Ben Beyond the Bubble: Kids and Kittens

It was another gray day in Lima. Humid and comfortable temperatures, but gray. We got up, ate breakfast and were ready at 9:00am for Pastora Uta to come pick us up and take us to Emanuel.

Us waiting outside for Uta.

It was an adventure getting to Emanuel. Traffic was especially bad today, so it took us almost 2 hours to get there. The drive was hectic as always, and our cab had a hard time following Pastora Uta all the way there.

Lorna captured Dale, Deb, and I above in the grey taxi just ahead.

We drove through endless miles of the poorer parts of Lima. Although this is my second time here, it's still shocking to see the condition of this part of the city.

We arrived around 11:30 and were greeted by the teachers of the kindergarten that is run out of Emanuel. We got to meet and play with the children of the preschool/ kindergarten. Emanuel had come so far since I last saw it four years ago. It not only has expanded, but has built classrooms and play areas to hold the kindergarten. It was cool to see how the congregation has come together to build this self-sustaining entity of the church.

We then met with the president of the church council and director of "Manos Unidas". Manos Unidas is another social project that Emanuel does where they employ women in the local community and teach them how to sew and make goods such as purses and wallets. These are sold in the U.S. and in local markets in Peru.

We talked with Uta about the progress her congregation has made, and how Emanuel is working to become a self-sustaining church. It was assuring to see that in the face of many problems, their congregation was pushing forward and doing good for its members, and the community.

After our conversations, we left Emanuel and took the long ride back to our hotel. We spent the afternoon/ evening in the park, eating lunch, and walking near the ocean. The gray was not going to stop us from enjoying our day. We ate at Cafe Cafe, an old favorite, and stopped by the park. The park is oddly filled with wild cats. There are so many cats just wondering around and they only stay in the park area.