exciting day

It's raining again tonight. We've had rain each night, and it sounds very soothing.

We checked out of the hotel and into the dormitories in the People of Peru Project headquarters. It feels much safer here than at the hotel because the doors are solid and lock well. I will sleep well tonight!! Plus there is a door on the bathroom here, and all the water is well-filtered and safe to drink. What a luxury!

The food has been delicious and plentiful the whole time we've been here. Lots of beans and rice and fresh fruits and baked chicken with various sauces.

Ok, so now the important things. Denise held a free dental clinic today, and 5 people got their rotten teeth pulled for free. It was awesome how they converted an abandoned garage into a dentist office. Denise had helpers who sterilized the tools with clorox solution, and she had brought gloves and masks to protect her face and prevent the spread of germs. She had novacaine for each patient, but it took a while for them to get numb, so she was only able to treat some of the people who were waiting in line for help. The rest got tickets to be first in line if they come back tomorrow. She will continue in the morning with her efforts. Art and Jack helped her a lot with her work so they can assist her when Camilla is gone, who was the main assistant today.

Jim and Andrea worked with the staff from the People of Peru Project to make some benches out of discarded lumber while Denise was doing the dental work. Jim thought to carve a cross on the sides of the bench legs, so they look like church pews. They came out great. We used them later in the evening for the kids to sit on.

Then the children from the neighborhoods surrounding the women's shelter where the dental clinic was came at 6:30 for a little program we had put together for them. We played a game with them to break the ice and then did a skit for them about how to stay calm and be faithful even when the storms of life come. Then we sang some great songs in Spanish, and everyone got candy and balloons. We will put together something different for them tomorrow evening.

The hardest part about helping here is deciding how to distribute the limited resources. Which 5 people should get dental care out of the dozens in line? Which 20 hungry children should we treat to a free dinner? Which 25 hungry families should be the ones to receive the huge bag of rice, beans, oil, vinager, sugar, salt, butter, jam, pasta, etc? Which person should we reach out to in the crowded market place to share the truth with? I'm glad I'm not the one in control of all this, but that I know the One who is!!!