Doin it, doin it and doin it well

Ok God I get it……….Forget the past.

The past is the past.

Move on from the past.

The past tells people who you used to be and not who your striving to be.

Let the past be a testimony.

Tonight (Wednesday the 20^th) was our last night for our cell group.

And we, the Cusco group, will be moving to Cusco this weekend!!! Woop Woop.

It is definitely Bitter sweet. I am soooo excited to be able to follow up on people and start the real work. At the same time I have made some amazing friends and I am really really going to miss them. They are my new family. And I am not excited to have to say good bye to people I love one more time. But I get to find new people to fall in love with all over again.

Julio has a very special place in my hear. We have our cell group at his house and during our time there we have been able to see him change, each and every time we have gone. He was first getting discipled from another pair. When my partner and I got back from Love Extreme 2 we misses a whole lot and we didn’t have a cell group. So we took over the cell group with Julio.

The first month or so there was only 2 people each and every time. We showed a movie and 19 people were there, and that didn’t include me and my partner so in total there was 21 people… CRAZY!!!!

As the weeks progressed the number went down but we grow to having 4 people each time. And now we have had 8-10 people each and every Wednesday night. God is doing amazing this in that house. And changing radically.

There are about 15 or so that live in there house. But along with all the people there are a lot of problems as well. There is alcoholism, Julio drank and smoke, others didn’t believe in God at all, and others had a lot of health problems. Oh man did that bother me. I never ever thought that God was going to move the way that he did. It was just so frustrating, but I looked closer and saw God doing a wonderful thing.

And not only did Julio teach the lesson for the first time, but one of his other family members prayed for the first time as well. This is a big thing for our cell group. I’m givin Julio props for being able to teach a lesson.

After we had our God time we sat around and talked about what we are going to be going and just had good fellowship time. And his family taked about how much Julio has changed and how amazing it is. So without Julio even realizing it he is writing his story, his new story, his testimony.

We sat around and talked, ate this pudding cake thing, and drank some coffee water drink and crackers (the best part was the crackers). Not only did they show us hospitality but they also gave us some shirts. Julio’s job is to make shirts, nock offs, and we got one. And my says “Living Outdoor World” and I love it.

I love that family.

I love the things that God is doing.

I love that they opened their home.

I love that they listened.

I love what God has done in that cell group.

Its a heart break warfare

As a missionary we have to miss things that are very important in our lives. Things that we have been waiting our whole life to see. Things that only happen once in our lives.

We miss Birthdays, graduations, funerals, weddings, family gatherings and more. Giving up these things are just part of the Job. We can’t look at the things we are missing and be too down about them because we are doing some thing so much bigger and better.

Easier said then done.

When we are told about the important things that we are missing no doubt they are going to hurt and we wish we were back in the states and able to be there.

But God didn’t just call us here, he called us to give and leave everything we have.

Just because I am not there does not mean that I don’t want to be or that I don’t care. I know that God will take care of me and that his plan is more important then the things of this world.

I love you all and miss you all a ton. And I will be back home before you know it.

27 months is only a short time in our lives. We choose how to handles things, like to make the relationships work or let them fall apart. I don’t want them to fall apart, I want them to become stronger and worth more then just surface relationships. It takes more work but so much better in the future.

I just never realized how hard it would be to miss those important times.

But in weakness there is strength, find your strength and hold on to it. Don’t let your weakness and distress take over.

Its a love, hate relationship....

So we all know the saying "He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not." Well how about "I love Peru. I don't love Peru." That is how i feel about some of the things in South America.

Now this is not a post to bash my new home, or say that I hate it here and I wish I wasn't here. In fact I have never been happier or more co

ntent in my life. So all in all here is the love, hate relationship.....

We will start with the things I love:

The Churros:

Well what is a churro? Well it is a little taste of heaven that is a churro. It is sold on the street, (p.s. we were told not to eat street food, but it is deep fried so its all good. Also, I have not gotten sick yet.... so I good with it.) deep fried, coved in sugar and has this caramel something in the middle. Not only does it taste amazing but it is cheap, cheap, cheap. Well it is only 0.06 centimos, but that is without the exch

ange rate so really only 20 cents. Now that just blows my mind!!! Goodness only for 20 cents? YES PLEASE!!!

My new family:

Man, I can't stop talking about

how much I love my team! They are my everything, and I don't know what I would do with out them. Even though I have only known them for 8 months I totally feel like I have known them for years or even my whole life! I just love them sooo much and I couldn't imagine my life with out them, and when I do think about that my world is crushed. But in just a week the Cusco team will be leaving part of our family behind in Arequipa. It is definitely a bittersweet ending but this group of people will be in my life forev

er (wether they like it or not).

