June 20, 2010, 1:50 p.m.

Yesterday was another great day in Peru. We started the day out a little later so everyone could sleep in. The plan was to meet at the Paces at 10:00 a.m. and the guys were going to do something together. Pastor Pace was going to take us to a car museum that is right down the road from their house. Ok, seeing what the traffic is like in Peru, we weren’t expecting some very magnificent cars. Wow! Were we ever wrong! The owner of the museum had gone all over Peru finding cars and restoring them. Most of these cars were from the early 1900’s when people first brought cars here, then they broke down, and they could not find parts to fix them. Most of them were just sitting in barns, and he would buy and restore them.

There must have been 50-60 extremely rare cars there. The first one we looked at was the only known one of its kind in the world. There were several others that were one of two in the world. They ranged in age from the early 1900s to a couple in the late 1900’s. There were Model A’s, Model T’s, Studebakers, Rolls Royce, Dodge Brothers, 1934 Datsun, Firetrucks, Cadillacs, and many others.

We then went into the shop where they restore the vehicles. They were in the process of restoring a 1934 Datsun (did anyone know they made Datsuns that long ago?) that was one of two in the world. The other one was in a museum in Japan. This was a wood frame car and they actually nailed the sheet metal to the frame. The guys working in the shop were amazing. They could make any part that was needed. Think about it…if there were only two cars in the world of a certain type, you can’t just order a part for it! The guys had a great time at the museum.

Meanwhile, back at the Pace house, lunch was being fixed. They were getting lasagna ready for us, we were ready to eat! The food has been outstanding, and one again, we are so grateful for everyone that is fixing all this wonderful food! We ate and then simply sat around looking at pictures from our trip so far. God has blessed so much and it was great to look back at the week. It seems like we just got here, yet in a way, it seems like some of these events occurred a long time ago.

We then had to get busy again and plan for the youth activities we would go to that night. Some of the games were our responsibility, so we all brain stormed and came up with what we were going to play. It was getting close to 4:00, and the youth meeting would start at 7:00. Most of the guys were going to go early with Hoover and help set up. Music is a very big part of their youth activities, and a sound system had to be moved.

Also, Bubba and Chas went with Andy to take a look at a project we would be working on Monday. They need a guard shack built at the school’s new property and Andy asked if we could work on it. Bubba went to see what the job would entail. Apparently, we’ll need to knock out a wall and rebuild it for the guard. We don’t really know what it is, but at least Bubba does! We’ll be under his direction. I wonder if his general contractor’s license is good in Peru!!! They then found an Ace Hardware (they are NOT on every corner) and priced the materials. We are ready to build!

While the guys were heading to the church, the girls were going to have their own time since the guys went somewhere by themselves. All we heard was, “that’s not fair!” Sheesh! Ok, they weren’t really whining, but we know they were thinking it! They all loaded up in the Suburban and headed to a bakery/coffee shop. The bakeries here are unbelievable. Breads are a staple in the Peruvian diet, and the cakes and sweets are simply outstanding.

To sum up their trip to the bakery, Amy says, “Mmmmmmmmm!!!” While they drank their mochas and ate their pastries and ice cream, they all just sat around and gossiped like women do…in a Christian way! It was a great getaway for the women just to relax and be themselves without a bunch of idiotic guys around!

The guys went with Hoover to help set up at the church, but there really wasn’t too much for us to do. So, we listened to Hoover and some others practice their music for Sunday. Hoover has only been playing the guitar (a mainstay in music here) for about 2 years. However, he is incredible! After they finished practicing, we helped hook up the sound system in the teen room. It is funny that no matter how small the room, they always use a sound system! Not a bad idea though with a bunch of screaming kids.

We also helped some of the girls in the youth group as they put up some decorations. They had one side of the room decorated with a Peruvian flag and some icons of Peru (llama, the hats our guys love, etc.). The other side of the room was decorated with a USA flag and a skyscraper! It looked great, and they were keyed up about having us there. They even had on a screen “Night Fusion, USA and Peru!”

Before long, all the teens started showing up and the rest of our group arrived as well. They probably had around 25 or 30 teens there along with our 22 people. The room was packed, but that made it better. We mingled with everyone introducing ourselves (at least the girls were good at doing this!) and everyone is so friendly. Most of the teens speak at least some English for which we were very grateful!

The activities started. They cut the lights off, one of the teens grabbed the mic and started saying something in Spanish very rapidly! The door flew open, and several of the girls came running in throwing confetti as the guys kept speaking over the loud speaker and as the theme from Monday Night Football was playing over the system! We thought a football game was going to start! It was pretty cool.

The games began and we split into teams and had a great time! All the teens really enjoyed the other group. After several games, we moved the chairs into the center of the room and they began to sing songs. Remember, music is a mainstay here. They love to sing, and it sounds incredible. Our group loved it. After several songs, we sat back down and it was time for some testimonies. Chas, Zach, and Amy Johnston were slated to speak tonight. All of our group have done a great job with getting up in front of people to give testimonies. The cool thing was that Bali had some of his teens give their testimonies as well. Then Steve gave a quick testimony about our trip so far. He was going to speak in Spanish, and Hoover was going to interpret into English. Steve kept getting confused between Spanish and English. It was so funny!

Then it was Ricky’s turn. Steve had asked Ricky to be ready to speak tonight. He spoke out of Exodus 3 and challenged the teens to stop making excuses when God asks you to do something. Moses made all kinds of excuses, yet God had already prepared him. After the message, we sang one more song. Did I say singing is an ever-present activity of the youth group?!

We then played one more game as food was being prepared for us. A lady in the church had brought some sandwiches, drinks, chips, etc. for us. Plus, Steve’s mom and sister had baked a couple cakes as well. It was Zachary’s 16^th birthday, and we were going to celebrate right! His mom had sent a birthday hat, button, and noisemakers so we could really celebrate. The lights were cut off and the youth group from the church sang happy birthday to him in Spanish. It was pretty cool, and Zach was honored.

The food was great, and the fellowship with the other group was too. One of the guys in the youth group had just had a birthday as well, and they were planning a surprise party for him after the meeting. The whole youth group was going and they were begging for our group to go as well! It was 9:30 p.m. by that time, but Steve took them over there until he transported everyone else back to their host homes. This took at least 45 minutes or so, so they had a little time at the party. They really enjoyed it, and it was really great that the other group wanted them there. Everyone is so friendly to us. It was a great night with the church group. It is great to see other teens that love the Lord and to form a bond with them.

