Paseo

The last Saturday before I left, I went on a paseo with my English class. A paseo is a short day trip usually to a place outside the city. We went to a beach about an hour and a half north of Trujillo. There were 10 of us total. We had decided to bring the ingredients to make ceviche on the beach. For those of you who have not yet had this palatable delight, it is a speciality fish platter of Peru. Most Peruvians I have asked have said that this is their favorite dish. It is pieces of fish soaked in lemon juice and salt, covered with onions, and served with yuca and sweet potato. I was afraid to eat it at first because the fish looks raw, however, the lemon juice 'cooks' it. The picture on the left is us enjoying fresh ceviche on the beach.

I was surprised that everyone who said they were coming actually came and brought food. We played volleyball, soccer, braved the water for a bit, and took naps :) It was a good time of bonding and getting to know them better. Some of the people in my class were from other churches in the area which was good fellowship.

It is good to be back in Trujillo! It is summer here now so we are all in short-sleeved shirts and talking about the beach! We started work in Monday. This week it is my goal to get violin lessons started up in the churches and start giving violin lessons to students on summer vacation. It was good to be home for 3 weeks and to visit with my family and church family. God bless you!

Happenings

This month has been really fun as a lot of opportunities have popped up for musical involvement in the community. I'm grateful to God for these opportunities! This week was the annual 72 hour Prayer Marathon in Trujillo. For 72 hours straight people from different churches come to pray in the Plaza de Armas (the center square of the city). For 42 hours there was Scripture reading as well. Thursday morning I went with some friends from the Cristo Rey Church to pray. It was a great way to start Thanksgiving Day! One of the pastors asked me to play at the closing ceremony.

I was very honored. My pianist friend who was also my English student played piano for me. It was an interesting three days! Today, we arrived to play and we couldn't find our contact person. We found out that the rest of the musicians had come earlier in the day to try out the sound equipment. I also found out that the song I was planning on playing with music was going to have to be played from memory because I didn't have a stand and they didn't either. We were told we would probably play at 8:30. At almost 8:40 we still hadn't started. At this point I had almost ran away several times! It was definitely the Holy Spirit that kept me there.

There was a folk instrument band that played which is what is in the video. I am slowly learning songs in Spanish. I was quite thrilled to know two songs tonight!

Musicians

Last night I had the privilege of having some fellow musicians in my apartment. There were six guys and myself. The girls only Bible study is definitely not going to work! At first it was kind of awkward as I only really knew two of them. However, the bass guitarist had brought his instrument and amp so he ended up playing quite a few numbers for us including one with Beethoven's V. It was a fusion of classical themes with rock. It was really cool to watch up close. His fingers on both hands moved rapidly!

After listening to the bassist for awhile, the guys opened up and began asking me questions about the music education in the States. It ended up being an interesting exchange of ideas and methods of music education in both nations. They talked about various professors and the difficulties of studying music. In the process I was invited to several concerts in the near future.

I hope to have the opportunity to have more musicians over soon. I'm excited to talk and play with fellow musicians. It is really neat to connect with musicians in a different culture and see their perspective coming from a Peruvian musical background of the music of Peru. Maybe next time more girls will come :) I asked someone if there were more boys in Trujillo than girls as there seems to be more boys around then girls. They responded that they thought it was about the same. However, the three church plants as well as the University ministry, and English classes seem to have an overwhelming majority of guys. This is good for church leadership.

This link is to a slideshow of pictures a professional took while he was here. It will give you a little bit of an idea of what it is like here. http://vimeo.com/15889150

I miss you all a ton! Thank you for your prayers. They are both felt and appreciated!

Moyobamba in Pictures

an awesome mountain view (Lydia, Heidi, and I)

We slept in something similar to this

I think these things are so cool! It's like a picnic table for rainy days!

the roots grow like this because in the rainy season this whole forest is flooded up to about 8-10 feet.

First sleeping experience underneath a mosquito net

Lenin, our faithful guide. :)

The waterfall we were jumping from Ahhhhh......

The view from the combi

the hot baths

My last blog I had so much trouble putting up pictures that I decided to do it this way. I seriously tried to post like 5 times. So, sorry about that!

And the Adventure Continues..........

Last weekend, I went to a jungle city called Moyobamba. Moyobamba is high jungle which means it is only the beginning of the jungle on the edge of the mountains. Most of the interns went as well as Alleen. Lenin was our faithful, energetic guide! The bus ride was a 16 hour night ride. When I look back, I think how crazy we were to be in the car for 32 hours for only three days of Moyobamba. However, it was well worth it.

