Tearful Good-Byes

I thought that my tears were spent, but as the plane took off from the land of Peru that had been my home for the last three and a half months, the tears came again...

Saturday night had been the first of our good-byes. It was our last night of youth. The pastoral staff presented us each with a T-shirt that they had made for us, and there was cake and food for our farewell also. Then the next day at church we had many more good-byes. They seemed to never end. And they all seemed a little tearful. Monday was the last morning that we woke up in Peru. We spend the day packing and cleaning and doing last minute things that we had to do before we could leave. In the early evening people starting to arrive to say the last of the good-byes. We all sat in a circle and sang Spanish songs for the last time in Peru before we left.

Saying good-bye to the members of the church and youth was hard enough...

But when we got to the airport it was then time to say good-bye to the family that we lived with and the missionaries that we served with. They walked with us as far as they could and then the hugs and good-byes began. The five girls in our team, myself included, were sobbing as we went from person to person saying good-bye, and giving promises of writing each other. We finally pulled ourselves away and some how made it through visas, security, and immigration, all while crying in between. We finally made it through to where the gates were and sat down until we had gathered ourselves together enough to go find our gate. It is nothing short of a miracle that we made our planes because we were all so emotionally and physically exhausted. God was truly with us!

We had all grown to love Peru and the people so much, I never imagined how hard it would be to say good-bye.

I'm now back in Canada, my parents surprised me by picking us up at the airport. In so many ways it is nice to be home. But at the same time Peru is never far from my thoughts and I do miss it. I am trusting God though and I know that he has a plan for me, here or wherever He leads me.

While here in Abbotsford for debrief, they have told us that this will be a time for closure on the past and preparation for the future. God is with us all and will guide us in the next season of our lives!

Time is in His Hands...

Time. It has gone amazingly fast. I remember back when I was thinking about coming on Trek and six months seemed so long. And now here it is June 6th exactly five months from when Trek started, less then two weeks before I'll be getting on a plane to fly back to Canada. I will be in Abbotsford for two weeks of debrief, and then I will be home once again! In some ways this adventure has gone by so fast. In other ways it has lasted a life time. It has been such an incredible time of growth, learning and friendship. In some ways I feel like I have learned more in the last five months then I have in my entire life... Although I know that that is not quite true.

We have gotten back into our regular schedule here in Lima since returning from our tip up north. We continue to teach English, work with the youth, go to the AIDs home a few times a week, have Spanish class, work out at the gym and build relationships wherever and whenever we can. Last Saturday I had the opportunity to give the message at youth. I spoke about love, forgiveness and joy. I think that it was a good night, I feel that I said what God wanted me to and I pray that He will have used my words to speak to others that night.

Our team continues to get to know one another better everyday. We have have such a strong team and we all have grow to love each other as family. I love the encouragement that we offer each other and the strength that we lend to one another when we are going through a tough time. Our goal is to finish our time here in Peru strong!!

When I'm Found in the Desert Place Blessed Be Your Name

I was truly in a desert place the last few weeks. And it never ceased to amaze me that in the poorest, desert villages we went in to, we found the most generous, joyful people! The last two weeks have defiantly touched my heart. We started out in Trujillo where we cleaned up the church a bit there and visited a small village outside the main town. We did our first children's program of the trip there. Our usual children's program would consist of singing, the story of David and Goliath, balloons, stickers, face paint, a crown craft, and having kids sit on our knees while taking pictures! They where so adorable and they all just wanted hugs and smiles! We worked with children many times in many different places on the trip. We visited at least six different churches on the trip and did various programs at all of them. We spent quite a bit of time in the small village of El Indio on various days, so many things about that village touched my heart. One day we went walking door to door to invite the youth of the church to a program that we had planned for one evening. As we walked by one house the people inside knew the pastor that was with us and invited us in. They gave us the only four chairs that were in the house and let us sit down while we talked for a little while. Then they offered us each an orange, such a simple thing you may think, but as a ate my orange I couldn't help but think if they had given us a good part of their supper for the night. My heart was stirred by their generosity and that visit with those people that only lasted a few minutes is one that I will not soon forget. The last time that we were visiting El Indio was for an evening service the Saturday night before Mother's Day. It was a special service in honor on the mother's. A little girl, maybe eight or nine, stuck to me like glue that night, I had met her before at one of the previous programs we had done. She had fallen in love with me and the feeling was mutual. At the end of the service she gave me a stuffed animal of hers, I tried to say no, that she should keep it, but she wanted desperately for me to have it. So finally I agreed. I wanted to give her something of mine but I didn't really have anything with me that night, so I gave her the only thing I had, the earrings I was wearing. It was such a little insignificant thing, yet the look on her face was priceless. Things don't matter, people matter. The little girl and the family that invited us into their home know that, I know it too, but sometimes I forget. One thing that I've truly learned on this trip is that stuff doesn't matter, people matter. The small village of El Indio has touched my heart, challenged me, and caused me to grow. I will never forget it. The whole trip was an incredible experience that I wouldn't have missed for anything!

