One Is Worth More Than All

One of the last recesses of the year

2012-01-02T12:39:00.004-06:00

Memoir Trip Home, December 2011

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I have seen God's goodness shown in so many ways and through so many friends during this long trip home. These are just some of the ways God showed me his kindness during my long trip. A little background: We safely made it to the airport on time after getting lost several times because our driver did not know the way. Unbeknownst to me my Peruvian residency had expired. I was not allowed to leave the country on my Dec. 21, 12:05am flight...... 1. Amber Griffin went to bat for me and tried to convince the immigration official to let me out of the country. 2. Tammy Holdren called my immigrations consultant, Mr. Voysest, who then called me and gave me advice. 3. Amber called Mr. Surrett (interim director, LMCS) who called two different times to make sure all was well; she called Sue Ellen who called and comforted me; and she called me the next day to how I was doing. 4. Sarah Hodupp texted me to encourage me while I was trying to find a solution to my flight in the Lima airport. 5. After trying to no avail to pass through immigrations to get on my flight. I went back to the check in counter at Continental. All of the counters (including other airlines) were closed, but one. There was only ONE Continental lady left! She was very nice, and reserved a flight for me for the next day. 6. Nicole Dickson had called Maranda and Vicky who had already left the airport. Maranda, Vicky, Hadon, and Heidi turned around and came back to the airport, waited with me for several hours until I got my luggage back, and accompanied me all the way home to La Molina again; we arrived at approx. 2:30am. 7. Oh and, while at the airport, we had waited longer than the lady had said for my luggage to arrive. So, Vicky and I went to get help. There was one man in the office who said our luggage must be where the lady had indicated, but another man came up behind him and told us he would help us. He led us straight to my luggage. 8. Next day, Claudia helped me get a taxi to immigrations in Lima and a taxi to the airport again, and she confirmed my flight. 9. Maranda made me breakfast. Vicky gave me estofado de pollo for supper later that day. Vicky, Maranda, Heidi Robbins, and Monica helped me find my lost taxi when I was stuck in immigrations in downtown Lima. 10. I had a great witnessing opportunity with the taxi man on the way to immigrations. 11. Claudia helped me get a taxi to immigrations in Lima and a taxi to the airport again, and she confirmed my flight. 12. Mr. Voysest got all of my paperwork in order, but the person in the department of justice who needed to sign my papers was on vacation. However, the director of the department of justice came down and signed it for us! 13. My friends Daniel and Heather DeLand checked their documents because of what happened to me. Their documents were also expired, and they were leaving that same day for the States. By the time they got to immigrations it was already closed for the day. Mr. Voysest went to the back door and pleaded for help. The lady said no, then she changed her mind, and she legalized their documents. 14. Heidi Robbins encouraged me and hung out with me for a little while on Wednesday. 15. God protected me when my taxi driver almost got into a fight with a very angry pedestrian at the airport during my second attempt to leave Lima. The pedestrian man hit our taxi several times with his hands/fists and tried to open my driver's door to fight him. 15. My second flight out of Lima (Dec. 22, 12:05am) was cancelled because of airplane maintanence. The same lady who helped me the night before was there, and she did not charge me the $300 they were supposed to for changing my ticket from the day before. She put me on a flight to Newark->Cleveland->Greenville. 16. My flight to Cleveland out of Newark was delayed over an hour so I missed my connecting flight to Greenville from Cleveland. The airport lady in Cleveland was extremely nice (her niece is married to a Peruvian). She put me on flight to Charlotte->Greenville for the next morning and gave me a hotel voucher for an upscale hotel and food vouchers. 17. The hotel shuttle took me to the hotel. I learned how to use the fancy elevator. (If you´re ever in one of those, you have to slide your room key in the elevator panel to make it work...just a hint ;) I got to order room service! The food was good, and I slept like a rock on the plush bed. After a hot shower before bed and another one in the morning, I was ready to go! 18. Got to use Continental's free phone to call my fam in Cleveland, free Wi-fi in the hotel, free Wi-fi in Cleveland airport, free Wi-fi in Charlotte. 19. Met a Christian on the plane to Charlotte. 20. Missed my 10:27am flight to Greenville because my flight out of Cleveland was late. Someone had left 4 quarters in the pay phone so I could call my dad in Charlottle to let him know. (I don't have a state-side cell phone.) 21. Praise the Lord there was another flight to Greenville at 1:10pm! On that 20 min. flight I had a good conversation with my seat partner. 22. My sister, brother-in-law, my new foster niece, and my dad met me at the airport! 23. One suitcase made it; the other one was delivered to my house the next day! 24. My missionary friends prayed all the way home and hundreds of people had been PRAYING for me and writing encouraging messages on facebook! Now after reading all of this, you must agree with me that God is good!

My Blog

2012-01-02T12:02:00.003-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I must apologize for not keeping up with my blog. Besides being busy, the reason I have not posted my updates is because many of my students are online a lot of the time. My updates have been name-specific, and I want to be able to ask for your specific prayers without "the whole world" knowing. Another reason is because most of my family and friends are already on Facebook, so they are able to see most of what is happening here. If you would like to receive my quarterly updates by e-mail or postal mail, please e-mail me at emilyslmcs@gmail.com . Please specify if you would like to receive my update by e-mail or postal mail.

Sincerely,
Emily Snodgrass

Some recent memories February-May 2011

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Visiting with my student's family

Fun making cookies!

We cleaned up a lot after mother's day!

Lots of the fifth grade moms. Happy Mother's Day!

The servers. :)

The boys having a great time

Ninja!

Making sugar cookies

Playing board games with Miss Kimball

Miss Ramos with the girls

6th grade girls' retreat!

Vacation Bible School 2011

Although I wasn't able to be a big part of "EDBD" because of my school responsibilities, it was a blessing to get in on a little bit of it!

Chinchil mission trip

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August/September Pictures

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Playing "conejos a sus conejitos" ("the rabbits and bunnies game")

Vicky directing games at Rob's going-away party

Youth singing

Some of the young people, Diego, Daniel, Glin, and Grace

Ishmael is one of the cutest kids at church (in my opinion ;)

Getting ready to teach the verse in Sunday school

Becky teaching

Jessie (a college student in a mission program called "Arriba"), Elisabet, and Adriana teaching Sunday school

Waiting for Sunday school to start

Karina's Wedding

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Jhonny and Karina

Smile, please!

Boy and brother of the bride (Ulises) playing

Bride and father of the bride

Delsi, me, Celia singing "Be Thou My Vision"

Practicing before the service.

Tarapoto trip

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Cute, cheap manicure at the end of our trip!

Cocoa beans drying in the sun. The chocolate made here is delicious!

A red walking stick. :)

Ants hard at work. The really big ones with the tan heads were herding the little ones and wouldn't let them get out of line.

Beautiful jungle

Relaxing for a moment in a hammock by a jungle lake

The boy taking us out in the boat took advantage of an opportunity to buy some fish....Talapia... They weren't supposed to be catching those fish or buying them; he told us that himself. Evidently they are trying to re-stock the lake. So much for that rule!

This is a jump the Peruvian military uses in training.

The river (in the back of the picture) and the road we drove on (in the front part of the picture)

This was the raft that would take our car to the other side. These men with machine guns got off of the raft and walked around as if they were afraid someone was after them. It was a little scary...

