Missions trip, spider, new friend, new classes, & la playa

We found out today for sure where we have been assigned to go on our week long mission trip we will go on in April. We are going to Iquitos, a city located at the mouth of the Amazon River and will be taking boats into the jungle for a couple of days to help minister to a river community in the middle of the Amazon jungle. All together there is 7 of us going on this trip, Brian, Beth, Sandra, Kiah, Garrett, Jeremiah, & I, it is awesome because we happen to be pretty good friends with all of these people. We are super excited to go on this trip and see what God is doing there and what He might do while we are there. We had our first trip meeting today and will start practicing a drama that we will perform while we're there. They used these on our trip to Pisco to get the message of Jesus across to the people and one of them was so powerful that it brought tears to both of our eyes.

There are a couple of guys attending the bible college that are from Iquitos. They are really nice and Jeremiah has become pretty good friends with them. He has been showing them some workouts. It is so funny to see him with them because they are seriously like half his size, by height & weight (they are super tiny). Their names are Job, 19 and Rolando, 20. They are brothers and have great hearts for the Lord.

We started the 1 Corinthians class Monday and it will last for 3 weeks. Next we will spend a week finishing up the Missiology class, then Romans for 3 weeks, medical missions class for 1 week, mission trip to Iquitos for 1 week, then finish up with the Exodus class for 3 weeks.

Last week I was sick again for a couple of days so that wasn't too much fun. One of the American students was bit by a very dangerous spider on campus. He was in a lot of pain and his lungs started closing up, he was very lucky that he got to the doctor and they were able to diagnose him so quickly. Don't worry this is not a common occurence in Lima.

Yesterday I went to dinner & a movie with one of the college interns, Beth, and a lady I met from our church named Vivianna. She is Peruvian but has lived in Romania, Venezuela, Panama, and Texas. I guess her parents were both Peruvian Ambassadors who represented Peru in all these countries. Her dad is currently a Deputy Ambassador in Egypt. She has been living in the states for a number of years. Her mother passed away 4 months ago in Venezuela and she promised her that she would come back to Lima to care for her 90 year old grandmother. She is a strong Christian woman who desires to serve the Lord wherever He might take her. We had a really nice time talking and getting to know one another. I hope we can become better friends.

I will be taking spanish classes next week starting Monday & Wednesday. Also, I think I might take this class to learn how to teach ESL (English as a Second Language). There is an American girl named Grace who teaches the Peruvians how to speak English and she is offering to teach us how to teach ESL. She said it is a great opportunity to minister on the mission field since there are a lot of people who want to learn English.

We just got back from the beach and Jeremiah not only went swimming in the ocean for the first time but he also went boogie boarding with fins and all. Brian & Garrett, who he has become good friends with, helped him out. Garrett is from Maui, Hawaii and Brian is from Maryland. Beth, Amberly, and Jessica went to the beach with us too. Beth is Brian's fiance and one of the girls that I have gotten to know better the last couple of days.

If you check out our new pictures on our picture site you will see pictures of all these people, the beach (la playa), and some funny pics of Jeremiah trying to get out of the ocean with his fins on.....haha......I had fun taking these pics.

Please continue to remember us in your prayers. We need God's continued protection, direction for our future, and pray that the Lord would show Himself to us more and more each day! We will be praying the same for all of you back at home. May God bless you all!

Love,

Serah & Jeremiah

P.S. If any of you would be interested in planning a group to come on a short-term mission trip to Peru let me know and I can give you some information on how to get started. There is a girl named Ivy that plans these trips for churches to come down all of the time.

Cultural differences

Hello! I hope everyone is doing well. We are very good. The Lord is teaching us so much about ourselves and about Himself. It has been so great and we feel so blessed to be here in Peru.

Last week I went to the English classes again and was able to share with one of the guys why we are in Peru. It was pretty cool to talk a little about Jesus with him.

Jeremiah finished his first class (Inductive Bible Study) last week with a final on Friday. That class was so awesome and we have learned a great way to study the Bible.

On Valentine's Day we went to the Dolphin hotel and watched a small dolphin show. It was fun. They weren't as professional as Sea World but it was cool because we were so close to them. I am uploading my pictures of the dolphins so you will have to check them out on our picture site. That evening the girls had a little valentine's day party where we exchanged gifts with one another. There are pics of this too.