The People of Peru:
I have always loved other cultures, Africa has a huge place in my heart, but there is a difference in living in the culture and just visiting. I have been praying for a true love of the people and I have it. I am in love with the people. I love it soooo much here.

Movies:
So living here some of the every day items like clothes and movies (real ones) are expensive so we do things differently down here. We go and get movies for like a $1 each. And I love it!

Markets:

So Markets = AWESOME. In these markets you are able to find anything you can imagine. Like anything from, tooth paste to clothin

g to movies to cow tongues or heads. There is so many things there and it is just a whole different experience.
Packed combi's:

Ok first off what is a Combi? Well it is the public transportation here in Peru. Really they are just like a public bus system. Now why would I even like a packed Combi? Well early in the morning or late at night, like 9 o'clock at night, the Combi's are packed, packed, packed!!!! Like there are people hanging out of the door, and when you want to get off you are litterally birthed out of the combi. And you can just forget about comfort zones on combies you get up close and personal with people. And all I can do is laugh.

Spanish:

Some days I hate the language, but it is only because I wish I was better at it. On my list of a husband, yupp I have one, being able to speak spanish is on there. I just think it is beautiful!



Ok now to the things I hate (Dislike)........

The Coffee:
Ok so in the states we have Starbucks, Cups, and even gas station coffee is good (ok that is stretching it). But seriously most of the coffee here is instant, now I don't have a problem with that but when it tastes like tar, and you add 12 spoons of sugar to it... I hate to say it but it is not coffee at all. Like even the coffee shops here use instant coffee. It just breaks my heart. Like I always thought that South America had good coffee.... Boy was I wrong.

Rice and Potatoes:

Ok, ok I don't hate all the food here but when we have rice and potatoes every day almost 3 times a day I just don't like it so much. There are so many things you can do with rice and potatoes... Oh how I miss the variety.

Internet:

When it takes all day to load something or just waiting for

10 minutes for a page or some pictures to load on the internet its a wee bit slow. It just I am so used to having things instant and fast internet and here that is just not known. I just simply want to Skype with family and friends but the internet connection is not good so it isn't even possible. Oh the life of a missionary.

Driving and Side walks:

So we all know the rules of the road... well that doesn't exist here. Not only do they drive crazy they walk how they drive. And there is no rhyme or reason to any of it. So when we take a taxi or walk down the street it is like a game... and when you are having a bad day... it is not a game you want to play.


In saying all of that I totally love, love, love Peru and this is my home, and I don't want to be any where else. And in all reality the things that I hate just brings joy and laughter into my life.

I’m a Pyro!

Hebrews 12:1 ( NLT )
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

Growing up we constantly burned branches and stuff from the yard and I didn't think to much of it. I have always liked fire (to play with it mostly) and have been amazed by it as well. But I don't understand how something destructive could be so intriguing and beautiful.

Is it intriguing because it does both, it destroys and creates something new and beautiful?

Isn’t that the way we should see God? Seeing God amazing and beautiful changes everything that we know.

God wants us to be whole and realize that there is a better life we just have a give him everything. Well that is a scary thing to think about. How can I give God of all people everything I have? Im not worthy, I’m afraid of how it will change me, I’m comfortable. Those are all the things that go through my head. But that is not God speaking that is the devil. But when it comes to things in my past the devil had a louder voice.

Well I am sick of hearing that voice in my head. I am sick of letting the devil control me and not let me live and have the relationship I want with God.

But one thing I don’t understand is why it is so easy for us to hold on? Why is it so much easier to write the things we are struggling down on paper and throw it into a fire but we can’t just give everything to God?

God is our fire, he is all that we need.

Over the past few weeks I have been struggling with the things I have done in the past and my relationships. It is difficult, I want to be free, I don’t like all of the extra things, but I am comfortable.

We are called, in the Christian life, to be uncomfortable. Throughout our lives we are going to have to do things that we do not want to do. We are going to be in situations that make us uncomfortable.

So I am coming out of my comfort zone. I am taking everything that I am dealing with and throwing it in the eternal fire. I am letting God destroy what I was and let him make me into the person he wants me to be.

I will not be giving God rubies, or gold. My god doesn’t need that he just wants all of my sorrows, sins and all of the ugly I carry with me. My God already has all the jewels that he wants. The only thing that he asks of us is that we give him everything that we have, and some times that is more the all the jewls in the world and harder to give.

But let us step out on faith, rise from the ashes and give god what he deserves…. EVERYTHING WE HAVE!


Romans 3:23-24 ( NLT )
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.