June 17, 2010, 7:36 a.m.

Our night ended Tuesday by going back to the Pace’s and getting pizza.  It’s funny seeing so many pizzas strapped to a motorcycle when it arrived at the house.  Afterwards, we sat around the table and everyone displayed their magician skills….ok, only Zach has skills!  WE laughed at the ineptness of each other and had a great time.  Soon, Mr. Pace graciously and as kindly as possible showed us the door!!!  We needed to spend some time with the families with whom we were staying.  And we think the Paces needed some time without twenty some odd people there!

It had been arranged for us to go to Calente the next day.  This is an area that was badly damaged during the earthquake last year.  One of the churches there was planning a medical clinic for the town, then they would have a game time for the kids, and end with a service that night.  We were going to show up and do what we could to help since we are so skilled in the medical field!  Ok, we actually were just going to help with the services and spreading the word about the meeting that night.

Wednesday, we met at the Paces around 9:00 a.m.  Ricky and Nathaniel had already been up for quite a while.  The family the Hortons are staying with are from Chile and had moved to Peru several years ago.  Chile was playing Honduras in the World Cup at 6:30 a.m.  There was no sleeping in that house while the game was on!  They were chanting “Chile, Chile, Chile!”  People from the U.S. just don’t know how to cheer for their teams! 

Everyone climbed on the bus.  It seems like we have spent our Peruvian lives on this bus, but we are so thankful for it!!  The bathroom even smelled refreshing again since it had been cleaned and deodorized (we think!).  Steve gave everyone a lecture about the use of the toilet, trying to be as discrete as possible!  Numero uno only and no toilet paper…..please!!

We were heading south but stopped at the church to get some sound equipment and then stopped to for another drug deal….I mean, to get more money changed!  After getting more money, we hopped back out on the side walk to wait for the bus that had to circle the block.  It is funny to see a huge bus like this stop in middle of a busy Lima street for us to get on.  The horns start honking as we get on as fast as possible. 

Finally, we are on the move again.  Our faithful translators are going with us again – Bali and Hoover.  Hoover plays the guitar at Steve’s dad church and brought it along so he could play in the meetings if necessary.  He also serenaded us along the way, and we tried to sing in Spanish.  We were not very good at it!

The trip south was on a highway that ran parallel to the ocean.  The Pacific Ocean is so much more impressive than the Atlantic.  The waves are bigger and there are massive rocks and islands scattered along the coast.  The water crashing into the rocks then up into the air is quite extraordinary.  It was so impressive that we decided to take some time to stop along the beach and play!  The order when we got out of the bus was for everyone to stay dry because we were NOT going to pull the suitcases out from under the bus and take the time to change.  That was the last time some of them thought about staying dry! 

Andrew, Nicholas, Jonathan, and Hoover immediately shed their shoes and socks and ran to the water.  They tried to see how far down the beach they could get and then turned around and ran back up as the next wave arrived…they got wet!  Everyone else headed for the rocks to do a bit of climbing.  Pictures galore were being snapped since the view was so impressive. 

We walked around the massive rock hill/mountain to the other side where there was a natural tunnel through the rock.  The waves came rushing through and everyone wanted to go in, but we didn’t have the attire or towels to get that wet.  After a group picture or two, everyone headed back to the bus.  The group was a little wetter and had sand on them, but it was worth it.

Back on the bus and we drove a few miles to a gas station where we stopped to use the bano and get some Inca Kola and Sublimes (chocolate).  Most of the teens came out with a 1 ½ liter drink of Inca Kola or Coke that cost about $5.00 soles.  As a point of reference, we were exchanging $1 and getting 2.84 soles. 

Back on the bus, and we weren’t stopping till we got to our final destination.  We were going to stay at a Word of Life camp just outside of Calente.  Bali graduated from the Word of Life Institute and knew the camp well….he usually takes his youth group there a couple times a year.  When we arrived, all the women were staying in one dorm and all the men in another.  Since this trip really wasn’t planned, some of the families had packed everything together in one suitcase, so there was quite the shuffling of luggage before we got settled. 

The Paces had somehow coordinated the gathering of enough bedding/sleeping bags and towels for the whole group.  It’s amazing they were able to do that in the few hours since we decided to go to Calente.  The camp was nice, and all the guys were quite excited to see several soccer fields!  One was particularly eye-catching as it was a concrete field/court that had stands around it and lights….that’s where we would be later that night!!

After a quick lunch, we loaded back onto the bus (the story of our life) and took a short drive to the church.  After the earthquake, Andy Pace and some other people from their church had taken two temporary houses (simply a square wood structure about 20’x20’) to Calente to put up so they could have their church services.  It was set up on a hill on the edge of town, painted orange, and the whole town could see it. 

Once we arrived, we unloaded the sound equipment and Bali immediately started hooking it up.  From the great vantage point the church has over the town, Balie pointed the speakers out and the whole town could hear him calling them to the services that afternoon and night.  The rest of us divided up into groups, each with a translator, and walked around the entire town passing out tracks and inviting the kids to a game time at 4:30 and everyone to the meeting at 7:00.  As we walked and passed out tracts, it was so funny to hear Bali on the microphone even from about a mile away!!

The town people had very little and it seemed like much of it was deserted.  Where were the people?  We talked to some that we sporadically saw around the town, but it seemed like there should be more people.  All the groups seemed to finish up on the far side of town where there was a river.  That’s where we saw a larger grouping of people.  They were either getting water out of the river or washing their clothes in it, while the kids swam in the water.  It was quite eye-opening to realize that the people really didn’t have much of a source of clean water, yet we pull into town in a massive Mercedes-Benz bus.  It really was in a way humbling and a very graphic reminder that we have been so blessed and have been given so much.  Every person on our bus (including the youngest of children) are richer financially than every person we saw.  Yet I have to believe many of them are more content.

The language barrier is quite frustrating.  We want to talk with them and they want to talk with us, yet we just can’t without an interpreter.  One lady and her granddaughter were walking to the church with us.  The girl, Alicia, was 2 years old and said something to Amy Horton.  Andy said that the girl wanted to hold Amy’s hand!  Wow!  Such a precious little girl!  The grandmother just kept talking with Amy yet we could not understand a word.  We were just happy to walk with them to the church. 

