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!!