We're Going To Go Peru!

It's January 8th and in nine days we will be going to Peru.

The "we" is made up of Josh Steinke, Lance Steinke (son and father), Berrie Lounsberry, Ed Lounsberry (wife and husband, Jeff Lindsay (pastor extraordinaire), Sally Manhard, and Elgin Manhard (wife and husband), all members of Colonial Church.

The Colonial Team

"We" will be in Peru from January 17th to the 27th.  There are two primary activities:
1.  There is a five day English Camp in the community of Flores de Villa.  The Camp is made up of 400 kids, ages 6-18.  There will be 11 english classes in the morning and 11 in the afternoon.  The classes are taught by 40 volunteers from churches in the Minneapolis area, with Wayzata Free as the lead church.  The Flores de Villa English Camp has been going on yearly for ~12 years.  The camp is led in the states by Ranelle and Bruce Kuehl.  They have led it for several years and do a great job.  Every thing was really well organized and they were both very helpful with the Men's Retreat.

2.  At the end of the camp there will be a two day "first ever" Men's Retreat.  It has been hard to get men involved in community and religious activities in the Flores De Villa community.  They tend to be very independent and not closely involved with their families and the broader community.  Over time, 20+ years, some of the men have begun to connect with the community built by the missionaries, Gina and David Stavros.

The community is made up of people who came down from the mountain area when the Shining Path group was active 30+ years ago.  They settled on a garbage dump, the only land available.  A place of tin shacks, dirt, and dust.  Because they were squatters there was no ownership of land, no government, no water, and few if any other resources.

Twenty some years ago David and Gina Stavros came to Peru to start a ministry.  They started out working for International Foundation, the up and outers in Peru government.  In the course of this ministry they came upon Flores de Villa and their hearts were broken by the poverty of the people living there.  So, they started a new ministry in Flores de Villa.

Gina and David Stavros

They got to know the people, started a health center, worked with the government, friends they had made in their previous ministry, to allow people to own the land, got a school, some civic resources, and started two houses, one for teenage girls and one for teenage boys.  Their faithfulness over the years yielded a women's bible study, now up to 100 or so, a bible study for seniors, a couples retreat, a community revival, and now, after all these years they have enough men, 50, for a men's retreat.

Their ministry has been a prime example of how to do ministry; one step at a time.  (Note:  Some of us took a class at Colonial using the book, When Helping Hurts.    Gina and David's ministry is a perfect example of how to do it right... so that it helps.  They have literally changed the Flores de Villa community for the better.)

The Colonial team this year got involved when Michele Steinke and her daughter Jane, both of whom have gone to Peru before, and Elgin and Sally went to hear Gina and David talk in mid-September.  The hosts were the Kuehl's, the leaders of the English Camp.  As a result of this meeting, Lance and Josh decided to go to Peru even though they didn't attend the meeting.  Elgin and Sally met with Gina and David again a couple of days later at the Holderness's for coffee.  Susie had been to many English Camps.  Susie had talked David into getting Elgin to do the Men's Retreat.  Elgin was sucked in and before he or Sally knew it, they were going to Peru.

(Susie and Gene have been closely involved with this ministry, they have been on the board for since the beginning,  she has been to English Camp many times, and she has gotten other Colonial member to participate in the English Camp.  Besides those mentioned already are Lynn Voelbel, Nancy Laitala, David Gee, and of course Jeff Lindsay. )

Then Susie happened to have dinner with the Lounsberry's, shortly thereafter, and planted the idea of Peru in their minds.  Soon they too signed up.  God called Jeff, using Elgin's voice, and Jeff was on board too.

So Peru, here comes Colonial.