BEAUTIFUL blue and green!

I'm in the dark green shirt behind the water fall. Can you see me?

Our shower...no, no hot water.

Our hotel room, $5 a night....yes, if you slept here you would understand why. :)

Jungle fish and jungle food in general is delicious!!! This was a fish called paiche. It is a huge freshwater fish.

The water was so cold. We are standing on the rock, but you had to swim to this spot because it is very deep right in front of us.

We rode in the back of a truck most of our time in the jungle.

Our hotel lobby.

In the plane at the beginning.

Peru en Mis Manos

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Telling the story of the Wordless Book

Singing "El amor de Dios es maravilloso"

(The love of God is marvellous.)

The last of the centers we visited

San Juan de Lurigancho

Marcelo sharing the gospel

A little skit

Singing about the love of God

The little ones listening intently

Singing "Yo tengo un amigo que me ama; su nombre es Jesus"

(I have a friend who loves me; his name is Jesus)

Ready to go and waiting...our bus was more than an hour late.

On July 16 La Molina Christian Schools partnered with over 20 churches to go out into Lima and share the gospel with approximately 2,000 people. About 320 of us, including students, staff, and parents, went out that day, and each person we ministered to receieved a gift and a New Testament.

I had the privilege of going with 8 of my 5th graders and our administrative secretary, Claudia Sommerkamp, to a district of Lima called San Juan de Lurigancho. San Juan de Lurigancho is home to 1.2 million very poor people. We visited three different "aldeas infantiles" or government run pre-schools.

The new church building!

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This is the picture from THIS YEAR with the new building built. God provides!

We still have a lot to do in this new building, but we are able to meet here now. We also have to pay off the loan we borrowed in order to finish the building.

This is a picture of from LAST YEAR before the new building was built.

We sold the metal from the old building very cheaply. This lady was a visitor today and brother Timoteo (Timothy) is helping her load up a mototaxi so she can take the metal home.

These boys wanted me to take their picture.

The baptistry! No more going to the dirty river or borrowing a church or pool. :)

Elisabet, Julian, and Johana at the piano playing around after church.

I stuck my hand with my camera out of the top where the third floor is to see if I could get a picture and this is what came out.

Delsi and Celia waving to me from the street.

View from the second floor. That steeple is on a very large Catholic church.

Second floor: Our Sunday school classroom! There are two other classrooms this size,

one on each side of this one. We will divide the three classrooms into 5 or 6 later. There will also be a small kitchen and 2 bathrooms on this floor.

The second and third floor, the third floor is covered with a door so the children will not go up. It is completely flat on top. Someday the third floor will be the house of the national pastor.

The street down from our church

The street up from our church

The street in front of the church

The view from right inside the door

The ladies deciding what to bring to the special service tonight.

Oso (Ulysses's dog): the ever faithful attender

Our little bulletin board with our Bible reading chart to encourage the people to read.

Adriana and I

Elisabet and I

The church with Pastor Carlton in the middle

Salvation praise!

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I am very excited to share with you something that happened several Sundays ago. A girl named Yulisa, who I met last year, came to Sunday school for the first time in a year or more. Afterwards she came to me and asked me who she could talk to about giving her life to Christ. I told her that she was welcome to talk to me, so we sat down, and she told me that she wanted to ask the Lord to save her. I wanted to make sure she understood, so I went over several verses in Romans with her, and she told me again that yes, she wanted to giver her life to Christ. She asked me how she should pray, and I explained to her that she should just talk to God because He was there and was listening. She agreed, and at that moment she asked the Lord to save her. I was so excited, and it happened so fast that I don't remember clearly her specific words! I delayed in sharing this good news with you because I wanted to be sure that she was sincere. Of course, I don't know her heart and even now cannot tell you her true spiritual state, but I can say that she has been very interested in the Word of God, has come to Sunday school every Sunday since that day, and Saturday night she also came to youth group. I believe that she was ready when she came to talk to me; God was drawing her to Him. I have since learned that the seed of the gospel has been watered in her life for a good amount of time because she has been going to a Bible club in a nearby school on Saturdays. I have also since learned that this Bible club is led by a sister in Christ from the Vida Nueva Church that our school's (LMCS) director and many other teachers attend. I invite you to join me in praising the Lord for His saving grace and in praying for Yulisa. Please pray for her spiritual growth and faithful attendance at church. I have attached a picture of Yulisa with me and a girl named Marilyn. Marilyn claims to be a Christian, but I'm not sure she understands completely. Yulisa is the girl on the right with glasses.

School supplies provided!

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Thank you!

"Look at these neatly covered books!" (The roll of plastic in Nicolas's hand is the plastic that I used to cover these books and other books for school.)

The little white thing on the carpet under the shelf is the transformer that I needed for our pencil sharpener.

"We LOVE the reading corner!"

Thank you! I needed some plastic containers for my stuff! The moisture in the air here really makes things go bad quickly. (All of the plastic containers on the lower shelves were brought by the students. Each student has their art supplies in a container.)

Happy to be organized!

The zip-lock bags and largest plastic container are used to organize the students' school supplies. They get these supplies when the supplies in their pencil bags run out.

Instead of two cushions, I found this mini-sofa.
The students love to go here to read.

World Missions

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Adopt a missionary!

I invite you to join us in praying for The Nelson family in France and the Bjur family in Chile.

This is the World Missions bulletin board in our classroom.

The Bjur children

The Nelson family

More pictures (February and March 2010)

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After the Parent Orientation Meeting (Can you tell it is after?) We are relieved!

My fifth grade girls and I on Sports Day!

Playing basketball the Friday before the first day of classes.

Manchay

Young ladies from my church: Delsi and Celia

Update on church construction

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You will hardly believe your eyes to see how far the construction has progressed!

To see more pictures go to http://carltons-peru.blogspot.com

March 2010

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This is the almost finished decoration for Friday night (in the middle of painting).

Getting ready for the Friday night evangelistic service.

Alejandra and Josefina are good cooks!

Finally, a picture with Johana! (She usually hides her face and doesn't let me.)

Easter weekend with ladies and girls from church!

These are some of my fifth-graders during pack-up at the end of the day!

Construction Update from El Manantial

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Here are some pictures from our church's construction in Manchay: http://carltons-peru.blogspot.com/

Quick re-cap Oct.-Dec

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to be continued . . .

Daniela and I

Maria Fernanda and I

6th grade boys at their banquet

6th grade girls at their banquet.

Saying good-bye to Sara. She moved to Switzerland.

A song about the love of God

Other churches also did music. Incredible 4-part harmony from these men!

So...that Saturday a few of us from church decided to go over an hour away by bus to hear them.

And Reba came with them!!!

The Steve Petit team came to LMCS!

Kelly and Moises with their little girl!

My student, Geraldine, and I at the reception.

The black and white clan...we didn't do it on purpose!

My student, Valeria, and I at the reception.

Celia, Delsi, Josefina, and Selene came to the wedding too!

We had lots of visitors for Thanksgiving because it was the day before Christina's wedding.

Heather and Sue Ellen

Thanksgiving at our house. Mrs. Pace telling about the first Thanksgiving

6th grade girls at recess (Daniela, Daniela, Maria, Ale)

5th grade girls at recess (Valeria, Annel, Raquel)

Elizabeth and I

Bible study in Manchay

September activities and crazyness

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Vamos naranja! We came in last place, but we had LOTS of spirit!