I don't think most of us had slept when we arrived Friday morning at 7:00 AM. It felt like Thursday had never ended! Lenin wisely chose to start out the day at the hot baths. It was probably the best way to wake up after what we had just been through! The baths were down in the ground in these stone baths. It is warmer in Moyobamba than in Trujillo so I got hot quickly. We laid in the sun after to dry and enjoyed the fresh air and greenery. In Trujillo there is a lot of smog and very little green as it is the desert.

We drove through the countryside to a waterfall outside of Moyobamba. The waterfall is about 25 feet high and perfect for jumping into the water below. I generally don’t like to be involved in these types of adventures but after lots of counseling and therapy I jumped with Tyler and Seth on either side of me holding my hands. I’m glad I did it but it was more stressful than fun. I still cannot believe I jumped. The guys version is much funnier J.This part of the jungle reminded me a lot of Mississippi. It was humid with lots of green. There wasn’t a lot of swampy material but I was told that was because the wet season hadn’t arrived. When it does arrive, the forest is flooded about 8-10 feet. So the trees grow roots like this:

I think we all got the shock of our lives when we found out we were going to spend the night in the middle of the jungle in bungalows! We rode in a boat down the Mayo river (sorry, not the Amazon) and walked about 20 minutes through the jungle to a reserve named Tingana. There was no electricity and no showers! I found out why my cell phone has a flashlight! All of the huts were made of bamboo-like material with some kind of dried leaves for a thatch roof. We ate Tingana pizza with rice which tasted a bit like a fried omelet. I was exhausted and so retired early to bed. We slept under mosquito nets which was a first! It was definitely a good thing because I already provided the dinner for several mosquitoes.

Lenin woke us up about 6:00 AM to walk through the jungle. It was really quite ethereal. We saw monkeys and a jungle condor. Our guide hacked through the trail with his machete! All the guides went barefoot even though one of them was missing a toe! After we at breakfast, we left Tingana. Since we all wanted to go spelunking we bought flashlights and climbed through a cave. It was a first experience for me to go into a random cave and it was quite fun. I wish we could have done more! The rest of the day we went to various tourist locations in the Moyobamba area finishing the day watching the sun begin to set from a lookout spot in the mountains.

Sunday we went to church at the biggest Presbyterian Church in Peru. Although it is Presbyterian in theology, the manner of worship was more charismatic. Since it was the pastor’s anniversary at the church, the elders and deacons came and prayed for him. It was so encouraging to see so many godly leaders. It was cool to see what the baby churches in Trujillo could look like in a few years!

Thank you for your continued prayers for my language acquisition. About a week ago, I crossed another milestone. I have begun to think only in Spanish without thinking in English. Before, I could think some in Spanish but I translated a lot in my head. Now, words and conjugations are coming automatically! Of course, this is inconvenient at times because if I don’t know a word in Spanish and I try to switch to English, oftentimes I don’t remember the English word! My English vocabulary has definitely dwindled but I was told that it was part of the language learning process to forget a little of your native language.

Developments......

I’m in Peru! It is 11:00 at night and there is a party next door with really loud music. I communicate with different sounds that communicate the same feelings and actions as in English. Wow! Sometimes I freeze in shock that I’m in a different country. It really is like entering a new world.

So what have I been doing besides thinking? I have continued to make Spanish flashcards as you see! This past week I spent some time at the conservatory. Monday morning I went with an English student who is cousin to the conductor of the Trujillo Orchestra. I talked to the conductor for a bit and discovered in about 3 minutes that yes, I am going to play the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the orchestra. In fact as soon as I want! I also spent time conversing with Ronald about music in Trujillo and learning about teaching Branco. The English student who took me has been taking piano lessons for 5 years at the conservatory. We did a little musical exchange in a practice room (he played his music and I played bits and pieces) and I got to meet his pianist friend. Right before lu

nch with Ronald, I was introduced to a violinist in the orchestra and heard him play. He wants violin lessons. I am going to have to get really good at saying no. Right now, since Spanish is my heavy focus, it is fairly easy to see my schedule

and see that there is simply not time for more! Later, once things loosen up it will be much harder. I am grateful for these opportunities for new relationships that God is opening up.

