tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89577086770419988952024-02-21T09:55:55.487-08:00A week in PeruMr. Randall Wilcoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05064812596106272806noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957708677041998895.post-41692025095432212572015-06-19T15:32:00.000-07:002015-06-19T15:32:10.435-07:00<style>
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Compassion International Peru Mission Experience</div>
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June 8, 2015</div>
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I thought the day would never come to see how God is using the
Compassion Child Survival Program to love on the forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The forgotten here are mothers that live in
remote areas in extreme poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
remote area is just out side of Huancayo in a little village 11,000 Ft above
sea level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is primarily a poor
farming village of the most amazing people you will ever meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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On our entry to the village, the mothers, staff, and all the
little babies were standing outside of a small adobe brick building structure,
holding balloons and feverishly waving at our bus..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why were they waving at us and why did they have big smiles on their faces?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, my
goodness,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when we got off the bus they
hugged us and kissed us on the cheek and the baby/children were smiling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they not know, they are the heros, that I
have been waiting to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why are they
greeting us in this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t know
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the heros and yet they treat us like
we are family members whom they have not seen in a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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They are my heroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
raise their children under extreme conditions (limited food, limited healthy
water, NO HEAT).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a parent I wanted to
make sure my children had the things in life to make them successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have to worry about when and what their
child’s next meal is, and if they get sick, how can they get the child to the
medical center and how will they pay for the medication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine the anxiety a parent in that
condition would feel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But these mothers
are holding their babies and waving, smiling, and hugging me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is going on here?</div>
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After all the initial hugs and kisses, they showed us all
about the program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They showed us how
the program monitors the health of the pregnant mom and baby after birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They showed us how to keep the family healthy
by good hygiene and what to do when the child is sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also train them to cook and knit/crochet
( I have got to tell Peggy!) to earn a little money for the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one thing we heard over and over again
was the fellowship the center provides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They provide discipleship training and most importantly,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they show the love of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One mother said even though the church was
right around the corner,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>she felt
isolated and had no friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once she
joined the program she said<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I now have
lots of friends that love me!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc8DrsVe3DGjmDEjoswEyXf2q0L14wgax38oPnCEV75XDjYweHnNdS0YhyzNueJk8eJVdysXNIS3sKPBgsz0ynzRriUj4G3xuiAbjkoCZmfs387j205p7lzvSzyJO55Q2D7o20U9ImaDw/s1600/IMG_0164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc8DrsVe3DGjmDEjoswEyXf2q0L14wgax38oPnCEV75XDjYweHnNdS0YhyzNueJk8eJVdysXNIS3sKPBgsz0ynzRriUj4G3xuiAbjkoCZmfs387j205p7lzvSzyJO55Q2D7o20U9ImaDw/s320/IMG_0164.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glendy - Right</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">After the
tour of the program,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we were blessed to
do a home visit of one of the mothers participating in the program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her name was Glendy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a 1 year old son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived at her home with many hugs and
kisses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so glad to see our
group and so thankful we could come into her home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very soon into the visit, I was mortified
with their situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glendy was a 16 year old single mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She lived in what was her Grandparents home
(both deceased) with her mother and two siblings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her father had recently passed away and her
mother was deaf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only family income
was when her mother got work in the fields and what is equivalent to $33 USD
per month provided by the baby’s father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My heart dropped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you
