Zamacola... my new home

Hola mi familia y mis amigos! I miss you all SO much! I am writing you from within Zamacola, a church outside the city of Arequipa, Peru, that I will call “home” for the next several months. We eat here... sleep here... learn here... hang out here... it is our own little fortress. We have two rooms for sleeping- 1 for the guys and 1 for the girls. This means that, in order to fit 16 women and their belongings INSIDE the room, we are sleeping on three-high bunk beds, and walking over suitcases. It’s pretty much like church camp, for those of you that can relate, except MORE people and MORE stuff. Why is it that, as women get older, we collect more “stuff” and need more “stuff?” I don’t know the answer, but I am an addition to the problem, as I also have a few bags of things. We are all learning to communicate, work together, be flexible, share, be patient and be respectful. Somehow, I think this was planned! :)

Today marks the official end of my first week in Bible classes. These classes are taught completely in Spanish, so I’m not quite sure how much I have actually taken out of this week, but it’s a start! Poco a poco (little by little) I will learn this language, and therefore be able to understand better. For now, I have plenty of friends here to bounce off ideas as to what was just discussed. I am really excited for these next several months. There is a different class every week or two. We attend classes from 8am-1pm, Monday through Friday. In the coming months we will also be adding in “practicals,” when we will go out into the community with our partners and help the churches already planting in this area, as well as other things needed. It makes me laugh out loud to think that I was going to attempt to take online college courses while here in Peru, just to “kill to birds with one stone,” because there would NEVER have been enough time, and I would not want to take my focus away from life here in Peru and my service and growth as a child of God. Thankfully, God already knew that, which is why it didn’t work out for me to take those classes. I love that He is always on top of things, and is looking out for me before I even realize it!!

A few things to update you on....

1) Our Peruvian partners have arrived!!!!!! (For the most part) We are still waiting on two partners.... they are having a bit of difficulty finding Peruvian women. It is often hard to find them here because, since this culture is SO focused on family, often times their families are not willing to let them leave the home, even if it is for missions. SO, please continue to pray for those women as Extreme looks hard and prays hard for them. Also, please be praying for the partners that are now here. We are SO excited and blessed to have them in our lives, and to have their help as well, as we learn the language.

2) Brandi Courts, my very good friend/ 40-40 sister is still suffering with intense back pain. It is not for certain, but looks like she might have to go back to the States for further treatment. She is very sad and frustrated with all of this because she only wants to serve, and her pain is stopping her from doing that. And, at the same time, I have never seen someone have SO much faith in a situation with so little positives. So... please be praying for her. We are all praying that she is healed and does not have to leave Peru at all. But, if she does have to leave for further treatment, she is going to need those services provided for because we ALL used all of our money to get down here. So, please pray as well that those services or funds would be provided and she could get treatment and a quick recovery. We know that God is not healing her right now for a reason, and we don't know what that reason is, but we have faith that He will not give her more than she can handle, with His help.

Thank you SO much for reading this. I miss you all, and it's nice to have some small link to the other side of the world, so to speak. Please continue to email me at Jaclyn_Finn@hotmail.com for any prayer requests you have. Thank you so much for your support, and especially your prayers.

Hasta luego! (See you later!)