Berean Bible Church - Peru Trip - Day 7

We arrived in Lima at 5:30 this morning, and were taken to the hotel to drop off our things and get ready for a day of ministry.  The team is tired as most did not sleep well on the bus, but I am confident they will be a blessing to the kids today in spite of their exhaustion.

We had breakfast at the church at 8:30, and then after a short devotional, we headed off to Spiros Zodhiates Childcare Center.  We broke into 3 groups – singing, bible story/drama, and games.  There were about 65 kids ages 3-7, and they were a joy to work with.  It was difficult at times – especially as we ended our “structured” times and moved the group from one station to another.  It was like herding cats, but I am confident the kids had a wonderful time.   

Harold arrived partway through the morning (he is our sponsored child), and we chatted for a while.  He helped me move some wood into the center for the group that is going to build the bookshelf.  I love seeing him – he is growing so big.

Speaking of wood, Jeremiah spent some time hammering nails with a couple of the kids – it was so cool watching him share his trade with the children.  Eventually they will probably finish the bookshelf tomorrow.

After our “mini-VBS” style lesson, we fed the children.  As the young kids began to eat, the older kids began to arrive.  We ushered them into the upstairs room, and had a time of singing as the younger children finished their food and left for school.  Eventually the older kids returned downstairs to eat.

We left and headed over to the Buen Pastor Center for an afternoon of working with about 35 kids.  We taught the story, sang the songs, and played with the kids.  Mostly, we just loved them as Christ would have if He were here.  When we first arrived, I was greeted by Norma – it is always good to see our sponsored children.  I spent much of the next few hours with her as the team interacted with all of the kids.  These kids are so easy to love – they love you back, and it really is a wonderful experience.

After what seemed like a long time, but was really only 2 hours, we headed back to the other center for a woman’s Bible study – where Kelly, Steph and LB shared their testimonies, while the boys played soccer with some of the local kids.  Tomorrow we would like to play them again and share bibles and soccer balls with them.

We eventually made it back to the hotel, went out for a chicken dinner with Pastor Jose and his family, visited Richard’s house, and did our evening wrap up.  The team is tired and ready for bed – and so am I, so that is exactly what I am going to do now.

Good night!