Photo by Patrick L. Myers - The Mission Creek Crew is geared up and ready to go to Peru.
The Mission Creek Christian School is getting geared up for another mission trip to Peru. The school staff this time are leading an expedition to Iquitos, Peru with a team of 19 individuals, staff and students as well as student-parents are leaving to begin their journey to Peru on Monday, April 4. Mission Creek goes to Peru through the People of Peru Project, an organization that has a location in Iquitos that is a compound with many rooms and can accommodate many guests. The school has traditionally serviced 8 communities in Peru, of which they return to every year to help support once again. This year on the 2016 trip, Mission Creek has picked up one additional community making for 9 communities that the school will service.
Mission Creek usually has an agenda when on a Peruvian Mission Trip when it comes to the ministries that they will be performing out in the field. Usually, the school will purchase hundreds of reading glasses to distribute among the population. The school also holds nightly evangelistic meetings where their pastor will present at the closest church. Mission Creek also often gets into medical ministry while they are there, pitching in to help in any way they can. One of the main tasks that the school carries out while they are in Peru is spreading the ministry through the building of homes for the homeless and less fortunate, as well as churches for communities that have to travel far to go to church. The school also passes out rice and beans to the communities that are in need of food. Mission Creek has bought something new with them this year, the school will be passing out water filters to families that don't have access to drinkable water. They are bringing a total of 100 water filters, each that can cater to a family for up to five years.
The students range from grade 7 to grade 12, and some of the students spoke of their anticipation of the trip:
"I've never done anything like this before and I'm excited mostly to feed the hungry people," said student Abby McAdams. Another student, Jory, expressed her excitement for her first plane ride, as well as the fact that her mother will accompany her to Peru. A violinist named Rachelle expressed her excitement to play the people music with her new violin, as well as meet up with friends that she has made on a past mission trip. This trip will be one of the student's, Destiny Boyes, fourth mission trips to Peru. "I'm looking forward to building new churches. The mission trip is and the experiences that you have when on them are life changing," said Boyes, "it's a miracle."
Many of the students were excited with the idea of feeding the hungry, and helping the less fortunate. Mission Creek continues to spread the ministry, as well as their positive attitude through mission work in Peru, and from their home in South Bend. If you see them before they leave, wish them luck as well as speedy travel, as the journey to Peru by plane-ride is extensive.