Trinity's Angels

It's a Celebration

Luz Divina church celebrated their anniversary last week and it came complete with a food extravaganza for over 500 people for 3 days. It was a buzz of activity up to the minute preparing for the fiesta.

From sharpening knives the old fashioned way with a grinder...

To hauling bananas and mangoes...

600 fish were brought in - sliced in half - and then laid flat out on wood planks in the blazing hot sun to dry. Turning them every so often to evenly "bake" bake them. Can you just imagine the aroma!!!

Then a native drink was prepared called "Masato." It is made from boiling yucca (similar to a flavorless potato which is found in abundance here), then mashing it into a sticky substance. From there part of it is chewed and then put back, yes you read right, spit back into the mixture to  be worked into the drink. Sugar is added, it is boiled and then fermented for a couple of days. As adventureous as we are - no Masato for us!

Chickens were brought in by the parishioners to help feed the those coming from the many satellite churches. After this pose...well...it was time to wring the chickens necks. No - Cindy didn't do it...but she could have!



And then we could have plucked the chickens but we opted for the professionals to take charge!

The highlight came when a cow was brought from the church farm to be slaughtered. It took the butcher about 2 hours to finish that job and when he was done the only thing not being used to cook with was the skin and jaw. Even the ear was used after it dried a little on the fence!! See for yourself ...

All in all, the 3 days of celebrating the church anniversary was a tremendous success.

Experiencing Gastronomical Delights in His Mighty Grip,

Stephanie and Cindy

www.TrinitysAngels.org

 

Worshipping in the Jungle ...Bent Tree Style

Technology is amazing. No really - we take it for granted most of the time. It is something that we expect to be there when we need it or before! Here, in the jungle, we do not take it for granted because without it we would not be able to listen to sermons from our home church - Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas. For us Sunday worship is just a little different than it used to be. Okay well maybe more than just a little.

We start off the morning at 7:30 am serving breakfast to 100 children at El Salvador church. After we wash those dishes, we walk 4 blocks back to our apartment to gather up more meals (yes we cook in our kitchen! no health inspectors here...), grab a MotoKar taxi  and head to Luz Divina church to serve an additional 70 meals around  11 am. Getting to a church service during the morning is difficult because of our schedule and the timing. So we have turned to technology to help us in this area.

After downloading numerous sermons online, church is held in our apartment listening to Pete Briscoe, senior pastor at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship. Although the entire service is not available online - or at least we haven't been able to find it - we still sing songs we know or listen to praise and worship through itunes before "tuning into" Pete. Plus Pete speaks in english so we understand more! 

We are "obedient" to stand when Pete says stand to pray before he begins delivering God's words and we are equally as obedient if he says to stand at the end of his sermon and pray. It's a little odd to stand up in our kitchen with no one else around, but we do it! When he says to greet those around you - well, we are great at following through with that - there are just 2 of us here (for the moment) so greeting is easy and quick!!  

Our bi-lingual bibles are on the kitchen table and we follow along taking notes. For many families and friends lots of great things happen around the kitchen table and this is no exception! It is an amazing experience - our version of corporate worship. Thank you Pete and Bent Tree for making these sermons available online. You never know who is watching you and whose lives you are impacting. Well Pete - you are touching lives here in Pucallpa, Peru.  When your name is called at "The Bema," and the Lord says, "will all those who have been touched by Pete please stand,"  Cindy and I are going to be cheering for you and we will be excited to watch all people from Peru that will rise to their feet, unbeknowest to you, that have been impacted by your teachings. Over the past 5 years - there are many in the Amazon villages and jungle as well as various cities in Peru that are impacted because of you and you didn't even know it!!! Don't you just love that concept. Paying it forward.  GRACIAS PETE.

We definitely have the offering basket and tithing part down. We just haven't quite figured out the communion thing yet but we will. No grape juice here - guess we will just make our own...

As Pete says...

"On our knees, palms up" In His Mighty Grip worshipping,

Stephanie and Cindy

www.TrinitysAngels.org

 

Let the breakfast begin..........

Food outreach programs are defiinitely not a new thing. They are new, however, to Trinity's Angels in terms of an ongoing commitment. That is exactly what as been promised to both El Salvador and Luz Divina churches. Every Sunday at El Salvador and every other Sunday (for now) at Luz Divina. Trinity's Angels has commited to provide the funding and/or food for ALL of 2012. We made a bold step of faith that money would be provided and are now following that up with prayer!

