I just wanted
to say "Thank-you!" a hundred times
over for the entire "LoverForPeru" experience.
It really was a life changing experience for all involved.
I admit that I initially went on the trip to give my daughter
and nephew a better perspective of the world. However, I
think the experience had as much of an effect on me as it
did on them.
I think what you, your husband, and the enitre Love For
Peru foundation does is beyond words. The amount of time,
money, resources, and love you are able to continuously give
is not only astonishing but truly exemplary and praiseworthy.
You all are one of the few individuals that are making a
real difference in the world and the world is a better place
for having all of you in it. In addition to the little Spanish
I learned, I also learned alot about myself, these great
kids, and about God and the way he is working in all of our
lives.
I would like to share with your team
one of the many things I learned and saw in Peru. Through
the dusty gritty despair of this one tiny village, I caught
a glimpse of something. I've heard of it. I thought that
I understood it. But now I know it for what it truly is.
It went from textbook theory to real life application.
I saw HOPE. And I'm not talking about the hope that most
of us know. Not the "I HOPE
I get a cell phone for my birthday" or the "I HOPE
we can afford our new car" or even the "I HOPE
my daughter feels better." I'm talking about real,
self-depraving, and humbled to the core HOPE. HOPE is not
a wish, it's knowledge. Knowledge that even in the depths
of poverty and despair, it WILL be better. I've never experienced
true HOPE in my life until now, and now I know what it looks
like. I saw it on all of the smiling faces of hundreds of
children. I saw it with a helping hand to a stranger in a
strange land. I saw it in a dance among friends. I saw it
within my daughter joyfully playing with other kids of a
different nationality, race, and language. I saw it with
every hug and kiss in friendship. I saw HOPE for a better
tomorrow through God's grace.
Please let your entire Love for Peru team know that everyone
(friends, family, church, community, even joes on the street)
that we have come in contact with, we have made sure they
are as personally touched by your accomplishments, goals,
and the vibrancy of the community as we were.
I am grateful to you for allowing all of us the small opportunity
to befriend and help this wonderful community. My single
regret is that I wish we could do more.
Please keep us posted and updated on the developments regarding
Project Hope. We are already planning for next year - so
keep us in mind!
I know I speak for the entire team when I say one more time
- gracias, grazie, danke schon, merci, domo, spasibo, toda,
mahalo, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! from the bottom
of our hearts.
Que Dios les bendiga! (God bless you all!)
Warmest regards,
Michael Ishee
July 2009 Mission Team
Our Summer
Trip to Peru, July 2008
My son Brendan and I went on
the family mission trip to Peru at the end of July. I
had three objectives in mind when planning for the trip:
As a member of the GBUMC Missions Allocations Committee
I have a fiduciary responsibility to be involved in missions
and be a good steward of our donors’ money. In
this regard I wanted to witness first hand how our money
was being spent.
I wanted to expose my 12-year old son
to how other’s,
less fortunate than we are, live. I expected he would
take away an experience to off-set what I commonly refer
to as an “entitlement mentality”.
Lastly I
wanted to have my own personal experience with an international
mission. I had been involved with
other domestic missions and this would be my first mission
abroad.
Of course, as everyone warned me that had been to Peru at
Project Hope, I experienced something so incredible that
I can only describe it in these words- PURE LOVE.
Needless to say I can assure you that our money is being
well spent by the Love for Peru Foundation www.loveforperu.org and
that my son had a life changing experience and wishes to
commit him, as Jesus has taught us, to a life helping others. However,
what is most amazing and what I was not prepared for was
the love reciprocated to us from the Peruvian people; especially
the children. The kids are incredibly beautiful and
have a way of finding their way into your heart without you
ever expecting it.
The memories of the children and the joy
wrapped in the boundless love that we all shared is only
trumped by the anticipation that we both have as we eagerly
await our next journey back to Peru.
God’s peace be with you,
Mike Martin
Letter from
Luis - January 2009 Medical Team
"My medical mission trip to
Peru was a once in a lifetime experience that will forever
gratefully live in my memory. Never in my life had I experience
so much love, caring and sacrifice in a group of people dedicated
to the purpose of helping the less fortunate in Peru. The trip
was an eye opening experience that not only allowed me to realize
the tremendous healthcare need that there is in Huaycan but
most importantly, helped me understand how just a little drop
of help, advice, caring, understanding and love, can make a
difference in the life of our neighbor in need. Through Love
for Peru I have learned that one does not need vast amounts
of money, technical expertise or political influence to make
a difference but that all that is needed to put a precious
smile on a fellow being is the will to help and an ounce of
love for people.. I highly recommend Love for Peru for anybody
that not only would like to make a difference in the life of
those in need but through the power of love, their own as well."
