Sand is everywhere and in EVERYTHING. I sleep in a tent on the top of a roof that has almost blown off several times. Abandoning one country and settling in another. Abandoning past fears and insecurities and realizing others. Playing with and holding tons of adorable children. Sometimes only being able to converse with soccer. Another amazing ministry host that serves, loves, and feeds us so well. Cold showers that feel SO good. Feeling Gods heart for the people of Trujillo, Peru.
I can’t believe we’re already on month 2 of the Race! Time here goes by so fast. After about a week of rest and debrief in Ecuador, we packed our packs, stamped our passports, and got on a 30 hour bus ride to Trujillo, Peru which is in the desert about 10 minutes from the coast.
Our first week here in ministry, we taught 2 hour English classes and led VBS clubs for the kids at the local church here. After classes and clubs, we either have church service or youth ministry. This week VBS is over, so we’re doing manual labor in the mornings and English Classes later in the day. The ministry here is expanding and the classes have tripled in size.
This month of ministry is so different from Ecuador. The heat and sand are probably the biggest difference. Also, this is an all squad month, so quiet/ alone time requires headphones. This city is more dangerous than Quito so going out at night doesn’t happen, cabs are harder to find and we have to be more careful since some of them are drug dealers, and when we walk around the neighborhood we buy our snacks through barred tiendas. The people themselves, especially the kids, are much more shy in English classes since they come from such poor areas. It’s been so cool getting to know them and watching them open up to us. The city seems in the middle of nowhere with mountains on one side, ocean on the other, and quiet desert in between. Yet, I see so much of how God sees and loves these people.
About a week ago, one of my friends and I decided to take a morning walk through the neighborhood. We weren’t exactly paying attention to where we were going and were talking a lot and found ourselves lost. We kept looking for anything that might have looked somewhat familiar but this being the desert, everything looked the same. We asked people for directions, but even the locals couldn’t tell us where to go. We both stayed calm and stopped several times to ask God where to go. After walking back and forth and in circles, we found a woman and asked for directions. We couldn’t understand what she was saying, but decided to follow the direction her hand was pointing. Needless to say I learned my lesson as we found our way home about five minutes later as our 30 min walk turned into a little over an hour. Being lost reminded me of what it would have been like to be the Israelites lost in the desert relying solely on Gods voice for direction. It wasn’t the desert itself that caused their problems but rather brought to surface issues that were already there. Waking up to 50 other people, teaching classes in hot stuffy rooms, and living a life of abandonment in the desert has brought to surface so many dark areas of my heart that need to be worked on. But something Gods shown me is His consistent grace. The same God that offered countless second chances to the Israelites is here with me.
This has been such an amazing month of ministry and we only have about a week and a half left. I’m seeing so much of Gods good plans for me here. I’m learning so much from our hosts on how to serve others. I’m learning so much from the kids who give and accept love so easily. And I’m seeing so much of Gods joy for this ministry and how much He enjoys the people here in Trujillo, Peru.
He has called me higher,
Jenn