Our first meal of this program started at El Salvador a couple of Sundays ago. Bright and early - make that "dark" and early at about 4:30 am we woke up to get ready to meet Marissa and her daughters at their home to help cook breakfast for the children who would be coming to El Salvador that morning. With no facilities at the church, the cooking schedule is rotated between the 8 Sunday school teachers who do the actual cooking and transportation of the food to get it to the church by 7:30 am.

Alexandra, on the left, and Marissa were already cooking up a storm when we arrived at their apartment 3 doors down from us. On the menu... Chifa rice which includes, rice, egg, fried slices of salchicha (spicy hot dogs), green onions and seasoning. Apple juice made from scratch was already in process. A sweet concotion of boiled apples, sugar, cinnamon and water, pureed through a strainer into a 5 gallon bucket. Lots of intensive manual labor. It was a blast being a part of it all!

Check out Alexandra, Marissa and Cindy stirring up a combined 15 kilos (33 pounds of rice) of Chifa rice with all the ingredients mentioned. Once this was accomplished and "taste tested" we covered up the serving dishes, and carried them along with the huge bucket of apple juice outside to be transported via moto-kar to the church!

The children come from the local neighborhood arriving with their parents or bothers/sisters/ or neighbors at around 7:30 am. Some of them attend the Sunday school classes that start right after breakfast at about 8:00 am.

The kids eat in their classrooms, divided by age group. Once the little ones eat then the youth/young adult teachers get to dig in!!

The church had 50 bowls, cups and spoons but it was not enough to continuously feed all those that come. In the past they have had to rush the younger kids to eat so they could pick up the plates, wash them and serve the older kids their breakfast. With a portion of your donations, the church received another set of 50 bowls, cups and spoons. They are thrilled to have the additional items and say... " Muchas Gracias ! "

 

Once the meal is finished, the dishes are gathered up and Cindy and I wash them in plastic tubs that sit on a table right outside the sanctuary. Water trickles into a large pail for us to use to refresh the water in the basins as needed. It's a slow process in our terms, but one that works well for them.

And that's how early Sunday mornings start In His Mighty Grip,

Stephanie and Cindy

www.trinitysangels.org

 

What's for Dinner nowadays...???

We’ve attempted to cook a variety of things in our apartment so far.  Spaghetti, fried bananas, pancakes, guacamole, salsa, beans, tortillas, eggs (hard boiled, fried, scrambled)…  Some turned out okay but some of these turned out to be just short of a disaster.  Everything tastes the exact same – mushy with no flavor - even flavored with the abundance of spices we brought with us.  Well come to think of it...the pancakes and salsa were good but not together! Tired of eggs - after all 24 eggs in a week between the two of us - a bit much. We are learning what works and for sure what doesn’t work!!! Bread and cheese - a staple! This dinner...well at least it had some protein but seriously...

Here is a sample of what’s for dinner nowadays.

Homemade Refried Beans and crackers…who knew???!!!

MMMM Tasty!!!  I love the look on her face… 

Just a little bit more to go…seriously I have to eat this??? Where are the cookies? Where is the ice cream? Where is the chocolate?

For some reason, eating just doesn’t bring the same “joy” to us as it used to…  Maybe that’s a good thing!!!!!!!  We are now true Peruvians – eating out of necessity, not for pleasure!!  

Still losing kilos (but at least getting some protein!) in His Mighty Grip,

Cindy and Stephanie

www.TrinitysAngels.org

Amazon Rain

The sound of the Amazon Rain is like music to the ears. Listening to it fall, sometimes softly and other times torrential, is comforting.  It is a sweet sensation bringing cooler temperatures and washing away the fine reddish color dust that covers everything like a powdery blanket.  The busy main street outside of our apartment is without traffic and noise and quiet is wonderfully deafening.  On one side of the apartment is a dirt road, lined with small homes, that drops down to the Ucayali River about 3 blocks away. The runoff is pouring down the street creating small trenches in the road - difficult to negotiate for the few Moto-Kars that are ferrying people about today.  In the tranquility of rain I wonder about those neighbors along the dirt road and at the bottom of the incline.

The majority of our neighbors live in lean-to wood homes with dirt floors.  Spaces between the boards allow rain to seep in and the rushing water on the ground flows in over dirt floors. Little is dry. No escape from the wetness.  Some live above the water, raised up a small heighth,  at the shoreline of the river which is always in transition. And the rising water brings a different set of concerns for those families.

Looking out the other side of the apartment are kids laughing and screaming. Kids will be kids – no matter where you are…playing in the rain is one of the simple joys of life.

