Like I’ve told many of our new Peruvian friends, we just want to follow Jesus example in the ways that we are able.  While, as of yet, I haven’t been able to raise the dead or miraculously make the lame to walk, there are many other ways that we can care for people’s physical well being.  One of those ways is to invite our brothers and sisters who have been trained medically to provide quality medical care to many that can’t afford it here in Lima.

So, that’s just what we did.  In July we had a good sized group of volunteers come down from the United States to help us with our first ever medical campaign. As part of the group we had doctors, dentists and nurses along with tons of great helpers, skilled laborers and all kinds of people willing to take the time and effort to come and show God’s love to their Peruvian neighbors in this ever shrinking world we live in.  We focussed our efforts in an area of Lima called Paraiso, which mean Paradise.  This campaign was a wild success.  Many people received the kind of medical care that they hadn’t been able to get and, more importantly, God’s love was spread through a community that so desperately needs it.  The kind of community that I think you likely would have found Jesus walking through 2000 years ago.

For a better glimpse into our first Medical Campaign in “Paradise” take a few minutes and watch our video…

Medical Campaign 2010 – Paraiso from Twentyeight19 Ministries on Vimeo.

“¡Ya viene!” was the response, “He’s coming right now!”

Great. Now I’m going to be really late, if he even comes at all.

So, since I was waiting there, Jimmy and Italo, two of the guards that night and their friend Edgar, who lives nearby, started asking me questions. The usual ones at first… “Where are you from?” “What do you do?” “How do you like Peru?” Etc.

But as I explained who I was and what I am doing here, their interest really started to rise. Edgar began asking questions like, “So, are you like the mormons?” The Jehova’s Witness? Seventh Day Adventists?

Then seemingly out of nowhere he says, “Well, I could never be a part of your religion. I have to work. If I don’t work, my family doesn’t eat.”

Of course the whole conversation is in Spanish, so it took me a while to really flesh out what he meant. I didn’t understand why he thought being a part of “my religion” meant he couldn’t work. Eventually, I figured out that he had heard that Mormons have to serve a time as missionaries and I’m a missionary, so it must be like that, and he certainly couldn’t leave his job. As I explained that that’s not how it works… and that becoming a Christian isn’t like joining a Fraternity, there aren’t hoops to jump through or rules to follow all three of my new friends were listening intently.

“So, can you eat pork?” Edgar asked as he began a series of questions to really find out what the requirements are… because surely there’s a catch. “I’ve heard some people can’t eat pork.”

He continued on, “I knew a guy that was sick and needed a blood transfusion but he died because his religion said that he couldn’t have one. Can you get a blood transfusion?”

“Some people say Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ lover, do you believe that?”

Then we finally got to one that was obviously sitting right on a very sore nerve, “But if I joined your religion, I’d have to give ten percent of my money to the religion… and I’m poor. Why does everyone have to give their money to religion when there are so many people poor like me?”

I explained again that there isn’t a rule… that Jesus especially cared for the poor and came so that we don’t have to live under a law with endless rules and requirements. Even as I struggled to find the words in Spanish as I answered their barrage of questions, I could see on their faces and hear in their voices a growing curiousity, an excitment.

It was getting later and later, by now soccer was almost over, but I no longer cared.

As if to say, “What you’re saying sounds too good to be true.” Edgar chimed in with, “Religions are just full of hypocrites…” and cited several examples of hypocritical and judgmental pastors and churches.

I didn’t know what to say. So I just told him he was right. Unfortunately, there are a lot of hypocrites and people do bad things all the time. But, Jesus wasn’t that way… and as I recounted to him the story of the woman caught in adultery and Jesus calling out the religious leaders of his day to “throw the first stone,” I could tell that what I was telling him really and truly sounded like good news.

By this time we’d been talking for an hour and a half… I’d missed all of soccer. But, I really did need to go and at least make an appearance, I told my new friend that I had really enjoyed our conversation, but I had to go.