live on that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is not enough for
just food for the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find out during
the meal that to be the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">The meal that
the Compassion program provided for us contained the first meat that they had
eaten in a very long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found out
that all they ate was what the very small garden produces or people give
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meat is too expensive for them to
afford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result of this diet Glendy
is anemic and malnourished and she cannot produce adequate milk for her
baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compassion provides baby formula
for her baby to address the baby’s malnourishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glendy
was so thankful for the baby formula and she thanked us so for providing her
baby this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again can you imagine how it
would feel if you could not even provide basic food for your baby? As our visit
was coming to the end, we asked Glendy for her prayer request.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She asked for us to pray that God will
continue to bless her family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7CYGrb02Yki-XRHdABAXZP_0CL8aLTqwpweurM_kZKDcBucsjC2o7YQ8yCGN0F1k01S4Qqv4hsXc7I3E-bQ2VTtvBPDLjRV2f3KhiNZyojUdeFcXqIaEWJTGo0xiNPzUuZZtaaPSCgTb/s1600/IMG_0162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7CYGrb02Yki-XRHdABAXZP_0CL8aLTqwpweurM_kZKDcBucsjC2o7YQ8yCGN0F1k01S4Qqv4hsXc7I3E-bQ2VTtvBPDLjRV2f3KhiNZyojUdeFcXqIaEWJTGo0xiNPzUuZZtaaPSCgTb/s400/IMG_0162.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmVbIobj0Tm0P2nPZiCPQseQfP-LNBYJCG_gc3_JkeI8enlgF4rhxwMp_wbyXhoPsXhklK3neqMOLS710NpGALRrPEylsKz8t1EM429EI3Q0OLUmfxENNpBetMwret4gDmn1GSGZE2Y_w/s1600/IMG_0161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmVbIobj0Tm0P2nPZiCPQseQfP-LNBYJCG_gc3_JkeI8enlgF4rhxwMp_wbyXhoPsXhklK3neqMOLS710NpGALRrPEylsKz8t1EM429EI3Q0OLUmfxENNpBetMwret4gDmn1GSGZE2Y_w/s320/IMG_0161.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I see is hunger; very poor living
conditions, medical condition and she sees the blessings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forgive me Lord for not having her thankful
spirit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have given me so much. I
have not ever experienced hunger and most thankful that my children and wife
have not as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have blessed me
more than I can imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you Lord
for seeing this through Glendy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Lord
continue to watch over and bless Glendy and her family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that their prayers are a sweet sweet
sound to your ears and give you the glory you deserve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for putting Glendy in my path!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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As the day proceeds at the Compassion Child Survival Center,
we find out they are happy that their God has used us to help support their
lifeline through the Compassion program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They see us as servants of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are thanking us for being obedient to God by doing His work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh this is so humbling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just give $39 dollars a month to Compassion
with little thought and write letters, and pray, and they see me as a servant of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are truly the Servants of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the Macedonia church of
the bible:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyANihzfrAg9VhYh4s7h0WRE6SLez8dlV4xNyPHt3zVPdC9dXJIhfy2qd27E28UZUr8TeMCG8gdfsTU94Qpkb4yjuYy7TPPCqJTjB5smYIb1cWHKzc4d-nZ_hL5zgtZjXlWgT0XXxnIop/s1600/IMG_0103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyANihzfrAg9VhYh4s7h0WRE6SLez8dlV4xNyPHt3zVPdC9dXJIhfy2qd27E28UZUr8TeMCG8gdfsTU94Qpkb4yjuYy7TPPCqJTjB5smYIb1cWHKzc4d-nZ_hL5zgtZjXlWgT0XXxnIop/s320/IMG_0103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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“Now, breathern, we wish to make known to you the grace of
God which has been given in the Churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal
of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the
wealth of their liberality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For I
testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of
their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in
the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave
themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2
Corinthians 8:1-5</div>
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Well it was time to leave this center and wonderful people. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just did not want to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hugs and kisses started again and even
though the bus was just outside it took us some time to make our way
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a beautiful Church!!!</div>
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Our next destination was a new Compassion Child Sponsorship
Project that has only been in operation for 2 months and they already are
serving 175 5-19 year old children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon
our arrival 175 children were in two lines as we entered the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each child wanted to shake our hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is where I met Willie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a 5 year old boy that squeezed my hand
