Flooded

Reading these posts, I am flooded.

Flooded by memories 

of caramel-colored children...their beautiful faces beaming despite their circumstances.

of run-down shanties,,,too numerous to count.

of proud young soldiers...realizing their need for Christ.

of the pieces of my heart...left on another continent.


Flooded by tears

as I look at the photographs

as I look back at my own

Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 

~Matthew 25:44-45 (ESV)

Compassion Awakened

CJ handed me the bright white envelope and asked, "What's this?"

"Probably junk mail," I replied. Turning it over, I let my eyes fall to the return address. This package was most definitely not junk. It contained pure treasure.

Two weeks earlier, I'd read this post of Lisa-Jo's. My heart was immediately stirred. Even though I cannot give financially right now, I can still give! Anxiously, my fingers dialed the numbers and I was connected to a Compassion representative. I gave him the information, hung up the phone, and waited.

God showed up in my mailbox this weekend in the form of a beautiful 13-year old girl named Jennifer. The deep caramel color of her face brings back memories of others, equally precious, I saw in Peru. Her eyes bore into my heart and I ache with longing to pull her in close and whisper words of Jesus' love into her soul. Does she know Him?

The anger I felt in Peru, the sheer outrage that people live in such poverty and squalor, ignites again.  I remember the passion I carried for those children whose smiles lit up faces smudged with the dust of the Andes. They were joyful, happy. I was horrified.  Where did that passion go?

My circumstances are light, momentary. And I have let them consume my life. The force of this knowledge strikes me, humbles me. I am broken. I am swept away by the realization that although I thought I was going to help Jennifer through my prayers and words, I am the one being rescued. My Father has used a girl, not much older than my own, to wake me from my contented slumber and to remind me that the mission didn't end when I returned home.

Maybe one day I'll travel to Jennifer's country to wrap my arms around her and thank her for the gift she's given me. In the meantime, I'll be wrapping her in prayer and as much Jesus-love as I have within my wretchedly human heart.

(If you'd like to be a Compassion correspondent or sponsor a child, please visit Compassion for more information)

Falling

In case you missed it, my first post for our church blog.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime invitation...the opportunity to actually participate in a parajump training on a Peruvian military base. Never, in my wildest imagination, did I expect that a small town gal like me would have a chance to do something like this.

I am a roller-coaster fanatic. Front row. In the dark. Bring it on. Still, my excitement was tempered with a little bit of nervousness at the prospect of bungee jumping from a 5-story tower and depending on the zip-line to catch me and take me to safety. I waited my turn for the soldier to help me gear up for the jump. My stomach was all jittery. As it turned out, I was to be in the last group. I watched my friends jump. I waited patiently.

Climbing to the top of the tower, I started to wonder about my decision. Was I really going to do this? Really? What had I been thinking? With each step, a new wave of doubt crashed over me. Then I got to the top. It was too late to back out.

I stood at the edge of the tower, ready to face the unknown. Encouraged by close friends beside me and many more on the ground below, I yelled my name (as we were instructed to do) and jumped. The free-fall was a rush unlike any I've experienced. I was flying. Floating through the air with no boundaries. Three stories later, the zip line caught me with a jerk and I slowly made my way back to earth.

It was over.

For an entire year, I planned my trip to Peru. I prayed about it, cried about it, looked forward to it, and prepared for it. I was anxious, nervous, excited, apprehensive, giddy, and just plain scared. As it got closer, doubt started creeping in. Then, encouraged by those around me, I jumped out on that limb and took the ride of my life.

After seeing God do such amazing things and finding myself so totally dependent on Him, my feet are back on the ground. The reality of work, laundry, parenting, bills and, oh yeah, a completely gutted bathroom, have set in.

It's over.

For the past six weeks, I've been at a loss...in a fog, I guess. Caught between giving everything that makes up my life the proper perspective and realizing that so many things I thought mattered just don't. And, in the midst of all that figuring, being out of sorts with God for bringing me back to earth. Because, truly, will anything I do from here on out be as monumental?

And yet I know, deep down, that it can be. That God has even bigger works for me to be a part of. In my own church, community, and home. Different, yes, but just as valuable. Because in His Kingdom, it's all important.

Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

~Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)

Have I Really Forgotten?

I've been back from Peru for one month. When I left, I swore I'd never forget the people, the miracles, the full and complete reliance on God. I vowed to carry it with me always.

One measly month later, it's gone. And that makes me incredibly sad.

