TEAM LIMA
Thursday, July 24th, 2008

Hey everyone back at home! This is Stephanie Franks and I will be writing the blog for you today! But now for the 3rd time! I have tried to writing it 2 times before but it has been deleted both times! So third time's the charm right? Today (Thursday) we got up for breakfast at 7 (which is hard for a lot of us!) and had a delicious meal. The food here is crazy good! They treat us so well here, it almost does not seem right to have such good accommodations when we are here just to do God's work. But it is very nice!! Next we had quite time from 7:30 to 8. I really enjoy this time to be alone with God and just be able to pray, think, and read with out an distractions. By 8 it was time to be on the bus to go over to Perales where we painted lines on the court. We had a good time doing that. Some of us started to play around with the paint and put hand prints on each other and such! haha Then later regretting it for getting paint stuck on our hands for the next days.

After that it was time to head back to the Seminar for a quick change (10 mins) so we could go do a demonstration of our dramas and dance (which is fun for me cause I get to be the leader of the dance) at the school in Santa Rosa. That is always a lot of fun for us! Some of the boys were keeping all of the kids very entertained while the sound system was being set up by doing ¨The Wave¨ through the crowd. And just being their fun selves. The kids here are amazing! You just feel so much famous! The kids will just run up to you and hug and kiss you and mob you, asking for your E-mail! It is such a cool thing to be so excepted by everyone here! So everything went very well there and we went back to the Seminar, had some lunch, and headed out for our 4th day of VBS at Nocheto! It was Mrs. Matney´s team leading the VBS for today. It went really well! Every time we start of playing with the kids. Then all go and sit on the court to watch the skit that the group leading VBS puts on, (which was Noah's Ark) normally, learn a song with motions (only this time we made the sound of a storm). Next we did a craft and made bracelets. Then we learned a dance. By then, it was time for all of them to line up, get their snack and head home. It was sad cause it was the day before the last VBS day. So it was the last time we had to say ¨see you tomorrow¨. We all have little groups of our fan clubs that fallow us everywhere we go! It is really special to me to see how much we can communicate with the kids even though there is a language barer. It is the coolest thing! So the team gave their hugs and kisses and went back to the Seminary for dinner (and by this time we are always very hungry). We had a great team time together, then all had a bit of free time to do what ever. (play sports, sing songs with the guitar, have chicken fight with out the water, haha stuff like that!) by 10ish it was lights out! We are having an AMAZING trip here! We are learning a lot and seeing some really cool things! We miss and love you all very much! Thanks for all the prayers! xoxo

-Stephanie Franks

There is so much to write, and I have no idea where to start- everything happening is just amazing!

I have done many mission trips before, but each one is so completely different. This one may be the most different, because I am a leader for CBSM rather than the student. (Although, I am not sure which "group" is having the most fun!!) The students are absolutely amazing, and are constantly receiving comments on how polite they are.

Today we went and painted a school yard in Perales. The students practiced some of Mathew's favorite sayings, ¨We will rush around and wait, but it is just the way we like it.¨ We showed up with paint gear on ready to work and with enough paint to start, but not nearly enough to finish. We ended up splitting into two teams, one in the school yard the other at a house down the road. Both groups seemed to have an awesome time... well, I am not actually quite sure if the house painters/students did, but Peter Jackson came back with his whole left arm and hand painted white. It is awesome to see the students demonstrate team-work!

After painting we quickly rushed back to the seminary to change into ¨nicer¨ clothes. Once again, have to brag on the students, they changed SO fast! Our schedule is hectic but everyone is keeping up with the pace.

We headed to a school where the CBSM students performed 3 dramas and the Shackles dance. One of the coolest things that I saw happen today was the positive nonverbal response that the students of this school had to the dramas. The CBSM students have an amazing way of reaching the Peru population. They were able to preform for about 150 students in 25 minutes. How cool?!

Today's VBS group was Noah´s Ark- you have to see the pictures. The pictures only half-way describe how great this group did. The VBS kids were SO attentive throughout the whole presentation. Props to that group!!! There were many new kids who attended today.

Everything is going well in Peru and we sent off some clothes to the laundramat, so things will be smelling better around here too.

Please continue to lift us up in prayer not only for safety and wellness, but for our mission to deeply reach the hearts of the people of Peru.

With Love,
Ashley Schoelen