different from each of us. Obviously at this stage we are nearly home so we could tell you the stories when we get home, but we thought it was better to get something up online before we left. We have tried to give a general story each about some of the things that we have done as a team and also a more personal story or experience that we have been involved in. It has been a time of learning and growing through these last few months and God has really been helping and teaching us through these situations.
Aaron´s Painful Preaching
Each of the Irish/British folk have taken on the task of writing a memory on the Blog of something which meant a lot to us individually or made an impact on us. The first experience that I thought of was our trip to Puno, which made a great impact on me, i.e. falling in love with the church up there, however we are heading back there next week and God willing I will post a bit about it when we get back home as I should have more to say after being there again.
When I started to think about all the memories and experiences I have had here I tried to think of a nice happy one which meant a lot to me that would warm the hearts of the readers. However the God of the Bible does not just use the things that we have learnt during the good times to refine us, I have found and believe that its biblical, that God uses the hard and painful times far more to make us more like His Son than the good times, when we are put through the fire that is when we are refined.
So probably the other biggest experience for me during our time here definitely did not seem like a positive one at the time. It occurred during the second youth camp, I was asked by Javier if I could share with the young people on one of the evenings, I was hesitant at first as I wouldn’t have much time to prepare and it involved a lot of preparation, to write it out for myself in English then try to translate it myself into Spanish, then go through it all with Freddy to put right all the injustices I had done to the Spanish language and then to practice it enough times so I could actually deliver it, and all of this in between helping run a camp. After the initial hesitance I convinced myself that I could do it and agreed. So I went to it and just in time I had my finished copy, in just enough time to practice it a few times before I was due to deliver it.
I remember being a little nervous but not unduly, on reflection I probably wasn’t nervous enough. I read 1 Peter chapter 1 v 24&25 and became even more encouraged.
“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls but the word of the Lord remains forever”
I remember feeling like it would be fine, as long as I speak the Word then all would be OK. And so the service began and so it came to me to speak, now to get to the point, after about 10 minutes of speaking I took a turn, hard to describe it, I don’t remember what happened, just that I felt the whole world closing in on me while I was speaking and had an almost out of body experience then the next thing I remember I was in the kitchen being sick over Ingrid!
After visiting the clinic in Ite and having a scan a few weeks later it became apparent that I was medically fine and so I couldn’t blame it on my body! I’ve had to face up to the fact that it was due to nerves and not being able to handle the pressure of the moment. I was extremely disappointed afterward and it hugely damaged my confidence to speak Spanish, especially in public, I haven’t taken on the task of preaching since then. I remember feeling deep down at the time almost like the text in 1 Peter had failed me, like somehow it should have made me superhuman or made my Spanish perfect. However now I realise the complete opposite and those verses are of great comfort. My flesh did fail and wither but that’s what happens to sinful, finite people, God does not use us to exalt ourselves but to humble ourselves* and to give Him the glory. I was focusing in on what man was thinking about me, in essence- my glory, but that is like focusing on a blade of grass over an oak tree! Our glory is nothing when compared to the glory of the Lord and His word; He endures forever, long after all our vanity has disappeared and He will get the glory, always, it’s better to acknowledge that in this life than have to wait until the next see it. Now I feel that I have a better grasp of what it means to share the Word, and, if it is in the will of the Lord, I will continue to endeavour to preach when I get the opportunity, however, for the immediate future, in English!
*After writing this Luz gave a devotion and quoted Luke 14v11
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted”
Adds a bit to what I had written I think.
Aaron
When I started to think about all the memories and experiences I have had here I tried to think of a nice happy one which meant a lot to me that would warm the hearts of the readers. However the God of the Bible does not just use the things that we have learnt during the good times to refine us, I have found and believe that its biblical, that God uses the hard and painful times far more to make us more like His Son than the good times, when we are put through the fire that is when we are refined.
So probably the other biggest experience for me during our time here definitely did not seem like a positive one at the time. It occurred during the second youth camp, I was asked by Javier if I could share with the young people on one of the evenings, I was hesitant at first as I wouldn’t have much time to prepare and it involved a lot of preparation, to write it out for myself in English then try to translate it myself into Spanish, then go through it all with Freddy to put right all the injustices I had done to the Spanish language and then to practice it enough times so I could actually deliver it, and all of this in between helping run a camp. After the initial hesitance I convinced myself that I could do it and agreed. So I went to it and just in time I had my finished copy, in just enough time to practice it a few times before I was due to deliver it.
