I miss Peru.
I miss the Iglesia Cristiana Koinonia family/families.
I really want to go back someday with my husband and son. And our second child is due May 9th! :)

To see what is going on in the lives and ministries of Iglesia Cristiana Koinonia, check out the following blogs:

http://www.iglesiacristianakoinonia.blogspot.com

http://koinonia-canete.blogspot.com

http://trshelley.blogspot.com

Praying that God will send more laborers to reap the harvest in Peru (and also raise up native Peruvian laborers),
Jennifer

When I went to Lima and Cusco, Peru on a Buckner International Shoes For Orphan Souls mission trip this past March, I got to see first-hand just how much orphaned children need new shoes and how happy they are to receive them. And they need pure, true love just as much as they need new shoes.

Here I am helping mi amiga Thalia with some new shoes!

Above:

Julie of Buckner helps a girl try on some new shoes.

(Center) Photo of a boy's old shoes.

(Right) Me helping a young girl with her new shoes.

Photos by Jenny Pope of Buckner International.

Girls at the Girls Home in Cusco after they got their new athletic shoes. They'd been wearing their black school uniform shoes. Photo by Jenny Pope of Buckner.

Boys at Hogar in Cusco after they got their new shoes. Photo by Jenny Pope of Buckner.




I took this pic of mi amigo Doug Moore of WFRN (in Indiana) as he helped a little boy at a Boys Home in Cusco with his new shoes.

Here is Brad Fisk of ShareMedia Services checking out little Jose's feet to see if we had shoes to fit him. Sadly, we didn't have any shoes with us in Jose's size. However, some of the boy's clothes that I had brought to give away on the trip ended up in our bag for this home, so I was able to give Jose's mom some clothes for him. Buckner staff will make sure Jose gets new shoes.

Me and some sweet little boys as they show off their new shoes.

My shoes were a gift from my sister-in-law last year.

These boys were rescued from the streets and their shoes are gifts from people they've never met who donated new shoes to Shoes For Orphan Souls.

Here's Roy happily wearing his new shoes. Roy came into the boys home off of the streets the very day we came to bring shoes and minister! And, praise God, I am happy to say that Roy accepted Jesus as his Savior that day, too! :)

You see, Buckner's Shoes For Orphan Souls teams don't just bring children new shoes. They also bring the good news of God's love and the hope of salvation through Christ! As you shop for shoes to give to Shoes For Orphan Souls during WBFJ's Shoe Drive, please pray for the child who will receive the shoes. You can even send a note and/or a photo to the child who will get the shoes. Some of the kids we ministered to in Peru received notes/photos with their shoes from the person/people who donated the shoes. They were very happy to have that extra dose of love and assurance that someone really does care for them!

Between July 9th and Monday July 30th you can drop off new shoes for Shoes For Orphan Souls at these participating Christian bookstores across the Triad:

Winston-Salem
Carolina Christian Supply
Family Christian Stores
Lifeway Christian Stores
Piercing Light Christian Books & Gifts
The Master's Loft

Greensboro
Lifeway Christian Stores

High Point
New Life Books

Kernersville
Chosen Path Christian Bookstore
Lemstone Books
HeBrews Cafe & Bookstore (located inside Calvary Chapel of the Triad)

North Wilkesboro
For Heaven's Sake

Elkin / Jonesville
Heavenly Treasures

Shoes can also be dropped-off at WBFJ in Winston-Salem.
____________________________
James 1:27"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Next Monday, July 9th, we will be broadcasting live from 3 different areas to kick-off our shoe drive. Everyone who drops off a pair of new shoes during one of our remotes will receive a CD from WBFJ!

Lemstone Christian Books in Kernersville (8-10am)

Lifeway Christian Store, W-S (12p-2p)

Greensboro
Lifeway Christian Stores (4-6pm)

For more information about WBFJ's Shoes For Orphan Souls shoe drive, go to http://www.wbfj.fm/ or http://www.stereo1550.com/ and look for the SOS logo/banner or give us a call at 721-1560.

Happy Shoe-shopping!

:) Jennifer

Je parle un peau de francais, mais je ne parle pas beaucoup d'espanol.

I speak a little french, but I don't speak a lot of Spanish.

Thus, I must say MUCHAS GRACIAS to all of the great translators who helped us communicate with the children and adults (including market salespeople!) during my trip to Peru in March with Buckner's Shoes For Orphan Souls.

Carla, Eduardo and me on the bus on the way to the Palace in Lima 3-19-07 to meet the Primera Dama (First Lady).

Me at the Palace in Lima.

Carla and a sweet little baby at the Baby Home we visited that same day.

Julie and her neice Alessandra.

