Activate Ministries

Day 13 - National Museum: A day to remember

Monday morning, Feb. 15 was free so as a team we decided to head to the National Museum to learn a little more about Peruvian culture. We were aware that we would learn about the history and even expected observe some of the inca artifacts but little did we know that we would truly be impacted by the most recent history that of the Peruvian people.

One whole floor of the museum was dedicated to the terrorism attacks of the 80s & early 90s. The attacks were lead by the "Shining Path" group and much of the government was corrupt, therefore there was not much that could be done. From talking to people, it appeared as thought the president himself was corrupt. This group was involved in drug trafficking and fought for power in the most violent manner. Both rural and urban areas were attacked with bombings, kidnappings, rape and many other brutal forms of violence.

Roads were often covered with rocks or garbage so that transportation was not available for those who attempted to escape.

This is the result of a bombing on July 16, 1992 on Tarata St. This is located just 4 blocks from where we stayed in Lima. This was a street we had walked through several times but until we the museum visit we really did not realize that history that was all around our feet. The building is now restored and a monument is resurrected in memory of this disaster.

During the attacks many children were left orphaned and so they were taken in by catholic orphanages or shelters. There children were responsible to help by doing chores and following rules of the nuns.

As we walked through this particular floor of the museum, everything got quieter. There were videos, photos, and documentaries which brought to life the seriousness of what Peruvian people have lived through, within the last 20 years. We were all struck by the fact that these attacks occurred within our life time. Which also meant that many of the youth and young adults lived through it. When we met up with our translator, Inez, 25, the next day we chatted to her about these attacks and she told her that she remembers the attacks. There were days when the Shining Path, decided it was a home day and anyone who stepped outside their homes would be shot. To children, she said, it was just a day off from school but for others who disobeyed this rule, it was their last.

Visiting the national museum really opened our eyes to the people we were ministering to. Within those 20 years, many children were orphaned and families were left with very little to survive on. But we recognized that the attacks ended only 15 years ago and to see how well the people have rebounded is absolutely amazing. There has been a mighty move of God since the attacks. People have truly looked to God for hope, protection and guidance to get through difficult times. Peruvian people are strong, determined people. They live for today as they are not guaranteed tomorrow. And while the rest of the world is not guaranteed tomorrow either, we tend to play it safe and not give God our all. These people are totally abandoned to their faith. They trust God with everything and respond to God's call, without hesitation and they know He is the only one that is constant in their lives. There's a lot to learn from people who have truly experienced difficult times.

Youth BBQ

Later in the evening we had several youth from the Dean's church over for a BBQ. There were about 40 people that we got to hang out with and learn more about. It was so awesome trying to communicate with some of them. Many of the youth could speak English quite well, while others knew very little. We know very little Spanish so it was awesome to have youth who knew both languages to help out. And sometimes we just used GoogleTranslator. All in all it was an awesome night!

The whole day was a day of experiences and knowledge that we'll never forget! Its been memorable.

Day 10-12

Day 10 - Its a Fiesta!!!

On Friday we had the opportunity to be apart of our first "quinceanera". This is not only found in Peru but many hispanic cultures celebrate this significant event. The tradition celebrates a young girl who is turning 15 years old (la Quinceanera), and recognizes her journey from childhood to maturity. The customs highlight God, family, friends music food, and dance.

This young girl, Daniella, is one of the youth as Dean's church. We were invited to play some music at the reception portion of her celebration. It was a little nerve wrecking as we did not know what to expect. But it ended up being quite an interesting and fun evening. We played music then Ashley gave a word of encouragement to Daniella about being a woman of God in an ungodly world. By the end of the night we had learned what it meant to be a 15 year old in the Peruvian culture.

