This time next week, we will be on our way to Iquitos to catch our nightly flight to Lima----------->Mexico-->and finally to the beautiful Virginia. This week has brought a whirlwind of different feelings. The first feeling is business. Last week was a very busy week. When the week ended we had sucessfully helped with 6 kids programs. Our 3 weekly ones at our house on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 4 pm. We also helped put on the huge kids program on Saturday morning that Kelly talked about in the previous post, which consisted of kids from many different churches. Our friend Cesar, who is always joking was finally able to put his antics to good use and be a clown to entertain the children. Finally on Sunday, I helped at a morning Sunday School kids program and we went over to Nuevo Progreso where we have started a once a week program and we told the second half of the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors and then hung around and played some volleyball.

On Saturday at the kids program, we talked about freedom we have in Christ and how life in Him can break any chains we may have whether its drug addiction, lust, or even just an addiction to the rules and legality of religion, because if there is one overarching theme I have learned this summer, it is that the Christian life is about knowing Christ. We are not here to please people, to go to church a certain amount of times a week, or to know a certain amount of scripture. Those things will not get us into heaven. The other day, Crystal, the missionary and awesome friend we are living with was sharing during breakfast about the passage when the people are standing outside of heaven and God says something along the lines of ¨Leave me, for I never knew you. ¨ They said ¨but Lord we casted out demons and healed people in your name¨ This passage is a little scary but brings so much truth. So many people, including myself, can get so caught up in doing good things, that they miss the most beautiful relationship with the creator of the universe. We have it backwards many times. We try to do so many things like follow rules and regulations in order to say we know God, when it is in knowing Him that we begin to overflow out of love for Him and the good works follow and we can´t help but serve others and seek to glorify Him in all we do. It is hard seeing so many people bound by religion here, but at the same time many times I find myself in the same position. It takes all the beauty out of the grace of God. We never deserved grace and we never will be able to deserve grace, that is why it is grace.

Life has slowed down a lot since our crazy kids program filled week. 2 days ago I got news that my grandfather on my mother´s side passed away. Being a world away in a time like this is not easy, being away from family, but what joy I have in reflecting on the wonderful memories shared with my grandfather and rejoicing in the truth that his citizenship is in heaven.

A few fun stories/tidbits that have happened in the last few weeks:

1. The other night we were out front of our friend Isai´s house. Many people here have tables outside the front of their houses because they eat dinner outside late at night. Well we were all sitting on the table taking pictures and all of the sudden the table began to move. Soon we were all the the ground with most of the neighborhood laughing at us. It turns out that the table was not quite as sturdy as we thought.

2. Yesterday Kelly told three of the neighborhood girls she would paint their nails. So she invited them into the house and because we are both softies, she ended up painting their fingers and toes, and then they got a hold of her camera, so now we have pictures of the inside of our refrigerator, the bathroom, and many other random things. The children then listened to our music and fell asleep in our hammocks. About 5 hours after arrival we finally managed to get them out.

3. Now that Chris is gone, the cooking responsibilities have grown immensely. Crystal is always out and about working and running errands and so we all cook together and are learning many things. The other day Kelly and I successfully went to the market and bought a chicken, bread, milk, and juice. So we may have accidently bought way too much juice, but things could have been much worse. I also learned how to cut a pineapple with only minor cuts and bruises..haha well I only cut myself once and there was not thaaat much blood.

4. The other Sarah, Sarah Jennings was sick a good amount of the summer and finally got tested for parasites and had two. Dear Kelly Brill has been having some stomach pains lately, nothing serious, but it is still immensely cheaper to deal with testing and treatment here than in the U.S.(test and treatment here is like 10 bucks in American money) So today we went by the hospital and soon we shall know if any lovely parasites are crawling around in her body.

5. Last Sunday before our kids program we went to Isai´s grandparents house. His grandfather is also a pastor. They invited us to eat lunch with them before we headed over the kids´s program. Isai and his cousin Cesar call their grandmother their ¨crazy grandma¨ so we really weren´t sure what to expect. She is an amazing woman of God and a prayer warrior, but also brought some enjoyable memories. Kelly had the privilege to sit next to her at lunch. She began to serve Kelly soup, rice, fish, plaintains and she just kept going and going, and Kelly just kept eating and eating, while I was laughing and laughing. Kelly would just say Gracias and the grandmother just continued giving her more food, even from her own plate. If I am correct I think she ever gave Kelly her fish head to eat, which Kelly managed to somehow avoid eating. She also continually spoke to Kelly in Spanish, the rest of her family tried to explain that Kelly doesn´t speak Spanish but she insisted that Kelly could understand her.

6. For all of you youth who grew up in the 90´s...remember Pogs? Well I guess Peru is just way behind because that is the big thing down here right now, except the game is called Taps. I forgot how bad I was, I just lose, lose, and keep losing. The kids will give me cool ones with Barbie or Pokemon pictures, but then I just lose them playing someone else haha.


That is it for now. One week left. Keep praying. The Lord is good all the time.

Sarah Booth
p.s tried to put pics up but wouldn´t work:(