hard and then giggled like crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
sat behind me and kept poking me in the back then when I turned around started
the giggling again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a joy to be
with Willie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His smile was just
infectious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was watching him
and when he laughed they laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t know much about Willie but I do know that he needs a sponsor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually all 175 kids at this center needs
sponsors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compassion started this center
with faith that the children will get sponsors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that someone special will sponsor
Willie that will write him often and get to meet him in person someday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will be in for a treat!</div>
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Once again we see the generosity of the members of the
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This church has just started
the Compassion program and they have already seen the need to expand the
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are talking two months of
operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have seen God working
and they have wasted no time to join him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the members are poor financially they are wealthy in their love of
God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have started bringing
donations of bricks, sand and supplies to church so that they can soon start
the expansion process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
generosity!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have nothing, but find
a way to give!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not be surprised
if the Pastor of this Church will soon be in the same position as Moses in
Exodus 36: 5-7 when they had to tell the congregation to stop donating supplies
to the Church because they had enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wow, what an interesting building program.</div>
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The Lord ended my first day with the smiles of all the
children as we departed this center but the memory of the generosity of the
Church and yes Willie are the highlights of this day. </div>
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June 9, 2015,</div>
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I woke up on the second morning with a very cold room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew it was down in the 30’s outside but
why so cold in my hotel room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Hotel does not have
heat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not saying it was not
working, but it had no heat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually
none of the homes we visited or will visit on this trip had heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is yet another obstacle the poverty in
Huancayo must deal with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
complaining when my bare feet stepped on the tile in my hotel bathroom, but
what if I woke up everyday in the winter in this cold and had small
children?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people we visited in
Huancayo did not have a lot of clothing and had only a few blankets on their
bed when they had a bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many slept on
the dirt floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever went
camping during the winter and laid on the ground?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ground acts like a heat sink pulling the
heat out of your body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can put a
blanket on the ground but still seems to pull the heat out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can see my feet just hit the floor
of my hotel room and God was already preparing me for the day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had prayed that He show me the people of
Peru through His eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sees their
suffering and made me aware as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
now what am I going to do about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
is the Church going to do about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cholt-PWh_fDNCw0u3-QepbD4x3mQdQ2uJAwszdrjFyG2c1umIUBEocW83ZH81EWZ_YRGh7fdsSE-eHuE1q_v9AHdyXiPsr1IkMZyaejKvgRZ3oHQQI0W6r5ck4X2hRZhWQ0FFj81_Ch/s1600/IMG_0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cholt-PWh_fDNCw0u3-QepbD4x3mQdQ2uJAwszdrjFyG2c1umIUBEocW83ZH81EWZ_YRGh7fdsSE-eHuE1q_v9AHdyXiPsr1IkMZyaejKvgRZ3oHQQI0W6r5ck4X2hRZhWQ0FFj81_Ch/s200/IMG_0201.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BaS0-wIw6U-z71t3D2bxtmbXY6OHFvG1GoEdHdzlLpM4dL5p8FqPMB2-lsvZClBUa4wKDpu-RzIAsrRhaBJND2AUlGic8HLjM2yRnAQNOxDCHpz6MU_G6rYJHmEwdzNN5D8UNBc4dZhj/s1600/IMG_0203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BaS0-wIw6U-z71t3D2bxtmbXY6OHFvG1GoEdHdzlLpM4dL5p8FqPMB2-lsvZClBUa4wKDpu-RzIAsrRhaBJND2AUlGic8HLjM2yRnAQNOxDCHpz6MU_G6rYJHmEwdzNN5D8UNBc4dZhj/s200/IMG_0203.jpg" width="200" /></a>After an amazing breakfast,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>we boarded the buses and headed to Rescatando Valores Church to observe
their Compassion Child Sponsor Project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not until I arrived back home did I realize what their Church name meant
“Saving Values”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can just
imagine,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the name fit this church perfectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They taught the children the saving value of
proper hygiene, their culture, skills development and most important the saving
