Broken Record

Something today made me think about the old record player in my grandparents house in Texas. For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by the record player and the number of records that Nana and Papa had.  I found a Beetles record in the collection when I was in college and decided to test it out.  Unfortunately, there was a scratch on the record and it repeated the same bit over and over again.

Sometimes I feel like that record when I talk about my wonderful family and friends.  I like to brag on them!  I'm so thankful and blessed to have such a supportive and loving family!  I was reminded of this again tonight after having a great phone call with my stepmom and later my brother.  I'm so thankful for the ability to call and not have to worry about expensive phone bills or major time differences.  Not only is my family amazing, but my friends in the states and around the world are so wonderful.  I love you all!

It was a busy week...

I last blogged about what a busy week it was going to be, and indeed it was in ways that I didn't expect.  I had a great time with a group from Mississippi.  We had an orientation time over looking the Pacific Ocean and a good time of talking about what it is like to work and serve in Peru.  I was SO impressed by these students.  They are solid, well rounded, passionate students and I am so thankful that they came to Peru this summer!

Another group arrived from South Carolina and did a fantastic job working with most of the other journeymen on the team.  They worked so hard teaching in schools, sharing their testimonies (some in Spanish without a translator), and endured sickness like champs.  They didn't complain and kept moving forward, praying and encouraging one another along.  They saw 11 new believers between the many towns they worked in.  Praise the Lord for new brothers and sisters!

The other team that arrived two weeks ago had an unexpected experience.  While I was with them, we were robbed.  Praise the Lord no one was hurt, and nothing was stolen that couldn't be (relatively) easily replaced.  It was a scary experience, but we saw the hand of God at work.  During the event, all I could hear was the students praying out loud and as I joined them, I felt and overwhelming peace.  The kind of peace that only comes from the Lord.  The team journeyed on a day late, committed to staying in Peru to continue with the work they were called here to do.  Since the night of the robbery I have been praying against fear.  Fear of living in Peru, fear of future robberies, fear of the unknown in general.  So many verses have come to mind but the one that I sticks with me the most is Psalm 27:1 . "The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?"  I know that I am not guaranteed safety living here, or anywhere else, and robberies are a reality of living here.  I also know that the Lord has brought me here and that I am His.  I will joyfully continue being obedient to my calling, living in Peru and serving the Father free of fear. 

Some of you have heard about the robbery already.  THANK YOU so much for your prayers.  I have continued to experience an amazing peace and sense of calmness.  It is absolutely not from me.  I have experienced the Lord in new ways and grown closer to Him through this experience.  If for no other reason than growth in my spiritual life, I'm thankful for the robbery.  

On a much more exciting note...the Summer Missionaries arrive on June 1st and I can not wait to meet them!  Just from emailing with them, I can sense the excitement and anticipation of arriving in Lima.  It's going to be a great summer!!

It's a BIG week!

This is a very exciting week!  There are three teams of students arriving in the next 5 days to work in northern Peru.  It is incredible to see how the Lord is calling out college students to serve for part of all of their summer.  Over 200 students are coming to work with my team between today and early August.  

As exciting as it is, it also means there are many details to coordinate (which I happen to love).  Please pray for me this week as I wrap up last minute logistics for these teams and prepare for a trip to Ecuador on Saturday for student missionary training

My verse for the week is Psalm 105:4 which says, "Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!"  

Also please pray for Christine as she is researching a province in far northern Peru this week.  Pray for safety on some very rough roads, providential meetings with key leaders and a vision for future ministry opportunities in these areas.

Pictures to come soon of our journeys!