God has blessed me with new friends Albert, Caleb, John Pierre, and Pablo outside of Peru Mission. They are starting a music school in Trujillo with the goal to raise excellent musicians for the Church. As of now, I am unable to work with them but I hope to be able to be affiliated with them and pray and encourage their progress. I have spent a lot of time at their home getting to know them. I love getting to speak non-stop Spanish for several hours and also the time of spiritual encouragement, as well as a chance to get out of the house. Their dad is a pastor of an independent church in Trujillo called El Camino. He really challenged me to get in the Word as much as possible. He told me (in Spanish) “The more you get into the Word, the less satisfaction and pleasure you have with the things of the World.” I really appreciate their hospitality!

We are all now realizing we are here to live. This is longer than a 2 week trip! Things have gotten more frustrating in some ways and encouraging in other ways. I love hearing a word I just made a flashcard for and realizing that I actually know what it means! Communication has gotten better. Please pray for perseverance for all of us here. Please pray for all of us fellows to continue to adjust and for the missionaries as they are short-handed right now. Please pray for me as I start to develop relationships with musicians, that I could love them with the love of Christ. Thank you for your prayers regarding my Spanish. I feel like I understand the majority of what people are saying and can communicate in several different tenses. This month completes my formal study of grammar and we start more conversation and writing. Thank you again for your prayers and support! Dios le bendiga!!!

The Mercies of the Lord Endure Forever

The days continue to go very quickly here! God has continued to bless me with new friends and relationships and encouraging growth in Spanish. This past week every night when I've gone to bed, my brain begins to think in Spanish. I speak to myself in my head in Spanish and try to conjugate verbs. It is a little annoying but I'm hoping all of this processing will amount to more growth! This week was a getting back on track week for me. I was hoping to be able to do more work in the music community but found out that I'm still to be making Spanish a huge priority. This is good as it allows me to refocus even if a little disappointing. It is exciting to be hearing the words you are learning and actually know what they mean!

Since I work on Saturdays and Sundays, Wednesday is my day off. Wednesday afternoon, Maresa and

I went to the beach. It was a beautiful time of meditation on God's love. As I watched the huge waves come crashing down I was reminded of the great love of Jesus crashing around me on all sides! God has really convicted me to get in His Word more. It has been a huge encouragement to me throughout the day. Yesterday as I was sending a message to a friend Hebrews 12:1-2 came to me very strongly. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 Thank you Lord, for your Spirit at work within us and for your Word which is our comfort and support! As I miss family and friends, I have to lean more on God. He is continually reminding me that His love is the only love that will satisfy my deepest longing. May I be soft and moldable clay in His hands......

Thoughts..........

Almost as soon as I stepped off of the plane in Lima, Peru, my view of poverty and wealth changed. I began to see myself in a different light. Why have I been born to privilege, wealth, love, and joy when others are born to poverty, hate, and sadness? Although I don’t know the answer to this question, I know that because I was born in those circumstances I have a tremendous responsibility on my shoulders. We have started reading When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett. It is very thought-provoking. It is hard to come to grips with the World’s problems, my responsibility, and my inability to change the problems. It is easy to go to one extreme or the other in my thinking. One extreme: I’m totally deficient and cannot make much difference so I won’t do anything. Or the other extreme thinking that there is a lot I could accomplish on my own. As a follower of Jesus, I am called to do something in His grace. This is really an act of faith knowing that God must cause what I do to prosper and grow for it to really matter. I am still trying to figure out how to fulfill my calling to help the poor and needy. Whether it means giving diapers to the baby of the women who sits across from SALI every day, giving handouts to beggars, or saving my uneaten food for someone who needs it, I don’t know. There are so many problems most of which have no easy solution! When Helping Hurts suggests that poverty is caused by broken relationships. How are these relationships healed? How can I become involved in this relational process especially when I am broken all over? These are questions which have been at the forefront of my mind. Heidi told me “Since we have great education and wealth, it is our responsibility to use these God-given gifts for the Kingdom of God.” So, instead of feeling guilty because I have been given material wealth, I should share with others and receive from them the gifts that I don’t have. Material wealth doesn’t mean happiness. I don’t need to feel sorry for those who have less than me. They probably have learned lessons I haven’t or have a greater wealth of understanding.

September was the second month of teaching in SALI and most of us kept the same class time we had before. I have a couple of new students and am continually reminded to pray for their salvation. God has brought these specific 154 persons from all the people in Trujillo to come. Please pray that we could have good conversations and that they would see the difference in the Christians and ask questions.

