Peru Trip Update

I haven't had much time to write this week. It has been very busy and very long days. I've been enjoying it in a whole different way than I have the previous two times I was here. Reconnecting with old friends from 2008 and 2011, making new friends, and experiencing new things at different places.

I wanted to try something different this year. I haven't taken many pictures. I wanted to experience this trip through my eyes, not from behind a camera lens. So far it's been great yet it's weird knowing I won't have a lot of picture to look back on.

Day One in Peru

We made it to Peru late last night and I was able to go to bed by 3:00am. Fortunately we didn't need to be to breakfast until 8:00 so I was able to "sleep in." Today was a more laid back day. We had a few hours to go to the Indian market to shop, then the students went to the Callao Church for a few hours of sports with the Peruvian youth. We played soccer, Peruvians vs Americans. The American boys lost against the Peruvian boys, but the American girls won against the Peruvian girls. Then we had an "adult" game which I was a part of. Though we lost, it was fun to play and enjoy time with our brothers and sisters from the Callao Church. 

Tomorrow the sports/students team will leave from the hotel at 7:00 to head to the Callao Church for the morning service. We do not know what we will be doing. We only know we are involved somehow. It will be an early morning and perhaps another late night, so I'll be taking advantage of our free evening tonight by getting good rest. 

So far the food has been great. Breakfast in the hotel is always my favorite, with eggs, sweet French toast, pancakes, fresh fruit juices, and assorted cheeses. Dinner tonight was a pasta bar, so I had penne noodles with an Alfredo-type cream sauce and chocolate cake for dessert and chicha to drink. 

I was challenged already today with my Spanish. Some of the leadership think I speak good Spanish and have asked me to communicate with the bus drivers. This was a challenge but we were able to communicate fine. There were times I didn't know how to say something but the driver figured out what I wanted to say and finished my sentence or question for me. I also helped some people at the market communicate with the venders about prices. It was hard and a little discouraging that I couldn't communicate well, but was also a confidence booster that I can indeed speak at least some Spanish and have the Peruvians understand me. Hopefully I can continue to see improvements this week!

Please continue to pray for us as more of our team are flying in tonight, No Longer Music is performing at 11:00, and we have several church services tomorrow that we are a part of. Please also pray for our health, energy, and strength going into a full week of activities. So far food has not been a problem at all, which is a HUGE praise!

Peru Missions Trip 2014

Tomorrow morning I leave Minneapolis to fly to Lima, Peru for ten days! It has been three years since I have been there, and I am really looking forward to going back. This will be my third time to Peru through Grace Church for an all-church missions trip. About 150 Americans will be partnering with hundreds from our sister church in Callao, the port city of Lima. We will be taking to the streets of the city and surrounding barrios to tell people about Jesus. We will be using performing arts, drama, music, puppets, sports, etc as creative ways to present the Gospel and to tell people about Jesus.

 

I am part of the Sports and Performing Arts ministry team. We will be going out into parks, hospitals, prisons, and barrios such as Pachacutec to conduct soccer clinics and perform a few skits, which will provide us opportunities to tell both kids and adults about who Jesus is.

 

If you would like to write to me or leave me a note of encouragement, here's how:

 

1. Go to http://www.atgrace.com/peru14

2. Click on "Encourage a Team Member"

3. There will be a graphic box with two little boxes to type names into. You should only type in your name and my full name (Lauren Critzer) in the appropriate boxes. Please do not type email addresses.

 

These messages will be delivered to me on a daily basis and I always enjoy reading them!

 

I will be in Peru from Friday, July 25th through Saturday, August 2nd. Please be praying for us as we prepare to leave. Over the next few days, our entire team will be flying down to Lima. We will have a church service on Sunday at the Callao church, and Monday we kick-off our week with a parade through the city streets. Pray that we might go with a servant's heart and eyes open to see those God is leading us to. Pray for the Peruvians we will be in contact with, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ at the Callao church.

 

I hope to write at least one blog post during my time in Peru as an update for what we are doing and how you can continue to be praying for us. If you would like to receive email updates, you can enter your email address in the field at the upper right of my blog under "Follow by Email."

 

As our missions pastor says, "No prayer, no power. Little prayer, little power. Much prayer, much power." This missions trip is not possible without the power of prayer and having strong prayer warriors back home. Thank you in advance for your prayers!