As we arrived at the church, many children were already there.  We had brought quite a few soccer balls and the children were playing soccer already.  Some of our teens were blowing up balloons for use later, interacting with the kids, etc.  But before long all the children were playing soccer against all of the Americans!  It was Peru vs. USA!!!!  It seemed like there were 100 kids on the field to around 10 of us playing soccer.  You have to realize that the area is basically a desert, so our soccer field consisted of rocks and dirt.  Some of the kids were quite impressive.  One boy named Jesus (that is hay-soos…or something like that) was simply wearing flip flops, but he was carrying the one from his right foot.  He took it off so he could kick the ball better….and he could play!  He ended up with at least two goals against us.  This was done while he was running with one bare foot on the rocks…ouch!  We had as much fun as they did.

After they won the game in shootouts, we played tug of war and some other games with them.  The teens really interacted well with the kids.  One of them pointed at Nicholas “Livestrong” bracelet he was wearing.  Nicholas made the kids day by taking it off and giving it to him.  Both Nicholas and the boy were thrilled.  After the game time, Steve preached to all the children.  We do not know of any decisions that were made, but all we can do is spread the seed and let God do His work with it.

While most of us walked around the town inviting people and then played games with the kids, Amy Johnston had been inside the church working with the medical team.  They were providing dentist services and some medical help for anyone that could get there, then they were given the gospel.  Amy was so touched by the people that came.  At times, she felt totally helpless because some really needed to see a doctor.  But she did what she could and also handed out all of her Ibuprofen along with Amy Horton’s as well!  One of the things each of them really seemed to want was simply to be listened to about their needs.  Many of the issues were a result of the conditions in which they lived.  Amy had the opportunity to help everyone from a 17 year old pregnant girl to a 71 year old woman.  Where Amy would have normally had tests run on some of them if they were in the States, she could only listen, give advice, and hand out what we consider minor medicine….they considered it a miracle!  One lady simply just wanted to have her picture made with Amy.  It was a touching experience. 

After the children’s activities and message, we left the church around 6:20 p.m. to go back and eat at the camp.  We were to be back at 7:00 p.m. for the church service.  You must realize that any time you hear a time in Peru, you have to say the time and then “ish!”  Nothing starts on time, so when we headed back to the church around 7:30, we were right on time. 

As we arrived back at the church, some people were in the church and others were coming in still.  It was quite funny that in one regard they are just like us…they sit in the back of the church if at all possible!  So all the gringos (us) were up front.  We carried in the sound equipment again, Bali and Hoover set it up, and we prepared for the meeting.  There were probably 30 or so people from the town there.  We did our best to sing in Spanish, but didn’t do a very good job.  However, Hoover is quite impressive on the guitar to only be 17 years old. 

Two of our teens were giving their testimonies before the message.  Jonathan went first, and Leslie followed.  They did a great job as none of them are used to speaking in front of people.  We were impressed and encouraged by them.  A man from Mississippi was there helping with the medical team and was the speaker for the night.  A clear Gospel message was given and we pray that the Lord will use it to bring someone to Him.

After the meeting, we loaded everything back in the bus.  As we waited to leave, some of us were reminiscing about our prior trip to Jauja and the incredible stars.  We looked up and were able to see the Southern Cross.  The bus driver turned the bus lights off so we could have a better view.  The heavens truly do declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork!  God’s work is so much more impressive here when we look up! 

We drove back to the camp and filed out  to our rooms.  Of course, all the guys changed into shorts and headed to the soccer field….um, court where it was already lit up and waiting.  Teams formed and we played soccer until well after 11:00 p.m.  This was great soccer!  Most of the rest of our group were in the stand cheering along as we were defeated by the Peruvian guys that were there.  One of our teams may have won once or twice.

Sweaty and nasty, we headed for the showers before bed.  The women went to their rooms where Brenna, Jack, and Sydney were already crashed.  The guys headed back and no one was asleep…yet.  One room that consisted of the younger guys were probably the first to crash.  The older guys in another room went to sleep next, and then the teens with Bali didn’t go to bed until about 2:30 a.m.!!!!  Imagine that!  There was no heat, but it really wasn’t that bad even though it’s winter. 

The next morning, some of us got up and headed to the cafeteria at 6:30 a.m. to watch Argentina play South Korea.  Bali is a huge South Korea fan and had to watch the game.  Bali was angry at Ricky because he was wearing a Brazil t-shirt.  Ricky will be receiving an Argentina jersey from Bali in exchange for his Brazil shirt.  Bali is going to use the Brazil shirt to clean the floors!  Argentine won the game 4-1 and the whole camp knew every time Argentina scored!

Breakfast was served at 7:30 and we ate toast with eggs, juice, coffee, etc.  After breakfast, everyone made final preparations to head out at 9:00 (ish).  The time then changed to 8:45 (ish)…..probably so we would be on the bus by 9:00!  We were heading to another town, La Quebrada, to help with the medical team again.  However, we wanted to stop first and purchase more ibuprofen to take with us.  Bali, Steve, and Amy Johnston hopped out at a store, and Amy Horton tagged along to record visually record the experience with her camera!  They bought 10 packets of 400 mg Ibuprofen gel tabs and some multi-vitamins for around 200 soles (something like $70).  We bought some water and cups as well so the people could take the medicine.  Bread was also purchased for us to snack on.  The bread here is unbelievable! 

La Quebrada is very similar to Calente.  It is a very poor area and once again we feel somewhat ashamed to ride through the town in our bus.  Hopefully the medical group (and our Amy the medicine woman) can be of some help.  We pray some will come to know Christ as well.

June 17, 2010, 3:20 p.m.

We are currently on our way back to La Quebrada after getting some lunch and about an hour or so rest.  Note the time….3:20.  Remember we put “ish” after the time?  We are definitely running on Peruvian time since we were told to get on the bus at 2:45 to go back!  This would drive Pastor Wood nuts!!!!  Parents were bringing their children to be checked out.  Amy Johnston was beaming with joy as she dove in to help.  Karen stayed to help her give out medicine and do what she could to help.  Steve’s niece, Janise, was translating for them and loving it as well.  It is great to have her along.

Amy said that she helped a little boy with chicken pox who was essentially over it, but all the sores were infected.  She coated him down with Neosporin and sent them on their way.  Another lady came in that had smashed her finger between some bricks.  They cleaned and bandaged the wound.  Case after case like this came in….they simply needed first aid, but Amy and the rest of the medical team looked like miracle workers to those they were helping.

