Christmas has come and gone.

Well Christmas has come and gone but I don’t think I have told many people about the wonderful things that happened during Christmas.

In Chachani we had a chocolatada that served over 400 people. It was amazing to see how far the hot coco, clothes and presents went. We were not planning on 400 some people nor were we prepared to do so. But some how we were able to do it, and that some how was God. He stretched us and used us in ways I didn’t think could happen.

In Morro Negro we did a chocolatada and a dinner as well. And once again we had way more than what we planned. But once again God multiplied the things that we had and we were able to serve everyone that attended.

God did some truly amazing things. One of the things that really sticks out in my mind is that we were able to involve our contacts, or more like they stepped up to the plate. We told them that we wanted to do these things and before we asked who wanted to help they stepped up and volunteered. They helped set up, cook and clean up. It was truly refreshing to see the growth in our contacts. And in all honesty we wouldn’t have been able to do those things and for that many people without their help.

After all of the planning, running around and putting everything together we had some time to just relax. Everyone in out group except for Beth, Vanessa and I went home for the break and Alex and Cailyn, from Cusco, come to Arequipa for a few days.

We pretty much stayed in the house and watched movies, went to Starbucks, saw a movie or two in the theater and ate. Even though it was vacation and we were relaxing it still felt like we needed to do something like go to work and plan.

I know for some people it is hard to go to work and love sitting around and not having to deal or worry about work but when it is something you truly enjoy and love it is hard to stay away and not think about it. Needless to say we were happy to get back into the swing of things and see our contacts again.

--"I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you displace your power to all the peoples."

Psalm 77:11-14

Just a little bit of everything

So there is no specific topic or anything to this blog but just a whole lot of randomness.

Well recently I have given myself a few new challenges. Now it has been a struggle but I think once I put on my big girl panties and do it than I wont hate it as much. One of the new things is that in December I will be climbing Chachani a 20,000 ft. monster on December 31 and January 1. I know that this isn't going to be easy but I will not let it defeat me I plan on getting to the top. So I have been trying to go on a run everyday for an hour or so and doing some P90x.


Another challenge is to really really dig deep into the word. I do struggle with it but I am making a point to memorize scripture and to really really get into the nitty-gritty. The last one for now is to read. To read lots and lots of books. So that means less computer time and more book time.

Something else is that we have a puppy! The cutest, littlest thing ever, I honestly don't think I have ever seen a puppy that small. Her name is Emma and is about 8 weeks old. She is a miniature schnauzer and belongs to Trish and Lindy (our support parents).

Preaching.... now this is something I never EVER thought I would do, let alone in another language. For me speaking in spanish is sometimes a little nerve wrecking, but when I am up in front of spanish speakers and teaching about the word of God in the back of my head I'm thinking.... "Do these people understand anything that I am saying or what I am trying to say. Will they get what I am trying to convey, or are they just waiting to leave?" I sure hope they are able to understand and get it.

There's a little of what is going on here.

A hop, jump and a skip

So I know it has been a while but there has been a ton gong on here! So here is the readers digest version.

1st thing - Im here to stay!!! Ok so Before I was in Cusco and when we had our vacation in the the states I ended up staying a little longer to work on some personal things. So when I was ready to come back I wasn't able to go to Cusco again, but there was an opportunity in Arequipa (where I lived for 9 months) and I took it. Well I only agreed to stay for a couple of months, but plans have changed and I am able to stay and finish out my time here in Peru. Granted it is not with my team in Cusco, but I am reunited with some other dear friends of mine.
2nd thing - It's amazing to see the growth in the districts that I am now working in. There are a couple that are just taking off! and another that we have some difficulty with. But in all of the places that we are working the people there are just amazing. And in all reality the people give me the motivation and the courage to go out and do what we do. Also seeing how dedicated the people are here as well, just blows my mind!

3rd thing - The group that I am now with consist of 7 girls, including me. And we have been going through a tough time. So send prayers this way. For personal things, our group as a whole, and that we are able to look at this difficult situation as a time to learn and grow, and that we are able to hear what God has planned for each one of us.

