JANIS
The past few months have been very busy since I was last in Peru. My church, Valley Ranch Baptist Church (VRBC), called its first pastor of missions. Her name is Amy Wilkins, and she has been working with the Missions Committee to develop a new strategy for missions work. We have been meeting every 2-3 weeks since her arrival. While VRBC has partially sponsored the Christmas Store in Peru, this is the first year that it will be completely included in the regular fund-raising efforts along with the Christmas Store for poor children in south Dallas in cooperation with another area congregation, Cornerstone Baptist Church.

LOU
It is interesting to hear this since this year will be our third consecutive year that we have had a Christmas Store in Peru. I believe that Amy will be of much help and you will be able to consult directly with her about the next steps they will do with respect to the 2008 Christmas Store.

JANIS
Yes, I have already learned a lot from her in the short time she has been working with the Missions Committee. I was able to attend a missions conference in a city near here called Mission Waco. It was very interesting to hear how others approach their work combining faith and social services to the poor. I really like the concept of using not only our faith but also finding ways to meet the many other needs of the poor as they learn of God’s love for them. This concept of community development provides a way of helping the poor learn to provide for themselves so they can become self-sufficient. LOU
Yes, it is very positive to know people that not only want to use their faith but work to help poor people. It is important for me to also know about the Mission Committee meetings at your church and know what God is doing. JANIS
This idea of community development coupled with sharing your faith is probably understood much better outside of the United States. The Catholic Church worldwide as well as other countries have always been more active in combining both. There is a new movement among Protestant churches in the US to become involved not only in sharing the good news of God’s love but also working to meet the needs the poor. I have been told that there are 2000 verses in the Bible that refer to helping the poor. Apparently God is interested in it, and from the life of Jesus, you can see that He was interested in helping the poor as well. LOU
God always helped the poor and I am convinced that the love of God is not only shared though what Jesus did on the cross but also to give more necessities a help that many times they do not receive. But God has separated people to use them so they may be the ones that bring the help. JANIS
Well, as you know 2008 is the third year for the Christmas Store in Peru. It is exciting to see the fund raising efforts at VRBC also include the Peruvian store this year. We had our first fund-raising event on September 6. We sponsored a “garage sale” in which members could donate used items for sale and the proceeds would benefit both the Christmas Store for Cornerstone but also the store for El Buen Pastor. The Christmas Store in the United States has been in operation for approximately 8 years. It serves about 1,200 poor children in a poor area of south Dallas. Like its Peruvian counterpart, the Christmas Store allows us to connect poor children and their families to a community of Christian believers who also want to meet the many other needs experienced by the poor. In both hemispheres, this is an opportunity to put faith in action sharing not only the love that God has for children but also His concern for other needs in their lives. LOU
In Peru it is no common to see peole selling their things in their garage. Pero there in the United States it is common. And this activity will enable the members of VRBC to help many children at Cornerstone Baptist Church and San Genaro to have something for Christmas and what is best of all they and their parents will hear about the love of God. As VRBC helps the poor at Cornerstone in south Dallas, we here help the poor that live around El Buen Pastor that are in a poor zone called San Genaro in south Lima. For the 2008 Christmas Store we will have nearly 204 children that will participate. I know that Peru is a place very far away and perhaps there is not much information about my country but here there are also those who will not have anything for Christmas…no gift…no turkey or chicken…no water. But we are giving love to the people with needs and we will work for them. JANIS
Wow, 204 kids! It is incredible what has happened in just three years. We are using many different ways to raise the money for both the local Christmas Store through Cornerstone but also the one in Peru. In addition to the garage sale, we will be selling some of the necklaces that your sister, Nella, has made. Women here are very interested in looking at them so I hope it will be a profitable way to make money. LOU
I believe this is the number of kids. About the necklaces I will tell you that Nella is making these with the help of a girl in the church. They are making sure the number you asked for will be strong. I hope that this quantity can be sold and with the money we will be able to buy what is necessary for the Christmas Store this year. JANIS
You know, some people might believe it would be impossible to do all of these things from such a long distance. But it is always amazing to me how much we can accomplish together by using the abilities of many to meet the needs of so many children. Friends here who work with Buckner International or e3partners have been able to bring you various things in the past few months. We were even able to send the keyboard through some friends who had an unexpected trip to Lima last week. The necklaces were returned to me as a result of a Buckner trip in August. Tell me, how is the music class for the kids coming along now? LOU
Yes, to help the poor is what we are trying to do together. And here the children are appreciative of the young couple, Brent and Kristine, that were able to bring the keyboard for them. Now the music teacher, named Rafael, will be able to use it with all the kids. Rafael wants the kids to be able to play a song on the keyboards and show their parents what they have learned.
JANIS
That’s great! I hope to hear them play some day, too. The pastor of worship at my church, VRBC, also donated a keyboard that I hope to bring to you in the next few weeks. Didn’t you tell me that Rafael is taking music classes himself since he has been working and teaching the Saturday morning class to the kids? I admire anyone who can play by ear, but it is great that he may be able to have some formal instruction, too.

