Names….

I think I am a small-town kinda girl.  When we lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming, I hated it, I hated the smallness, I hated the fact there were only two malls in the entire state, and I hated seeing everyone everywhere.  But, I was 13, give me a break.  Now that I’m, eeeek…..26, I’ve realized, I like those things.  I like Puno because of its smallness, I like seeing everyone everywhere, running into people in the street.  I do wish however, that there was a mall here!  One with Target, DSW, Starbucks, the works!  But one thing that gives me joy here, is knowing people. 

Franci and I are always running into people we know as we walk around town.  Or especially as we walk around Yanamayo and Huascar.  Constantly we walk by people we know whether they are contacts we are discipling, people we used to disciple who are no longer interested, store owners, restaurant servers, Mormons, Adventists, neighbors, etc. We know a lot of people and one of the best things about this partnership between Franci and I is that we are opposites in so many ways.  But that’s perfect because where I lack, she excels and vice versa.  Franci is great with faces, she remembers faces but not names.  I on the other hand, not naturally, but I work very hard to remember names.  I learned this little trick in the insurance business, remembering a client’s name means the world to them.  And even better if you can ask them about their granddaughter or husband by name as well.  So, I do the same here.  I work really hard to remember everyone’s name and call them by it, letting them know in a little way that they are special to me and hopefully conveying they are even more special to God.  In the past week, I’ve jotted down a list of the names in my head.  These aren’t all the names of people I know here, there are more people, people from the central church, people in the communities like Juliaca or Salceldo where the boys work and more.  But here are some names of people from Yanamayo and Huascar, 167 names in total.

Why?  Why would I share a list of names with you?  Well, now you can better pray for these people.  Each name isn’t just a name, its a person, someone with a story, a history and a future.  I don’t even know all the stories of all these people, but each and every one of them needs to be lifted up in prayer.  So, pick some names, choose a few from each list, a commit to praying for that person by name.  Franci and I pray together almost daily for our contacts, for these people that we know.  But we need help!  This is a lot of people, these are a lot of names, a lot of lives to pray for.  Help us lift these people up to God, asking for salvation for many of them, asking for strength to continue down this road with Jesus for others.  Pray for provision, food and money, pray for strength and courage to follow Jesus, pray that the chains of paganism and the catholic church here would be broken in their hearts and minds. 

Take a look at Colossians 1:1-14, Paul says he is praying for the people of Colosse, yet, Paul was in jail, he didn’t know any of the people in Colosse he was praying for.  But he knew they were starting a life with Christ, he knew seeds had been planted by his friend and fellow evangelist, Epaphras.  Paul knew these people needed to be lifted up to the Father in prayer.  Paul prayed for 1) knowledge of God’s will & discernment, 2) a walk with Christ pleasing to the Lord, 3) a fruit bearing walk, 4) continual growth in Him, 5) a reliance on His strength, 6) acknowledgement & praise to God for all His great works.  You don’t know these people, but you can pray for them, follow Paul’s example.  And now, you can pray for them by name!

Huascar – Adults

Manuel, Vilma, Eulalia, Miriam, Lourdes, Rogelia, Mery, Isabel, Luz Marina, Florencia, Adela, Estela, Tomas, Rut, Andres, Dominga, Bonifacio, Ester, Seovia, Joesfina, Lydia, Natividad, Abdomchin, Hortencia, Aracely Deisy, Yanet, Lucia, Paulino, Iris, Yhon, Yesica, Teofila, Jesus, Lola, Lupe, Rosio, Gladis, Isabel, Diosino, Nelly, Doris, Alan, Ester, Hilda, Filomena, Diego

Huascar – Kids & Teens

Cyntia, Abel, Manuel, Yeni, Romario, Valeria, Kevin, Brian, Josue, Carol, Yanet, Gabby, Eliana, Heidi, Karen, Leidy, Reina, Josef, Jesus, Bruce, Jer, Adriana, Sebastiana, Davis, Maribel, Antony, Ruby, Jorge, Pilar, Jesse, Daniel, Jumi, Lucero, Jefferson, Jack, Junior, Cristian, Paola, Estefani, Cristian, Jorge, Yoel

Yanamayo – Adults

Carmen, Godofredo, Guillermo, Petronila, Siro, Jose, Felipe, Carina, Karina, Yovanna, Richard, Florentina, Maribel, Marcelino, Adela F, Adela O, Ana, Carmen, Serafina, Luis, David, Erica, Euleterio, Alicia, Roxana, Consuelo, Elena, Livia, Miriam, Maruja, Ines, Meliza, Isac, Marilia, Marcel, Alfredo, Maria, Raul, Justiniano, Natalio, Euslevia, Dominga, Margarita, Ronaldo

Yanamayo – Kids & Teens

Kiara, Shayla, Shayla, Gilda, Elvis, Carolina, Pedro, Nicol, Juliana, Daniel, Paul, Alvaro, Gary, Jorge, Mili, Brian, Cesar, Richard, Flor, Sebastian, Franklin, Alexander, Brando, Aracely, Aremi, Lupe, Ingrid, Celeste, Dulce, Siomara, Paul, Elisabeth, Leidy, Nati