Let's Go To Kids Camp!

September was a busy month here in Peru.  Bill & Lena Shrader had a team come from their home district of Ohio and together we had a great time of ministry at one of our Latin America ChildCare schools here in Lima and also up north in Catacaos, Peru!  

Rock Church Team with Lena Shrader, me
and Janet - our LACC Assistant

Who remembers going to Kids Camp!?!  Brings back fun memories, doesn't it?!?  Well, this is one kids camp I will never forget... For 3 days we ministered to about 70 kids in 1st - 6th grades! We had such a great time teaching the kids about many great stories in the Bible like: The Parable of the Lost Coin, The Good Samaritan, and The Lost Sheep to name just a few. So, are you ready to go to Kids Camp? 

On your mark!  Get set! Go! 

...Or as we say in Peru... 

¡En sus marcas! ¡Listos! ¡Ya!

Jesus is my Superhero!

Janet, our LACC assistant is very gifted in starting us all off with some fun music & actions to get us ready to hear and obey what God wants to teach us!

The team did a great job with teaching the Bible stories.  We divided the kids up into 2 groups and Lena translated for one group and I translated for the other group.  

We had a powerful time of prayer with the kids and were able to share with them in small groups about matters of guarding your heart and keeping yourself pure and also comforting those who are going through some tough times at home. 

Some of my favorite pics from this year's kids camp...

5th grader from Betel School - Catacaos, Peru
who won a Children's Action Bible at Kids Camp!
Several kids won a Bible and were so excited!

Lena Shrader translating the
Parable of the Lost Sheep

Janet praying with one of the boys

The kids loved having their faces painted!

Missing Peru!

I am really missing my friends, missionary family and all 6 of our Latin America ChildCare schools in Peru.

My budget is 90% raised!  I believe the Lord will provide this last 10% of my monthly pledges and then I will be on my way.

Latin America ChildCare is dedicated to transforming the lives of needy children in Peru with the Good News of Jesus Christ through education and ministries of compassion. 

Do you remember when someone shared Jesus with you?  When you give someone Jesus, you give them Hope!  

This young girl picture to the right - attends Apóstol Pablo School in Ayacucho, Peru – isolated in the Andes Mountains and where guinea pig is a delicacy.  What a privilege it is to pray for the children in our schools and know that they are learning about Jesus every day in the classroom!

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the 

secret place, when I was woven together 

in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me

were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

Pictured above is Lena Shrader (Assembly of God Missionary) and Noemí.  She attends Betel School up north by the Ecuador border.  She was mute for many years, but after she was prayed for, she began to speak! 

Thank you for praying for the children, teachers, families & neighborhoods where our LACC schools are located.

Belén, Iquitos Recovery Update... December 20, 2012 Fire

Thank you to all who have prayed and supported the relief efforts in Belén, Iquitos! When the fire broke out, Assembly of God missionary, Bill Shrader, asked Pastor José what he needed. He said, "Food, shelter and clothing." So the food that is normally used to feed the school children began to daily feed about 500 of the more than 1000 displaced people. Many of these families are sleeping in our Latin America ChildCare School and church. New mattresses were purchased by faithful donors to Latin America ChildCare! 

A local church in Lima where Bill and Lena Shrader attend, helped collect a small mountain of used clothing that was distributed. The main challenge now is the rains have started. The area of Belén is already flooded, so most of the displaced families will not have opportunity to begin the rebuilding process until after the waters recede in April or May. 

To all of you who have given to help the families of Belén Iquitos - Thank You! I will keep you posted on the rebuilding process of this community. The new school year begins in March in all of our Latin America ChildCare schools throughout Peru. Please continue to pray for the children, teachers and pastors - and may the presence of the Lord saturate the country of Peru and bring healing, restoration and a harvest of souls!

"Go and Do the Work of the Lord!"

I am truly grateful for all your love and encouragement over the past fifteen months.  One month before I came back to the U.S. to prepare for my second term in Peru, my mom went to be with the Lord on October 26, 2011 and then my father had a sudden home-going on December 13, 2012.  During my entire time here in the U.S., I have been walking through the grieving process as well as visiting churches and working towards my return to Peru.  Thank you to all who sent plants, flowers, cards and emails. I have felt your prayers during this difficult time. 

My dad, Willie, in front of his
elementary schoolhouse

My sister and I cleaned out mom and dad's house and found some wonderful treasures!  We found old Christmas tree ornaments, poems and songs that dad had written and almost 30 letters from my dad and his siblings to my Uncle Ed when he was in the war.  In one letter, my dad's sister, Sophia, describes the new wheat crop looking like a "warm green blanket".  My dad's brothers were farmers for many years and I remember my dad helping his brothers during the harvest season.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, 
"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  

Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out 
workers into his harvest field." 

