Happy Heart

Just a quick thought before I head off to bed.  I love my students!

One of the summer teams had a skype conference call tonight and they all called and surprised me.  It was so wonderful to hear their voices, catch up on life, and hear about how they still miss Peru.  It's fun to know that they still keep in touch with each other and that their friendships didn't end when they went home.

Goodness, it blessed me tonight to talk with them.

Fifteen

Those who know me best know that I had a bad habit of counting down the days for events that I'm excited about.  Instead of counting down the days (15) until I set foot back on US soil, I thought it would be fun to think of 15 things I'm excited about in the States.

In no particular order (except the first one)

• Lots of quality time and laughter with family and friends
• Ethnic food (Korean, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, Indonesian, etc.)  Can you tell I grew up overseas?
• Free refills 
• Sunshine, especially if it requires me to wear sunglasses
• Fall leaves changing colors
• The wide open blue Texas sky
• Christmas in Virginia.  I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.....
• Shopping and sales
• Worship at Grace Community
• A good haircut with no crazy Peruvian layers and no super short bangs.
• Diet Dr. Pepper
• Driving an automatic where people actually stay in their lane.  I apologize now if I over use my horn, it's the Peruvian way of communicating on the road.  
• The freedom from a Spanish language barrier, especially at the doctor and dentist!
• Mobilizing students for missions
• Sleeping in my bed

What would be on your list of "Things to Look Forward to When Going Home?"

Wong: Donde comprar es un placer

Translated: Wong: Where shopping is a pleasure.  I've lived in Lima for almost 2 years and know that grocery shopping at Wong is typically a pleasure.  Yesterday Amber and I went grocery shopping for one of our SC churches.  They will be a team of about 15 going to the jungle for a week where there are no stores.  We had so much food and water to buy that we filled 3 grocery carts!  The beauty of doing this kind of shopping at Wong is that we are waited on hand and foot!  At one point, we had 6 people helping us check out and all we had to do was stand there.  Three guys unloaded our carts, one lady rang it up and two more guys bagged everything.  We paid, and then three guys pushed our groceries to the truck, got inside the camper of the truck and loaded everything for us.  That is some customer service!

I didn't have my camera handy at the store, but this is what it looks like loaded up and ready to send out with the team:

Food boxes loaded and heavy!

About half the water that was purchased.

Karis Anne

For the last couple of days, I took cake of this cutie, my "niece" Karis.  I love, love, love this little girl.  Her parents are my best friends from Richmond, and now we serve on the same team together.  Isn't the Lord cool?  With the arrival of their second daughter, I got to hang with Karis.  Our week was full of repeating her favorite words: shoe, sock, eat and hey.  We visited mom, dad and Adalyn in the hospital each day and she took such good naps for me!  It was a fun and eye-opening couple of days for me.  She has had me wrapped around her little finger since the first time I held her.  I see a lot of spoiling in Karis and Adalyn's future from Aunt Mindy!  How can I resist these two?

Also this week, Amber and I are taking care of our boss' kids.  They are 11 and 14, so it's a little different than with Karis!  They can bathe, dress and feed themselves, no diapers to change, they speak in full sentences, etc.  They are great kids and we're having a lot of fun with them too.  Since Friday was a Peruvian holiday, they were out of school so it's been a nice long weekend.  Sorry I don't have any pictures of them to share!

In other news, I leave three weeks from tomorrow for my stateside time!  As I talked with my grandparents and aunt tonight, I got so excited.  I was already looking forward to it, but somehow it seemed all the more real.  On Halloween night, I will be standing in Richmond once again.  I'm looking forward to being able to spend quality time with people catching up on life.  Some of my time will be spent on the road traveling seeing friends and family, and the rest will be in Richmond.  I know I won't be able to see everyone I want too, but funds and time are limited.  Regardless, it's going to be a wonderful two months stateside and I can't wait to catch up with many of you in person!

Skype with Ole Miss=Awesome

Thanks for your prayers!  Jeff, Amber and I had a great time being "at" Ole Miss last night.  It was a great time of sharing with students and I pray they were challenged to think about the community around them and around the world and the impact that they can make.  

It was really fun to see some of the students who have served with me in past summers.  Some of the girls called us again today because they were still so excited and just wanted to talk.  It's fun to hear about their lives back in school and to continue the friendships that began while they were here.