If I truly remembered, I wouldn't be so upset at walking into my bathroom and seeing just floor joists and duct work. I'd think about how others live, and count my blessings.



If I truly remembered, I wouldn't be so overwhelmed by the laundry. I'd think about the modern conveniences I have, and count my blessings all over again.




If I truly remembered, I wouldn't dread cooking dinner for my family. I'd think about the ladies in the soup kitchens who volunteer to provide meals for their neighbors, and I'd be counting my blessings one more time.








If I truly remembered, I wouldn't grouse about the appearance of my home.



Or our school systems.



Or going to Wal-Mart.



Instead, I'd be thanking the Lord for Lucy, who asked if I could bring her home with me. This beautiful woman is knit to my heart.


And Luis, who wanted everyone in the States to see the Bibles we were distributing.



And these girls, with their contagious enthusiasm and giggles.



And this precious girl, who pleaded with me to take her picture.


I'd think about the honor of becoming a sister in flight - and in Christ- with members of the Peruvian Special Forces.



I'd praise Him for the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, which I'd never seen before.



And I'd be praying that He calls me back to this place and the people who have left an indelible mark on my life.



I've come to accept that I'll never be able to articulate my trip. I've struggled with sharing, not just on the blog but also with friends and family. I've realized that mere words would cheapen His work. So, in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, That's all I have to say about that.

Breaking the Silence

How was your trip?

For the past 12 days, I've been fielding some variation of this question.

For the past 12 days, I've had a difficult time finding the answer.

I've spoken so little of my journey to Peru that people might wonder if it meant anything to me at all. In truth, those 10 days of my life meant more than just about anything I've ever experienced. I feel a little of how I imagine Mary did after Jesus was born. While others around her were glorifying and praising God, Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19, ESV). Not that I've come close to giving birth to the Savior, but I did spend nearly a year preparing for this mission trip. I looked forward to it, talked about it practically non-stop, and prayed about the work God would accomplish in and through me.

And now it's done.

And there are no words that can possibly explain how God has changed my life irrevocably.

And yet somehow I will try.

Returning Home

I'm home, friends. Exhausted, but in a great way. Can't wait to share more, and I can't thank Amber enough. For now, it's time to love on CJ and take care of some things around here. This was my entry on our church blog...it will give you a glimpse of what I'll be blogging about here for a long while to come.


In just a few hours, we'll be leaving New Life Children's Home for the Lima Airport. All of us have mixed emotions, including me. We're torn between leaving behind the new friends God has brought into our lives and returning to our normal routine. For me (like most of us), life will never be normal again.

I dedicated the week before our departure to the Lord. I wanted it to be set aside, in order to make my heart ready for what He would do here. When I asked Him what He wanted from me, He said Preparing, Expecting, Relinquishing, and Understanding. The acronym PERU.

I can honestly say I wasn't prepared for what I saw here. What could have prepared me to see more than 600,000 shanties in an area consisting of less than 2 square miles? How could I be prepared for children who are beside themselves with joy to receive a sticker and one piece of candy? How could we ever have prepared to become brothers & sisters in the air with Peruvian paratroopers, and then become brothers & sisters in Christ with many of those same men? Fortunately for us, God had prepared the works and we only had to be obedient to walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

Likewise, I wasn’t expecting to meet people like Jamie, who cleaned our quarters every day. This young mother has survived circumstances that make me cringe. She's a brand new Christian, but Jesus shines through her brilliantly. Then there's Lucy, who I adore. Although she has a 13-year old at home, she worked to serve us 3 meals a day, always with a smile on her face. As I said my goodbyes to her, she told me that I am in her heart, and asked if I could put her in my pocket and take her on the plane. Believe me, if I could have gotten her through customs, she’d be coming to TSBC with me! There was no way to really expect what would happen here. I came here praying and expecting that God would be glorified (Philippians 1:20) and I know that He has been. The salvations we’ve seen and the people we’ve ministered to in His Name are just a small part of the greater work He has accomplished here. I am blessed to be a part of this team and of our church family.

When I came here, I didn't think I'd relinquish part of my heart. Yet it’s gone... scattered among the teenage girls at the Santa Rosa School where we sang and danced the macarena, the kids everywhere who begged us to take photos of them, the ladies who work hard every day in soup kitchen shacks to provide for their neighbors, and the workers at New Life Children's Home. It’s also with my TSBC team, relationships built and strengthened by furthering the Kingdom together.

