Seeds

This fruit-bearing thing is becoming a constant theme in my life.

So this morning, we went to the Iglesia Biblica Bautista de Gracia in Huaraz, and we had invited two of our friends who live in Huaraz to join us. Nancy is a lady that we had met in the plaza in Recuay one morning, and she and her three beautiful children came - AND - one of the fifth grade teachers in Recuay (the one whose birthday party we went to, actually) and her husband came, too! This may not seem like a big deal to you who are reading, but for us, this is really the first sign of INTEREST in adults around here! So PRAISE THE LORD! We went out to lunch with them afterward, and getting to talk to Lina (the teacher) and her husband and seeing the passion in their faces when they talked about the Word of God and how they felt about church this morning - oh. It was beautiful.

During the service, Matt, an American guy from Minnesota who just happens to be married to Pastor Cristian´s sister-in-law and who works with the hispanic ministry at John Piper´s church, came and brought the message... and if you´ve ever heard John Piper speak or read his books and felt as mind blown as I did, you can imagine that same feeling but in a foreign language. Yeah. Amazing. He spoke about Jesus´ parable of the sower - where the seed fell on different types of soil that mirrors our own hearts. And as we dug into the Word, I was hit with the fact that we have seen every type of soil in Recuay this summer...

We´ve seen people who have rejected the Word, whose eyes have not been opened yet by the Holy Spirit, whose hearts are still darkened... and I was burdened to PRAY for them... that the Lord would open their eyes and bring light into their hearts. (Also struck by the amazing Spanish phrase ¨dar la luz¨- literally, ¨to give the light,¨ it´s a phrase that means to give birth, and think of it in the spiritual sense - that when we are born again, we are given light...)

We have seen people (and especially kids) who accept the Word with much joy but have no root, no foundation in the Word, and when difficult times come, tribulations and trials will discourage them and cause them to fall away... and I was burdened to PRAY for them as well... to share with them how the Word of God is our foundation, how Christ is our satisfactions... to teach them how to study the Word... and to pray that they will not only study and hear the Word, but that they will OBEY and put it into action...

We have seen others who accept the Word but whose lives are too easy, who feel as though they don´t really need the Lord, who are distracted by other things in the world... and who fail to bear fruit. This is probably something that is more common in our own lives as American Christians but still is prevalent here in Peru... and what a burden this has been today in my own life. Praying that we as a team and the believers we have met here would be single-minded, wholehearted, and focused on the Lord that they may bear fruit.

And praise the Lord, even today, we have seen people who hear and understand the Word, who accept it with gladness and seek to follow Him with their whole lives, who have been transformed.

So I´m full of praise today for the seeds that have been planted here in Recuay... the seed that is the Gospel... the story that says that the holy and perfect God of the universe loved us, sinners, hopelessly separated from Him by our own sin, and provided a way for us to know Him. That´s beautiful.

This is my prayer in the harvest, when favor and providence flow. I know I´m filled to be emptied again. The seed I´ve received I will sow.

Sticks in the mud still bear fruit.

We really are just sticks in the mud. Dead. Worthless. Unable to produce anything on our own... and that´s the most beautiful thing about us. It´s not about us.

It´s only through Christ that we live. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. He is the One producing fruit in our lives - when we don´t even realize what´s going on... when we feel perfectly useless. It´s only when we keep our eyes focused on Him, remaining as branches in the Vine, that His Spirit moves through us.

That´s what I´ve been reminded of this week in Peru. This is all about Him.

And here´s what He´s doing.

This week we´ve started teaching our last lesson in English in Recuay - teaching body parts and the song Father Abraham and the story of Abraham and Isaac. We´ve gotten to build relationships with some of the teachers in the school and were invited to the most AWESOME birthday party - organized and realized by fifth grade students - for one of the teachers. We´ve had some awesome conversations with some of the kids we met our first day here about salvation and what it means to follow Christ. We´ve helped plant a garden in Utcuyacu at the school where we teach. We have baked cookies for kids´ birthdays (and tested a few ourselves to make sure they were edible). And now we´re struggling with the thought of having to say goodbye so very soon.

BUT. God provides. Mindy called us last night and gave us the FABULOUS news that there will be TWO SEMESTER MISSIONARIES from the States coming to Recuay to live for four months and continue the work that God has begun here. They´ll keep teaching Bible studies, keep hanging out with kids, keep being faithful with whatever God leads them to do. How. Stinkin. Amazing.

So pray for Rebecca and Meagan! They´ll be getting ready to leave their families and friends for four months as we´re getting ready to leave the family and friends we have made here in Recuay these past two months. Pray for provision, for comfort, for peace, for guidance, for boldness. And pray for us... that God would continue to lead us that we would make the MOST of the last few moments we have... that even as sticks in the mud, He would produce fruit in our livse - fruit that will bear seed that will CONTINUE, fruit that will remain. All for His glory. That His name may be known on earth, His salvation among all the nations.

Let us not grow weary in doing good...

Into the double-digits of July, and while you guys back in the States are suffering through intense summer heat, we´ve been soaking up the nice warm sun here in calm, cool Recuay. Jealous?

But with much relaxation comes reflection... and sometimes reflection is less comfortable than Mississippi humidity.

I feel like I can´t say it any better than Paul, so I´m quoting here: ¨I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate... I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing... Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!¨(Romans 7)

You know that feeling when it rains in the humid summer and you feel like you can´t even move because of the stickiness? or when the heat is so oppressive you feel like you´re baked solid into the air itself? Yeah. That´s kind of the feeling I get sometimes even here. There are so many things we feel God leading us to do... and yet sometimes we just can´t figure out how to get out and DO it!