I've been blessed by the students who have served and hope (*ahem* students, I hope you're reading this!) that they will return again next summer.

Prayer Requests

I'm really going to try to do a better job posting prayer requests on the blog.  I've really been convicted about my lack of doing so.  

This week, please be praying for the McLamb family.  They have served in Peru for about 2 years with their sweet kids and are leaving this week for Stateside Assignment.  It's a bittersweet time as they will greatly be missed in Peru, but as they move on to their next assignment, it's exciting to think of all the Lord will do through them.  Please pray for them as they transition over the next months, for their kids and for vision in their next ministry assignment.

Tuesday night Amber, Jeff and I have the privilege of sharing (via Skype) with the Ole Miss Baptist Student Union.  I always get a little nervous when sharing with large groups!  There's something about knowing your face is on a huge screen.  Please pray that the Lord will speak through us to the students, that we will communicate clearly as we share our hearts about missions.  Pray that the Lord will be raising up students to serve in summer missions from this group.




Next week my home church will be returning to work in San Jose de Quero.  Please pray for wisdom in planning, for the Lord to prepare the way for Jamie and his translator, for divine encounters and the words to share.


More to come next week!  Thank you for your prayers.  They are so vital.  I wouldn't be here without them.

A Cutural Experience

Amber and I have been meaning to cancel one of our two land lines for the past couple of months, but we've just never gotten around to it.  Last week we heard from some friends who recently moved to Lima about a good deal on phone and internet.  Today we finally went to the phone company to ask questions and cancel one of the two lines. 

The good deal we wanted is only for new customers.  Since we currently have two accounts with them, we are not new customers.  The phone company rep quickly explained to us if we both cancel and then sign up for a new phone number and internet then we will be considered "new" customers and will be eligible for the deal we wanted.  So that's exactly what we did!  He filled out all the paperwork, had me sign it and then continued to write all the details for our new payment plan.  I would have flipped out in the States if someone started adding to my contract after I'd signed it.  In Peru, I'm just glad that it is that simple!

I'll be internetless for a few days (maybe I'll be super productive around the house too!).  Hopefully next week we'll easily get reconnected with 2.5 times faster internet.  Woohoo!

Play Doh Time

One of the perks of my job is not working normal 9 to 5 hours.  Today, my responsibilities include hanging out with two pretty great kids watching Over the Hedge, playing with Hot Wheels, dolls and play doh while their parents are on a date.  Don't you wish you could have been at my house today too?

Team Retreat

Last weekend, I was able to escape gray Lima with REAP North for our team retreat in sunny Ica.  We arrived mid-afternoon Friday  sunny, warm Ica, which is about four hours south of Lima. The hotel was wonderful and even had a pool!  It wasn't quite warm enough to swim, but it was so relaxing to sit by the pool, soaking up some sun with a good book.  That night Jeff led us in a great group Bible study about having a divided heart.

Saturday morning was set aside for nothing but time with the Lord.  Parents switched off watching the kids so that everyone was able to have a solid hour+ with no distractions.  It was so wonderful to be free from all the distractions of home.  

Ica is famous for a place called the Huacachina. At the Huacachina, you can go out through the hills in a dune buggy, as well as do some sand boarding on some of those hills. In the afternoon, team bonding began!  We struck out together for a new adventure.  I had no idea what was to come, and probably should have been a little more nervous! We were about to go speeding up and down the sandy hills in an open vehicle!  The only way I can really describe what this ride was like, is it was like being on a roller coaster, but in a dune buggy and on sand. We really went almost vertical on some of the hills, would make a sharp turn and then almost feel like we were going to free fall to the bottom.  So much fun.  We stopped on three different hills so that we could do some sand boarding. You lay on the board, then just slide right on down the hill. I was definitely more nervous about the boarding because I was in control instead of a skilled professional.  This too was so fun.  I can't wait to do it again.

Sunday morning, I spent another morning at the pool with sunshine, the Lord and my Bible.  Twas a perfect morning.  In afternoon we set out on another adventure. We drove further down the desert to Nasca to see the Nasca lines.  They are shapes of animals and objects, that were supposedly created by the Incans.  Some of the team went up in a tiny plane to see them.  I opted to keep my feet planted on the ground, and the money in my pocket.  Well, in my pocked until I land in the USA!  