value/grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They proudly displayed the sponsor letters on the class room walls as
just another reminder that they are loved by God’s people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again when we arrived and when we
departed all the children were lined up to shake our hands and give us
hugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I tell you, I never got tired of
this and really miss it since I have returned home).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXRzDzy78-A9HgqpCTpUIhxZj1p5RrB-W1P8zmLX2TdRaf48sBzh3-L0lQB1G8EbY2YUlDL4UqZCNgfDHpv93Og4X2_LWvt8t467y9DG3DJMcFpz8xfHUVSvgrrMX9t82gbZijign_YF5/s1600/IMG_0220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXRzDzy78-A9HgqpCTpUIhxZj1p5RrB-W1P8zmLX2TdRaf48sBzh3-L0lQB1G8EbY2YUlDL4UqZCNgfDHpv93Og4X2_LWvt8t467y9DG3DJMcFpz8xfHUVSvgrrMX9t82gbZijign_YF5/s200/IMG_0220.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggm10ImAKOVooBLPlVMETuGQNahtloQg8XKM56OjF2p5UZQWqsUQ92JTzCbKcuP2ntAuRo3zp7cSu5ECHm6c6-k3CH3aPTATS9TVmfh5EaGA7ls0EQ7fXnd76GcAgixszhg0Qe662-5TRp/s1600/IMG_0225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggm10ImAKOVooBLPlVMETuGQNahtloQg8XKM56OjF2p5UZQWqsUQ92JTzCbKcuP2ntAuRo3zp7cSu5ECHm6c6-k3CH3aPTATS9TVmfh5EaGA7ls0EQ7fXnd76GcAgixszhg0Qe662-5TRp/s400/IMG_0225.jpg" width="400" /></a>After touring the “Saving Value” Church,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we went on a home visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not prepared at all for that
visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived at a wall with a metal
door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knocked on the door and two
beautiful girls opened the door and ran to give us all BIG hugs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their smiles were absolutely beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were allowed to stay home from school
because they had “special guest” coming to their home today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maria (age 10) and Betzaida (age 12) were
orphans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their parents were killed in an
auto accident a few years ago, then they lost their grandparents a year or so
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone they loved had been ripped
from their lives leaving only a 20 year old sister, who now had the
responsibility of caring for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20
Years old!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the same age as my
daughter Rachel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a
responsibility!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was equally gut
wrenching was their living conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They did have a roof over their head and Compassion provided them beds
but they had no kitchen or bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their brother would allow them use of the kitchen but they could not eat
any of his food and he would not even allow them use of his refrigerator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not see any food anywhere in their
room or in the kitchen.</div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvcpg3FbyP50nrmVupAnKXTH6PeEhmGVDcOqc7QyMwRl1-Fnur2Y1Vrf_SvWyG9mBEYHRuuf42Bwf0WFUuSqET2H595GVgncVBLgeUuE0V7UIpVeG2Ee8i3BDb31qtQ_fnNzDW-GT5Nwl/s1600/IMG_7638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvcpg3FbyP50nrmVupAnKXTH6PeEhmGVDcOqc7QyMwRl1-Fnur2Y1Vrf_SvWyG9mBEYHRuuf42Bwf0WFUuSqET2H595GVgncVBLgeUuE0V7UIpVeG2Ee8i3BDb31qtQ_fnNzDW-GT5Nwl/s640/IMG_7638.JPG" width="640" /></a>What was really amazing with these girls was the hope they
had for their future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of their
sponsors, they felt they could rise above their current conditions. When I
asked them what they wanted to do when they got older, they both wanted to be
Engineers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a common thread we
saw in our project visits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We asked the
children what they wanted to do when they grew up and almost all of the
children state some professional career.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While it is easy to just state I want to be a doctor or
engineer,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when you live in poverty, the
biggest battle is not having big dreams to work toward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When hope is gone you resign yourself to
doing just what your family has done for many <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>years thinking that you can not change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These girls have dreams and their “Saving
Value” church and Compassion are keeping them alive even when everything else
has been ripped from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord, thank
you for showing me once again how you can use me to keep children’s dreams
alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use me to get more sponsors for
these children so that more Maria’s and Betzaida’s can continue to dream and
see their dreams materialize!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvzVBrGF2fwbGweIr4vOpt8m90yKnlBDVcyvpVyz4XhxIJKYmVPDpj9PEUKWai0HNM1uhmU35NDy0mC0d2N-6VIHRGB4FsEoo2weQOru8lvKAbw42jYDoJar770hPqqwJD7pQxtVyzfiF/s1600/IMG_0624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvzVBrGF2fwbGweIr4vOpt8m90yKnlBDVcyvpVyz4XhxIJKYmVPDpj9PEUKWai0HNM1uhmU35NDy0mC0d2N-6VIHRGB4FsEoo2weQOru8lvKAbw42jYDoJar770hPqqwJD7pQxtVyzfiF/s320/IMG_0624.jpg" width="176" /></a>After all the Hugs and Kisses from the children and staff,
we started on our way to another Compassion Learning Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way we stopped at the Regional
Compassion Coordinators
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">home where he had prepared a Huancayo famous
dish </span>
