The first day we visited Tambo de Mora we were standing outside of the refugee camp we would be working in and Jessika walked up to me and began talking to me in Spanish about a baby being sick. From there a few of us walked to her home to see this baby, whose name we now know is Carol. At that point we learned something was wrong with this two year olds brain, what we thought could be encephalitis. The family also informed us of their grandmother Freddi who has been deaf and mute since childhood. While we were there we were able to pray for both Carol and Freddi. That day the Lord brought this incredible family into my life and now a month later my life and faith have been increased because of them.
Throughout the last month I have spent many hours at Jessika’s home with her family. Jessika is in her early thirties she is married and has three children: Peorina (12yrs), Ma-Fair(4) and Ma-Who(2). Jessika’s sister, Monica and her husband live in the home next door to her with their four children Neilson(10), Lesli(7), Majelly(5) and Andri(2). Jessika has another sister Mari Cruz that currently lives in Lima who has three children Carol(2), Alexandra(12) and Estiguare’s(17). Jessika’s sister Monica works all day so Jessika and her mother Freddi take care of Monica’s four children. Jessika also takes care of Carol and Alexandra, whose mom works in Lima during the week to earn money for Carol’s treatment and food. That is a total of ten children, one of which, Carol requires a lot of attention and needs to be held constantly. (check out my pictures of most of these people through the link Browse My Photos to the left)
God has opened many doors for this family this month. Last week through the help of some World Race supporters we were able to help Carol get a brain scan to help her family better understand her disability. Currently we are looking into getting help from a doctor in the United States, please pray that God would continue to open doors for her even after we leave here Monday.
It turns out that Freddi is not the only one who is deaf and mute in her family, her sister and her brother are also deaf and mute as well. I have a hard time believing that it is a coincidence that all three of them suffer from this disability. To add on the top of that Monica’s husband is also suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. Why so much oppression? What’s the root of all of this suffering? I don’t know. I know that I have power and authority given to me by God, so why when I pray are they not healed. I may never know the answer to that question, but what I do know is that God is transforming their lives just through our presence with them and that is awesome.
This past week the girls have been teaching us to dance the salsa and cumbia. Quite honestly I am pretty good, well at least they say I am- HAHA! On Monday we went to a festival of music celebrating the birthday of Tambo de Mora. The last band of the night played music and the whole town square was filled with Peruvians dancing until 3 am. It was amazing to be able to dance with a whole community that lost so much from the earthquake in August. When they were dancing you would never know that anything had ever happened to them. Strangely enough I believe that the Lord has been using our time dancing to help us love on Jessika’s family. It’s one of the few ways we can actually connect without having to use words to communicate, and since we don’t speak the same language that is a beautiful thing. Dancing!!! Yeah I know! I never would have thought that the Lord would use me dancing like a crazy woman to bring joy and peace to a family who has very little. WOW!!! Praise the Lord for breaking through the language barrier!
Our team leaves here on Monday the 11th of February. It will be hard to leave Jessika’s family, but I don’t doubt the Lord will continue to work in their lives. Please pray that there would be healing in their hearts despite if their bodies are healed. Pray for us also as we leave that God would give us his peace about leaving. A month is not a long time but is it long enough to have to leave part of your heart with your new friends.
