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Trip preparation

More Logistics, Bibles, Crafts, and Site Updates

T-Minus 10 Days till Takeoff We had our last official team meeting this last week, and it's all logistics and nitty-gritties. At the meeting we talked about arriving at the airport at 9 a.m., weight limits, transportation, and being travel ready. Some little inside jokes were made referring to previous years:Someone's luggage was lost, so have a change of clothes ready Don't forget and leave your passport at home Don't have rechargeable batteries or electronics in your checked bags.We also got our team shirts made by Fred! They look great and will be a huge help to keep track of everyone during travels and through airports. Cultural Lesson Another fun topic we discussed was the cultural perspective on gifts. The Yanesha are very big on community, so anything brought will be shared. This reminded me of elementary school where, if you bring something, you bring it for everyone in the class. Some ideas proposed for gifts to take were shirts, hats, water bottles, tape measures, and more. For me (Keilah), since VBS week it's been on my heart to take Bibles for the pastors' families kids. So I'm currently trying to figure out how to pack 15 Bibles. Crafts The ladies got together and were discussing what type of craft to take with us for the kids' club and ladies' night. We debated about cross stitch, jewelry, bracelets, and ended up deciding on small jewelry boxes that everyone can decorate and put to use. 10 days!! Oh No Vacation While Keilah was attending the meeting, I (Steve) was in Williamsburg, Virginia on vacation with my wife. It was a good time away learning more about the history of the USA while visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestowne, and Yorktown. We were able to be there for the 250th July 4th celebration. Photo Gallery While there, I was able to finish up (with the help of AI, 😀) the Photo Gallery section of this site where the team will be able to share photos of the trip. I hope this will help you all get a better feel of the trip and what you're helping support. Work & Home-work Work is interesting right now with increased load due to a portion of the people around being let go during a re-organization. At the same time, we have scheduled the replacement of a couple of old fiberglass tubs in two bathrooms that were long overdue and cracking. It seems like everything is ramping up just as we are trying to get ready for the trip. How You Can Partner With Us This WeekPlease pray for us as we memorize the story in Acts 19:13-20 to share with the communities. Please pray for Steve's coworkers during this time of change. Please continue to pray for the Yanesha people: That God would already be preparing the hearts of those who will hear these stories this summer. Please pray for those we encounter as we travel: That God would have us ready to share with those we meet along the way. Please continue to pray that God will bring the rest of the funds before we leave. If you know of others who might want to join the partnership: To receive notices on blog updates: Subscribe to Notifications To support the trip: Keilah (currently 92% funded): Keilah's Profile Page Steve (currently 79% funded): Steve's Profile Page In General (currently 92% funded): Wayside Chapel Peru Donation LinkThank you for your continued support and for being part of this journey with us!

Lunch, Updates, Travel, VBS, and a New Author!

Team Highlights Peruvian Lunch This last Sunday, we had a team outing to a Peruvian restaurant. It gave the new team members an opportunity to try Peruvian food, as an example of the different types of traditional plates that we may encounter. Keilah had the Lomo Saltado, as it was one of her favorite dishes when she went last time. Lomo Saltado is a traditional Peruvian stir-fry made with marinated beef, onions, tomatoes, French fries, and rice. We also had some fried yuca (casava root), fried plantains, and some yummy freshly made juices to try. Dad and I really enjoyed our passion fruit juices which was one of our favorite drinks in Ecuador. Team Updates We are 51% funded! Thank you so much for your support thus far. Please continue to pray with us as we hope to be fully funded by the end of the month. Other good news – We bought our plane tickets! That was a big relief and a big purchase at the same time. We are continuing to practice our story of Acts 19. Some of the details of the story are a little more difficult to memorize, but we are doing ok with it. Updates from Peru The Blocks have shared their own updates with us this last time. A new semester at El Camino Training Center (or "El Camino") kicked off in April and a new cohort of students finished applying in May. The expected class size was not reached as the community has a negative view on the cost and online education. Because of cost, the mission has started scholarships for more students to attend El Camino. They also gained access to a Peruvian private scholarship called Superatec; however, they are still waiting to hear if the students will receive it. As for online education, COVID really damaged the reputation it could have as the state ran everything so poorly. Besides prayer for the school issues, they are also asking for prayer on raising new missionaries, as people are retiring and countries are closing; more people have yet to hear the good news of the gospel. Local Partnership: VBS Fundraiser This last week, Wayside Chapel hosted VBS "Rainforest Falls", where roughly 400 kids and 350 volunteers attended. The sweet thing about this is that the mission of the week was the El Camino Training Center in Peru. As ‘Missions Chloe’ shared with the kids about Peru and the school there, many of the little ones had questions but were so amazed about the jungle as well. They came together and raised over $6,000 for the center that will be used for scholarships – Wow God! How You Can Partner With Us This WeekPlease pray that students receive the Superatec scholarship Please keep in prayer for the community views on online education to change. Please pray that God will bring the rest of the funds before we leave. Please pray for safe travels on this trip Please pray for the Yanesha people: That God would already be preparing the hearts of those who will hear these stories this summer. Please pray for those we encounter along the way: That God would have us ready to share with those we meet along the way. If you know of others who might want to join the partnership: To receive notices on blog updates: Subscribe to Notifications To support the trip: Keilah (currently 61% funded): Keilah's Profile Page Steve (currently 72% funded): Steve's Profile Page In General: Wayside Chapel Peru Donation LinkNew Author We introduce Keilah to the blog here as a new contributor. We will both be updating you along the way giving you a different perspective and broader viewpoint to the posts. Thank you for your continued support and for being part of this journey with us!

