...we've just been kind of busy. i have a ton of photos on our camera that i need to upload onto the pc so i can add some new pics on here!!!
I hope you all had a great Resurrection Sunday. We celebrated with 12 in our home fellowship. We had a big lunch after the service. I made Aji de Gallina, my and Ricky's favorite Peruvian dish. Being gringa, however, I had to mix in a little gringo tradition...an easter egg hunt. It was different though because we didn't have easter eggs... it was just a candy hunt. I have yet to find food dye in this city, so perhaps next year, we'll dye eggs too! There were only 4 kids under the age of 10 this day... and they absolutely LOVED the hunt! I'm sure it's a tradition they want to keep up for all the years to come.
We kept the candy hunt simple and didn't glorify the commercial side of Easter, which has taken over Easter in the U.S. It seems in the U.S. even Christians look forward more to the family dinner and easter egg hunts and chocolate bunnies and Cadbury eggs (although i do love those things!!) than the real meaning of Easter.... the Resurrection of the Christ!
We discussed one of the questions on Sunday morning with the church group, what would have happened if Jesus didn't resurrect? I suppose his story would be remembered like any other prophet or revolutionary, like Nostradamus or Che Guevarra. He would be remembered on certain days of the year and even then by only select groups of people. He probably would be remembered as a good person just like Mother Teresa. But in reality, if Jesus didn't resurrect it would mean that he was a liar and a fake. It would mean that our faith is worthless. It would mean that Jesus was not/is not the Messiah.
But the hope and trust that we have in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, is that Jesus came, lived, died and was raised again just as was prophesied many years even before he was born into the world. Hundreds of witnesses saw him in the 40 days that he continued ministry after resurrection. If it were all false and if Jesus just died and that was it, the important pillars of the Christian church, like Peter and Paul would not have gone on to die for Jesus.. to be martyred for their faith. The disciples would have stayed in the boat and kept fishing just like they had before they met Jesus. But they didn't stay in the boat! And it is through their testimonies and the Holy Spirit working through them that the church even now exists... and that even today people all over the world remember the resurrection... and that Jesus' story keeps being told and keeps changing peoples lives even more than a few thousand years later.
Happy Easter!
Finally! Here are a couple pics from the last few weeks. We have had 80 kids on average each Saturday. It has been craziness.. but such a blessing! We have been praying for help to arrive and God has heard our prayers. Although just short-term, we will be receiving 2-3 interns beginning in May, to stay between 2-5 months.
Looking at this pictures reminds me that we need to re-decorate the classroom! The kids don't mind that the room is decorated very simply, because the majority of these kids live in homes with just dirt floors.
2 weeks ago we were invited to the birthday party for one of the girls, turning 11. It was really special for us to be invited and to go to their home and dance with a bunch of kids!
Many of the children bring along their younger brothers or sisters who are only between 1 and 2 years old. The responsibility is on the older siblings to take care of and watch out for the little ones, as with 80 children, we aren't able to make sure they don't eat crayons or fall down. The older kids do well at taking care of the babies because they are used to it...
A few weeks ago I was able to be very peruvian and carry a baby on my back! I was worried that the little 7 month old, Nicol, would fall right out the bottom of the mantel onto the ground! but the fabric that is used is very thick and when is tied, it doesn't come untied very easily. But still, I held my hands behind my back and under the little ones' feet..just in case!
