This week the boys (including David) went off to Puerto Maldonado in the Peruvian jungle to help Bud Lenz construct and prepare the land for the kids who will be moving from El Arca’s Cusco location.  When I talked to David on the phone, he said that the jungle was “a man’s playground. We are all running around with our shirts off, wielding tools…digging an irrigation ditch in the mud. It’s a good time. It’s like camping.” Wonderful. He worked with a team from World Challenge which were installing solar panels and also helping to put walls in the dormitories.  When the work in the jungle gets finished, El Arca’s vision is to be totally self-sustainable (they grow their own food, raise their own animals and plan to give the kids skills and trades such as animal husbandry, carpentry, welding, farming, ect. so they have a valuable skill-set when they leave the Lenz’s custody).

The girls didn’t sweat as much as the boys did in the jungle this week, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t put in manual labor. We spent two days painting Clinica Huanbutio, a free medical clinic run by volunteers about 45 min. away from Cusco. We heard stories from the volunteers from Jordan and Joy’s church tell of a woman who hiked 8 hours through the mountains to be seen at the clinic. We are praying that this clinic (that is fairly new in this community) will thrive by the love of Jesus and be able to impact and provide care to so many needy families in the surrounding areas.

This is the front of the clinic after we were almost finished

The last outreach team that was here, Beach2Bush DTS started the side and we were able to finish their work! (missing you, Laurinda Rapp)

Even though my eyes are shut, we really loved working with Carlotta (grandmother), Carla (mother) and Patty (daughter). Such sweet women!

Cool story this week: Misha needed to pay her student loans and wanted prayer that God would do something amazing because since she is volunteering with YWAM, she is not making a salary to pay off those loans. We prayed for her that God would provide financially and when she went online to pay her loans, #1 loan was postponed until October and #2 loan was showing up as $0.00 owed. YAY GOD!

Also, the team is doing a treasure-hunt today and we felt like God wanted to release them in confidence and freedom to go out by themselves. David and I don’t need to be present for God to reach out and touch people on a daily basis. We don’t need to be the reassurance factor in the equation. So we really encouraged them that they have (AND YOU HAVE) the power and authority to go out and love one person everyday. To be confident that God will speak to you on a walk, or at the grocery store, or while you are on the bus to invest in the life of one person. To ask them “hey, how are you?” is really simple. To be obedient to go and follow God’s instructions. To pray for someone. YOU can do this. Walk in freedom, friends! We know that this team is going to go back to Brisbane and then their home countries to release the power of the Kingdom wherever they go. Excited to hear stories about what happened today, but even more excited to hear about what God is going to do through them in the future!