Volunteer Profile

Prayer Needed
Please be in prayer. Friday starts the beginning of our Love Extreme projects. Around 125 short term volunteers arrive in their service cities (around 80 here in Arequipa) on Friday. They will do evangelism and compassionate ministry work in their cities. All of these short term volunteers along with close to 200 more short term volunteers arrive in Arequipa on the 17th, and the biggest outreach event in the history of Arequipa will be on the 19th. The 20th will be a day of celebrating the new believers, and announcing the next Extreme projects (including the launch of the new extremenazarene.org website which I have spent the last few months building). The 21st will begin discipleship of all of the new believers, as well as more compassionate ministries work in several cities throughout the country.

The next 3-4 weeks will be intense, but I look forward to seeing the amazing things God is going to do. The harvest is plentiful, and God has been preparing the workers to work in the field. Please begin praying now that God opens the doors of the hearts of the local people, and they will see that their is only one true God.

I will be leading the communication team, making sure that we have pictures, video, and reflections on what is going on. All of this will be posted at http://www.extremenazarene.org/news If you are not already, you may sign up to receive articles from the Extreme site automatically. Also please check http://www.extremenazarene.org beginning the evening of June 20 to see what is next for Extreme.

Update from June 6
It has only been a month since my last post this time, compared with many months, so I think I am doing better. I am also doing better here in Peru. The Tuesday after I wrote my last post, was my low point. I was exhausted, my back began to spasm, and I felt like all of the world was pressing in against me. On top of it, I felt alone. I think I cried most of the day. It was at that point that I reached out to those around me, and expressed how I was feeling. Those I work closest with were awesome, and really made me realize that I am not alone in this process. They then made an effort over the next few days to really support me. It is amazing the difference it makes to be going through the tough times WITH others. All of a sudden the load didn't seem as heavy, even though I still have the same amount of work to do, I know that others are there working with me.

The next week, Shelly Gartman came to do some team builiding excercises with us, which greatly tied in to what God was already showing me. It was a great time to get to know people better, and to lift each other up. The devil has been trying his best to tear the team apart, but God has been working even harder to bring the team together. It is amazing to see each person here working together for His glory. I truly appreciate the people that I work with.

These past couple weeks have brought new members to our group. The third cohort of 40/40s have now received their partners, and they have begun classes. There have definitely been some "growing pains", but that is to be expected. It is great to see the different cultures coming together.

One of the new Peruvian 40/40s is actually a friend of mine. I have known her for close to a year. She came down from Piura (in Northern Peru, close to Equador) to be apart of what is going on down here. I have been telling her for many months that she should be a 40/40. She was hesitant at first, but I knew she would be perfect. She recently had a dream from God confirming that she should indeed be a 40/40, and she is part of this cohort. She will be staying right here in Arequipa to further his kingdom!

One of my other Peruvian friends has felt called as well. She is from here in Arequipa, and her family lives close to the church. When she talked to her father about it, he said 'No!' Her father is a strict man, who comes to church occasionally. The next day, he came to church, and asked to talk to me. I have never really ever talked to this man, so wasn't really sure what was happening. He mentioned that he was scared of losing his daughter, and that he wasn't sure he wanted this to happen. I told him that if she is being called, she needs to follow. I explained the process to him, and by the end he was close to tears. He promised he would pray about it. Please pray with me that his heart will be open, and that God's will shall be allowed to take place in this situation.

Chichani has been going very well. One week, I ended up going up there alone. I thought one of the ladies from church was coming, but I ended up alone. At first I wasn't sure what to do, I asked them if they wanted to play a game or if they wanted a lesson. After a few minutes, they decided on the game. We played for about a half hour. They then stopped the game, and said to me that they wanted to have a lesson now. What kids will stop playing to learn! Amazing! I ended up teaching a lesson on the basics of the bible (number of books, number of authors, etc). They then began memorizing the books of the Bible. This week they finished the old testament, and can now tell me all 39 books in order! Good kids.

One of the kids name is Ricardo. Ricardo is about 12 years old. He always knows the answers to the questions, and has learned a lot about the Bible. He recently came up to me, and asked me for a passage of scripture to memorize. So, I gave him my favorite scripture, Psalms 121. He asked if I would give him an extra lollipop if he memorized it. I said I would. The next week, he came running up to me, and quoted the entire passage word for word. He then asked for a new one. He is now on his 3rd passage. He once asked me what I would give him if he memorized the entire Bible. This kid has a passion to learn. Please pray that this kid continues to keep his eyes on Jesus, and that his passion continues to be on things above not on earthly things.

All of these things have combined together to remind me why I am here, and to give me new passion and energy to serve him. I am grateful for a God that will use me, as I am, and when I am down, he knows how to lift me up.

Thank you Lord.