And that´s where you come in. Please please continue to pray for us. We have two weeks left here in Recuay, still teaching English, leading Bible studies, and hanging out with the kids who are constantly at our doorstep... but we also want to be intentional about following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We want to make the most of every moment we have left, in spite of feelings of homesickness, physical sickness, and just being plain out tired. So pray that the Lord will strengthen us with power from His Holy Spirit... that we may be rooted and grounded in His love so that we may share that love with others without fear and without stop. (Eph. 3:14-21)

¨And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.¨ Galatians 6:9-10

Maybe we won´t see the fruit of our labor here in Peru this summer. But we know that God is faithful. As we spread His Word, we trust that He will not allow His Word to return to Him void, but it will accomplish what HE purposes... So praise be to our God and Father, who always keeps His promises, who is faithful even when we are faithless sticks in the mud.

Crossed Paths

With hopes and prayers of starting a local body of believers here in Recuay, Pastor Cristian from the Bible Baptist Church in Huaraz joined us here on Friday night to have a Bible study... And even though we invited everyone we met and of course they all responded, ¨Sure! We´ll be there!¨ ... no one showed up except for five of our most faithful kids from Bible club. So, never give up! We prayer-walked down the street to the plaza, handing out tracts and inviting everyone we saw to meet us in the plaza in just a few minutes... and no one showed up. So. We saw some people waiting on a combi or a taxi and invited them to come as we shared our stories and the story of Christ. And lo and behold - they came.

Eva and Gregorio are two Peruvians, native to the jungle, who just happened to be in the area until October. They came and listened as we shared the story of Christ and His love in our lives, but how sinful and separated we are from God. As they listened, Eva said she knew that God allows peoples´ paths to cross for a purpose, and she knew this was exactly what she needed to hear.

Crossed paths for the purpose of the Cross.

Yesterday for the Fourth of July, we gringas went to Huaraz, the capital of the area, for a fiesta with several other Americans - and one British girl who didn´t seem to mind we were celebrating our independence from her country. :) It was a beautiful reunion of brothers and sisters from around the world, from different denominations, all united in Peru for the cause of Christ. The stories they shared encouraged us and challenged us to continue on steadfast. They shared how the Lord called them to Peru, how the Lord provided all they needed, and how He is continuing to work in their lives.

Crossed paths for the purpose of the Cross.

And in God´s divine sovereignty and grace, as we were walking in Huaraz, we met Joel, my pastor from Yungay, who just happened to be at the same place at the same time! He asked how the work was going in Recuay, and we shared how discouraging it can be at times to see the lack of interest in adults here... He asked about our work with children, and we were thrilled to share all the times kids run up to us, asking us to sing songs about God or tell stories about Jesus... and he said, ¨Why don´t you connect with adults THROUGH these kids? Hang out with their families. Get to know them. Work alongside them. Share life with them since you´re already sharing life with their kids.¨ Why have we not thought of this before??

Crossed paths for the purpose of the Cross.

When we got home from Huaraz, we went next door to a store to buy some bread, and as soon as we step out of our door, we meet up with Nelly and Marisol - two sisters we met on our first day here. Talk about crossed paths for a purpose! We walked with the girls to the store talking about life... and now praying for opportunities to reach out to their parents.

So pray with us... that God would continue to cross our paths with people for His kingdom´s sake... and that we would take notice when He does. Less than one month left. Continue praying that we would make the MOST of the time we have. There´s also a group from South Carolina coming at the end of July right before we leave to teach parenting classes to the families here in Recuay. Pray that THIS will give us even more motivation to get to know the parents of these kids that have stolen our hearts.

Padre nuestro...

So here in Peru (and probably lots of places in Latin America) the Lord´s Prayer - they call it Padre Nuestro - is something that EVERYBODY knows. Four-year-olds can quote it, older ladies and gentlemen have it posted in their little stores, but how many people really understand what it means?

Tuesday afternoon this week, we went to Utcuyacu, and as we´ve been teaching through the Sermon on the Mount, this week´s lesson was about the Lord´s Prayer. I was so excited to get to lead because this is what we had been learning about through RUF at school last semester. So Humberta and Jordan and I sit down with about six ladies in the middle of the field - in the sunshine of course since the wind is so cold - and you know that verse that says don´t worry about what you should say but the Holy Spirit will lead you? Yeah. I completely felt that verse. I got to explain to these ladies how much MORE this prayer can mean than just repeated words. We can come to God as our FATHER, the God who at the same time is holy, set apart, pure, and so much higher than we are... We pray for His kingdom to be shown in our lives, for His will to be done as we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, not conforming to the world... and we pray that He will provide for our physical needs and for our spiritual needs, drawing us closer to Him as we trust Him more and more.

What a beautiful sight to see these ladies nodding along, adding comments, asking questions, saying how new the prayer feels and how they understand it so much more... and how it refreshed my heart and reminded me of the same things... to truly pray that God´s will would be done in my life... that His love would be shown through me... through US as a team...

And how cool is it that my home church who are having VBS this week were praying for me at the exact moment I was leading Bible study?! Thank you for your prayers! They are felt. God is answering. His Spirit is here and is moving. And the beautiful thing about God is that He is there where you are too - guiding you, comforting you so that you can comfort others, teaching you, drawing you to Himself.

Learning to love Him more... learning to trust Him more... learning to obey Him more... His will be done.

Now THAT´s attractive.

¨Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall RUN to you, BECAUSE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, and of the Holy One of Israel, for HE has glorified you.¨ - Isaiah 55:5

Isaiah 55 was practically my theme passage when I came home from Peru last summer in my attempts to describe my time here last year. And this verse has kept coming back to my mind. It amazes me every time kids come running up to us and beg us to ¨sing that song about God¨ or ¨tell us another story from the Bible¨ - absolutely, we´d love to!

I´m constantly reminded of how God is drawing people to Himself just by our presence in Recuay. This work is NOT our own. It is not about us or our English classes or our goofy personalities. We want Him to be seen in everything we do.

