"See mom, we don't need money. God gave us food."

Yesterday we handed out food boxes to 55 families in the Las Delicias church. The boxes included rice, lentils, beans, oil, sugar, soap, detergent, tuna, canned milk, spaghetti, popcorn, toothpaste, oatmeal, and much more. Last night one of the mothers in the church gave a testimony. She said that her husband can hardly walk because of knee problems and hasn't been able to work for a long time. (he also has a gambling problem even when he is making money). She said that a neighbor had given them a food box a while back that had lasted them a month. With no money she has a hard time feeding a family of 6. She said that when they got the food box home yesterday her son said, "see mom, we don't need money." She was confused and asked him what he meant. He said, "We don't need money. We pray and God gives us food." They were able to eat lunch yesterday and she said that it was such a blessing to her family. Praise the Lord for all that He is doing in this place. Last night we had a meeting about the breakfast programs and got it planned out. After a meeting tomorrow night to come up with monthly estimates they are going to start this next Sunday. I wish I could be here for that, but that's ok. Tonight we are going to put together boxes for 60 families in Milagro to be handed out on Wednesday. Then Thursday it's off to Lima then back home. A fast trip, but so worth it. I have been touched immensely by watching God's mighty hand at work in these few days. Feeding children who otherwise wouldn't be eating. God is good. Amen.

Feeding of the 500

We had our first feeding today. It was in Nueva Reque (New Reque) where there is an annex that was celebrating it's 6 year anniversary. I don't even have words to explain to you this experience. We started with a children's service at 10am. Then they were to go get their parents and tell them that there was going to be an adult service with a free meal afterwards. First of all, someone got saved at the adult service. Praise the Lord. Then the real work began. After the people of the church in the school and some mothers in the area cooked all morning it was time to serve. A group of us got trays and we would go to the house and load up with plates of food. The people were waiting on a community soccer slab and we took the food to them. Families came in from all directions. Roma Lee kept her eye out and made sure we didn't miss a soul. When the day was done, we learned that we had fed over 500 children!! 500!!! This is the first big scale feeding that I have been a part of. When I took my first tray out and saw the children eating I almost lost it. Like now when I am typing this. I had to go aside and pull it together and remind myself that I had to keep going. It was so moving to see the work of God first hand in that little slum of a village. There aren't words to accurately describe this experience. There are pictures which may help that I will have posted on Facebook. Just absolutely unreal.
After the feeding we came back to the school and put together food boxes with staple foods for 55 families. These will be handed out to the people of the church tomorrow morning. 55 families. Needless to say the workers were weary by the end of the day, but it is definitely worth it. I will let you know how tomorrow's food distribution goes. God is so good. Proverbs 19:21 has become my verse of the trip. We cannot plan anything. God's plans are so much bigger, and they are so much better. I am so happy that I get to be a part of what is happening here.

We're here!

The trip was so long. Both Roma Lee and I had delays on flights, but we got here after about 28 hours of travel. Ken met us in Lima and we all kept each other company as we spent the night in those uncomfortable plastic chairs. Haha. We got here yesterday and after showers and lunch we slept most of the afternoon. Today is a national holiday, so there are no classes, but we have a full day planned. This morning we are hoping to go visit families in their homes. It will be a good day for it, because kids are out of school and maybe whole families will be home. This afternoon I will most likely go with Maria and Ruth to buy food for the 2 feedings we have planned for this weekend. That's right, 2 feedings! Nothing better than hitting the ground running. Tomorrow, Saturday, there will be a community feeding for lunch in New Reque. It is the ten year anniversary of the Sunday School there and it will be a great outreach to the community. A soup kitchen is going to let us use it's facilities for the day. We are planning to have a chicken stew with none other than rice. On Sunday morning we are going to hand out food boxes to all of the families in the church here at the school. These will be much like the food boxes that are handed out during Roma Lee's workcamps and will include staple foods such as rice, flour, oils, canned milk, oatmeal, potatoes, and many other things. We are planning a feeding in an evening next week for Milagro. All of the rest of the time will be spent trying to find leaders for breakfast programs in all of the Sunday Schools. The plan is to have breakfast for every Sunday School each week. If this works well, then hopefully it will turn into daily feedings in each of those villages. Thank you for all of your prayers, and I will keep you updated as the work continues.

Peru Bound!!

God is so good!!! I wrote last time about a new opportunity that has come up in Peru. Roma Lee has taken on raising funds for feeding programs, and she has enough to start a few. She had asked me to go with her on October 7th and help set things up. At first I said that if God worked it out I would go. God provided the money for the tickets. Then Roma Lee's health took a turn for the worst and we decided to postpone the trip for a month or two. After I updated my sponsors, I received word that Roma Lee was feeling better and we put the trip back on. In a huge step of faith I bought the tickets with all of the money that I had. I had faith that this trip was in God's will and He could provide what I would need for Stateside expenses and expenses in Peru. Of course I was a little nervous, because I only had a week to get everything together. After speaking at my new church in Wichita, God paid for my rent and more through several generous givers. Then I knew that I had one last $100 check coming in the mail. I woke up yesterday morning and told my roommate that I wished I had $100 more. That would just make me feel so much better about everything. When that $100 check came in it was written out for $200!!!! So now I am Peru bound once again. Roma Lee and I leave tomorrow for Peru. We will meet up in Atlanta around 1:30pm and then I think our flight leaves for Lima at about 5:30. We will return on the 16th. It is a much shorter trip than I am used to, but I know that it is meant to happen. Thank you for your faithful prayers, and I ask that you keep Roma Lee and this trip on your mind. Her health is fragile, but her faith is solid. Thank you God for everything you do.

