My hubby is now in Peru....I am so proud of him!

Just wanted to copy the e-mail I got today of Chris' first day in Peru (he is leading a team of 20 students from our church). I really am so amazed by his strength....he spoke powerfully in Guatemala....helped me and Eliana with Swine Flu....and then prepared and is speaking non-stop for the next 10 days in South America. Please be praying for his strength and health. He said it has already been life-changing!

Here is the e-mail written by one of the team members:

Hola Familia!!!

You´ll be happy to know that we are all safe! Stop worrying, we´re okay! We´re more than okay!! Our bodies are tired but our hearts and minds are full of excitement and eagerness for our ten wonderful days!! Our travel day, while tiring, was filled with fun games and friendship building. The only ¨bad¨ thing that happened was that our flight was delayed about three hours. We all held positive attitudes and we had so much fun getting to know each other and dancing in the airport. The team probably looked really silly to innocent civilians but we were having the time of our lives playing awesome games and goofing around. We got into Peru later than expected of course, but we were still met with smiling faces and loving hugs. The Peruvians called us in one by one and they all cheered for us. We were each given a woven bag and a kiss on the cheek.The Peruvians welcomed us with celebrations, silly string, and balloons, and we partied till four A.M.

Today started at six A.M. with Pastor Wheeler preaching the first service at IAYMC. Breakfast for us was at seven thirty and we devoured the eggs, toast, fruit, and of course, COFFEE!!!
Then we split up into our groups of three-four and were sent out to all of the sister churches. This was such a great experience because setting out into the heart of Comas, not knowing what to expect is both frightening and thrilling. Some of us spoke our testimonies, some shared verses, some danced, and some sang. Hopefully we touched the lives of many Peruvians and by the looks on their faces, I think we did. For those of us who's first trip to Peru this is, this was a good chance for them to see the city and meet the people. Even in the first few hours of the trip, God has used us tremendously! We all met back at the main church where we socialized with the loving Peruvians and watched some beast dancers! This was a chance for the people who have gone before to catch up with old friendships. We dined with the pastors of the church and their families for lunch, and after we danced and celebrated our being in Peru.

Tonight, Wheeler is performing baptisms and we're all going to be there to rejoice. There will of course be dinner and a meeting about the upcoming week, but we're being sent to bed early so our bodies can fight against sickness! By the end of this trip we could make one of those mastercard commercials.... 17 students...... 3 Interns....... 4 leaders..... a million bottles of hand sanitizer.... and a whole lotta Peruvians..... A life changing experience.......priceless!

We love you all!!!!
Lily Watson,
The Peru Student Team 2009