“Well, when can we talk more about this? I want to know more.” was Edgar’s response.

A little in shock but thoroughly thrilled asked him when he could get together.

So he threw out, “How about tomorrow morning at 8:30?”

Works for me! So, I recruited Mark and the next morning we met right there on the sidewalk again. In front of the orthodontist’s office, Mark and I shared the Gospel with Jimmy and Edgar. We stood in the shade and read from Matthew, Mark, John, Romans and other passages. This time around they didn’t ask any questions. Periodically we’d pause and ask them if they had questions or anything to say… but they insisted that they didn’t, saying, “We’re listening intently… keep going.”

It was an amazing two hours that Tuesday morning. They couldn’t get enough. Finally, Mark and I had to leave for other obligations. But, they asked if we could meet again later in the day to hear more!

Well, in the end, we tried to meet again that night, but Edgar had been called in to work. I don’t know what will come of this, but I do know they are still excited to know more and I can’t wait to tell them. We don’t have anything scheduled. But,thankfully, this week these new friends are joining us for soccer instead of making me miss it.

It’s amazing the way that God can take our most selfish moments and turn them into the most amazing opportunities for His name to be glorified.

This is the whole team in all of our glory.  We are so happy to have all of us here with all of our kids running around and yelling and generally causing a little gringo ruckus everywhere we go.  And all of those kids, they are so happy to see “Tio” Mark every chance they get… as you can tell by little Liam’s expression in this pic.

In many ways the Fletcher’s arrival marks the beginning of the next step in our journey.  One more of our transitions is checked off.  Of course, the Fletchers, along with the rest of us, are certainly still transitioning into life in Peru.  But, the sense of waiting, of incompleteness, that some part of us is absent is gone.  What could God have up his sleeve for this crazy group we’re all a part of?  Only he knows, but we’re so excited to find out!

Thanks to all of you that let me know we were having issues.

President Fujimori and his government were the very ones that put an end to the Shining Paths reign of terror.  And he is revered by many for saving Peru from that group as well as being credited with turning around the nation’s economy.  Only one minor problem… he’s been wanted for years and was finally sent to trial last year for the cruel and deadly methods of bringing about that reform.  Today the 70 year old Fujimori was found guilty for sanctioning the two massacres and 2 kidnappings in the 1990’s and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Here is the latest release from the Associated Press:

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has been found guilty of murder and kidnapping for death squad activities during his 10-year rule during the 1990s.

Presiding Judge Cesar San Martin says the three-judge panel determined there was no doubt that the 70-year-old Fujimori authorized the creation of a military death squad that killed some 50 people.

Fujimori faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and the court was expected to issue a sentence later Tuesday.

The ex-president apparently anticipated a guilty verdict. He sat alone taking notes as the verdict was read after a 15-month televised trial.

He is the first democratically elected former president to be tried for rights violations in his own country.

The general population of Peru is quite divided over Fujimori.  I recently saw a survey that claimed that 64% of the population felt he was guilty.  However, many people don’t care.  They know that he ended the reign of the Shining Path and they don’t care about the methods.

Already today the police have been called in to break up fighting between Fujimori supporters and opponents in the district of Lima where the trial took place.

Another interesting note is that Alberto’s daughter, Keiko Fujimori (a member of Peruvian Congress) is planning on running for the presidency of Peru in the next election and has stated that she will not hesitate to pardon her father if elected.

For more information check out what wikipedia has to say about Alberto Fujimori, The Shining Path and Keiko Fujimori… because if Wikipedia says it, it must be true :)

Also, all the major news groups are running current stories… check out the latest from the BBC or CNN and Google News.  Also, the expat website livinginperu.com has a lot of information.

(Found at a blog with tons of information about Lima, En Perú.

You see, the Davidsons will be the first of our team to arrive in Lima. For another month or two, the Fletchers will be in Abilene before joining them. For the next 4 months or so, the Thompsons and Mark will remain in Costa Rica studying Spanish. While we, the Yoakums, will be here in Texas at least until the summer before finally joining the rest of the team.