Bible club at the Oasis

The girls put together the bulletin board!

El Oasis

Friday morning before going out into our community with the gospel of Christ and a helping hand.

All of the hygiene products that were collected!

Preparing for our visit to "El Oasis" in Manchay.

Getting the medals ready for the winners of competitions.

We've been collecting shampoo, bar soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deoderant for a boy's home in Kawai

The girls practicing marching.

This week was the week we celebrated the 13th anniversary of LMCS. We had games and competitions all week long!

Each green brick on the banner represents 35 soles (about $12). When we started saving for our church's construction, the bottom two rows were the only ones filled for quite a while. In this picture we are in the building we are renting while we are waiting for funds to begin our own construction again.

Emil cutting up aji pepper

Miss Griffin (white hoodie) has the interesting challenge of being the homeroom teacher for 10 16-17 high school boys. She invited them over to cook and then eat supper.

The last couple of months (in pictures)

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Wonderful friends Celia and Vicky from my church.

My mom came to see me in July!!!

I got to see Eileen Scully who was here for a mission trip. I hadn't seen her for years, and she showed up at the door of my church in Peru unexpectedly!

Some ARRIBA teachers taught about the Jewish Passover with church members acting it out. :)

Manchay, a view from up high.

Spending the day before my birthday with Alejandra, Erica, Fiorrela, and Josefina.

Our good friend Jessie came to visit!

Just arrived at school. It is about 7am.

Random school shots...this one is of the teacher work room.

Fellow teachers Vicky and Kathy.

A fellow missionary Annette got married!

A game we played at a mini-retreat for school staff

The lethal dose of morphine in order to have a specimen for dissecting....

My student before giving her presentation on jellyfish.

Here is the latest news from Lima, Peru

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Mr. Carlton did the work of uploading all the pictures, so I'll send you to look there!
http://carltons-peru.blogspot.com/

May Update

2009-05-30T22:43:00.003-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,

It is hard to believe the first quarter of classes is already over. So much has happened in such a short amount of time! The weather is starting to cool off here in Lima, and I have started to use my “winter wardrobe.” This quarter was unlike any I’ve had at LMCS so far. Being the homeroom teacher and using a new and different Science curriculum has given me challenges and opportunities I didn’t have before. I have had a lot of contact with parents of students so far this year. There have been some difficult circumstances, but some closed doors may be opening. I ask that you pray earnestly for my students and their families, that I would have an open door of ministry with the mothers and children. Every one of my students has specific needs. It is such a joy to be involved in the lives of these people! I love teaching Bible class, and it is amazing to see how the examples of the Old Testament fit into everyday life. The stories and memory verses are perfect to use to disciple my students in everyday situations. Usually the greatest opportunities come on the back of the greatest difficulties, and I could tell you many such stories from just this quarter! Also, I remain in contact and continue in prayer for the graduated student from last year who has not yet received the Lord.

I am thankful for the time that the Lord has allowed me to spend with my church so far this year. We are looking forward to the construction of a new church building that will start in July, Lord willing. However, what we need more than anything is spiritual growth and maturity in Christ; please pray to that end. Please keep Joana in your prayers; she has often fallen out of our discipleship meetings in order to study. She is struggling greatly in her courses and in her spiritual life. All of the teens in our church need our constant prayer. Pray for the salvation of Andrea and for the spiritual revival of Grace, Karina, Bridget, and Julian. At the end of last year the Lord brought two Peruvian girls about my age to our church. These two girls Celia and Vicky are studying in a seminary here in Lima, are living in Manchay, and are being an incredible encouragement to our congregation and to me personally. Pray they would continue to be strong in the Lord. In addition to working with the young people, the Lord has allowed me to start a church library with books, CDs, and cassettes in Spanish from a donor in the States. The people are very excited about it, and some regularly check out materials. Another opportunity I have is being the teacher’s assistant in the 7-12 year old Sunday school class. Many unsaved children from the streets and children of regular attenders come to listen and participate, and I have had the opportunity to talk one on one with several of these children.

God is so good. I appreciate your prayers more than you know. It is truly a privilege to serve our great God! I am so thankful He has allowed me to be here, and I invite you to pray with me that the Lord would bring in the remaining support that I need in order to continue here next year.

One is worth more than all!

In Christ, who is our life,

Emily Snodgrass

A few pictures from April and May

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We have adopted a dog Garsón who is a watch dog and rat-killer. ;)

Saying good-bye to Noah, Isaiah, and Michaela. They were with us for a year studying in the Arriba program. Joana and Karina are the two girls in the middle. Please continue praying for Joana and the discipleship/counseling I'm doing with her.

They give you so much food sometimes that it is literally impossible to finish it.

Fiorela, Erika, Urbano, and Alejandra

La Iglesia Bautista El Manantial
(River Baptist Church)

These two girls Celia and Vicky have been such a blessing to me! They have been helping in jovenes.

This is a campfire we did with the jovenes (young people) of the church.

It was beautiful! It was GREEN!

The only way to the camp is to cross this little cable car over the river.

For a about 3 days on our week-long break from school, we went to a Christian camp called Kimo in La Merced to get some fresh air and hike.

Josefina is dear to us! She takes care of the house. We got her this outfit for Easter.

More students at LMCS

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5th grade field trip!

6th grade volcano projects

My 5th grade girls ended up winning against the 6th grade girls!

5th grade boys before their game against 6th grade on "Sports Day"

My 7th grade science class recording ph measurements

My fifth - graders!

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Jovenes and POM

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Pray for the salvation of Andrea and Carmen

Playing a game at jovenes

Speaking in front of some of the parents of my fifth graders. It was very scary speaking for 20 + minutes in Spanish, but the Lord helped me in every moment. He is so good!

El Rio

2009-02-15T13:07:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, Alejandra invited me to go to "the river" with her, her family, and another family from church. I had no idea what to expect, and my legs are very sunburned! :(

February Update #2

2009-02-15T13:02:00.000-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I know I will not be able to send updates this often once classes start, but for now I am glad that I have some time to update you! I am settled in just as if I had never left, and it has been such a blessing to fellowship with everyone here again!

February is the month of "Carnavales." During carnavales the boys throw water on the girls. Yes, it is for the whole month, and they say it gets worse toward the end of the month. It is very ungentleman-like, especially considering they often use extremely dirty water (not as expensive that way of course because it is already used :p). Sundays are the worst days since most people don't work. Last Sunday I was sitting on a bus headed to Manchay when all of a sudden a huge wave (literally) of water was thrown into the bus! There was a girl sitting in the very front seat by a very large, open window, and therefore was the perfect target for the VERY stinky water that thankfully only got my shoe, leg, and part of my skirt. After I got off the bus, I walked quickly with determination and my eyes to the ground, so as not to attract attention, and thankfully I made it safe and dry. ;)

Lord willing, I will be starting a small library at our church. One of my friends in the States donated some Bible study/counseling books and commentaries in Spanish as well as some good Spanish music CDs. I'm excited about this opportunity!