“<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pachamanca”.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This</span><b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b>dish is a local favorite<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
with marinated meat, vegetables, potatoes and spices, which is slowly cooked in
a hole in the ground, covered with hot stones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was totally amazing!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I tried my first Inca
Cola.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brandy (I called her Brittney most
of the time, and she let me get by with it), one of the trip coordinators from
Compassion, offered a challenge that she would try it if I tried it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
could I turn down that challenge?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I tried it and I can tell you “I am not a
fan”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Pachamanca was better with
water!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, there was another drink
offered but cannot recall the name but was presented as “The drink that will
restore the fate of your stomach”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
could I turn that one down?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted my
stomach fate restored</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> and this restoring tasted good as well.</span>
</span></div>
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After the wonderful meal we made our way to the Los Etayros
de Cristo<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compassion Child Sponsorship
project. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this project we were greeted
like the others with fanfare and spent most of our time visiting
classrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toward the end of our visit
we had the privilege to meet with the high school age students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were very interested in asking us questions
and wanted us to play games with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was a very special time and we all enjoyed getting more familiar
with each other’s cultures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a
great wrap-up for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned
to the bus and headed back to the Hotel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
June 10, 2015</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytCKw9H15uRvZLsalfI9D5ctjxg_D-CpILDYh1VmB_gnfafIcEdc8NVhY53qIm_2geMYlZCL4IKKuVV7PTlsUhTiG1YRg41gqKh1SFWuvHu2gOVkPlvo-OxOzHKMZ4onbP7WGz-8WPMPK/s1600/IMG_0269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytCKw9H15uRvZLsalfI9D5ctjxg_D-CpILDYh1VmB_gnfafIcEdc8NVhY53qIm_2geMYlZCL4IKKuVV7PTlsUhTiG1YRg41gqKh1SFWuvHu2gOVkPlvo-OxOzHKMZ4onbP7WGz-8WPMPK/s320/IMG_0269.jpg" width="320" /></a>On this day we headed to Ebenezer Compassion Project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a well-established and large
Compassion project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It served over 300+
kids and had many skill development programs for the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had a band where the kids learned to
play local instruments as well as culinary and cosmetology programs to teach
kids<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I met my buddy Anderson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was an amazing 12 year old Compassion kid
that could tear up the bamboo pipes (zampona).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I asked him how long he had been playing the pipes,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he replied two months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was really talented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would have never had the opportunity to
learn to play if it were not for the Compassion program at this Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was sharing joy through music.</div>
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After spending the morning understanding more about all the
programs provided by Compassion sponsors, it was time for another family
visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get on the bus and there was
Anderson again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very hopeful that
I was assigned to visit his home and tried out my Spanish indicating I would
like to visit his home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I spoke it
in Spanish the translator started shaking her head and saying no, no no!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I had just told Anderson was “I want
your house”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anderson saw my face of
horror when the translator told me what I said and he started laughing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well God had plans for me to visit another
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This visit was very special and
a blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHMgMjW-_2gsNeznbqr2FcL9evDiw2juYCn03qReWPkZigfeXi4rGkngsLi5YsRsPYakNweXpIpk95-BK06KcRB2LIeJ349eAMae44GRvHnVAQk5EgouyYwH60TPODFArKhrxxq6SWl7K/s1600/IMG_0310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHMgMjW-_2gsNeznbqr2FcL9evDiw2juYCn03qReWPkZigfeXi4rGkngsLi5YsRsPYakNweXpIpk95-BK06KcRB2LIeJ349eAMae44GRvHnVAQk5EgouyYwH60TPODFArKhrxxq6SWl7K/s320/IMG_0310.jpg" width="320" /></a>We had the honor to visit Liz and Stephanie and
parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just getting to their home was
a real hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Home was on a side of a
hill and to get to their home you climbed down a dirt path which led to their
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so nice to meet the whole
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liz had a sponsor from
Australia but Stephanie’s sponsor had to stop sponsoring her and she is waiting
for a new sponsor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This visit really