I remember being a little nervous but not unduly, on reflection I probably wasn’t nervous enough. I read 1 Peter chapter 1 v 24&25 and became even more encouraged.
“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls but the word of the Lord remains forever”
I remember feeling like it would be fine, as long as I speak the Word then all would be OK. And so the service began and so it came to me to speak, now to get to the point, after about 10 minutes of speaking I took a turn, hard to describe it, I don’t remember what happened, just that I felt the whole world closing in on me while I was speaking and had an almost out of body experience then the next thing I remember I was in the kitchen being sick over Ingrid!
After visiting the clinic in Ite and having a scan a few weeks later it became apparent that I was medically fine and so I couldn’t blame it on my body! I’ve had to face up to the fact that it was due to nerves and not being able to handle the pressure of the moment. I was extremely disappointed afterward and it hugely damaged my confidence to speak Spanish, especially in public, I haven’t taken on the task of preaching since then. I remember feeling deep down at the time almost like the text in 1 Peter had failed me, like somehow it should have made me superhuman or made my Spanish perfect. However now I realise the complete opposite and those verses are of great comfort. My flesh did fail and wither but that’s what happens to sinful, finite people, God does not use us to exalt ourselves but to humble ourselves* and to give Him the glory. I was focusing in on what man was thinking about me, in essence- my glory, but that is like focusing on a blade of grass over an oak tree! Our glory is nothing when compared to the glory of the Lord and His word; He endures forever, long after all our vanity has disappeared and He will get the glory, always, it’s better to acknowledge that in this life than have to wait until the next see it. Now I feel that I have a better grasp of what it means to share the Word, and, if it is in the will of the Lord, I will continue to endeavour to preach when I get the opportunity, however, for the immediate future, in English!
*After writing this Luz gave a devotion and quoted Luke 14v11
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted”
Adds a bit to what I had written I think.
Aaron
Mejia
In March Mision Rescate packed up their bags and headed off on holiday. The destination; Mejia, a sunny holiday town, the accomodation; the mission owned house five minutes away from the beach, the catch; we had to paint it. We were to put the term “a change is as good as a break” to the test.
Leaving on the 5th of March we made our way by bus to the sunny coastal town, accopanied by our missionary leader David Murphy, with the mission to relax and unwind for a week while at the same time making a home improvement in the grand old house. We were given the challenge of painting the rooms we had chosen to sleep in and whatever else we could do would be a bonus. The male side of the team had chosen to reside downstairs while the female section stayed upstairs. A battle of the sexes commenced. And as a male I am ashamed to admit that the “chicas” put their hands to the plough, and beat us with it. The male irish trio committed, what can only be described as an atrocity to painting in their room, nightmares of old layers of paint peeling off as we put on a new one will accompany us for a very long time to come. At the end of the week the males had managed to finish their respective rooms (even the Irish) while the females had completed not only their rooms but a lounge and made a start in the kitchen as well.
On the other side of the coin we did manage to relax, the biggest attraction for some was the large library of english books in the house, for other more exciting or purely spanish speaking people there was a beach close by to be enjoyed and time to get some much appreciated sleep. It was also a pleasure to be with David Murphy and get to know him a bit more.
All in all it was a very enjoyable week, frustrating at times, when paint was peeling off all around you, but also funny, we have learned that in times of great frustration there is always a laugh to be had.
Leaving on the 5th of March we made our way by bus to the sunny coastal town, accopanied by our missionary leader David Murphy, with the mission to relax and unwind for a week while at the same time making a home improvement in the grand old house. We were given the challenge of painting the rooms we had chosen to sleep in and whatever else we could do would be a bonus. The male side of the team had chosen to reside downstairs while the female section stayed upstairs. A battle of the sexes commenced. And as a male I am ashamed to admit that the “chicas” put their hands to the plough, and beat us with it. The male irish trio committed, what can only be described as an atrocity to painting in their room, nightmares of old layers of paint peeling off as we put on a new one will accompany us for a very long time to come. At the end of the week the males had managed to finish their respective rooms (even the Irish) while the females had completed not only their rooms but a lounge and made a start in the kitchen as well.
On the other side of the coin we did manage to relax, the biggest attraction for some was the large library of english books in the house, for other more exciting or purely spanish speaking people there was a beach close by to be enjoyed and time to get some much appreciated sleep. It was also a pleasure to be with David Murphy and get to know him a bit more.
All in all it was a very enjoyable week, frustrating at times, when paint was peeling off all around you, but also funny, we have learned that in times of great frustration there is always a laugh to be had.