We are working hard at LMCS to get ready for a year of very hard work, since we are still short of teachers. Plans have changed a bit for me. I will still be teaching science in 5th, 6th, and 7th grade Science, but instead of girl's PE, I will be teaching Bible in 5th grade and be the 5th grade homeroom teacher. Although I am sad I won't be teaching PE, I am excited about the opportunity of being a homeroom teacher. As a homeroom teacher, I will have A LOT of contact with parents. Of course, if the Lord provides more teachers all of this could change again. :)

Friday at school we had a lunch with the staff and their families. Tom Pace, the LMCS founder and missionary of over 41 years, gave a brief encouraging word. He said that in his years in Peru, he has rarely seen a ministry influence and bear more fruit than LMCS. He said he could give names of many people who were saved because of the school's ministry, and that it is spreading to the grandparents, the uncles and aunts, etc. Please pray again that the Lord would bring more unsaved students to our school, and that we would be useful vessels for the Him.

Also, please pray for a girl named Michelle, whom I talked to on the plane. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find my planner where I wrote her contact information since the night I arrived. Please pray that it would be returned to me, or that she would contact me, if it is the Lord's will.

Please continue to pray the Lord would bring in support for 2010.I am going to list three prayer requests for school and three from church below if you would like to pray with us.

El Manantial:
Pray for Joana's spiritual growth.
Pray for Karina who will probably be going to seminary in the next month.
Pray for Urbano and Alejandra and their family as several of their relatives have died in the past weeks, and they are faced with major difficulties and decisions including orphaned children.

LMCS:
Pray for Gladys our librarian who is having serious health problems.
Pray for teachers Cassandra and Eric Pardine who's new-born baby Joshua has many health issues and faces a near-future open-heart surgery.
Pray for Pastor and school counselor Beto Mayta who is still recovering from a heart attack last year and possibly faces more surgery.

I am very thankful for you all.
In Christ, who is our life,
Emily Snodgrass

Arrival and Update February 2009

2009-02-08T14:10:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I must say it is really nice to eat a mango and feel the warm breeze through my window! I spent all day Friday cleaning, killing brown recluse spiders, and organizing my room. As you can imagine, in a house by the road in the desert it is VERY dusty!

Today I was reunited with my brothers and sisters at El Manantial. It was so good to see them! Joana (and myself I might add) is excited about getting back to where we left off in our discipleship. I helped Mrs. Carlton with Sunday School today, and she taught about making the right choices in order to have the right kind of life before the Lord. The lesson was about Sampson. Pastor Jim told me that they may not have me teach right now in the Sunday School class because Joana wants to go to seminary, and she may work in the class to fulfull requirements to enroll. However, opportunities may open up after April to teach in other classes or in Bible clubs. The Lord has perfect timing!

I will go to school tomorrow to begin our planning and preparation for this year. Please pray for us. We have many, many details to iron out and still have a great need for teachers. I found out that I will probably be the homeroom teacher for one of my science classes, which will give me many more opportunities with parents and will take more time. I am very excited to see what the Lord does! I praise the Lord for what He has done financially for me. I have all of my needed support for this year and a little more than 40% of my needed support for 2010. Please pray that the Lord will bring in the remaining 60% in His time. He is so good, always.

Emily

Pictures from the end of the year

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Sunday School at church

My housemates from this year

Tammy T isn't coming back, and I will miss her!

Jess isn't coming back; I will miss her!

Graduation at last. :)

The senior banquet.

Miss Huber's last year at LMCS

December 2008

2008-12-21T15:06:00.000-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

God is so good, always. This year has proved to be challenging in ways I did not imagine before, but God has been and is still being faithful in every thing.

El Manantial: I am thoroughly enjoying my time at Iglesia Bautista El Manantial. I have been discipling a girl named Joana using Changed Into His Image (in Spanish) and helping Mrs. Carlton in the Upper-Elementary Sunday school class. I will take over more responsibilities in the class when I return in February. Please pray for my Spanish speaking abilities! The people continue to be a blessing to me. One Saturday I had the privilege of helping one of the ladies kill, cook, and eat “cuy” (Guinea pig). They are very generous people. Our prayer requests include a new building we hope to construct next July, a national pastor, and the spiritual growth of the people.

LMCS: Our school year ended with a score of activities for Christmas, finals, promotions, and graduation. Please continue to pray for a student who does not yet want to receive Christ’s gift of salvation. The graduating students are very excited to be done, and it was a blessing to hear their testimonies and plans for the future. One graduating senior, Sandra, came to LMCS in Elementary school. Her mother gave a testimony at the senior banquet saying that they were grateful they chose to put Sandra in LMCS, because they came to know the Lord through their involvement with the school. I am eager to labor fervently next year in making disciples at LMCS. Not only do we have the opportunity to see people saved, but we have the opportunity to train these students to take the gospel throughout the world. It is possible these students could go places and minister in ways that American missionaries could not.
We need many teachers for the upcoming school year! We greatly appreciate your prayers for godly, well-qualified teachers for next year.

Other: I believe God would have me stay in Peru another year beyond my original commitment. I believe He would have me to continue as a short-term missionary at least through December, 2010. To do this, I need one more year of financial support. Please pray the Lord would provide exceeding abundantly above all I could ask or think.

PICTURES TO FOLLOW AT A LATER DATE. :)

In His Service,
Emily Snodgrass

The slaying and eating of cuy.

2008-11-15T17:02:00.000-06:00

My plate when I was finished...

We had a special treat for desert-strawberry Jello!

Erica and Fiorela

Serve the cuy with rice and potatos

Fry the cuy

Boil the cuy

(This picture has been removed for PR purposes. Sorry, sometimes I forget that not everyone is a science teacher like me.)

This is the part you eat.

(This picture has been removed for PR purposes. Sorry, sometimes I forget that not everyone is a science teacher like me.)

Next, you remove the insides.

Then you take the fur off.

After you kill it, you put it in hot water so the fur will be easier to take off.

Cuy (Guinea pig) is a delicacy here in Peru. I was privileged to be invited to kill and eat cuy with a family from my church in Manchay.

Pictures

2008-10-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

Start at the bottom and work your way up.

The kids were proud of their edible handy crafts.

Learning a little math

Working hard!

One on one learning

The children at church love their teachers!

Patiently waiting for the teachers (my 7th grade students) to come. Read letter below for explanation.

I was able to share the gospel with this little girl.

This is Miraflores, Lima.

The ancient Inca city-refuge of Machu Picchu

We stopped here on the way to visit ruins around Cuzco. The people make their homes out of bricks that they make by hand.

The beautiful Andes!

Mrs. Tupiño kindly showed us around downtown Lima.

My good friend Jessie.

Alma with her guitar-strap purse. We had so much fun...I miss her!

The most devoted Catholics wear these traditional clothes.

The veneration of saints

The man lifts the child up to bless her in front of the statue.

This month was the Catholics celebrate the "Lord of the miracles." Many people congregate here in the square and bring their children to be blessed. It is very sad to see their veneration of idols and various mis-guided beliefs.

Alma and I in the center of Lima: the Plaza de Armas.

October Update

2008-10-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I am excited to share what the Lord has been doing over the last several months!

