Here is a small glimpse of what life in South America has looked like over the past three months. Life up close and personal, from the wow moments to the raw truth of living in other countries.
-Traveling back from ministry at 10:00 p.m. through the mountains and you get a flat tire, results in the guys on your team getting out and changing it…over an hour later you start to drive again
-Seeing miracles happen right before our eyes
-Making a playhouse for a preschool and the director telling you “my dreams are coming true, I never thought this day would come”
-Carsickness is super real and through the curvy mountains it’s even more real
-Homesickness is hard some days but knowing I am where the Lord wants me keeps me going
-Stepping out of my comfort zone and allowing the Lord to use me how He sees fit
-New foods…sometimes it’s better to not ask questions and find out what you are truly eating
-Perseverance through attacks of the enemy and praying boldly
-Travel days can sometimes be over 50 hours…could result in no real food, sitting on the sidewalk with all of your gear for extended amounts of time, cramming three people into a tuk-tuk and their gear, limited bathrooms, watching movies, great one-on-ones, lots of throwing up….and so many other things
-No running water for a week…baby wipe showers
-Hiking through Papallacta and falling into the waterfall
-Cold nights and cold days…wearing your only two pair of pants most of the time
-Living in the midst of a Natural Disaster…rioting, bridges destroyed, food can’t be taken from city to city, no running water, buses aren’t running in most places, results in: sharing Christ’s love amongst the darkness and reminding people there is still hope
-Soccer into the wee hours of the morning
-Being sick and taken to the hospital for over eight hours but building deep relationship with Jon Mario who took us and hearing how the Lord has moved in his life
-Driving through landslides and rivers that have come over the roads in a giant bus…praying that you make it to your destination
-Silent dance parties because there is a noise ordinance
-Being stripped of your comforts and being renewed by the Lord daily
-Asking yourself when was the last time I actually took a shower?
-Giving up what you think will be fun and exciting for an adventure day to stay back and spend time with the Lord. Honoring the Lord with our time and putting what we sometimes see as more important on hold to be with HIm.
-Bus bathrooms with windows that people can see into from the streets…makes for an awkward situation
-Toilets with no toilet seats…do I hover or just go for it?
-Diving deep into the word and hearing the Lord’s voice
-Fried fish for breakfast
-Games with friends that lasts until the wee hours of the morning
-Asking the Lord where to go and following His voice
-Leading a congregation in worship and hearing mixed languages praising the same Father. Although there was a language barrier, the presence of the Lord was still known
-Squatty potties down a muddy trail…Thinking is that poop or mud on my shoe?
Life looks different on the Race but I wouldn’t trade these past three months for anything! The Lord is so good and has provided exactly what we needed at the right time and we have seen Him at work in so many different ways, it has been amazing.
