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It has been our intention all along to begin inviting Peruvians that we meet over for dinner and to create opportunities for developing relationships.  Well, after seven months we’ve had Bible studies in our home and times when we’ve hung out and talked with Peruvians that we have met, but we hadn’t yet had a planned meal together or invited families over for food and fun.  I enjoy cooking and hosting, and in the States this was something that Wes and I tried to do on a regular basis.  But then we moved to a new country where I don’t speak the language, hardly understand the culture, and have a hard time finding ingredients for all my recipes.   Because of these things, I found myself hesitant to jump into that kind of ministry that I was so accustomed to in Texas.  Not to mention the fact that we are still lacking curtains, paint on all the walls, pictures to hang on those walls, and some pieces of furniture that would “complete” the settling in process.  I am a “nester” and my nest has a lot of work before I can have that sense of, “Ahhh.  It’s done.  Everything on my list is marked off.

Then I met Sara.  A couple of weeks ago Edgar showed up with Sara at our front door (here, though, it was actually at our front gate, not door).  Edgar knows Sara through their jobs working with the bus system.  This particular day Edgar noticed that Sara looked sad and he asked her what was wrong.  She basically said, “Well, I am a single mom of five kids, my husband left me a few years ago, I work all the time, and life is hard.”  Edgar looked at her and said, “You need God.”  And she laughed at him thinking he was joking!  But Edgar said, “No really, you do and I know a guy that can help you.”  Realizing that Edgar wasn’t kidding and recognizing that there had really been a change in Edgar’s life and he seemed much happier, she followed him and they walked to our house.

Doesn’t that just make you say, “Wow, God, You are so amazing!”

Wes met with Sara and Edgar for a little while and listened to part of her story, then they planned a Bible study for the following Sunday, when Sara would have a day off of work.  Well, Sunday came and we were not sure exactly what time Sara was planning on coming over or if she was still coming.  Wes left to go help Mark with a meeting of Peruvians at his house.  Not three minutes after Wes left, Sara showed up at our gate with five kids.  I was in a panic!  I knew that she lived pretty far from here and that it takes her almost an hour to get here on a bus, and I didn’t know how to communicate to her that Wes had just left.  I didn’t want to send them home, either.  I called Alison and asked her to translate for me.  Sara was really sweet and kept offering to help me clean up and it was clear that she didn’t want to be a bother to us.  (Since she showed up unexpectedly there happened to be plenty for her to help me clean up all over the floor.  Jake loves to use the scissors.  And tape.  Need I say more?)  She wouldn’t let me take the broom away from her, so after we cleaned up the floor we went and sat in the living room.  We watched the kids play and I talked to her as much as I could.  I was able to talk more than I thought I could, but we mostly just talked about family, food, and what the kids were doing.  Her kids were really well behaved and they were all so kind-hearted.  Which is not surprising, because I could already tell that their mother is such a great example for them.  Before she left she asked if we had plans for Semana Santa (Holy Week).  I said no and she asked if we could come to her house for lunch on Friday.  I said that sounded great!  Then she kept saying that her house is muy feo (very ugly) and not pretty like our house.  I guess she wanted to warn us of the differences.  I remember Wes saying he thought that she lived in a house that had no running water or electricity.  Well, we did just that.  We had a traditional Peruvian lunch of fish at her house on Good Friday.  But, that deserves it’s own post… more to come.