Day 11 - Youth Services

Saturday afternoon, the guys headed to Collage @ 4PM which was held at San Isidro church (Mother church). Collage is the typical name for youth group within all the Emmanuel Biblica churches here in Peru. There we led worship and Jase spoke to the youth from God's word. It was an awesome service. Youth definitely know how to have fun in worship that's for sure. Us girls weren't feeling so great as we had been sick for a few days, so we rested during the first service then met up with the guys for the second service. At 8pm we went to Indepencia for GENERACIÓN NUEVA, which is the youth/young adults services within Emmanuel Biblica. There Rick spoke a message and there was an amazing time around the altar afterwards.

Day 12 - San Isidro

On Sunday we attended San Isidro church, which is known as the mother church in Lima. It is from this church that many of the other Emmanuel Biblica Iglesia Assemblies are planted (ex. San Miguel, Indepencia, etc.). This church in particular holds 6 different services on any given Sunday, beginning at 7AM and the last service at 7PM. We attended the 11AM service which was an awesome experience as we got to take in a typical Sunday morning worship service in Peru. Before coming to Lima, we were told that each service there would be about 10-15 people who would give their hearts to God and to be honest we were doubtful about that. But after seeing 12 people give their hearts to God in the 11AM service, we were hopefully for what God would do in the evening services.

That evening, we were apart of the 5PM & 7PM services, leading worship and Lorne brought the word. In both services there was a total of about 25 people who made a first time decision while others spent time in prayer. There was no doubt in our minds that God was at work in this church, especially after seeing people respond to him with our own eyes.

Day 7 & 8

Day 7- Through the Eyes of One Child

On Tuesday morning we went along on a little trip with the missionary, Dean, to visit his Compassion sponsor child. His 7th birthday is at the end of the month so all went to celebrate with him. We met at Compassion Peru country office and there, greeting us, was the sweetest little boy, his mom and his 5 year old sister. We all went inside to sit and chat with the family, with translators of course, as Dean gave him his birth present as well as a little something for his sister. It was one of those moments that every sponsor wishes they could experience... meeting the little boy or girl that they support every moment and getting to hear from his/her mother and sister how life is for them and where the money is being used. We had a chance to play games with the kids, sing a song for them then we all went out to lunch. The restaurant had a play area (similar to McDonalds) and the kids had a blast playing there after lunch. It was such a blessing to be there with them.As we chatted with the family, the Compassion representative told us that both children were in school and while their dad was not in the picture they were generally doing well. They live in a one room home and for the longest time the children did not have a bed, so they slept on the hard floor. Recently through their sponsors and Compassion, funds were provided to buy bunk beds so now all members of the family are able to sleep on beds. Mom rises very early each day to work 5am-1pm at an orphanage washing clothes. She is a very hard worker and has the marks on her hands to prove it. This family lives on approximately $120 American each month... thats about $0.60 an hour to support her family. Thankfully both children have sponsors which helps with daily costs of living yet it still made us realize how fortunate we really are.

Day 8 - San Miguel

On Wednesday night we headed to a little church in San Miguel where we took part in their weekly prayer service. While this church may have been a small in size, their worship is contagious. After the worship time, Jase spoke the Word. There was a great response to the word and it was amazing to interact with the people as we prayed together around the altar.

Peru - Day 4 & 5

Saturday night we returned to Manchay to minister to the youth there. At 5:30 we arrived and set up just outside the church. With our instruments under tarps and with carpet rolled out on the gravel, we began the service. The youth began with dance routines then we led in worship and the word. It was so great to see some of the moms, children and youth from the day before when we did children's ministry. We came away from that night amazed at how normal it felt to just hang out and worship with these youth. It is so easy to look at these people and pity them but God is definitely at work in the people of Manchay. Right after this service we drove back into Lima to head to a young adults service, where we will be ministering next week.