Then there are those adults that are beckoned outside to be in the rain too….. complete with pancho and rainboots – don’t forget the sunglasses! As soon as the rain clears we are on our way to town to find rainboots of our own.  During the next rain storm that is where you will find us – outside playing in the rain and stomping in the mud.

Stepping outside to soak it all in I notice my neighbor’s laundry hanging on the line to dry. Not today!!

In His Mighty grip soaking up the sweet Amazon Rain. 

Stephanie and Cindy 

www.TrinitysAngels.org

 

Consider the Cost - It's Radical...

The following is an excerpt out of “Radical” by David Platt.  Amazing book that challenges us to be the Christians that God called us to be.  Just read it and consider it.  What is the cost?

 
“The price of our non-discipleship is high for the poor of this world.  Consider the cost when Christians ignore Jesus’ command to sell their possessions and give to the poor and instead choose to spend their resources on better comforts, larger homes, nicer cars, and more stuff.  Consider the cost when these Christians gather in churches and choose to spend millions of dollars on nice buildings to drive up to, cushioned chairs to sit in, and endless programs to enjoy for themselves.  Consider the cost for the starving multitudes who sit outside the gate of contemporary Christian affluence…

Indeed the cost of non-discipleship is great.  The cost of believers not taking Jesus seriously is vast for those who don’t know Christ and devastating for those who are starving and suffering around the world.”

A very shy, local village girl outside of Chiclayo, Peru waiting until the very last minute to come inside the church and watch the Max Lucado kids movie. She stayed riveted to her seat as the movie played to a packed audience.

A homeless man we've seen for the past 5 years on the streets in Lima, Peru. We stop and give him bread, water or buy a meal from the street vendors for him. He has never said a word to us but that doesn't matter. He is still our brother and we are called to help.

Young girl outside of Chiclayo, Peru waiting for the kid's program to start. Her mom called for her to go and buy some bread for their family of 10 just as the program started and she was not allowed to watch it. At the end, right before we left, we handed her a packet of crayons, coloring book and some candy. It was a vibrant smile we received in return.

In many of the places we visit, the look on the faces and in the eyes of this mother and her daughter outside of Pucallpa, Peru are repeated over and over. Where is the hope? Is anyone out there who can help?

Considering the Cost and Taking Action In His Mighty Grip,

Cindy and Stephanie

www.TrinitysAngels.org

 

 

A Day at the Docks

Sitting at the local docks is mesmerizing. Lots of things to see. Hundreds of people to watch. So we sit in the shade on the concrete wall overlooking the area and entertain ourselves. Here is a day at the docks.

Not sure why but the men here pull up their shirts all the time. I think it’s a form of air conditioning.

Making repairs on a dock. Yup you got it…he is cutting wood to size with a machete.
 Straight from the boats to the “market stall” these women are selling fresh oranges for squeezing, and sapote for eating. You cut through the hard shell of this fruit revealing a stringy, bright  orange pulp. It is sweet but you definitely need dental floss to get it all out of your teeth. There are some other beans at the bottom right – not sure what they are – but they definitely use them in cooking.

This little boy waited on the boat as it was unloaded, while the boy below caught a nap. Check out his feet hanging in the box they use to sell drinks!

 

It’s fun. It’s exciting. It’s what’s for entertainment nowadays!

Hangin’ out at the docks and chillin’ in His Mighty Grip,

Stephanie and Cindy

www.TrinitysAngels.org

 

There is no Labor Union

Sitting and watching the activity at the docks in Pucallpa is exciting, fun, strange, different and unique.  The long, narrow wooden boats laden with bananas, mangoes, papayas, and other types of cargo come from small villages along the Amazon and Ucayali Rivers.  They navigate here flowing along with the swift current or propelled by the small hand steered Peka Peka motor, so named for the sound the engine makes as it labors under the weight of the cargo. Peka, peka, peka.  Tying up to makeshift docks, the workers unload their cargo within a manner of minutes on the muddy brown shores.

It is a whirlwind of activity as the cargo is offloaded by men carrying loads upwards of 250 – 300 pounds seemingly without straining and yet they personally weigh about 150 pounds soaking wet.

There are children that stand in the water and retrieve the single bananas that fall off the bunches. These are the ones unsaleable but are free for those willing to wait in the dirty, muddy water along the shoreline. So the girl waits in the water with her bag.

The frenzy of motion captivates your senses as bunches of bananas are lined up in columns and stacks for sale.  Other cargo is offloaded and often hundreds of merchants clamor around to buy the fresh fruits that will be sold just yards away from the docks.

