Friday, 30 September 2011

Catch the Fire in Pucallpa

Astra showing how she loves the young ones no matter where she is.

The traditional dance and dress of the Shipibo women welcoming us.

After the ILSOM conference we went to the jungle with the Catch the Fire team. This was Mark's eighth visit to the jungle, and third to the Shipibo village of Nuevo san Juan where we are supporting the church. We had an amazing time there even though we arrived Sunday night and returned to Lima on the Wednesday morning. Pucallpa's weather welcomed us on Monday as it rained like only happens in tropical climates until about 2-3pm.

Angela, part of our church leadership, being the joker that she is.

Following the rain the blessings began. Our intern Haseena, who is a doctor, when not in Peru was able to visit some of the houses in the village.

Haseena with a small proportion of the kids in the village.

We also had a few of the team praying for the people who received medical attention. In this first house we saw our first healing, as the founding pastor's wife, who was partially deaf in one ear, and completely deaf in the other was able to hear better than some of the Catch the Fire team who were testing that this lady wasn't just trying to make us feel better, and was really supernaturally healed. God is good.
Praying for the church members and visitors, just before we left.

We also were able to give out 6 suitcases of donations that the team had brought with them, shoes, clothes, toys, and toiletries. This took nearly 2 hours to finish doing, and again was a real blessing to me, seeing kids without shoes, having shoes for the first time.

Tuesday was also an amazing day of blessing, as we were able to serve food to the whole village. Over 450 people were present. Some people had a stable meal for that day. Also we saw over 250 people when we set up our makeshift medical clinic. Photos to follow.
We also finished with an amazing church service with over 200 people present and many recommitting their lives to God and the church. We also got to pray for every person in the church.

I am already awaiting my 9th visit which are going to do just after Christmas.
It is such a blessing to work with people who are so hungry and needy.

Thursday, 29 September 2011

Catch the Fire Visit


CATCH THE FIRE VISIT SEPT 2011



Left to right: Capucine, Alexandra, John, Debbie, Astra and Rosa (missing Robert and Daniel)

We have had the blessing of a short term team led by our friends John and Alexandra Tanyan, pastors of the catch the fire church, Ajax. A team of 8 people came for 3 reasons; to do an ILSOM, an international school of ministry, to bless our church in Pacifico, and to do outreach in the church we work with in the jungle.

Astra from the CTF team with Tiago from Pacifico.

The team arrived Saturday night and Sunday morning the team recovered from culture shock and ministered in Pacifico.

John and Alexandra our friends, leaders of the team, and the pastors of Catch the Fire Ajax

One of the main reasons they came however was to minister at the ILSOM, a week long intensive pastor and leaders school, where leaders are ministered to, and helped to deal with life's hurts, and then leave better equipped for ministry.

Students from the school; from Chiclayo, Pucallpa, and Lima.

Mark was head coordinator and he managed to gather pastors and leaders from several churches in Lima, 2 churches in Pucallpa, and a church from Chiclayo, a northern desert city.
Capucine talking about father types and Mark translating.

The week was an amazing success and everyone was blessed by them and God, and we look forward to the possibility of them coming again in future years.

Thursday, 8 September 2011

Kids Party

The conga line.

Every 3rd Sunday in August we have ´el dia del niƱo´or child day. This is a day when the Peruvians celebrate children.
Nicole as sweet as ever
Sharro our god-daughter painting Karina´s face.

We therefore decided to have a party for the kids and celbrated in style, and without their parents. No child cried the whole time!!
The old favourite!!
Angela won, and her sister Karina cried foull. Sibling rivalry!!
Daniel, Priscilla with Jefferson, and Rosa with Tiago.
Sebastian with adopted uncle Oscar
Haseena, our intern doing ring a ring a roses.

We had fun, played games, filled them with lots of sweets and other junk, and let kids do what they do best, be kids and have fun.
Jefferson seemed to enjoy the chocolate.