Transformation
In His final hours before going to the cross, and just days before raising from the dead, Jesus washed His disciples feet and said:
If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (John 13:14-15).
I (Kristin) recently had a holy experience when I joined the other teachers of our Care Center’s Awana Bible Club to wash the feet of nearly a couple hundred children over two days.
As you can imagine with the dusty roads here, there are plenty of dirty feet to go around. Surprisingly, in a generally timid culture,
the kids were very willing to participate, and even those who were ashamed at first because of rashes they had, it didn’t take much coaxing to convince them that it was okay. What a privilege it was to kneel down before the precious children, look into each one’s face, and scrub their feet with my hands and cradle them in a towel to dry. How glorious to look around and notice the kids thankfulness for having clean feet. This provides a simple but profound reminder of the transformation occurring in their lives through Jesus.
Even though we’ve been in Peru for almost 3 years, we celebrated our first Easter in Pucallpa this year (2015 we were finishing up language school in Arequipa, and last year we were in PA). We got to experience a true sunrise service on Easter Sunday morning at 5 am [the photo is from the sunset on Easter Sunday]. The streets were quiet and it was dark. As we sat in our “open air” church gathering, gradually it got lighter, the roosters were crowing next door, and this impacted us in a new way as you actually witnessed the darkness turning to light!
Caleb got his turn at drama in the Easter play at school (recall Jacob and Rachel’s parts
in the Charlie Brown Christmas play a few months ago.) He was cast as the tax collector whose life was transformed when he encountered Jesus and returned all the money from which he had cheated people. Caleb also became a 12-year-old on April 19th – which means adult prices on airfare now! We enjoyed celebrating his birthday with friends from the South American Mission Academy for missionary kids.
Our kids also took part in Spirit Week at school, and one of the themes was “Culture Day” in which Jacob was Jewish, Rachel was a Shipiba Indian (native to our area) and Caleb chose to be an American tourist. Jacob won the prize that day.
Our dear friends, the Wurschmidt family, visited us for a week over Easter. We first met them in 2014 during our pre-field training at the Center for Intercultural Training in North Carolina. They passed through Pucallpa on their way back to the 
States for home assignment following their first term of service in South Africa. It was very special to spend a week together, reflecting on the transformational impact of living and serving on the margins.
The fun photo of the month comes from a recent outing to the zoo, where one of the “residents” wanted Jacob’s drink!
We continue to be transformed daily as we trust God and grow in understanding of our community. It is a blessing and honor to witness the darkness turning to light in the lives of the people we serve. Thank you so much for being witnesses with us of His resurrection life!
Mark, Kristin, Caleb, Jacob, and Rachel
Missionaries of Discipleship and Development based in Pucallpa, Peru
www.kidsaliveperu.org [for those of you who are child sponsors, be encouraged to know the impact of your communication through the new post called “From Pennsylvania to Pachacamac”]
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Our mailing address:
Apartado 25
Pucallpa, Peru