Last weekend was so refreshing and for me, desperately needed.  I love being with my team and being able to experience new things with them.  It was sad to leave the sun in Ica.  Maybe the retreat can become and annual thing.  :)

Me and Amber

Interesting Fact

REAP North Peru hosted 307 volunteers from 29 different groups in July.  We were a little busy!  Thanks to all those who came and served, and to everyone who has prayed and supported ministry in Peru.

B-E-A-U-tiful

This time of year in Lima is known for being gray, cloudy, cold, windy and overall not super pleasant.  However, today was the complete opposite.  The sky was blue, the clouds were white and puffy, the sun was out and it was warm!  It was so nice to have the warm breeze blowing through the apartment.  There was even a real sunset tonight!

To embrace the day, Jacinda spent the morning at the beach, and we went to the Inka Market in the afternoon.  Let the Christmas shopping begin....

Thank you Lord for an incredible day!

Northwest Baptist Association

Almost 80 participants from the Northwest Baptist Association (think Washington, Oregon and a church from Canada) came for 10 days in early August.  This was our last project for the summer, and it was a huge blessing for the Quechua people, participants, translators, missionaries, hotel staff, drivers and more.  They had incredible days of ministry in 5 villages as well as two constructions crews that reroofed a widows home and began the foundation for a future community center building.  

This lady received a pair of reading glasses and was able to read her Bible on her own for the first time in years.  While the kids in the picture below, wanted a pair of glasses...we improvised!

The theme for the week was "Love Like Crazy" based out of 1 Corinthians 13.  These students came and loved (the people and eachother) like crazy.  It was refreshing for me to be around them, see and hear about their passion for the Lord, servant hearts, and to worship together in English.  I love worshipping in Spanish, but there is something so special about corporate worship in your heart language.

On the last ministry day, I had the opportunity to go out with the construction crews (who had worked so hard) to the lakes a couple of hours away.  It was a good break for them to see and experience more of Peru.  The fellowship was wonderful and there is nothing like being out in the beauty of the Lord's creation.

Tidbits of Student Debriefing

More than two weeks after my summer missionaries have left, my heart still fills with joy to think about all they shared and experienced in June and July.  This years students were incredibly close, not only within their ministry teams, but also as a whole.  The goodbyes were tear-filled and heart felt with plans of reunions in the future.  It was really sweet for me to watch how close these students had become and how their experiences and ministry had bonded them.  

For some, it was a summer filled with challenges which provided the opportunity to see the Lord at work in a mighty way.  They said that they wouldn't have it any other way because of all that they learned about themselves and the Lord.  What a great testimony!

For others, ministry and missions really came alive.  They learned what it means to live in a different culture, the ups and downs.  They see beyond the typical opportunities in the church for service.  Their passion for people and sharing the gospel has grown.  It's exciting for me to see the Lord at work in their lives, shaping their futures.  

They played guitar and worshiped together, shared stories, and had a ton of fun being reunited after nearly 7 weeks.  As I watched and listened to them, I was so proud of their commitment to the Lord and their passion to follow Him.  The three days of debriefing made all the hours and hours of work so worth it.  

Catching up

My friend, Jessie Mae has reminded me frequently this week, I am way behind on blogging.  May, June and July, have been extremely busy, but good.  Over the next couple of weeks, my goal is to blog about some of the different teams from the summer and what the Lord has done through them.  But first...

Congratulations to Jake and Sasha on their engagement!

Sasha, I can't wait to hug your neck at Thanksgiving, see your beautiful ring, and stay up late talking about your wedding!

And Back to Lima again...

Thank you so much for your prayers over the past two weeks!  I, unfortunately, was not able to help much with the International World Changers trip last week.  I came down with a terrible cold and couldn't hardly get out of bed.  How disappointing!  From what I've heard, the rest of the team had a successful trip and many people came to know Christ!

The students serving in San Jose de Quero are doing well.  We had a good couple of days in Huancayo before the World Changers trip.  A couple of them were sick as well, so it was good to be able to get them meds and rest in the big city.

I have a little bit of time at home (yay!!) before the students come back to Lima for debriefing at the end of the summer.  I should be a good time to get some things straight like expense reports, my house and laundry, and catch up on email yet again.

