Some Friends' Wedding

Some friends and neighbors of ours, Elizabeth and Ruben, were married this past Friday. It was a huge step for them, because they have been together for 14 years, living together as if they were married. Elizabeth became a Christian a few years ago, and just last week Ruben accepted Christ as well! They had a civil marriage performed, and afterwards a long reception at their house. (which was quite convenient for us, because it was right next door!)

It was a lot of fun, and like any Peruvian party, with loud music and dancing. We did a bit of that, but soon came the time to throw the bouquet. And guess who caught it!!! (yep! me!) The tradition here is similar to ours in that I'm "the next" but here, it means I'll be married in one year! So get your passports ready! (yea right!..... call me crazy, but I don't see THAT happening!) It was fun anyways, and gave me a great opportunity to pose with the happy couple! (ok, so for your info, it is normal here not to smile in pictures.... they truly are happy!)

My House!!

For a free tour of my place here in Salamanca, go to the following site to see a video! (I apologize in advance for my lameness in many parts, but hey, what can I say? I'm no video journalist!)

Ella Taylor

Many of you may know by now that I am an aunt for the first time!

My brother Matt and his wife Melissa welcomed their first child, Ella Taylor Bennett, into the world on August 13. She came about a month early, but just right in God's timing! (And she'll be 4 months when I get to see her at Christmastime!) She may have been early, but she was very healthy! 6 lbs 9oz and 20.5 inches! She did have some problems with jaundice and losing a bit of weight (which is normal for babies to do) but all is getting better now.




Here she is with her cool and amazing parents!





(She's so precious and a bit addictive, don't ya think??? I can't wait to hang out with her!!! As much as I can't wait to see you all in December if possible, she's the 1st person on my list!....I just wonder, if I'm this obsessed and excited about my niece, what will it be like when I have my own???)

To Matt and Melissa: I know you are and will be great parents! I daily think of you and pray for you and Ella! I couldn't be more excited or happier for you both! She is such a blessing! "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

Starting at the Ground Level

Allow me to share with you some of my excitement over the past 2 days.....

So as the majority of you know, the Lord called me to Lima, Peru, a city of 9ish million people to start a lay-health ministry with the church plants that our team works with. Ever since feeling the first tug on my heart to come here and work in this manner, I've struggled with the feeling of being incapable and inexperienced enough to start something like this. Yet, when the Lord sends, He will reap the benefit (aka He will be glorified), and it won't be an empty result. I have learned to trust Him in new ways, that although I don't always believe that I have the capacities, I know Who does, and He won't ever let me down, and if He's called me to this, He won't let Himself down!

My first few months here were spent mostly getting accustomed to Lima, getting to know some of the people in the churches, doing some of the health talks, and as you all have seen pictures of the sweet children in Huaycan-working with and getting to know them as well. The past few months have been busy with teams, and now through the leadership of the churches and our mission here, some of the vision and goals of the lay-health ministry have been given, and its my time to get the groundwork started, and dream big of how this ministry can help and affect lives for the glory of God. To make a ministry that could be left and self-sustained by those trained to do so in the churches, and who are trained to train, that if the Lord does not call me to stay here in Peru more than my alloted time, that they can do the ministry without me.

My prayers for the Lord's wisdom and guidance have been ever present in my life. And the questions of: "Where in the world do I start?" "What exactly does a lay-health ministry look like?" "How will the lay health promotors be trained?"

The Lord blessed me with a friendship about 3 years ago to Mesha Smith (feel free to ask me the cooler more detailed story later). We met in Birmingham, before the Lord called either of us to mission work. To shorten the story a bit, she is working here in Lima too, but with Food for the Hungry. We actually arrived to Lima about the same time! Anyways, Food for the Hungry is an international organization, and here in Lima they work in 18 different communities training lay health promotors. Yesterday I spent a day with them, touring some of their communities, talking to some of their promotors, asking a bajillion questions, and soaking up their years of knowledge and experience that they have of a Christ-based health ministry. My head is still spinning with ideas. A beautiful relationship has been formed with them, and several staff members there have offered their help as well as some of their materials.

Then today, as my energy was still feeding off the excitement from the day before, I met with Lea, a Peruvian sister in Christ, who attends our church in Santa Anita. She worked with the health ministry in Cusco before she married and moved to Lima. She is also a nurse. We had an exciting time today talking about all the possibilities of a lay-health ministry here through our churches. She has a heart to help, and much experience from her time in Cusco. She wants to work along with me in getting something started, and for it to be healthy, to grow and continue here. We have a very similar vision as well, which always helps in whatever field.

