Rendezvous in Peru 2009 has just ended and what a week it was! All that participated had a wonderful week. We divided everyone up into four different groups. The goal we had in mind for the week, to conquer the City of Trujillo for Christ! One of our teams went to work on some construction projects in 5 different barrios around the city. It was wonderful to see those that came, work along side the Peruana’s as they built 13 cooking stoves, 5 table tops for the cooking stoves and 16 technos or roofs. Our construction groups also put up a couple of jungle gyms and built some tables for the children.
One of our other groups consisted of just women. They visited the women inmates at a prison. There they taught them how to embroider cards. This is not meant as a hobby, but it is our hope that they will be able to sell the cards they make.
Another of our groups visited a very large facility for the elderly. What a blessing it was to serve this segment of the Peruvian population. We had a great time giving hand massages, singing songs and even doing the Hokey Pokey! We were all so blessed to be able to serve them lunch and celebrate their lives!
For the ladies, afternoons were spent in the barrios working with the women. We taught them how to embroider bookmarks. One afternoon, for a unique experience, we brought a Chef into the barrios to teach the women how to cook some really yummy food. All were blessed – it was wonderful!
Another afternoon we visited one of the poorer barrios in Trujillo. We delivered “Angel Dolls” to 4 people who are terminally ill. There are so many sad stories among these people. I will share one about each person; One little girl had meningitis when she was 4 (she is now 8) and has been in a vegetable status since. We gave another “Angel Doll” to a woman whose husband left her with 4 kids and is now dying of stomach cancer. Another one went to an older lady who has something wrong with her brain. And one went to a young man who has Down syndrome and was found abandoned in the jungle. Please continue to pray for God’s love and mercy to be poured out to the people of Trujillo, especially the neediest.
The children on the trip had some special places to serve. They went to a hospital, 2 different special needs schools, a school in the city, and two different kindergarten schools in the barrios. They had a great time playing games, did crafts, told bible stories and dressed up like clowns. Our children’s group got into action too as they gave 13 angel dolls to special needs kids. What a special time!
For those who may not know about the Angel Doll program, I would like to explain a little about it. The Angel doll program is headed up by John Hendee’s wife Carla. Carla and her group of women make Angel Dolls to give to someone who is terminally ill or to a special needs child. The idea is that the person who gives the doll commits to pray for this person or child and their family for one year. I love this program! We are excited to watch the Lord work as we use this program for years to come.
The youth of our group had a special mission! They went to visit a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for men in a barrio. Wow, do these men know how to worship God. It was truly amazing to hang out with them. They also went to 4 different barrios and got to participate in some really neat activities with the barrio youth that are participating in our youth groups. On Friday the US youth group took 170 kids from the surrounding barrios to an all day retreat. They played some crazy games and got into groups and prayed. The barrio children each took turns to autograph a Peruvian flag for the gringos to take home. Then they were treated to a big lunch of pollo y papa fritas (chicken and french fries). Afterwards, all enjoyed some free time swimming and playing games.
The final night, we had a wonderful party for everyone to celebrate the work that had been accomplished during the 2009 Rendezvous in Peru. Many lives were positively impacted for His Kingdom this week. We look forward to more of you visiting during the upcoming “Vision Trip” this coming October. God Bless and thank you for your partnership. You are truly helping to bless the people of Trujillo and glorify God through this wonderful ministry.
