(Scroll
down for the newest updates. Last updated 1/07/07
at 5:17 MST)
Update
1
Buenos Dias!
We're surviving the cockroaches and humidity. It rained
today, a VERY rare thing for this area. It was a great
change. To sum up the day in one word: wet. Along
with the rain, 
humidity
and perspiration, we also enjoyed playing water games
this afternoon.
This evening, we also had the camp's "supermatch,"
which is a battle of games between the two teams:
the Fantasmons and Vampiros. It was a blast, and we
all survived (though some of us weren't sure we'd
make it). A favorite was an obstacle course in which
the two teams did a relay race. The obstacles included
climbing over a swingset with hanging tires, then
over a net on a 20ft A-frame that instead of climbing
down the other side, you dropped 20ft onto a pile
of mattresses. We're all so impressed with the perseverance
of the Peruvian kids, who are still full of energy
when we're lying on the ground gasping.
We came here to teach them, but we're learning a lot
from the Peruvians about sports and culture as well.
In the more competitive sports like basketball and
soccer, the girls are reluctant to play alongside
the boys, while in volleyball, they play together.
We're also learning that the foot is a very useful
tool in all sports. Erin caught on quickly, and made
some excellent saves in volleyball, hitting the volleyball
with her foot, exclaiming, "I can play like a
Peruvian!"
It's
great knowing there are people all over praying for
us. We can really feel God helping us to communicate
with the kids and maintaining our health, safety,
team unity, and creating opportunities for the Gospel
to be shared and received. We'd appreciate your prayers
in a few areas. First, that we would continue to rely
upon God for strength despite our lack of energy.
Tonight, after the supermatch ended at 11 pm, our
team sat around chatting and laughing (none of which
made much sense). Because we were so tired, it took
us at least 10 minutes to realize that we weren't
having a team meeting, and could have been in bed
already. Despite our exhaustion, we remained together
longer, enjoying each other's company. Please pray
for continued energy despite long days and late nights,
and team unity.
Update 2
Sorry, about the lack of contact. The Internet and
Telephone at La Roca has been out for 3 days.
One
more prayer request we have is that you pray for the
campers as well as their families as they take the
Gospel home with them. With one family in particular,
we were able to see the truth of Romans
8:28: "And we know that in all things, God works
for the good of those who love Him, who have been
called according to His purpose." One boy was
injured during one of the competitions, and went to
the hospital for a head injury. The boy will be fine,
but while in the hospital, his family came to visit
him and were met by some of the Peruvian staff. One
of them shared the gospel with the boy's family, and
as a result, two of his aunts gave their lives to
Christ. The other two members of the family are still
considering it. What started as a frightening accident,
God used for His purpose for sharing His love to the
boy's family. Please pray for this family in particular,
that God would open their hearts to His truth and
give them the faith to trust in His Son.
Thank you for your continued prayers, and we look
forward to updating you more on God's provision and
answered prayers.
Hasta luego!
Jordan for the team
Update 3
Day three!
Today was the last day of sport clinics. It was a
day of God.
Sleep. What a precious commodity. The combination
of little sleep and constant activity were enough
to slow even the most diligent.
Thank the Lord that we have Him on our side.
The
clinics seemed to go very well today. Even though
we were all tired God was still working amoung us
giving us the strength to take the next step. We rejoice
in God's Word, "for my power is made perfect
in weakness." Brian talked to the campers about
how to prepare their minds as athletes and as Christians.
After lunch, we had competition games, which were
just games of soccer, basketball, and volleyball.
We also had our skills challenged in a soccer game
with the Peruvian staff. We were mixed in with both
teams, so some of us won...thanks to the Peruvians.
In the evening the camp enjoyed a performance put
on by the Peruvian staff and campers about Esther.
They did an awesome job! It was evident that they
put a lot of work into it. After the play, we enjoyed
a large bonfire. We sang songs,
a couple Peruvian staff members gave testimonies,
and the speaker gave a short talk. God's power was
so evident as He moved in the lives of several campers.
We saw many campers make re-commitments to Christ,
and several make first-time commitments to Christ.
We are humbled by God's power, as He uses us to show
His love through the game of soccer and simple conversation.
Our team has been working together so well. We have
tasted the unity of the body of Christ. He has gifted
each of us with different gifts and abilities, and
each person has been using them for the glory of God.