And how beautiful is it, that when we go into schools, teachers ASK us to teach their students how to pray, to teach them virtues from the Bible, to teach them how to love God with all their hearts?! Our God is opening doors in amazing ways in Recuay.

And more than in Recuay - the Holy Spirit is moving all over the place - most notably in Utcuyacu. We go to teach English in the school there on Monday and Thursday, and we go for Bible study on Wednesday afternoons. The women and children in this village are absolutely HUNGRY for the Word. You can SEE it in their eyes. Three precious little girls meet me at the entrance to the village every time we go - Sarai (8), Lisett (7), and Elisabeth (4) - and they stick to me like GLUE, and this week as we taught the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and talked about the importance of worshipping the One True God and what it means to love Him with all our hearts, they asked me to teach them how to pray. So in my broken Spanish, I pray and they pray, too. And we talk about the Lord´s Prayer since they have it memorized and what it really means that God is our Father - hallowed is His name...

Even on the combi ride into Huaraz this weekend, some girls sparked a conversation with three of the 22 people on the bus and talked about what they do for enjoyment - what makes them happy. The two women responded that they loved going to parties where they could get drunk, dance, and worship images. The man responded that he was a believer, and he knew that those things were not glorifying to God. The women seemed to think that was a big joke. They laughed and said of course they worshipped God, too! But they also worshipped the trees and the rocks and the sun... We explained how we worship the Creator, and not the things He created.... how they should seek Him because He can satisfy them more than any party or drink ever could... but what lostness is here... Our eyes were opened really for the first time...

But please know - we summer missionaries are NOT in the least bit perfect. Our focus gets skewed by the things of this world even here in Recuay, Peru. REAP North focuses on planting churches in these areas in Peru, and while we have been teaching English classes for kids and using that as an opportunity to share the Gospel in stories, we haven´t necessarily been thinking about what that means in the future - how will these people continue to grow? So this weekend in Huaraz, we were encouraged to reach out to adults and young people. Some of the people from the church in Huaraz are coming this weekend on Saturday evening to lead a Bible study with us in hopes of starting a community of faith in this town that needs it so desperately. At the same time, we were reminded that this work is not our own. The Lord is moving. He will fight for us. We need only to be faithful, seeking His Spirit, obeying His Spirit, loving the people around us. And realizing that the more we are working for Him, the more we will NEED Him.

So pray for us. That we would be sober-minded and single-minded. Focused and alert. Seeking the Lord in every moment - making disciples AS WE GO - even on combi rides and market runs. Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead us to people who are ready to hear His Word and that He would draw them to Himself. That it would be obvious that this work is nothing of ourselves but all to bring glory to the God of the universe. May they never remember us if only they remember Him... He is the truly attractive One.

He is faithful... He will surely do it.

Mmhmm. Our God is surely faithful.

So after a crazy first week of ministry here in Recuay, we girls got a weekend break with our supervisor Mindy in Huaraz. Beautiful weekend! We played the Name Game over some delicious American-ish food in a nifty little cafe, we muted cheesy Spanish soap operas so that we could create our own dialog, and we enjoyed wonderfully hot showers, comfy beds, phone service to call home, and chocolate-peanut-butter-oatmeal no-bake cookies. Mmhmm.

Saturday, we made the three-ish hour trek to Llanganuco Lakes above Yungay where I served last summer. As we pulled into town, I felt as if I were coming home after being away for ten months. There was a wedding procession just coming out of the Catholic church in the plaza! Pilar has snazzed up her restaurant and now has a HUGE place on the corner. And Yungay now has STAIRS and HANDRAILS to cross the street. Crazy. Movin´ on up! It was all I could do not to RUN through the market to the Iglesia Biblica Bautista where Joel and Hilda live. I got one block away from their house, and I burst into tears, as usual for me. The closer I got to their house, the more children´s voices I heard. I wish I had words to explain just how full my heart was to see kids who had started coming to our Bible classes last summer THERE with Joel and Hilda, playing soccer inside the church, knowing that they had accepted Christ since I had seen them last. They sang for us two of their favorite hymns - Trust and Obey being one of them - and to see them crowded around Joel as if he were their dad... wow. What a beautiful family I have in Yungay.

Sunday we went to church in Huaraz, got to encourage the believers there, and met some college students who want us to come hang out on Saturdays with them at their Bible study. Super exciting! And our whole team was just generally encouraged by the community there in Huaraz - singing familiar praise songs in Spanish, having great Biblical teaching, being fed (literally and spiritually) with brothers and sisters in Christ... and it´s beautiful to see how that church has grown since last summer too! Christie and Alexis - we got to have a snack with the church family up in your old apartment! Oh, what memories!! :)

So now we´re back in Recuay - and it was beautiful to hear my teammates saying Sunday night as we returned and had our family meeting that it felt good to be home - even with the colder temperatures here and the less reliable hot water and our crazy ladder-less bunk beds... It´s good to be home. So pray for us! For continued unity, which has been such a blessing already! For continued focus on the work God has us here to do. For health. For abounding love for one another and for everyone here in our home for the summer. And pray for the people we´re working with here around Recuay... especially Nelly, a 13-year-old who we met on our first day here... and for Miriam, the 14-year-old from Ocunan who accepted Christ last week...

And read 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The Lord has been using it to speak volumes into my life these past few days. I would write it all here, but my time in the internet is past gone! :) Love you all! Continuing to pray for all of you as well!!! Remember... He who has called you is faithful. He will surely do it.

Stand in awe...

There´s so much to write about since my last post! Days here are FULL, even if they are laid-back and always 30 minutes late for everything.

