Shaw Family Ministry Video

This is the first version of the Shaw’s Update Slideshow I made for them. I am going to make some shorter and some more in depth movies of specific ministries. Praise God that it worked to upload this video on youtube – it took all night! Check out the Shaw’s youtube site and their website.

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Movie, Travel, Writing, and Old Friends

Movie

I am working on a Ministry video for the Shaws. I love making movies, but it’s a whole different thing when you make them for others. Yes, I am enjoying it, and yes, I can still use my creativity, but it does require a lot of communication and working together with the Shaws, which can be difficult and time consuming. Please pray that I would get this video done soon (and a more in depth one later) so the Shaws will have this resource available for their supporting churches. Pray that I would get it done soon!

Travel

My visa expires mid-October and every day after it expires, I will have to pay $1 to stay in Peru… Since I wanted to go to Bolivia again anyway, it makes sense if I go soon. At the end of October, I am most likely going to be traveling back to Bolivia to see the Olsons again (including Danae – yay!). If so, I would probably take the bus to Arequipa by myself and I am hoping to travel to Puno with Marta. Danae said she would meet me in Puno… but as of now, everything is up in the air (so to speak). Pray that I would figure things out and most importantly, that God would lead me where he wants me to be. If I do go to Bolivia, I would volunteer at the orphanage and possibly with street children for two weeks and then travel with the Olsons a few places as well.

Writing

I wrote my newsletter for the fall! If you would like to download it, click here -> Sumaq Chakikuna. It is called Sumaq Chakikuna, which means *Beautiful feet* in Quechua. As you may know, I love writing. It seems like I haven’t had much time to write lately, but the other day, I randomly came up with a whole storyline and now I really want to write. It’s about a girl who is married as a child in India and becomes a widow at a young age. Isaiah 54 was kinda my inspiration for this idea (to read Isaiah 54, open your Bible or click here). I will let you know if I actually start writing it.

Old Friends

Being here in Peru, it is so hard to keep up with people, especially old friends! Thanks to modern technology, it is now possible to talk to people from thousands of miles away, and if they are avid facebook users, you can know some of their daily activities and who they’ve been hanging out with lately. It sometimes makes it hard to be so far away from those who are or who were at one point a big part of my life, but I need to realize that there is a time and a season for everything… There are people here in Cotahuasi who I am developing relationships with right now, and I know that when I come back to the States in January, I will focus more on my relationships there. It does not mean that I care less about anyone simply because I have not seen them for a period of time. I am learning that more and more each day. Besides, I have the best friend ever who is always with me – Jesus Christ, my savior. 🙂

Flowers, Please!

The Shaw's front yard is full of beautiful flowers.

A group of kids walk up to your door and ask for flowers. You have a yard full of beautiful flowers, plenty that will wilt if you don’t pick them soon. What would you do?

Answering the door...

The answer should be pretty simple, but it isn’t. The only time kids come to the Shaw’s door and ask for flowers is when there is a fiesta going on and they want to bring flowers as an offering to the Catholic idols there. Peru is basically a Catholic country, with more than 75% of it’s population declaring themselves Roman Catholic (81.3% in the 2007 Census).

This being so, idolatry is acceptable and even encouraged here. There is a Catholic church in almost every village in Cotahuasi Canyon, and there are idols in each one.

Idols in the Catholic Church of Aguas Calientes

Well, wait a minute – you may ask – don’t Catholics have the Ten Commandments? They do….but they are, let’s just say, modified. Take a look at these two photos. The first is the Catholic Ten Commandments and the second is the Biblical Ten Commandments.

The Catholic Ten Commandments

The Biblical Ten Commandments

Notice that the second commandment is deleted, and the tenth commandment is spit in two: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” and “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods” in order to still have 10 commandments. (Those Catholics are pretty sneaky…) Here in Peru, there is yet another twist. Instead of splitting the 10th commandment into two commandments, the Catholic Ten Commandments here simply changed the second commandment about idolatry into “Sanctificad las fiestas,” literally “Sanctify the parties.”

Not only is idolatry now acceptable, but Peruvians are encouraged to attend the drunken parties and honor the Catholic idols there. In fact, as I type this right now, there is a fiesta going on. Soon there’s to be a bull fight too, and a lot of the children we invited to Kid’s Club today are going to that. We’ll see if any kids show up to Kid’s Club… If not, it’s most likely that they are “Sanctifying the Party.”