Try to put yourselves in the Davidsons shoes tonight… their tickets are one-way and they’ve got two nights reserved in a hotel… beyond that, the Lord only knows. I’m sure the next few days for them will be hectic and exciting and stressful and wonderful and horrible all at the same time. They will be looking for housing, trying to figure out transportation, getting familiar with the city all the while trying to keep up in a hundred conversations in Spanish. If you know them like I do, then you know that maybe nobody is more up to the challenge than they are. I know that God will continue to meet their every need and I have no reason to doubt that he will continue to pour out blessings in abundance. Nonetheless, join the rest of our team in lifting them up in your prayers as they get settled in Lima, their new “home.”

Our time here has been right in the middle of the rainy season… our afternoons have been filled with dark clouds and torrential downpours. And in many ways it has been a rainy season for our team as well. We have had some incredibly difficult times. Times of strife and conflict and resolution and forgiveness. Stresses of culture shock and we’ve personally been dealing with growing from a family of 3 to a family of 4. We have mourned with our team mates through their time of loss and through it all we’ve grown together.

Even now the rains continue to fall. I pray and hope that these rains will lead to life and growth in the light of the love of our father…

The Fletchers have been planning all along on returning to the US for a while at the end of this semester of language school. After spending some time with their supporters they plan on heading on down to Lima.

But things have changed a bit… It’s seems like a lesson I keep learning over and over… our plans don’t mean much.

This afternoon, the Fletchers boarded a plane and headed back to Texas a week earlier than planned because they recently received some very scary news from their doctors. You’d be best off just reading it in Stephanie’s own words on their blog, here. Basically, after losing their baby boy earlier in the semester, despite taking precautions against it, Stephanie had become pregnant again. After an appointment with a doctor this week where they couldn’t find the heart beat they are getting back home as soon as possible to get the best medical attention they can. Please pray for them… they need your prayers… that God will protect that little baby inside of Steph… pray that God will take them under his wing and give them comfort and peace that only he can provide… pray that the storm clouds will clear and the Fletchers can rest in the warm light of the Father.

Meet the newest team member…

Derek Steven Yoakum

Derek was born on Thursday, July 3rd at 1:01 pm by Caesarean Section. He weighed in at 7 lb 8 oz and 20 inches. Both mom and baby are at home now and doing great.

Derek says he’s really excited about moving to Costa Rica in just over a month. For more information you can check out our personal site: www.theyoakums.net, for posts specific to baby Derek, click here. You can see lot’s more pictures of Derek here.

That’s right, we’re leaving for language school in Costa Rica in just 39 days! And I know you can do the math, Derek will be just about 6 weeks old. So, as we are at home now trying to figure out this family of four life, we’re also still in full swing of getting all of our ducks in a row and dotting all of our “i’s” and crossing all of our “t’s” and minding our p’s and q’s and what ever other idioms you can think of, for going to Costa Rica. At times the thought of this is somewhat daunting… and at other times it’s just exciting… and a lot of the time it’s both. We can certainly use your prayers!

One of those big things happened recently. The team traveled to the Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat to do our last training module with the Halbert Institute for Missions before we leave. Last fall I quit my job and began working full time preparing for moving to Peru. We moved to Abilene and the whole team was together and working together everyday. Working with Halbert and the great leadership there. We had several training modules and this was our final one. Sometimes it all seems like a blur.

This retreat, like the others, was a great time together. This module included our team as well as missionaries preparing to follow the Lord to Russia, Africa and Hawaii. We had the pleasure of being lead by Dr. Sonny Guild, Dr. Kent Smith, Dr. Gary Green and Larry Henderson. The wealth of wisdom and knowledge held by these men is incredible. This particular retreat we particularly focused on the influence of how we identify with God and how the impact our intimacy with him has on our ministry and community. It was a powerful few days.

It was great, as usual, to be together as a team. And continuing with the theme, it is likely the last time we are all together before the week we leave the country.