Luis A. Montes, Physical Therapist
Letter from
Cheryl - February 2008 Team
Dear Piero
and Magali:
I can not
tell you how special the trip was for me. What a wonderful
experience, meeting the other members of the team. Most of
all------you two. You are so wonderful!!!! I am honored to
have been able to share with the others, the trip, as explained
and guided by the two of you. I see you, and your beloved
Peru in another light and through hearts of love. Looking
at the mission experience through your eyes gives me a whole
different prospective of the people, culture and the country.
They have touched my heart.
I find myself
wondering what some of those special people that I met are
doing during the day. I would love to hug "my babies" and
talk to Alicia. I hope she is doing well. I will be so excited
to return and pick up where we left off. I do admire their
work ethic and loyalty to family and friends.
Your team
in Peru is great. I think of them too, and their dedication
to helping their people.
Cheryl
Letter from
Tom, Bambi and Phillip Provost - July 2007 Team
Dear
Piero and Magali:
Thank you both so very much for an incredible trip. The
experience couldn't have been any better. You two are an
inspiration of the best kind. The mixture of work and play
was perfect. I am amazed at what your foundation was accomplished
in a short period of time.
I will look forward to another trip to Peru with you. My
two sons and assorted friends are most eager to make the
trip.
Much love to you both,
How truly blessed we are to have been able
to participate in the building of 6 homes for 6 very deserving
families, touch the hearts of the kids and community members
of "Project Hope" and have our hearts touched by
their love, compassion and concern for each other!
Thank you for allowing us to participate
in this very special mission!
With love,
Tom, Bambi and Phillip Provost
Letter from
Susan McCoy - November 2006
Dear
Piero and Magali:
Thank you both so very much for an incredible trip. The
experience couldn't have been any better. You two are an
inspiration of the best kind. The mixture of work and play
was perfect. I am amazed at what your foundation was accomplished
in a short period of time.
I will look forward to another trip to Peru with you. My
two sons and assorted friends are most eager to make the
trip.
Much love to you both,
Susan McCoy
Letter from
Nikki Blanco - Los Angeles Team - Novemeber 2006
Piero, Magali,
and Avis,
I started
writing you a letter when I returned and have been so overwhelmed
since I"ve been back in L.A., still being in the space
of Peru and the children. I can see now how you couldn't
get them out of your minds when you first saw their families
and homes. Nuevo Imagen truly changed my life. I had already
been grateful for what I have, but now it's on a totally
different level: I'm amazed by the water that comes out of
my sink and doesn't stop until I decide to turn it off, the
water drainage, a toilet, free toilet paper in public places,
access to supermarkets 24 hours a day, etc. I can't stop
thinking about little Oscar (Diana's cousin) who found a
piece of wire and was chasing it down the hill. With no toys
to play but rocks and dirt, he touched my heart beyond words.
On the last day, Jill had an extra little race car; and as
we said goodbye after dropping them off down the hill, she
gave it to me and Oscar was on my side of the bus's window.
I couldn't believe the joy on his face when I put my hand
outside the window and gave it to him. It's a smile I'll
never forget...ahh, a sigh of happiness and sadness at the
same time. The trip and my experience of it has blown me
away.
I'd like
to be a part of Love for Peru in the future and will see
in what ways i can help or share my experience with others
so that they too can help. Please let me know what's going
on for the February trip and other things scheduled for next
year. I would like to get some clothes and toys together
and perhaps send it with you if I can't go.
As I sit
at home, I think of all the hugs and kisses the kids showered
me with and I miss them. As soon as I hugged one, there was
another running, in need of a hug too. As much as they needed
to share their love, so did I.
Thank you
for allowing yourselves to be vessels for God's work, since
we are all expressions of God's love shown on others.
Besitos.
Nikki
a.k.a. Nikki
nikki nikki or nicolita
Scott and Natalie
Jarrell's Medical and Dental Trip - February 2005
Taking part
in the medical mission was a life changing event for us.
It really opened our eyes to see the simplistic basic
needs of others less fortunate than us. We were
overwhelmed by the sincere graciousness of the patient's
Scott saw in the clinic. The people of Huaycan were
so endearing and welcoming to our team. The trip
helped us to realize what a significant impact a mission
team's effort can make in such an impoverished community.
A definite highlight of the trip was meeting the beautiful
children in this area. They were so full of love
and acceptance- we will never forget them or their
smiling faces. We look forward to taking part
in future medical mission trips and seeing our Peruvian
friends again!