opened my eyes to the effect that family gifts have on the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liz and Stephanie’s dad worked very hard as
a taxi driver and when he is not driving his taxi cab he worked<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on their home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were squatters and they had to show
improvements being made on the home to keep living there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mother took us around the home and
showed us all the items that they were able to purchase for the family as a
result of Liz sponsor’s family gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are talking about a bed for the girls and dresser and blender and a
hutch for the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so
thankful for the gift and prayed for Liz’s sponsor every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have loved to be able to talk with
that sponsor and tell him the impact he has made on that family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to just thank him my self for
keeping the hope flowing in this family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What an impact he is making in not only Liz’s life but the whole
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he saw the gratefulness in their
eye’s,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think he would be even more overwhelmed
than what I was experiencing in the visit. </div>
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Well during the visit we asked if the family attended church
regularly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was when Liz began to
cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is when one of the adults in
the compassion group picked up on why she was crying and asked “Are you crying
because your family does not attend church?”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is when the tears starting flowing from Liz, her parents and the
whole team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liz’s heart’s desire was
for all of her family to attend church with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her mother opened up and told us that she
did not attend church because of a situation that occurred the last time she
attended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were let down by the
church and it really impacted their family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What was really amazing was one of the individuals that accompanied us
from the Compassion Learning project was also a pastor and he had just started
a satellite church just a few 100 yards from where they lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God had placed him in that home at that
moment to minister to the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
so beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we left, the parents
saw the desire of their Liz and indicated they would give the new church a
try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We told them that they needed the
fellowship of the Church but just as important was that the Church needed their
talents to reach out to others as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Lord, I lift up Liz and her family that they may grow closer
to you through their fellowship of your church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that you use the Pastor to help heal
their hearts and turn their hearts on fire for your work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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After the blessing of the Liz family visit, we provided
vacation bible school to the Compassion project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our team provided crafts, sports, music, and
bible story/drama. Jan and I helped with the Bible Story/drama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the young kids we used the Max Lucado
“Hermie – A Common Caterpillar”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and had
the kids act out the story that presented the message that God had created us
all Extraordinary!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was so much fun
but then we were thrown a real curve ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They wanted us to talk with the older children as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a panic we started trying to figure out
what we can do with the older kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
that moment,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one of the Compassion
Sponsors indicated he would share his testimony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His testimony was around not dreaming with
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very touching and he
challenged all of us to continue to dream with God and just imagine what you
can accomplish with Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to Peru to minister to kids and God
used this message to speak to me and remind me that I need to dream bigger
because God is all I need to accomplish those dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you Nick for being obedient to God and
sharing your testimony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that God
put you there at that time to minister to me! </div>
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The vacation bible school was the icing on the cake of our
Compassion Project visits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was such
a blessing to meet all of the people that help with the projects and the
children and adults that are ministered to by the projects. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw how sponsoring a child can change the
child, their family, and a whole village!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes it is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can make a
difference in poverty by sponsoring a single child. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw it with my own eyes!</div>
