Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA)

Yo tengo goza, goza, goza en mi corazon!

I have joy, joy, joy in my heart

Published August 1, 2011 in Witness

Twenty-five duffle bags, including seven gallons of Texas barbecue sauce, accompanied our short-term team to Peru on June 24. We went to Cuzco to work alongside MTW missionaries Keith and Ruth Powlison, Scott and Meghan Dillon, and Nathan and Kristen Henson. Members of eight families comprised the team of 28 ranging in age from nine to 50-something. The duffle bags were filled with the Powlisons’ wish list including children’s clothing, construction equipment, M&Ms, peanut butter, hundreds of blankets donated at PCPC’s VBS, as well as the barbecue sauce for the meal we would host at the church.

We spent our first day acclimating to the altitude—10,600 ft. above sea level. Our teenagers joined Scott at the local church youth service later that evening. Sunday we were greeted warmly at Iglesia Evangelica Presbyteriana y Reformada en el Peru. The service included songs in Spanish and Quechua, Keith’s message, and communion. Later some of the teenage boys played soccer with the local teenagers using balls the team donated.

During the week, the team served in two primary locations: Casa Josefina, an orphanage, and the building site of an eye clinic at the local medical clinic close to the church.

The women and girls assisted the gracious nannies who care for the children at Casa Joefina. Currently eleven children live there, from the youngest, Baby Zoe, to the oldest, Daniel, age 8. They come to the orphanage through the local “CPS” in Cuzco. They may be abandoned or the parent(s) simply cannot afford to provide for them. Keith and Ruth have been blessed to place numerous children with adopting families and have themselves added Emma and Ellie to their family.

Our team painted the children’s bedrooms and playroom. Midweek, we hosted VBS with 45-50 children attending each day; they came from a neighboring orphanage and the community. We sang songs, shared the good news of Jesus, and shared crafts and games with the children.

Helping the blind to see­—literally and spiritually
Meanwhile, the men on our team served alongside Keith and Nathan, as well as two local members of the church, who became the construction team’s new best friends, to frame the eye clinic. The men quickly learned to saw, hammer, level, and work as a team to put together the framing and roof joists for the clinic. Many Peruvians are blind from cataracts, and Nathan will be able to restore their sight with a simple procedure at the clinic. This medical care will open up many opportunities for him to share the gospel. He is hopeful the clinic will open in September and was so appreciative of the work accomplished on the clinic during the week.

Our trip culminated with a Texas barbecue at the church, and our guests found the barbecued chicken may deliciosa! We taught our new friends the Cotton-Eyed Joe while some told stories of fishing and camping escapades. Each of the men also explained why we came to Peru and used the opportunity to share the love of Christ. To conclude the evening, we showed the Jesus film in the native Quechua language. There were many hugs and tears as we left our new friends that evening to return to Dallas.

What a privilege to be an encouragement to our MTW missionaries and partner with their ministry in Cuzco. As we served as the hands and feet of Christ, we were richly blessed by our new friends and left Cuzco with joy, joy, joy in our hearts!
—Mark Scudder