These past two weeks, since Nancy has returned, have been very eventful to say the least. Just when we seem to be getting ahead we hit another bump in the road. But through everything we look to God for guidance & he seem to pull us through it.
One of the problems happened about a week ago (I think it was a Thursday…so we worked a full day & then had our evening service), Nancy & I had a very busy. We had just arrived home (around 9pm), ate dinner, & where settling down with our friends we received a knock at our door. One of our adolescent girls was standing outside our front door crying. We brought her in, offered her some tea, & them begin to try to figure out what was wrong. It turns out she had some problems at home & was afraid to go home….so end the end she ran to where she said she felt safest….into the arms of Nancy & me. We called her parents to let them know she was safely with us & that we would take her home the following morning to sort things out. That evening as we listened & prayed…we learned so much about the people of Laura Bozo…their needs, wants, hopes & dreams. The following morning came quickly & as we headed out to Laura Bozo we first (the three of us girls) sat down & prayed with each other (asking for guidance & wisdom). When we arrived at the home the mom rushed to the front door & embraced her daughter (mom was the only one at home). Nancy & I said very little over the next 3 hours. Instead we sat in as mediators trying to help each person say what he/she was thinking & then having the other person truly listen. In the end the daughter gained more respect for her Mom & the Mom is finally realizing her little girl is growing up & is capable of making some decisions on her own.
I do think that Nancy & I are running into more problems now because the people in our church feel more comfortable with us. In this way they are able to be open with us. These problems have always been there it’s just now the people of Laura Bozo are trying to fix these problems in their lives & our seeking our advice to do so.
Now on to some happy news….over the past month we have been meeting with teens & starting up a teen group. We have about 14 adolescent girls who attend our class each week (sadly no boys have had the courage to show up yet). This is a huge success for only working in this area for about 3 weeks. Nancy & I felt like we should reward ourselves. But being the good mission that we are we didn’t want to celebrate this alone. So we invited all our youth & the youth from other churches here in Pucallpa to spend the day at a local pool. We had over 50 teens show up to spend the day with us (15 of those where from our area). We spent the afternoon playing games (volley, soccer, tag, ect), swimming, eating ice cream, & getting to know each other at a more personal level. It was so nice to see the girls act like teenagers as they whood over the boys & giggled as the boys showed off for them (of course we where the appropriate chaperones & kept it G rated). Many girls around this age here have so many responsibilities that they don’t get time to just go off & have fun. They are responsible for keeping the house tidy, making meals, & watching their younger siblings. It was such a blessing to see them relax & just enjoy the sun & friends.
It amazes me how fast time flies. I do miss my family & friends (who I pray for everyday) but when I get caught up in all the excitement of journey I am sometimes distracted. It is already the middle of August. And in another week we will be having our first baptisms. August 30 is a day of celebration here is Peru… It’s national Baptism day. Our church is using this time to baptize all our new believers. Please keep all the people of Peru (& especially those of Laura Bozo) in your thoughts as they decide whether they are ready to take this next step in their life with God. Also continue to pray for people of Laura Bozo continue to grow with God & that God may for ever be present in their lives.