El Manantial: I am getting to know my brothers and sisters in Christ better every week. I have been invited over for a meal in three different homes in the last two months, which has given me a clearer view of their culture. These visits have helped me become very grateful for running water and electrical appliances, to name a few things. We have begun a building fund, which has grown thanks to your support. We hope to begin construction next year. In September, a medical team from a church in Salamanca gave free medical, dental, and cosmetology services to our church and many people in Manchay. It was quite an experience to see the vast needs of the people. Please pray for our church. The world’s pull is strong, and the people work hard for little. Please pray specifically for the spiritual growth of Andrea, Karina, and Joana.

LMCS: Teaching is going very well. I am learning a lot! The Lord has helped me tremendously in my relationships with particular students. In light of our Peruvian Independence Day program, Peru in 2050, my 7^th grade students decided they wanted to do something of lasting effect to improve their country. They came up with the idea, prepared themselves, and have now executed four Saturdays of teaching math and English to children in Manchay at my church. The next two Saturdays (10/25 & 11/01) I am challenging them to personally share the gospel to some of their students. Please pray the Lord would be glorified. Please pray also for another student to whom I have been witnessing, but who still doesn’t want to receive Christ.

Other: God miraculously provided for my sister to come and visit me for ten days, during which we were able to spend some time in Cuzco and Machu Picchu. He is so good and always does exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think! I will be coming home in December to spend Christmas with family and friends and to raise more support. I believe God would have me stay in Peru at least one more year (through 2010) beyond my original commitment. Keep praying that He will convict and change me and provide for my practical needs.

Thank you for your involvement!

In His service,

Emily Snodgrass

September

2008-09-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

The last several weeks have been event-filled and busy as you can imagine. I am so thankful for the grace of God. He is so good. His Word encourages me every day. It is hard to try and summarize all the things that have happened and all the things I am learning.

Church: I thank the Lord for a kind, caring church. The people are so generous with the little they have. I had the opportunity to eat at one of our deacon's houses the Sunday after my birthday. We were given a huge bowl of chicken soup (very delicious) and then the main course (I have learned to expect that now), which included a heaping plate of 3-4 potatoes, salad, and a big slab of beef with a special sauce. This was after Mrs. Carlton asked if us girls could have a little less, since we didn't have as big of appetites. :) You have to eat slow and steady, cutting your food into little pieces and taking it step by step. I don't say this because it didn't taste good, but because there is so much of it that it becomes a challenge to eat it all! Please pray for a teenager I am trying to get to know. She has some great spiritual needs, and I am trying to connect with her. I am praying the Lord can use me in some way. This Saturday we are having a medical clinic come to the church for the entire day. Pray that our church people would have their needs met, that many neighbors would come and hear the gospel, and that these neighbors would continue coming to our church. Please continue to pray for my time management, so that I can spend more time working with my church.

School: I am learning new things every day. I have always loved working with teens, but hadn't experienced too many difficulties in my past work with them. Being a high school teacher has given me some new challenges and at times difficulties, but there are great joys in my work with them. Please pray for wisdom for me as I teach high school. Please pray for one of my students and her spiritual needs. I believe she is saved, but the Catholicism in her family is confusing her. Also please keep praying the student who is unsaved. She is counting the cost of salvation and isn't sure she wants to repent.

We went on a staff retreat two weekends ago, and the Lord did a work in my heart. The theme (in English) was "The Love of God is Greater than __________." We studied different Bible characters and the effect of God's love in each of their lives. The life of Joseph was especially a blessing for me to think on. We also discussed philosophy of evangelism, which was encouraging and reviving for sharing the gospel with others even when we don't speak the same language. I roomed with one of our librarians who is Peruvian and was able to speak Spanish all weekend. It was fun to get to know her and others that I work with but didn't know well before.

Other: We have had several birthday celebrations in the last couple of weeks. It seems like there has been one a week at least. We had a party at our house for my birthday as well. It was very fun. The girls were very thoughtful!

August 2008 Update

2008-08-16T21:21:00.000-05:00

Club Biblico

Our day of meetings with parents.

Greetings from South America!

Thank you all so much for your prayer and support; they have eternal ramifications! I praise the Lord for His strength. I was reminded today of how undeserving I am of His love. I spent the day with a dear, young lady from my church. She prepared breakfast for me and then lunch. I was humbled by her clean, simple house and the manner in which she and her family live. She was very proud to show me the Guinea pigs they raise, which they are excited to eat at Christmas. She served me an incredible amount of delicious food, and I praise the Lord that we were able to communicate fairly well. God is so good! I know I am privileged to live here and fellowship with these dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

Last Sunday I invited two teenage girls from my church over for lunch. We cooked tacos, which they had never heard of or eaten before. They enjoyed them immensely and asked if they could have "just one more" (in Spanish of course :). Please pray for the spiritual growth of these two girls named Andrea and Karina.

We just completed the second week of our third quarter at LMCS, and last Saturday was set aside to meet with parents. I was able to talk to several parents during the day. I think a good testimony was given to the parents, and we are praying for the salvation of many of them. We will be having another one of these days in October.

This quarter has brought new challenges for me as I have to prepare for four different high school courses (7th grade Science, 9th grade Geography, 9th grade English, and 10th grade World History). I would appreciate your prayers for me personally as I try to manage my time well.

I praise the Lord for helping me in my Spanish-speaking ability. Of course I have a very long way to go, but I learn new words every day! He has brought me a long way already.

I also praise the Lord that my sister will be able to visit me in October! I am very excited! The Lord has graciously provided her way here.

My US trip

2008-07-29T11:52:00.000-05:00

I thank the Lord for His goodness! I was able to fly back to the US to be in my sister's and my cousin's weddings. I think I have covered more miles on this trip than all the miles I've covered in my life up to this point! ;) Unfortunately I didn't have a camera for most of the trip, so I don't have too many pictures...

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Eleanor's Wedding

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Sarah's Wedding

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The last day I was in the US, I went to visit one of my best friends, Susana, and her brand new twins! I have a few pictures, so I thought I would share them with you.

Rafael Jr. and me

Alma and Maryana

Tati and Rafael Jr.

The tired but proud mother :)

Marcha

2008-07-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a day of marching for many of our students. Our school was one of 30 plus schools in a marching contest! I will upload some pictures for your enjoyment. I enjoyed the experience very much!

El Manantial

2008-07-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

I finally have some pictures from church! I had to beg/borrow/steal to get these pics! ;) Thank you Michaela!

Elli, Andrea, Adriana

Adriana, Michaela (an Arriba student), and me

Mrs. Carton (in the red jumper) explaining things to her sister and brother-in-law who were visiting.

Squeezing lemons for fresh lemonade (they don't mess around when it comes to doing things from scratch)

Elli (the Sunday school teacher for my class)

Preparing aji de gallina

Our piano player and his wife

One of the children's Sunday school classes

The adult Sunday school class

My Sunday School class

My church, El Manantial, on a Sunday morning.

Update and Teacher Appreciation Pictures.

2008-07-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

Hello! I feel like I haven't written here for quite some time. I suppose that is because I haven't! It has been very busy here as you can imagine, and without my camera I am not as excited about writing on my blog. It is more enjoyable to blog when I have pictures. ;)

This week will be finals for high school and my last week of teaching 5th grade. I am a little sad that I will be leaving them. Next quarter I will be teaching 4 high school courses: 7th grade science, 9th grade English, 9th grade geography, and 10th grade history. I am excited about the change, and yet aprehensive because I will need a lot of preparation time.

