Some women on the race get the opportunity to serve on an all girls team for a few months (sometimes the whole race) but for obvious reasons being married automatically means you’re on a coed team. That’s why when Manistry month rolled around I was so pumped, because I finally got chance to be on an all girls team!
For me, this month was one of the most incredible months on the race. I missed Brad SO MUCH, but sometimes stepping away from what makes you comfortable allows the Lord to really do work in your heart. And that was definitely what happened to me in Peru.
So, the all girls team I was this this month was Bloom. They are an amazing group of women who are so beautiful on the inside and out. We partnered with Savage Ministries in Trujillo, Peru. This was our first time on the race having an American host!
Our host, Joel, felt the Lord calling him to Peru and followed in obedience. He opened up a school in a really, REALLY rough neighborhood where many drug lords, gang members, and convicts live, and occasionally some gringos (white people) when he hosts race teams.
We would always laugh to ourselves when we would tell taxi drivers where to take us, they would look at the address and look back at us like, “umm are you sure?”
But it’s so powerful because he is widely respected within the community because of what he and his wife are doing for the children that live there.
In an area of Peru that is notorious for crime, their compound is never vandalized or robbed. It’s because the work the Lord is doing there is palpable in the community. Maria, his wife, is a beautiful Peruvian woman that teaches at the school and leads worship at their church.
We did so many things this month ranging from sports ministry, preaching, a free health clinic for the community, teaching preschool, and youth events in a mountain town, called Charhamarca, about 5 hours away!
The free health clinic we did at the compound! We had an awesome turnout, so many family from the community got checkups, medicine, PRAYER, and other services.
One of our youth events in Charhamarca!
Getting ice cream with the youth one night in Charhamarca.
The class I worked in this month, they were so precious!
One of my favorite memories this month was praying with a young boy I met in the mountain town we visited. We put on a youth event and he caught my attention when he walked into the room. I felt the Lord tenderly whisper “He’s ready to know me.” I sat there are wondered is this just me or was this really from the Lord.
Side note, this month something I really wanted to work on was obedience. Not doubting myself or the Lord, just going for it. Someone this year told me, the Lord’s love language is obedience. Too many times I let opportunities pass by to share my faith or pray over someone, and I’ve decided I never want to miss a chance to be obedient.
As I sat there waiting for a chance to talk to this little boy I felt the Lord say “Why wouldn’t you share my love?” And they struck me, why wouldn’t I? Why not? Why would I ever withhold the most amazing thing that ever happened to me from someone? As believers we get to be stewards of sharing that gift, why wouldn’t we?
So I went over to Junior, the little boy, and asked him if we could talk outside. Kayla, one of the girls on Bloom translated for me. And we asked him if knew who Jesus was, and he replied no.
Around this time him little friend came bounding outside and plopped down right along side us. He went on to explain that he knows Jesus and what He did for the world. We elaborated and explained why Jesus came to earth to die, and that Jesus wants to be his best friend forever.
As we were talking it was so obvious this was something that Junior wanted for his life. He said yes, he wanted to have Jesus in his heart. But the most special thing about this was his friend lead him in the prayer to accept Christ. My heart almost exploded right at that moment.
This was also a huge month of growth for me in my time with the Lord, every morning I got up and watched the sun rise from the roof and spent time in prayer and in the Word. And with Alcue, the most cute ugly dog in the world.
I also surfed!
And can I just say how much I love my man. I missed him more than words can explain this month, but he loved me so well from afar. It was so awesome to come back together at the end of the month and share all the things we watched the Lord do! Now we’re enjoying a married weekend in Quito, Ecuador! It’s officially month 10 ya’ll!