During our time here, we could not rely on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Coming to a country where we don't speak the language and don't know our way around, we've needed God at every turn. He has been faithful. He has opened doors for us to go into schools, onto a military base, and in plazas where we’ve handed out thousands of Bibles and tracts. Only a mighty God could accomplish such great things!

And so our time has come to a close. Tears are flowing and emotions are high as we seek to somehow integrate this experience into our lives at home. The Lord has a greater purpose that will transcend these 9 days. Not only for us, but for the entire TSBC family. We could not have made this journey without you. Even though we are saddened to leave Peru, we are grateful to be returning to you that we all "may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder." (Zephaniah 3:9).

The same holds true for you, my bloggy & "real-life" friends. Thanks for your prayers and your encouragement.

More news from Peru

Here's the latest from Melissa, who tells me she's able to read all your comments from Peru, so be sure you leave some encouraging comments for her...

It's been a full, wonderful day. We started out by going to a couple of soup kitchens, which were really just shacks. I have lots of pictures. The ladies hugged us because we brought them rice & oil. Then we went to a school to share our testimonies again. I went into 6th grade classes. We had one teacher who told us that he always tells his students to put God first & help people. We had another teacher get saved, and many of the kids said they did, too. It's different here, though...so it's hard to know if they really did, but we could look at some of the kids and just tell that they did.

Then we went to a military training center. And guess what I did...I did a parachute training jump from a 5-story tower! I think there were 21 of us who did it. It was so much fun! We jumped down and it was sort of like a bungee jump, then it caught us and it was a zip line down. You should have seen us! But the best part was seeing these men get saved, and the commander crying when we gave him some money to meet the needs of his troop. They invited us back, so we're going Tuesday. They want us to see their museum and visit their store. I've got to make sure I get a souvenir from there. I have pictures to prove what I did!

Please keep praying for our parachute-jumping-gospel-preaching-mission-going friend!
~His Girl Amber

Peru, Day Three

Ahoy, Mateys! It's His Girl, the Bloggy Pirate, here to update you on Melissa's mission trip to Peru! I was so excited to hear today's update. It sounds like she's having an incredible time, learning, loving, and leaning on God. These are so much fun to read and I bet you'll think so too- keep praying!

Today was AMAZING! We actually were able to go into a public school and share Jesus in the classrooms! I can't imagine ever doing that in America, but they welcomed us. I was able to share my testimony with a group of kids in 6th & 7th grade, and saw many professions of faith. Later we went to one of the many shanty towns and shared. We only got 1 block in an hour, because we were stopping to share with so many. I had 3 young girls (ages 11, 12, and 14) that drew my attention, and I witnessed to them. All 3 accepted Christ, and they say they're coming to church Sunday. I asked them to sit with me, and I hope I see them.

This country is so receptive to the gospel, but there are SO MANY people to reach. It's a gigantic work, but we have a gigantic God!

I have devotions tonight, and am praying that our team will have a wonderful time of sharing. I'm sharing the PERU acronym with them. I can't wait!

Day 2 in Peru

hi guys, it's the bloggy pirate, His Girl, here... Melissa asked me to post this for you~ please remember to continue to pray for our friend...

Day Two of our time here in Peru has been full of activity and emotion. After a good night’s sleep and morning devotions, we said goodbye to our youth team led by Beverly and Jerry. They’ll be away from us until Monday, and we’re looking forward to hearing how God works through them. We loaded the bus to travel to Gamarrah and hand out tracts & Bibles. I was listening to worship music on my iPod and looking at the Andes Mountains through the window. We hadn’t gotten very far on our journey when I heard a song with the line I will lift my eyes to the Maker of the mountains I can’t climb. I wrote in my journal, God, 14 million people in this place among the mountains – it’s a mountain I can’t climb, but YOU can!
As we went into Gamarrah, I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people. Dirty people. Hopeless people. Hungry people. Never in my life has anyone chased me across the street to get a Bible. The tracts and Bibles we had in our hands were like a treasure to them. Something valuable that they wanted to make sure they had. Between yesterday & today, we’ve handed out over 10,000 tracts and Bibles. Noone on our team has seen anyone throw it away. In fact, we see them reading it immediately…and in those times when we can’t find one of our interpreters, we feel completely hopeless to help. A mountain we can’t climb. Yet God is climbing it. The tracts we are handing out have the phone number of the printing company on the back. That company received approximately 15 phone calls today, asking for directions to the church.
After lunch, we stopped for Brother Mike and Pastor Rob to buy provisions for one of the holding tanks. We went to the tank, expecting to find many abandoned babies and to have a chance to love on them. God had other plans. The babies and toddlers had been moved out because of the flu, so we played volleyball with the young girls there. Their laughter was beautiful. After the game, Jasmine shared her testimony. I watched as some of the girls snickered and paid little attention. But there were some who were desperate, who hung on every word. Their faces revealed lives tougher than any of us could ever imagine, empty hearts who need the love of Jesus. After Pastor Rob explained how they could be saved and led them in a prayer, many of them said they’d prayed with him. Of course, we don’t know…but we are trusting God for the harvest.
Yes, the mountains here are large, but they are not bigger than the Maker. May He continue to move those mountains…not in our time or in our way, but in His.