Saturday, we went to a Bible study in Huancapampa, a little village about a 15-minutes´ walk from Recuay´s plaza. It was really the first time since I´d been here since I felt community and unity among Peruvians - it was our first real ¨church¨ experience and it was beautiful! The pastor was teaching about how Christ brings joy and peace and perseverance into our lives to a group of 10 or so men and women and probably around 25 children in a small building (with a squatty potty, by the way). Afterwards, we got to share the story of Jonah with the kids - true Bible storytelling style. My teammate Mary told the story twice (with help from Noemi) and then we acted out the story with the kids. Then I asked a few questions about what the story means, what we can learn about God and ourselves from the story, and how we can share the story with others. Then we asked a few kids to share the story in front of everyone else, and finally each of the kids got a chance to share the story with a partner. It. Was. Amazing. Truly putting into practice what we´ve been taught and teaching these kids to know the Word, believe the Word, obey the Word, and share the Word.

Sunday was another absolutely gorgeous day of community. We went with Humberta to a church where her friend goes. This friend is one of the very first believers in Recuay. How beautiful is that?! We sang songs in Spanish (learning the tune as we go), Jordan shared her testimony that was so encouraging and beautiful, the pastor read Psalm 33 - Let all the earth fear the Lord and all the inhabitants of the earth stand in awe of Him!!! - and Humberta´s friend basically prophesied over us. She read Psalm 133 about brothers living together in unity and encouraged us that we will share the Word - that it will go out on different types of soil but that it will yield a harvest of 30, 60, and 100 times as much - it will not return void but will complete everything that God intends for it to do. BEAUTIFUL. And we sang How Great Thou Art in Spanish. One of my favorites. :)

Then Monday, we started the craziest of the crazy weeks so far. We sent a group to Otcoyaco to set up our teaching English classes in the schools there twice a week, and the rest of us washed clothes - by hand. :) We went to the school in Recuay to teach English - first graders (which is the American equivalent of kindergarteners) - and boy what a challenge that was! Ha! Even for the elementary education major, it was tough. Then we had a kids´club on our street for kids who wanted to learn English and Bible stories, and five kids came, so we shared the story of Jonah again, and it was so great to see even more kids learning the story!

Today, we taught second graders who had not had a teacher all day at school. Can you imagine six and seven year olds who have been on their own all day sitting down to learn words and phrases in English? Mmhmm. Neither can I. But by the grace of God, it happened. They listened. They learned. It was incredible!!! We were so thankful!

And BEST PART - later today we went to another village across the river - by crossing a swinging cable bridge - TERRIFYING - and Olivia shared a Bible study in the middle of a bean field about the Beattitudes - how Jesus turns our worldview upsidedown - so beautiful. There was a 14-year-old girl there named Miriam. Olivia asked if she knew the story of Jesus - she answered no. So Olivia shared the Gospel with her, how she could have a relaitonship with God through Jesus Christ, and she asked if Miriam wanted to pray to accept Christ. Miriam did. So Miriam prayed. Mmhmm. Today is the day of salvation - in the middle of a field on a mountainside in Peru. I asked Miriam what she thought about the story of Christ and about the decision she had made. She said that she thought it was beautiful - how true, sister. So I shared with her the things that I find most beautiful about relationship with God - how the God who created the stars in the sky loves US so much that He wants to be in communion with us all the time. How He wants us to know Him through His Word. How He wants to know our every thought, everything in our hearts, and how we can trust in Him and pour out our hearts to Him because He is our refuge. We encouraged her to start reading the book of John to learn more about Christ, and she said she would. So pray! Pray that we would continue this relationship with Miriam, showing her what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Pray that she would continue to work out her salvation, seeking to know the Lord and love Him with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. And pray for her family - that they would support and encourage her decision to follow Jesus.

The rest of this week, we have much more to do - more classes to teach, more Bible studies to lead, and finally a weekend off with Mindy at Llanganuco - some beautiful lakes about two hours from here. So pray for rest for the team - that we would take advantage of time to spend in the Word while still being intentional about reaching out and building relationships around where we live. We saw Elida and Nelly (the girls we met on our first day here) today, but didn´t get a chance to hang out for long.... so pray that we would treasure these precious relationships with these kids, knowing Jesus Himself desired for the children to come to Him. And pray that we would be faithful in spreading His Word and obeying His Word, becoming disciples more and more ourselves. Most of all, pray that our focus would stay on Him, that we would stand in awe of who He is and how much He loves us...

Putting it into practice...

What an incredible three days so far in Recuay.

After a seemingly short 8-hour bus ride to Huaraz (thanks to Dramamine and an INCREDIBLE original story by the amazing Andrew Harper), we got settled into our hostel and went out to dinner in a city that is SO different from last summer I can´t even begin to explain it. Last year, Huaraz was a place of darkness and oppression... The spiritual warfare there was so PHYSICALLY evident... And this year - joy. light. peace. I´m constantly amazed at the difference prayer makes.

On Tuesday we took a combi (think 15-passenger bus with at least 22 crammed in) to Recuay - only about 30 minutes away - and as we were moving into our home for the summer, three little girls and two boys came up and said HOLA! and we introduced ourselves and said we were here for the summer to teach English and tell stories about Jesus. I asked if they wanted to hear a story right then, and they enthusiastically said YES! So, we plopped down on the curb and started telling the story of how Jesus told His disciples to let the little children come to Him. It was beautiful. They were spellbound. and I KNOW it wasn´t me and my broken Spanish. Praise the Lord for His Holy Spirit who gives us the words to say when we need it! We sang songs and danced and played a game with their volleyball (which we accidentally lost in the stream a couple of times) - that´s what ministry in Peru is all about. Just meeting people where they are and sharing stories of God´s love.

Our team dynamics are incredible. These girls have become some of my best friends already. We compliment each other and build each other up constantly. Each night we meet together for prayer and singing praise songs and debriefing the day. We have a Post-It note calendar on one wall of our living room area (and by the way - when I say living room, I mean, blank room with a blanket on the floor as our ¨sitting¨ area. Couches are noticably absent here.) and each day we take down the Post-It note for the day and write words that describe the day as a reminder of the SHORT amount of time we are here - to make the most of every moment.