Justine Grace's
Family Trip - July 2004
My trip to Peru
was a wonderful, life changing experience. When you come to
Peru you see the sad, poor homes and landscape. Then out of
the blue you see cheery faces and a happy attitude. When you
arrive the whole town celebrates your arrival with dances and
skits. Sometimes they pull you in and make you dance with them!
As the festivities
die down you see the town as your new friends. ( Those people
are sooo friendly!!!) It’s amazing at how fast you can
make friends and how eager the kids are to be your friends even
when you don’t speak the language very well. Pretty soon
you have a posse of pals!
The town is amazingly
run down and the water is not good for them. We go there to
try to provide them with better houses and cleaner water. They
don’t ask for anything but they make you want to give
them everything!! I use my birthday party money every year to
buy them library books and school items. In general, these people
live in poverty but are the most generous, kind, caring and
amazing people on the planet!!!!!
Going to
Peru was a great experience, I plan to go every year. I hope
you’ll go soon!!!!!!
Katie's Testimonial
- July 2004
I have been
a member of GBUMC for about 15 years, so obviously I had heard
of the church's involvement in Peru. On Missions Sunday my Junior
year of High School, my dad told me he wanted the two of us
to go on a mission trip before I left for college. We chose
Peru as our mission destination and that's where it all began.
In the months leading
up to our trip I was nervous and I was excited. We began to
have team meetings about a month before our trip. When I walked
into the room the night of our first meeting, I was a little
skeptical. Boy did we have a diverse group! There were couples,
there were singles, there were adults, and there were youth.
How would we all get along and work together coming from such
different walks of life? I was also a little nervous about the
language barrier and about traveling thousands of miles to a
place I knew very little about.
In the coming weeks,
little by little, my worries were eased. From the moment I met
Piero, Magali, and Jessica, I knew we were in good hands.
Then, on Friday,
July 9, 2004, I left Pensacola with my Dad and 15 other people
I barely knew to create what would become one of the best experiences
of my entire life.
I could go into
details forever about the hotel, the food, the people and the
atmosphere of the city of Lima. But I will just leave it by
saying experiencing a whole new culture really added to the
trip.
My expectations
of the actual mission part of the trip were to go and help people
by building houses. Growing up in such a wealthy area and seeing
pictures of the site beforehand, I knew the trip would help
me put things in perspective. My wildest dreams couldn't have
prepared me for the outcome of my trip.
As soon as we left
Pensacola, the group immediately "gelled." Each day
I would work with somebody new and at every meal sit next to
a different person. The trip was a great bonding experience
for my dad and I, but we soon discovered each person in the
group had their own unique gifts and for each task we all fell
into place. Some lead while others followed and in each activity
the roles changed. When I came home, I had 23 new best friends
and that doesn't count the thousands of Peruvian friends I wasn't
allowed to bring home with me...
THE PEOPLE
WERE AMAZING! Even with my Spanish vocabulary of about
20 words, I immediately made friends, met families, and was
welcomed into the Project Hope community with open arms. I was
not expecting that. After all, we were there that week to help
six families by building houses for them, right? Wrong! I couldn't
have been more wrong. Yes, we built houses and made six families
lives a little bit better because they had shelter. But that
wasn't the backbone of my trip. When I think back on it, I don't
reminisce about putting up walls and mixing cement. I think
about getting sand up the side of a mountain by standing in
a line between two people who didn't even speak my language,
but still we managed to laugh, cry, and accomplish an amazing
task. My thoughts are of chasing kids and teaching them English
as they taught me Spanish, of laughing with mothers and holding
their babies, of men with tears in their eyes as they broke
a bottle of champagne over their new house and so many more
memories that are forever etched in my heart.
There are hundreds
of stories to tell. Just ask my friends. Almost a year later,
they're still getting the "Oh, when I was in Peru..."
stories from me. Every person who goes on a trip has their own
stories and their own special moments. I know mine really will
last forever.
My life was forever
changed by experience in Peru. I never expected that I would
take out of the trip everything I did. My Peruvian friends and
I still keep in contact and love to hear about each others lives.
I cannot wait to go back and be with them again.
My experience was
so many things, it was enlightening, it was humbling, it was
touching, it was educational, and it was fun and because of
it, I know I am a better person.
Our Mission
Trip - July 2003 by Suzie
Cooper as told to John driving across (all of) Texas
“The World
can do almost anything better than the church. You need not
be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the
sick. There is only one thing the World cannot do. It cannot
offer grace.” – Gordon MacDonald
“Because we come, we
give them hope.” – Piero Solimano
At the very beginning of my
first-ever mission trip to Lima, Peru, I learned that Gordon
and Piero were exactly right. It wasn’t really important
that we could not spend our first week completing construction
of the library at the pre-school because the prep work was behind
schedule. Instead, 22 of us--mostly from GBUMC and mostly strangers
before the trip--prayed together, fellowshipped together, almost
mystically bonded together, and then we took the glow that God
had put in our hearts and went out and shared it with the people.