My first blogjacking

Is it really blogjacking when you've been authorized to take over someone's blog? No? Well, that's okay. I'm going to pretend anyway :) I like idea of being some sort of blog pirate, aaaarrrrrg!

Silliness aside, I'm writing now to tell you that I got my first email from Melissa, the real author of this blog and my dear friend, yesterday. It was so nice to hear from her and she asked me to pass her message along. Without any further ado... here's the latest from the mission fields of Peru:

Hello!
Had a great 1st day! I've had only a little sleep after LONG day of travel. We arrived here at 3:15 AM. After playing with the toddlers for a while, we left to go to the Presidential Palace Plaza and hand out tracts. We were able to give out about 1,000 tracts and saw a couple of salvations. Wednesday we get to visit schools and give our testimonies. The poverty here is overwhelming ~ people are hungry for the Lord, though. I will share more as I can.
~Melissa

I am sure you are all with me in being so proud of our friend Melissa. She's being so brave and obedient and I just know that God is going to do such a good work in her! Remember Melissa, her mission team, and her family back at home in your prayers today. I'll be back to post more as the emails come in.

Blessings!

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

There are people in this world who like surprises. I am not one of those people.
- Annie Reed (as portrayed by Meg Ryan in "Sleepless in Seattle")

Ditto, Annie.

And yet by the time you read this, I'll be on a plane to Peru. I can't think of anything more surprising, actually. Even though I've gotten all the confirmation I needed.

I'm excited, nervous, apprehensive, joyful, and just plain scared. My emotions have been all over the place. I'm sure it will be that way for the next 10 days.

I'll have limited internet time...and only then if I can swipe someone's laptop for a bit. So, I'll be emailing my dear friend Amber, and she'll post updates here. (It takes me forever to craft a blog post, and I know I can email her my ramblings & she'll turn them into something beautiful and thought-provoking.) Our church will also blog about our trip...and one of us will post those links.

So, friends, I'm outta here. Coveting your prayers and trying with all my might to remember what God showed me last week:

Preparing
Expecting
Relinquishing
Understanding

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
- Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)

In Case I Needed Confirmation

I was a little unsure about my quiet time Friday. After my lesson on PERU this week, I didn't know where God wanted me to go. (I'm not really into "Bible roulette"...blindly opening my Bible and figuring that must be where the Lord wants me to read.) I didn't have any clear answer, and finally decided to go back to 1 Corinthians, which is where I left off before the Seeking Him Together study. As I was opened my Bible to begin flipping pages, this is what I found

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" - Romans 10:14-15 (ESV)

HELLO. I'd just spent the last two days grappling with my decision to go...was it really God's, or just mine? Because, if it was God's, would I really be so close to calling the whole thing off?! As I poured over this Scripture, I began to cry. I could hear my Father saying, This is all Me.

So, then I knew I needed to pray for His strength. I turned to 2 Chronicles 16:9 (one of my favorite verses)

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. (ESV)

For "whose heart is blameless toward him", my new Bible gave a reference to 1 Kings 8:61

Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day. (ESV)

And you know anytime there's a "therefore" you need to see what it's "there for", so I backed up

...that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. (v. 60)

Looks like I'm going to Peru, friends!

Leaning on His Understanding

Last night, I was at the end of my rope. I was ready to forget this whole trip, stay home and feel sorry for myself. I'm trying to let go. Really, I am. But my work week has been horrendous. CJ's preteen attitude has been rearing its ugly head. And I'm tired of not seeing my man for more than 10 minutes a day. The enemy was more than glad to give me valid reasons to give up. Reasons I can understand, that make total sense. You see, going to Peru...I don't understand that at all.