And speaking of making the most of every moment, please pray that physical sickness and homesickness would NOT distract us from the work God has us here for. Several on the team have already been struggling with stomach problems and with sinus infections - it´s HOT during the day and FREEZING at night - and that makes focusing on the mission at hand pretty difficult. So pray! God has been so faithful already! Today we are ALL feeling so much better than yesterday thanks to PRAYER. So keep it up!

Also pray for our willingness to be uncomfortable. Peru is very different from the United States - in some beautifully refreshing ways and in some potentially distracting ways. It´s great to have such a laid-back atmosphere to serve in, but that also poses a challenge in being intentional and feeling like we´re not doing anything of importance some days. The sun is gorgeous here and the skies are almost always blue - but that also brings with it some pretty annoying sunburn. The food is delicious... but I´m sure you can imagine that it is pretty different from American food and therefore sometimes wreaks havoc on our systems. So pray that as we are uncomfortable we will remember that we are NOT called to comfort. The life of a disciple of Christ is not meant to be easy or painless. So pray we will DAILY deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him - whatever that means.

And pray for FOCUS. For the countless opportunities to serve here not to overwhelm us. That we would have discernment to SEE where God is working and JOIN Him wholeheartedly in that work. That we would not waste our time on vain pursuits but would run passionately after the Lord, desiring Him alone.

And this is my prayer for the summer - for us in Peru as well as for all of you... That we would sing as David did,
Oh God, YOU are MY GOD. Earnestly I seek You.
My soul thirsts for You.
My flesh faints for You as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory.
Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live. In Your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips,
When I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night.
For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to You. Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:1-8

Here in His Presence there is peace...

What an incredible summer it is already turning out to be.

So. I´m kind of at a loss to even know where to begin this update. God has done so much here in Peru already - and we´ve only just been in Lima four days. Over these past few days, the REAP North team here in Peru have been preparing us for sharing the Gospel and making disciples in this culture that is so different from our own. We´ve talked about the worldview here and what it means to make disciples in any culture. We´ve learned how best to share stories from the Bible in a way that is meaningful and memorable so that people can spread the Word themselves. We´ve gotten to bond as teams - and let me tell you - my team is stinkin amazing. I love every single one of these girls. It blows my mind every time I try to imagine the foreknowledge and sovereign plan of God in putting us all together in such a complimentary way. Jordan is passionate and energetic and such a bold go-getter, I´m sure she will challenge me to leap out of my own comfort zone this summer in thousands of ways. Olivia is so intentional and relational and genuinely curious about people - such a beautiful gentle and quiet spirit. Karen is brilliant and deep and quirky in all of the best ways - she sees things that other people miss, and I definitely need that insight. Mary is absolutely hilarious and incredibly good-humored and has some pretty great boldness to step up and share what the Lord is leading her to do - crazy amazing girl. Lynnlee is beautiful and honest and so courageous - she has already challenged me to seek out being more intentional in opening up more myself in this team. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship for the six of us.

Noemi meets us at the hostel tomorrow and we take an 8-hour bus ride to Huaraz where we´ll meet Tommy Smith, the missionary in the state where we´ll be serving this summer. Then Tuesday we´ll head on to Recuay, meet Humberta, get settled, and start living life with the most beautiful people in the world. We´ll have opportunities to teach in schools, lead ladies Bible studies, hang out with a group of university students, build relationships with teenage girls, and generally just reach out to the community around us, getting to know people and sharing stories from the Word of God, knowing that His Word does not return void, and through His Spirit, He will draw people to Himself.

And I have never felt such peace about any summer in my entire life. I know this is exactly where God has me this summer. He has already begun opening doors for service in Recuay and the surrounding villages. He has already unified this team of girls - which is sometimes an almost impossible feat. And satan has already noticed and is already bombarding us with spiritual warfare - that is sometimes a bit more physical than I´d like. Yep. I´ve been sick already. Haha! It´s lovely, I know. But God is so faithful! Prayers and support from my beautiful teammates and some rest and I feel absolutely back at 100%. In addition to these physical trials, my teammates and I are already facing tinges of homesickness and crazy distracting dreams, so please know, YOUR PRAYERS ARE SO NEEDED.

Pray first and foremost that whatever comes this summer God would be glorified. He is the reason we are here. We long to see the nations worship Him for who He is. He is so worthy.

Pray also for this team. For Jordan, Olivia, Karen, Mary, Lynnlee, and I, as well as for Noemi and Humberta, our translators. For Tommy and Mindy, our supervisors. For Pastor Victor and his wife Filipa. and for my ¨family¨in Yungay from last summer - for Joel and Hilda and Maria. That we would first be disciples ourselves - denying ourselves. taking up our cross. following Him. unified and showing His love. And while you´re at it, we wouldn´t mind your prayers for health and safety - that nothing would distract us from this task that the Lord has given us.

Pray for those who God is drawing to salvation in Recuay and all throughout the Huaylas Valley. Pray that we will have discernment through the Holy Spirit to see them and to have the words to say to lead them one step closer to Christ.

¨Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.¨
Ephesians 3:20-21

Oh, Come! Come and delight yourself in the Lord...

There's been a Peruvian praise song stuck in my head all day long.

Oh come! Come and delight yourself in the Lord.

And He will give you the petitions of your heart.

Trust only in Him, and He will give to you.

Wait only on Him, and He will do it.