While people were waiting, Steve and several of those from the camp that speak Spanish were presenting the Gospel to everyone.  We know of one person that was led to the Lord today!  This is a good work! 

While the medical team was busy with their patients (and patience!), the rest of our group split up and walked the town inviting people to the children’s program at 3:00 (ish).   We all memorized “Buenos Dias, programa para ninos a last res en La Avenida el Progreso.”  That was the extent of our Spanish and we were butchering it.  Thankfully we all had at least one person in our group that could translate if anyone had questions. 

This is another town that was hit extremely hard during the earthquake.  Buildings were damaged and many people are simply living in shacks thrown together with thatch walls made out of bamboo.  The water is polluted and there are feces in the streets.  This is why the people need medical attention.  We have seen shacks wrapped in a plastic wrapping that said “USAid – Given by the American People.”  Evidently this was used to wrap the supplies sent here after the earthquake, and they have used even this as material to make a shelter. 

After we walked around the town inviting people, some of us were outside the church simply kicking the soccer ball around in the street.  As in just about any town here, a soccer ball will draw a crowd.  Some of the teens there asked if we wanted to play, so we walked a couple blocks to a soccer field…goals and all!  This had to be the biggest field we had ever seen, but we played full field anyway!!  The field actually had grass, but it was full of bricks, bottles, etc.  It was quite an experience!  We enjoyed it though and we also were soundly defeated!  They, of course, appreciated that! 

Eventually, the game ended because we had to leave.  We walked back to the bus and headed back to the camp for lunch.  Beef, rice, potatoes, and apples were on the menu along with the ever-present (and good) fruit juices.  Thankfully, we had an hour or so after lunch to chill out before going back for the children’s meeting and church meeting. 

Just a note on sickness…everyone has been fine except for the occasional upset stomach by a couple of people.  This is probably more due to motion sickness due to our constantly riding on the bus.  But everyone is doing well with no major sicknesses (I almost hate to type that, but we praise the Lord for looking after us.

June 18, 2010, 12:00 p.m.

Back on the bus to head over to La Quebrada again for the children’s activities at 3:00 (ish).  Amy Johnston and Janise had gone on ahead on another bus to help this medical team again.  They have done an outstanding job.  In fact, by the end of the day, they had helped over 70 people!  The great thing is that every one of those people was presented the Gospel as they came through.  Yesterday, I had said (see above) that we knew of one person that had been saved.  This one person was the guy Steve had been speaking with.  He was suicidal, but came to the church and received Christ!  However, the pastor told us that he was not the only one.  By the end of the day, there were approximately 50 people that made a profession of salvation!!!  Wow!  We were so thrilled that the Lord could use us in some small way to contribute to spreading the Gospel to these people.  Even though we may not think we can do anything because of the language barrier, God can use what He has given us to bring others to Him.  One of the things Steve mentioned that we were able to do was attract a lot of people to come to the meetings.  They wanted to see the white people!  Thank you God that even our skin can be used for you!

When we arrived back in the town, we unloaded the sound equipment again and got it set up.  One speaker was put on the roof of the church so that the noise would spread further throughout the town.  Bali once again picked up the microphone and called the people to come…and they did!  We pulled the soccer ball out and the kids started a game with our teens.  There were no sidelines, besides the buildings themselves, and often the streets going out from the one we were in became part of the field as well!  This game was different than the one the night before in Calente.  There were no apparent teams and not necessarily any direction!  Just kick the ball away from everyone else and chase it!  Our teens really did a good job of playing with the children and connecting with them.  By the end of the night, most of the teens had at least one or several children that were hanging on to them and trying to talk with them. 

The language barrier once again is quite frustrating.  We so badly want to talk with the children and they desperately want to talk with us.  Jason, Bali, and Hoover were busy trying to translate for us when they were able.  The children are precious and simply wanted some attention from us.  One little boy named Aaron (not your typical Peruvian name) attached himself to Nicholas, and Nicholas gave him a silly band.  Aaron just beamed with joy.  Kristi and Leslie had three girls that did not want them to leave.  In fact, they were asking if we could come back the next day, and one of the girls wanted to keep Kristi’s camera!  The children would walk around holding our hands and giving us high fives.  Two ladies came up to Sydney and began kissing her and talking with her.  Then they held their arm up to Sydney’s to look at the contrast in colors!  Bali said that they believe blonde hair will bring them luck.  We certainly drew a crowd.

We once again played games with children, which they thoroughly enjoyed.  Tug-of- war with all the children against our teens has been a hit!  After the game time, Steve once again presented the Gospel to the children and parents.  The medical team was also beginning to wrap up their day and some of the patients were hanging around to listen.  Steve introduced our group to everyone, and then introduced Bubba who gave his testimony.  Steve said, “This is Allen….also called Bubba.”  The Peruvians thought the name Bubba was hilarious!  We also thought it was funny to hear Steve speaking in Spanish and in the midst of the sentence hear “Bubba!” 

After Steve spoke, Bali and the pastor of the church, Juan Carlos (John Charles), started setting up the projector to show a movie.  We’re not quite sure what it was, but it did include a salvation message.  Most of these kids had never seen a screen that large!  After the movie, which lasted about an hour, the pastor and several of the students from Word of Life camp walked around speaking with the people.  Several people made professions of salvation at this time! 

The whole day was incredible!  The color of our skin, playing with the kids, helping with the medical team, knocking on doors and trying to speak in Spanish to those that answered….God used what we had to bring others to Him!  It will be wonderful meet some of these people again in Heaven and be able to speak with them!  If we don’t ever see them again here, we will see them there (Heaven), or in the air!  What a blessing that will be!

Sadly, we said our goodbyes and hopped back onto our faithful bus and headed back to camp.  It was around 8:00 p.m. (ish) and we were quite famished!  They had supper ready for us, and we ate and talked about the great day.  After supper, the guys wanted to hop back on the court and play soccer again before we left.  The Word of Life students enjoyed playing against us just as much as we enjoyed playing against them!  We had some great games.  However, we were really tired by the time we quit (11:30 ish).  Back to our rooms, hop in the shower, and hit the sack…that was the night.  Funny thing was that Bali was already in the bed when we got to the room.  He was snoring away!  I guess 2:30-3:00 a.m. the night before was too much for him. 