I don't understand why God would call me

a small town girl who's scarcely traveled away from home
to leave my family behind for 10 days
to go to a foreign country
where I don't speak the language
to try to tell others, in just a few minutes, how Jesus saved my life
when I don't even walk across the street to do that.

I don't understand why God would choose me

a mother without much maternal instinct
to stay in a children's home
and minister in a holding tank for abandoned children.

I don't understand how God can use me

a broken vessel with such limitations
to spread His agape love
to a country that so desperately needs it
but no more than my own country, my own town.

I've tried to wrap my brain around it all, and I keep coming up short. It just doesn't make sense to me. Which, I know, is why He reminded me of a familiar verse this morning.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. - Proverbs 3:5 (AMP)

Even though this journey makes no sense to me, it makes perfect sense to Him. And that's all I really need to know.

Letting Go

In our final team meeting Sunday night, our pastor warned us that the enemy might be launching an all-out assault this week (if he wasn't already). He wasn't kidding. This week (all two days of it, as I'm writing this) has been brutal. I'm getting it from all sides, and feeling beaten down. But I'm not giving in.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair.
- 2 Corinthians 4:8 (ESV)

My initial response has been to buckle down and try harder to make.it work. It ain't happening. Spinning my wheels, elevating my blood pressure, and running around like a crazy woman to get everybody taken care of accomplishes nothing but increased frustration. I've got to let go of the control I think I have.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. - Matthew 11:28-29 (ESV)

I've been rebelling against Jesus' yoke, wanting to handle it all on my own. I've worn myself out in the process. Now I'm too tired not to put on His yoke and let Him do the work.

Three days of work. Four days to get CJ ready for summer camp. Five days until the trip of a lifetime. It's in your hands, Lord Jesus.

Preparing. Expecting. Relinquishing. Tomorrow, Understanding.

Great Expectations

As CJ would be sure to tell you, I have high expectations. (Not her most favorite thing about me, to be sure) It's true...I do. Which worries me a little about this trip. Last year's team saw 1,100 - 1,200 salvations in 10 days. I've been expecting God to repeat or surpass last year's work.

In Acts 3 (v. 1-10), the man at the gate expects Peter and John to help him financially. Instead, they heal his body. His expectations weren't met. Was he upset? No...in fact, just the opposite. Verse 8 says he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. He expected one thing but received another, which was a greater blessing than he'd ever anticipated.

As I've prayed about my expectations for this trip, the Lord reminded me that only one thing need be expected:

...it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. - Philippians 1:20 (ESV)

As I said yesterday, these 10 days of my life are going to be full of the works that He's already prepared. My only expectation can be that, as I seek to walk in them, He is glorified.

May it be so, Lord Jesus!

The Final Week

One week from today, I'll be on a plane to Peru. Seven days. I'd calculate it in hours, but that's too much math for my brain.

I can't believe it's come down to the final week of preparation. Our team had our final meeting last night. It's really almost here.

I'm feeling the need for this week to be different. There's still work, home keeping responsibilities, and getting CJ to softball and tennis. R's working 12-hour shifts nearly every day. Life is crazy.

But amidst all the routine busy-ness, this week will be set apart. God's given me a beautiful acronym for how I should pray this week.

Preparing
Expecting
Relinquishing
Understanding

As I sought Scriptures this morning on preparing, I was asking God how exactly I can prepare any more for this trip. He's provided the finances (thank you, Jesus!), I've updated my shot records, gotten my passport from storage, and made all the arrangements at home that I possibly can at this point. Logistically, I feel well-prepared. Once again, He reminded me that the preparation's not up to me.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

God has already prepared the works. I am to walk in them. I declared 2009 to be the Year of Trust and Obedience...and I've learned a lot about trusting. Now it's time for the obedience. As I endeavor to obey Him in this mission, I know that I've got to be praying and seeking Him like never before. So, this week...

~No blog reading. The only blogging I'm doing is prayer requests
~No book reading, except my Bible and A Praying Life.
~No computer, except as absolutely needed to pay bills, email my itinerary to prayer partners (if you'd like it, please let me know), and provide updates here.

Those are the changes He's put before me so far. There may be more to come. In the meanwhile, I'm praying for eyes to see the works He's prepared. I don't want to miss a thing.

(Note: if you're new here, you can read about my trip by clicking on the label "The Mission" below.)

