Great Ideas!

I love sharing inspiring ideas. This one is from partner organization Mercy Homes and what the President Mike is doing with his employees at work.

The company decided to give all of the money that it makes in the soda machine to help support the Mercy Home. Mike and I were in Peru talking about ways to engage employees, and somehow the idea of putting the kids faces on the soda machine buttons was born.

Take a look at these cute kids in Peru and see what you think.

Do you have creative ideas you can share with us?

Adventures in Peru

There will be more to write in the coming days, but for now I have returned from the jungle and will fly home from Lima today. Here´s the net net:

Highlights: Playing with the kids, seeing our taxi driver and his wife accept Jesus, delivering medicines to the doctor who serves over 80,000 people, the cool team of people I was with, swimming in the waterfalls, seeing the beauty of the jungle, meeting with high-ranking government officials, dedicating the new Mercy Home.

Sad times: hearing stories of the kids and families in need, learning about the terrorism that hurt the region, and hands down - sitting with 90 year old Augusto who lives in the dirt crippled up and blind- thankfully he will be moving into the Mercy Home.

Unexpected: Becoming a godmother to my Taxi drivers two kids in a church ceremony, having one of the tribal people at the first Inca village come running at us in face paint with a spear, seeing a freshly killed large poisonous snake, riding on the top of the van through the jungle, dancing with the Inca tribes, being interviewed on the radio, having a bat flying around on of the ¨hotel rooms¨, eating cow heart, dedicating the new medical building by breaking a bottle of champagne over it.

Pictures and video to come later. But this trip really encouraged me in the work of Giving Children Hope. The doctor, the mayor and all of the people came out and were so grateful for the medicines, which cleared customs on the last possible day (praise God). The community felt blessed. Additionally, because we worked with Mercy Homes who is running projects on the ground, they gained favor in the community.

What a wonderful thing to see all that God is doing in the jungle of Peru!

Arrival into Peru

Mike and I arrived late last night. In addition to our cab driver, there were 6 others waiting to welcome us at 1:30 AM. Today we made our way to a town outside of Lima to visit the new Mercy Home. A family of 5 there has committed to taking in 6 kids. We later spoke in the church about what we are doing in their community and encouraged them to help out this new home.

We're now getting our bags ready to take an overnight bus into the jungle. We'll be there Monday through Friday taking another overnight bus back. We're still praying that the medicines will clear tomorrow so that we will actually be able to deliver them to the clinic. Please pray for Pastor Roger who is working hard to get them cleared in time for us.

It's a blessing to be able to participate in what God is doing here in Peru!

Off to Peru

So, I'm off to Peru in just a few hours. We're still praying that the medicines cleared customs in time for our trip as we don't have confirmation.

We'll arrive in Lima at midnight tonight, travel in the morning to the construction site of the new Mercy House, and that evening will board an overnight bus into the jungle to visit the first Mercy House and clinic where we'll be delivering the medicines.

I'm not sure I'll have Internet access, but if I do I'll post something here. We return on Sunday the 11th. We'll meet with any government officials while we there, but also get to hang out with the kids. The town is outside of San Miguel.

Thanks for your prayers during this trip. The adventure has now begun.

Partners in Peru

In a few days I’ll (hopefully) be taking off on my first international trip for work. Now, I’ve actually been several places around the world, including living in both Italy and South Africa. But this will be my first time to Peru, and my first time in South America. For this I am grateful to Mission Viejo Christian Church and to Mike on the Missions Board.

Here’s how it all happened. We had a volunteer phone repair man in our office in the Spring (we use LOTS of volunteers) and he brought someone from MVCC with him. Well, Jim loved what we do and quickly became our friend, advocate, and supporter. One of the best things that MVCC does for us is to pray for us. I so appreciate all of their prayers for us and for our partners around the world.

Well, Jim sent Mike to our office one day to use our Mission Store for one of their missions trips. On that visit Mike learned about our program that ships highly-needed pharmaceuticals to projects around the world in need. He ended up in my office that day to talk about getting medicines to their project in Peru and thus the partnership deepened.

At the end of the summer, I was sharing stories in their church along with a couple other ministries they support. Between the first service and the second service Mike had decided that their project in Peru really needed to partner with Giving Children Hope to start a new medical clinic in the community. The government had given the orphanage/clinic the building and even the medical personnel; the only thing needed was equipment, supplies and medicines. And this is where they could partner with GCH to get all that they need. So the partnership deepened again.

Mike asked me if I ever go to the field projects. Mind you, I sit in countless meetings with countless people from around the world and hear about their communities. My sense of adventure and love of travel has me longing to see each one in person. However, I know that I am best used not out in the field, but rather by working for an organization such as GCH getting resources to those communities. So when Mike heard that I had not been to any of our field projects he felt compelled to bring me along on their next trip to Peru. And with my boss’s permission, I’ll be taking off soon.

I cannot put into words how excited I am to participate in this missions trip. Really, I can’t! You see, God gives me this great privilege to partner on projects all over the world to get medical supplies, equipment and medicines. But I don’t ever get to see any of people that actually benefit. And that’s really fine. I don’t do my job to SEE the benefit. I do it because I am called to it and because I know that the poor DO benefit. That’s all I really need to know.

But you see, to SEE it firsthand. Well, that’s a real blessing. We’re praying that the medicines clear customs in time for us to take them with us from the airport to the rural clinic. This might not sound significant to anyone reading this, but I assure you it is. When you have done countless shipments around the world and only seen the photos of delivery and heard the stories of how the medicines helped, well, to know the communities by name that goes beyond words.

So I am truly grateful that the Lord brought Mission Viejo Christian Church into my life and into partnership with GCH. And I am grateful that MVCC is in partnership with this community in Peru. I can’t wait to hear of all that God is doing in the community and learn first hand. Every trip I take I learn more of the wonder and splendor of God. When I think He can’t possibly get any bigger He does. And I remember that I don’t really know that much at all. For these things I am truly grateful; there is nothing better then to learn about the greatness of God and be all that He has called me to be.

Thanks for your prayers as we travel in hopeful expectation of what God would have us do.