Soles for Souls and Practicing Hospitality

We had a fun time this week getting to know 6 ladies who came to work with Soles for Souls (http://www.soles4souls.org).  Their organization gives out shoes to the needy in about 125 countries around the world, and Peru Mission was blessed to partner with them this week as they visited Trujillo.  The six ladies came from Nashville, TN (where Soles4Souls is based), New Jersey, California, and Vermont, and Georgia.  It was our pleasure to get to know these ladies and also give them a glimpse of our ministry and work here in Trujillo!  Here is a video of some of the work they did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfPdVjFpybM

Tracy, Wendy, Mary and myself having lunch at a restaurant in Huanchaco (the beach) 

Mary and Kelly

Kat and Katie (Katie is the team leader for Soles4Souls trips, and works full time for them.  She travels more than she is home, and goes to Haiti about once a month.)

Marcus with Jose, one of the fellows with our team

One of my jobs as part of the team is to host and entertain and feed people - teams that come visit, individuals that visit, and also Sunday lunch.  For example, the Soles4Souls team had dinner in our home on Monday night.  God has given me a love for food and cooking and we love the chance to be use the gift of hospitality with new friends!  Each Sunday we have a huge lunch with our mission team and the fellows (a post-graduate program for young people to partner with the mission and work for a year in one of our areas of ministry), and whoever else may be visiting that particular week.  The numbers vary week to week, but basically our core group is about 35 each Sunday.  Each family takes turns hosting Sunday lunch, which means my turn will be every 3rd week (until the Smiths return in February).  We have a great time of fellowship, prayer and singing worship songs (in English!) together.

Marcus and I have always loved having people over, and although there are times when it is hard, (like when you are crazy busy and have four little people running around!), but it has always been a blessing to us.  Sometimes we have simply ordered pizza and used paper plates, and sometimes we would go all out and have steak and china.  Regardless of what food is served or what it is served on, the fellowship with friends (and especially new friends - new visitors at church, or newcomers to town)  is always a blessing and certainly the most important part.  We think it is important as believers in Christ to fellowship, encourage one another, and quite possibly bring others to Christ that may not know Him.  I have to say that there are times I've thought "today is not a good day, I'm tired, my house is a mess", but we have never regretted a time that we had company.  My biggest regret would be missed opportunities to having friends (and strangers as well!) over to share a meal with our family.  My favorite book that encourages Christian hospitality is Open Heart, Open Home by Karen Mains.   Here is a description of the book:  An open door, a hug, coffee brewing, dinner cooking in the oven . . . Christian hospitality is all of this---and more. Going beyond Martha Stewart-type hints, Mains's biblical approach to entertaining equips you with the skills to serve rather than impress and to reach out with the gospel in acts of love and acceptance.