Tuesday, July 14, 2009 (Day 4):
Today we flew to Cusco. We got up really early and headed out to the airport. During the flight, you could look out the window and see the Andes Mountains which was stunning. I'm honestly a little shocked that the mountains aren't plush and green. They are very dry and brown. However, they have a unique beauty. In the Cusco airport, there are little mariachi style singers that sing at the baggage claim area and there is a man outside hunting you down to take pictures as you arrive. Kelli, our leader, told us that the man would find us and we asked her how. She said, "Just wait, he'll be at our hotel." Once we got to our hotel, we went up to our rooms to rest. The altitude is over 11,000 feet above sea level. This altitude was quite a drastic change for this west Texas girl that is used to flat land. We all discussed how Cusco is over two times higher in altitude than Denver, Colorado. I was thankful for the forced rest! It gave us a chance to take a nap and get used to the altitude. After lunch, as we were leaving, a little man found us and showed us the pictures that were taken as we arrived at the airport. A little freaky if you ask me. The pictures were pasted to a postcard. I did buy one because it was too freaky/funny not to. Then we went to a boys home. Most of the boys were sick in bed with the flu. We looked in at them and said hello. Some of the boys were definitely ready to get out of bed and play. As we were touring the home, we went into the workshop where the boys were making a quilt. It was amazing to watch them work. (See picture above) We were able to play with about 10 of the boys. We played tag, red light/green light and red rover.
The boys loved it!! It was so fun to watch their faces light up. Lifes simplest things make them happy. If only children in America would find pleasure in the simple things rather than tv and video games. The home is a government run home and was very clean and nice. The kids were very well behaved and I could tell the women that run the orphanage really care for the kids. We all wish we could go back and visit. After the orphanage, we went to the Circuito Religioso Cusco Basilica Cathedral. The detail on the inside was amazing! It was somewhat over the top, but still very unique. There was a lot of gold leaf and porcelin dolls. The Cathedral was a mixture of Catholic and Incan flare. We did see a painting of "The Last Supper" with a guinea pig as the meal. Guinea pig is the delicacy here. A little strange if you ask me, but the locals love it.
The sun was out in Cusco and it was awesome!!! I'm glad we are going to get to see the sun for a few days!
P.S. I sneezed at the airport in Lima and I thought one of the workers was going to have a cow. He would not stop talking about it. All the workers at the airport wear masks because they think all the Americans are bringing in the swine flu.
God Bless!
Dawn
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 (Day 5):
Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord; he heard me and delivered me from my fears." This was the verse I pulled out of Sarah's verse grab bag she made me!
Being down in Peru has brought me completely out of my comfort zone. Sure, Uganda brought me out, but I was also surrounded by my church family. This however, I went into it not knowing anyone. All the girls have been great. I also had a week between the two trips. I have been a little homesick, but I think days like today will help me in that department. We went to a girls home. When we got there, the girls performed traditional Incan/Peruvian dances. It was really neat to watch. We were also treated like queens. They had a special table set up for us to watch the show and they brought us drinks and cake. The costumes were amazing. They were very detailed. The girls did a great job on their dances.
After they danced, they pulled us out to dance with them. Honestly, I enjoyed the dancing, but it really wore me out! Then Julie, our wonderful translator, began telling the story of Esther. The girls were very interested. They wanted Julie to finish the story, but they are going to have to wait. We then split into two groups, crafts and games. I helped with the crafts. The girls made a Scripture decoration and bookmarks. They loved the glitter glue! The older girls did an amazing job with their crafts. They were very detailed. After lunch, we had to cram into a taxi again, which was very entertaining. We usually have a bus just for us, but the tour guide and driver had to go somewhere. The poor driver was only on his third day of work and he got lost. He pulled over to ask for directions and then a cop pulled up. Fortunately, the cop let him go. We finally made it back to the orphanage and sat down for a question/answer session with the girls. They were a little disappointed when they found out none of us had boyfriends. They asked us why and we laughed. I think they girls are a little confused by my name. They say it like "Don" instead of "Dawn." It's like they look at me and think, that's not a boy. They asked me if I liked some kind of Peruvian dance music where the male and female apparently dance really close together. I told them, "no." I really had no clue what they were talking about. They then asked my age and what I studied in school. After the session, we went outside to play. I get a little frustrated with the language barrier. I try so hard with my Spanish, but my high school level of Spanish doesn't really cut it. Plus the fact that it has been ten years since I even took a Spanish class doesn't help at all. It makes me feel less connected to the girls. I know that is a way in which Satan is attacking me and trying to bring me down. He is trying to discourage me and keep me from sharing God's love with these precious children. I was encouraged when one little girl latched onto me. We swang on the swings, went down the slide (which was a little tight on my hips, but I made it), played on the Merry-go-round, teeter-totter, played and hung upside down on the monkey bars and we chased each other around. It was so great watching the girls play and seeing their faces. They had even made a sign for us that said our presence made them happy. Later we joined Meredith and her little friend and played the little hand games that have songs. Meredith and I really didn't know what was going on or being said, but we went along with it. Then the girls wanted to tell stories. My little friend (I don't know her name :( ) told a really long winded story about a rat, old man, and wolf. It didn't make much sense, but was entertaining to say the least. The little girl wants me to find her when we go back on Friday. All of that made me feel so much better. After we showered, we went to dinner at the restaurant
that has people dancing the traditional Peruvian dances while you eat. They also have a flag of the country you are from in the middle of the table. The dancers were dressed in really fancy costumes. The last dance involved people in masks. One of
them tapped me on the shoulder and scared me so bad. After they danced, they scary masked people went around to all of the tables. Our whole group had an individual picture taken with the masked man. It was an entertaining dinner. Even though I had my ups and downs, today ended very well. God is good!Thank you for all of your prayers! They are definitely felt!
