Merry Christmas

 This month has been a time of great blessings in my life. Thanks to the YAV program, I had the opportunity to attend my first psychological session. Although I wasn’t completely convinced at first, I discovered how valuable it is to be listened to by someone who knows how to guide you. It has been a revealing experience that has helped me better understand my emotions and how to manage them.

Additionally, we participated in the YAV retreat with Jenny and the girls from the volunteer program. It was a truly special moment, full of learning and connection. I feel deeply grateful to have people in my life who care about me and try to help me in the best way, even though they aren’t family. During the retreat, I learned that all our emotions are valid, something we often take for granted but don’t always know how to put into practice. Recognizing and expressing how we feel is essential, even if it’s not always easy.

In this special space, as a group, we established our agreement:

“To respect, support, and listen to one another, always assuming the best intentions.”

This commitment unites us more than ever and will serve as the foundation for building stronger and more genuine relationships.

There was also room to resolve misunderstandings among my companions and me. We realized that many of the conflicts came from our own internal struggles, which were affecting both our friendship and our group goals. Talking things through was key: it allowed us to forgive one another and, more importantly, to forgive ourselves for not knowing how to manage and communicate our feelings. After this enriching experience, I am confident that our relationship as a team will be much stronger, and our service will be even more meaningful.

To wrap up the month on a high note, we celebrated AETE’s anniversary. Although preparing everything was exhausting, it was completely worth it. We put so much effort into every detail, from the food to the decorations, and the result was wonderful. I feel incredibly happy to have been part of this very special event.

Without a doubt, this has been a month I will cherish with great affection, full of personal and community growth.

November: Faith and Service in Times of Uncertainty

 This month, 🇵🇪 Peru has witnessed turbulent and challenging times. The streets have been filled with protests and marches, reflecting a deep longing for justice ⚖️ and safety 🛡️. In the midst of this uncertainty, I have felt the need to reflect on our trust in the Lord ✝️ and our role as His servants in a broken world 🌍. It is in these moments, when human fragility becomes evident, that we must remember that our God is sovereign 👑, even over the nations (salm 46:10).

I confess that the reality of insecurity 🚨 and crime 🕵️‍♂️ in our country has deeply affected me. There were moments when fear 😟 touched my heart, especially while traveling through certain areas or at late hours 🌃. However, the Lord has used these challenges to remind me of His constant care 💕 and to strengthen my faith ✨. By His grace, I have also had the support of companions 🤝 and a team that reflects the prudence and wisdom that come from God, always seeking to ensure our safety 🛡️ as we fulfill our calling 📖.

One of the greatest blessings 🙌 this month was participating in a workshop organized by AETE as part of the Diplomado Nuevos Modelos de Pastoral Juvenil and Pastoral Militante en Contexto de Violencia. This workshop was AETE’s initiative, and as YAV program volunteers, we had the privilege of collaborating and supporting this effort at the Church of God of Peru ⛪, located in Pamplona Alta, San Juan de Miraflores. It was my first time visiting a church of this denomination, and it was a joy 😊 to experience how other brothers and sisters worship the same God in different ways. I was moved by their warmth 💛 and their genuine desire to serve the Lord with excellence 🌟.

The workshop aimed to encourage young people 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 to develop a habit of reading 📚 that enriches their understanding and better equips them for ministry 🙏. While Scripture 📖 is and will always be our ultimate authority and sufficiency, we know that God uses other tools 🛠️ to shape our minds and hearts 💡. As Paul says, "Examine everything; hold fast to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). It was a privilege to share with them how well-guided reading can help us fulfill our calling, reflecting the wisdom God has given us 💎.

This space not only strengthened the young people’s commitment but also allowed me to reflect on the value of serving in community 👫. The reality in Pamplona Alta is challenging, but seeing young people filled with a passion 🔥 to learn and serve is a testimony to the transformative power of the gospel ✝️.

Despite the difficulties and challenges this month has brought, I have seen God’s hand ✋ at work in my life and in the lives of those around me. I pray 🙏 that as we continue on this journey, we may be lights 💡 in the midst of darkness, fully trusting that the Lord is working for His glory 🌟 and our good 💕. May December bring even more opportunities to serve and glorify His name! 🎉

October it´s over ... 💛

This month has been full of experiences that really shook things up and made me put some old skills back into action. Working with difficult teenagers isn’t easy, and October made sure to remind me of that.

Right from the start, the group was pure chaos: loud, restless, and full of energy. Talking about violence in those conditions was tough, and I had to come up with all kinds of strategies to keep their attention. Despite the mess, we managed to get through the activities, and meeting our goals felt like a huge win.

One thing that really stood out to me was that, even though they already knew a lot about violence and how to recognize it, the topic didn’t really faze them. They’re fully aware of what it is, but they live with it daily, both experiencing and committing acts of violence without feeling much sensitivity toward it. Knowing that the four sessions I designed would be facilitated by my fellow YAV volunteers and me, I chose to lead the first one. I wanted to get a sense of how the group reacted so my colleagues could adjust their methods and better engage with the teens.

That first session was tough. The topics, like identifying violence, weren’t new to them, so they got distracted easily and joked around a lot. But then we did an activity where they wrote down situations of violence they had experienced or witnessed, and that changed things a bit. It became clear that violence is a constant part of their surroundings, whether at school, on the streets, or at home. Even though it wasn’t entirely surprising, it was still striking.

In the end, the experience was incredibly valuable. It helped me understand how to work with them better and also gave my fellow volunteers the insight they needed to adjust their sessions and really capture the group’s attention. The later sessions flowed more smoothly, and when we covered topics that genuinely interested them, like toxic relationships, they became much more engaged, even if they still made jokes.

Overall, it was a challenging but rewarding experience. It taught me to be more flexible and creative, and it left me with the satisfaction of knowing that, even if just a little, I had managed to connect with these teens and their realities.