Please join me in praying for His will to be made known to me, Him to use me as His instrument, and Him to lead and guide me with all His wisdom. These days have been very encouraging, and the Lord is showing more of His work that He is doing.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen watch in vain." Psalm 127:1

Its all His work....
I could say, "Unless the Lord develops a lay-health ministry in Lima, the missionary Becca works in vain....."

Post-Teams

So our last summer team left about 2 weeks ago now. I have wanted to write a bit telling about the amazing teams that we had down here this summer. From May to August we had 5 short-term teams come down, each of them a huge blessing, and each quite different.

First in May we had a team from New City Fellowship Church in St. Louis. It was a smaller group of 3 men, and they did construction work and a VBS in Amauta. They were our first group to go to Amauta (which is a new area we are starting a church plant in), and after their week there, essentially the work in that area began. When the VBS started there were around 30 children. By the end of the week there were 180!! Fellow missionary Laura Hoyt is working out there the most.

Then in the beginning of June, we had Laura's church here, Dayspring Presbyterian Church. It was a fun group, several adults, a few young ladies. They did work in Santa Anita, where the church plant that we currently attend is. They did work on tables and chairs/benches for Amauta, and in the afternoons a VBS for the kids in Santa Anita. They were a fun and lively group, did many creative things with the children. Many children in the area came for this too, and many have continued to come for Sunday school on Sundays!

Then in July, right after the 4th of July, a young group from Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian (Atlanta area) came. The majority of this group was youth with some adult leaders in the group. They had what seemed to be an endless amount of energy! They did some work in Huaycan and Amauta. I was with them in the days that they were in Huaycan, doing a mini VBS with the kids in the project there, and also Sunday school. The following week they were also in Amauta, helping with some construction and in the afternoons doing a VBS with the kids. This time it began with around 70ish kids and ended with 270ish!!! This group (like all groups) were great, and some of the youth could speak Spanish, so they were able to do a bit more.

In each of those VBS's I was there several days helping, and on many of those days doing little health talks for the kids. I learned quickly that the kids listen to puppets a lot easier than they listen to me, and so I've taken to doing many different puppet shows for these kids. The first one was about the importance of eating vegetables. Another was a puppet that had a cold and teaching the kids to cover their mouths (we had a little spray bottle to spray the kids each time the puppet sneezed...fun times!!) And then I also had help with a little skit where I taught about washing hands, and I was completely dirty (yet once again... fun times!!!)

Our next team was from the Atlanta area as well, West Cobb Community Church. This group had a different dynamic as there were 2 children, ages 6 and 8, and adults of different ages. We worked with them in our neighborhood, Salamanca, to do a VBS in the afternoons with the kids. A lot more kids came than we were expecting. Granted, not as much as in Amauta, but we had a steady number around 55 every day. We also started Sunday school with these children on Sunday afternoons (which I am helping out with). It makes it a bit convenient in that I only have to walk 2 blocks to get there.

Our last team that left 2 weeks ago was from Nashville, Christ Community Church. This group, the majority women, with Nathan Reidel (former missionary kid), came to do an Art Camp in Huaycan. They taught the kids in Huaycan (ages 4-18) about different art, music, and theater. We had a few translators that week which helped us MTW staff do more of the crowd control. I stayed with the drama class to help with crowd control (aka DISCIPLINE in many cases) as well as to learn and assist for the closing program on Friday night, where the 3 different classes of the kids performed. The performance wasn't error-less, but like any drama presentation of kids, its cute regardless! The kids throughout the week did different art projects, mosaic art, that they did individually, as well as helping with a mosaic on one of the walls in the church of Huaycan. They made metal crosses decorating them with glass beads. They also got to learn (some of them) how to play the dulcimer, and they had a few music lessons to sing a few songs for the Friday night.

It has been a fast and busy summer (South American winter) here, much to the teams. If you are reading this and you were a part of one of the teams. Thank you again!!! You were such a blessing!!! If you are reading this and want to bring a team sometime, shoot me an email!

PS.... I am unable at the minute to post pictures, but as soon as "blogspot" lets me, there will be some picture to accompany the stories!