Update...Finally!
I first want to apologize for not updating this in quite a while. When I first arrived in Peru over 19 months ago, it was easy to keep this blog updated, because everything was new. The longer I have been here the more it just becomes everyday life, and thus it is harder to think about writing about every day life. Who would want to read it?

Well, I realize now that it is important for me to document what I am thinking and feeling along the way, so that those reading it can understand the journey. So, I will try to update more frequently.

It has now been over three months since I have returned from the US. Time is going by so quickly. I throughly enjoyed my time in the US, catching up with friends and family. It was great to be back. And to be honest, the thought of returning to Peru, at first was difficult. I knew how much work and stress was waiting for me, and I wasn't looking forward to it. But, I knew that God had called me to Peru, and I was excited about what he was going to do here in this country. Although I had my fears about the work that was to come, returning to Peru was much easier than leaving the first time.

Since returning, I am not going to lie it has been difficult. Due to the lack of volunteers, I am doing multiple job assignments, and in the 4 months between February and first part of June, I have at least 8-9 months worth of work. Since I am the only programmer, I have really felt the pressure. I have also been sick quite a bit with stomach issues, headaches, and exhaustion. The devil has been working hard to prevent me from doing what God has called me to do, and some days it seems like it would be way easier to just give up.

The team has felt the devil working as well. A few 40/40s have ended up leaving, and our head of logistics and his wife who is key in our finance department have left due to medical reasons. Every day it feels like the devil comes up with a new way to try to prevent the work from continuing down here.

But then, God reminds me that He is in charge, and that he is more powerful that the devil. He never promised the journey would be easy, but He wants us to be faithful.

The first cohort of 40/40s has already been working on their church plants for 6 months, and God is working in Puerto Maldonado. The second cohort of 40/40s have finished their Bible and Church planting training, and despite many difficulties, are starting their church plants as well in Iquitos and Pucallpa. The third cohort of 40/40s finished their language training on Friday. This week will meet their Peruvian partners, and will be soon beginning their Bible and Church planting training. The fourth cohort arrives in about 2 weeks to start language training. The potential among these people is amazing, and God will use them to transform this country.

The other thing that is going on is Love Extreme. This is two short term projects that will take place in 7 cities throughout the country, as well as a one day mega event (in the middle of the two short term projects) that will change Arequipa. Arequipa for decades has been completely closed to the Gospel, not officially by the government or anything, but the hearts of the people. Although now, it is evident that the doors are opening. God's timing is perfect. This mega event has the potential to blow the doors wide open, but it is evident that the devil doesn't want this.

Please be in prayer for the Extreme volunteers and the church leaders as we unite together to prepare for this event, as well as prepare a plan to disciple all of the new Christians that will come out of it. Please also be in prayer for the people of this city, that the doors of their hearts will continue to open and be prepared to hear God's message.

Lastly, please be in prayer for me. As I explained earlier, the past few months have been difficult and at times discouraging. Please pray that I will remain healthy, I will get everything done that needs to be done, and I will keep my eyes focused on Him.

If you have time, please send me an email or post a comment here if you are reading this and will pray for me. I could use a little encouragement during this very stressful time.

Extreme Presentation
Southwood Church of the Nazarene did an audio recording of my presentation, if you were not able to go or know of others who would like to hear, please click here.

Below is the video that I showed:



Also, this is the map that is referenced:

Speaking Schedule
Currently planned speaking engagements while I am back in the US (Dec 17-Feb 2):

January 10 at 6:00 pm - Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene (Kansas City, MO)
January 17 at 9:30 am - College Church of the Nazarene (SS Class of Larry Haffey - Olathe, KS)
January 24 at 6:00 pm - West Chester Church of the Nazarene (West Chester, OH)
January 31 at 10:45 am - Southwood Church of the Nazarene (Raytown, MO)

I still have some open space if anyone knows of any other opportunities. I look forward to being able to get together with each one of you while I am back in the US.

God Fulfills His Promises...No Matter How Crazy They Sound!
This weekend was packed with Church activities.

Friday
I had the pleasure of attending a birthday party of the children in San Miguel. San Miguel is one of the 3 local preaching points started by Zamacola, the church I attend. Zamacola has set a goal for each of these church plants, by August of next year, to have at least 15 members ages 12 and older.

The poorer children in Peru don't often get birthday parties, because their families can't afford it. So, the purpose of this celebration was to make the children feel special, and at the same time invite the parents in to show them what has been going on. While the children were outside, Pastor Solano had the opportunity to share a simple gospel message with the 5 mothers in attendance. All five accepted Christ, and have agreed to begin meeting every week to learn more about Christ. It is neat to see the gospel message so readily accepted. These women will form the base for the Church in this location.