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June 11-12, 2015</div>
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Over the next two days we went sightseeing in Huancayo, flew
back to Lima, and took a tour of the Compassion Country Office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lots of memories but my heart was
looking forward to our last day in Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was the day we would spend time with our sponsor child, Jorge, and
his mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I want to jump to
that day because it was the crescendo of the entire trip but I did want to
mention a few things about the Country Office Visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mW4n-FL0H742OMt6bbh1s7_AczckDzp2ya6M7XRlvcIqV8caxCpSSo6KM08_q9g_5XaL6MDNliPBpi0WZJ3_kWQ2GvBEkhz2RmlHUUHycGZtx1eL-fhAYcwSZ684xeYHd8TCtc2OabZQ/s1600/IMG_0500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mW4n-FL0H742OMt6bbh1s7_AczckDzp2ya6M7XRlvcIqV8caxCpSSo6KM08_q9g_5XaL6MDNliPBpi0WZJ3_kWQ2GvBEkhz2RmlHUUHycGZtx1eL-fhAYcwSZ684xeYHd8TCtc2OabZQ/s200/IMG_0500.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAa8JF3sIKjNJV5vtG-vBqZ2gpVt9vZZtURX_XVe2rfUM2AyduahFhkdpSQowEuY61R-nv6juFj26nrydvMlh7UgneWBmNB3T2WaCNiMens7j92szDLrdAVACG_As8JUNNsXbcRZubE10P/s1600/IMG_0502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAa8JF3sIKjNJV5vtG-vBqZ2gpVt9vZZtURX_XVe2rfUM2AyduahFhkdpSQowEuY61R-nv6juFj26nrydvMlh7UgneWBmNB3T2WaCNiMens7j92szDLrdAVACG_As8JUNNsXbcRZubE10P/s200/IMG_0502.jpg" width="200" /></a>On this visit I saw the room that all our letters we send to
Jorge flow through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I met some of the
translators that work with the letters. They see their work as a blessing to
facilitate the relationship building of the Children/Sponsors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also learned about the entire new
infrastructure they are putting in place to speed up the information sharing of
the children between the country office and projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We learned that they are providing tools to
those projects that have some basic Internet connectivity to help facilitate
children’s needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that Compassion’s
desire is to improve the turn around time of all the letter writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compassion is spending a lot of effort to
support improved Sponsor/Child communications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As you learn on your first Compassion Project visits, the letters are
just as important as the medical care and the food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those letters from the sponsors are the
life line of hope to the children and to their families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compassion realizes that and are working hard
to improve the process even more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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June 13, 2015 – The Crescendo!</div>
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While each day in Peru was absolutely amazing, this day was
the day I had been waiting for since January, when the trip planning began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is my boy like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy God has laid on my heart to pray for
each week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what do I pray for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will soon have the opportunity to ask him
and his mother that question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
soon get to see his personality and learn more about what he likes and what he
wants to do when he grows up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All these
questions and statements were floating in my head for some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the day was finally here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me start off by saying,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God could not have blessed me any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meeting this little guy was more than I could
have ever imagined!</div>
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So where do I start?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should start when I first
got a glimpse of him from the distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Compassion treated the Sponsors and the children to the Lima Zoo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a perfect place to get to know my
little guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was waiting, but not very
patiently, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to get into the zoo when I
got my first glimpse of Jorge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon
as I saw him, he started to smile!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
we got into the Zoo, he ran up to us and gave us a big hug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mother hugged us as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All my questions seemed to disappear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I wanted to do was enjoy that contagious
smile of his.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just wanted to watch
him grab our hands and we started to walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While walking through the zoo I learned so much about him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loves to fish!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His dad takes him fishing 3 times a week
(that is their main source of meat).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
fishes with worms!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that he
was the only one in his family that liked to fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could tell that the time he spent with