Moquegua
Moquegua 20th-24th March.
This week some of the team went up to visit the San Antonio church in Moquegua. We went to help out during the “Santa Semana” which is Easter time. We got to work straight away on the Thursday when we went to a district in Moquegua to show a film on the life of Jesus. The place was called “Costa Verde” which means “Green Coast” but to be honest there wasn’t any coast to be seen and it was most certainly not green. We came up with a better name for it, which was “Brown Desert”; we thought it suited it better. We went round from house to house inviting people to watch this film which we projected onto a big screen that we had put up. A good number of people showed up and we got opportunities to share with people afterwards and to invite them to the church. Because of the Easter weekend, we had meetings on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. During the days we went from house to house inviting people along to the services that were going to be happening. There was a man from Ica who was speaking at some of the services. The team took part in the services as well presenting different dramas and mimes with evangelistic messages. One of which I was involved in was a drama called “The Barber”. Some of you may have heard the story which tells about the barber who doesn’t believe in God. Well I played this barber.
We also had the opportunity to do an open air event at one of the markets there. We presented a mime and Javier shared afterwards. It was another opportunity we had to be able to share with people afterwards and I’m thankful to God for the help he has given me in Spanish, enabling me to share with the people there in a language that isn’t my own.
Part of our work in Moquegua was also with the kids there. We went back to the “Brown Desert” where the church works with some of the kids there on Saturdays. We sang songs, danced along to music, there was even a clown (one of the team dressed up) who brought a message to the kids. A bit strange I know but sure sometimes things are a bit different out here. We also presented a puppet show which went down well and was a bit of fun as well.
We were also involved in the Sunday school in the church the following day, where we did similar sorts of things with the kids, songs, dances and Graham and I got another opportunity to show off our puppet skills again.
We really enjoyed our visit to the San Antonio church there in Moquegua. We got to play football with the youth in the church, which was good fun, even though we had to get up at about 6 o’clock in the morning for it. It really was one of the best church visits for me, we felt really welcomed and loved by the church. Pastor Edgar was really good to us and we certainly won’t be forgetting him too quickly. It just so happened that he was also a very good guitarist. One thing that I won’t forget from that church was on our final night there, we were brought up to the front and then the congregation came up and thanked us personally, Peruvian style, with a handshake or a hug or a kiss or sometimes all three. We really have fond memories of the church there in Moquegua and I’m sure ones that will remain with us for a long time.
This week some of the team went up to visit the San Antonio church in Moquegua. We went to help out during the “Santa Semana” which is Easter time. We got to work straight away on the Thursday when we went to a district in Moquegua to show a film on the life of Jesus. The place was called “Costa Verde” which means “Green Coast” but to be honest there wasn’t any coast to be seen and it was most certainly not green. We came up with a better name for it, which was “Brown Desert”; we thought it suited it better. We went round from house to house inviting people to watch this film which we projected onto a big screen that we had put up. A good number of people showed up and we got opportunities to share with people afterwards and to invite them to the church. Because of the Easter weekend, we had meetings on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. During the days we went from house to house inviting people along to the services that were going to be happening. There was a man from Ica who was speaking at some of the services. The team took part in the services as well presenting different dramas and mimes with evangelistic messages. One of which I was involved in was a drama called “The Barber”. Some of you may have heard the story which tells about the barber who doesn’t believe in God. Well I played this barber.
We also had the opportunity to do an open air event at one of the markets there. We presented a mime and Javier shared afterwards. It was another opportunity we had to be able to share with people afterwards and I’m thankful to God for the help he has given me in Spanish, enabling me to share with the people there in a language that isn’t my own.
Part of our work in Moquegua was also with the kids there. We went back to the “Brown Desert” where the church works with some of the kids there on Saturdays. We sang songs, danced along to music, there was even a clown (one of the team dressed up) who brought a message to the kids. A bit strange I know but sure sometimes things are a bit different out here. We also presented a puppet show which went down well and was a bit of fun as well.
We were also involved in the Sunday school in the church the following day, where we did similar sorts of things with the kids, songs, dances and Graham and I got another opportunity to show off our puppet skills again.
We really enjoyed our visit to the San Antonio church there in Moquegua. We got to play football with the youth in the church, which was good fun, even though we had to get up at about 6 o’clock in the morning for it. It really was one of the best church visits for me, we felt really welcomed and loved by the church. Pastor Edgar was really good to us and we certainly won’t be forgetting him too quickly. It just so happened that he was also a very good guitarist. One thing that I won’t forget from that church was on our final night there, we were brought up to the front and then the congregation came up and thanked us personally, Peruvian style, with a handshake or a hug or a kiss or sometimes all three. We really have fond memories of the church there in Moquegua and I’m sure ones that will remain with us for a long time.