My students are doing well, and the Lord has given me many, many opportunities to disciple them and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. I have several students who do not profess to be saved, and even more students who come from non-Christian families. Please pray that the Holy Spirit of God would work mightily in the lives of these Peruvians. I am praying also for the country of Peru as a whole. Catholicism and cultic religions are very strong here. Peruvians are proud of their Catholic heritage and ways. However, they are thirsty for the truth, and I am praying my students will help to turn this country completely around for Christ.

On that note, once again, please pray for Fiestas Patrias! This year's program has a message, which is timely and cuts to the heart. Please pray we can pull it together in these 2 weeks. We have to practice much and work very hard to see it through to the end. It will be impossible without a miracle from the Lord. Please pray the power of the Lord would be upon our efforts and on the message of the program!

El Manantial Baptist Church is doing well, and we are looking forward to starting construction on our building later this year, Lord willing.

I am doing well. Last night I felt very sick and thought my body was going to clear itself of everything inside because of something I ate. I prayed and asked the Lord if He would keep me from having that sickness, and He kept me from having it! I praise His name.

I have seen many prayers answered. He is so good to me. He gives me amazing grace every single day.

This is Lima Plaza at night. It is very pretty at night will all the lights!

The parents of the school treated all the teachers to a dinner at Pardo's downtown in the center of Lima. It was my first time downtown. It was very fun! This particular Pardo's is owned by the parents of one of our students.

Sully and Sonia (teach Peruvian history and Spanish)

Mr. and Mrs. Valdivia (teach computer and Peruvian history and Spanish)

In addition to treating us to dinner, the students and parents gave us small backpacks with the LMCS logo!

Let us seek the LORD speedily

2008-06-22T12:54:00.000-05:00

Zec 8:20-23 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."

I have really been blessed by reading in Zechariah this week. After reading the above passage I thought, wow, what if we as Christians were known for going "speedily to pray before the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts"? I wonder what effect it would have on our world? What if we were so close to the LORD that people would come up to us, grab us by our shirt, and say, "we're going with you because we have heard God is with you." I am going to be praying that God would make me a woman who prays speedily, who seeks him speedily. What an influence we can have!

God is so good. He gives so much grace. This past week has been a good one, as they all have been. His grace has been so obvious. He gives energy I don't have and wisdom I don't possess.

On July 18th La Molina Christian Schools is going to have a huge celebration called Fiestas Patrias (Peruvian Independence Day). Please pray earnestly for the program this year. This year the program will involve a 5-6 scene play about a Peruvian and the choices he makes during his life. More than previous years, this play will carry a powerful, watershed message. The essense of the play is the message that the little choices you make in life WILL affect your future and the future of Peru. Please pray the Lord will bring conviction to the hearts of the parents who come; they are the audience. Pray the Lord will save souls through it and convict those who are struggling to live for Christ. We only have about 4 weeks to put this production together from start to finish. Pray the Lord will help us put it together in a way that the MESSAGE of the play comes through "loud and clear."

I was sick two weeks ago, but praise the Lord I think I am completely well.

Here are some more pictures from a few weeks ago just for fun. :)

Mother and daughter (Mrs. Pace and Mrs. Anderson)

Camera

2008-06-13T21:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I have sad news...I somehow misplaced my camera during our high school retreat last weekend, and I can't find it anywhere. Therefore, as of now, I have no pictures to post. :(

The high school retreat was great! I am so glad I was able to go. It was decided just the day before we went that I would be going as well. We went to a camp about 2 hours away, and we, the teachers, were the counselors for our students! It was a wonderful time of getting to know my students. The Lord gave me several great counseling opportunities while I was there too. He gave me a greater love for my students, and showed me once again that He is in complete control. He is so good! Please pray for our students as many of them made great decisions and as others are really struggling.

Pachamanca

2008-05-25T15:02:00.000-05:00

Then the dirt goes back on top of it all!

Then they cover it with plastic sacks

After it's all in the pit, they cover it with paper bags...

Mrs. Leiva (left) is in charge of the cooking. She used to live in the mountains and knows all about Pachamanca. Annette (right) makes sure everything is running smoothly. She is the administrative secretary who is basically in charge of the event.

The humitas (made from the corn we ground in the morning), the abes (green bean looking things), and the green grass stuff comes last (sorry, not sure how to spell these things. :)

There are 4 of these pits by the way. We had to feed about 300 people!

It must go into the pit too.

The pork comes next

You must put some of the hot rocks on the meat

The beef comes next

Lower the potatos in first

Dust off the rocks with special branches (not sure of the practical purpose in this)

Wet the paper bags

Get prepared to eat food cooked underground!

Adding the heat

Closing up the pits

Filling the pits with wood

We then had to mix the corn with the sugar and raisens (cinnamon and cloves were ground up with the corn)

We had to get to school from 6-7am (on Saturday) to grind the corn

The pork has been marinating all night

The beef has been marinating all night

Digging and setting up the holes
Washing the rocks

Washing the potatos on Friday

Pachamanca is one of the neatest things I have seen so far in Peru! I am going to try to outline the process for you from start to finish in a slightly abbreviated version...

LMCS does a Pachamanca (food cooked underground as they used to do and maybe still do in the mountains of Peru) once a year, and it is a HUGE deal.

Prayer Letter Update

2008-05-25T14:49:00.000-05:00

Casilla 50, La Molina
Lima 12, Peru

Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support. There is no way to fully express my gratitude for you and for the opportunities God has given me here. My first month in Peru has been full of new experiences! Every day I hold on for dear life as I stand up in a crowded bus on the way to school. I have been able to visit the city of Huaraz; home of the tallest mountain in Peru. I have hiked to a waterfall and paddled a canoe in a lake at 12, 631 ft. I have eaten ceviche (raw sea food marinated in lime) and Pachamancha (cooked underground). I have ridden 15 minutes down the road from my house only to see a completely different world of very poor people in Manchay. Yet these things pale in comparison to what God has done in my heart.
God’s presence has been more real to me since leaving the comfort of home and family. Distance and time are not boundaries to God; praise His name! His fellowship has been my strength. It would take many pages to tell you all the things the Lord is showing me and how I have seen His work in my short time here in Lima.

I am learning more Spanish slowly but surely. Please pray that I would learn quickly and be able to begin Spanish classes soon. Right now we need a Spanish teacher for the staff classes. Despite my limited Spanish, the Lord has allowed me to witness to several Peruvians and to counsel a college-age girl about baptism, all in Spanish. Also, please pray for the people of the church I am now attending, El Manantial Baptist Church in Manchay. Pray the Lord would increase them in His knowledge and that many more in Manchay would be saved. I have been helping in a Children’s Bible club in Manchay, and we are considering starting another one. I am excited to become more and more involved in church as my Spanish communication skills grow.

I love my students at La Molina Christian Schools. I am so thankful for the opportunity to teach them! This quarter I am teaching 5th grade language and spelling, 7th grade science, and 9th grade grammar, composition, literature, and vocabulary/spelling. This is my first year teaching, so I am very busy. God is so faithful; He gives me exactly what I need each day. I know several of my students have parents who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. One 9th grader named Enrique told me that his family was Catholic, but that he had decided to accept Christ as his Savior. Please pray for my students. Few of them come from strong, Christian homes. Another one of my students, Andrea, has a burden for her dad to be saved.