In just a few hours, I'll be on a plane headed back to Peru for the summer, and I absolutely cannot wait. Hilda, my pastor's wife from last summer, called me today from Lima and we had an AMAZING 13 minute conversation (in Spanish! GREAT practice, getting back in the habit of speaking and listening) about everything from the kids in Yungay to the presidential elections coming up in Peru and she told me that she was so excited that tomorrow I would be on my way to being Peruvian again. :)

Ahhh.... being Peruvian again. I'm pretty sure that's been "the petition of my heart" this year. Somewhere in the background behind all the other crazy busy-ness I was caught up in, there has always been this small but significant part of my heart left there in Peru. And by the grace of God, I get to go back. I have this crazy mix of confidence and nervous anticipation about returning for two months this summer. I've experienced the culture. I know more what to expect from food and weather and travel. I hope enough of my Spanish will return to me to get by, and I also know our AMAZING translator for the summer and trust her immensely. But I'm also in a completely new place - in a different town in Peru AND in a different place in life. I have so many distractions - worries about student teaching and housing for next year, my sister's expecting twins in November, my two roommates moving to Africa for two years, and other crazy wonderful plans for the future... But God has also changed me so much since last summer. He has taught me how His guidance and His plans are so much more than I could ever ask or imagine. I have learned to trust Him - to remember that He goes before me... preparing the way... This summer He has placed me in a team of girls whom I can't wait to meet and serve and share life with. And He has placed us in Recuay - a town about two hours away from where I served last summer - a place where His Spirit is already moving, already preparing hearts, already drawing people to Himself. He's called us - Lynnlee, Olivia, Karen, Jordan, Mary Elizabeth, Noemi, and me - to go. To share the Word. To give a reason for the HOPE that we have in Christ. To spread the Gospel of PEACE. To MAKE DISCIPLES.

So we need your prayers... That we would first and foremost delight ourselves in the Lord. That we would allow His grace to amaze us day by day. That we would fall madly in love with the Creator of the universe and the Author of our salvation. That we would seek to KNOW HIM.

And then, that out of love we would be obedient to His voice. That we would go where He leads us. Radically abandoned to His will. Displaying His love through our unity.

And pray for the people of Peru. That their hearts would be drawn to the Lord. That His Spirit would do the work. That as we scatter seeds of His Gospel and His Word, that some would fall on fertile souls that are ready to hear and put their trust in Christ alone for salvation. That they would come and delight themselves in the Lord, and He will give them the desires of their hearts.

Trusting in Him... Waiting on Him...

Where He goes, we will follow...

Porque Él Vive

I only have a few minutes to get in a post for Easter - and by now this is no longer a quirky tradition but rather a deep-seeded habit. And there's SO much to write about, I'll never make it in time for this contrived deadline of mine... But here's trying.

First off, I've been amazed at how this semester has flown by. I've been "practice" teaching fifth grade math this month in a Jackson Public School, and I have absolutely fallen in love with the kids there. I'll admit I was terrified at first - afraid of being rejected and not connecting with the kids or my cooperating teacher - but God has been so faithful! Whether it's been a good day or a not-so-good, my heart has grown for these kids every single day. Hearing my name mispronounced countless time a day - I love it. Seeing them light up when they GET IT (the math concepts or my name - I'll take either) finally - takes my breath away. It's amazing having this calling affirmed and really coming to life. I feel so at home in the classroom. It's absolutely where God has made me to serve. And I am THRILLED to do it. And these meager words don't even begin to express how much I love it. (If you can imagine...)

I'm also in the middle of classes for getting a certificate to teach English as a second language, and while I'd rather be IN the classroom actually teaching, the classes have been fascinating - brought out my nerdy side with linguistics and second language acquisition. And I've seen God use this, too! One of my London professors invited me to come and speak at her WMU meeting and share about my trip to Peru last summer, and after speaking there, I got an invitation to speak at ANOTHER WMU group where I met Mrs. O'Dell - another former London professor's wife(!) - who wanted me to teach her missions group the basics of English as a second language teaching before they head to Mexico this summer - to the same school where my "big sis" Betsey is serving this year as a missionary. Mrs. O'Dell and her husband were also once part of the faculty at Southeastern Seminary... where Andrew has been feeling led to go... and have connections with potential teaching jobs in North Carolina for me in the future... Coincidences? I think not. Haha! Again, I'm really just stunned looking back at all of these "incredible chances" that have been so affirming in learning to trust God's providence...

And speaking of this Andrew person... :) just know, Internet world, that God's plans and God's timing are absolutely perfect. Who'd've thought that a last-minute Secret Church trip back in November would bring such incredible blessings into my life... I randomly went to the Church at Brook Hills with a camp friend and her friends from junior college, and Andrew happened to be the driver for the weekend... And after he gets back from serving as a missionary over the Christmas break, he contacts me, and the rest of the story is pretty much history...

And looking back further - since this IS technically my senior year and with that comes much reflection over the past four years - I've been amazed just how every little moment in life has been orchestrated for the glory of God... I have some of the most incredible friends I could ask for. Friends who have challenged me to grow and at the same time challenged me to stay young at heart... Friends who are moving to Africa to serve - and that in and of itself is a beautiful story only God could have put together... Friends who are still waiting patiently on God's guidance for what the future may bring... Seeing His guidance in the past and trusting in His faithfulness and steadfastness for the future...

And this weekend, I was one of 50,000 brothers and sisters all over the world tuned in to "Secret" Church that has become less and less of a secret and more and more of a global movement, and throughout Friday evening I felt this overwhelming sense of being connected to something so much greater than myself... being part of this Body of Christ... knowing that God has called us as a Body - His Bride - to go and make disciples... to carry His Name... to share the message of His salvation through repentance and believing the Gospel... starting here... with my precious kids at Pecan Park... and all the way in another hemisphere to those beautiful faces of Peruvian children that are still ever-focused in my heart...

All the way my Savior leads me.

Who have I to ask beside?

How could I doubt His tender mercy

Who through life has been my guide?

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the Living Bread.

You lead me and keep me from falling.

You carry me close to Your heart.

And surely Your goodness and mercy

Will follow me...

