Email: Alex Cornell

Dear Friends, Family and Partners in mission,

Greetings from Lima! I hope this letter finds you all well. I am kind of in awe that I only have a little over three months left in Peru. These last three months will be very busy, as my host “mother,” (a funny word for me to use, because she’s only about 10 years older than I) will be having a baby in May. In my next newsletter, I’m sure I will have a lot to write about my new host brother. Until then I would like to share with you part of the weekly routine that I have with one of the two churches where I work.

Every Tuesday at 7:30, I attend a prayer service at Santa Isabel Church. Usually, there are about seven or eight other members of the congregation there worshiping and praying with me, and I am nearly always the only person under 50. Although I haven’t asked anyone, I get the feeling that the weekly prayer service has been a regular part of the life of the congregation for a long, long time. I feel grateful to have become a part of it. The service is very traditional and simple.

After briefly welcoming everyone and saying a quick opening prayer, the director of the service leads everyone in singing a couple hymns (three or four “regulars” take turns directing the service every week). These hymns are sung a cappella, and although some of them are written down in the small hymnals that some of the people bring with them to church, usually everyone sings from memory. At the beginning of my YAV year, I would try my best to pick up the tunes and attempt to hum along. Now, I know well many of the songs that they use, and I feel like a “real” member of the congregation as I sing along from memory.

One of my favorites:

No hay Dios tan grande como tu (There’s no God as great as you)
No lo hay. No, lo hay (x2) (No there’s not, no there’s not)
No hay Dios que pueda hacer las obras (There’s no God that can do the works)
Como las que haces tu (x2) (Like the works that you do)

No es con espada, ni con ejercito (It’s not with a sword, nor with an army)
M ás con tu Santo Espiritu (But with your Holy Spirit)
Y esos montes, se moverán (x3) (And these mountains, they will move)
Mas con tu Santo Espiritu (By your Holy Spirit)

Alter singing the hymns someone (always a different person from the one who “directs” the worship service—and it’s sometimes me!) gives a short sermon/reflection on a Bible passage, which is usually related to the practice of prayer. Then, everyone has the chance to share prayer requests. After each person has been given an opportunity to share, we all pray. On our knees. With our heads bowed and our hands folded over the seats of our chairs. Before coming to Peru, I don’t think I had ever prayed like this—in the traditional “prayer position.” It’s very different from the relaxing meditation techniques and ancient or contemplative prayer practices that have recently become popular in U.S. churches. This type of prayer is, in a very literal sense, a discipline. Although the church has thick cushions that are passed out to ease the pain on your knees, it’s still not the most comfortable position in the world (especially when you consider what I said about the demographics of the people who attend this service). The praying usually lasts for anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes. It starts off with another prayerful hymn, led by whoever is directing the service, which then leads into a prayer. After the director is finished praying all he or she wishes to pray, someone else starts praying. All the while, everyone else is contributing as a community, saying “Yes, Lord” or whispering their own personal prayers.

After everyone who wants to pray out loud has finished, we all stand back up (slowly) off our knees and sing another song to collect an offering. After one final prayer to bless the offering and send us on our way, we say our goodbyes and return home.

Although I used to see going to the prayer service every week as a chore (and sometimes still do), now I frequently find myself looking forward to it. During this time of prayer, I feel like an important member of the Santa Isabel community. We pray for the physical and spiritual needs of the neighborhood. We pray for wisdom for Peru’s leaders, as well as for the leaders of the church. We pray for the health and safety of members of the congregation.

And almost always, someone prays for me. They thank God for sending me. They ask God to bless me and protect me during my time in Peru. They thank God for the work I’m doing. Whenever I have trips and retreats with the other YAVs, they pray for my safe travels. Hearing the congregation pray for me is very touching. They have truly received me with open arms. It’s extremely comforting and at times overwhelming to know that I’m being prayed for here as well as by my friends, family, and churches back home.

Additionally, I decided several weeks ago that I will serve another YAV placement from August 2009  to July 2010 in Hollywood, California, after I return to the United States this summer. When we have communicated over the Internet, the Hollywood site coordinator tells me that the YAVs there this year and their neighborhood partners are already praying for me. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this worldwide “prayer network.” And recently, I’ve started doing my part. Three weeks ago, I learned from Debbie, my YAV site coordinator here in Peru, about the six new YAVs who will be arriving in Lima to continue serving the placements that I and my YAV partners have been serving. I announced their expected arrival to Santa Isabel church two weeks ago at the prayer service, and the congregation was very willing to add next year’s YAVs to their prayers, even though the congregation doesn’t really have much of an idea about who they are yet.

With this in mind, I also ask you, as my friends, family, and church supporters during this year, not only to keep me in your prayers but also to pray for the Santa Isabel and Kilometer 13 churches, with whom I work in Peru. Also please pray for Anna, Ginna, Joe, Sarah, Sarah and Alissa, who will all be YAVs in Peru during 2009-2010. Thanks, and I’ll be praying for you all as well!

Grace and Peace,

Alex

PS: Learn more about what I’m doing on my blog.