A Bit of Encouragement

Hey friends. We've been in Lima about 5 days and are enjoying it very much. On Sunday we attended church where we were warmly welcomed by all of the congregation. On Monday we went to help move things from the church building because they've made the decision to split into 3 cell groups that will now meet in homes. Tuesday was great because we finally got a chance to catch up on rest and sleep in a little bit. We got to talk with the missionary a little bit about the upcoming week. Reid got to go to a small group meeting on Tuesday night and came back encouraged because he got to participate in the group. We're slightly limited on transportation space, so I am going to one tonight to get that experience.

We are still awaiting some time with Paul (the missionary) to get us connected with the man that runs the orphanages and some other children's homes, so yesterday Reid and I went downtown to see some of the historical sites. It was again a beautiful site to see such architecture and breath in the busy culture down there. I think this is so cool...inside the old Catholic church we toured, we saw the remains of Francisco Pizzaro. We studied him in my Civ class last semester and he was a Spanish Conquistador that established Lima in the 1500's. So Cool! I finally have some pictures of Lima and can't wait to give you some more of the people that we'll be growing close to this summer. We've been aching to eat some local Peruvian food and found a popular restaurant downtown called Don Juan's. I got Lomito Saltado (grilled steak, onions, peppers, tomatoes, fries with rice...all stir fried together). It was amazing and I can't wait to eat more here.

So last night is the best part though. A small group of the youth group meets in the apartment each Wednesday night and we went to it. There were about 8 or 9 teens that showed up to spend time playing games, talking, singing, and spending time in devotion together. It was a huge encouragement to be a part of that time and get to know Alan, Miguel, Gladys and the others. They have great hearts and it's a blessing to witness their new flare to shine in the world. I can't wait for more times like this. It's still difficult to learn Spanish and I get a little frustrated because I want to know it so fast, but I need to realize that it'll take time and I won''t be a pro overnight. Ok, I will get back soon with more updates and stuff like that. Love you guys. Pray for us....peace.
This is why we don't ride the buses in Lima
The Catholic church downtown