Huancayo bound

In about 30 minutes I'm leaving for the bus station to catch my overnight bus to Huancayo.  It's about an 8 hour ride that I've done many times before.  Tylenol PM is my best friend on these rides to help me sleep well through the night!

I'm heading up to spend some time with a group of students who have been serving in San Jose de Quero.  It's time for them to have some R&R, restock on supplies, get a really hot shower and have a morning or two without the rooster crowing at 5:00am.  I'm looking forward to hearing their stories and the opportunity to encourage them for their last month in Peru.

At the end of the week, REAP North's third group of International World Changers arrive for an 8 day medical trip.  They will focus on 5 areas around Huancayo meeting physical and spiritual needs of the people.  With this trip, I have the opportunity to return to the San Jose de Quero/Usibamba area where my home church works.  I know I often blog about it, but it is my favorite place in Peru.  The people are so precious and nothing beats the scenery.  I always feel like I'm going home when I arrive in Quero.

Please pray for the students joining me in Huancayo that it will be a time of rest and relaxation, a break from village life, and a time of rejuvenation for the remaining 3.5 weeks.

Also please pray for IWC team as the doctors and nurses see patients.  Pray for wisdom in diagnosing medical issues, an abundance of opportunities to share the Gospel, encouragement for local believers, health, safety and rest for the IWCers, rest at night for our translators and missionaries, and wisdom for making all the decisions that we don't know we'll have to make yet!

You all are my lifeline, I couldn't do this without you!  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!

Prayer Request

Hello again!  It's been a very full day, and couple of weeks for me.  I keep intending to update the blog with all the happenings, but time has just not allowed for this to happen.  Tonight, I have an important prayer request for you all.  Many of my summer students have faced a fare amount of spiritual warfare in the places they are serving.  Please join with me in praying for all my summer missionaries.  Please pray that the Lord would strengthen, uphold, encourage and protect them.  It is discouraging for me to see them under spiritual attack.  I know the Lord has a plan and these students are his.  Please also pray for me as I make decision with these students.  Pray for wisdom to make the best decisions for everyone involved in situations and for words of encouragement to share with those who are struggling.

I feel like I'm starting to ramble.  It's time for me to go to bed!  Thank you for your prayers.  They make a difference!

For my Awesome Dad

Happy Father's Day Daddy!  I love you!!

Summer Missionaries

Summer missionaries have arrived!  This great group of 20 are FANTASTIC.  I am so thrilled to have them here.  They will be serving in Yungay, Huaraz, Iquitos, San Jose de Quero/Usibamba and doing research until July 30.  Life is great.  I love my job!

Praise the Lord!

In March I went to the jungle with a group of students from Ole Miss.  Another group of students came the second week of May, and while I wasn't able to travel with them, I've received an incredible report from them.

The past two weeks we have been in Chirani, a village in the upper jungle of Peru along the Perene River. There are about 200 Ashanika people living in Chirani. They are all very hard workers, spending most of the day in the fields, washing clothes, drying coffee beans, and cooking.

It has been so evident that God is revealing Himself to the people of Chirani. He is here! Showing Himself in  ways that no man could ever.

The school teacher allowed us to go in the school for 2 hours each day and teach English, do activities, and tell bible stories. What a great opportunity to began teaching children about the love God has for them! The men met every morning after cutting the grass with a machete. They prayed together and read scripture together. The last day we were in Chirani, Enrique, Isais, and Ricardo (all believers) asked the guys on our team to go to other men in the village to reach out to them, giving their word (in Ashanika) that those 3 would continue to meet on their own! Each night we had a community service in which we began teaching about the life of Christ, going through the book of John. From the first night, "why Christ had to come" up until the last night of the two weeks, "the prodigal son", Scripture had been speaking to them.

They are asking so many questions like "How do I love more?", "How do I have a Godly family?", or “How can I tell others about God?". These are definitely birthed by the Spirit. It's not natural for us to want to love more.

We have started one-on-one times with several people in the village and God has really been showing out in those times. They are so hungry to know more, it's God drawing them and nothing we are forcing.

I personally have been led to reach out to a lady named Rosalia. Since my trip in March, I have not been able to get her out of my mind, seeing her in my dreams, and constantly praying for her. I knew she was someone I had to talk to and invest time with this summer. The 3rd day in Chirani, I was washing clothes with her and trying to communicate as best as I could with my limited Spanish. She began telling me that she wants to understand the Bible that she read, but never understood.  That was such an affirmation to the power of prayer! We have had many conversations and started reading the Bible together and discussing stuff. She is so hungry and I can't wait to get back there!!!  I really see that He is leading us to spread out and meet people where they are in their homes.