I have adjusted just fine and praise the Lord for good health so far. I have not been sick one time yet! Please pray for me as I teach a full load of classes from now on. I need to manage my time wisely in and out of the classroom. Time management has been the most difficult thing for me so far. My students’ first language is Spanish, so teaching takes more time. Making the most of the time I have with them and the amount of material needing to be covered is a challenge. Of course, time management outside of the classroom is and will always be a challenge. Pray that I will make wise choices, which will glorify Christ.

You can also pray for the salvation of families of Mariaelena, the Peruvian girl who lives with us, and José, a Christian taxi driver we use often.
I miss you all. Thank you from heart for your prayers and support.
In His service,
Emily Snodgrass
emsnod83@hotmail.com

Food

2008-05-18T21:44:00.000-05:00

Tammy's parents came for a visit and took us out to eat....

I thought you might want to see what I ate......... ;)

Ceviche mixto (a mix of raw seafood marinated in limes)

The point of this picture was to point out the raw squid...the white things with the dark purple color are raw octopus. Those were a little chewy for me.

This was Mariaelena's food. It is the same stuff only cooked and with rice and spices.

Huaraz

2008-05-18T16:46:00.001-05:00

This week was a student vacation week between the first two quarters. A group of us took a short trip to Huaraz, a mountain town eight hours away by bus. The trip to Huaraz was very refreshing and eye-opening for me. The time in the mountains was wonderful; we spent some time praying the first day as we sat at about 10, 000 ft. above sea level on a carpet of green grass. I have never seen mountains like the ones in Huaraz. I am so grateful I had this opportunity!

The trip was eye-opening as I observed the people there. The people in Huaraz are poorer than those here in La Molina (similar to the people of Manchay), and they are steeped in their Catholic/Indian mixed religions. The first day we were there, young people were parading up and down the streets for hours and into the night. They wore feathers, bright clothes, pecan noisemakers, and masks as they chanted and drummed incessantly.

It amazed me how those people could be so religious and yet so hopeless. They were proud of their gardens and their hard work. They had the neatest self-sufficient farms in one of the most beautiful parts of Peru. It was easy to see how they would want to try and keep their pride and feel as if they were working their way to heaven. Their hopelessness was very evident to me when we stopped at a small strip mall next to the natural hot springs. They were having a fiesta, and all were drinking. The women and men ,young and old were drunk and one was even giving alcohol to her baby.

I made friends with a few of the children. They were very eager for my attention. These people are so needy! It seems to me that there is a great opportunity there because the language barriers are disappearing. The older people from the mountains of Peru speak Quechua, but the young people speak Spanish. Less and less people speak Quechua anymore. I did have an opportunity to speak to a lady about Christ on Monday. She was with us on an all-day tour. She was an educated lady, but was very mixed up in her religious views. She didn't believe in the God of the Bible, and after some discussion we left her with the knowledge that Christ loves her, that she needs to accept Christ, and a tract.

This trip was also a good opportunity to bond with my house mates. I got to know Nicole, Tammy T., and Tammy H. very well during our few days of travel.

Lake Chinancocha was a highlight of the trip at 12, 631 ft.

The water was a beautiful green from this angle. It was crystal clear when looking down.

Some poor mountain girls at Yungay

FYI: Yungay is now a memorial for the city of Yungay, which was destroyed in 1970 by an earthquake/avalanche. Over 25,000 people died at that time.

Huaraz was so refreshing after being in smoggy Lima. This is a view of a rainbow from the cemetary at Yungay.

(Yes, those are snow-capped mountains and not just clouds!)

From left to right:

Samuel (part of the administrative team at LMCS)
Nicole (3rd grade teacher)
Me ;)
Ruben (Samuel's brother)
Tammy (5th grade math/science teacher)
Tammy (K-4 teacher)

Manchay

2008-05-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I spent some time in Manchay. Manchay is a part of Lima that begins only about 10 minutes down the road from where I live, and yet it is a whole different world. The people of Manchay are very poor; they have no running water and most don't have electricity. They live in "houses" with plywood type walls, dirt floors, and tin roofs. Scores of dogs roam freely through the streets of dirt, and many children do the same. The air is thick with dust and foul smells.

I went to church services at El Manantial (the spring: as in a spring of living water) Baptist Church on Thursday and Sunday with Jim and Becky Carlton (missionaries in Lima since 1983). Mr. Carlton has been pastoring this church for four years now. It was eye-opening for me to spend time with the people there. The people are very friendly and well-taught from God's Word. On Saturday I helped with a children's Bible club. I was surprised when 2 girls came without any shoes. My feet were hurting just from walking on the rocks, and I had sandals on.

God is doing many things through the Carltons in Manchay. Though the people are needy physically, their greatest need is Christ! The Catholics have several churches there and the Mormons have built a very nice temple not far from El Manantial. As we were having our Bible club on Saturday, two Mormon missionaries walked by in their dress clothes carrying their Books of Mormon. As in all places the devil's influence is there, but it is amazing to see power of God's Word! Many of the people in the church raised their hands during the invitation to indicate they wanted prayer for their spiritual needs. (I only know that because of what the pastor said. ;) Their problems are not unlike ours, but their way of life gives them a completely different mentality. I for one am more thankful for all the Lord has given me after visiting Manchay. It is interesting to me that they seem to be thankful already.

Photos of Manchay

2008-05-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

Essentials

2008-04-29T18:30:00.000-05:00

10 soles (right now this equals about $3.50 USD)

50 centimos (one way trip on the bus to school)

arroz chaufa

Food and money are essentials no matter where you go, and we use them all the time. I thought I would show what they look like here....

Pics

2008-04-29T11:49:00.000-05:00

Some of the group (the ones that stayed late).

Daniel had taken Heather out beforehand, and they had a man draw this...we didn't think it was a very good likeness. :)

This was a Surprise party for Heather; birthdays are a big deal here!

In the back of a crowded bus. We had to get off after a motorcyclist crashed into the back of the bus.

Adjusting

2008-04-29T11:36:00.000-05:00

I have really enjoyed adjusting to the way of life here in Lima. I praise the Lord for the ease in adjustment so far. Part of the reason it has been easy is because I am only teaching one class right now and because I live with other girls from North America. I am very thankful for the time to prepare and adjust. I am getting to know the La Molina area and feel completely comfortable getting back and forth to school and to the grocery store.

I plan on attending El Manantial Bapist Church this coming Sunday for the first time. I am very excited about that. So far I have been visiting churches with the girls I live with.

Our Spanish teacher will not be able to teach us for the next 2 months because she is pregnant. It is good for her, but kind of sad for me. :) Pray that I will learn the language quickly. It is crucial to know the language to be able to minister outside of LMCS. Here at LMCS opportunities for ministry are overflowing even if you just speak in English. It has been such a blessing to teach my students more about God! I have immensely enjoyed the teaching I've done so far. I am amazed that I have the opportunity to train Peruvians to reach their families and friends for Christ.

Some of the people I work with including the 7 girls I live with.