All the way my Savior leads me.

All the fullness of His love.

All the sureness of His promise

In the triumph of His blood.

When my spirit clothed immortal

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way.

JESUS LED ME ALL THE WAY.

All the way my Savior leads me.

Lucky

Why stop a good tradition? Happy St. Patrick's Day!

So. Here's what's going on. I have officially purchased airfare for Peru this summer! There is a wonderful family at my church who is lending me a hiking backpack to take with me this summer. The Recuay team is now up to SIX girls! There's this phenomenal guy in my life who is pursuing the Lord wholeheartedly, and he just happens to like me a little and wants to serve the Lord with me and is leading and challenging me more spiritually than I've ever been led or challenged AND he's in Peru this week (perfect). I've gotten to pray for several of my friends this week who are serving all over the world - Dubai, Zambia, Morocco, Mexico, Kansas, Panama City, Mission Arlington, Honduras, PERU - and seeing more and more how the Church really is one body with one purpose. And it's spring break. Life. Is. Beautiful.

Breaks from school are ALWAYS welcome, and this one is no exception. While I haven't gotten as much homework done as I should have, it's been great to rest with friends and enjoy some time off. [I'll just need to remind myself of that when school gets back in full force next week.] And one of my favorite things about having time off is the time to THINK about and READ things other than the best methods of teaching math and social studies to fourth graders. This break, I read Discipline: The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot. What a challenging reminder. The Lord has been teaching me so much about the power of our MINDS ever since Passion this January, and Elisabeth Elliot writes that true discipline is rooted in our minds - what we THINK about is what we will DO. She says that to discipline our minds is to discipline our entire selves. And how else do we discipline our minds than to allow the Holy Spirit of God to do that for us?

"Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2. That's where those sweet RE-MIND-ers from God come into play in my life - those moments when God uses a situation to refocus my mind on Him and His calling on my life. Recently, there have been so many other things on my mind - school, Flat Stanley, the future, unicorns, really anything to distract me - and many of those things are good, but I have neglected resting in and getting to know my King. Paul writes in Philippians that his ultimate goal is KNOWING CHRIST - not being busy doing His work or making sure the Gospel gets to the ends of the earth, even though those things are what Christ has called us to do - first and foremost, we were made to be in a beautiful relationship with the Creator of the universe as His bride - His very body. THAT is the will of God for our lives... to know Him. intimately. personally. And out of that relationship, to let love be a sunshine that fills the heart so full of radiance that it overflows upon the outward world.

So that's my goal. That's my purpose. To know Christ. And to let His love overflow through me. Right here and now. With the kids in the fifth grade math class I'm teaching in April. With my third graders on Wednesday nights and my girls on Sunday mornings. With my friends in classes and on my hall. And soon and very soon - with the people who have already stolen my heart in a little town in the mountains of Peru.

Pray with me? For Karen, Olivia, Jordan, Mary, and Lynnlee, my teammates in Recuay. For Humberta, our fabulous hostess/translator. For the people of Recuay and surrounding villages. That we ALL may seek to know the Lord, and may we fall more in love with Him the more we know Him.

With the tradition of blogging on holidays...

Happy Valentine's Day...

"For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called. For the Lord has called you... 'with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,' says the Lord, your Redeemer." - Isaiah 54:5-8

Knowing the deep, faithful love of this Redeemer... resting in the peace of His presence... coming away with Him... what a beautiful way to spend Valentine's Day... especially considering that traditionally St. Valentine was a Christian martyr, persecuted as part of the early church...

So much more than a Valentine, my Maker is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. He never changes. His faithful love endures forever. His mercy and forgiveness and grace is new every morning. He has called me, imperfect and impetuous as I am, to be a witness to the nations... His ways and His thoughts are so much higher than my own. I can only marvel at the way He has orchestrated my life - one teensy part of this grand symphony that sings His praise. He is so worthy of all my praise - with every breath - today and forever.

Beautiful. :) And now for the news - I have officially been appointed to return to Peru this summer! Plans are underway for me to head to Recuay with a team of students to make disciples in this town and the surrounding areas. You can be in prayer already for my teammates Olivia and Karen - that the Lord will continue to prepare our hearts for His plans for the summer - that He would provide all that we need - that we would learn to depend on Him wholeheartedly and love Him more the more we know Him. More details to come soon! Until then, "to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, to HIM be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."

Passionate

"In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; Your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul."

Isaiah 26:8

Merry Christmas

I love this time of year. I love my family. I love that LOUISVILLE experienced a white Christmas this year... even if the snow didn't exactly stick - it definitely still counts. I love that Wenli is here with my family, part of my family. :)

I love that, as Marianna prayed for me at the beginning of the break, God has definitely met me here this Christmas... and how beautiful that is - that not only did God send Jesus to be Immanuel - God with us - but He continues to meet us where we are through His Holy Spirit drawing us and guiding us into a closer relationship with the God of the universe who cares about us so personally...

And I love how our Father reminds us that we are not alone in this world. Our brothers and sisters in other countries have faced incredible persecution this Christmas season in their desire to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world. This morning as I was watching the news on TV, I noticed in the newsfeed at the bottom of the screen that several churches in Nigeria have been bombed and 38 Christians killed in the past two days... while I am here, comfortable, surrounded by my wonderful family in this country that has been so blessed with religious freedom. What heart-breaking news that I so desperately needed to be reminded of this morning.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was LIFE, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor or the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth... And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made Him known."
John 1:1-5, 8-13, 14, 16-18

The Word came, and still his own have not known him...

Who will go and tell them?

Here I am! Send me... even though it won't be easy... even though there will be troubles and persecution.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

Now, what does this mean for the way I live? There is still so much to be done... Barring a really, really bad interview with state BSU, I'll be in Recuay, Peru this summer, making disciples, serving the church in whatever way possible... Before then, professional block... after that, student teaching in the fall... and then what?

