Excitement brewed amongst the team as they gathered items to fill the army bags they had been given to the brim—vitamins, clothing, shoes, toys, to name a few. A couple of weeks later, each teammate lugged their massive army and personal bags into the airport. Their expectations were built as they arrived, and 21 guys and four women gathered at the gate. They were expectant that God would move powerfully over the next several days.

Hours later, the team cranked their heads toward the tiny airplane windows as the pilot announced their descent into Lima, Peru. The dusty terrain lay before them as their landing gear took grip. The doors opened to a newly remodeled airport filled with the hustle and bustle of travelers. Once through customs and baggage claim, the team entered a plush bus that would take them to San Juan de Lurigancho, their final destination.

As they embarked on their two-hour journey, the team watched the city landscape vanish as they headed into smaller communities. The sun settled behind the mountains, and the skyline became dark, with a few streetlights scattered about.

Once arriving in San Juan de Lurigancho, the smell of dirt lingered in the air; they later found out it only rains 1-2 inches yearly. Once the bus came to a complete stop, they gathered their luggage and were warmly greeted by the Peruvian Reimagine staff. Entering the Reimagine compound, they noticed the stark contrast between these accommodations and the multiple buildings and homes they had passed. It was as if they had just entered a 5-star hotel. Each room was plush, with plenty of room for their luggage and comfortable beds. Their showers held streams of hot water. (This is a rarity when you go on outreach). The Reimagine facility kitchen was state of the art, with Peruvian cuisine that made your tastebuds dance.

After settling, they connected with the Peruvian staff, who went above and beyond to make them feel comfortable and welcome. After a detailed tour of the facility and the soon-to-be orphanage, the team stretched their tired limbs on comfortable mattresses and fell fast asleep.

The following day, the sun rose over the mountaintops, and they were mesmerized as they gazed out at the houses littered across the mountainside. Most dwellings were built of particle board walls with a tin roof. Stairs stretched up the mountainside in multiple directions, and from the Reimagine building, they could see tiny figures climbing the looming mountain stairs above.

After a delicious breakfast, the group also began the trek up the side of the mountain. Each held supplies, some of which were massive particle board walls that would become part of a Purvian community member's home. As they walked up the vertical steps, they noticed Purvians from the community joining them in this delivery process. Some even carried babies on their hips as they held their opposite arm high to grab a piece of the particle board.

After arriving at the preselected home on the mountain’s perimeter, the team created an assembly line. Americans and Purvians collaborated to transport enough materials up the hill to build a two-bedroom home (approximately 200 sq ft). With joy-filled hearts, those receiving this incredible blessing displayed a gratitude that Bruce, who has been on multiple mission trips worldwide, has never beheld. This genuine gratitude was felt throughout the entire community. This group from Pensacola, FL, continuously talked about how blessed they were by the Peruvian’s heart of thankfulness.

One specific time, they bought the Purvian children’s popsicles. After the children had shared and devoured these sweet treats, they continued talking about how incredible the popsicles were and how thankful they were the entire time the team worked.

Later that evening, the team enjoyed some games with the Reimagine staff and prepared themselves for the men’s conference. They set out chairs and were not expecting a huge turnout. However, as the night unfolded, more chairs were added, and the room was filled with Peruvian men from throughout the community. Josh Fulfer, Dave Morris, and Reimagine Purvian staff stepped in to bring a powerful Word. Yahweh filled the room during this message, and lives were forever changed. Prayer continued late into the evening as men rededicated or made a first-time commitment to Jesus.

When lights went out that evening, everyone felt exhausted but content in their comfortable beds. They had been poured out like a drink offering for the sweet name of Jesus. The Shalom of Jesus flooded over them as they drifted off into a deep sleep.

The following day was Sunday. The team dressed in their best clothing, prepared to bring the Word of God and be led by the Spirit. As the day unfolded, each individual in the room experienced radical encounters with the Living God; Americans and Purvians found themselves on their faces before the Living Lord. He had shown up in not one but two services. One was at the Reimagine building, and the other was at another church about 20 minutes away.

Rejuvenation and exhaustion penetrated the bodies of the Freedom Church group as they returned to the Reimagine facility hours later. They quickly dressed in comfy clothing and connected as a team and with the Reimagine staff by playing games and sports outside. Once again, as the day ended, they found themselves content with how the day had turned out. They had seen people set free, and the Spirit of the Living God had also radically touched them through the Purvians.

The team woke up early the next day, ready to build another house. They formed their lines up the side of the mountain with the Purvian community and built another home. In the afternoon, they began turning Reimagine into one of the only facilities in San Juan de Lurigancho with plant life. They did this by planting multiple shrubbery and plants. At the end of their time, there was a sweet memorial as they planted a tree in the Loving Memory of Ronald Alvin Morris, who had loved Peru like his second home.

As the day ended, a group of Purvians and Americans dug deep and started creating space for an elevator. This was not any ordinary elevator; it was worked on with love as they dreamed of it being utilized one day by elderly Purvians who would call Reimagine home on the third floor in their later years.

A sweet surprise was held the following day for Dave Morris’s birthday. But before a fun-filled surprise evening, the team filed into the bus and headed to a new community 20 minutes away. This house was built for a single father who had been left with four young children to raise on his own. As the team built this 200 sq ft home, the man was close to tears, full of appreciation. He would now have a place where his four children could stretch out.

What a perspective shift. Here in the United States, if you have a home that is 200 sq ft, you are considered to be in massive poverty and should expect to have better accommodations. And yet, this man was beyond grateful. The hearts of this Pensacola team from Freedom Church were radically wreaked with a new perspective on having a thankful heart.

Late into the evening, the team enjoyed some fun connection and games, but mostly prayer. Many chose to stay up past midnight to intercede for Greg and Linda English, the leaders of Reimagine. They also laid hands on ALL the Reimagine staff. The team declared God’s promises for the staff’s lives and broke off all lies of the enemy. The power of God permeated the room as God showered His glory.

The final morning, the team gathered for one final Peruvian 5-star breakfast. They bid farewell to the Reimagine staff and filled into their bus. As they returned to the airport, they stopped at a local market to pick out a few treasures for their loved ones in the USA. On this final trek back, they chatted with their seatmate and reminisced about the last multiple days. God had exceeded their expectations, and each of them was discussing ways they could come back again soon.

The Reimagine staff and the Purvian community had shown incredible hospitality, and the Freedom Church team had been wrecked for ordinary life. Yes, they had left behind their legacy, but what they received during their time in San Juan de Lurigancho far outweighed anything they could have ever imagined.

Have you considered joining a Reimagine mission trip? If you haven’t, I hope that after seeing these incredible photos and these stories, God will have gotten a hold of your heart. You don’t have to have skills; you only need to come willing to be utilized by the living God and ready to receive far more than you will give.