Prayers for Peru - Update

Remember my prayer list for Peru? Well, the Lord has answered some & is keeping me on my toes with others. Here's an update:

~Revival in my own heart. I'm starting to feel refreshed and renewed, though admittedly not as much as I'd hoped. Could it possibly be that I need to humble myself, as Week #2 suggests? Yes, yes. A thousand times, yes! (Do you know that quote?)

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus... ~Acts 3:19-20 (ESV)

~God's provision. The answer on this one isn't coming as quickly as I'd like. Every time I think I have the last bit of money, some unexpected need (that can't be ignored or put off) arises and takes it. It's all-out war on the enemy's part. He's using every tactic in his nasty arsenal. But he is DEFEATED! I will NOT give in...and I will trust my Lord.

~Travel safety. Of course, this is constantly in my mind. I'm happy to report our layover in Columbia is less than an hour. Still, I've gotta confess I'm still a bit nervous about the whole thing.

~Child care for CJ. God has worked out the first week, with an unexpected opportunity for her to go to an affordable summer camp with friends. The rest of the time is still up in the air, but not for lack of people who want to help. I just want to make sure she's comfortable and at peace. She's not exactly thrilled about Mom being gone for 11 days.

~Testimony Preparation. God's been giving me bits of a new message. One that will probably translate better (literally and spiritually) than what I'd had in mind. Not how I'd planned it in some ways, yet amazingly so in others.

~Our Team. The enemy's attacking nearly every member of our team. The issues and degrees of seriousness vary, but they are all most certainly his handiwork. I know that God's will is going to prevail, but I'm praying that we are sensitive to what that is, exactly...rather than just assuming we know.

Just 33 days left! God's got a lot to do in that time. I'm so grateful He can.

Prayers for Peru

Less than two months to go before we depart for Peru! There are many thoughts swirling around in my head, and I hope to mold them into a semblance of a post at some time. In the meantime, I'm praying for:

~revival in my own heart (thus, the Seeking Him Together study...and it's not too late to join us!)

~God's provision

~travel safety (we've got a layover in Columbia, which scares me just a little)

~child care for CJ. This one is tough, because of R's work schedule. She'll have to spend most nights away from home. I want her to be someplace where she can feel comfortable and happy. I know my parents and members of our church family will help out. I'm trying to strike a balance of her spending quality time with R, not feeling like she's being shuffled around too much, and not being a burden on anyone.

~preparing a 2-minute testimony of my salvation. I just don't know how I can do that. I may have an opportunity to share at length on some occasions, but I have to be clear and concise (which means no American or "churchy" idioms, and realizing I have to incorporate stops for the translator).

Thanks for your prayers, friends. I feel like I'm taking each one of you with me, and I'm so glad you're along for the ride!

Seeking the Reward

It's been a while since I participated in Joanne's Memory Monday. I'm sorry I got away from it, and I'm glad to be back.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

~Hebrews 10:35-36

As I pursue trusting God this year, I'm learning to lean on Him for some pretty big things. He's been incredibly faithful so far. Am I surprised? To tell you the truth, sometimes I am.

According to the world, I should've given up on going to Peru...or never signed up to go in the first place. There are "signs" everywhere warning me to stay away from this trip.

According to the world, we should be cowering in fear that R's going to lose his job as his employer makes cutbacks.

According to the world, we should be full of discontent and envy.

I don't want my life to be defined by the world, but by THE WORD. If I can determine to fix my eyes upon Jesus and His Word, I will receive the reward He's promised. I don't know exactly what that reward is yet, but I can tell you that I want it.

More than anything.

Just Have to Share This

Wow, you all ask some good & thought provoking questions! I'll start answering later in the week. For now, I've got to tell you what God's been up to!

Saturday I received a card from a good blogging buddy with a nice check for my Peru trip! To say I was stunned is an understatement. I immediately started crying and praising the Lord. This gal is funny, beautiful and so very generous. I don't want to share her identity because, it's "FOR JESUS" as the memo on her check said (which, I must admit, was my very favorite part!). I trust she knows that her obedience is a HUGE blessing to me (as is the lady herself), and I pray that God pours out His blessings on her and her family.

I feel as if during these last two months I've just stood idly by and watched God provide for this trip. He has impressed upon my heart not to do any "fund raising", because He wants to do it Himself. So far, we're over halfway there.

If He teaches me as much during this trip as He's done during the preparation for it...I won't be able to stand it, friends. Honestly, I won't.