Changing hearts

Hello everyone, I thought I should post a blog to let you all know we are not dead. Much has happened since the last time I wrote. We have been having a great time, and this week has been a lot of fun. Last week I failed to mention our ventures outside of the orphanage, so that is where I will start.

Our first big day out in Trujillo was the Sunday before last. We went to church with Liz, the manager here at the orphanage. It was a great church, where we immediately felt welcome. It was also a big relief, as one third of the people there are from the U.S. It was the first time we really were able to speak English. Everyone was so open and inviting, and we were invited to have dinner with several people. The church is very contemporary and similar to what we go to at home, but in Spanish. It was so amazing to see how friendly these people are. We hung out with people after church and made a lot of close Friends right away.

On Wednesday of last week we went to Pastor Ricardo's house for dinner. We had a great time as we got to know one another and share stories. His wife was a great cook, and she left out the chicken toes! It was an awesome experience to be invited into his home and have fellowship with other Peruvians.

Last Friday, a large group from Boston came. They are a very special group, in which Adam and I have built a strong friendship with. They came to start the Alto Salivary Water Project, which Adam has been working on. It is absolutely AMAZING to see what God is doing with this area of Peru. First, let me tell you about this area of Trujillo (Parents, don't be alarmed!) It is a very rough area, very poor, and the people cannot be trusted. They live in an area where they have to lie, cheat, and steal to survive. There is a young man that sits in the street in the heat and eats sand all day long. Alto Salivary hurts your heart when you see how they must live and survive. Currently, the people here must pay for dirty water or walk to the orphanage to fill bottles with clean water. They live on top the the sand dunes where the sun is very intense, and water is needed. This water project will bring fresh, clean water straight out of the mountains into their neighborhood.

When the Boston group first started to work on the project, locals would stand off to the side and watch. Some were happy to see us there, others were curious, and some were unsure of what to think. The first day there were minor complications, and the project was at a standstill. The workers sat down and prayed about the project. When it came time to put all the tools and equipment up a man from the village offered the space in his store. This is important because the man would not let us use his store before, but something changed in his heart when he saw the group pray. Since then many locals have been helping out. People are bringing their own tools to lend a hand, borrowing our tools, and returning them. Women of the village are also lending a helping hand, and are very tough workers.

A woman hard at work.

All week has been awesome, as we have been watching God move through the hearts of the locals. They have been witnessing something very foreign to them. The locals have realized that there is something different about these gringos. They are watching the Americans build a water tower for the people of the area, and it costs them nothing. They are watching the Americans care for their people and play with their children. People's hearts are changing in Alto Salivary as they see love, compassion, and hope be brought into their village. They have seen how the Boston group treats one another, and how they interact with the locals of the village. Relationships have been built and tears formed in the eyes of many villagers when the Boston group completed their last day in Peru. They plan to return in August. It was sad to see them go, and we will definitely miss their accent!

A very special family we met at Alto Salivary.

Adam shared his faith with some people our age. He is amazed at how responsive they are, they want what the Boston group has, a relationship with Christ. Several people at Alto Salivary have made the decision to have a personal relationship with God this week. The water tower, when completed, will out last the people who built it, and the decisions that have been made this week in the hearts of locals will last for eternity. Not only is God bringing fresh drinking water to this village, He is also bringing them hope, health, and a future.

The last day at the water tower site, with some locals that helped out.

Pastor John, of the Boston group, sharing some final words with the locals. It was very moving and the locals were sad to see the Americans leave.