We fed the hungry, helped the poor

Oh how God has been moving!!! This week we have seen so many things. What has really hit me was the soup kitchen, passing ou blankets to the homeless, and going to the drug rehab center and holding tank.
 

At the soup kitchen we served over two hundred people and shared the gospel with all of them. God provided that day! After everyone had gone through the line we were completely out of food. Can you believe we had enough to serev every person that came out to eat. It was a miracle by God. Also while we were there many prayed to accept Christ. I get chills just thinking about it.

At midnight, we all loaded up into the van and drove out towards downtown Lima. We went out on the streets and passed out blankets to the homeless and the poeple on the streets. We shared the gospel to over forty people that night and gave them bibles. That night I heard a drug addict sing hymns, a drunkard share the gospel like I had never heard before and a 16 year old prostitute ask me to take her 11 month old daughter back to the states with me. That night my eyes were opened to a whole new world. God gave me a heart to love these people and a want to help them anyway I can. I wish I could speak to them and a hold a conversation with them without a translator but maybe next time. God blessed me that night, I have so much yet I take it for granted everyday. These people have nothing yet are so content. They may be the "least of these" but God loves them and He calls me to love them like he does and to "GO" and share the gospel and the love of Christ to them.

I was able to share my testimony to a group of boys in a holding tank, there were five of them. They were there because they had either been victims of rape or were the perpetrator. I shared with them how God has taken me out of my darkness and never gave up on me, even when I drew away from him for four years. I have been a victim of abuse, not to a physical extent but mentally. and my family drifted away, especially my mom and I. God never gave up though. I feel that God aloud that obstacle in my life to happen because Iwas able to share a testimony that related to those boys. That day all five boys accepted Christ. Our God uses our testimonies and obstacles to relate to people and that day I was able to relate to them. I may have suffered in the past but God used it in away that I never would have dreamed of.

I praise a God that rejoices when only one was saved, this past week my God was partying because over a hundred are now going to His kingdom to spend eternity with Him.

"Who forgives all sins and heals all diseases.."

This week we had a medical team come in of about 14 people. It was extremely rewarding to see that side of ministering to the people. The team saw over 1000 people and a little more then 100 came to know Christ! God is good!

The team went to four different cities and at each one they saw 200 people. They went to Cieneguilla, Manchay, Pachacutec, and Huaycan. They set up four different stations, trioj, doctors office, pharmacy, and counseling and ministry. There was also a children's station which had face painting and fingernail painting with bracelets.

The group was amazing and we all really connected with them. It was heart breaking to tell them goodbye but such a blessing to get to know them and have the opportunity to bond with them. Pastor Lenny and everyone else really went out of their way to include us all and really make us a part of their group. This week was well needed. It really helped me grow in tpppmy faith and see all the needs that are out there. God can use you in anyway possible even if it is tying bracelets on a child's wrist or painting their nails...love is all you need to give them!

"The Lord is my Rock..." Psalms 18:2

This week has been filled with God working everywhere we go. The first group came in last week and we went out into five different villages sharing the gospel.

There is a village here about two hours away from Cieneguilla called Antioquia. This village is feared and no Peruvian will go there. It is said to be the village where witches and witch doctors are. At night you will not see anyone out on the streets because that is when the demons come out. At this village we were able to go into a school that no one has ever been able to share the gospel in. God opened those doors for us and at least 20 kids accepted Christ that day. God was moving in those kids hearts. Also in this village the mayors wife, Ana, took us into a womens "shanti". This was deaf and could not speak, she had 4 kids and all of them lived in a one room house. We gave them clothes, shoes, toys, and a bag of rice and prayed over that family. That day God opened my eyes to a world I have never known before. This city needs a church! Please be in prayer for a pastor who will be willing to GO to that city and plant a church, that will open the doors and plant seeds!

We also went out to man chay, on of the two poorest cities here in Peru. When you go there all you see are these Shanti homes covering every mountain. Here we went into a school and shared the gospel and over thirty kids accepted God. Ten of those thirty showed up at church this Sunday!!! Also a brand new shanti home was built for a family of six here in Cieneguila. The family was extremely overwhelmed and so excited about their new home. The mother and two daughters also showed up in church the next day and so excited and overwhelemed with the love of God.

God is opening doors and planting seeds here! This week we will be working with a medical group. This group will be able to provide care and medicine to people who cannot afford it on their own. Keep this group in your prayers this week!

My heart breaks for these children.

This week God is working in my life more then I can ever imagine! This journey, in just one week, has shown me more about the Fathers heart and His extravagant compassion then I could ever imagine! At the beginning of this first week here it was an adjustment period. The language barrier was hard to overcome and being so far away from my family was an extreme adjustment but now I am loving every minute of what God is doing. Every where I look, God continues to open my eyes to something new and exciting.

In the town of Cieneguilla, there is poverty, dirty children and people, dirt mountains, no green, houses that are the size of my bedroom back home but yet it is beautiful. God has given me the eyes to see the way that He does, to break my heart in ways I thought it could not be broken. Every morning I look outside my window and just think to myself, why did God make this place to look this way? But yet it looks so beautiful, even if it is just dirt/dust everywhere.

The children at the home are so precious. They are always smiling and when they look up at me with those BIG brown eyes I begin to ache for them and to think they have no family but yet are so loved!! Today a little girl looked up at me and reached for me to hold her. I picked up her and she kissed my face and then smiled at me. After nuzzling me for what seemed like forever, she looked at me with those beautiful brown eyes and said, ¨te amo, mommy!¨ Oh my goodness, I lost it right there! If I could and finances would let me I would take her home with me in heart beat! These children have no mommy or daddy, these workers are all they know. God has blessed me with parents who support me in everything I do and I am so thankful for all God has given me. These poor children have nothing but yet are extremely loved. I know God has reason for me to be here and reveal to me His next step in my life...I am excited and ready to see and know what it is!

This next month and a half is going to be so amazing and I cannot wait for God to keep working and moving here in Cieneguilla, Peru. My prayer while I am here is that God will continue to break my heart for what breaks his and reveal to me what His next plan is for me in my life!