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Who am I?
The more I walk through the barrio here in the 4th zone of Collique, the more I ask myself, “Who am I?” You might think of the song of the Casting Crowns with that same question as title, but that song has nothing to do with economic situations. My main question is: who am I, that I was born in the Netherlands in an average income family?
I asked myself the same question when I was living in working in Cameroon for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Part of my job there was maintaining the houses and apartments of the other missionaries. There I repaired things which the neighbors couldn’t dream of. Yes, it changed me. When I returned to the Netherlands, it took me a bit to adapt back. Partly, because of another culture shock I got shortly after my return, because two weeks later I flew to the USA to meet Elizabett for the first time.
I missed my connection in Chicago, so I got to spend some more time on O’Hare Airport. There I was, for the first time on US soil, excited to meet Elizabett for the first time in a couple of hours, but also overwhelmed by all. It was September 2006, and for the first time I saw a guy walking and talking aloud with nobody close to him and without cell phone. It was after the third person, that my eye caught the little black “ear cover.” Little did I know…. In these first hours in the US, there was so much more “for the first time.” Yes meeting Elizabett, but that’s not what I am talking about here.
Who am I, that I have a nice apartment on the third floor of the OSA-house here in Collique? Okay, this apartment has room for a family, like the family that lived here before us with their two little boys. But still. Back in September last year, we returned from our first visit of a family in the community. The house of the family of five is about one third of our apartment. I asked Elizabett, did you ever dream to live in a penthouse? Well, here we are in penthouse Collique. Out of our living room window we oversee the first four zones of Collique and now during the summer months we can even see the Pacific. We have running water and a boiler, washing machine en dryer, etc. Compared to so many around us, we are living in wealth.
How easy it is for a human being to complain? I can tell you, easy. If it is not the heat, it is the dust, or the cold (because we don’t have central heating), or the dogs, or the music, or problems with the water system, etc. It’s easy to forget the circumstances in which the people around us live.
One day, we visited a family, who at that time where reconstructing the house because of property issues. The master bed stood in the living room, which was also the dining room, television room, play room for the children, and whatever other room we can think of in the western world. When we asked where the two children were going to sleep, the mother said on a mattress on the floor. There was hardly room for the mattress, so we offered the children our guestroom. That night, each one slept in a bed (instead of together in a single-persons) in our guestroom, which was bigger than their house at that moment.
These weeks, we are preparing for the group that will be here in the last week of April. We are planning on helping four families with the construction team. When family’s is in a really bad shape, so we offered to construct a new. The family of five lives in a house of 16’ by 16’. That’s the size of our living room! Who am I?
At the moment, I am reading a book, which I had for several years without touching it. It is called “Revolution in World Missions” Why I didn’t pick it up before? I think that I was not ready for it. But today I am. In this book, Dr. K.P. Yohannan is teaching me what I already was thinking. It confirms that everything I do needs to go hand in hand with the Gospel. He encourages me to work harder on my Spanish to better communicate the Good News with all people. If you haven’t read it, you can order a free copy online. Or download a pdf version of the book here.
The struggle with the difference in the economic situation in which we live will continue, but I know who I am in Christ. This is the most important thing I have to share, so that soon I can sing the song of the Casting Crowns together with my neighbors!
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earthWould care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart Not because of who I am But because of what You’ve done Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours
An open Bible
As supporters of Open Doors and prayer partners for our persecuted brothers and sisters, we can a kind of imagine what it means to live in a place where the Bible is prohibited. I say “a kind of imagine,” because I am sure that we never fully understand what it really means. At moments I find myself with God’s Word in my hand, but daydreaming and not into reading it. Then I think about the persecuted part of the body of Christ and say to myself “I should read the Bible if it was the last time!”
I thank God that I always lived in places where I could walk the streets with the Bible in my hand. I could sit in a park and read this book without problems.
Also in Lima we can do so without problems. So, that’s what we do, also with the children and their families. Elizabett is teaching them about Jesus and the Bible two times per week and once a month we have a Bible study with their mothers together. There is a list, on which the mothers indicate if they want us to come to their homes for Bible study. As I wrote in the last blog, several of them requested these studies more frequently. Praise God!