The buzz of activity makes you want to run down and buy a bunch or two!! Yet reason holds us back – at least for now! The Peruvians make so many things out of bananas whether fried, mashed, boiled, raw.  It is an inexpensive staple and used much like we use the potato.

The docks. No labor unions. No organized anything! Just people working hard and earning a simple living. It’s a beautiful thing.

Swinging In His Mighty Grip,

Stephanie and Cindy

www.TrinitysAngels.org

“I thought there would be a meal”

During one of our first conversations with Pastor Javier and Saul – (from El Salvador Church where we will help feed the children) – they told us a story.  One of many stories that we heard and will continue to hear I’m sure.  But this one broke my heart and made me realize, yet again, the magnitude and importance of what God has called us to do.

They are currently doing construction on parts of El Salvador Church.  On Sunday mornings they always feed the children of the church and the surrounding area.  Recently, they weren’t able to have the Sunday meal due to renovations.  Pastor Javier said that he saw a little boy standing there at the church and he was crying.  He asked him why he was crying and the boy said, “Because I thought there would be a meal here today.”

We cannot even begin to imagine the hunger of these kids, who depend on the one meal per week that is guaranteed to them.  During the rest of the week, they are left to fend for themselves, sometimes even left to look on the street for what food is left over from someone else. 

There is a reason why we are here in Peru.  There is a reason that you have been called to join us in this mission.  Thirty dollars provides a meal for 100 kids.  With every thirty dollars that we receive, that is one less day they have to go hungry or search the garbage for any remaining food from the day.

 Please join us in providing hope and little bit of sustenance for these kids.

In His Mighty Grip and Wanting to Do More,

Cindy and Stephanie 

www.TrinityAngels.org

 

La Iglesia - El Salvador

A little over 54 years El Salvador church has been in existence teaching God’s word to those in Pucallpa, Peru.

For the past 3 years, Sunday mornings have started out with breakfast for approximately 100 children at 7:30 am. The meal is prepared in the homes of 2 Sunday school teachers on a rotating basis and then brought to the church as there are no kitchen facilities onsite. Children from the church are served as well as the neighborhood kids. Sunday school classes are from 8-10 am, comprised of 8 classes of children, youth and adults. Right afterwards is the main Church service beginning at 10 am and running until 12 pm. Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 to 9:00 are worship services with lots of singing, prayer, fellowship and a short sermon.

The ravages of time are apparent and many are the needs. It is in the midst of the poorest neighborhood in Pucallpa surrounded by homes made of rotting wood and damp floors of time-harden dirt. They live close to the water’s edge of the Ucayali River and because of the close proximity to the water, the insects, well, they too live here.

 

Upon entering the large wooden doors to the church that read “Cristo Vive,” “Christ Lives,” you are swept up into the center of worship. It is a welcoming atmosphere filled with joy and God is definitely in the house.

The interior of the church is large and inviting with many rows of wooden pews. Looking toward the raised pulpit is their church banner printed on white poster paper that reads “ Dos Son Mejores Que Uno,” translated means, Two are Better than One.

Located adjacent to the church via a hallway are the Sunday school classrooms and at either end are two dirt lots laden with rotted timber and other items that are slated to be cleared making way for children’s play areas but in reality they will be a long time in coming. Too much debris right now to do much of anything. They have the labor, the young men of the church but no funding at this point.

Raised on a separate foundation are the bathrooms near one of the proposed play areas. We listened as Saul, one of the pastors, explained the needs of the church, from general construction, to completion of classrooms, from bathroom renovation to purchasing chairs, tables and supplies for the classroom not to mention money to sustain the food program to feed the children. We will definitely blog about their projects and needs along the way.

The corrugated tin roof over the bathroom is collapsed, the plumbing is virtually non-existent with the runoff flowing through a “waste canal” that needs immediate attention. The men’s facilities are labeled “Adán” and the women’s are called “Eva.” You got it…Adam and Eve.

There is a door leading outside of the pulpit area that opens to the hallway with classrooms made of brick walls, no doors. Steel framed open air windows let in what little air flows through from the outside. 4 classrooms house the children from 0 to 14. The room for the babies is still a work in process.

They have a discipleship class of 7-12 year olds modeled after the teachings of Billy Graham. It is a 3 month program after which they go out into the surrounding neighborhood inviting people to church!

The church is excited about the program and has great hopes for success. It’s called La Gran Aventura – The Great Adventure. 

And it’s exactly what we are on.

Living "La Gran Aventura" continually within His Mighty Grip,

Stephanie and Cindy

www.TrinitysAngels.org