This morning we travelled to Indepencia, a little part of Lima. We were there for two services, the first at 9am Rick spoke and the second at 11am, Lorne spoke. It was so amazing to worship with these people. They have such a heart for worship and it was a privilege to worship with them. They praise God with so much joy and celebration and this was something that became quite evident in both services. 4 people gave their hearts to God in the 2 services and we could not wipe the smiles off our faces. Before the speaking, we were able to take in the worship leading of the team there. Singing in Spanish was a bit of a challenge but by the second service, we could almost understand what we were singing. : )

Tonight we went to Zarate, which is an area known to be dangerous. It would not be uncommon to experience robberies or muggings in this area, so we took a little extra precaution. But boy was it ever worth it. While tonight was this church's main Sunday service, it was amazing to see how many youth attended. This little church was packed and over half were youth and children and God's presence was there right from the start. These people are sooo hungry for God's presence and when the call was made in the after service, so many people came to seek God. 4 people gave their hearts to God and so many more just spent time praying.

Actually we have been learning some of the language which has been a success so far. When we meet people we say "como estas?" = how are you. "Mi nombre es..." = My name is. "Bounos Dias" = Good morning. Slowly we're learning. One thing that hasn't taken long to learn is that the Peruvian people are very hospitable people. They truly have a servant's heart and they have been blessing us so much since we've been here. It is such a privilege to be in Peru. Its only been 4 days and already God has done so many amazing things... but we know there is so much more that God has in store and we're so excited to experience it!!!

Manchay

Indepencia

Zarate

Peru- Day 3

Officially our ministry began today. This morning, we taxied 1 hour southeast to the reigion of Manchay. Found at the foot of these dry mountains is a little settlement of people. There's not much use for the land other than building on. The ground is very dry, making it difficult for families to grow crops on, while some do make efforts. It doesn't rain often which adds to this issue. Families live in house such as seen in the photo above. Out our windows we could see little 8x8 one room houses can be seen everywhere. There was silence as we drove in.

We arrived first in New Manchay, which appeared to be less fortunate than Manchay. The land seemed barren and it was almost unbelievable that people even lived there. As we approached the location where they held church services, we realized that we had arrived, this was where we would be doing children's ministry.

It was a little difficult to get going, as its seems everyone was feeling and thinking the same thing... "Seriously? People live here." But it didn't take long for us to clue into the fact that, they are people just like us and we got ready to have some fun with the about 300 kids.

The pastors introduced us and then we began. Ashley led the kids in some a few games and Lorne led them in some songs. Then we all did a skit which led into a Bible lesson and a prayer time. Afterwards, we passed out clothes, school supplies and toys to the kids. There were lines of boys and girls for as far as we could see. Moms and grandmas came with their children to get toys and sewing kits. Even those who were pregnant came to get clothes for their new borns. It was such a blessing to have the donations to give. "Gracias" is a word we heard a lot, "thank you".

Peru - Day 1

Well we have arrived! After 15 hours of travel we landed in Lima, Peru. It was quite late when we got to bed which worked perfectly as Dean (the missionary) had planned for today to be a rest day for us. Dean's sister, Deborah, graciously allowed us to stay at her place and had a delicious peruvian meal prepared for us. We ate lunch with Pastor Gilbert & his wife at 3pm (as is the custom in Peru to having a larger lunch in the afternoon between 2p-5p then a smaller supper). Pastor Gilbert is the youth pastor at the church Dean attends, Emmanuel Iglesia Biblica. He later invited us to the church for a tour of where we would be ministering while in Lima. On the way we toured a little

of Lima... lots of people, markets, restaurant,

cafes in this city... so exciting!!

We've got lots more to do and see. We will be spending just under 3 weeks ministering to youth and children her in this beautiful country. There are lots of ministry opportunities to experience, many people to meet and some fun times to be had. For those who have been following us, thank you for all your support and prayers. And now more than ever, we ask that you pray for us.

Tomorrow will be visiting Manchay (known as the slums of the Lima region) to do children's ministry. Donations came flowing in before we left from Canada and tomorrow we will get to see what God had in mind when he blessed us with so many teddy bears, school supplies, clothing and many other things. We're pretty exciting. We will be updating this blog every day or two with pics and stories, so all our friends & families can see what God is doing in Peru.

