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Global Urban Trek 2008
Servant Steps and Body BuildingJuly 25, 2008
Throughout the summer, the Paz y Esperanza team served alongside churches in the slum areas.
While joining Ofelia (pastor's wife at a new church in Mariategui) in prayer for people in their homes, they not only saw how God was working in the community but also learned on a deeper level about the fundamental connections between our physical and spiritual beings.
When the team first prayed for Angelica – a young woman whose bones ached so much that she struggled to complete her chores and responsibilities at home – she was about to head to the doctor to see if she had osteoporosis. This is no small diagnosis for a woman already living in such tightened circumstances.
More than just with her physical pain, Angelica was struggling spiritually, feeling like the pain in her bones was a punishment for her sins, a reflection of her own spiritual inadequacy. So the team prayed for her, her whole body – physical and spiritual. Later on, when they went back, they found she learned she did not have osteoporosis but anemia. After taking iron pills, she was feeling healthier and more energetic.
Through meeting Angelica, one member of the team had a chance to ponder the connection between physical sickness and spiritual sickness. Brandon, who's considering work in medicine, wondered about the relationship between Angelica's bodily struggle with its impure, anemic blood and Angelica's spiritual struggle to understand that Jesus' blood had purified her from her sins.
Angelica had a very hard time accepting Jesus' blood as her own, accepting His forgiveness. Haven't we all had a similar struggle at times? But praise God that our Lord desires for us to be healthy, inside and out. The challenge now is: how do we, through Jesus, love and care for the whole body?
Our team was able to minister tangibly to the community by building a staircase on one of the steep hills in the area. Amy – or "Estrella" as she was nicknamed – was struck by how those building the staircase and doing the difficult manual labor alongside them were the directors of the community. These directors were very active in the community, often gathering people for meetings and then leading the meetings themselves. The directors chose to work on some of the most physically demanding jobs because they wanted to build credibility in the community, showing the other community members that their leaders were actively seeking the community’s growth and development.
Such an example is a powerful testimony among the poorest people of the slum areas, who often believe the lie that they cannot make a difference in the world. But, by God's grace, the people took note during the staircase building. May the Lord with His mercy and power break any feelings of helplessness or inevitability in Lima. And may He continue to build up the people who seek to lead through serving.
- Karin
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