Steve McCracken
02 May, 2026
- Peru 2026

Preparation: Ourselves, Our Team, and the Details

As we look toward our departure for Peru, and specifically Villa América, this July, the mission is becoming more of a daily reality. Preparation for the trip is a process. It’s not just about hopping on a plane and arriving; it’s about preparing ourselves and inviting our community to become part of the extended team along with ensuring every small detail is handled. This month, we are focusing on the following areas: 1. Ourselves: Learning to see in "3D" We aren't just packing our bags and going; we are trying to make an impact for God's kingdom. In order to make us more effective, we need to see where our worldview might have blindspots. So, our team is currently reading and will be discussing "The 3D Gospel" by Jayson Georges. The premise of the book is that we, coming from a Western context, naturally view the Gospel through a lens of Guilt and Innocence. However, much of the world—including many indigenous communities—views the world through the lenses of Honor and Shame or Fear and Power. In reading through this book, the hope is to learn how to communicate the Good News in a way that the people of other worldviews are able to understand it in their context. The Good News of the Gospel isn't only good news for Western Cultures but is applicable in other contexts as well. I hope to have a short review of the book in the next post here. 2. Our Team: Building the Foundation A mission trip is never a solo endeavor. Right now, we are in the vital phase of building our extended support team. I am reaching out to friends and family to join me through prayer and financial partnership. I’ve been encouraged by the conversations I’ve had so far. While I have done this before while in Ecuador, that's been a while and my circle is quite different now. While only a few of us are traveling to the Amazon rainforest, it's good to know that we are sent by a larger community. If you’ve been praying for us or considering a gift, thank you for joining with us in the work this summer. 3. The Details: Safety and Stewardship Then there are the practical details that make the ministry possible. This month is one where we are going through the tasks needed to get us there. Does everyone have insurance that covers one while outside the country? Are we willing to sign the group covenant to be a part of the team? Who doesn't already have background checks done since we will be working with children? While some of this might seem a little overboard for a short term mission trip, it's necessary in this day and age. This also shows that we can go with the covering of the church and organization that our mission partners are under.How You Can Partner With Us This WeekPray for our "3D" perspective: That our team would have humble hearts as we learn to see the Gospel through new cultural lenses and understand what blindspots we might have. Pray for the logistics: That the background checks and insurance details would be completed smoothly. Financial Support: Each person is still working toward the goal of $2,500 to cover travel and ministry projects.If you feel led to support this mission, you can find all the details and a link to donate on my trip page: steve-in-peru.themccrackens.org. Thank you for standing with me as we prepare to serve the Yanesha people!

Steve McCracken
15 Apr, 2026
- Peru 2026

Welcome to the Mission Trip Blog

Exciting news — our Peru mission trip is officially getting underway! Our team is beginning to come together, and over the next few months we’ll be preparing, praying, and raising support for this trip. Check back here for updates as we take these first steps and share more about what’s ahead. I should add a quick note here that some of the images on the site will have AI used to build the image. This picture is an example where the picture is from Peru, but the sign and the person with the backpack have been put in using image generation.