In Philippians, Paul told them that he was confident that the work God began, He would also carry out to completion. It's God who reveals Himself, we have just been entrusted to carry the gospel to them.

We are just being obedient. Colossians 1:6. It is God who convicts and knocks on the hearts of the lost. It's so humbling to know that God doesn't need us, but chooses for us to be a part of this plan.

I love their passion, obedience and the ways the Lord is working!  I have the best job in the world!

Figured It Out

I figured it out.  Somehow I changed my Blogger setting to "Oriya."  Not knowing what language this was, I googled it, and discovered:

Oriya or Odia (ଓଡିଆ oṛiā) is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian state of Orissa. The language is also one of the many official languages in India. (Info from Wikipedia).

You can see how all those little symbols above meant absolutely nothing to me.  Now that the world is back in English, I will begin blogging again.....tomorrow.

The Lord did awesome things in and through the lives of the students from the Charleston BCM in South Carolina.  They came the last two weeks of May to serve in San Jose de Quero.  More news and pictures from their trip coming.

Thanks for praying for me!!

Everything is jibberish!

Sorry for the delay in blogging.  Everytime I log into blogger, everything is jibberish and there is nothing I can read.  As soon as I figure out how to change it to English or Spanish I'll post a great informative blog!

Electricity, how wonderful!

Amber and I had a surprise this morning when we woke up to no electricity.  At first, I thought maybe it was just my apartment, but that wasn't the case.  Evidently we lost power about 1:00am.  The electric company called our office to let us know we were the only house in the neighborhood without power.  What in the world?  We did pay our last bill a little late, but it was paid over a week ago.

The electrician came (even on time!), and tinkered around for a long time, yet still now power.  Eventually he came to tell me and Amber that the main breaker box had shorted out and needed to be replaced.  So, off he went to Ace Hardware (and a "short lunch") to pick up the needed parts.  Three and a half hours later he returned and went back to working.  Low and behold he was able to fix the problem and diagnose some other things that we "need" him to fix for us.  It felt a little more like he was looking for more work. =)

At the end of the day, electricity has been restored and I have been reminded of how dependent I am upon it.  Hopefully it will still be working in the morning!

May Newsletter

The REAP North Newsletter for May 2010 is out.  You can find it through a link at the top of the right column.  Happy reading!

Beautiful Peru

While my parents were here, we had a great time driving through the mountains for a few days enjoying the beauty of Peru:

South Carolina Medical Trip

A couple of weeks ago I asked if you would pray for the people affected by the mudslide in Consejos.  This past week a medical team from South Carolina came to work in that area for a few days.  I didn't get to travel with them since my parents were here vacationing with me, but my teammate Amber was able to go with them.  Check out her blog here to read about the incredible week that they had.  The Lord really moved in amazing ways.  I wish you could all be here to hear the stories!

Yay for Family!

My parents have been in Lima for about 48 hours now, and it has been wonderful.  Yesterday we had a nice slow morning at my house followed by an afternoon of grocery and market shopping.  I know your thinking I should have had food before they arrived, but Shelley had made it clear, she wanted to go with me!  It is fun having my parents experience my normal life here.  It makes everything more real I think.  Shelley and I made a delicious dinner and by 8:30, we were all pretty wiped out.  I forgot to mention that we all stayed up half the night talking when they arrived!

Today we explored el centro de Lima, a cathedral with catacombs, enjoyed a little sidewalk cafe, and SUNSHINE.  The whole morning with overcast, and I was afraid that the winter fog was already coming back.  The sun can out on our way downtown, and I was super thankful!

It is so fun to be able to hang out with my parents all day and to share Peru with them.  I love that after hearing about my life here for the last 15 months, they are able to see and experience parts of it with me.

Congratulations

Congratulations to John and Christine on their wedding day!

Prayer Request

In a little less than 5 months, my current term comes to a close in Peru.  Time has passed so quickly, and with a very busy summer ahead, I'm enjoying some time of reflecting on all that I have experienced and learned, ways I've been challenged and stretched, but most importantly all the things I've learned about the Lord.