On the last three days on our trip we were able to go on a small vacation. We went to a town called Colan, and were able to spend some time chilling and relaxing on a beautiful beach. I was able to spend my 19th birthday on the beach with friends. I saw dolphins, ("It's your birthday present from Jesus" my friend Bre told me) watched a gorgeous sunset, ate steak, and had s'mores. It was a wonderful birthday! The beach was beautiful and it was so nice to be able to relax a little after a very busy trip.

We are now back "home" in Lima for our last month here in Peru. I can't believe how fast our time here has gone. We have all grow to love Lima and the people here so much. It truly has become a second home to us here and the people like family, who love us so much. Tonight I was called into the other room and waiting for me was my team, the pastor's family, and Otto, Lydia, and Kevin (the missionaries here) to give me a surprise birthday cake because I couldn't have one in Colan. I was so surprised when I walked in and they all said surprise and started singing happy birthday to me in English then in Spanish. I feel so loved here and that I am making a difference, I know that I'm where God wants me for this season of my life!

Just a Little Note...

to say that I will be going on a two and a half week trip up farther North! We will be going to Trujillo and Puira to visit some of the churches up there. During our time there we will be doing presentations, work projects, and trying to give the churches a boost of encouragement! We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon and returning around the 18th of May! So I will not be able to communicate for a few weeks but I look forward to updating you on my trip when I get back! I am very excited for this opportunity! I can feel that God has a wonderful plan to use us in these next weeks to serve Him and the people of Peru! Please pray for my team and I as we travel and also that we will be given the right words to say and that it will be a growing experience for both us and the people that we meet!

A Hike in the Highlands

I can't think of a better way to spend your day then hiking through the Andes Mountains, in a place called the Highlands! That is what I spent the day doing today! Come and join me on the mountain top...

We walked through a small village to get to the hiking trail, it was a poor looking village with a old, rustic look to it. We arrived at the path shortly and the thirteen of us made our way along. I was in the lead with a couple of others, the path had stonewalls on either side, that gave it a safe and enchanting feel. The three of us in the lead made it up first to a beautiful waterfall and we stood at the top of it looking down as the water cascaded off the side! When the rest of the group got up we continued on to a small grassy meadow where we sat down to rest, eat our lunch, and soak up a bit of the sun! The grass is tall with tiny little wild flowers that I have pressed into my journal. The wind is gently teasing my hair. The stream beside us serenading us with its song. I feel that this is the living Psalms 23. I know that God is in this place, in these wild highlands that He created, possibly just for us to enjoy today! And what a wonderful day it is! I can't stop thinking about the amazing imagination that God has. Later standing beneath the waterfall feeling the mist rain down on me, I get the feeling again, and again I say to myself what better way to spend the day than with friends in God's wonderful creation!

A Place of Peace

I have always found a sense of peace by water, whether it be a lake, steam, or ocean. I have always been drawn to it... probably because it's God's creation, and the beauty of it leaves me in awe of His mighty imagination. So when my team decided to go to the beach for worship and Bible study, I was all for it! We went down to the ocean, to a nice sandy spot and sat down right in the sand. I kicked off my flip-flops and dug in my toes. We started to sing and worship God and as we sang I sat there watching the waves role in, once again amazed by God's creation, amazed that I'm in Peru serving and worshiping Him! As I sat there singing and watching the waves, God filled me with such a peace and joy for being here! I know that He is using me and that He sent me here. God has given me the strength to do things here that I wouldn't have done before. He's given me the desire to do things that I wouldn't have wanted to do before. He's given me love for the people here and most of all He has shown me that He is with me and will always be with me! I have no doubt in my mind that I'm right where God wants me!!

What is Missions?

That is a question that I have been asking myself for the past week or so.

A little face peered down at me from the apartment above the church, I waved at him and he shyly waved back. It was Sunday morning and I was outside in the courtyard playing with the kids for children’s church. The little boy that watched us play from the window above tugged at my heart strings, I had so wanted him to be able to come and play with us too, but the family doesn’t seem to want anything to do with our church here.

A lot of people think that Missions is just building house’s or mass evangelism… in some ways I used to be one of them. On this trip I am learning so much more, a big part of Missions is building lasting relationships with people.

As the little boy continued to watch us play, more and more my heart was telling me that I need to do everything I can, with God’s help, to help the people here find Jesus. I want to be a true friend to the people here.

This is Missions. Getting to know people for who they are, accepting them, loving them, working with them. Not telling them about God and then leaving them to figure out the rest on there own. Don’t get me wrong I still believe that building house’s and evangelism is important. But I have also found on this trip though that there is so much more that I can do. It is hard sometimes because it often doesn’t really feel like missions because I am having fun being their friend, but slowly I’m realizing that friendship can be an important part of having a relationship with God. You can help to guide each other in your walk with God. It doesn’t have to be in Peru or some third world country it can be anywhere. I am still learning so much here and some things still don’t make complete sense to me but one thing that I know is that God will show me what Missions is and what He wants me to do!