Preaching in the Street

(Just so you know, in my head, the title of this blog is sung to the tune of "Dancing in the Streets.")

Life has been really busy. That is my apology for my lack of blogging. Because in case you haven't noticed, I really love blogging. But it is more important for me to be out in the field working than to be in front of my computer blogging. 

We are six weeks in to living in Cusco. 

And Cusco is different. 

Cusco is amazing. 

Cusco is rainy. 

Cusco is hot. 

Sometimes Cusco is cold. 

Cusco is perfect with hot showers and yummy food. 

Cusco is hard work, with doors that won't open to the gospel. 

Cusco is beautiful with its green mountains and hills. 

Cusco is ready to receive the gospel.

And I am blessed to be a part of sharing the gospel here.

The most exciting part of sharing the gospel in Cusco at the moment is what is taking place in Lamay and Coya, two towns in the Sacred Valley.

We now have five discipleship classes going on in these small towns, and of course, we don't do things like everyone else. We have classes in chicha bars or corn fields.

Or we sit in the street and talk about Jesus. That's normal, right? 

Now don't get scared; we are not standing on boxes preaching at people. But we are discipling a couple of girls who are live-in maids in town, and the woman they work for is not a Christian and doesn't really approve, so we do the lessons on the sidewalk near the house. 

This is a prayer request for you guys: we want to be able to share the saving grace of Jesus Christ with this woman, who even has family who are evangelicals, we just need an open door and open ears. But we especially don't want to get Isabel, Marleny, or Mariela into trouble, so please be praying for the whole situation.

We also do a discipleship class with two other teenage girls on Sunday afternoons. The girls work during the week, so Sunday is the only day they can do it. And we haven't been accepted by their families yet, so we do the lesson in the street with them as well. One of the girls, Sonia, has an aunt she lives with who is Jehovah's Witness, and wanted nothing to do with us. (The Mormans and Jehovah's Witnesses here are well trained to say, essentially "Leave me alone" before we start sharing the gospel.) Pray for open doors with these girls' families also.

But something that gets me excited is that people in town are starting to recognize us. They see us walking down the street, knocking on doors, eating lunch in the Plaza, talking to girls and even praying in the streets three or more times a week. They are starting to recognize us. They are curious about us. And they will start to soften up to us.

Because the fact of the matter is, part of the culture of Cusco is a tendency towards distrust. They don't trust outsiders. We have had MULTIPLE people pretend not to speak Spanish, pretend that they only know Quechua. They don't want to talk to us because they don't know us. But bit by bit, we are breaking down their defenses, and by God's grace they will eventually let us in.

We are showing a Jesus film and having a couple kids festivals in these towns next week, so begin to pray for their openness. Pray for good weather, since we will be outside for both. Pray that people will show up. And pray that the light of Christ will flood into their hearts. 

(December 15, we will have a kid's festival in an orphanage outside of Lamay, and a Jesus film in Coya. December 18 we will have both a festival and Jesus film in the Plaza of Lamay.)