Don't worry I am still taking plenty of photos

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023906&l=07b4f&id=67600728

Bringing Cultures Together

Well toady marks only having 3 weeks left here in South America and I'm not sure if that is enough time. The Queens group has been a huge blessing to have here this week. They have all been working hard on the work site and have done a great job with running the children's programs. They have also taken on a whole new ministry by reaching the Chinese population in Trujillo. The group is from a Chinese Alliance Church and many of them speak Cantonese and have been able to use that to reach out the Chinese minority here. Most of the Chinese population here own the 'Chifa' or Chinese restaurants in the city. The team has gone around visiting the different restaurants and building relationships with the people and witnessing to the people there. This is an awesome opportunity they have to serve here and it has been fun to be a part of it even though i just eat the Chinese food and have no idea what is being said.
On Sunday I am going back to Lima to bring this group to the airport and pick up my last group for the summer. I will be in Lima though for almost a week because of Peru's Independence Day on Monday and it has been hard to get buses down there, so we are leaving earlier than planned. Although we have to leave Trujillo earlier with the group, I think it will be very cool to be in Lima for Independence Day.
As far as life here in Peru, things have been amazing and I really think it is going to be hard to leave this place. I am very connected with a lot of the locals here and am very passionate about the ministries going on here. On August 10th I will be heading back to Quito, Ecuador and I think it will come sooner than I think after my trip to Lima and being with another group. Please pray for me and I continue to work down here and I will let you all know how the trip to Lima was when I return.

The Queens Group

After my second trip to Lima in the past week, the huge group is back home and my new group from Queens is here. They are a very fun group and I'm very excited to have them here. It is also nice to not be on a bus to or from Lima for a least a week. This week there will be four teams here total and we hope to get a lot done. We took a tour today to show the group the different sites and churches and it is great to be see all the people at the different locations and how much they love us coming by.
Friday marked only having four weeks left here in South America. It is crazy to think I will be leaving this life here so soon. It is always bitter/sweet to think about leaving because I love being here and the life I have here, but it is always great to see everyone I love back home again. It is also hard to believe I will be going into my last year of college and everything that will come along with that.
Thank you again for all of you who have supported me in so many ways. I look forward to seeing you all again in a few weeks and ask that you keep me in your prayers as I continue to work down here.

Gringos, gringos, gringos.

I can't imagine being Peruvian right now and seeing our group of 180+ gringos walking around. It has been keeping us very busy down here just trying to do everything, but still things are going well. I have been really enjoying the kids programs more and more as I get to do them with the churches. We are all very excited for the Saturday as we put on a huge outreach for the city. All the churches are putting on a sports day all day on Saturday to reach out to the communities they are from and us grinos are playing on their teams. At night Corban, Elisa's band, will be putting on a concert. We are very excited for this and look forward to bringing so many Peruvians and Gringos together for a day. Also, Corban has been asked to open for Rojo which is the biggest Christian band here in Latin America on August 7th! I need to get to bed now but again I have more pictures because I just cannot stop taking them.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023405&l=02782&id=67600728

Ohio Meets Peru

Well, believe it or not, we somehow got 180 people here to Peru! It has been keeping us very busy just to get everyone to their different work places, hotels and just meals. Overall though everything is going great and it is amazing how much work will get done in these 10 days. I am working with a group of 17 and am staying at a hotel in the downtown area here. Today we spent the whole day working at the construction site and with all the traveling and work we are pretty tired.
Before we went to the airport to get the teams we got to spend some time in Lima just hanging out with some of our friends who live there. Here are some pictures of my time there. The architecture and colors made it a fun day to have a camera.
As always please keep me and all of us down here in your prayers.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023315&l=120da&id=67600728

The Garbage Dump

I don't have much time right now, but I wanted to quickly share with you my latest trip to the garbage dump. I went with the team from Canada yesterday and handed out fruit and shoes to the people. The relationships are growing better with every visit we make to the garbage dump and it is amazing how people that are so far from each other in life can show love to each other. Jesus says what we do to the least of these, we have done to Him. How amazing it is to have the opportunity to serve the poorest of the poor and to build relationships with them. As nervous as I am for trying to get 180 people here and everything that comes with that next week, it is awesome that there will be that many people experiencing such an incredible ministry first hand. Please keep me in your prayers as I work down here and that I will keep my priorities straight and my eyes on God. And of course I have pictures of our latest visit to the dump.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023144&l=e46d4&id=67600728