Peru: June 12, 2006

This was our very first day doing VBS and construction at KUSI (a quechua word that means happiness). The VBS at the school was very fun! We taught the children some songs, and then 3 ladies, Pat, Ann, and Beth taught the lesson about salvation. The children were very attentive and at the end we were able to pray with them. Afterwards, we helped the children make a bracelet that explains the life of Jesus and what he has done for us. It was great doing the craft because we were able to split up with the kids in their classrooms and get more one on one time with them.

God is so faithful! The three ladies that taught were a little nervous about teaching because they are not teachers, but God used them to communicate their message so clearly because they were humbly depending on Him and they were committed to making His message known!

Just after VBS, Susan and I talked with Johnson, Scripture Union´s director at the KUSI school about a parents meeting we were going to have in the late afternoon. It was a little comical. He had sent out an ¨official¨ notice to the parents to make them come to the meeting.... it turns out that in Peru, all you need to make something official is a stamp! Susan and I laughed to ourselves.

NOW TO WORK! Monday´s work consisted of peeling bamboo that they are going to use to make the roofs, digging the foundations of some of the buildings in the village, and making adobe bricks. My wheelbarrowing skills have not improved too much, but it was exciting to be a part of the process!

At 130, Angel took Susan and I back to the Hostal Oasis to pick up our puppet materials to share with the parents and to check on a team member who had stayed back with an upset stomach. As we drove down the mountain, we passed some of the students who were leaving the school. Angel, knowing they had a long way to walk, invited them in!!!!!! I think 5 students crammed into the front passenger seat, 1 was in the back seat with susan and I, and 5 more in the hatchback trunk!

About 3pm, Susan and I went to meet with parents. To keep the officialness of the meeting, Johnson had all of the parents sign in. He said that if some of them did not come, they would have to come and do work at the school.

There were probably about 40 people at the parent meeting. It was very obvious that there were many more mothers than fathers. Susan talked to them about discipline and I translated for her. It was exciting to be able to share her message with these parents, because it was a message about why we discipline and the foundation of disicpline. Discipline is to change hearts, and the only one who can truly change our hearts is Christ. The parents listened, and asked questions, and really seemed to be engaged in what Susan was saying.

During team time later that night, Buzz talked about Romans 12, about being a living sacrifice and about using our gifts that God has given us. I know that today the body of Christ was working as it should...everyone was using their gifts together, and because if that, God was glorified!