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posted by James on 07/17/10

The climax of our trip concluded with probably the most spectacular activity we could have imagined: a helicopter tour of the city of Callao and the surrounding towns. One of our tour guides has connections with the Peruvian Naval Air Force, so through him we were granted this incredible opportunity to see Peru from a completely different perspective.

Because of this trip, I now see Peru from a completely different perspective. It is no longer an exotic location of tourist attractions; it is a land teaming with friendly people who are open to working toward meeting the needs of their country. I have seen with my eyes and heard with my ears that there is great potential for Peru that will soon burst forth to a degree that will attract the attention of the world!

For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden
causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth;
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isaiah 61:11)

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posted by James on 07/16/10

Wow! There is less and less time in the evenings to write. In fact, we haven’t returned to our hotel before midnight for the past few evenings. So, I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Currently, the country of Peru is divided into two classes for the most part: the rich and the poor. We traveled through some pretty poor regions of Lima this morning.

Then there are the rich. What better place encapsulates this more than the Presidential Palace itself? The greatest highlight of the day was to tour this incredible building, something not available to your normal tourist. It is equivalent to the United State’s White House. Though we never saw the president, we still got to see the incredible architecture of his home. Everything you see that is gold in these pictures is truly gold; pure gold.

And another amazing banquet dinner! Octopus and raw fish don’t really taste that bad any more.

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posted by James on 07/15/10

Many things happened today, but I only have time to share about two.

We stopped in Callao again today and had lunch at the Yacht Club Peruano. There was a huge deck at the end of a pier that looked out over the bay where tables were set where we dined. It was gorgeous, and God even brought the sun out to cut off the slight chill that is ever present during their winter.

In the evening, we were invited to sing at a special Christian event at none other than Peru’s House of Congress! This is one event I’ll never forget.

Please pray for alertness. Everyone on the team is very tired after getting very little sleep throughout the week. There is no time during the day for rest, so pray we would be able to use our time very wisely during the few hours of the evening and morning we are at the hotel. Buenas noches!

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posted by James on 07/14/10

From the Maria Angola Centro de Convenciones across the street from our hotel to the Plaza de Armas downtown, we had a fantastic tour of Lima today.

I think the Plaza de Armas was my favorite location. We arrived there at dusk, just in time to photograph the beautiful textures of the intricate architecture.

Afterward, we ate dinner at a very fancy Chinese/Peruvian restaurant. They say the President of Peru eats there sometimes! It was distinctly South American.

Thank you for praying for the team! As an update, we are staying very healthy and God is blessing us with favor in the eyes of all we meet. Please pray now for organization and direction for long term goals.

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posted by James on 07/13/10

Today, we drove to Peru’s largest and most important port city, Callao (pronounced Kaw-jhow). For lunch we went out to eat at a very fancy restaurant that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. Many boats were docked close by and large ships could be seen in the distance. The seafood served was just incredible!

To finish the day, we strolled along the coast at the end of the peninsula on which Callao is situated. It was a beautiful way to finish a beautiful day!

And just for fun, here are a few more random shots taken throughout the day.

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