During the first weeks of this year, when the children had summer holidays, Elizabett asked the teenagers to do a devotional from Monday to Friday. Each day, they were asked to read a passage in the Gospel of John—the Bible book we study this year—and to write some thoughts of reflection in their notebook. Although it was homework, Elizabett never pushed them. Reading the Bible should be something they do out of a desire, isn’t it?
At the end of the holidays, there were six of them who faithfully did the devotionals every day. Elizabett wanted to award them with a gift. We decided to take them to Miraflores. Beside some sightseeing, we took some time to talk about the favorite passage of each one of them in the first fourteen chapters of John’s Gospel. We all had our Bible open, which caused some people to look at us differently, but nobody told us that we couldn’t do it.
As I wrote, also in the homes we open the Bible. Last week, we were reading God’s Word with a mother and her daughter, when the grandmother walked in. She was filled with joy to see her daughter and granddaughter study the Bible together. I imagined it could be the first time. How different would this be in countries that are on the World Watch List of Open Doors…
This Thursday, Dr. Campos and his wife Ruth take all OSA personal to Chaclacayo for a two day retreat. There we will open the Bible too. Together we want to seek God’s will and direction for our lives and for OSA. We pray the Holy Spirit to guide us during this retreat. Please, do you want to pray for us too?
Today, I received a eNewsletter of Open Doors with a story about ‘explosive’ growth of Christianity in Iran. I quote Open Doors USA president and CEO Carl Moeller, “Men and women, out of emptiness of their current situation spiritually, are turning to faith in Jesus Christ despite the literally lethal risks in doing so,” Moeller said. “That’s only attributable to the work of the Holy Spirit.”
In Peru there aren’t lethal risks, but it’s the same work of the Holy Spirit. We can open the Bible, but nothing happens without His work!
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:13-15 (NIV)
Last weeks of 2011
Thursday, December 8th was a holiday in Peru. On this day we took the Scouts to the beach of Ancon. We left Collique around 8 in the morning. The sky was filled with clouds and the sun was still behind them, but the spirit was good. We expected a sunny sky when we would arrive at the beach, but there it was even cloudier and the little breeze from the ocean made it a little chilly.
In the end of the day, we saw the sun for a little while and still had lots of fun in the water and on the beach. Some of the mothers had prepared a great tasting lunch in the early morning, which was enough for two meals for all. We all look back on a great day and although the sun was there for only a while it was enough that I still got sunburn.
Musical “Ray el Angel”
Saturday, December 10th, was the big day for which the sixth graders practiced two hours per week since August. Although, OSA had the last classes the Wednesday before, Elizabett continued to practice the musical, “Ray el Angel.” Friday, December 9th, the whole group was present in the Church to get an idea place and practice the choreography.
At 6:30pm all children were ready to show their parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, friends, etc. and some church members what they had practiced. The sixth graders all with a new shirt, which stated “Angeles en Accion” (Angels in action), came singing and ‘flying’ to the platform. After a nervous start of the first song, they all did a great job in both singing and acting. The first graders acted the nativity scene during one of the songs. The mothers of these little ones did a great job on the outfits.
For more photos, click on the photo.
OSA Christmas Celebration
In the afternoon of Wednesday, December 14th, was OSA’s Christmas celebration and closing ceremony. The first part of the program was for two Christian clowns (payasitas). They did a great job. They brought smiles to the faces of all and in the end got most of the parents dancing and singing with their children. They even managed to share the Gospel during their 45 minute presentation of fun, songs, dances, and puppet show.
After the clowns it was time for another performance of the musical. Most of the people in the audience had been in the church on Saturday, which helped the children to give a more relaxed performance. In the end of the event the children and mothers received gifts. There was also Panettone and hot chocolate to make the Christmas celebration complete.
For more photos of this event, click on the photo.
After the Christmas program we set good-bye to the people of Collique. We never imagined that four months can bond so much that even a farewell for three weeks can bring a certain emotions. Yes, these people have already a special place in our hearts that we miss them now.
But we are for an extra reason with my family in the Netherlands right now, because on the day of OSA’s Christmas celebration (December 14th), my parents celebrated 40 years of marriage. Last year, we were in Holland too, that time Holland was already white. (photos of last year) At the moment temperatures are above average and days are cloudy with some rain. However, we enjoy the time with our family and a time during which our bodies and minds can rest of the busy last months in Collique with lots of impressions, testimonies, life stories, etc. We don’t dream of a white Christmas, but we pray for peace on earth, a peace that starts in the hearts of people. This is also the prayer for you, the reader, and for the people of Collique. Only the Christmas child can give that peace, which many are searching for.