This week is a free week because it is the week they have a Surf Camp for the youth in the area. There was limited space so we decided not to go on this outreach. The sun here is really strong and it wouldn't take much for us to get severely burned, especially if we were on the beach for a whole week.

Saturday we had our ministry in Chorillos again. It was a lot of fun and the kids are really starting to warm up to all of us. Jeremiah brought his hacky sack and was teaching the kids how to play....most of the kids here are naturals because they all play soccer and have the foot eye coordination down to a T.

I just thought I would write a list of cultural differences that remind us we are definitely not in the U.S. anymore! Here we go!

1.) Pedestrians do not have the right of way
2.) Taxi's honk non-stop
3.) You must pray AND close your eyes before you enter ANY form of transportation (taxi, bus, combi, etc.)
4.) Wild dogs roam the streets of Peru and they are EVERYWHERE (don't worry they are nice, just a little mangy)
5.) If you are a female you are to kiss cheeks with males, females, and children when you greet or say good-bye and if you are a male you are to kiss cheeks with children & females
6.) Drinks are served room temperature
7.) Milk comes in a box and does not have to be refrigerated until you open it
8.) You must bring toilet paper with you if you want to use a public restroom
9.) You cannot put toilet paper in any toilet or you might regret it later
10.) The sun is VERY powerful
11.)The month of February is there Carnaval month, which means that when you walk down the streets you are in danger of getting hit with water balloons, buckets of water, or even buckets of paint. (Jeremiah has gotten hit with a bucket of water/ water balloons like 4 times......hahaha)

That is all I can think of for right now. God Bless and remember us in your prayers.

We love you all,

Serah

Ministry

Hola!

On Thursday, I went with the English pastor, Rick, and his wife, Beth, to a conversation club. This is at an institute where around 30,000 people are studying English. As one of their classes they have people come in and talk to them in English so they can practice what they have learned. Also, we are allowed to talk to them about the gospel and can invite them to church. This time Jesus didn't come up but they were invited to church. Beth said it is important also to make friends with the people.

At first, I was really scared to go because Jeremiah couldn't go this week and I didn't know what it would be like. But I felt that the Lord wanted me to trust Him and be obedient by going to this meeting. Afterwards, I was glad that I went because it wasn't even scary AND it is an awesome opportunity to be able to talk to people about the Lord. I pray that my time their would be fruitful and the Lord would bless it. Please join with me in praying for Rosa, she is one of the ladies I met on Thursday and we talked a lot.

This week we were assigned our weekly ministries and we were assigned to Chorillos. Chorillos is a district in Lima and is in the slums. We just got back from there and will be going there every Saturday to help with the children's ministry. These children come from poor families but I couldn't get over how clean most of them were.

We basically just play with the kids, help them with coloring/art projects, and try to keep them involved in the lessons/songs. It was such a blessing to be around these children. They were all so excited to be there and were so welcoming to all of the gringos.

We are both doing really well! Please don't forget about us down here, we really need your prayers. We are praying for everyone back at home too.

Some requests:

-Protection

-To learn Spanish, maybe even have someone offer to teach us

- To be good stewards of our time

- To grow in the Lord

- To be lead by God in what we are to do after this semester

- To be thankful for this opportunity the Lord has given us

We love you guys!

Serah & Jeremiah

P.S. The first picture is of Jeremiah at the bible college (just outside of our apartment), the second picture is of me and the ministry in Chorillos, and the third picture is of the neighborhood we went to for the ministry. I will be posting the rest of our pics on our picture page (www.adventureswithjesus.shutterfly.com)

Weekend retreat

Hola!

We just got back from our retreat trip to BarBar Blanca in the mountains of Peru. The men/women usually go to separate locations for this trip but this time we went to the same place. The women/men did separate activities while we were there.

It was a nice quiet time away from the city and also a great opportunity for me to get to know some of the girls better. We went on hikes, sat around the campfire, had bible studies, and worshipped the Lord with praise songs.

