We are happy to be back in Trujillo, Peru to help run Noah’s Ark camp with Peru Mission. It is always a blessing to serve others using the experiences we have had running Twin Lakes Camp in Mississippi. We have seen the Lord use this camp in many different ways through the years and are excited to see the way that He will glorify Himself through our time together this year.
Our team of 23 left the states on Friday, December 27th to start our journey to Peru. All of our travels went smoothly and we arrived on time in Lima, early in the morning on December 28th. After an extended time getting through immigration with all of the other international arrivals, we met Alleen Tomas, our contact with Peru Mission, who helped us get across town to our hotel to get a few hours of much needed sleep.
Saturday brought us a new day starting with a delicious brunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Mangos restaurant (so good) and a little time to take some photos and stretch our legs before heading back to the airport to head to Trujillo. After quickly dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we headed to meet the Peruvian counselors and staff that we would be working with this week at camp. It’s always great to get the entire staff together and cast vision for the work that will take place. Warm welcomes and introductions began our time together in addition to learning the music we are using this week at camp. Our theme song for the week was written by Thomas Callen, the assistant camp director at Twin Lakes. The American staff introduced the song by singing in English and the Peruvians followed in Spanish. This process was such a great reminder to everyone, that no matter what language we speak or culture we live in, that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and can praise the one true God together. It was definitely a great way to begin our time together!
Sunday was a much needed day of rest. The team was able to get a full night’s sleep and worship in one of two mission churches – Cristo Rey or Cristo Restaurador. The music and message were all in Spanish and though it was hard to follow at times, it was still a reminder of the mighty God who came to Earth to live the perfect life we couldn’t live and offer Himself for His people so that we might received His righteousness. For those who are in Christ, we will one day worship TOGETHER at the foot of the throne. This week is just a taste of what that will be like, and for that we are truly grateful!
Sunday afternoon allowed for some rest and a few camp preparations. One group headed to camp to set up our Octoball pit and the other group prepped some craft supplies before heading to La Taberna, a chicken and french fry restaurant. Following dinner a small group of us headed to the Plaza de Armas near the hotel we are staying in. The plaza is still decked out in its Christmas finery and is always a fun cultural experience that is a must for our time here. There are lots of neat Christmas trees all around the plaza, nativity scenes, food vendors, entertainers, artists, and even some recognizable icons like Olaf the snowman (not gonna lie…he was a little scary), Spiderman, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the Grinch and Santa Claus.
Monday brought us the first day of camp. We were up for breakfast at 7:00am and out the door by 7:30am to head to pick up supplies on our way to Moche, the area where camp is held. We started the day with some singing and devotions on the way to the campground. We were encouraged from 1 Corinthians 13 how we are made in God’s image and of His great love for us. Once at camp we quickly set up any supplies for our activities and then began greeting each church group as they arrived. Our tradition is to welcome them with cheers and a tunnel they can run through under our arms. They LOVE it – and, truth be told, so do the counselors!
The camp is divided into 5 color groups consisting of children and staff from all of the mission churches, school and ministries. Each group participates in 6 activities each day – Bible story, crafts, octoball, pool, sports, and super fun games. Throughout the day the staff keep a tally of points for each group for their participation, ability to work together, obedience and punctuality. At the end of the week the group with the most points wins a prize. The end of each day culminates with a final assembly where the Bible skit is presented. This year the story is the parable of “The Prodigal Son.” The Peruvians have done an incredible job preparing these skits for camp that are both entertaining and illustrate the lesson.
Following camp, we headed back to the hotel to shower and rest until dinner at Stuart and Meg Mills home. The Mills are missionaries with Peru Mission and were excellent hosts. It’s always enjoyable to spend time together at the end of a busy day over a delicious meal.
For the most part, our team is doing well. We have a couple who are tired or experiencing some minor ailments…but pretty good so far. Please continue to pray for us as we seek to serve others when energy is beginning to wane. We appreciate your support in this way.
(Sorry for the delay. We had some technical difficulty getting the blog to post.)