What a weekend! Friday night we celebrated God’s love at a praise and prayer service designed by the Mission Society missionaries here. It was set up as a service that would not conflict with church services. Time and again I see the work John Wesley did in England during the 1700s being repeated here in Peru. Wesley was an ordained Anglican priest but he saw the church was dead. He didn’t want to leave the church; he just wanted to revitalize it. To do this he began meeting with small cell groups. Eventually the cell groups became so large and numerous, they had to find other ways to meet to praise God together. He didn’t want to take people from their Sunday Worship (and make the other priests mad at him), so they met at other times. The same thing is happening here.

Saturday, we spent the day at the kids clubs (Club de Niños). These are also designed as non-competitive outreach. Many of the churches speak of wanting to grow and reach out, but when push comes to shove, they don’t want the hassle.

The kid’s clubs meet in open lots and parks, sing a few songs, listen to a story and then have lessons. There is no invitation given to join a specific church. Instead an invitation is given to devote their lives to following Jesus. The morning club is fairly new, met in an open field, and had about 20 children. The afternoon club met in a busy park (fulbito–soccer being played on a basketball sized court–which is common around here–and volleyball nearby along with a few Quechua grazing their sheep nearby). They are an older club and had about 100 children (not counting the many adults hanging around the edges listening in on the lessons). We were told later that attendance was low and they generally have twice as many children.

We fell in love with the kids (how could we not). The kids were convinced they wouldn’t have any fun, but very quickly they were latched onto and pulled around from place to place. The Peruvian children loved their blond hair and the kids got a sense of what it is like to be extremely popular. We learned that Kia’s name is a Quechua-Ayacucho word that means moon.

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Sunday, we went to church in the morning with the Ivey family (it was the exact same time as our church in Ball Ground was meeting for the second service so we felt we were worshiping together though separated by distance). After lunch, Audra and I went with a few members of the Ivey family to the largest market in the region. It was about 5 blocks long, arts and crafts and everyday events in two lanes of booths and tents. There were so many people we could hardly walk (not a place for claustrophobics).

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In the evening we were invited to a Quechua church in Chilka (a town next to Huancayo). A completely different culture than the other places we have been. Arriving by taxi (it was too far to walk) we entered through the gate to the friendly greetings of the Quechua women. On the roof of one of the buildings we saw a lamb’s skin drying in the sun (in many ways I felt homesick for Montana!). We later learned, they wanted us to come to dinner and had slaughter the lamb in our honor for the occasion. The worship service following dinner was nothing like we have ever experienced. The Indian culture was clearly evident in the music (four saxophones, a Peruvian harp, violin and a clarinet at the beginning and later an accordion and electric bass accompanied a woman leading the singing). They were very filled with the Holy Spirit–rising regularly to say three times in unison “Gloria a dios!” (Glory to God). I had the opportunity to share God’s word with them (it is so hard to preach while being translated). What was cool was after my message, the pastor of the church summarized it in Quechua-Ayacucho (there are literally hundreds of Quechua dialects that cannot understand one another).

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Words are not nearly enough to capture what we are feeling or experiencing here. Even the pictures just begin to speak what we want them to.

Today is our final day in Huancayo. Tomorrow morning we board the bus again to ride 6 ½ hours down the mountain to Lima. We will spend Wednesday in Lima and then catch the plane back home at 1.20 AM Thursday morning. It is hard to leave this place. I wonder if home will look any different (I’m sure it will). .

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God is doing tremendous work here in Peru. For the last few days we have been walking around the city of Huancayo (population from 300-500,000 people–depending who you are talking to) up in the Andes. As we walk, we meet people who are hungry to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but who have so many things to overcome.

There are about 3,000 orphans in the city, and many of them wander the streets. It was only about 12 years ago that this region was terrorized by the Shining Path (a communist movement) who did horrific things. The government stepped in, but didn’t do much better. Often the people didn’t know whom to hide from and whom to run to.

Unemployment is around 50% and the minimum wage is only about $130 per month. Churches are more concerned with controlling the people rather than building relationships with Jesus Christ. Despite all that we see smiles on faces and are greeted warmly (even though we are some of the very few white faces in the area).

About five years ago The Mission Society has started cell group ministry here, and today it is in the third generation with at least 300 cell groups around the city. Most of those groups are being led by Peruvians. Members of the cell groups make a two year commitment to meet weekly and work through eighteen books together. They also commit to branching out with their own ministries while a part of the group.

Work is also being done in ripples away from the city…often a 2 1/2 day journey into the jungles. There is so much work to be done. I think perhaps for the first time I really am beginning to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “The harvest is ripe but the workers are few.”

The longer we stay here in Peru, the more urgent we sense God’s calling in our lives to come and work here. We walked yesterday to an area called Cerito de Libertad. It creeps up the edge of the mountain and so overlooks the city quite well. From there we had some nice views and while looking across the city. A huge mass of people of buildings searching for meaning in live.

Tonight I have the opportunity to preach at a prayer and praise service. Saturday we will work with two different kid’s clubs that the Mission Society has started. Sunday I have an opportunity to share God’s word with a Quecha church in the community. The text? Mmm, what about John 10.10: Jesus said, “I came so that you may have life and have it abundantly”!