It's been over two months now that we have been in Lima and I have only blogged once. The instinct or even the burden to blog does not come naturally to me. It is something that easily slips my mind. I hope that is not interpreted as us not caring about our wonderful supporters back home. We appreciate each and every one of you so much and couldn't be here without you. Peter and I will try to be better at updating you more often.
I am writing this as I sit in a Starbucks with a cup of Earl Grey tea (I'm really adapting to the culture here well) and I'm thinking through the main focus of our past two months: language study. Peter and I spent 6 weeks in language study; 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. This was absolutely pertinent for our time here in Peru and I am grateful we were able to complete it. We each reached an intermediate level of Spanish and feel a lot less handicapped as we venture around Lima. Praise to the Lord, however we still have a long way to go before really learning the language. Prayers are always appreciated for this.
Peter is having an excellent time here and has been given many opportunities to use his gifts. The most prominent and time consuming task he is doing is teaching a class at the cathedral on the first 500 years of church history. About 15 people are attending, and some even outside of the cathedral. I really believe this class has been a huge ministry to the people in attendance. Peter is giving them (myself included) a deeper understanding of our origins as Christians. I believe people are eager to learn about this and it gives them a connection to the roots of their faith.
I have now finished my second week at Santisima Trinidad, a parochial primary school in San Juan de Miraflores ( a district in Lima). 3 days a week I take the bus (successfully taking the bus has been a triumph for me) to the school and spend the day there assisting in the classrooms as best as I can. The language barrier has been a challenge, but I am learning to be comfortable with being confused and a bit uncomfortable, if that even makes sense. The children and staff have been incredibly welcoming and friendly. I am gradually learning names, routines, and ways in which I can assist. My spanish is also improving. I could definitely use prayer for confidence and strength each day as I venture out to this district. It is definitely an area in which I stand out and all things are unfamiliar. I pray that I can gain familiarity and confidence at the school so that I can develop relationships with the students and staff and assist in the educational development of these beautiful children.
Please keep us in your prayers and here are some specific ways you can pray for us:
- Assistance with prepping the children's advent curriculum: I am helping with this and it is one of my main focuses for the month of November. Pray that we would complete it in time and that the curriculum will be effective for the children to learn about Jesus.
- Discipleship: The Lord has put a few people in our life who seem eager to learn about their faith and grow closer to Jesus. Pray that we would have ample opportunity to meet with them and disciple them individually and/or through different events at church.
- Our spiritual life: Pray that we would be shaped and moulded more into the image of God during our time here in Peru. Pray specifically that I would have a more consistent prayer life.
- Alpha: We are attending and assisting at the alpha course. Pray for those in attendance, that they might grow closer to Jesus and understand Him more.
- Confidence: I am struggling to have confidence in the school I am volunteering in. Pray that I might receive confidence and that the language gap would grow smaller and smaller.
Thank you all for your commitment to pray for us. We appreciate it very much and know that your prayers are needed!
I've been slacking at taking photos. The next blog post will have more photos...
