Farewell for Now Peru...Paraguay Here We Come!!!

As I am writing this I have 6 more days left in Peru before our Team heads on Christmas break and then off to Paraguay so this is a time where the words like "anxious"-"scared"-"sad"-"excited"-"nervous" and "bittersweet" can and are used in the same sentence and thought process at any given time.

I, as well as the rest of the Team, are ready to move forward and take our ministry to Paraguay but this also means saying "Farewell for now" to many friends, contacts, and ministry partners I have met and spent the last 7 months with in Arequipa.

As we wrap up our time here in Chachani here in Arequipa I would like to take a moment and recount some stories from Chachani.

The first story is about a women who we met for the first time when she was really drunk. I mean one moment she was crying, the next she was yelling, and then all the sudden she was jovial. The worst part of this entire event for us was that she was with her kids riding on a combi. Prior to this time we had worked with her kids a little so Emily and I got off this combi feeling awful that the kids were having to deal with their mom so we just continued to pray. The next time we saw the mom she was at the event where Felix Vargas was speaking. She showed up and wasn't drunk and by the end of the night she had accepted Christ into her heart. We tried to do a follow up with her but she was not interested but we continued to pray and reach out to her kids.

The next time we saw this mom was at another one of our events which was cutting hair and painting nails. She again accepted Christ and we did a follow up. This time she was interested. She has now come to two of our services and is talking about wanting to be baptized. It is amazing to see how this women has changed in the short time we have known her and my hope and pray for her is that she continues to grow, stays away from the beer, and helps her children grow in their faith also.

Another story is about the husband of one of our contacts, Jessica, who I have mentioned before. The first time we met Jessica her husband, Umberto, happened to be there. He did not talk at all and only sat there supporting Jessica. As Jessica started growing in her faith she started doing discipleship classes and while her husband came to one or two, he was just not buying into all this Christian stuff. He just wasn't interested. At this time he was between jobs and was trying to find another one. He went down one day to wait on the side of road looking for someone to come and offer him work. A car pulled over and a man offered him work. Umberto got into the car, but started to feel worried as they went to a dangerous part of town. The pulled over and much to Umberto’s surprise, the trunk was full of drugs. Quickly after, the police came and detained the car and the passengers, including Umberto. Umberto told the police that he had nothing to do with the drugs and that he was just looking for money. Really, this comes across as a sad excuse and here in Arequipa, the police never buy these excuses. That day, though, Umberto had brought his identification card, which he never usually has, and the police let him go free. When he returned back home, he was a changed man. He gives credit to God for protecting him in this situation and now believes that not only is God real, but has an active part in his life. We have yet to talk him into sharing his testimony in front of a lot of people but he has started to be involved in our services. It is amazing to see this change and the impact it has had on this family. The faith of this family is so strong I am amazed.

I have shared a lot about Jessica before and I want to share just a tad bit more. A while ago we found out she was pregnant. She was not happy and not sure what they could do about this baby given they did not have any money. It was a huge problem and Jessica had a hard time accepting it. Jessica finally accepted it but then Jessica ended up losing the baby and she was crushed. However, through all of this her faith in God never changed. She did not have the money to go to the hospital however she had faith that God would provide and he did. In her situation I could see her being very upset, hurt, and mad at God over this whole situation, possibly even turning away from God, but during this time Jessica kept pushing on believing that God would always take care of here. I think this serves as a testimony to the strength of her faith and how much she has grown.

There are many other great things that have happened and continue to happen in Chachani as the Spirit of God moves among His people. Things like people who were not interested in anything we had to offer who are now wanting to be involved and learn more about the Bible.We have had the opportunity to share devotions to hundreds of people multiple times. Lives have been changed and are continuing to be touched which it is a huge blessing to me. I have no doubt that there will be a Nazarene Church on Chachani very soon.

In other exciting news, I finished missionary school which I think means

I am "officially" a 40/40. While it was a long and sometimes difficult process of learning, both the information but also the process (skype is not the best way to have class especially when the internet connection is just okay) I have learned so much and am excited to see what God has in store for the Paraguay Team.

Also some exciting news is that I am getting to go home for Christmas. I am excited to spend some time at home with my family before I head off to Paraguay. Thanks for all your continued prayers as they are felt! I also ask that you prayerfully consider joining my support team through prayer or financially or would like more information on how to join the team click the following link: Kelsey Extreme Paraguay Click to donate or join the prayer team and follow the steps provided. The most efficient is direct withdrawal from a bank account, credit cards have charges so not everything you donate will make it to the field with me. Thank you

Foam Block Project Information and Love Extreme Paraguay Information can be found by clicking on either title.