2008-04-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

Those standing from left to right:

Mariano: dating Christina, heavily involved in Iglesia Vida Nueva in La Molina

Christina (front): Second grade teacher

Tammy (back): Fifth and sixth grade math/science teacher

Annette: Public relations, also teaches high school speech and business

Girl in black: I have not met her. (This pic was taken a few weeks before I came. :)

Nicole (back): Third grade teacher

Marielena (front): Helps buy groceries and cleans our house, taking classes at night to be a secretary

Casandra (back): Elementary supervisor, currently teaches fifth grade reading, language, spelling, and penmanship

Kelly (front): K-5 teacher

Eric (back): Married to Casandra, fourth grade teacher

Heather (front): Married to Daniel (taking picture?), K-3 teacher

Amber (back): Teaches seventh, eighth, tenth, and eleventh grammar and literature

Tammy (front): K-4 teacher

Jessie: First grade teacher

Those sitting from left to right:
Samuel: Helps out at the school, heavily involved at Iglesia Vida Nueva in La Molina

Moisés (Moses): Married to Kelly, taking classes at the seminary to be a pastor, heavily involved in a local church

Alvaro: Dating Amber, heavily involved at Iglesia Vida Nueva in La Molina

2008-04-21T09:06:00.000-05:00

Flag raising on Monday morning

Mariaelena

2008-04-21T09:02:00.000-05:00

Mariaelena cleans our house and lives with us. Please pray for the salvation of her family.

The First Week

2008-04-21T08:42:00.000-05:00

Hola!
My first week here has been a good one. I have been very busy from the start, even though I have not officially started teaching. The principal has decided I will take 3 classes. One class from 3 different teachers who are very overloaded (there are many needs here). I will be teaching 5th grade language arts (grammar, spelling, penmanship-yikes!), 7th grade science, and 9th grade English. I will be very busy! I am supposed to start teaching these classes second quarter, which begins in a couple of weeks. However, I may begin teaching as soon as next Monday. I am thankful for the planning time I have right now. I need it since it is my first year teaching and because of the different levels.

Right now I am busy observing, planning, and helping the other teachers with their paperwork. It definitely keeps me busy!

On Saturday night I attended a youth meeting here at the school for high schoolers. Several of the girls asked prayer for their dad's who are unsaved. Two of the girls' names are Andrea and Deborah. Also, please pray for the salvation of the family of Jose'. Jose' has been saved 4 years, and he is a taxi driver here in Lima. Many of the students here at LMCS have unsaved families. I look forward to the opportunity of encouraging and giving tools for spiritual warfare to the students who are Christians, and being a light of the gospel to those who are not.

Please pray that my health will continue to be good. (Praise the Lord it is!) Pray also that I will use my time wisely as I desire to serve the Lord the best I can.

Lima at Last

2008-04-16T19:36:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Lima Monday night at around 10:30pm. We (friends and I) were praying I would get the green light in customs, and I did! The Lord gave good opportunities to speak of Him to the people I sat next to on the plane. Everything went so smoothly. The Lord was with me, and answered my prayers for peace as I was a little nervous.

My first impression of Lima was from the airport. Most of the workers in the airport were young people in their teens or twenties. They were all dressed in suits and were very kind and as helpful as they could be to those who didn't speak Spanish.

Annette and Amber met me at the airport, and I had the first taxi ride of my life. Wow! You have NOT experienced crazy traffic until you have ridden in a taxi in downtown Lima! It was fun. :)

La Molina Christian Schools is a very nice school, and the people are so personable and kind. I have enjoyed trying to speak to them in Spanish and am very excited about learning more of the language.

The Lord is good, and He has given me strength and provided my needs. I praise His name! I thank you for your prayers. Please pray the Lord would give me opportunities share Him with others, and that I would be a blessing to those I meet.

April 14th

2008-04-07T17:38:00.000-05:00

April 14th is the day! I will headed for Peru bright and early next Monday morning. I am very excited!

93% !

2008-04-06T19:39:00.000-05:00

I am so excited and thankful that God has brought in 93% of my needed support! I have been praying very specifically that God would bring in the remaining 25% now only if he wants me to go this month. All but 7% has come in, and the missions committee and deacons of my church will be meeting this week to determine if and what my church can do for support.

Please pray the Lord would keep me close to Him; that I would choose to stay close and love Him with all my heart. Pray the Lord would give me a renewed passion and boldness to share Christ with others. The most immediate opportunity will be the people next to me on the plane! I hope they speak English. :) Either way it will be an opportunity to share the love of Christ.

I anticipate leaving this week or next week, and I will update my blog as soon as I know!

Important Links

2008-04-03T19:56:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

Here are some more links for you to see some of the people I will be working with.

The Pace Family (Director of LMCS):
http://www.campuschurch.com/MissionaryList.aspx

http://www.ssbcfamilymedia.com/Missions/field/field.php (Click on Lima, Peru on the map.)

The Carltons whom I may be working with in Manchay:
http://communitybaptist.com/our-ministries/our-world-outreach/south-america/

Also, if you'd like to REALLY see where I'll be going, click on the link below and download Google Earth. It is a really neat program!
http://earth.google.com/

One more very important thing. If you want to keep in touch with me by phone, you need to download Skype onto your computer. Skype is a calling and instant messaging program. When you use Skype to call others on Skype, it is absolutely free! (You do have to have a microphone and speakers or a headset, which costs about $10.)
http://skype.com/download/skype/windows/

Wow!

2008-03-31T07:05:00.001-05:00

Since I last wrote, the Lord has brought in 52% more of my needed support, which brings me to 75%! This figure represents commitments people have sent in writing to my church or verbal commitments made to me in person. I am still unsure when I will be leaving for Peru. I am praying God's perfect will would be done. My desire is to go ASAP!

I am interested in attending and serving at a church in Manchay (part of Lima, Peru) pastored by Jim Carlton. Jim and Becky Carlton are missionaries under Baptist Mid-Missions, and they have told me a little about the ministry at El Manantial Baptist Church in Manchay.

Please pray I will be humble and moldable, and that the Lord would bring in the rest of the support in His perfect timing. He is behind all of it and orchestrating everything. I'm so glad!

Website

2008-03-23T21:26:00.000-05:00

You can visit the website of the school where I will be teaching in Peru. It is http://www.lmcsperu.com/nosotros.htm Don't navigate to the "home" page, because that link isn't working. You can look at all the other pages by using the menu on the left of the screen. As you will see, it is all in Spanish. :)

Support for Peru

2008-03-23T21:06:00.001-05:00

I am so grateful for the support of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Many are praying, and some have given very sacrificially. It humbles me to know that people are sacrificing so that I can minister in Peru. It is a responsibility I take very seriously.

So far, I have 23% of the support I will need. I am praying God will bring in the rest of the support in His perfect time.

I am finding out things that I will need as I prepare for Peru. Peanut butter, of all things, is very expensive in Peru. My mom was so kind to get a jar for me this week at the grocery store. I will have to buy a lot of things there that I already have here, because it is too expensive to ship them.

A verse the Lord has given me this past week is Romans 8:11, "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." I praise Him for his power! I praise Him for giving it to me and my brothers and sisters in Christ!

The First Blog

2008-02-19T20:50:00.000-06:00

This is the first blog! I want this blog to bring glory to God. It will be a way for friends and family to keep up with me and with what the Lord is doing in my life. I praise Him for every good thing!