We have been learning how much of a blessing encouragement
is, coming from the Peruvians and giving it as well.
In Christ Alone,
The Team
Update 4
Hola Family and Friends,
Today was the final day of the camp and our last
clinic with the campers. Basically, we played games
with the kids and had a great time. Throughout the
week the kids have heard the Gospel message through
a powerful guest speaker from Venezuela. After lunch
and after many pictures and good-byes the kids left
the camp.
We
praise God for the new decisions to accept Christ.
Please keep the kids' upcoming growth in your prayers.
After lunch we had free time and played soccer with
the Peruvian counselors and staff. The Peruvians totally
ran circles around us. :)
In the evening we left the compound for the first
time to eat supper.
Some of the Peruvian staff joined us. We ate at Pardo
Pollo, and had a great time together. We also passed
out tracts as we walked around. We enjoyed seeing
the ocean and God's amazing creation. We got home
late and got a good night's sleep.
Please continue to pray for us, especially for open
hearts and health.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated. God bless you
all!
The Team
Update 5
Dear Family and Friends,
Today was our day of rest which we began with a church
service. One of the girls here at the church translated
for us so we could actually understand what was being
preached. After church we started relaxing and unwinding
from the previous days. Some of the team played ping
pong with some of the Peruvians. This was another
opportunity to build stronger relationships with them.
We also practiced the drama that we will be using
in the street clinics.
The drama is set to music without any dialogue and
it is very powerful.
Alexis then got us ready for the upcoming street clinics
by training us to use the Evangicubes. This is the
test we will be using to share the Gospel.
At 10:30 pm we finally got to eat an excellent potluck
dinner with the entire church and celebrate the new
year. We celebrated the new year until
3 am. These Peruvians are such a warm people, when
the clock struck midnight, everybody in the church
got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from everybody else.
It was amazing. During the celebration there was also
a church service.
We thank you for your prayers and continue to ask
for your prayer support.
Especially for the upcoming street clinics.
The Team
Update 6
Feliz año nuevo,
Today we had our site seeing day. It was a good opportunity
to see more of the Lima area. Our morning started
off a little rough though because one of our team
members and also Alexis, our Peruvian leader, both
got sick 
during
the night. We were planning on going to the beach
to see the ocean relax and have some fun. But now
we were a smaller group without a guide. We then loaded
a bus up with our newly recruited guides, our smaller
SPORTREACH team, and many of the church kids from
La Roca and took off for the beach. It is always a
good experience when you take a trip to the beach
with a bunch of midwesterners mixed with a bunch of
young Peruvians.
At lunch time we went back to La Roca and found that
our team mate had been re-hydrated, and was feeling
better, Praise God that it was not that serious. After
lunch, still without Alexis we loaded the whole SPORTREACH
team up, with water bottles in hand, And 
now
with Pastor Juan as our guide, and headed into the
city to see Lima. We went up onto a hill, single lane
shelf road and busses both directions, very fun. But
once on top we could get a better sense of how big
Lima really is. Communities, very similar to the community
La Roca is in, stretched out in all directions where
ever you could imagine a houses or many times shacks
could be build as far as the eye could see. There
are truly millions of people here, and most all of
them have never heard the Gospel of Christ.
The harvest truly is plentifully but the workers unfortunately
truly are few.
In Christ,
The Team
Update 7
Today, Tuesday, was our first day of street clinics.
We went to an area near Jose Galvez and spent the
morning knocking on doors and inviting kids and families
to join us at the park for basketball, volleyball
and soccer games.
It was fun to play games with the kids, build relationships
with them and share the love of Jesus with them. During
the breaks we shared a couple testimonies about Christ
working in our hearts. We completed a second short
sports session and then presented a powerful skit
that portrayed Jesus overcoming the temptations and
trials that could bring us down. The skit lead into
the Gospel presentation. After one of the Peruvian
staff shared the Gospel message, we broke into small
groups to go over the gift of salvation with the kids.
We used our Evangicubes to communicate and show pictures
of the death and resurrection of Christ. We praise
God for the 64 new decisions!
The Team
The team made it home safely and their heart for
missions has been changed forever. The team saw the
Lord bring 165 lost souls to Himself. La Roca Church
will continue to follow up with those that made decisions
and guide them in to a deeper relationship with our
Lord and Savior.
Until next time and until all the nets are full,
Kelly