Bowing Down to an Idol: I took this picture here last year. Read Exodus 20:4-5.

The Bible is clear in its stance against Idolatry. Read Exodus 20:4-5, Leviticus 26:1, Deuteronomy 4:16, 16:22, and 1 Thessalonians 1:9. It is difficult to know how to respond to a culture that is blinded by the crooked religion of Catholicism (and native religions with the worship of nature and Mother Earth – Pachamama). We do know, however, that the Bible is the Word of God, and Catholicism has attempted to conform the Bible to man, instead of man conforming the truth of the Bible to himself. Acts 5:29 says that “we must obey God, rather than men.”

Pray for the ministry here in Cotahuasi – pray that God would guide us in how to respond to a culture deeply rooted in Idolatry.

It's difficult to know how to respond...

Tell me your thoughts! Also, let me know if you have any ideas for future blog posts. Thanks!

† Raquel Gozo †

Update (after Kid’s Club): One kid showed up at the beginning and by the time Kid’s Club was ending, there were five kids altogether. There’s a small glimmer of hope afterall! 😛

Update

I have been in Cotahuasi, Peru for almost two months now – it has been an incredible summer! Britalia is now back in the states and has started her senior year at Grace Bible College. I sent out a newsletter in late July and am going to start writing another soon. If you would like a copy of either newsletter, comment below with your e-mail address.

A typical week in Cotahuasi looks like this:

Everyday, I cook Breakfast, read my Bible, and occasionally work on media for the ministry and do small chores. We often play volleyball in the early evening.

Monday: In the afternoon, we sometimes visit the Hogar (Boy’s Home) and help with homework. Monday night, Brad teaches an advanced Bible/Theology study to some of the brothers.

The Hermanos studying at the Advanced Bible Study.

Tuesday: In the morning, I study for Bible study. Brad teaches the Men’s Bible study in the morning and Gina teaches the Woman’s Bible Study in the afternoon. I take part in the Woman’s Bible Study. We are studying “La Verdad Del Hombre” or “The Doctrine of Man”.

Wednesday: Janelle calls it “a day for visiting people”. In the afternoon, we visit the Hogar to help with homework. At night, we have prayer meeting at church.

The Boys from the Hogar making monkey faces 🙂

Thursday: We have Club de Niños (Kid’s Club) in the afternoon. Lately, we have been leaving on Thursday morning to visit villages. Last week, we went to Maghuanca, a village 2.5 hours up canyon, and spent the night at the school there. At night, the hermanos (brothers) ministered to the community, sharing the gospel, singing, and showing a few video clips of Christian testimonies. Other times, they have shown the Jesus Film in Quechua. We spent the night at the school. This Thursday, we are going to Charcana, a village a few hours down canyon.

Me with some of the kids at Club de Niños

Friday: Here in Cotahuasi, we have youth group in the evening. If we spent the night in a village like last week, we usually do kid’s club in the morning. Janelle does the main teaching, but I have been helping more and more each time as I learn more Spanish. We have been teaching on and making the “Wordless book bracelet”, which tells the story of the gospel by the colors of the beads on a bracelet. We sing songs, tell the story, have them color pictures, and make the bracelets. Last Thursday, Brad also taught the children about the importance of the Bible – being the very word of God. Occasionally, we leave on Friday to go to villages instead of Thursday.

Janelle and I teaching in Maghuanca

Saturday: This can be a day to relax or visit people. We sometimes come back from villages or make day trips to villages on this day as well.

Visiting on the Shaw’s Front Porch

Sunday: We have church in the morning and in the evening. We have gone to Huillac on Sunday morning as well – Hermana (Sister) Rosa goes to Huillac every Sunday morning to teach kid’s club and to have a Woman’s Bible Study there.

Sunday Morning Kid’s Club in Huillac

Please pray for the Shaw’s ministry in the Cotahuasi Canyon, and pray for me during my time here. I go home on January 9 so I can attend the Spring semester at Grace Bible college. Please comment with your email if you would like the newsletters, and feel free to write me at r_kieda@yahoo.com. If you would like to check out the Shaw’s facebook page: click here, or their website: click here. Thank your for your support in prayers!

† Raquel Gozo