After a wonderful but exhausting Thanksgiving feast, Cristian and I decided to get away for a weekend of rest. We went up to the mountains near Lima to a little town called Viñak. We drove three hours down the highway and another three hours up a winding mountain road to 3,300 meters to arrive at the lodge. It was a great time to relax and reconnect (no TV and no cell service).
I am always amazed by the natural beauty of Peru. When I see such amazing creation, I am in awe of the majesty of our Lord, who could create such remarkable mountains and sky. Even more amazing, this awesome God made himself low and came as a little baby to live among us and make a way for us to know and be in relationship with this amazing, huge, powerful God. As Christmas approaches I continue to think about this and the truth is I just can't wrap my mind around God's greatness and His simultaneous humbleness. But even though I don't get it, I am thankful for His greatness, His sacrifice and the gift of life He has given me. And this is what brought me here to serve with FH Peru, to be a part of the work of God in sharing this wonderful gift with others.
This year FH Peru will start a new project aimed at sharing God's love with children through an educational program called AMO (http://www.amoprogram.com/). When we returned to Lima after our Thanksgiving getaway, I returned to work to coordinate the AMO training for our field staff in Lima and Pucallpa. The goal of AMO is to provide an opportunity for children to learn and grow in their knowledge of God, His Word and His plan for their lives. The children are taught using classic literature, art, history, and Bible stories. The AMO trainer shared marvelous testimonies about AMO classes in the Dominican Republic, where several AMO programs have been implemented. During the training we heard some heartwarming stories of children beginning to recognize their worth as God's creation. Our trainer reported that children began to show respect and love for other children in their community, and parents learned to pray and speak blessings over their children. This year FH Peru will implement AMO classes in Chincha, Lima, Pucallpa, and Huancavelica (the new area where FH is starting to work in the southern Andes mountains).
Please continue to pray for the work of FH Peru with children and families and especially for the new AMO classes that will start in January.
Blessings,
Lauren
