Last days

Sorry it took so long to update you on how the last days of the mission trip went. Day 3 was probably the most interesting. Friday was a holiday. In Peru, holidays mean alcohol and a lot of it (oh wait that sounds like Hattiesburg doesn't it?) We got to the church around 9 in the morning and organized ourselves to go prayer walking. We tried to go up into a certain area, but couldn't find a place to park so we moved locations. The missionary and our driver stayed with the vehicles. We started walking into this neighborhood to pray and speak with different families. We started hearing gun shots that were fairly close. At first, some of the group members thought they were fireworks since it was a holiday, but the Peruvians assured us they were not fireworks...they were definitely gunshots. At first they were not very close, but they got a lot closer. Then as we started to walk on, a young man came up and told us not to walk any further because a gang had already seen us and had been following us and now were waiting for us around the block. The Peruvians we were with assumed he was in on it, and was trying to make us turn around to lead us into a trap, so they kept walking. Then, two women came up and said the same thing. They also said a tourist group had gotten robbed recently in this same area. The neighborhood was very dangerous, they said, and we needed to get out. One of the Peruvian ladies took us down a side alley to the main road. We heard a couple of other really close gun shots and then got back to the main road. That was really the only time I got nervous about where we were. I am so grateful God was protecting us and saved us from being robbed. In that area, when they rob you, they don't just take your purse or backpack or wallet....they strip you down to nothing. It would have been very traumatic. We weren't able to stay with the kids as long on Friday because of the holiday. They police were out in full force because of the drunkenness. We saw one man getting arrested and his little daughter running after him crying and screaming daddy. It broke my heart. The riot police were out too, so we felt the need to get out of the area a little sooner just to be safe.

Saturday was a good day as well. Like all the other mornings we got got up and ready to go prayer walking. The pastor couldn't go with us because his daughter was in the hospital and he needed to check on her. (please be praying for her) So some of the church members took us around to some areas to prayer walk. We stopped at several parks where a lot of drug deals happen to pray for the city. We also stopped in front of the police station. Police are corrupt in that area. Very often when they arrest someone, they can be payed off to let them out. Right next to the police station was a little soccer/basketball court. A lady of the church said that a man teaches volleyball classes to girls in that court. But she said he also likes little girls. He earns their trust, and then takes advantage of them. That completely broke me and I started crying as we stood on the very ground where girls are taken advantage of and prayed. You could feel the oppression. Saturday was our last day working with the kids. It was the story of heaven. I was supposed to tell the story, so I wanted to be sure the kids understood that heaven wasn't just some pretty place to go when you died as long as you lived a good life. We discussed how works had nothing to do with it, that it was all because of what God can do in us and through us. Not all of the kids were paying attention, but I know the mothers and a few of the others were. So pray God grows that seed that was planted.

Since then we have just been exploring Lima and having a great time!!!