Saturday
Saturday morning, I remembered that it was my week to teach Sunday school at Chachani on Sunday. So, I spent the morning beginning to prepare for this. I didn't have much time to work on this however, because I was to be back at church by 2 pm, for the final youth quiz meet.

Quizzing was a very important part of learning about the Bible when I was growing up, so it was so neat to see the youth from the 4 Nazarene churches in Arequipa participating in this. And it was great to also see Zamacola win!

After the quiz meet, they had a time of recreation in the park with all of the churches. It was nice to be able to get to know the youth from the other churches, and especially in such a fun way. I played volleyball with a mixed group from all of the churches. Although I am not great at it, it was still fun.

I thought after sports, the church day was over, but it was just beginning! Next, came the festival of music. It was a time for all of the youth to be able to worship together. Each church took turns leading worship. It was definitely a fun but spiritual time.

After church, a group of friends from Church and I, went out to eat, and were able to just laugh and eat together. Perfect ending to the day.

Sunday
I woke up early in order to finish getting the lesson ready. Going on little sleep, I did manage to get to church on time, and with a lesson prepared. Unfortunately, I lost my cell phone in the process :( But, it was a great day of worshipping the Lord! Sunday school and the church service were both very good.

In the afternoon, I headed up to Chachani, another one of Zamacola's preaching points. When I get there, I see there is another celebration going on in the main square of the community where we normally hold Sunday school. Only this celebration is not being held by the church. I don't know completely what was going on, but I could see a little figurine surrounded by flowers and they were singing and dancing all around it. It appeared to be a celebration to an idol of some sort. I began to teach the children anyway, sometimes having to repeat myself due to the loud celebration going on near by. The children stayed focused (well, at least as much as normal), and God was able to work in the lesson despite what was going on around us. It was a really reminder about the difficulties faced in life. Idols and other religions aren't just something talked about in the Bible, but something that is faced in life by many people. A battle is being faced here in Peru, and across the world. I am glad I am on God's side.

God's Plan
Around 3 years ago, I was going through a tough time with the church. It all seemed very fake, and full of programs and useless junk. It was during this time that God spoke to me, and He said, "Kindra, one day you are going to help start a church." I really just laughed it off, thinking it was just a crazy idea in my head, but it continued on for several weeks. I never did anything about it, nor said anything about it to anyone, thinking that it was nuts. Quite honestly, I completely forgot about it until God reminded me this weekend about that promise of several years ago. And He said, "See, you thought I was crazy, but look at what you are doing! You personally are involved with several church plants, and you are working with Extreme whose goal is to plant 120 more!"

I am so glad that I am not in charge of this life, because He knows so much more than I do. Lord, help me to grow my faith in you, and to use this as a reminder that You will fulfill all of your promises.

Friends and Family in the US
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about my friends and family back in the states. I have received news of friends moving, getting engaged, getting married, getting pregnant, and having children. I have also heard of major life threatening illnesses among close family members. I have had to really entrust my friends and family to God during this time, because I can rejoice with them or pray with them, but I am helpless to do anything else from this far away. Some days, I ask God why he moved me here, and other days, I know exactly why God has me here. I know that they are all in God's hands, and that is the best place they can be.

I am greatly looking forward to coming back to the US for a visit, and to be able to share with my friends and family back there, what God is doing here in Peru. I will be back in the US from December 17-February 2. I am working on setting up speaking engagements with different churches or organizations. If you are interested in having me share what God is doing with your church, please let me know. My schedule is currently pretty open. One that I am really looking forward to is at KC First Church on Sunday evening, January 10. This is the church I began attending when I was 9 years old, and so it will be great to share with this church family.

I would also like to get together with as many friends and family members as possible while I am back to catch up on your lives and just reconnect. I have missed all of you, and all of you are so important to me, that it will be great to be able to be together again. Please email me, and we can set up a time to get together.

I love each and every one of you, and am grateful for the impact you have made on my life. I would not be where I am today with out you.

Other Ministry Opportunities
I am blessed to be able to use many of my talents and abilities to further God's kingdom in Peru. Below is an overview of some of the things that I have been able to be involved with.

The Office
When most people think about spending hours a day staring at code on a computer, they think about boredom, and would rather jump off the roof. I love it! I am truly honored to be able to use my skills to help others to be able to use theirs. It isn't always easy with computer problems, disagreements with co-workers, illness, deadlines that aren't met, and too much work to do in too little time, but most days, I love what I do. Please pray that God would allow our team to work together more smoothly, in order to be able to do His work effectively.

Bible Quizzing
They recently began doing youth and children's bible quizzing. It was neat to see my kids from Chachani, who are brand new Christians, study and do very well with children's bible quizzing. This was their first year, and although they didn't win the competition, they learn a lot more about Christ. I was also asked to be a part of the youth quiz team. Here a youth is between 12-40 or so. I decided with everything else I had going on and with it being done in Spanish, that it would be better if one of the other youth from the church took my spot. But, I have loved watching it and teaching them tricks I learned from quizzing when I was younger. It has been great to see them doing something that helped me learn so much about God. Please pray that they will be able to learn as much from quizzing as I did, and that it will help to solidify their relationship with God.