More and more often I'm being asked, "what is next?"  Three weeks ago, I had some ideas, but the Lord has gently closed all the doors, but given me peace about the future.  I know my future rests in His hands and that in His time, I will know what is next.  I am not stressed or anxious about the next phase of life, but excited to see what it will be.  Please join me in praying for a continued sense of peace, wisdom and discernment about future opportunities.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.  They make the hard days easier, the discouraging times more hopeful and add joy to all the wonderful days.  Your prayers, blog comments, emails, care packages, visits, Skype chats and phone calls are such a blessing.

What's for dinner?

Quiche...or at least tomorrow night, it will be.  I've been craving Mom's quiche recipe, so I stopped at the grocery store tonight to pick up a few needed items to make it.  An onion was on my list.  I only need 1/3 of a cup, so a small onion would be sufficient, but it never hurts to have extra onion on hand, right?  Small onions did not exist in my store.  All the onions were enormous.  I was so amazed by the size of onions tonight, that I bought the biggest one in the store!  It has about a 5" diameter and weights 1.7ish pounds.  Huge right?

My curiosity continued once I got home with my huge onion, so I started chopping.  I chopped and chopped and chopped until my watering eyes saw the job done.  You can kind of see in the picture below all my hard work.  4 very full cups of chopped onion.

Meatloaf and Curried Lentils have been added to the menu for this week.  If you have any good recipes that call for lots of onions, please pass them on! 

Change of Plans

For the few of you that read the last blog post, we had a slight change of plans.  After many hours on the road yesterday and a few mechanical problems, the team and I returned to Lima last night.  All the technical difficulties seem to be worked out and the team is back on the road.  Keep praying for the team as they are out.  They had a great outlook and were really positive as they left this morning.

Tomorrow, the Cambridge/Grace team is coming back from San Jose de Quero.  I can't wait to hear about their week of ministry.  I know they did an awesome job.  Earlier this week, I heard from them that Maruja had hernia surgery sometime in the last 2 or 3 weeks and she is staying with her daughters in Chupaca while she recovers.

Huasahuasi...huh?

In the morning I am headed back up the mountain with Southside Baptist Church.  We will be working in an area about 6 to 8 hours from Lima.  This will be a progressive trip, in the sense that we are staying in a different town each night.  I will be returning a few days before the team to get ready for my parents to come!!  I'll be home sometime Tuesday.

While we are out, please pray:

• for safety on the roads as we travel each day,
• for overall health of the team, protection from altitude and other sickness,
• for open doors for ministry and to share the gospel with people,
• and that through all our actions and words, the Lord would be glorified.

Quick Update and Prayer Request

The day in and day out of my life in Lima isn't super exciting, but it has been productive. Plans are coming together really well for all the summer student teams. I'm really thankful to have had this time to prepare and wrap my head around it all. There are a lot of students coming this summer and being organized is going to help me keep my sanity.

A team from Grace Community and Cambridge Baptist are back in San Jose de Quero. They wrote and said:

We had a good meeting this morning with Godofredo, Rolando and Arminda. We walked out and saw Teodoro in his fields with his cattle and are planning evening services for Wednesday and Thursday. We will be in the schools Wednesday and Thursday as well. Please pray for Maruja. She is not here, but in Chupaca recovering from a hernia operation. 

For those of you who have been here, this will mean a lot more to you. The team is staying busy! I look forward to being able to return to San Jose de Quero next month with a group of students.

This past week there have been two mudslides close to Huánuco, one south in the Ambo Quechua area and one north in the Panao Quechua area. A highland lake overflowed about 20 kilometers above the city of Ambo and brought down a mudslide that took out a large number of homes. The death count is still unknown, but its probably somewhere around 50.We know that 8 families of a local church lost everything. The associate pastor of the church was away at the time, but his wife and three young children were all lost to the mudslide.Please pray for the families of the victims and for all of the churches that will be helping in the relief effort.

Cancejos is a small town in the Panao Quechua area where a mudslide has covered at least 55 homes. Death count is also unknown. We do know of one pastor who was killed. He has been an influential pastor in the ministry to indigenous Quechuans and has also aided in the translation of the Bible into this Quechua dialog. Please pray for his family, his flock, and all those who are impacted by this mudslide. Please pray for all of the believers helping provide relief in this area.