Matthew 9:37-38

My mom, Juanita, holding
flowers from my sister and me

My mind often goes back to September 5, 2003… the day I left for the mission field for the first time.  As I hugged my mom goodbye, she looked at me and said, “Go and do the work of the Lord!”  I will never forget her words to me and I continue to be very encouraged by them today.

Thank you to all who have financially partnered with me on a monthly basis. My return to Peru would not be possible without your prayers and support. I plan to return to Peru in May! I can’t wait to get back to Peru and “do the work of the Lord”!  

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, 

for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God 

like a little child will never enter it.”

                                            Mark 10:14-15

Devastating Fire in Iquitos, Peru

Pictured Above is the back side of our Victória de Jesús school in Iquitos. 

1. The Dec. 20, 2012 fire from a propane tank explosion has left our school with smoke and heat damage and no plumbing. The community thought that two children died, but thankfully they were found the next day.  

2. About 1000 people have been displaced and are using our church and school as the relief centers.  Our LACC school is feeding the community with the food from the feeding program and displaced families are staying in the church and school.  

3. The biggest needs are food, a place to sleep/live and clothing.  We do a feeding program at the school, so the members of the church are now using it to feed the community.  There is no gas, water or electricity in the community, so they are cooking the food over the wood scraps from homes.

The rainy season has begun and the area is flooding causing even more hardship. Rebuilding this community will begin in a few months after the waters subside.

Many have asked how they can help...

Donations can be made payable to "Peru ChildCare"

(in check memo write 8481046 Class 46)

Send to:  Assemblies of God World Missions

1445 Boonville Avenue

Springfield, MO 65802

Pictured Below is the Victória de Jesús school during rainy season.  These families live on less than $1/day and have lost their homes and everything that was in them.

 

May the Lord turn their ashes into 

something beautiful that gives Him glory!

¡Feliz Navidad!

When I think about Peru, there are so many things that I miss - speaking spanish, visiting the LACC schools, my missionary family, passion fruit juice, and Lima traffic - well, maybe not the traffic.... I especially miss Peru in December because of the Christmas parties at our schools and seeing all the smiles and happy faces as they open their presents.  Here are a couple of my favorite Christmas party pictures from "Betel" school in Catacaos, Peru.  

Latin America ChildCare is a wonderful ministry that brings HOPE to many children. I am thankful that God has called me to take Jesus to those who need Him!  This Christmas, please remember to pray for the many children in our LACC schools.  Pray that they will have tender hearts to receive God's love and a hunger to follow Him.  Jesus is why we celebrate Christmas!  He came to transform, teach and show compassion to a lost and dying world.  I remember as a little girl when someone shared Jesus with me - it changed my life and gave me HOPE!  What a privilege it is to give that same HOPE that I received many years ago to the children in Peru!  

Merry Christmas to you all, or as we say in Peru, "¡Feliz Navidad!".

Park Ridge Christian School Brings Hope To A Needy Child In Peru!

5th - 8th graders at Park Ridge Christian School in Albemarle, NC

On May 25th I met some really great 5th - 8th graders at Park Ridge Christian School in Albemarle, North Carolina. I shared all about Peru and they were very interested in learning about the country and the ministry of Latin America ChildCare!  They asked me some great questions like, "What is the agriculture in Peru?", "What do the kids do there for fun?", "How do they get to school?" and "What is the difference between Roman Catholicism and Christianity?" After almost an hour of talking about Peru, showing pics and answering questions, one of the teachers, Ms. McDonald, asked them if they would like to use the money from a school fundraiser to sponsor a needy child in Peru to go to school.  It was unanimous. Every child raised their hand! Thank you Park Ridge Christian School for investing in the future of Peru and bringing hope to a child in need!

Ms. Ritchie's 2nd grade class

As I was walking to my car, Ms. Ritchie came to me and asked if I could come and speak to her 2nd grade class.  She explained that after devotions her class decided to give their ice cream money for that day to missions! I walked into the class and was greeted with smiles as Ms. Ritchie told them I was a missionary to Peru.  The kids immediately began asking questions and I shared with them what the Lord was doing in Peru through Latin America ChildCare.  Before I left, we prayed for one another and they gave me a ziploc bag filled with their ice cream money which went toward the first monthly payment to sponsor a needy child in Peru!

"Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, for 
the kingdom of God belongs to people like these." 

Mark 10:14