A week and a half ago, I ate dinner with Ronald and Branco, his son. Ronald is a violinist here in Trujillo who has a ministry in Porvenir for children who cannot afford to take violin lessons. He is a prominent as a violinist in the Symphony Orchestra, and as a Suzuki teacher. I am now Branco’s new violin teacher. My studio has grown to two! God has used Ronald and Branco to be a blessing to me! It is really fun to listen to classical music and chat about the details of different pieces and composers. Sometimes the Spanish goes way over my head! Ronald is helping me get connected with the orchestra here. It sounds like I may be playing a concert with them soon!

My Spanish is going full charge ahead. Many times I feel so stupid and don’t want to open my mouth because whatever comes out is going to be full of errors! However, whenever I think this, I hear “Well, you have to try” in my head. I try to make 10-20 new flashcards every day, Monday through Friday. Usually a very frustrating day of Spanish indicates a big learning curve. Sunday night, I spent about 4-5 hours speaking and listening primarily in Spanish and that night I dreamed in Spanish and woke up thinking in Spanish. I was ectastic!!!!

Feliz Cumpleanos!

Grace Bateman was exactly right when she said Peruvians know how to throw a good party! Last Sunday was my 22nd Birthday. Sunday evening we had a bunch of friends over to celebrate. The tradition here is to have a "surprise" party but I was happy with knowing what was going on! We had guacamole (so far one of my favorite snacks here even though it is Mexican) and amazing cheesecake made by Alleen! I have never had such a big party. It was a very encouraging day!

A cool Peruvian tradition they did at my party was to have people say things that they appreciate about you. It is a little awkward but nevertheless encouraging! Another tradition at parties is dancing. Even though I am still learning the ropes of Salsa, it was really fun! It was really cool to have church members, fellows, and English students hanging out and having fun.

Sunday morning, I had Alleen take videos of some of the songs we do at Cristo Rey. The first video is rather amusing and a bit humbling for me as I stood up on a song I didn't know. I felt like I couldn't just sit down so I kind of faked my way through it. Alleen and I watched this video first and she said to me "Man, they need to turn up your mike. I can't hear you". I told her that that was the point. I didn't want to be heard on this one! Here is the youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeaGRv_pVEU

This second video is my favorite song that we sing in Church. It is from the book of Revelations.

(I will post it later as it takes like 40 minutes to upload)

Thank you for all the letters you have sent! I have a "wall of letters" in my room where I post letters people send. :) Life here has definitely picked up speed. I cannot believe I have been here one month!

Saturday Afternoon

Saturday afternoons at 4:00 PM we have ensayo (rehearsal) for church on Sunday. This week was my second rehearsal with the church musicians and thanks to Allen Smith and Wes Baker I had some sheet music! The musicians are as follows from left to right: Me, Loida (who sang), Hermes who sings, Veronica (singer), Bruno (leads by singing and playing guitar), Rebecca, and Kati who also sings.

In Peru, most things start about 30 or so minutes late. As people arrive you greet them with a kiss. When you arrive, you greet everyone present. I actually think this makes the situation much less awkard! The greeting here is to kiss the left cheek. Some people will shake hands but the kiss is much warmer :)

We have a lot of fun in rehearsal. Hermes who is also a dancer will sometimes dance as he sings. Everyone teases each other. The main thing they say to me repeatedly is "Tranquila, tranquila, Raquelito" which basically means to relax! They are very patient with me as I try to learn the songs, introductions, and the order of worship. It is a bit difficult when you have no music and you are asked to play the introduction especially when you have forgotten what key it's in or what note it starts on!

Even though I have only been here a short time, the love that these brothers and sisters have for God and others has been obvious to me. Whenever there is a church event ministry, the young people (20-30 yr olds) are there serving. I hope to be able to learn and grow from their patience and love for each other.

Anyway, after praying, we practice the songs for worship. Afterwards, I have started a class teaching Music Theory and Sight-reading to those in the worship team. My goal is to help them not only be better educated musicians but also to give them the tools they need to write down the songs they have written for worship. If you can sightread, a new realm of music is opened to you. All of my students are very intelligent and continually surprise me with the rapidity of their growth! So far, we have done notes in the bass and treble clef (do-si are the syllables they use instead of the alphabet) and simple rhyth

ms.

The past two weeks, Veronica and I have stayed after class and played some guitar and violin duets. We tried some Paganini and some Pop songs such as Nuestro Secreto. It has been awesome to see God open up opportunities for relationships through music. I thought I would not have people to play chamber music with but I already have a guitarist friend and a violinist friend!

