After numerous mission trips to Peru, I still get excited! We will be off in a few hours and I just can't wait! I've had tons of calls this morning from friends letting us know they are praying for us as well as from the missionaries.

Even as I write, my brain is trying to create a new game for the missionaries, because they are going to drive me crazy with the donkeys!

On my very first trip to Peru, I noticed that in the entire trip I only saw one donkey..in 10 days. How Un-Latin is that??? Having grown up in South Texas, I remember my parents crossing the border to go to Mexico to buy tortillas and haircuts for my brothers. One of the most common sites was the men pulling water wagons with donkeys. So in my mind, and in the mind of most Americans, I associate donkeys with Latin America. So one donkey in 10 days was just strange.

So in orienting the next mission team, I made mention that there were no donkeys in Peru. Of course, the team sought out to prove me wrong. I told them if I didn't see it and they didn't get a picture it didn't count. So after 10 days in Peru, 18 missionaries working together, we only sited 3 donkeys and only got 1 in a picture!

So far, the La Selva 2008 team is way ahead of everyone. They spotted 6 donkeys in 10 days and took pictures of 2.

Of course, that was in La Selva. When we went to Cuzco in December, Todd and I saw donkeys EVERYWHERE! Long hair donkeys wandering in the street, tied to posts, in pens. They were everywhere! So I guess it won't take the team long to get me to admit that there are donkeys in Peru!

It feels like only yesterday, I was packing a suitcase to head off to La Selva Central del Peru (translation = the central wilds of Peru). That trip was incredible! The team was amazing!

We were able to minister in the native communities of Tsirari, Teoria and Cubantia, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Nomatsiguenga and the Ashaninka people as well. We ministered to the children about Jesus and hygiene through puppet shows, fed a hungry village, provided anti-parasitics, food, clothing and shoes and baptized new believers (see the picture above on the left) We also participated in a major medical campaign in the town Pichanaki where we saw almost 1100 people in a day.

I can not write long as once again, I am packing my suitcase and getting ready to head off to another mission trip to Peru. This time, however, we will be taking another team into different territory. We will be headed to la sierras del Peru (the mountains of Peru) in the area of Cusco.

This will be our first team endeavor into the Andes. While we will spend some time in Cusco and visit Macchu Picchu (who could go to the area and not go there???) our main focus is to go once again to the areas where other's can't or won't go.

We will be at high elevations (at above 12000 feet from sea level) and in remote villages. Although the distances are not far, it takes a long time to get there because the roads are steep and treacherous with hairpin turns. Truly to areas of Peru where even Peruvians don' t go.

A couple of weeks before we took off for the jungle area, the team got to spend some time in Lima. Some of us went to a beauty shop...who says we can't look cute on the mission field... and as we talked about where we would be ministering, several of the people in the beauty shop commented on our bravery for going to areas they would not go. In all honesty, it is not bravery that compels us to go, but a love for our Lord, Jesus Christ that we choose to exhibit through obedience for the great commission. For me, it is also a form of anticipation.. serving God is an exciting and wonderful thing! Through Him, I have had the most wonderful experiences, I have had terrific adventures and met the most amazing people!

I am looking forward to this mission trip, knowing that it will be memorable! We will be in Limatambo, Chonta(see the picture above on right), Chinchero, Urubamba, serving next to other men and women of God stationed in Peru. Pray for us!

Rose Faz
Co-Founder, Tower of Hope Ministries.

Labels: Mission trips to Peru

We are so excited and thankful to God to send a group of missionaries to "la selva" (the jungle) in Peru! This marks the third trip for the ministry to that area and most certainly not the last one.

The team is headed by our ministry leaders: Pastor Todd Hull and Rose Faz. However this mission trip is such a special one, as Rose mentioned. We are blessed with such a excellent team of missionaries with such a heart to serve and share the message of Christ. We are so honored to be joined by:

LeNetta Freeman,
Pollette Holcombe,
Yajaira Mejia,
Karen Reeves,
Sean Han,
Susana Rosas,
Lya Jurado,
David & Lisa Monsivais,
Wynesha McDowell.


Each one of them brings such a set of unique talents for the mission trip. And in their obedience to GO, they show their heart and passion for Christ. I can't wait to hear the stories of what God did through them and in them!

I stay behind this time praying for each of them and posting some blogs for you to follow! I send a big HELLO to all the local missionaries in Peru: Pastor Daniel Vargas, Peter, Lizzy, Erika, Veronica, Gamaliel. I'm sure I missed a couple but you know who you are!

We wait eagerly for their posts from the field!

Rigel

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