The girls ended up shuffling rooms around as well.  Brenna had gotten into an ant hill when she was playing outside before supper and had been bitten multiple times.  Steve and Lauren feverishly worked to get them off of her.  Thankfully she was ok.  Lauren moved into another room with her for the night, but she didn’t know that there was another group of ladies that was coming in and needed the room.  So Lauren had to pick everything back up and go back to the other room.  Thankfully, Brenna didn’t know the difference until the morning…she didn’t even wake up.  And Brenna was feeling much better after a night’s sleep. 

Fortunately, we were able to sleep in this morning.  The plan for Friday was to head back to Lima and stop at some ruins on the way back.  So we didn’t have to get too early of a start.  Plus, USA vs. Slovenia was going to come on at 9:00 a.m. and we planned on watching at least half of the game.  So, breakfast was to be at 8:30 a.m. (ish).  But “ish” on that one….we didn’t eat until after 9:00!  Breakfast consisted of rolls with jam and bananas.  Plus, there was the ever-present (and good) juices along with coffee…strong coffee!  After breakfast, the pastor of the church took a minute to thank us for our help on Thursday.  He was so happy with everything that we were able to do and thrilled with the way the Lord worked.  The man that organized the medical team (he is with Go World Missions) also took a minute to thank us and asked us to come back and help again!

Some of the guys headed back to the room to pack and/or take a shower after breakfast while the rest stayed to watch the remainder of the first half of the soccer game.  By the end of the half, the US team was losing 2-0!!!  It was not looking good.  We were happy to walk out of there and go pack during halftime.  Everyone through their stuff together and loaded it on the bus. 

By the time everything was loaded, the second half of the game had been on for a bit and the US had scored a goal…it was now 2-1.  Ok, we couldn’t just walk away from supporting our team, especially when it appeared they were playing much better.  All of us were sitting in front of the screen cheering for our country!  Before long, we had the opportunity to scream “GGGGOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!”  It was now tied at 2 goals a piece.  This was getting exciting.  With just a couple minutes remaining, the US had a free kick.  Landon Donovan kicks it in front of the goal, and one of the US players put it in the back of the net!!!  We were all screaming and jumping for joy!  But wait!  The referee called them offsides and said no goal!!!  Looking at the replay, it was a horrible call…the first bad mistake in the World Cup by the referees.  We were sickened!  The game ended in a 2-2 tie when we should have won.  However, at least we came back from a 2-0 deficit!  We climbed on the bus with mixed emotions….happy we came back, but sad we lost.  Ok, at least some of us were into the game – some were just sitting on the bus waiting for the fanatics to join them!

Once we boarded the bus, Steve got us all together and thanked us for everything we had done on the trip.  Even though we had planned to go to Jauja, God had other plans for us and plans that were even better!  He knows best.  Steve asked us to pair up and pray, thanking God for what he had done and asking for His help throughout the rest of the trip.  We have to be back in Lima by 5:00 for supper and then a youth meeting at 5:00, but we are going to stop by some ruins on the way back.

June 19, 2010, 8:55 a.m.

On the way back to Lima, we stopped at some Inca ruins.  They were approximately 600 years old and were stunning.  One building was used to house women that made different trades.  This building was particularly well preserved.  All the buildings were made out of mud brick, and it is amazing that they are still together in some form.  This was essentially a city, and they are still excavating all of the ruins.  The temple to the sun god sits high on a hill overlooking the city, and it has stunning views of the ocean.  As we walked around, we were told to stay strictly on the paths.  They do not want us to ruin the ruins (pun intended)!  We walked around and took pictures.  Zach had Steve take his picture as he sat on a stone wall.  As soon as one of the workers saw him, he blew his whistle and made Zach get up.  No sitting on anything!!! 

Back aboard the bus we went.  We needed to stay on schedule, but we were in danger of running behind.   Our next stop was to find some lunch.  The problem is that there isn’t a McDonalds sitting on every corner in this area like there is in Lima.  In fact, there aren’t really too many corners around here!  The best we could do was to wait until we got closer in to Lima.  The problem was that it would only be a couple hours until we eat supper!  But we were starving, so we stopped at a large mall and headed to the food court.  Steve gave strict instructions to eat something light so that they would be able to eat their supper in a couple hours. 

The mall was very modern and very nice.   In fact, some of the girls were upset that we couldn’t walk around and shop.  The food court was interesting.  They had KFC, Burger King, Bembos, some Chinese restaurant, Pizza Hut, and a few others.  We spread out and chose the one that struck our fancy.  KFC and Pizza Hut were particularly slow.  The Hortons and Janise didn’t get their food until everyone else was done eating.  But it was good and we had to leave. 

Guess what?  We got back on the bus and headed to the Paces house.  Someone was fixing supper for us at 5:00 p.m.  and this was not an “ish” time.  Supper was great, just like all the food we had.  However, we didn’t have much time to mess around.  We were supposed to be at the school for a youth meeting with the junior high kids.  We were in charge of the games and Andrew was going to preach! 

When we arrived, a few kids were there.  We started getting ready for the games as the rest arrived.  Rick and Kathy Anderson work with these kids and introduced us to all of them.  The games began and all our teens joined in.  After an hour or so, we headed to a covered area with chairs where Steve introduced our group.  Sean and Kristi gave their testimonies, then it was Andrew’s turn.  Steve was interpreting for him as he spoke.  Andrew did a great job and the kids were very attentive.  After he was done, we had about 5 minutes and Steve put Lauren on the spot and had her give her testimony.  Five minutes for Lauren?!  I better stop there!

They served us drinks and cookies for a snack and then most of the guys started playing soccer on a typical Peruvian court/field.  Soccer is an ever-present friend of ours!  Most of the people enjoy playing against us.  During the game, Nathaniel fell while going for the ball, took Ricky out, and they both whined like babies!  Of course, Nathaniel got the worst end of the deal as he got some “road rash” on his leg.  Hoover took him into the school and doctored him up.  Hoover has really been great…we might bring him home with us!

Finally, it was time to go “home”.  Everyone went back to the Paces, gathered their luggage and headed back to each home they were staying in.  It did feel good to get back to our home away from home.  Everyone has been so gracious and kind to us.  We really don’t know how to express our gratitude other than saying thank you.  We hope they know how grateful we are. 

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June 13, 2010, 12:00 p.m.