In the morning I went and sat on a rock next to the rushing river to be alone with the Lord. It was such an intimate time communing with the Lord in the middle of His glorious creation. There is something about being in the middle of nowhere that makes you realize how small you really are. It amazes me how God takes care of every little creature, each having its own purpose & place.

The Lord has really been speaking to my heart about staying in constant communion with Him, and challenging me to ask in every situation I find myself, "Lord, what would you have me to do?" I can't say that I have always been obedient but I have a desire to and I am praying the Lord would remind me that it is Him that I should fear (in reverence) and not what other people think.

On the way back to Lima from the retreat we stopped because myself and a couple of other girls had to use the restroom. Well, this was major culture shock let me tell ya. I opened this wooden door to this outside restroom and there is a cement slab with two elevated spots to place your feet, in the middle their is a small hole in the ground. The hole was to pee in and you had to do this standing up. This was a men/women's restroom. At first, I was like there is no way I am doing this but I had to go so badly that I didn't have any other options.

Jeremiah started his Inductive Bible Study class today and thinks he is really going to enjoy it. I will be able to sit in on this class on Wednesday and Thursday so I am excited about that.

Oh, and I am feeling much better now. I was sick most of last week so that was not much fun.

For those of you that would like to pray for us, please pray for:

-Health

-Safety

-Learning Spanish

-Our total surrender to His will for us while are here in Peru

-Direction for what the Lord wants for us after this semester

We love and miss you all! We love to hear from people so feel free to write anytime.

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you, died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3

Jer n Ser

1st week of classes

Hello everyone. So far we have survived our first week of classes. We usually wake up around 6:30 or 7:00 because we have to be down for breakfast by 7:45. Everyone meets for worship and morning devotions at 9:00 a.m. Jeremiah led worship on Tuesday morning.

They have block classes here so you have one class for 3 hours a day for 3-4 weeks and then you go on to the next class. This week we have actually had two classes a day. In the morning from 9:30-12:30 we have had a lectures class. The first part of the week the lectures were about the Islamic religion, today they covered purity, and tomorrow they will be giving a class on how to use e-sword (an on-line bible software program). Then in the evening we have the Missiology class (theology of missions), it is actually a video class taught by a missionary named Rod Thompson. It is really good.

I work in the kitchen to help prepare lunch on Mon, Tues, and Friday's. Then I clean up after breakfast on Wed. and Thur. I have met some really nice people working in the kitchen. Jeremiah has been working during dinner clean-up since he won't start the T.A. position until March.

We will be leaving to go on a Men & Women's retreat early Saturday morning and the men and women will be separate. I guess we are going to a place in the mountains called BarBar Blanca. We are not sure yet if we will be camping or staying in a log cabin for the night. It should be a good opportunity to get to know some more people. When we get back from that trip the Inductive bible study class will start. Also, we will be choosing a weekly ministry to get involved with soon.

Yesterday I got really sick from the salad I ate at lunch. It was really awful, my chest is sore from vomiting every 20-30 minutes yesterday afternoon. There were 3 0r 4 other girls that got sick at the same time too.

We are learning a lot and most of it is coming from being in a foreign land and having to totally rely on the Lord for His strength. Please pray that the Lord would humble us and break us of our pride that so often gets in the way of serving Him.

You are all in our thoughts and prayers. We love you all so very much!

God bless!

Check out our new pics of our apartment by clicking on the link to the left that says Jer & Ser's pics!

1st Update!

Hola!

We left Indianapolis on Monday, January 21st and arrived in Lima late Tuesday evening. My grandparents, Jeremiah's parents & brother, Josh, took us to the airport. I road with my grandparents and Jeremiah rode with his parents. On the way to the airport the most awesome thing happened.....my grandpa accepted the Lord! He couldn't believe it could be so simple. What a joy it was to pray with him and KNOW where he and my grandma are going. I just called my grandma and she said they are going to church (Woodland Heights) tomorrow. PRAISE THE LORD!

When we arrived in the airport Tuesday evening there was a young man there to pick us up. He didn't speak much english so it was a little difficult making conversation. It was overwhelming and a little scary driving to the bible college. People were everywhere and the drivers are wild. When we finally arrived to the bible college everyone was very welcoming and the Director of the college, John Buchan showed us to our room. We were suprised to learn that we didn't just have a room but an apartment! John said they had some extra room this semester so we got blessed.