Graham in Puno
19th – 26th April 2008
I went to Puno for the first time in December, and as Trevor put it in a service in my church, I thought I wasn’t “called to the sierra”. The altitude of 3800m was not good for me and I was very glad to be back to sea level within four days. I was also content thinking that I wouldn’t be on the next team going to Puno, as I had gone with one half, while the other half remained in Ite, so it would have been their turn the next time. But that feeling of contentment did not last. The night before half the team was heading off to Puno it was announced that the entire team would be going for the week!
The first few days weren’t great with a sore head and no sleeping bag – it was stolen on the bus up! But by the morning of the second full day there my prayers for not having a sore head were answered. Upon waking up with no pounding headache, I knew that this time I would leave Puno with better memories. We worked alongside the church in doing door–to–door work, open airs, helping in the meetings, and also going to visit a few of the believers. From this work came two of my most encouraging times in Peru. The first was after an open air beside an outdoor basketball court when I had the opportunity to talk with a young man named Moisés (Moses). He was very interested in what I was saying and it was a great blessing to be able to share the gospel with him. The second encouraging time came from visiting the houses of the surrounding area. The work of evangelism has been very different here than I have seen at home, with a lot of Peruvians having a real boldness to speak to everyone wherever they are. In this way it has taught me a lot in doing this type of work with them. But this time in Puno was different as Tom and I (2 “gringos”) were sent out alone without a Peruvian. All went very well, with many people giving us a lot of their time to listen to the gospel – one man even invited us into his house for half an hour to talk with us! This was definitely one of the best times for Tom and me, as we saw clearly how God was using us out here. It showed me, in a fantastic way, how nothing is impossible for Him, and if wants to call someone to some part of His creation to speak of His gospel, a little bit of altitude won’t make a mark in His plans. In this way I experienced how God was turning even a not-so-good experience in December around for good. He gave me a greater appreciation for His control in all that we do and showed me the power of answered prayers for doing His work.
The time in Peru has really spurred me on to share of the faith that I have through God’s grace. It has been an uphill battle the whole time with the language but the Irish side has always seen God strengthening us in it. It has greatly encouraged me to return home with a greater confidence to speak of the glorious gospel of Christ in my own language.
Graham
I went to Puno for the first time in December, and as Trevor put it in a service in my church, I thought I wasn’t “called to the sierra”. The altitude of 3800m was not good for me and I was very glad to be back to sea level within four days. I was also content thinking that I wouldn’t be on the next team going to Puno, as I had gone with one half, while the other half remained in Ite, so it would have been their turn the next time. But that feeling of contentment did not last. The night before half the team was heading off to Puno it was announced that the entire team would be going for the week!
The first few days weren’t great with a sore head and no sleeping bag – it was stolen on the bus up! But by the morning of the second full day there my prayers for not having a sore head were answered. Upon waking up with no pounding headache, I knew that this time I would leave Puno with better memories. We worked alongside the church in doing door–to–door work, open airs, helping in the meetings, and also going to visit a few of the believers. From this work came two of my most encouraging times in Peru. The first was after an open air beside an outdoor basketball court when I had the opportunity to talk with a young man named Moisés (Moses). He was very interested in what I was saying and it was a great blessing to be able to share the gospel with him. The second encouraging time came from visiting the houses of the surrounding area. The work of evangelism has been very different here than I have seen at home, with a lot of Peruvians having a real boldness to speak to everyone wherever they are. In this way it has taught me a lot in doing this type of work with them. But this time in Puno was different as Tom and I (2 “gringos”) were sent out alone without a Peruvian. All went very well, with many people giving us a lot of their time to listen to the gospel – one man even invited us into his house for half an hour to talk with us! This was definitely one of the best times for Tom and me, as we saw clearly how God was using us out here. It showed me, in a fantastic way, how nothing is impossible for Him, and if wants to call someone to some part of His creation to speak of His gospel, a little bit of altitude won’t make a mark in His plans. In this way I experienced how God was turning even a not-so-good experience in December around for good. He gave me a greater appreciation for His control in all that we do and showed me the power of answered prayers for doing His work.