Exciting week ahead of us
Tomorrow morning we will visit a church in Lima where we will meet the group of Americans who will serve in Collique the coming week from Monday till Friday. Among them, nine doctors, a gynecologist, an optometrist, two dentists, eleven ‘constructors’ (or do-it-yourselfers;)), a group for VBS and others. In total the group exists of over 50 people. Yesterday, most have them arrived in Lima and the rest followed today.
After the service tomorrow morning we will have lunch and then we all will come to Collique. In the afternoon, we will have a service for which the families of the OSA children are invited as well. After that some final preparations for the work that will start Monday morning.
The medical campaign is how the work of OSA started here in Collique. Each year there are still two of those weeks. One in March and the other in October. In October, the group is usually larger, we are told.
Last Wednesday and Thursday, people could register. The registration began at 9 a.m., but the first were already at the door at half past nine the night before. At 9 am there was a long line.
In a day and half the schedules of all doctors were filled, so we could post a sign that the registration was closed.
During the week, Kees will be involved in the construction work. In general, we look at the needs of the OSA families. This time we will build in three places. One bedroom on the second floor of a house, a bedroom behind a house that was destroyed by falling rocks and a bathroom behind a house that currently only has “walls” of plastic. Last Friday, we brought all material to the construction sites with a mototaxi. Unfortunately I don’t have pictures, because it was quite a challenge on the sloping unpaved streets of Collique.
First, Elizabett was planned to be interpreter for VBS team, but after today this has changed. When we asked whether there is a place where people can go for prayer/pastoral care, it seemed not the case. So now, that’s the place were Elizabett will be. Ultimately, that’s one of the reasons we are here at OSA…
For daily news about this campaign we refer to OSA’s Facebook page.
We also hope to post some news about the happenings during the week.
We ask you to keep this week in your prayers.
Operación San Andrés
Operación San Andrés (OSA) is the organization for which we will work here in Lima, starting this Monday, August 15. The past weeks, we had some meetings with the director of OSA and discussed our expectations by phone with the founder of OSA, Dr. Luis Campos.
OSA exists to provide holistic aid to the indigent and underserved people of Collique, a shantytown in the north of Lima. In addition to regular medical and dental care campaigns, OSA personnel in Peru provide continuous medical, educational, nutritional, and spiritual help to the poorest residents of Collique with an emphasis on assistance to children and their families.
Dr. Campos started this ministry in 2003. When he and his wife were looking for a place to start a ministry like this they drove through Lima and finally felt God called them to Collique. After much prayer and meditation we feel the call to join them in their effort to improve the lives of the people of Collique.
In the beginning, the ministry was focused on the medical needs of the people, with medical campaigns. OSA continues with these campaigns, but since 2006 the OSA house came in existence when OSA bought a house in Collique and reconstructed it to a three level building. Now, from Monday through Friday a group of eighteen 1st graders and twenty 6th graders come after school to OSA. There, they get a lunch, which is prepared by four mothers. After the lunch the children get classes reading, math, and science. Classes also emphasize spiritual development, recreation, and crafts. The reason for these classes is because the poor education the children receive.
Over the last years, Dr. Campos recognized a strong spiritual need in the families represented by these children as well as in the community. That’s why OSA was looking for a couple that can help with teaching, but also work with the families and reach the community with the Gospel. It’s nice when two dentists help more than 400 children get a beautiful smile, but it’s better when this smile represents the joy in Jesus Christ.
The third floor of the OSA-house is an apartment, where we will move next week. This is another transition in three months time, but we are excited that we can start serving God in OSA.
For more information about OSA, visit the website at http://www.operacionsanandres.org/.
In the next post we will share some more details about our work.
At the moment, we applied for a resident’s visa for me, which will take a couple of weeks. When I have my visa, I need to leave the country and go to a Peruvian embassy in another country to get a stamp in my visa. This visa is for five years, after which I can apply for permanent residency.
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Please, pray for
- us as we prepare to work and live in Collique.
- the visa process
- the children and families at OSA
- a smooth transition