His Strength Is Perfect

Years ago I was a part of a Bible study/accountability group at my church in Virginia.  Something in our material suggested that we make a playlist of songs that talk about how we want to live our lives, so that on those hard days when everything seems out of focus, we can play the songs to help regain perspective.

I thought that was an awesome idea.  Music has always meant a lot to me, and can completely change my attitude and outlook on life.  I took this idea and ran with it.  I created several different playlists, but tonight I came across one called "Chill."  I'm not really sure when I created it or what my thought process or situation was at the time.  It is comprised of older Christian songs that I don't usually listen to, but they are calm and glorifying.  As I came back to my room tonight I knew my attitude and heart needed to be checked and "chill" might have been created just for tonight.  I love how the Lord can talk straight to my heart through song and when the playlist was created, He knew when I would need it.

Tonight's oldies and goodies included:

Basics of Life by 4Him

The Mission by Steve Green

His Strength Is Perfect by Steven Curtis Chapman

My Jesus, I Love The by Avalon

I Call You to Praise by Steve Green

When I Let It Go by Sierra

and many more....

*disclaimer: I am not depressed in any way  :) ...just a couple challenging moments in the last couple of days.  

Peaceful Saturday

It's not quite noon yet, and I already feel like this is turning into a perfectly peaceful Saturday.  What makes it so perfect?  My morning Yujacha that arrived yesterday from my amazing friend in Korea!  I was so excited when I saw her box arrived yesterday.  Just seeing the Korean characters on the box made my happy.  Some of you may not know, I grew up with Megan in Korea.  We've been friends since we were 3 and have walked together to some really difficult life events.  Even though we haven't lived in the same city since elementary school, she is still one of my best friends.  I love you Megan!!

On top of the box yesterday, I got two hand written letters!  I was so excited about the tea from Korea, that I kind of forgot about the letters, so now, I'm sitting on the couch loving the news from my family in the States.

The REAP North team is staying really busy these days.  Our busy season is looming and already the pace is starting to pick up.  It is less than 2 months until my first student team arrives.  There is still much to do in preparation of their arrival, but today, I'm not working.  Far too often I work Monday to Sunday and don't take a single day without doing some kind of work.  Today is different.  I'm going to just enjoy being home!

Pictures Posted

I just uploaded some pictures from my last trip to the jungle on Facebook.  You can click here to view them.  Enjoy!

Pray for Maruja

*Courtesy of Cameron.

Maruja Update

Thank you so much for your prayers for Cameron and me as we worked in San Jose de Quero and Usibamba the last couple of days.  It was an incredible couple of days.  The focus of this trip was discipleship, Cameron and I were to work with the women, and the men would work with the men.

Our time with Maruja was so special.  As we sat on the soccer field (a cement slab) and shared the story of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednigo.  It was so fun to watch her react as we read because she had never read it before.  We asked her to think about the story until we met again.

During out next meeting on the soccer field on a sunny morning, we shared with Maruja how to do a simple Bible study by asking 3 questions:

• What did you like about the story?
• What didn't you like about the story?
• What truth from the story can you apply?

Without even blinking, Maruja answered the questions about the story we had read earlier.  AND she said, "I can share this with my friends!"  YES!  She can!

We dove into our second story, Elisha on Mount Carmel.  Again, she LOVED it.  She was so excited to read stories that were new to her in the Old Testament and it was such a blessing and joy for me to experience that with her.  Studying it with Maruja brought it to life for me.  She is so hungry to learn more about the Bible.

We chatted about some other scripture, another lady had joined us to listen in, when Maruja asked, "Can we study more?"  Cameron and I hadn't prepared another story (and I mean we hadn't practiced reading our portion of it in Spanish), but who were we to get in the way of reading the Bible.  So, we moved on to the story of Ruth.  Maruja was such a trooper and read the whole story out loud, reading the titles to the chapters and everything.  As we got to the beginning of chapter 4 Maruja read, "Boaz marries Ruth." She giggled and said, "How wonderful!"  It was precious.  I can't wait to go back and share more with her!

Watch for another post tomorrow.  The Lord did so many things on this trip.  Really, just incredible.

Happy Birthday Matt!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful brother!

We've fought, we've laughed and we've eaten lost of orange sherbert.  There's no one else would rather have grown up with.  

I love you!!!