Reflecting and Celebrating

This past weekend was very full!  The director of the Church of the Nazarene in Peru came to visit.  He preached at each of the church plants and at the end of the weekend recognized this group of missionaries for the work that God has done through them.  I was proud all weekend of Kristen, Francisca, Garren, Geremias, Trevor and Sammy.  The pictures only represent some of the lives that have been changed, as many people could not attend the services.  

When we arrived in Puno 17 months ago the 40/40's knew no one.  There were no churches in their communities.  There were no names or addresses to visit.  They prayed and began walking the streets, knocking on doors, holding children's festivals, showing movies and talking about the Bible to anyone who would listen.  The made relationships.  They attended parties, planted potatoes, dug ditches, washed clothes, cared for children, carried bags through the market, visited the hospital, shared meals and answered calls late at night.  They have been dedicated and it was a blessing to reflect and physically see what has resulted from the time and effort they have given.  God has been faithful!  On Monday, we went to the lake for a baptism and lunch of potatoes and cheese.  Monday evening, our group was honored and thanked for the dedication and effort given to this work.  Below are pictures of the weekend, including a group picture with each new congregation.

We made it to 5 of the 6 church services that were held over the weekend.  The kids are troopers!

                

Salcedo- Garren and Geremias

Yanamayo- Kristen and Francisca

Huascar- Kristen and Francisca

Juliaca- Sammy and Trevor

Chipana- Pastor Herman

Kids playing in the lake

Chad making plans for the roof on the church in Chipana.

Lunch!

Lake Titicaca with the Bolivian mountains in the background-

We have almost exactly a month left here in Puno.  We are doing a two day long debrief this week in Cusco with our team and then Garren will leave next Thursday.  After that we have a few weeks with the rest of the team to say goodbyes, sell our things and wrap up this chapter of our lives.  The end of this adventure is drawing near.  There is no better word than bittersweet to describe this time.