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.

(Back Row): Mark, Justin, Carlos, Angel, David; (Front Row): John Mark and Helee

In an effort to build relationships with the Peruvian people, we have started playing fútbol (a.k.a. soccer) with a group on Monday nights. It has been really fun and it has allowed us to catch a glimpse of the importance of fútbol in Peruvian culture. Every night of the week, one can find groups of fútbol fanatics (just like us) gathering together to play. In fact, last week we had a tough time finding a cancha (soccer court/field) to play on because they were all in use. Fútbol is a staple here, everyone plays, and (according to our experiences) almost everyone is good.

We really want to use this time as a chance to build relationships, so Mark had the great idea of bringing some soft drinks and cups that we enjoyed after the game over conversation. We pray that God will allow this relationships to grow despite the gap in language and soccer ability.

So on Monday nights, when you enjoying some Monday Night Football, take time during a commercial break to think of the other Monday Night Fútbol, occurring miles away. Thanks for your prayers!!

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.

The other day, when my Mom was in town visiting, we were able to explore the Cathedral de San Francisco located in the heart of Lima. This cathedral dates back to the 17th century, and is most famous for the catacombs beneath the building. As we explored the beautiful structure which once served as home to Franciscan monks, we came across the dining room which particularly caught my attention. At the very end of the hall was a huge painting of the Last Supper.

The painting at the end of the hallway is entitled “The Last Supper” and was drawn by a Peruvian artist over a hundred years ago. Although this picture depicts the Biblical story of the Last Supper in Luke 22, there are some distinct characteristics of this painting that really caught my eye. It might be hard to tell, but look at the painting (located below) and see if anything in the painting stands out to you.

Last Supper Painting

I would love to hear your comments, but for me two things stood out. The first was what was on the menu for the Last Supper. If one looks closely, one can tell that on the plate is a Peruvian delicacy known as “Cuy”, which translated into English is “Guinea Pig.” I found it amusing that the artist when visualizing the supper that night, envisioned Jesus and his disciples chomping on the meat of grilled guinea pig.

(THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ALERT – MOVE TO NEXT PARAGRAPH IF BORED)
Here we have an instance of a person looking at the Biblical story through the lens of his own experience, own surroundings, and own culture. As a person interested in missions it makes me think about the relationship between the church and its surrounding environment. Is it more effective to transplant a model of church into a given milieu, or to allow each body to grow, develop, and mature in light of the particularity of its own environment? Does there have to be a dichotomy between faith and culture or can they work together to better reach those in a particular setting? Was the life and ministry of Jesus contextual? Was it was geared for a particular time in a particular culture. Jesus was born a Jew, not some kind of universal man. He lived his life as a Jew studying Torah, participating in yearly festivals, and attending the synagogue. Furthermore, instead of meeting general needs of humanity as a whole, Jesus’ ministry aimed to meet the needs of people in their own particular circumstances. He gave sight to the blind, gave hearing to the deaf, gave healing to the sick, freedom to the captives, and forgave the sinners. It seems to me that his ministry was highly influenced by context. Using Christ’s ministry as an example, just like the artist in the painting did, we should consider ways to communicate God’s narrative in terms of Peruvian circumstances and context. THEOLOGICAL RAMBLING ENDS HERE

The next characteristic of interest is located between the second and third guy to the right of Jesus. Can you see it? That’s right it is the devil. What is the devil doing at the Lord’s supper? I didn’t know he was invited. The artist gives us an excellent illustration of the elusiveness, influence, and reality of the Devil. How many of you saw him before it was pointed out to you? Not very many, as one really has to look hard to find him. He was there the whole time, yet hard to find. He is hidden in the background, gently whispering suggestions in the ear of Judas. Once he is recognized however, one can spot him, point him out, and realize what he is up to.

Multiples times each day, the Franciscan monks of Cathedral de San Francisco would stare at this paining. It would remind them of the contextual and relevant aspects of the Gospel and that the devil, although hard to detect at times, is always there, lurking in the background, and seeking to influence those around him.

Lima is a wonderful city, full of excitement, culture, and history. When you come to Lima we can take you to some of these magnificent places, and even hit a local Peruvian restaurant where you can eat your very own Guinea Pig. We look forward to your visit :).

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

Psa. 75:1 - We give thanks to you, O God,
we give thanks, for your Name is near;
men tell of your wonderful deeds.

Psa. 105:1 - Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.

