Mission Peru

Hola from Jose!

These past few days have been a complete whirlwind! I am fairly poor at words, so please bear with me as I try to express what I have been going through.

Today we went to Mana. A ministry that works with the little children through afterschool programs, serving them meals and teaching them the word of God all the while providing them a safe environment in a fairly dangerous end of Truillo. On the way over I began to get anxious. “What if nobody wants to hang out with me?” “What if all the children go to other people?” Well, in what I experienced today, I learned that not only do the children come to you, but you need to go to them as well.

Me, as a very introverted extrovert, I started off the day sticking close to my friends in the team longing for a child to “choose” me. It didn’t take long for my extroverted side to decide to “be adventurous” and say something besides “hola” to the kids. I sat beside a little boy on the sidewalk. We began to joke around and laugh at the way I couldn’t speak Spanish.

We began to play some games and when we started splitting up the boys and girls, that is when Melanie, a seven-year-old young girl caught my attention. She was sitting alone not joining in on a game of tug-of-war so I went over to her. Melanie and I played together for the next couple of hours.

In that time, she rode on my back, and we raced other children on the backs of Canadians. Melanie would often say something in Spanish and point in some direction telling me to go. Not knowing what she was saying all I could respond with was “donde,” (“where?”) to which she would laugh and point again and off we would run.

If ever you want to speak to a Spanish child and make them laugh, all you have to know is, “como se dice…?” and point. They will laugh at you as you try to pronounce the name of what you are pointing at.

The goodbyes that we shared with the children at Mana where very emotional for me! Thankfully I didn’t cry in front of Melanie (although I did cry on the bus back to the Compound). This beautiful Peruvian girl has stolen a piece of my heart! Although we shared very few words that we could both understand, she has shown me what love looks like. It’s not in the big gestures, but it is in the small things. A bright smile, a cheerful voice, a warm hug, and even in silent company. Melanie helped me to open up and not be afraid of making a fool out of myself for the sake of even one laugh or smile.

I am so thankful for Melanie and Mana! If you have the resources, I would highly encourage sponsoring a child so that they are able to attend Mana. It is a phenomenal ministry that is doing a great work for the Kingdom!

Gracias and buenos noches!