As some of you know, I’m graduating college in May, and it’s been awesome to look back and see all of the opportunities that I have had over the past four years while I‘ve been at Georgia Southern. On June 27th through July 16th, I will be going back to Lima, Peru with Crosspoint Ministries for three weeks. The area we are going to is a suburb of Lima called San Juan de Luriganco. San Juan de Lurigancho is Peru’s poorest, most populous district. The people we will be serving are among the poorest of the poor, and most eat only one meal per day.

I went to Peru last October, and it was literally the best week of my life, and the experiences that I had in that short week changed me. This trip will be similar to the one from last fall. I'm really excited to be a part of the same things and serve some of the same people from the last trip. I will be able to build on the relationships and friendships that have already been formed, while meeting new people as well.

For the first week, I will be down there with a team of about 30 people. We will have the opportunity to serve and spend a lot of time with sexually and physically abused women and young children. Abuse is a huge problem in Peru, and it affects the majority of women there. I observed that the government in Peru is corrupt, and the women have no rights. The stories I heard last October from the women and children broke my heart. These women have had to endure a lot of pain, but because of God’s grace and mercy, they have been given hope and a second chance. I want for them to continue to see that God hasn’t forgotten about them and that He loves them. Over the past couple of years, God has built up a passion in my heart for issues like sexual exploitation and abuse, and my heart has continued to break more and more for women who have had to endure it. We’ll get to serve, minister, and pray with these women. We will also get to spend time with children from two different orphanages. We’ll get to visit and help out at a medical clinic, do construction, and we will get to hang out and minister to kids around the city. Each evening, we will be putting on a conference at the same church that we spent time with last October. We will also put on a youth rally at another church as well.

For the next two weeks, I will be staying with the family of the pastor we are serving with down there. I will get to help his wife and children, and I will assist him at the church and around the community. Their house and the church is right in the middle of the different ministries, so I’ll hopefully be able to also spend more time with the women from the shelter and the children from the orphanages as well as the people from the church and community. I’m excited about everything that I will get to be a part of while I am down there, and I’m eager about seeing what all God has in store for those three weeks. I know three weeks is still such a short time, but it will be the longest amount of time that I have ever been out of the country, and it is a next step for me to see if this is something that I God has for me for long term.

My heart is with Peru because on the one hand, I have never been to a place as destitute as San Juan de Lurigancho. However, on the other hand, I have never seen so much HOPE and dependence on God as I did while I was there. In the midst of a lot of poverty, brokenness, hurt, and despair, the people there do have a lot of hope. There is so much potential for Lima, and I want to be a part of it. I found out that out of the 8 million people in Lima, only 2% report to having a true relationship with Jesus Christ. However, I know that his can change because of the love and compassion that the people there have. They just need people to reach out to them, love them, tell them about the hope and future that God has for them (Jeremiah 29:11). However, in San Juan de Lurigancho, there is very little help from people outside of the community. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says to go to all of the corners of the earth and to teach them everything He has commanded.

When I left Lima last October, I knew that I would be coming back. I feel like the week I spent there was only the beginning of what all God is doing down there. I know that MUCH GREATER things are still to be done there, so I want to go. I want these precious people to know that our God is a loving and compassionate God (psalm 86:15). I want them to know that although they have been hurt and broken, God saw their trouble, and HIS LOVE NEVER FAILS (Psalm 136), and He makes even the bad and painful things that happen to us work out for our good (Romans 8:28). Finally, I want them to know that they are redeemed by God because of His love and faithfulness and that He will restore them (Exodus 15:13). God has revealed these things to me while I have been in college, and other people have helped in showing me that. I’ve been so fortunate, and I feel that these people in Peru should have the same opportunity to experience His love. I want others to experience and know what I know, especially those that are broken and hurting. That is what I want to devote my life to, whether it is in America or internationally. I am seeking to be more independent in my identity with Christ, instead of relying on those around me. I know that in order to do this, I need to be looking for ways for God to humble me, so I am praying that He will do just that on this trip!

We need your help! I want you to be a part of our team by praying for us. I believe that God answers the prayers of those who seek Him, and I’m asking you to commit to praying for us in several ways: for God to equip our team, for the people we will be in contact with, the government in Peru, our safety, etc.

Also, the cost to cover my trip for the three weeks is $2000. I need to have the entire amount raised by the end of May. I have a long way to go, but I know that He will continue to provide. Whether it is praying for us, giving financially, or both, I am asking that you would pray about being on our team. I’m really excited, and I love talking about what God is doing with this trip, so if you have any questions you can call me at (912) 660-2305 or email me at Alison101887@bellsouth.net. Checks are tax-deductable and should be made out to “Crosspoint Ministries.” After praying about it, if you feel led, then checks can be given to me or mailed to me at: Alison Gay. 109 Herty Dr. Statesboro, GA 30458. Thank you so much for reading this, and for praying for Peru. I can’t wait to see how God is glorified through this trip. You can also look at my pictures on Facebook from my last trip to Peru:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?id=69703231&aid=2043360
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?id=69703231&aid=2043365