The time in Peru has really spurred me on to share of the faith that I have through God’s grace. It has been an uphill battle the whole time with the language but the Irish side has always seen God strengthening us in it. It has greatly encouraged me to return home with a greater confidence to speak of the glorious gospel of Christ in my own language.
Graham
Karen Musing on Work
Throughout the time we have been here, we have had the opportunity to do many different things. We have developed many methods of sharing the gospel with the people we meet. We have been involved in church meetings, in door to door work, open air meetings for adults and children, and in physical work too. I have never liked getting up in front of people and sharing or leading a service but being part of Misión Rescate has given me many opportunities to do these things and become more and more comfortable while doing them. I am grateful that in a way I was forced to take part in meetings, pray, read, lead, take part in mimes and dramas, dancing and many other things. During the month of February we lead holiday Bible clubs in Ite and also in Moquegua. The group split in two to be able to run the two clubs at the same time. This gave us the opportunity to work specifically with children, and allowed us to spend time sharing with them. This is something I have done a bit at home but this experience has made me want to try and become more involved in this area in church. Doing all of these things has made me more confident and has also given me many ideas for working with children and young people. I am now looking forward to getting back to church to be able to continue to use these new gifts and ideas that I have developed and learned here.
Karen
Karen
Amazing Journey
The Amazing Journey 23/05/08
The Amazing Journey is something which you will all probably have heard of as it has been running for a number of years now in Ireland. It has become well known and has been a great method of taking and sharing God’s word with school children. The last time Trevor Morrow was in Ireland, at the beginning of this year, he was able to get hold of the materials needed in order to be able to bring The Amazing Journey (El Viaje Increíble) to Peru. As part of Misión Rescate, we will be involved in the beginning of the project here. Over the last few days a lot of work has been going on here at the campsite. Costumes are being made, Luz has been translating her script (she will be narrating), and each member of Misión Rescate has been learning their lines. As 11 of the team will be participating, as Aaron and Richard will be going to Ilo to share their testimony and experiences with the church there, new roles have been introduced to make the presentation even more dynamic. There will be 3 reporters, who enter at key moments to tell a part of the story; creation, Daniel and the persecution of the church. Aside from the 4 original roles of Goliath, Mary, Noah and the Egyptian princess, Trevor has decided to add a few more characters. Paul, Joseph, the Samaritan woman and Peter will all appear also. Today (Friday) a group of pastors and leaders from various churches will come to spend tonight and tomorrow until lunchtime here in Ite. We will be presenting the first Amazing Journey to this group and their families. We will also be helping to serve meals and welcoming the groups when they arrive. Once all the pastors are involved in the project, the plan is to begin by inviting groups to the centre. After this, hopefully the project will be able to travel and visit churches and eventually schools, although this may be a little more difficult to do here. We are all so excited to have been involved in a small way in the Amazing Journey here. We know that God has used and blessed the work in Ireland and we are sure that He will do the same here. Please continue to pray for this ministry as it is developed here.
The Amazing Journey is something which you will all probably have heard of as it has been running for a number of years now in Ireland. It has become well known and has been a great method of taking and sharing God’s word with school children. The last time Trevor Morrow was in Ireland, at the beginning of this year, he was able to get hold of the materials needed in order to be able to bring The Amazing Journey (El Viaje Increíble) to Peru. As part of Misión Rescate, we will be involved in the beginning of the project here. Over the last few days a lot of work has been going on here at the campsite. Costumes are being made, Luz has been translating her script (she will be narrating), and each member of Misión Rescate has been learning their lines. As 11 of the team will be participating, as Aaron and Richard will be going to Ilo to share their testimony and experiences with the church there, new roles have been introduced to make the presentation even more dynamic. There will be 3 reporters, who enter at key moments to tell a part of the story; creation, Daniel and the persecution of the church. Aside from the 4 original roles of Goliath, Mary, Noah and the Egyptian princess, Trevor has decided to add a few more characters. Paul, Joseph, the Samaritan woman and Peter will all appear also. Today (Friday) a group of pastors and leaders from various churches will come to spend tonight and tomorrow until lunchtime here in Ite. We will be presenting the first Amazing Journey to this group and their families. We will also be helping to serve meals and welcoming the groups when they arrive. Once all the pastors are involved in the project, the plan is to begin by inviting groups to the centre. After this, hopefully the project will be able to travel and visit churches and eventually schools, although this may be a little more difficult to do here. We are all so excited to have been involved in a small way in the Amazing Journey here. We know that God has used and blessed the work in Ireland and we are sure that He will do the same here. Please continue to pray for this ministry as it is developed here.
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