We met the people at the Methodist Church in Lima, the disabled
people at the rehab center in Huaycan, and the kids and moms
at the pre-school in Primero de Mayo. The pre-school moms dressed
up in their colorful traditional clothing and performed a charming
dance to welcome us.
“Dios te bendiga !”
God bless you, “Muchas gracias !” Many thanks, they
cried out or whispered in my ear as their tears of joy mixed
with mine and stung my cheeks. We had done nothing of substance
for them as yet. But we had come oh so far from America to show
them that we cared for them, and they felt that we had come
to share God’s grace with them, and it gave them joy and
hope.
But we did find plenty to keep
us busy during our first week in Peru. We took daily one-and-one-half
hour bus rides with a gradual transition from sophisticated
Lima up to another world of dusty mountains and abject poverty
at our primary service area, Primero de Mayo--a mountainside
of tin-roof houses with no running water rising from a level
plain which has been serving as soccer field and garbage dump.
We joined with the beautiful kids in a general cleanup at the
dump and then had a ceremony for planting trees around the dump,
aided by hundreds of kids, the mayor, and a band. We met with
the mayor and his staff about improving roads and sanitary conditions
as well as next steps for “Project Hope”, our vision
for transforming the former garbage dump into a beautiful parkland.
We had a wonderful afternoon of distributing clothing donated
by GBUMC folks and our neighbors to the kids of Primero de Mayo.
On another day we took special gifts to the kids that we sponsor
through “Food for the Hungry”... I got to meet the
child I’ve sponsored for 4 years, 8-year-old Martin Huacausi
Tanta, and his family... I was so filled with emotion that my
babbling remedial Spanish broke down almost totally, so we relied
mostly on hugs, kisses and mutual tears to communicate our joy
and friendship. And finally, we managed to spend a day and a
half on our scheduled project--hauling bricks, mortar and sand
up the steep, rocky hillside for later use in construction of
the pre-school library.
Best Miracle of Week
One--Giovanna: During the first week we became seriously
concerned that the wheel chairs and other equipment needed for
our week two project with the disabled people would not arrive
in time, and we could get no word on any ship that might have
them aboard. But we went about our business including a visit
one night to Giovanna at her home in Lima. Giovanna had been
in a coma for nearly two years after what was thought to be
a very successful operation to remove a disfiguring growth from
her head. We gathered around and laid hands on Giovanna as
Tho-mas’ (Tom Sharon) prayed for her recovery. We noticed
that her eyes fluttered and tears came from her eyes as we prayed.
Tom said that she squeezed his hand several times. These appeared
to be promising signs, but she did not wake up. The next morning
we got word that our cargo container with the wheel chairs and
other equipment was entering the harbor...on the USS Giovanna!
As the first week drew to a
close, I began to realize that most of my new brothers and sisters
from GBUMC would soon have to leave to go home. I was staying
for another nine days to work with the disabled people needing
wheelchairs and walkers because of my background in physical
fitness and rehabilitation. I felt a profound sense of impending
loss and loneliness. I just did not think that the spirituality
which was the essence of our first week would be replicated
as new folks came in for the second week.
I was right. It was not the
same. But it was wonderful in its own way. A group from the
Pensacola Rotary Club came in and proved to be a dedicated
and expert labor force in the area of wheel chair and walker
fitting for disabled people. They were also nice folks, and
we remaining GBUMCers pitched in with them for what turned
out to be an exciting, exhausting week of 12-hour days at
the Association for the Disabled in Huaycan. Imagine 100 disabled
people gathered that first morning...many children ... many
carried for miles by a parent ... all seeking help. I can
still see Piero and Jessica translating for these 100 and
their family members and also encouraging them when another
day went by that maybe their individual need was not met.
And then at week’s end 220 people had been fitted to
perfection under the supervision of Ron from Rotary with a
wheelchair, walker, or simply a cane. Time after time people
who had never experienced the independence and freedom of
mobility left our work area under their own power, often moving
somewhat too fast, and always smiling broadly. With each successful
fitting an entire family also gained freedom. All were served;
all were joyful and grateful. One elderly blind man said that
he had found Christ because Piero had given him a fold-out
cane.
Best Miracle of Week
Two -- The Shunt Operation: One afternoon the Lima
police ran a sweep to take unlicensed vendors off the streets.