By the way, did I tell you Karina came by my office this week? She had great news for us. Recently she was in Quebec City and submitted a proposal to the World Youth Congress to help the children in San Genaro. When she left here, I thought she was going to present something to provide school supplies next March. On the advice of a connection she had she changed the proposal at the last minute to address the need of hunger among the poor. We will be able to use the land across from the house to begin a community garden!

LOU
Yes the children will play the keyboards. And many thanks for the new donation of this keyboard. I believe that the kids will be blessed. Rafael has the ability to play by ear but I am also happy that he is able to prepare himself professionally. Rafael is doing a good job.

You and I thought that the participation of Karina in the World Youth Congress would enable us to have the funds for school supplies. But I believe that she had a better and more creative idea for the Congress. I am sincerely surprised but I believe that is has been a good alternative. Karina was able to obtain the economic help the help the kids of San Genaro. I was a good decision of hers.

JANIS
Yes, it was interesting to realize that while Karina was in Canada changing the proposal, I went to Waco, Texas (about 90 miles south of Dallas) and visited the “Hunger Farm” there. Karina and I did not discuss the need to change the proposal. She did what she thought was necessary. They have a wonderful project there for sustainable farming. Here food is grown to demonstrate how to garden in such a way that a family or group would be able to sustain themselves. Nothing is wasted. They also have goats for milk and can make their own cheese. I told you we need a llama!

When she returned I already had the information how to do some of the things she was talking about! This is the perfect way to use the land. We can develop a garden and then teach individuals and families how to raise their own food…even in small space such as their patios. I am very excited about the possibilities!

LOU
A llama would no be common in San Genaro. I hope that it would not eat the vegetables! It is incredible that this has been done and to have a garden would be a great possibility. We will continue working and I believe great things will be done…

JANIS
Okay, okay. Maybe goats…or a few chickens! But you see what I mean about the possibilities. Karina was able to make some very good contacts through the World Youth Congress and is interested in continuing to bring new resources to our attention.

LOU
I understand what you told me about the animals. Karina has more contacts now and she will enable more youth in the World Youth Congress hear of Peru and El Buen Pastor. God is good.

JANIS
You’re right. There are many exciting possibilities before us. I am excited to see what develops in the coming weeks and months. We will receive our funding from the World Youth Congress next March but we have a lot of things to do before then. Karina believes we can find other opportunities through some of her new contacts.

LOU
Many times one hears of San Genaro, Arequipa or Peru but what can you tell me about how God is working in the hearts of the americans that have visited El Buen Pastor? Or how has He begun to move in the United States?

JANIS
Well, as you know, this began with the Christmas Store in Peru. I always have said that the real miracle of the Christmas Store in the United States with Cornerstone (a community where we help poor people to the south of the city in Dallas) is the way in which God has worked in the hearts of a group of relatively affluent Americans that have learned to love the poor.

I believe that this is being extended to Peru. I perceived that Lori Shaw and her daughter MacKenzie loved the time they were in Peru. The way with Amy Suttle. Now they have an image of the poor in another country…playing with the kids…putting shoes on their feet…and in this process God has given to them a new vision of service. While we have begun the preparations for the other Christmas Store in the United States, our church members are also thinking about ways to extend the same activities in Peru. Different invididuals ask me what type of clothes they can send with me on my trips. Or they learn new information through classes and want to find a way to share it with those in Peru.
I think that we will have some very interesting activities in the next weeks and months.

LOU
God has permitted that these people with open hearts are able to be here to help at Cornerstone. It was alos very important to know Lori, MacKenzie and Amy because they are able to give their time to work with the poor in San Genaro. I was able to see their strenty and I am happy about this. Now through your words, I know that there are many people interested in helping a little part of Peru like San Genaro. Perhaps in the future the work is able to the work in this country.