Chachani
In Peru, a church is not a full church, until it has planted at least one other church. Every church in Arequipa is in the process of planting at least one other church. Zamacola is in the process of planting several. Pastor Solano has recently decided to become more intentional about the work in Chachani and the other outreach ministries of the church. Chachani, Bedoya, and San Miguel are all now officially on level 1 of the church planting scale. These are called preaching points. We have a goal of having at least 15 members (12 and older) in the next year, in order to move to level 2. It has been neat for me to look at it through these lenses, and to be more intentional about the work there. God is doing great things in this community, and am excited to see what the next year will bring. Please pray for the teachers and students at Chachani, and that God will help a church to form in this community.

English class
Since the projects have ended, I have restarted teaching English. About 2 days a week, I have anywhere from 1-5 friends from the church come over to learn English. They are at various skill levels, which proves challenging at times, but it has been neat for me to do. I have struggled learning their language, so I have a lot of compassion when I am teaching them. It also has helped me to improve my Spanish skills. Please pray that I have the words to say to teach them effectively, and that our relationships will strengthen through this time together.

1 Year in Peru and Another Year Older
Things definitely can change in a year. One year ago, I had just had a big surprise birthday party with my friends and family, and was preparing to head to Peru. Fast forward one year. I just finished having a "surprise" birthday party with my Peruvian friends and church family, and this Friday I will be celebrating one year in Peru.

I was a little worried about celebrating my birthday in Peru. Last year, I had such a grand celebration, that I thought that whatever happened it would fail in comparison. But, as it turned out, although very different, I enjoyed this year just as much. I was fortunate to have the day off on my birthday, and was able to eat lunch with my Peruvian friends/family from church. We then spent the afternoon together watching cheesy horror movies, and just spending time together. Then that night, they threw a party for me, and about 15 friends showed up. It was a "surprise" party. They were so excited about it, that they were really bad at making it a surprise, but that just made it mean more. This group of people is so special to me. Peru would not be the same with out them.

As I reflect on the last year, things have certainly changed. I remember arriving in Peru, scared out of my mind. I sold everything I owned, quit my job, left my family and friends, and came to Peru. It was just God and I. Through this year, God has helped me to learn the language and they culture, make friends, minister to people, use my gifts and abilities to further his kingdom, and grow in my relationship with him. I call it a successful year.

I don't know what God has in store for the next year, but I will follow God wherever He leads.

40/40s...Young Adults Changing the World
For those who don't know what 40/40 is, let me explain. 40/40 is an idea that originated with Jesus. Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs to follow his example. That is the essence of this program. There are 40 single non-peruvians paired with 40 single peruvians, and they go through bible and church planting training together. Then, each pair is sent out to plant 3 churches, and to be Christ to the people. These 40 pairs are then spread out among 7 cities with 4-6 pairs per city, and each city has a family that serves as support for the 40/40 pairs within that city.

The first group of 4 40/40 pairs is currently in Iquitos finishing up their training, and will arrive in Puerto Maldonado in November to share God's light with this dark place. Within the next 2 years, there will be 12 new churches in this region! These pairs have grown so much in the close to 9 months of training they have had so far. I am excited to see how God uses them in this dark city.

The second group of non-Peruvian 40/40s, along with a cluster support family, arrived in Arequipa for language training the end of August. They will be in Arequipa through November, and then they will meet up with their Peruvian partner and head up to Iquitos for Bible and church planting training. 6 of these 40/40s, along with the new cluster support family, will stay in Iquitos after training and plant 18 churches in the Iquitos area. Please pray for them: The Simpson Family, Katie Brandt, Melissa Sutherland, Brittany Hart, Drew Kaminski, Brad Wall, and Kevin Snodgrass. The other 6 of these 40/40s, along with the Fosters, will go to Pucallpa, another jungle city, after training to plant 18 more churches. Ryan and Sarah Foster were the first volunteers I met when I arrived in Peru, and helped me to survive the first few months I was here. I also have worked with Ryan in IT for the last 9 months. They have recently accepted the cluster support position, and will be heading to the jungle with Katie Anderson, Kristina Andrews, Laura Benson, Tabetha Pinks, Gary Crites, and Timothy Mong. Please also pray for this group.

The third and final group of 40/40s and cluster support families (24 40/40s and 4 cluster support families) will arrive in February. There are still may open positions. If you or someone you know, feel led by God to come to Peru to plant churches, please visit http://www.extremenazarene.org/4040 for more info. This is a difficult job, but one that God can and will use to further his kingdom here in Peru.