Proverbs 19:21

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. This is a saying that I often hear, but lately I have found it to be more truthful. The works God is doing in Peru are advancing so quickly that I can barely keep up. He keeps amazing me with how much bigger His plans are than anything I could ever imagine. For example, when I was originally leaving to help with the church plant in La Villa Milagro, we had a 9x18 meter plot of land. While working, we kept gaining land, and the plot that the church stands on now is almost seven times the size of that meek little plot. Acts like these constantly prove to me that God is working in the country of Peru. I would like to thank you for your continued support through prayer, finances, and encouragement. The work couldn’t be where it is without you.
The church in Milagro is running around 105 children and 15 adults on Sunday mornings. As far as construction goes, there is a brick wall around the main property. There are five classrooms inside made of adobe bricks. That part of the property will also include the restrooms, kitchen, dining room, and a patio area. The other half will be used for the sanctuary. We also still own the original 9x18 meter plot, which is planned to become a bakery. Milagro has no market. There are some bodegas, which are home front stores, but nowhere to get anything fresh. A bakery would help with maintaining a feeding program in the village, and also give the people a place to get fresh bread baked in a clean atmosphere. The great news is that God never stops!
I am writing now to tell you of His latest blessing. This last summer, a workcamp lead by Roma Lee Courvisier did a feeding for the church in Milagro and fed around 350 children and adults from the area. Because of the success of this program and the help of Roma Lee’s faithful heart, there are possibilities of beginning feeding programs in some of the area villages. Roma Lee called me this week and asked me to accompany her to Peru in October to explore options for locations, leaders, and helpers. She cannot travel alone because of several health issues. This will also be a great opportunity to check up on the work in Milagro and to make plans for my next long-term trip, which will most likely include a leadership retreat, more construction in Milagro, and evangelism. I am very excited for this opportunity; however, since I wasn’t planning on returning this soon, I am turning to those who have faithfully stood behind me for help. The trip is set for October 7-15. Specific prayer requests for this trip would be for finances (I’ll have to come up with approximately $2,500 in the next two weeks), and also for Roma Lee’s health, travel safety, open doors in Peru, and God’s guidance in all decision making. Again, I thank you for your support throughout this experience, and I pray that God will bless you in all things.
Any donations may be sent to:

Terrance Volden
9100 E Harry #1605
Wichita, KS 67207

It's Been a While

Hey everyone. So...it has been a while. I admit that I am failing at this whole blogging thing. The short version of the update is that I spent June in Peru. The work in Milagro is advancing. The walls are up around the main property and there are 5 classrooms divided out inside. The plots adjoining this one belong to the church, also and will be used for the sanctuary. Right now theya re still just having Sunday School on Sunday mornings. Once there are restrooms and the ground is completely leveled they will be able to start having church services. There was also a feeding in Milagro this past summer and 350 people from the village were fed. God is doing amazing things and continues to blow my mind.
Personally, I got back into the US on July 2nd and spent a month in Poteau, OK acting in and building a set for a production of Godspell. Now I'm back in Wichita. I'm attending the Pawnee Avenue Church of God and I get to play my djembe in the praise band. It's a blast! I have applies for a substitute license. I figure that would be a good way to make a little extra money.
If all goes well I will be heading out to Indiana in a couple weeks to spend some time speaking at churches. Please continue to pray for the work in Peru, for LACF, Milagro, Ken Biron (our missionary in Peru), and myself. Hopefully it will not be so long before I take the initiative to update this thing.

Walking in Faith

Well. Where do I start. I've gotten moved into my apartment in Wichita and have set up life there pretty well. God has been good to me. I've been looking at possible properties to set up the office and start the internship program and have found an old elementary school building in northern Wichita that would be perfect. Now I'm just praying the funds appear to make that happen. I'm going to start working on some grants, so we'll see how that goes. The plans for the program are pretty well under way. I am going to St Louis April 8th to talk to the board about the plans and get them approved or not. My biggest job right now is setting up a major speaking tour. I'm going to be in Kansas through April and May, in Peru in June, July will be Arkansas and Oklahoma, then 4 months of touring that aren't planned yet. Please keep praying that I'll find personal support. That's going to be my biggest obstacle, or so it appears. also keep my tax situation in your prayers. i went in to get them taken care of and it turns out there is a huge self employment tax that is going to kill me. My agent is talking to the IRS to see what she can get worked out. We'll see. But other than finances, things are going well. It's a good thing I don't care about money. too bad there are people like my apartment complex who do care about money. Haha. Well, thanks to all of my faithful readers. One day I will write again, so keep checking. God bless.

Where I am now

It's been some time since I've updated my blog. I haven't exactly had internet connection since being back in the States. My time in Peru was great and we got a lot accomplished. I did not personally work on the construction site much. Most of my time was spent doing more of the business side of things. I loved this because it meant that I got to meet a lot of new people and visit many homes, so I learned more about how the people actually live in their daily lives. I am now moved into an apartment in Wichita and love having a place of my own. so far most of my time has been spent setting up my new life, but I have also begun touring again. Last week I got to spend time in Liberal and help work on their musical, Little Shop of Horrors. It was a lot of fun and I got to spend time with old friends. This past Sunday I spoke at 2 churches and it went really well. Things seem to be falling into place. My 2 biggest prayer requests at this time are that I will be able to find personal sponsors and that churches will continue to open their doors to allow me to come in and share the good news of God's works in Peru. Thank you to all who have been faithful in prayer.