I hope everyone has been surviving with our infrequent blog updates. The internet situation has been a bit trickier than we anticipated. This past weekend was a great time spent doing some construction projects, visiting the Elim ministry at the garbage dump, going to church and having fun at the beach!

Saturday started us off with some light construction projects of scraping, scrubbing, and painting the children’s home. Some of the previous paint had started to bubble up and was not settling nicely. Some of us went around and scraped and wiped down these areas to prepare them to be repainted. We then got to paint one portion of the side wall to create an accent wall by painting it green! It was exciting to know that one day there will children here who are able to enjoy this someday.

Later in the day we went to the Elim ministry that is just outside of the garbage dump. When we got there, we played with the children there as we gave them some Frisbees that they got to toss around. We even got a quick football (soccer) game going too! After singing and a skit by the Port Charlotte team about the Good Samaritan we split up into our separate classrooms where they did a craft learning about how Jesus can fix any broken heart. Afterwards we had some free time where we got to visit the Mom’s ministry that goes on simultaneously and we got to support them by purchasing some handmade purses and bags. It was sad to see all these children that seemed to be so less fortunate in such an environment where they own next to nothing. However, there is so much joy in that place. It is truly amazing to see. The simplest things can keep these children entertained and happy. They are so happy to just see these “Gringos” (foreigners) show an interest and that we want to actually play with them.

In the evening after we got back to the Alberque, we got the opportunity to support Brenda and Christine’s ministry with the work that they do with the local girls as they had baked chocolate earlier in the day. They had chocolate covered peanuts, raisins, and manjar (caramel flavoured) treats for $1 (USD). It was awesome to see their excited faces every time one of us came up and asked to purchase one! They were absolutely adorable.

Sunday is the day where we go to church and get to spend some relaxation time at Huanchaco. Church was spent at an Alliance church called “America Sur” which was where we had went to on a nightly basis for dinner on our Peru STM trip in 2012. It was awesome to see just how global God’s church reaches out to.

When we got to Huanchaco, we joined Joca’s kids as he took them skim boarding and we got to join them. Afterwards we went around to some of the shops around there and got to do some shopping. For dinner, we were treated to some Chinese food! Peru actually has a very large Chinese population and the food was actually very authentic and tasted just like home. It was great to just relax and rejuvenate our bodies and minds from the things that we have done and seen.

God has been so obviously present here that it has been amazing. The work that Inca Link does here is so encouraging to see the impact that it has on all the people here. They run so many different ministries and each one makes such a visible impact on the groups of people that they reach out to. We have been able to all continually grow closer together as a group and also closer to God as he has opened our eyes to so much while we have been here. Please continue to pray for our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being as we still have half our trip to go and that we can keep focused on Him and to fulfill our contracts with Inca Link while we are here:

1. Give 110%
2. Be Here Now!
3. Challenge by Choice
4. Choose Joy
5. Love Covers All.

Love, Orion

Hello everyone again, we apologize for the few and infrequent posts but the days here have been so full of God’s work we have had little spare time. Speaking of time, it has been going by at an incredibly fast pace. We have had an action packed past 3 days and we look forward to sharing our stories with you in person. But for now, here are a few “God Moments” that have truly demonstrated to us God’s master plan and his perfect will.

In the first photo you will meet Juan. A gentleman just over 80, he is the guard and door man at the Inca Link compound. He reminds me so much of so of my patients at the hospital and I love and admire him. His job description really only entails him watching the door and locking/unlocking for us, but he does that and more. Prior to this photo, we had collected all the macheted bushes, roots and twigs into a long pile to burn away. Juan was right in there with us pitching in with his make-shift rake. He posed for a few photos before Jim took this money shot – National Geographic worthy! Gideon (our intern) shared with us how burning away all of the thorns and bushes was a reminder of a Refiner’s Fire. We burned away what was old and harmful, and afterwards there was only good remaining. One day children from the orphanage will play in these fields – such a joyful form of encouragement!

The next few photos are from the Day Care. Inca Link has this day care for sponsored children to attend for the afternoon, usually after school. We have shared lots about the day care with you guys, but some of these photos really show the joy and good work that is being done here. The kids we met and played with were so full of joy and so hungry for the Word. They were enthusiastic and eager to participate and be a part of the lesson we had prepared. The Larson family also had the opportunity to sponsor a sweet little boy and what an emotional experience it was to introduce this boy and his mother to their family. Dave had the opportunity to pray for the boy and his family, and again we hope this was all according to God’s will. We also visited with Kaye and Polly’s sponsor children, and Sean and Braeden had the chance to re-connect with their sponsor kids too!