They also confiscated the vendors’ equipment and wares
leaving them with no means of making a living. One victim of
this sweep was a man whose son was hydrocephalic and needed
an operation to place a shunt in his head or he would soon die.
It “so happened” that the man had been stopped by
the police right outside the Catholic church, and when the priest
came out, he saw the man weeping. It also “happened”
that the priest, upon hearing the man’s story, called
a doctor friend of his who donated a $3000 shunt. It also “happened”
that this same man came to the Association for the Disabled
the next day to see if he could get a wheel chair for his son.
It “happened” that the man told Piero his story,
adding that his son could not have the operation because it
cost $180, and the man had no money. It then “happened”
that two folks from GBUMC found that they each had $90 to spare
to pay for the operation. The man was last seen running to the
hospital to make an appointment for the operation. You and I
know that none of this just “happened”. Praise be
to God !
Toward the end
of our “Forty Days of Purpose” Rick Warren will
encourage each of us to “become a world class Christian”
by saving and doing “whatever it takes to participate
in a short-term mission trip overseas as soon as possible.”
I can tell you that my life became far richer when I took this
step. And when I stood on the dirt floor in a small, dark home
in Primero de Mayo and a mother began her prayer of welcome
for us saying , “Father, I don’t deserve this; I
have too much...”, I knew I would return to Peru very
soon.
"It
is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man
can sincerely
try to help another without helping himself." - Ralph Waldo
Emerson
words. The amount of time,
money, resources, and love you are able to continuously give
is not only astonishing but truly exemplary and praiseworthy.
You all are one of the few individuals that are making a
real difference in the world and the world is a better place
for having all of you in it. In addition to the little Spanish
I learned, I also learned alot about myself, these great
kids, and about God and the way he is working in all of our
lives. 
had been to Peru at
Project Hope, I experienced something so incredible that
I can only describe it in these words- PURE LOVE. 
once in a lifetime experience that will forever
gratefully live in my memory. Never in my life had I experience
so much love, caring and sacrifice in a group of people dedicated
to the purpose of helping the less fortunate in Peru. The trip
was an eye opening experience that not only allowed me to realize
the tremendous healthcare need that there is in Huaycan but
most importantly, helped me understand how just a little drop
of help, advice, caring, understanding and love, can make a
difference in the life of our neighbor in need. Through Love
for Peru I have learned that one does not need vast amounts
of money, technical expertise or political influence to make
a difference but that all that is needed to put a precious
smile on a fellow being is the will to help and an ounce of
love for people.. I highly recommend Love for Peru for anybody
that not only would like to make a difference in the life of
those in need but through the power of love, their own as well."
Thank you both so very much for an incredible trip. The
experience couldn't have been any better. You two are an
inspiration of the best kind. The mixture of work and play
was perfect. I am amazed at what your foundation was accomplished
in a short period of time.
Thank you both so very much for an incredible trip. The
experience couldn't have been any better. You two are an
inspiration of the best kind. The mixture of work and play
was perfect. I am amazed at what your foundation was accomplished
in a short period of time.
and have been so overwhelmed
since I"ve been back in L.A., still being in the space
of Peru and the children. I can see now how you couldn't
get them out of your minds when you first saw their families
and homes. Nuevo Imagen truly changed my life. I had already
been grateful for what I have, but now it's on a totally
different level: I'm amazed by the water that comes out of
my sink and doesn't stop until I decide to turn it off, the
water drainage, a toilet, free toilet paper in public places,
access to supermarkets 24 hours a day, etc. I can't stop
thinking about little Oscar (Diana's cousin) who found a
piece of wire and was chasing it down the hill. With no toys
to play but rocks and dirt, he touched my heart beyond words.
On the last day, Jill had an extra little race car; and as
we said goodbye after dropping them off down the hill, she
gave it to me and Oscar was on my side of the bus's window.
I couldn't believe the joy on his face when I put my hand
outside the window and gave it to him. It's a smile I'll
never forget...ahh, a sigh of happiness and sadness at the
same time. The trip and my experience of it has blown me
away.
Peru, I learned that Gordon
and Piero were exactly right. It wasn’t really important
that we could not spend our first week completing construction
of the library at the pre-school because the prep work was behind
schedule. Instead, 22 of us--mostly from GBUMC and mostly strangers
before the trip--prayed together, fellowshipped together, almost
mystically bonded together, and then we took the glow that God
had put in our hearts and went out and shared it with the people.
We met the people at the Methodist Church in Lima, the disabled
people at the rehab center in Huaycan, and the kids and moms
at the pre-school in Primero de Mayo. The pre-school moms dressed
up in their colorful traditional clothing and performed a charming
dance to welcome us.