Lots to Pray for in Paucarpata

The past 2 weeks in Paucarpata have been a great blessing. 

Every Thursday we make a stop in Centro in a giant market, in the fruit section to be exact, to disciple Miriam before heading to Paucarpata which is where Miriam and her sisters are from. We sit on buckets, stools and wooden crates in the midst of the hustle and bustle. I love the fragrant aroma surrounding us. I certainly hope in the midst of our work, we are a fragrant aroma to God. Pray for Miriam, she has a cold right now, but normally she is a little closed off and not very enthusiastic to learn. Though she said that she wanted to continue and has questions for us, sometimes about us…but at this point, it’s hard to recognize her growth or interest though we’ve been invited to be there and do it. After the market discipleship, we get on a combi headed for Paucarpata.

We have continued to disciple Dalia, her sister Faviola, and her mother Marta – there are related to Miriam and Sonia who work at the market. It’s beautiful to me, to watch Dalia be incredibly responsible, faithful, and interested in meeting every week to learn more about the Word of God. Her mom, Marta, is very up front about her inability to understand some of the basic things about God, but upon further explanation she has been to the point of tears in her eyes with gratitude and our time with them has evidence of growth and enthusiasm.

Last night we went to another part of Paucarpata to join Trevor for his and Joel’s cell group that we’ll take over when they move to Puno. Jorge and his wife Cecilia are quite delightful. Jorge repeats the things that he wants to make sure he’s got it down. When you’re discipling people, it’s very encouraging to hear the question about inviting people to church or cell group. They, unlike any other cell group I’ve been in, have a decent size home with a sitting room and a dining room. Every other place I’ve met with others has been in their bedrooms that are their main room. This place has potential to be the start of a new church, with space for several people to meet. I’m excited to see what God does in and through them.

We also visited a young lady in high school on Monday. She lives in Miguel Grau, yet another part of the large district of Paucarpata. She went to the mega-event to hear Nick Vujicic because he has such a passion to live though his life is difficult. She has an older brother that is a pastor of an evangelic church, but she’s a critical thinker and processor. She doesn’t agree with the virgin/saint worship that happens here in the Catholic Church, but is a general respecter of religion. We spoke with her for about an hour or more. It was a great conversation really. If she makes a decision for Christ one day she’ll be a huge asset to the church. I think we’ll have more contact with her in the near future, but she’s not bought in just yet. Pray for 15 year old, philosopher at heart, Laura.

We go tomorrow (Friday) to ask permission to do an impact event, probably a Festival de Niños, with a Christmas spin in one of the more impoverished sections of Paucarpata. Pray that all goes well and that we make a good connection with the Director of Cultural and Social Activities at the Municipal Center.

Basically, I'm lookinng forward to each day we can be in Paucarpata :)

Getting Started

Sometimes getting started can feel a little rocky and unstable, but it's perservence that determines the outcome.  We went to the market to meet with Sonia and her sisters.  In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the market and fruits of every imaginable type, we took some time with her sister, Miriam, to learn about their fears of a failing marriage between their brother and sister-in-law.  For Wendy and I, this was the first time we had the opportunity to get to know these ladies.  It was awkward for Carmen, the 14 year old daughter of the parents with marriage problems to say anything regarding this in a first meeting.  Miriam & Sonia asked us if we could go the following night to the house of their brother and talk with the family, and of course we said yes.  So the following night, we took 2 combis (rougly and hour ride) to get out to Sonia's house that is attached to their family's mini-store.  We arrived around 8 and waited a bit, because Sonia was still at the market and Carmen had not shown up either.  So after 15 minutes, because they figured they had no idea when they would return, Sonia's father walked us up the hill and around a few streets to their house.  He "dropped" us off and went on his way back to his house.  We knocked on the door and a little boy poked his head out from behind the curtains and I can't remember if we said that we were looking for Carmen or coming because of Sonia and Carmen or if we said nothing at all, but the little boy went back into the house and shortly after the lights were shut off.  I looked at Wendy and said, well that's obvious.  So we decided to pray for them and wrote a note with our cell numbers and headed back to Zamacola (home).

That was last Friday, yesterday: Monday, we went back to the market to mention what happened, but mainly to confirm that we would be taking over the cell group and wanted to know what time would be the best for the majority of people.  As it turns out, though our first encounter wasn't entirely welcoming, we have moved the cell group time to 4pm which is good for Sonia, one of her sisters, and Dalia (the 17 year old that we met during our first visit to the cel lgroup) and we were asked to still come to the market to teach Miriam while she is at work.  We were also invited to meet the whole family and bring a lesson this Sunday before church.  I'm excited to see what God has in store for this area.  And I just realized that's a bit of a pun...because the cell group is attached to a store and we're going to disciple Miriam in the middle of a fruit market.

And before I forget, I didn't blog about our first visit to Paucarpata - in which we explored the area a bit without intention to meet anyone.  We simply wanted to find the municiple center and begin the permission process for impact events.  We came across a hill that lead up to a school and then a giant cemetary, which are much different here than in the States.  I started to talk to Wendy about the irony in this location because of the juxtaposition of the living and the dead, of vibrant life and death.  It was fun use a bit of my sociology and to apply it to our work.  This cemetary in particular had a lovely gateway and park leading up to the entrance.  With paintings of the stairway to Heaven, of God, of Jesus on Calvary, we found the gazebo clad with murals a very inspirational place to pray for Paucarpata and the ministry that we were beginning.  It had such a beautiful view of the country, volcanoes, and hills spackled with homes of all shapes and sizes - a great visual of God's canvas for our ministry.

Off in the distance we could here some form of celebration and it just happened to be coming from the municiple center.  It just happened to be the Independence day for Paucarpata from when the Peruvians were fighting with the Bolivians and Chileans 173 years ago.  There was a call to the youth that were lined up from the local schools to take control of their future and to make it a good one.  I thought, I'm happy to be here and hear this; I want to be a help in encouraging this.  Needless to say, it wasn't a good day to enter the Municiple Center because the building was blocked by the mayor and other important people making speeches.  Unfortunately, this day I was trying to pack lightly and I didn't carry a camera.  I wish you could see the ground we covered - well, next time...being that we'll be working in Paucarpata for the next 18 months.  Wendy and I are thrilled to get started in Paucarpata; we have a heart for the landscape and the people.  And we're really looking forward to following God's desires for Paucarpata, which is so much bigger than rocky starts.

Bienvenida!

Wendy and I recentely were introduced to Paucarpata - this past Wendesday, as a matter of fact.  We're happy to take over the work that 40/40s who left for Cusco were diligentely persuing.  I have heard wonderful reports from them all along, but never expected to be taking over this location.  I love getting acquainted with another side of the city and caring for something dearly loved by my friends - something important to them and important to God. 

Though we haven't officially taken over in this area, we joined Mapi, Rosita, and Henrietta in a house attached to a family owned store to teach a lesson to a 17 year old girl named Dalia.  She's was super sweet and attentive while Rosita taught the lesson. After, we just sat and chatted with her about school, her future, boys, etc. etc.  It will be great to watch her grow into a lady after God's heart.  We are looking forward to getting to know the area, the subculture, the current believers living there and to see what God has in store for Paucarpata.