Well, tomorrow marks the 100th day that we have been on this journey. Part of me still doesn’t believe it, part of me still asks, “Am I really doing this? Am I here?” and the other part of me feels as if I have been gone for eternity. As this fourth month is on its way, I have started to realize that this is an 11-month journey and I still have seven and a half months left. It has truly just begun! I have to say that if I would have wrote this reflection at the end of February it would look much different then it does now. At that point, I didn’t feel much personal growth, but this month in Peru has been a month of great growth for me. I have experienced God in new ways then ever before. My life has gone from desiring Him and things to experiencing Him and them. I have taken many steps out in faith in many areas and God has been there every time. Each week has been filled with different lessons and most recently I have been learning about worship and praise. How God is so worthy of our praise! God has just been lavishing His love upon me and I am remembering that His love for me is HUGE. These lessons that I have been learning this month continued to be affirmed over and over again in my life! This month has not only been a time of spiritual growth, but of also personal character growth. Living in CLOSE community with over 20 other people has challenged me in SO many ways. It has taught me about myself, my insecurities, my strengths, what I like, what frustrates me, how to handle conflict, and so much more. You would think that I would have new things to work on, but God continues to bring up things and patterns in the past for me to work on now. It’s hard, as God continues to “grow” me into the woman He wants me to be, but it is fruitful and there is no other place that I would rather be!
On a lighter side, there have been many other changes and lessons learned. We have lost all manners. We seem to eat anything, anywhere, after anyone. When out to eat, we look at what we can take with us that can be used later (napkins for TP, plastic silverware for later, etc) We make ourselves at home WHEREVER we go. My “area” no longer remains in nice, neat piles, but has exploded around the room. Showers are few and far between and COLD at that. Laundry is only done after the article of clothing could probably walk around the room by itself. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t talk about someone’s digestive/bowel system. I now HATE rice and am okay if I NEVER eat another kernel of it again! It being “dusty” is an understatement. Church services last a few hours, IF there isn’t a dance party afterwards. Spending 12 soles on a taxi instead of 10 feels ridiculous (that difference is about equal to 60 cents split by at least five people). There are so MANY more “fun life lessons” that I have learned this past 3 months, but I am at a loss right now to think of more.
