Week One Reflections

So, our first full week in Piura is done and the team is doing great! We´ve really gotten to know a lot of the kids from the neighborhood and with another week still to go, it´s going to be incredibly hard to leave the city. Every morning we´ve spent an hour playing games and sports with the kids (the lycra tube episode was one for the memory books) and an hour with a bible lesson, singing, and a craft. The puppet shows are so awesome we´re thinking of going on the road with the act. The story of Noah´s ark was especially good : ) Even those of us that don´t speak Spanish have been able to communicate with the kids (although yours truly has been caught speaking French occasionally when I´m not thinking).
It´s odd that it is incredibly warm to us and yet this is their winter and people are walking around with sweaters, coats, hats, and scarves. It makes us hot just looking at them sometimes.
We held the first Sunday School and Holiness meeting on Sunday morning (in the community center) and though it was mostly children there were quite a few adults (52 people total).
Today we spent the entire day in groups going door to door to meet the families and adults that live in the community. We went in, sat, and talked with them to find out what they as a group need the most. Apparently gangs are a huge problem in the area and all the adults are concerned that there is little else for the chilren to become involved in. Update: Booth is doing better, and in regards to the rest of the team, there have only been a few minor problems adjusting to the food.
Our first day off is Thursday and we are hoping to go to the beach!
We´ll let you know how the water is.
Josie & the Knickerbockers