Hello Everyone!
A few days ago, someone I had just met asked me what all I do here in Peru. I realized a day or so
later that for the first time in over a year the answer didn’t involve two parts consisting of pre-covid ministry and during covid. While I am not currently doing everything I did before covid struck, in the last few months the restrictions here have loosened up enough that I am once again doing many of the things that I was before as well as some new things.
At the beginning of July my joy was indescribable because we were finally able to return to Manchay (an area about 20 minutes away) to begin our women’s and children’s Bible studies again. The groups started out small as several of the families had moved away to find work, or to live with family due to economic issues, or because of loss (I have a couple kids who left because they lost both parents to covid) but we have had a good number of new ladies and children coming over the last several weeks. I currently am working with about 20-25 kids each week while Pastor David Taza and his daughters are working with a group of 12-16 ladies.
Because of the number of children in Peru vs. the number of schools and even the number of teachers, quite often in the public schools, elementary classes meet in the morning and secondary classes meet in the afternoon, getting out at about 6pm. That is the way the big public school that most of my kids in Manchay went to functioned, so the Bible club was mostly kids under 13, and then I had 2 or 3 kids who would show up for the last few minutes on their way home from school to get a lesson and word search that they could do at home.
School is still virtual this year, and most schools can’t do classes live but send assignments via messaging apps. (It’s hard to do anything live when there are 7 kids in a family sharing one cell phone for school, or a few families sharing the same phone.) But, because school is virtual, I find I now have a group of 6 girls between the ages of 13 and 15 coming each week and another 5 who come when they can. Please be praying as I am preparing to do something extra with them at another time of the week when I can give them some more individualized attention as well as lessons appropriate for their age and maturity. I am hoping to get something established that can continue when the girls return to school in person next year since they most likely will not be able to keep coming to the Thursday night classes at that time.
Along with the Bible club in Manchay, I am still teaching the 10 and under kids on Sunday mornings at the orphanage since the occupancy limits for the church are still at 50% or under depending on the week. We just finished a series on the wonders that God showed Israel through Moses and Joshua and are now looking at some of the things that Jesus did and taught as well as what the disciples and apostles did through the book of Acts. We just started the Sunday night children’s class at the church again last week and so I had a small but fun group there. Kids who were 4 last time I taught them are now 6 and understanding so much more. I am also teaching small Bible studies with 1 or 2 people several times a week on topics such as apologetics, Proverbs, and God’s will. I am so thankful that God continues to supply the knowledge and understanding I need so that I can help others as well.
I continue to teach music to several of the kids at the orphanage as well as spending time with them during breaks and after school teaching them things like how to play Skip Bo, or marbles or how to throw a frisbee. Sometimes it is those small things we have done for so long that we forget that need to be taught. The kids bring me such joy. I am so thankful that I get to be with them.
Please be praying regarding my visa. The new president that took office at the end of July has enacted several new laws that have made the process of extending with immigration/visa issues is still trying to wade through the new information and now is very backed up in trying to help missionaries with their paperwork. My paperwork for extension must be submitted before October 18th. I know that sounds like a way off, but here the process can take weeks and the lawyer is very far behind, so it is a matter of great prayer right now.
Thank you all so much for your support and your prayers. They are such an encouragement to me and I do not take them for granted. Thank you.