Arturo, Erik (the tallest man in Peru, I think) and Alex at a beautiful park in Lima where we ate lunch that day. Here's the lunch we ate. :)

I can't imagine what my trip would have been like without the help and encouragement from these translators. I got to know some of them pretty well and consider them friends/amigos.

Pictured above is Leslie Chace of Buckner International. She is in charge of Buckner's Latin American programs. She actually grew up in Peru as her family moved there when she was a child due to her father's job. So, she knew the areas very well and was a wonderful blessing as she helped with everything from translating to helping a certain young lady who was experiencing major packing anxiety when we had to prepare for our trip to Cusco. :) Gracias, Leslie!

We also had the privilege of meeting and getting to spend some time with some of the Buckner Peru staff--Rosa, Claudia and Sylvia.

Rosa reminded us toward the end of our time in Lima not to forget the kids we met there. She said, "They expect more from us. The kids deserve a family. Please continue with the efforts for the kids when we're back home." She also told us that Buckner is trying to assist the Peruvian government in launching a Foster Care program in Peru.

Claudia is a lawyer whose garage doubles as the Buckner Shoe Warehouse in Peru.

Sylvia is the sweet lady who met me at the Lima airport upon my arrival in Peru. She helps arrange all the in-country travel, meals, lodging, etc and does whatever Buckner needs her to do. And she does it with a smile. :)

Rosa will be happy to know that we at WBFJ are continuing our efforts to help children in Peru--and in all the countries Buckner takes Shoes For Orphan Souls. We are starting our WBFJ/Buckner Shoes For Orphan Souls Shoe Drive next Monday July 9th. I'll be broadcasting live with other WBFJ amigos at Lemstone (new!) in K-ville, Lifeway in Winston-Salem and Lifeway in Greensboro. Come out and see us and bring a pair of NEW, good-quality shoes to donate to SOS and we'll give you a CD! :) Remember, please, that the shoes you give will be the only new shoes that a child may receive for a while. So please buy sturdy shoes like you'd buy for a child in your own family. Orphans love light-up shoes just as much as our children here do, too, by the way! Thanks in advance for your help and for the gifts you give to share the love of our Abba, Father with the precious orphans Buckner works with! I look forward to meeting you at one of the remotes next week! For more details, go to http://www.wbfj.fm/ or http://www.stereo1550.com/ and look for the Shoes For Orphan Souls logo. :)

Adios for now,

Jennifer

Carla, Julie, me and Alessandra with the Pacific Ocean in the background. :)

My top 5 photos from my trip

So, recently I had to send my Top 5 favorite pictures from my Buckner SOS trip to Peru to Buckner's Marketing Manager TK. TK is awesome and we got to hang out some in Peru, so she knew it would be hard for me to pick just 5 photos. I took over 300 photos while I was there!

I thought and prayed and then picked 5 pictures that I thought best portrayed some of my most memorable moments from my trip. I want to share them with you here.

By the way, I apologize that it is taking me so long to add to this blog. It takes a while to blog, for one thing. And I have a lot going on in my life, as I am sure you do. Another thing slowing me down is that I have been sad that I had to leave these children behind in Peru. I love my own son and family and friends, etc, but if you've been on a mission trip and worked with orphans, I'm sure you understand what I mean.

Anyway, without further ado...my top 5 fave pics!

Me and Bryan (I know that's not the way he spells it but I don't remember how he did) hugging
at the Hogar where he lives in Ancon (I think that's where this was). I got to help him with his new shoes.
Bryan has a piece of my heart and I hated leaving him. Leslie (Buckner Staff) explained after our visit that he is a true orphan. And not only has he dealt with the death of his birth parents, but he was "returned" by a set of adoptive parents as well. :( When I heard that, I wanted to go back and get him!
I wish he was adoptable! I love this precious boy. (This photo was taken by Jenny Pope of Buckner International.)

Thalia (age 14; she has been there since she was 12) and me at the girls home for girls rescued from sex trafficking Sunday 3-18-07.
Thalia really took to me and I to her--even though she wasn't in my group. I got to help her
with her new shoes, anyway! :) (The pic of me helping her with her shoes is an extra one I'm including in this blog--doesn't count toward the 5.)

5 year old Melindina (spelling?) at a Baby Home reaching out for some love.
I think this is a great representation of how eager these precious children are to receive true,
godly love. Once I picked her up she didn't want me to put her down!

Nyada, me and Dionicia at their girls home in Cusco. They made the "chal" I'm wearing. :)
They were so happy to show me all around their home! In fact, I was dizzy from the high altitude and could barely keep up with them. Another trip participant who is a nurse told me at one point that I didn't look well and then she asked them in Spanish to take it easy with me.

