Leaving the mountains

Morning of Thursday, August 15

We are departing Cusco, Peru.  We have been here for a week and half.  So much has transpired in our time here.  I am still processing it all. This morning I cried as I said my final goodbyes.  Through communication difficulties, cultural mistakes, laughter, and service we became friends and family.  I have been inspired by the dedication and passion of those here working to spread the gospel message, to disciple God's children, to go to the most remote areas to work for God's kingdom.  I am ashamed of my lackadaisical attitude.  I desire to share the stories, to tell of the work, the give you a glimpse of what God is doing here in the Cusco area of Peru, I am returning home changed.

I have experienced, for a few short days, the lack of many luxuries I take for granted.  Running water, clean water, hot water, heat on demand, soft beds, the Holy Bible in my native tongue, the ability to read and comprehend the written word, good roads, wide roads, electricity, automobiles, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer.... The list goes on.  

The staff of ATEK sacrifice the comforts of home and time with family to train indigenous people in Biblical principals.  Their passion and energy seemingly unending.  Despite waning funds, they continue in their work.  They teach the people to read their own language to enable them to read the Bible in the language they speak.  The travel over narrow mountain roads, often walking long distances into remote villages.  They sleep on cold, hard floors to bring God's message to the ends of the earth.

This staff is so busy, I have few pictures of them.  They are rarely together in one room.  Pastor Fredi is gifted in applying lessons to any situation.  We led a few games with the pastors in training, and he applied Biblical applications.  Yoni, the children's director, in her quiet manner, led the children's camp in what I considered the be the most rough conditions with grace, poise, and efficiency.  Moises, with his fun boyish manner, assists in translation.  Luisa is sweet and teaches literacy.  Tomas and Eusebio, fellow pastors in ATEK, teach with love, compassion, and discipline (Fredi, too).  Milagros, beautiful and graceful, traveled with us to the camp as our cook and translator.  In the office, she continued to translate for us as she worked at her desk as secretary and accountant.  The 'kitchen ladies' were always smiling and provided us with much good food.  They even took five of us gringos on an outing to the market food shopping.  That was an adventure!  

We Americans must have been burdensome,  slowing down their work as they tried to include us in their ministry.  Often it is faster to do it yourself than show someone else.  We put forth efforts where we could, washing dishes, peeling potatoes, praying.  Each one of us tried our Spanish language skills.  

The Quechua pastors' desire to know God puts me to shame.  Many struggle with reading, applying themselves for 15 days of training.  They included my daughter in fútball and gave her compliments.  They tried our games that were hard to explain, first being translated to Spanish then to Quechua, patient in learning from us.  

The Quechua men's voices raised in song, with the mandolin accompanying, is a sound I hope to never forget.  Although I did not understand the words, I understood their worship.  As they cried out in prayer simultaneously, my heart pleaded with God to hear their prayers.  The man who shared his Quechua hymnal book with us as we butchered the pronunciation of the Quechuan words sang with gusto, he seemed to appreciate our efforts to sing words that are meaningless to us.

To see their joy on the final night to receive a new Bible in Quechua was a privilege.  They cherish and respect their Bibles, handling them with care.  They joyfully held up their Bibles in celebration and thanksgiving.  

I will miss these mountain residing people.  They endeared themselves to me.  I pray that I will be able to share with you a glimpse of this beautiful land and people, inspire you to pray for them, support them, and ultimately grow in your own faith.