Winter Retreat 2009 - North West Family Church

We just got back from our second winter retreat with North West Family Church in Calgary. There we joined Pastor Joe Battiston and 21 of the youth for yet another, awesome winter retreat. We travelled 20min. outside the city to a camp where we spent the weekend worshiping God together, learning from the Word and building on relationships we started last year. It was so awesome to see the growth in that youth group from just one year ago. No holding back with these guys... whether it was in worship or in pranks, they are an all or nothing kinda of crowd. It made for a fun and adventurous weekend.

God did some pretty awesome things. Youth received their baptism and freedom from all kinda of strongholds in their lives. Many of them dove into worship in ways they had not in the past. On Sunday morning the opportunity came for anyone who wished to give a testimony and so it was such a blessing to hear of God's work from the youth themselves. After seeing and hearing about God move in so many unique ways, we came away from the weekend feeling so satisfied. Having just a small part of what God is doing in today's generation is our raison d'être.

We are so blessed!

Home for the Holidays

Most of the team grew up in Newfoundland and the one who didn't, is marrying a Newfie gal this summer. So its not hard to believe that over Christmas holidays we ended up in NL. And since most of us were home, we figured we'd help out in a few youth groups.

Our first stop was in the little town of North West Brook, where we hung out with some old youth group friends and meet a new faces. Then we were on to the Worship Centre in St. John's for a city-wide youth rally. It was awesome to see well over 200 youth come together from all over the city. There was lots of energy from the youth which made it so fun. We also had the opportunity to connect as we chatted to many of them afterwards. We're looking forward to going back home for ministry sometime in the near future!

A Visit to La Belle Province

If you've never had the chance to visit Montreal, you're definitely missing out. Known as the "Canadian Cultural Capital" it is filled with such life and respect for the arts. Its long-lasting tradition of jazz and rock music has continue to thrive on St. Catherine Street and talent for dance, theatre and visual arts is also noticed. Incidentally, Montreal is home to those as talented as Celine Dion, Caroline Rhea and Mario Lemeux. But whether it is a winter of summer visit, Montreal proud has many attractions on display. Montreal's great history can be experience in its Old Port where its social, cultural and economic heart is located since the days of fur trading in the1600s. Beauty is no stranger to Montreal but with all of its aesthetics Montreal has a great need for Christian influence.

Though it may be that we raise thousands each year to travel overseas to further the Gospel, Canadians need to recognize the need for the Gospel right here in our own nation. Quebec has such a strong presence of Catholicism in the traditional sense. Yet about 5% are actually practicing Catholics and less than 1% of people claiming to be Christians. The is such a disconnect between God and today's generation. Many youth are growing up with an "anything goes " attitude which can often be translated into the way they dress, the friends they hang out with, the activities they involved themselves in and ultimately, the lifestyles that they choose. With these statistics ringing in our ears, we felt that as Canadians we had a duty to fulfill in reaching out to the youth of Quebec. So in October of last year we headed to Montreal to see where we could help.

Now just one year later on October 22, Activate took a trip to Montreal for the 2nd time. We met up with some old friends at LCA youth group (Laval Christian Assembly) where Pastor Rudy Moley was ministering. And for the first time, we did ministry at Fabre Street Church and Trinity Pentecostal. It was great to meet to new youth and to connect with pastors in another province to see how they are reach out to such a unique group of young people.

And so without any surprises, Montreal was a delight! The connection we made last year was a good one and our hope is to return each year. Who knows what we'll get to be apart of next? I mean this year, some of us crazy ones did get a chance to bungee jump but can we really be surprised about that? Probably not.

Until next time, pray for Quebec. Its in great need of God's love and revelation to be poured out over that province. We're seeing it happen but there needs to be more. Please pray!

Can't wait until next year...