Peru trip 2011 Monday

Sharing the gospel with kids in Limatambo

We awoke to rain but we had our best sleep of the trip. Well some of us, Matt still hasn't got a good sleep in yet. Matt's room was by the road and the traffic kept him up. We went to the German hospital to get a tour. It is a very new hospital and is a Christian Mission and very good. They are looking for volunteers to live there. The hospital is very modern and clean and they minister to the Quechua people. After the tour we went for coffee and bread at Walters' uncles' store. It was very good and strong coffee. We like Curahuasi a lot and it is safe, beautiful and has a good hospital and church. We probably won't live here though because they already have a good church, but we will definitely go back to build relationships with all the people.

After coffee we went back to the hostel and got our stuff. We flagged town a taxi, Walter negotiated with the man, like he always does so good, and we were off to Limatambo. It was a beautiful day and all the hills were green and the river was high and muddy. The pass that we climb is the longest pass we have ever seen. It must climb over 3000 feet in a short distance but with many switchbacks.

We arrived in Limatambo and walked around. There is about 1100 people in this town and no church at all. There is an orphanage that someone build because the men are drunks and their kids get orphaned. Limatambo is small and has a few stores and restaurants. I don't think it has a post office. We ate at a restaurant that was on the main street. We were stuffed and each ate a huge bowl of soup, which I though was enough, but then they brought out our lunch. Our lunch was rice, salad, eggs and lentils and it was so filling. We walked around the whole town and talked to some people and gave out tracts. We went to the main street to catch a taxi to Cuzco and found many people. I gave a group of kids some candy and did some magic tricks and then Walter told me to preach, so I did. I shared the gospel with them and Walter helped answer questions. I gave them tracts and they all looked at them intently. They acted like they never heard the biblical gospel before but they may have. We really got a burden for Limatambo and may plant a church here with Walter when we return in 2012. It has much potential because it is essentially unreached and most are open to hearing the gospel.

Doing tricks for the kids and handing our gospel tracts

We returned for another hour to Cuzco and went to a great Christian bookstore. We talked to Walter about the needs for him and the other pastor for the ministry and the church. The needs were small for America but huge for them. For $400 a month, both Walter and his pastor would not have to work and travel so far to the church but could concentrate on the ministry full-time. They also wanted speakers and a microphone for the growing church because the old people can't hear good which cost $500. We asked Walter if he needed in books for his study and he actually said he wanted John MacArthur commentaries which made Matt jump clear out of his seat and through the ceiling. I never saw Matt so excited. Walter also said he likes John Piper. So anyway, we found the greatest bookstore ever. Their collection of good theological books put ever bookstore I know to shame. We went crazy picking out books. We bought Walter and his pastor both MacArthur study bibles in Spanish as well has over 10 MacArthur books, several Piper books, Wayne Grudem's systematic theology and many other great theological and study books. We filled up a big box and a bag. When Matt found out they took credit cards he just charged it all, about 1300 soles of books. We also bought a Quechua bible for his church. Walter was so happy that he couldn't stand it. He was so grateful because it would have taken Walter 30 years to buy all those books. He is excited to start reading them and I bet when I come back in 2012 the entire church in Curahuasi will be so sound in doctrine it will put most American churches to shame, which it actually already does. Most American “Christians” would be excommunicated from Walters church.

We went back to the hostel with a boat load of books and got Kim for dinner. We actually had pizza at a tourist restaurant but will have cuy (Guinea pig) tomorrow. It is sad to see so many Quechua mothers and their babies sleeping on the streets at night because they have no place to go. We are now back at our hostel in Cuzco but I doubt they have water. We are going to Urubamba tomorrow to check out a few more towns. We will post again when we can. We have lots of video and pictures.