Chow,
Dawn
Thursday, July 16, 2009 (Day 6):
Today was a lesson in history. We went to Macchu Picchu and it was amazing! Kind of cool that I get to say that I've seen one of the seven world wonders. The Incans were great engineers. They knew the mountains and how to best build on them. They chose the sight of Macchu Picchu because they would be closer to their gods. Macchu Picchu is between the Amazon and the Andes. It was a location where the Incans felt they could hide from the Spanish. Their city had a high class area and low class area. The homes basically looked the same. The Incans built larger terraces for crops, little smaller for gardens and the narrow terraces for the prevention of erosion. They had several "temples" in which they worshiped/honored their gods (sun, moon, earth). The Incans actually destroyed a trail from the temple to Macchu Picchu so the Spanish would not find them. Our guide did tell us that the Incans realized there was a bigger god than their sun and moon god. I don't know if they realized the bigger god is the God we Christians worship or not. I'm thankful that I serve a God that I don't have to sacrifice humans or animals for. Apparently the Incans sacrificed the prettiest girls. All of us girls said that we hoped we wouldn't be the prettiest. Ha! It was amazing to see structurs that were built in the 1400s still standing after the wear and tear of the elements. The Incans used the rock of the mountain in thier structures and they knew exactly how much of the rock to cut away for doorways and such. These structures have withstood two major earthquakes. I loved learning about a new civilization and
their culture. I remember hearing about the Incans as a kid, but not what I learned today.We took a train to and from Macchu Picchu. I was thankful that I stayed awake for most of the train ride this morning. Got to see some beautiful landscape. As we got closer to Macchu Picchu, you could tell the vegetation was becoming more tropical. Macchu Picchu is in a semi-tropical area. Along the way, we rode alongside a tributary to the Amazon River. I saw snow capped mountains in the distance. (According to our little Incan guide, those are glaciers) The Andes that surround Cusco have no snow. On the farmland, the natives were using two bulls to pull a plow. I'm really glad I got to see this part of Peru. The plush green mountains are what I honestly thought all of Peru looked like.
Todays verse from Sarah's grab bag: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139: 23-24
Again, so fitting for me right now. I left Midland a week ago and I have three weeks left in Peru. I'm a little homesick and I know some of my anxious thoughts are coming from Satan trying to pull me down. I need to just sit back and watch the Lord work. I need to love on these kids while sharing the love and hope of Christ.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. It is very much appreciated!!
Blessings,
Dawn
Friday, July 17, 2009 (Day 7):
Today we went back to the girls home. As soon as we got there, my little friend found me and ran up and hugged me! I still feel bad because I still don't know her name at this point! Julie captured the girls attention with her second edition of the story of Esther. I gave my testimony and Julie was a wonderful translator. She got the girls involved by asking them questions as we went along. It reminded me of being in Uganda when the translators would say a lot more than you said. After story time, the girls split up into two groups, crafts and games. I worked on the crafts with the girls. We had the girls put name tags on which was great for me because I finally found out the name of my little friend, Yanet. The girls made Bible verse sheets and put beads on earrings. They loved the beads! After lunch, we played volleyball with the girls. They wanted a Peruvian team against an American team. We played two full games, (1-1). I could tell that the girls were having so much fun!
At some point while we were outside, there was a little uproar from the girls and when we turned around, a cow was chasing Emily and then it started coming after some of us. It was a little scary, but have no fear, the little girls chased it off with a whip!
Sadly, we had to leave a little early to go "sight-seeing." We went to and Incan temple with the stones still standing from the 1400s. Our tour guide, same as the one from Macchu Picchu, really liked to emphasize how the structurs were still standing and had withstood 2 major earthquakes. She also liked to tell us how smart the Incans were. This temple was where they worshiped their sun and moon gods and other minor gods. Then we went to another Incan temple, Saqsaywaman which was more Incan ruins. There were three levels for the three levels of life. They didn't
believe in heaven, hell or an after life. They just had three different stages of life. From there, we could see the famous Jesus statue with his arms stretched out. Then we went to another place where the Incan water tower was and apparently the fresh water that runs through there has been the same since the Incans were here.I did notice some Christian influence with the Jesus statue and a crucifixion on the wall of the old Incan temple. It made me wonder how the Incans worshiped all their "gods" and Jesus Christ. Especially when the Bible states, "You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3.
When I asked someone about it, they said it was probably the Spanish influence when they came in. Even though it was cool to learn about a different culture, I had a hard time with the fact that they worshiped so many gods and they believed the sun and moon were married.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "Therefore, we do not lose heart...we are being renewed day by day...for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Verse of the day fit right in with our devotional tonight. This whole week, we have been discussing hope and how we can bring the hope of the Lord to these kids. The Lord is our anchor. He is an ever present help in time of need.
Psalm 46:1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
These two Psalms passages are what we discussed tonight. I'm thankful the Lord does not keep record of my sins and I'm thankful that my hope can be found in the Lord. I hope and pray that these girls that we have been with this week will find their hope and strength in the Lord. I pray they will feel the love of Christ and see the love of Christ in our actions.
Thanks for your prayers!
In Christ,
Dawn
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