Thank you for all your prayers regarding my health and adjustment! To my surprise, I haven't been sick even with a cold! I am slowly learning the culture and I can get around the city some! Please continue to pray for me as I learn Spanish. It is a long and frustrating process! I always wanted to learn another language but it is very draining. It takes every ounce of brain I have to understand and to speak. By the time I teach English at 4:00 PM I keep speaking in Spanish! I was reprimanded lovingly by Alleen that this was English class and that I wasn't to speak in Spanish :)

May God bless you all!

Opportunities

La plaza de armas of Trujillo





God brought me my first violin student this week! We had our first lesson. He is very motivated and learns quickly. I went to the worship rehearsal for Cristo Rey, the new downtown church plant. It was really overwhelming because they sing about 20 songs every Sunday and I was trying to learn them all by ear. I only played 5 or so songs on Sunday 2 of which I had heard from before. I was "challenged" that I needed to learn their songs más rapido! After the rehearsal, I gave a Music Theory/Sightreading class. I am attempting to teach them first to sightread and then hopefully to write down their own songs. I loved the songs I did hear. The worship team has such enthusiasm for God and are eager to sing His praises. I'm so blessed to be here and learn from them!

The sun has been coming out in the afternoons and the sky turns blue. It makes me very happy :)

Relationships and Getting Started

So, what do I actually do during the day? My main goals for the next few months are to improve my Spanish, make relationships, and begin entering the music world of Trujillo. I spend about 4 hours studying Spanish everyday. My excellent tutor works with me 1-2 hours and I have a one hour group lesson. She is very encouraging which helps me keep going. Learning a language uses both parts of your brain which makes it exhausting. After a couple hours of Spanish study, I cannot remember English words anymore! In order to teach music and be active in the music community, I basically have to be fluent in Spanish. Many prayers in that regard are highly appreciated!

I usually go to work about 8:30 AM. The office is about 3-4 blocks away so I can easily walk. In the morning, I usually practice violin and study Spanish. Lunch here is from 1-3 so the days I don't have commitments (we have lunch with the interns one day and lunch with our "family" one day) I usually go to a Menú which is a small lunch place which usually serves a 2 course meal. The going rate for that is about 4 soles (a little less than 2 dollars). Today I had the traditional Lomito Saltado which is small pieces of tender beef with french fries, tomatoes, and onions. It came with soup and a really different juice drink. The juice looked like river water with bits floating around in it and tasted like barley tea with sweetener. Seth laughed and said he loved ordering something unknown.

After lunch, I prepare for my English class. I teach one advanced class at 4:00 PM Monday through Friday with 5 guy students. Most of them are between 20-30 years old. it is a really fun class and a great way to make relationships with people from many different backgrounds. One thing I really appreciate is the time people take for other people. Everyone greets each other and says goodbye to everyone. Another thing I really enjoy is the 10 minute prayer and Psalm time we have before English classes.

At night my roommates I are out and about doing various things trying to develop relationships with our students and each other. Monday night some friends came over and hung out. We listened to the Kjarkus band and ate spaghetti. On Tuesday the girls had prayer meeting with Alleen. We went to the late night showing of Inception and met up with some of our English students. It was good discussion material for the next day's class! Wednesday, Lydia and Hermes, (our friend from Cristo Rey Church), and I went and ate a traditional Peruvian dish. It was a cool time of sharing and fellowship. The intern Bible study is on Thursday nights. Needless to say, we don't spend much time at home!

I love the schedule and getting to know people.

The sights, sounds, and smells of Trujillo

Well, what is Trujillo like? It is a city on the coast but it is very dry. It is very dusty and sandybut whatever is watered flourishes. I suppose any large metropolis is noisy but it was more than I had bargained for! Our apartment is filled with sounds of horns which are anything from beep beep to different melodies and even the whistle associated with the sight of a pretty girl. On Sunday morning, I woke up to loud enthusiastic singing

coming from the Pentacostal Church located next door! (it was beautiful!)

There are many varieties of fruits which in many cases used for juice. At juguerias the chef will squeeze the fruit in front of you and will hand it to you in a community glass to drink on the spot!

Or you can order it to go and it comes in a plastic bag with a straw.

Many of the buildings here are brightly colored. It is fun to walk down the street and smell the smells of a small lunch joint, see people chatting and haggling the prices of their wares, and feel the wind of a passing taxi. (yes they drive by the inch here).

By night, my brain is totally dead! Speaking Spanish is so fun but it is not natural for me yet. :) Yesterday we went to the downtown church plant Cristo Rey. I love the service even though I can't understand everything. We sang like 20 songs! The brothers and sisters here are truly a blessing. They are very understanding and patient with my Spanish!