We’re off!  We’re currently sitting in Newark, NJ waiting for the next leg of our flight to Lima.  Our flight this morning was leaving from Greensboro at 10:00 a.m., so we met at the church at 6:00 a.m. to load up.  The send off was rather painless with few tears being shed.  Of course, it was so early that the reality of leaving probably hadn’t set in yet.  Thanks to Craig and Justin Moran, as well as Matt Touchton for driving us to the airport.

As we came into Greensboro, we saw that the interstate was completely blocked off right past our exit.  Fortunately, our exit wasn’t blocked off, but it caused traffic to be backed up slightly.  Evidently, lightning had caused some issues such as fires that caused them to shut down portions of the interstate!  Thank the Lord that it did not affect our flight.

Check in went very smoothly with only two bags being a pound or two overweight.  We planned for this by bringing another bag to move things around a bit if necessary.  After checking in, we proceeded to our gate, dumped the carry-on baggage and desperately searched for the Dunkin Donuts!  Everything was relatively uneventful until we were cleaning up our breakfast trash.  Ricky grabbed a bunch of trash and threw it in the trash can.  The bad thing is that he also threw an envelope of the group’s money away as well!  Fortunately, he realized what he just did and grabbed it back out!!!  Good thing, or we would have been about $3,000 short for the trip!  Not a good thing! 

Before we boarded, we looked at the plane and wondered if it was going to be big enough for all of us!  After boarding, we realized that over half of the plane was occupied by people with lime green shirts that said “Eastside Youth Mission 2 Peru.”  In other words, we occupied a large portion of the plane.  We only have 22 people, so that should tell you how small the plane was!  The flight was successful with no yack sacks being utilized by any of our group!  However, we had a couple (Sydney, Nicholas, and Nathaniel…what is it with the Horton kids?) that were battling colds and congestion that just did not get along well with the air pressure! 

After an hour and a half flight, we finally were on the ground and asking “where can we eat!”  Yep, we are traveling with a bunch of teens.  Fortunately McDonalds was close to our gate and we all trekked down for our fast food fix.  Two and a half hours before we get on the next flight.  It is actually kind of nice to sit down for a bit and stretch a little.  Airplanes aren’t known for their leg room….unless you fly first class like Craig Moran! 

So far, so good.  Hopefully the next leg will be as good as the first!

June 13, 2010, 8:10 p.m.

It is a tradition of sorts for mission trips at Eastside….something must go wrong!  Thankfully, it has never been a major catastrophe, and it wasn’t today either.  However, we were a bit frustrated.  The leg of our trip from New Jersey to Lima was to be around 8 hours (only 7 if you figure the change in time!!).  Continental started boarding everyone around 45 minutes before the flight was to leave.  Ricky was the first to board because his seat was about half way back…right over the wing.  The rest of the group were in the front of the plane. 

Everyone was seated and ready to go.  The captain comes over the speaker and says that we should be arriving a little early in Lima tonight, so sit back and enjoy the flight.  We taxi out to the runway, but park next to it with several other planes.  Once again, the captain speaks up, but this time he wasn’t as cheerful….”Folks, there seems to be some storms to the south of us that is going to cause a delay.  Air traffic control says it will take some time to re-route all the flights, and they are predicting it will be 1 ½ hours before we can leave.”  What??!!!!  So, we sat on the runway for a while waiting on traffic.

After about 45 minutes (everyone was taking the delay very well), we hear the captain say, “Well, they’ve given us the go ahead, so please find your seat and prepare for takeoff.”  Everyone rushes to their seats, eager to take off when the captain comes back on and says “It looks like they’ve put us back on a holding pattern again, but this time they will not even guess when we can leave.”  Ok, by this time, we are having visions of the Far Side cartoon where the captain tells the passengers that there are turbulent ahead and then proceeds to rock the plane back and forth!!  Is the captain just messing with us?? !! 

We sat for a while longer.  In total, we were delayed around 2 hours on the runway!  However, even in this time, the Lord is good to show that He is thinking of all of us.  Ricky is sitting in the back of the plane with people he doesn’t know.  He is getting bitter as he sees all the green shirts in the front laughing and giggling.  Is this funny?  We are delayed and I have nothing to do!!!  How dare you have fun!  But then Ricky hears the trot of little feet and sees Sydney peak around the corner of the chair.  She cheerfully jumps in Ricky’s lap and proceeds to simply make his day!  Thank you Lord for the little things in life…..truthfully, that is one of the bigger things though!  (If you can’t tell, Ricky is typing this.  So please excuse the last paragraph for posterity’s sake!!)

We finally take off and are soon above the storms.  The flight is relatively smooth, and soon everyone is either talking, listening to an Ipod or some other contraption, or they are watching a movie.  If you haven’t flown in a while, they now have screens in the back of every head rest and you can pick whatever movie you want to watch!  Pretty cool if you are a techie nerd!  Anyway, we are currently somewhere over the northern part of South America (that sounded weird) and will be in Lima around 10:30 p.m. Lima time which is 11:30 p.m. Mooresville time.  So far, so good! 

June 14, 2010, 8:45 a.m.

We arrived late last night.  We were so ready to get off of that plane.  The stewardess servicing our portion of the plane made several comments about how well behaved we were, and we think she actually meant it!  We thought we were doing better this trip than the last time since we were only going up to NJ and then to Lima rather than Toronto and Lima.  NJ really isn’t too far from Toronto….at least it didn’t feel like it.  But we arrived safely and went through customs fairly painlessly, except for the Johnstons!  After gathering your luggage, you then have to get in line and wait to push a button.  This button either activates a green arrow or a red arrow.  The green means no inspection of baggage; the red means you get searched!  Everyone got a green light except for the Johnstons!  Steve’s mom swears that if you hit it on the right side of the button that you will get a green light.  We’ll have to try that four years from now! 

We started walking our baggage out of the airport and towards the bus.  The veterans of this trip started reminiscing about some of the small buses we have had in the past, particularly when we went up to Jauja last time.  We turned the corner and sure enough there were several small buses….but there was one big silver bus, and it was even a Mercedes.  We were praying!  YES!!!!!  This bus was huge!  All the luggage fit underneath and we had seats to spare.  No more stacking the luggage around us in the bus and sitting on top of each other. 

We made it back to Steve’s parent’s house.  It was good to see them along with his brother and sister.  We split up to our respective houses and crashed for the night.  Today, tour Lima. 