Me and Vladamir at the Boys Home where he lives in Cusco. I got to help him
with his new shoes, which happened to feature my college's colors! :) (Go, Campbell University!) I also got to play with him a little and hold him on my lap during VBS time. :) He's a sweetie.

I just noticed how he has his hand on my hand--eager for innocent and loving touch--even though he's sitting in my lap already. Love is the language that pulls us all together! We speak different languages and our skin tones are different but we have the same Father God who loves us. Praise the Lord for sending me to Peru with Buckner International's Shoes For Orphans Souls!

Go to www.buckner.org for more information!

Some of my new little amigos.

More later.

I miss the kids.

I finally finished unpacking a few days ago.

I may be going back soon.

More later.

Jenn

OK, so while I was in Peru I learned that I would be really scared to drive there. There are at least a few traffic rules. One seems to be--he who has the loudest horn and the most nerve has the right of way! Our bus driver was a pro, though. See (above) how close we were to hitting the wall at the first Children's home we visited? AHHHHHH! I was thinking about how I didn't have a will but that I was ready to meet my Lord if we were to die due to crashing into the brick wall. But, we made it through! Praise God!

Here we see Luis and Merryan P. heading into the home for girls rescued from sexual exploitation. Luis is carrying a huge bag of new shoes for the girls. :)

The girls and their children were happy to see us; they welcomed us with a song in Spanish. Why did I take French in middle school, high school and college?

Here I am helping my new friend try on some new shoes! She was happy to have them and they fit great!

We also brought soccer balls to the homes. These two little ones were glad to have them!

I was also able to give the little boy's mom some clothes for him. I had brought some that Josh couldn't use--and they ended up in the bag packed for this particular home! God is good, isn't He?!

Buckner SOS Peru trips radio reps, 1st lunch, etc

I was not the only radio station rep on the Buckner SOS Peru Mission Trip. When I got to the hotel late Sat. 3-17/early Sun. 3-18 and went up to my room I was eventually greeted by my roommate Liz. I had knocked on the door but got no answer. I was afraid that she was asleep or in the bathroom and didn't hear me. I was wondering where else I could sleep when she came walking up and gave me a hug. She'd been downstairs checking her e-mail. She just recently got engaged to a man who has the same name as my son--Joshua. But hers goes by "Shua". Cool, eh? Liz is a lovely and talented young lady.

Me and my roommate Liz Jordan of KSBJ Radio in Houston, TX. She's lovely, isn't she?

I met other team members the next day in the hotel as we organized all the items we all brought to give to the orphans and the Orphanage Directors. It took a while! We also met an essential part of our group--our Peruvian translators! Our mission would have been much harder without them.

Eventually we finished and loaded onto our lovely green and white bus and were off to have our 1st traditional Peruvian lunch.

We rode in this bus all over the Lima area during our trip.

Buckner Missions Coordinators Jouleen and Julie try to get our team to "number off" to make sure we are all on the bus. We were each assigned numbers (mine was 8) and had to say them in roll call fashion every time we got on the bus. I think we made it through without mistakes just once during the whole trip--and Jouleen didn't even get to see it! We did our devotions on the bus during most of the trip. We also got the scoop on the homes we visited, played our now beloved "Trip Participant Trivia", etc.

Two of my fave ?s:

"Which trip participant knows Matthew McConaughey?"

One Buckner staff member really has met him several times--and confirms, sadly I must say, that he does not believe in wearing deo.

"Which trip participant auditioned for 'The Bachelor'?" Hint-it was a tall young lady with naturally curly hair. :) She and her friend did it for a laugh. We couldn't let her live it down on the trip once we found out. I kept trying to find her handsome Peruvian bachelors for photo ops, etc. :)

Some views outside the bus window:

Big mountain of dry dirt KFC! With bike delivery! Photo shops (gates are common)

My first lunch in Lima was at El Bolivariano. It's a Peruvian Buffet restaurant.

My plate Anticucho (grilled beef heart) Me trying Anticucho

Brad Fisk, Director of Client Services for ShareMedia (center in blue shirt and glasses) and the Christian radio reps Left to Right Merryan from 89.7 Spirit FM Miami and her awesome husband Luis, Susan of KVTT "The Truth" Dallas, Liz of KSBJ Houston, Doug of WFRN Indiana, and me from WBFJ Winston-Salem/Greensboro during our first Peruvian lunch.

Here are the sites for Share Media and the radio stations represented on the Shoes For Orphans Souls mission trip in Peru:

www.sharemediaservices.com

www.897spiritfm.com

www.kvtt.org

www.ksbj.org

http://wfrn.com

www.wbfj.fm and www.stereo1550.com


Well, I have tons more pics but this is really taking a long time to do. I need to take a break. I'll blog more asap! Thanks for your patience!

Jennifer