Short Term Missionaries - 9 months to 2 years

NEED: New short-term missionaries for 2010.  

Short Term Missionaries are invited to work with us at Camp La Joya in a variety of ministries.   Do you like sports, horses, swimming, children, teaching the Bible, disciple-ling new believers?  Do you speak Spanish or are you willing to learn? 

YOU can be a big help to the camp ministry.   

Mary Beth Penner from Canada served at Camp La Joya for a period of 2 years.  Mary Beth was very involved in the local church and community.  Her areas of ministry include visitation and discipleship with women, teaching English at the local public school and weekly children's club.   Mary Beth has now returned to Peru as a long term missionary.  Scroll down to see her poem.

Sarah Donnan came for 9 months during 2007.  She worked at the camp during summer camps and is now involved in the children's club and in horse riding.  Sarah is also involved in teaching English in an Arequipa school. 

If you would be interested in pursuing a short-term assignment, contact SIM at http://www.sim.org/

WHEN NORMAL IS UNUSUAL- The ordinary life

By Mary Beth Penner

When you wake up in the city to roosters crowing every day

You know normal is- unusual

When you have the opportunity to milk a cow for the first time one day,

Eat Guinea pig the next,

When you are in charge of planning programs for a kids club you've been at twice,

When people inform you afterward they are so glad there is someone there who knows what they are doing. . .

When you peel potatoes all day in the kitchen because they've fired the cook right before having 80 people out,

When you wake up at 4:30 in the morning to hitch a ride with the milk truck into town- and it isn't the first time you've done it. . .

When upon being noticed standing at the roadside at this hour you are informed that you are starting to learn

You know that the unusual has become normal

When one minute you are getting blisters on your hands digging ditches

And the next you find out you are going to be preaching in church on Sunday

When you are disturbed in your room 10 minutes before breakfast with the cooks banging on your door asking you what to do because the bread hasn't arrived for the 30 people staying at camp

When you climb a mountain with a live rooster to eat for lunch at top. . .

And it's really fun

You know that normal is unusual

When you lead singing with songs you've never heard before

When you are called to translate for a woman's meeting after only learning the language for 7 months

When a fire truck load of young men whistles at you as you walk home from church

When you are offered jobs to teach in 3 schools and personally tutor 10 different people for ‘only an hour a week' even though all you have is a Bible degree

When they put you in charge of the store even though you can't count

You know that life is a little unusual

When you get a ride in a fancy car to your work place one day

And the next are kicked out of your seat on the old bus

When you are an honored guest at a town electricity installation ceremony

When you can't even wash your own clothes

You know that normal is unusual

When you go to bed at night with a sweater for your pillow and a towel for your blanket

And that is comfortable- ok, it wasn't very

Then you can truly say that the normal every day life is interesting enough to call unusual.