Thirteen days ago our family stepped foot into Lima, Peru. With our eight BIG check-in bags, double stroller, two car-seats, four carry-ons, and two kid backpacks we were quite the sight. I wished JM could have filmed the scene as we pushed our three carts and stroller (while holding two small children I might add), but he didn’t have an extra hand for the video camera. Several times, JM and I would look at each other and break out into laughter over how ridiculous we looked. It felt good to be in Lima, and even better to get into our hotel room.

These past thirteen days have felt like a whirlwind in many ways, but the Lord’s blessings continue to shower us. We realize that as humans sometimes we may lack in wisdom and discretion to know what is of God and what is just our world set in motion. Regardless of these details, we want to stop and praise God, and give thanks. We feel there is great work to be done here in the name of the Lord. What an honor it is for us as Christians to serve our father. We have great encouragement knowing that many of you reading this are serving with us wherever you may be. Please continue to pray for our team as we are all still in a state of transition and many of us dealing with challenges that this world brings. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

We give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. We give thanks to God for His name is near; men tell of His wonderful deeds. We give thanks to the Lord calling on His name; making known among the nations what He has done.

JM and Tara taking a house-hunting break with Paul Dowell at a fast-food joint named Bembos

Tara and Paul Dowell talk with a Real Estate agent about a possible home

Tara and Parker in front of a cathedral in Lima

]]> http://www.twentyeight19.org/2009/01/30/this-just-instraight-from-lima-peru/feed/ 5 http://www.twentyeight19.org/2009/01/17/one-small-step-onto-a-plane-one-giant-leap-of-faith/ http://www.twentyeight19.org/2009/01/17/one-small-step-onto-a-plane-one-giant-leap-of-faith/#comments Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:10:22 +0000 Wes http://www.twentyeight19.org/2009/01/17/one-small-step-onto-a-plane-one-giant-leap-of-faith/ Most of you may not realize it, but today is a very big day for our team. Today, in many ways, is the realization of dreams, plans, hard work and many many prayers over the last 4 years. Right now, as I type this, the Davidsons are sitting in an airplane somewhere high above Central America on their way to Lima. If all is going well, their little ones are conked out, probably sprawled across their laps. I imagine them mindlessly watching some mediocre romantic comedy with a million thoughts running through their minds… imagining, or perhaps trying not to imagine what the coming days have in store for them.

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.

Words can’t describe the emotions that flood your heart and soul when something like this happens. I know for some, they say it is times like this when they grapple with God the most. It is comforting to know that it’s okay to be mad at God. That it’s okay to wrestle with difficult emotions and have thousands of questions that you want answered. Because no matter how you look at it or what happens in the end, it’s like Steph said on her blog post, “God is still God.”

I heard this song by Derek Webb for the first time last night. It’s called, This Too Shall Be Made Right. It’s a song full of simple verses that have a powerful message. These are the lines I heard:

Yes there’s a time for peace, there is a time for war.
There’s a time to forgive and a time to settle the score.
A time for babies to lose their lives.
A time for hunger and genocide.

And this too shall be made right.

Oh I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door.
And I join the oppressors of those I choose to ignore.
I’m trading comfort for human life.
And that’s not just murder it’s suicide.

And this too shall be made right.
Oh this too shall be made right.

We love you, Lee and Stephanie. And we love the little boy we never got to meet, simply because he was a part of you and a precious creation of our awesome God. Time will heal the wounds, but the scars prove he’ll never be forgotten.

And this too shall be made right.

However, the economics of moving to another country… being paid in one currency and spending in another is one that is quite important right now to all of us on this team. Missionary Economics, if we can call it that, is actually quite complicated. Trying to sort out the inflation in the US Dollar, inflation or deflation of the Peruvian Currency, the Nuevo Sol, is not an easy task. Plus, factor in the cost of living in a place like Kaufman, TX versus the cost of living in a place like Lima, Peru. Mash all of this together and you’ve got quite a mess to figure out. With much of our team still searching for support and with all of our team trying to figure out budgets, the biggest factor we have to go by is the exchange rate… US Dollar to Peruvian Neuvo Sol. Over the last two years, the value of the USD has plummeted over 20%.

Effectively, this means that if you had a $100 in Jan of 2006, it’s now worth $80.

Now, this is a two edged sword. One of the many reasons the US Dollar is now worth less in Peru, is that the Peruvian economy has been doing very well. This is very good for Peruvians… and we are all for things that are good for Peruvians. So, keeping all of this in mind, please pray for us… that the Lord will provide for our needs, that we will be good stewards of what the Lord provides, and join us in praying the very same prayer for Peruvians as well.