June 14, 2010, 10:15 p.m.

Everyone got to know Lima well today.  Fortunately, we didn’t meet at the Pace’s house until 10:00 a.m. since we had had such a late night.  Once we got together, everyone started talking about the great places they were staying and the incredible breakfasts they had.  I believe most of us had a traditional Peruvian breakfast of bread, meat and cheese.  Of course, coffee, milk, and juice were available as well.  We have been treated so well, and we are so thankful for those that have graciously offered to put up with us for almost 2 weeks! 

We also were grateful that our nice big bus was waiting for us again.  It is so refreshing to be able to stretch out while riding around.  And we also have a bathroom on the bus!  That will make the former Peru team quite jealous!!!  The bus pulled out with us a little after 10:00 and we dropped by La Molina Christian School to pick up a drama team that had done a service in Pastor Pace’s church.  Also, Bali, the youth pastor at Steve’s dad’s church, was going with us.  They were going to spend the day with us touring Lima.  They loaded up and all 31 of us headed to downtown Lima.

Our first stop was the middle of the street….literally!  We stopped in the middle of the road and everyone jumped out to get some money exchanged.  We sort of felt like we were buying drugs or something, because we went back in a hallway of a building to meet a guy that changes money!   Bali was watching every move the guy made to ensure that he gave us the right amount and that the bills were real!!  It wasn’t as bad as it sounds, but we thought it was funny.  In true Lima fashion, we ran across traffic and hopped back on the bus. 

The bus driver took us directly downtown where we hopped out and started walking to the main square.  This is where the Presidential Palace is as well as a church we wanted to see.  When we walked into the square, there was a big stage and a massive video screen where hundreds of people were celebrating the World Cup and preparing to watch the next game!  This was pretty cool, especially if they were going to show the game on screen.  However, it was a while until any games started. 

We stopped for a few pictures in the square.  Leslie, Amanda, and Kristi had to have their pictures taken with some of the police that were standing around.  They even handed the girls the riot shields to hold while they had their picture made!  As we looked around, we noticed that there were several military personnel on top of the Presidential Palace.  Some of them even wore masks of some sort (ninjas?!!).  They must have been expecting someone important. 

The guards at the palace did their performance where they were changing the guards, but once again, we didn’t see any changing of the guards.  It is pretty amazing to see them high-stepping around the courtyard.  After a few more pictures, we set off again.  Along the way, we kept running into this one group of students that thought it was funny to see the large group of Americans running around.  They wanted to wave and say “hi” to the white people. 

As we were walking away, we couldn’t help but notice a lady sitting on the steps that looked like she was from the mountains.  She wore the typical Peruvian mountain garb, and she simply sat on the steps by herself watching the people walk by.  It was a graphic reminder of the type of people we would be seeing in Jauja. 

We walked to the cathedral where we would go on a tour.  It still holds services today even though it was built in the 16^th century.  We looked at some of the older manuscripts they had and several old paintings before we headed to what was the highlight of the tour….the catacombs!  Amy Johnston wasn’t too sure she wanted to venture below because she was afraid she might go nuts in the small spaces.  Everyone marched forward though.   The only people that didn’t have to duck as they walked through were Sydney, Jack, and Brenna!  Thousands of people were buried beneath the church and the bones are there to prove it.  Yes, we saw thousands of human bones there!  It was pretty weird, but amazing to see.

By this time, we were all pretty hungry, but we were running out of time.  Plus, there wasn’t a real convenient place for so many people to sit down.  Since the bus was coming, we decided to load up and head to the beach to eat.  That’s right, we went to the beach!  There is an area right on the beach that has essentially an outdoor mall and some great places to eat.  We stopped and ate at Pardons Chicken, where each of us got a ¼ chicken, fries, and a drink…most people got the Peruvian favorite Inca Kola.  The food was great, and we even got to watch Italy and Paraguay play at the World Cup while we were eating!

After a stop at Starbucks, we loaded back onto the bus and drove to the bottom of the hill where we hopped out to play on the shore.  This wasn’t exactly sand beneath your toes though.  The entire beach was nothing but rocks which most everyone liked tossing out into the ocean.  Nicholas, Jonathan, Zachary, and Andrew went down a ways and were attempting to dodge the waves to get some rocks.  It was hilarious to see them scramble to keep from getting wet when a big wave crashed in unexpectedly!  After another group shot on the rocks, we loaded back up and headed to the market.

Since we got a late start to the day, we only had an hour for the market.  On the trek across town to get there, we were once again thankful for the awesome bus that had a bathroom!!!!  It was well used along the way!  The market is essentially a large flea market where you can find anything Peruvian.  We kinda think most of it was made in China, but at least we bought it in Peru!  Everyone split up and combed the shops for deals.  This is where the wheeling and dealing began.  It is incredible how the price comes down when someone like Steve or Bali comes along and speaks Spanish!  Nicholas, Jonathan, and Nicholas each bought a soft bear of some sort for their women as well as a Peruvian hat for themselves (the hat only cost around $2!).  Chas found the hammocks that his mom had ordered as well.  Everyone else carted their treasures back and lied about how little they paid for them!  Deals done, and back in the bus!

By this time, it was around 7:00 p.m. and we were starting to get tired and some were even thinking about food again!  It would take close to an hour to get back to the Pace Palace!  This was where we experience what is essentially rush hour in Lima.  How do you fit 7 cars in five lanes?!  We saw it!  Buses passing within inches and motorcycles weaving in and out of cars coming from all directions!  Everyone got such a kick out of it, that they were plastered to the window at the back of the bus to watch the entertainment!  It is essentially a chaotic dance that works flawlessly!  Amazing that no one hits anyone else! 

At the Pace’s, a dinner of sandwiches, chips, and apple pie and ice cream awaited us.  It was a great topping off of the day.  They have treated us so well, and we have been here less than 24 hours.  It was a good day to relax after the long trip.  But tomorrow, we head to Jauja to do what we came here to do – introduce the teens to missions and hopefully see some people saved.  So, the plan was to meet at the Pace’s at 8:00 a.m. the next morning and head up the mountain….and we’re praying that great bus will be there and go all the way up with us!

June 15, 2010, 1:50 p.m.