PRAY.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, PRAY EARNESTLY to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into HIS harvest." -Matthew 9:36-38

Thankful...

So, sitting in McDonald's tonight (slow internet at home + free wi-fi at MickyD's) completing my summer missions application for this summer, realizing just how blessed I am... I usually cringe whenever I hear people talk about being blessed because I guess it just seems like such an overused phrase, especially when people focus so much on their own blessings and not on how to reciprocate those blessings for others... but tonight, and maybe it's just the turkey and sweet potatoes talking, but I feel so thankful - for the big things and the little things.

I am thankful for the sovereign God of the universe, and His Word that became flesh and dwelt among us and His Holy Spirit that refreshes and challenges and guides and comforts us. I am thankful for my wonderful family. I am thankful for Soo and her friendship. I am thankful for Ogles and Aly and Liz and Margaret and Morgan and Caleb and Chris and Max and Nancy and Xinni and Wenli and Liz Anne and Marianna and Katie and so many more incredible friends who challenge me and make me laugh uncontrollably and pray for me and with me and encourage me. I am thankful for school, even when that means doing completely ridiculous projects all Thanksgiving Break - projects which I admittedly love. I am thankful for Coke. Enough said.

AND. I'm going back to Peru. Despite mom's worrying about my getting sick before student teaching. The harvest is ready! All around the world... But the workers are few. So PRAY. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers. To India. To the Middle East. To Malawi. :) To Europe. To Canada. To China. To Korea. To Russia. To Southeast Asia. To North Africa. To Costa Rica. To Mexico. To Alaska. To New York. To San Francisco. And to Peru.

What's our job? PRAY. And as we go, make disciples. Live life with people. Share the Word - even while waiting in lines on Black Friday. and PRAY. We have the Holy Spirit of God living in us. We have the Word of God to guide us. We are serving the sovereign God of the universe. What more could we need?

Thoughts from "home"...

Well, I thought I was finished with this blog... Thought I'd only open it back up to remind me of the amazing things God did last summer... But what if last summer wasn't the end of mis aventuras en Perú? What if God has more up His sleeve?

First of all, this year I'm in our education program's "reading block" where we're working with low readers and leading them to fluency in reading. I had told my teacher at the beginning of the year that I would love to work with Spanish-speaking students if that's possible... and sure enough. In the second grade class where I'm observing/teaching, there is a new student from Mexico who speaks very little English. What did I do all summer? Taught kids how to speak English. What am I doing this semester? Helping a student learn to speak English. Our God is so sovereign. His plans absolutely blow my mind...

And now. It's summer missions application time (as crazy as it seems to be thinking of summer when the weather has FINALLY caught up with the calendar and it feels like fall). I've really struggled this year with why God would send me back to Peru. Don't get me wrong - I LOVED Peru this summer. I knew that God had led me there for a purpose... But there are so many other places in the world where people have NEVER EVER heard... where there is NO church, NO believers... Why wouldn't God send me THERE if He wants for every nation, tribe, and tongue to be represented in heaven? And still there's this tugging at my heart... What about Peru? Why would God have gifted me in these ways if not to use them?...

So. Just some thoughts. There is a position this summer in Recuay - only 2-ish hours away from where I served this summer... helping build up the local church... hiking to surrounding areas, teaching in schools, doing whatever we can that the Gospel may be heard... If this is where God is calling me, I know there are so many things I would do differently than last summer... but what an amazing adventure it would be...

Coming home

Well friends. I'm coming home. as skeptical as some of you were about that, it's really happening. and I'm pretty excited about it! So. Pray for safe flights and patience with crazy flght plans. Pray that what we've learned this summer we will continue to put into practice on the plane and for the rest of our lives. See you all soon! So long, Peru... Que Dios le bendiga...

porque Èl vive

Porque él vive (Because He lives)
Triunfarè mañana (I will triumph tomorrow)
Porque él vive (Because He lives)
Ya no hay temor (There´s no more fear)
Porque yo sé (Because I know)
Que el futuro es suyo (That the future is His)
La vida vale más y más solo por Él (Life is worth more and more, only because of Him)

I can´t sing this song here or in the United States without crying, but especially this summer ´´Because He Lives´´ has taken on new meaning for me. Because HE lives, I will TRIUMPH tomorrow - not just make it through. I have the VICTORY because of Christ Jesus. Because He lives, there is no more fear - for God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity, but of POWER and of LOVE and of SELF-DISCIPLINE. Because I know that my future is not mine - it is HIS and His alone - that´s what makes life worth more and more, day by day.

Today we went to visit a mother who lost her 17-year-old son Elmer this April to a bone disease. Two of her other children are in our English classes here in Yungay, and the church from Jesup, GA, that has adopted Yungay became really close with her family before Elmer passed away. This morning, she took us to Campo Santo to visit her son´s grave. In the shadow of this huge mountain and an enormous statue of Jesus with open arms, we sat and prayed with her, asking God to comfort her and her family. Elmer became a Christian pretty soon before he died, and we have confidence that He is in the presence of the Lord, and all I could think of as we prayed was this song - Porque Él vive...

God has been so faithful this summer. He has provided everything we needed - and so many extra blessings on top of it all. While at times it hasn´t been easy - with sickness and discouragement and difficulty with language - this summer has been an experience I will never forget. (I write like this will be my last post - which I highly doubt. I guess I´m just in a comtemplative mood.) I have learned that there is a HUGE difference in our romanticized view of missions and the real deal. There is a HUGE difference between going and making CONVERTS and going and making DISCIPLES. There is a HUGE difference between self-pity/self-centeredness and the self-sacrifice and mercy Christ calls us to. Living life with people here, sharing stories, sharing faith - that´s what missions is all about. Sharing that because HE lives, life is worth more and more - only because of Him.