Praise God for a safe arrival in Trujillo, Peru! These past few days have been rather ethereal. All of the fellows (there are 7 of us) arrived in the Lima airport Wednesday night. Alleen met us at the airport and we spent the night there. My fellow expatriates are (left to right) Patrick, Tyler, Heidi, me, Lydia, Daniel and Seth. So far so good! None of us are sick although we have been somewhat adventuresome. Most of us have had salad which can be iffy depending on the restaurant. This is a jello/jamish type of fruit dessert. It was as interesting as it appears!

Yesterday we had orientation with Josh Eby our pastor and boss. Everything is quite overwhelming and leaves me feeling a little dumb and incompetent. However, from God's perspective both are true but I never realized it in quite the same way. :) There is much to learn not even mentioning the need to learn more Spanish. In that area I have been both surprised and fearful. I can speak but I am very slow to figure out how and what to say! God is teaching me to trust Him in all things. Now is the time!

I love you all and will post again soon!

Okay, I said I would write on my blog while in Tokyo and haven't. However, I have a few minutes so I thought I would record a few thoughts and report some activities we were involved in.

We have been here almost a week and it has been crazy! We arrived after a 14 hour flight in which there was no sunset. We were up almost 26 hours (not counting naps on the flight). So, technically we left Wednesday and when we got to our hostel, it was Thursday night.

During the weekend, we played at Emmanuel Fakagawa Christ Church. Saturday, we had an exchange concert in which we played for the Japanese students and parents and the Japanese students played for us. They are very talented and passionate about their music. It is amazing to me how distant they seem in public (in the train station) but how personal and engaging they are, especially in a musical context. It is very rare anyone will look you in the eye in public. However, after the musical exchange we were able to talk to them and one of them talked about her search for a religion. A story that was encouraging to us was what happened Sunday, the day after the concert. Ladies in the area take their children to Sunday School and drop them off. However, this past Sunday, they stayed for Sunday School and the church service for the first time!

What is so exciting about the ministry of Abi and Roger is that they can establish connections with people through music. God is using art in amazing ways to bring people into the Church! People in Japan love classical music. We played outdoors for 15-20 minutes yesterday and people stopped and listened, recorded, and took pictures. While we played people who walked by even cracked smiles!

I am very grateful for the privelige of being in Japan and seeing God's work here. I am amazed at His work. I am also amazed when I find out the sacrifices the missionaries here make. Yes, everything is modernized but there are so few Christians! Also, the culture is one of extreme pressure. There is no forgiveness or grace in this culture. Perfection is required of everyone and those who cannot measure up or sustain the pressure commit suicide. Being here makes me so grateful for the forgiveness and grace I have in Christ Jesus. This grace is extended by others to me as well because they have also received this gift of mercy.

Thank you for your prayers! We are fighting spiritual battles here every day and need your prayers. Please pray for our health as a few of us are not well. I feel like I am coming down with something as well. This weekend we have a lot of performances and we need everyone to be healthy! I love you and am excited to be able to share with you the work God is doing.

Support Update

It has been awhile since I have written so here is the update. Even though I am not yet in Peru, I want to keep you posted.
     From my most current financial update, I have more than half of my support raised or pledged! I am really grateful for all of your support in finances, prayer, and encouragement! God gave some dear young ladies a heart for this ministry and they had a bake sale to raise money for me. I was so encouraged! Each one of them has been a joy to me and I will miss them although I cannot wait for July 28th which is my planned departure date!
     I am Lord willing finishing school in May!!!!! My recital jury is this coming Wednesday, March 31st. Once I pass, my recital will be on April 17th at 2:00 PM if God so wills. Please pray for that if you think of me. I am really excited to share the music that God has given me. Last year I could barely play at all without severe pain.

     May God bless you all with joy in Him this Easter. He is truly a magnificent God who is constantly amazing me!

Preparations for Peru

God has blessed me so much with family and friends who love me. Most of all, He gave His only Son that I might live in relationship with Him. God has called me to share His love with the people of Peru, specifically with those in Trujillo. What so delights my heart is that God is calling me to minister and share the gospel through the musical gifts He has given me. God doesn't waste gifts when He gives them and He delights when we use them for His glory. Music provides an inroad into places where other people might not be welcome. I am excited to see how God will use this to further His kingdom.

Thank you all for your support! I will keep this sight updated so you can find out what is going on and know how to pray! God has truly given me a family in you all! I pray God will show you how He uses your gifts for His kingdom.

Dios te bendiga