The next day we went to visit the garbage dump. Trujillo is the 2^nd largest city in Peru and its population is only growing, leading to the garbage dump growing too. It currently stands 3 stories high with garbage, smoke and flies as far as the eye can see. Returning here for my second time was sobering. As time passes and I allow my experiences to sink in, the sadness, despair and discouragement here is almost too much to bear. But God is good, and through a truly amazing “God Moment”, our team has been encouraged. As we were preparing to leave the garbage dump, we realized that our bus was stuck in the garbage. The whole team came out and pushed the bus from behind – nothing. As the wheels spun and it sunk lower into the garbage (imagine when you get stuck in the snowbank and the wheels are turning but you’re just digging yourself in deeper!) we began to feel a little panicky. But God answers prayer, and in the most amazing way. One of the tractor compressors came rumbling by and saw that we were stuck. Earlier we had chatted with these people, gave them fruit and prayer over them. They offered to help us by pushing the bus from behind with the tractor!! When we came into the garbage dump, we thought we were there to help them, but in an amazing “God Moment”, they were the ones who came to our need. Without their help, we were helpless. It was an amazing moment of true partnership, instead of “handing out” as many missions/charities fall into the trap of. After 2 attempts with the tractor, we were still stuck, so a member from the American team gathered us all up, we held hands and openly prayed for God’s help. And truly not even a few minutes later, did the tractor give one final push and our bus was free! This bonus “God Moment” really took the cake – God used this moment to demonstrate His great power to the workers at the garbage dump. We are nothing without Him, even when we ask for help from others it may not be enough. Only God’s Almighty power was enough!

The last photo shows yet another “God Moment” that took place at the Inca Link compound. The young boys in the photo are part of Inca Thakhi (an outdoor activities ministry for at-risk boys and youth) and they are shown here helping us out during an afternoon of construction. We were pouring concrete… and let me tell you, hard and messy work! But these boys helped out in any way possible. They wheeled wheelbarrows, shoveled rocks and sand, filled up our water bottles and were just a joy to be around. One time, a boy took the shovel right out of my hand! What makes this a “God Moment” is the fact that these boys were helping us lay down the concrete of the building that will one day be Inca Thakhi’s home. These boys are building what will one day be their building, what a great image of partnership and ownership! These boys may not have much that they can call their own, but they can one day say that they helped build this building, that they had a hand in this project. And we all know how much more precious things are to us when we can call them our own and take ownership for them.

God’s work has been so evident to us here the past few days and these are only a few stories we wanted to share with you. When we come home in a few days, please ask us for more! We have had such amazing experiences, so many highs and lows, and emotional rides – we are still processing and asking God what He wants us to do about these things. Thank you again for your prayers and thoughts, we ask that you continue to pray for our health and safety, God has been so good to us in both of these areas. Please pray for the ministries that we have shared about today: the day care, garbage dump, and Inca Thakhi. Please also pray for our spiritual and emotional well beings. God has been revealing much here in Peru, so please ask that God give us peace where we need it, but keep us uncomfortable and not okay with some of the things that we have seen and experienced. At the start of this STM, I had prayed that God would break our hearts for what breaks His, please pray that He continues to do this and show us His almighty power and love.

Love, Issy

On July 4 of 2014 our Peru team from Canada and the Peru team from USA went down to the garbage dump where we gave fruit to the workers as they picked out recyclables to sell to the government. It was insane and my first thought was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe that people actually lived in the dump. It was about 3 stories high just filled with garbage which they spent their time searching through and burning the layers that they already searched. Another thing that really caught me and a thing that I noticed very quickly was the smell. It was extremely strong and hard to breath even just for a couple of hours. But to think that these adults and even some children like my age were in those conditions day in and day out.

At the end of the trip to the dump, when we were all about to leave and we were all loaded on the bus, the bus wouldn’t budge. Yes, we were stuck. And so we all got out of the bus and tried to push the bus out, we rocked the bus, just simply tried flooring it and even the workers in the garbage dump helped us. They had an enormous Caterpillar tractor and they tried to help us with that. So after all this, and all this trying by ourselves we realized that we couldn’t do anything. And so we prayed and laid our burdens at His feet and we asked Him to help us and we put our trust in Him. And so after praying the very next time that we tried to push the bus out…It worked. And we were on our way. It was all because of God and His great power. And this was such a God moment and it was just great to see what God can do and to see it firsthand.

Anyways, I’m having a great time here in Peru. And will definitely have many, many great memories and great experiences to remember.

Samuel Larson