We originally thought we were leaving on the missions trip Thursday morning but John informed us that Thursday's bus was full and that if we want to go on the trip we would have to be ready to leave by 7:00 in the morning. We decided we would do that and we just got back last evening from that trip.

We left the bible college around 8:30 to go to Pisco and arrived at the church in Pisco around 1:30 p.m. Marco & Monique Laura are planting a church in this town where the 8.o earthquake hit in August. This quake devastated an already poor community and killed many family members. A group of about 150 of us stayed at the church for 4 days & 3 nights in order to minister to the people in this community.

Everyday they had a free medical clinic for the people to come visit and to hear the gospel message/to be counseled. The first day we were there we folded flyers and went out to hand out to people at the Plaza de Armas. The second day we went to the Plaza de Armas to hand out tracts and those who could speak espanol witnessed to the people that were there. We played with the children in the neighborhood near the church. The thrid & fourth day there was a Festival for the children during the day and in the evening there was a Festival of Life for the adults. At the children's festival I helped paint the children's faces and play games while Jeremiah played/talked with the boys that didn't really get involved with the games. It was amazing, there was probably 200 children there and they were having so much fun.

The Festival of Life was so awesome! They played worship music, gave a message about why we were there, and at the end offered an invitation to those who would like to accept Christ. It was unbelievable there were at least 150 people that went forward. After they accepted Christ in their hearts they all walked through a line we had formed around them. We clapped for them and they were all giving us hugs.

The Peruvian people are very loving and friendly. One of their customs is to touch cheeks with you and make a kissing sound. Women do this to all women/girls and men do this to women/girls. We have felt so blessed by the Peruvian church here. Many of them have been very protective of us and are taking care of us very well!

Oh, forgot to mention that we were blessed yesterday because we were able to go on a boat trip to the Paracas Islands for free. Two people in our group were unable to go so they asked if we would like to fill their spots. It was awesome......their were birds of all kinds, penguins, and sea lions. Animals were everywhere.

I have posted a few pics at the top. One is of the new church in Pisco and the other two are of some of the children we met. One of the little boys was fascinated with Jeremiah's biceps...haha! He kept asking me if I would be his mother, it broke my heart because he may have lost his mother in the recent earthquake.

I am going to post all the pictures we have taken since ight before we left and since we have been here on our shutterfly account. You can go to this sight by clicking on the link on the left side of this page that says Jer & Ser's pics.

Today, Jeremiah & I had orientation. This is where he got his schedule and his work assignment. Everyone was either assigned housekeeping, kitchen, or T.A. duties. Jeremiah was assigned T.A. (Teacher's assistant) duties. He is at that meeting right now finding out what that entails. We will be meeting with John Buchan in a couple of days to find out where I will be working the 20 hours/week.

We love and miss everyone back at home!

Adios!

The haircut

Hola!

Well I just thought I would give a quick update before we leave. A lot has happened since my last post. We got all moved into Caleb's then the day after Christmas we left for West Virgina to visit with my Aunt Laura & Uncle Al. They have been a huge blessing in that they agreed to take our dog Tessa. It was so hard leaving her but I was relieved to know she has an awesome home. She is now living on approx. 4 acres with grazing cattle. I hope to attach some pics of the cattle farm & my aunt laura....if I can figure it out! We had a wonderful time visiting my aunt and uncle. They are truly blessed to live in such beautiful country! This pic is of my Aunt Laura w/ their pet cow, Soozee!

Another praise is that we sold our truck! Yeah! We had been praying that our truck would sell before we leave so that would be one less thing to think about! The Lord sold it for a good price and we are so thankful!

The big news is that I decided to chop my hair off! I have always wanted to be brave enough to go short but I NEVER EVER thought I would go through with it. BUT I DID! YEAh....and I love it! I hope you all like it too! It is going to be so low maintenance for Peru. I hope you all like it too!

I didn't exactly get the pictures placed the way I wanted too but I will figure it out next time!

Only 7 more days until we leave for Peru! Our church is having a going away party at Chapel Books this Saturday at 7 p.m. if any of you would like to come.

God Bless!