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days.  Everyone met at the Paces, ready for the trip up the Andes Mountains into Jauja.  The plan was to take our time, stop along the way, and do a little site seeing/hiking at some ruins.  Steve’s family had packed a lunch for all of us that we would eat at one of our stops.  Steve’s mom, and a couple nieces and nephews, as well as Bali, and Hoover went along with us.  Hoover is a teen in Steve’s father’s church.  It was nice to have lots of interpreters going with us.

We were very grateful to see that our nice big silver bus with a bathroom showed up again!  We loaded up the bus, climbed aboard, and took off.  Oops…go around the block and get something we forgot at the Paces!  We thought it was funny, but we’re sure the bus driver didn’t think so!  It’s not easy turning this big bus on small roads. 

The next stop was the church to get tracts that we would be handing out as well as a guitar so Hoover could play for us.  We finally started moving through Lima for the slow ascent into the mountains.  Traffic was slow…apparently it’s rush hour again!  We didn’t much care though since we were heading to a new destination. 

However, after going an hour or so up the road, the bathroom started getting well used (must have been that coffee and juice at breakfast).  We must take some time to explain a little about our bathroom on wheels.  The water that the bus stores to flush the toilet dried up!  Plus, the toilet wasn’t designed to throw toilet paper in, but some people did anyway!  Plus, it was only intended to be a number 1 toilet (won’t go into further detail), yet it became a number 2 for a couple kids that didn’t know any better!  So, the toilet went from being a thrilling thing to something that you wanted to avoid unless absolutely necessary!  We used a little Lysol along the way up the mountain!  Bubba also said he just thought of a new Olympic  event – going to the bathroom while riding down the streets of Peru!!!!!!

After about 1 ½ - 2 hours of driving, we arrived at a checkpoint of sorts.  This just so happened to be the place where our bus broke down 4 years ago (we’re beginning to not like this spot).  Traffic came to a halt.  We had heard that miners were striking in one of the towns along the way and were blocking all traffic from passing.  We were told before we left that it looked like it might be clear - evidently not.  The police at this check point were only letting a select few vehicles go through at a time.  After sitting for nearly another 1 ½-2 hours, Steve and Bali talked to some of the policemen to get the scoop. 

They got back on the bus and informed us that we were not sure that we needed to go on or not.  We all stopped and prayed together asking the Lord to help us with our decision.  Steve and Bali talked with the police again and one of them stated that the miners might like a bus like ours to get a little more attention from the media.  Ok, we’re turning around and heading back! 

It was now about j11:30 a.m., so we passed out the lunch sacks to satisfy our stomachs before we headed back.  It was a great lunch!  There was bread that had ham baked right into it, cinnamon rolls, juice, and fruit.  It really tasted great, and we were so thankful for the ones that put it together for us. 

So, we headed back down the mountain while we tried to figure out what to do. The options were to try again a few hours later if the miners went home, try again tomorrow or another day, spend the rest of our time in Lima, or just go to the market for the rest of the time!  We decided initially to stop in a town call Chosica and hand out tracts in the town square.  This was where Steve was born and lived for a while.  We drove down a side road and saw their old house (which is now a restaurant) and the house he was born in.  The town square was a few blocks up.

We stopped at the square, split everyone up so there were guys with all the girls, gave everyone a stack of tracts, and blanketed the town with tracts.  If the people wouldn’t take one from the teens or adults, then they would take one from Sydney!  She loved it!  Hoover took Jonathan and they started hopping on buses, passed out tracts to everyone inside, and then hopped off a couple blocks from where they originally hopped on!  It was nice to have someone along that knew these things! 

After passing out tracts to everyone within sight, we met back at one of the ice cream stands and made that vendors day by purchasing most of her ice cream!  She was thrilled.  While we ate, Bali was talking with a man to whom he had given a tract.  He had a couple opportunities to speak to people (wish we could speak Spanish!), and this guys seemed relatively interested.  We all headed back to the bus as Bali continued to speak with him.  Thanks to the Lord that this many accepted Christ!  Maybe this is why we couldn’t go to Jauja!  God is good!

The decision was made to go to a school for deaf children since we now had time!  We were probably going to do this later anyway, so we thought why not now.  While on the way, Steve made a couple calls.  There is a potential that we might be able to go down to the area in Southern Peru where there was an earthquake last year.  There is still a lot of damage and we might be able to help a church there and possibly have a couple meetings.  There is a camp close to there that we would be able to stay at.  Not sure yet, but still working on the plans and praying. 

June 15, 2010, 5:50 p.m.

We arrived at the school for deaf children well enough.  We’re kinda getting used to the traffic!  The whole group congregated in the courtyard and listened to the director tell us a little about the history of the school.  A former missionary started the school with two deaf children.  To many people, they are considered useless to society.  The school has approximately 65 students, most of which live at the school. 

We toured the entire complex.  The students are of all ages from about 5 or 6 to teenagers.  It is touching to see such loving and caring children that are often cast out by society.  The school gives them an education that they most likely would not be able to get otherwise.  Most importantly, they introduce them to Christ as well.  They also just started a pregnancy resource center on the property and have seen 10 people saved through this ministry in its first month.  This is a tremendous work!

Bali asked the director what their budget was like.  It must be quite large (they serve over 100 meals per sitting).  The director stated that they were short on their budget this month.  In fact, he had just told some of the staff that he may not be able to pay them this month, but to pray that the finances would come in.  The group had planned to give some of our money to help a missionary, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Steve gave them the money, and it brought the director to tears!  What a blessing!  Even though we couldn’t go to Jauja, God had plans for us to help in other ways where it was really needed.

Well, the time is finally here!  We are meeting at the church at 6:00 a.m. in the morning to set off for Peru.  Bags are packed and we are a bit anxious, but we are ready to go!  Our flight leaves from Greensboro at 10:00 a.m. and we'll arrive in Newark, NJ at 11:30 a.m.  After a nearly 3 hour layover, we leave NJ at 2:20 and will arrive in Peru at 9:11 p.m.

Please pray that the flight will go well, no baggage will be lost, and that no one gets sick on the airplane!  Thankfully, we'll have a day to rest in Lima before we take off for the mountains on Tuesday.  Begin praying for that leg of the trip now as it is quite a long trip up the Andes Mountains.  We will be around 16,000 feet up at times, so the air is thin and the road is curvy.  This is a double wammy for those that get a little motion sick.

Thank you to our wonderful church for supporting us!!!  You all have been most gracious.  Please continue to support us through much prayer!  And keep checking back here for more updates.