his dad fishing was very special with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The boy can eat as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ate
what was equivalent to ½ of a chicken when we went to the restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorE1JkrWKL0M8uJX-sD3lSvk62MdHKFQ3V6PrgYeS4z7AlB8ZGDODdOorBjUktaU-ucZpEIsKXN6uvoxlN65cwD-oWX4eW8e7nEvzVbfeLI_nlET8RGl9W_yjBwd1-PMKnD1Kr1O85rkx/s1600/IMG_0548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-GRMYJXrOoIoOgNmDnb4GFy_-Z8WBGSuCNanhtEC2dYOgEQ9PX1VMEBCNO7m49mm8-GGOlXYBv31eGVBybgIpyU7rZw257MmkJTyX2YslA4vhVmo22cVRDbFyPvlhyphenhyphenz1MDux6TIe46H7/s1600/IMG_0550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-GRMYJXrOoIoOgNmDnb4GFy_-Z8WBGSuCNanhtEC2dYOgEQ9PX1VMEBCNO7m49mm8-GGOlXYBv31eGVBybgIpyU7rZw257MmkJTyX2YslA4vhVmo22cVRDbFyPvlhyphenhyphenz1MDux6TIe46H7/s200/IMG_0550.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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We got to play checkers, the game Sorry and
my favorite thumb wrestle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During our
lunch he kept stepping on my foot under the table and then just grinned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I learned that my little buddy wanted to be a doctor some
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tell you these compassion kids
dream big and I know God will honor those big dreams if they continue to seek
God in those dreams (thank you again Nick!) </div>
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While we spent a lot of time wrestling and picking on each
other we did have some serious time with Jorge and his mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that Jorge has not accepted Christ
yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well God gave me something specific
to pray about now and now I know what to write in my letters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told Jorge that Christ was the answer to
all of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Christ that connected
us and Christ that has provided the assistance that he gets through
Compassion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes it was Christ that
made all those fish he likes to catch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
told him that he needed to listen at the compassion project more about Christ
and please ask his teacher/pastor if he has any questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
so grateful for the Compassion Project because I know that they will teach
Jorge about my Savior. </div>
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I also learned that Jorge’s father will not step foot in the
Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He feels that the people in
the local Church will judge him harshly because he may want to have a drink
every once in a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you God
for another specific thing to pray for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another prayer request came from the mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jorge’s sister is 15 and is a single
mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need prayer in that
situation as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God really loaded
me up on a list for prayer items for Jorge and his family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to request that you too pray
for Jorge and his family as well.</div>
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While walking at the Zoo,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had another God moment that totally amazed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was asked by Jorge’s mother how I like
Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was talking about all we had
seen and experienced and told her there was one thing it looked like I was not
going to experience, tasting the Peruvian delicacy of Guinea Pig.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes I know you are probably saying<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Ewww”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes I did want to try it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
I said that, Jorge’s mother started smiling!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had smoked me three guinea pigs and brought them with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been caring them around the zoo the
whole day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not have traded that
smile for anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Peru it is a
great honor to receive a Guinea Pig.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is only for special occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had
cooked me three of them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
blessed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Oh what an amazing day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It had come to the end but I was finding it real hard to turn loose of
Jorge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you feel like this with
someone you just met?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am supposed to
help him but this little fellow has just changed my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can this be so?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a trip to show Jorge my family
loves him but instead my life has been totally blessed by just a few minutes
with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will pray for him and I
really hope I will be able to visit him again soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Thank you God for Compassion and the children they
serve!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can teach us sponsors a lot
and I saw this over a week in Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thank you!</div>
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Mr. Randall Wilcoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05064812596106272806noreply@blogger.com0