4th thing - I only have about 7 ish months left here before returning home. Its been hard being here because I am supposed to be graduating this year, yupp this would be my Senior year of college. Now I will be graduating when I am about 24 ish, give or take. But here's the thing, I am growing and changing more than I would have done at school. I am gaining more being here than anything else.
When our time here is done I will be torn and hart broken but I am really really excited to be home again. But who knows God my have a different plan, and I am willing to continue to follow, where ever that might be.

There is a ton more that has happened in the last few months but there will be more to come!

Scriptures

Here are just a couple scriptures that have been layed on my heart the last couple of days, I just wanted to share.....

1 Peter 2:23
²³ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 51

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is^[b] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

The last few days have been rough, and these are the verses that have helped me get through. Through the fire and the storm. These have been really encouraging and I hope they will be to you as well.

i WAS broken

I was tied, but now unbound

My head is off the ground
For a long time I was so weary
Tired of the sound, I've heard before,
The gnawing of the night time at the door,
Haunted by the things I've made
Stuck between the burning light and the dust shade.
I said now I used to think the past was dead and gone,
But I was wrong, so wrong, whatever makes you blind
Must make you strong, make you strong,
In my time I've melted into many forms
From the day that I was born, I know that there's no place to hide
Stuck between the burning shade and the fading light,
I was broken, For a long time, but It's over now.

Yes and you, and you,
Well you walk these lonely streets that people send, People send.
There are some wounds that just can't mend, I do pretend, pretend,
I am free from all the things that take my friends
But I will stand hear till the end, I know that I can take the moon,
In between the burning shade and the fading light
I was broken, for a long time, but It's over now
I was broken, for a long time, but It's over now

This wasn't planned....

So a lot of the time we think we have all things figured out, to what we want to be, to who we are, where we want to live... ect. Well as humans we don't have all of our ducks in a row.

The reason I bring this up is because my plans and what I thought was going to happen changed.

I decided to go back to the states on our 3 week vacation to get my "ducks in a row." Well I ended up staying in the states longer then planned. And because of that it felt like my life was flipped upside down. And it was looking like I wouldn't be able to return to Peru.

Well I wasn't ready to just give up and be ok with that. I simply told God that I have no idea what to do, I don't know how to feel, breathe, or take the news. The news that because I stayed home to get things worked out that I might have messed up the call that God put in my life. And without much warning he opened a door, not a big opening but he opened a door. He allowed me to come back to do some more work down here in Peru.

Well the thing about this is that I will just to be down here temporarily. Just as a temporary partner for a couple of months or so.

So the closer it get to me going back to the states before my time here is up the more and more my heart breaks. It breaks because I am not ready to be finished, I don't want to be, I don't want to accept that I, MY TIME, is up. But there is pattern there........ I.

In this moment I am being selfish. As my Dad likes to put it.... It's not all about you.

And how true is that. Life isn't about what we want, or our plans its God's.

So I know that in my heart of hearts that this isn't what I want but this is God's plan for me in this moment of life.... and I am learning to trust. I am learning to put my human wants away and see what God has in store for me.

I can't wait!!!

He is going to do amazing and beautiful things in my life, things that I can't even fathom.

But as of right now I am learning. Learning to breathe, put everything I have in his hands and not the hands of man.

Just getting by

So I think the place that I like to meet people most would be in airplanes, in Peru, ok well in general.

Like today, when I got on my flight to come to Lime I meet the sweetest couple EVER.

And I don't know if it is because I am traveling alone. Or if I look like a "Barbie," as I have been told.... or if I am just like-able.... I'm going with I'm like-able.

But we talked the whole time. She game me recipes for Peruvian dishes. We talked about religion, family, life.

So really we covered all the bases.

They were amazing.

And I got a Pear, a number, e-mail and open arms.

This is another thing that just makes me realize how hospitable and loving Peruvian people are. And granted they are not all like this but all the ones I know are.

And this is one thing I really admire about the Peruvian culture.

So thank you Peru for being Awesome.