After I got accepted to the race, I of course looked at all of the fun things I would get the chance to partake in while in other countries. When I was looking at the fun things to do in Peru, I saw previous teams that have been to Cusco and they visited Rainbow Mountain and Matchu Pitchu. So in my mind, I immediately expected to go these two amazing and beautiful sites and if my team wasn’t assigned in Cusco, then I was going to figure out a way to get there. Before my Team Leader even told us about where we would be living, I found out through the grape vine that we would be a days worth of travel away from Cusco and on the coast of Peru.
I was upset about this for several reasons but the main two were
That it didn’t go “my way..”
I found out Month 1 where my team was going to be for Month 3, 2 weeks into the race. That was very hard for me to stay focused on the ministry at hand.
Looking back, I’m glad it worked out the way that it did because it gave me time to shift my mindset of how Peru was going to look like.
I was brought down low and had to humble myself to the Lord and really talk with him about why I was feeling upset about it going the way he had planned.
I had to remind myself of why I came on this mission trip in the first place. To grow my relationship with the Lord first and foremost, to grow personally with my past hurts and pains, to grow as a friend and sister in Christ, to serve God in whatever way he asks me to, my identity, my prayer life, and so much more that I can’t even put into words. Traveling the world and seeing his amazing creation is an added bonus! And if that is the reason I came, I really need to stop, take a moment, and do a heart check. It might sting a little because I worked myself up and said, this is going to happen no matter what. But at the end of the day, I just want what God wants. There is purpose for the two teams that are there and purpose for why my team is in Pacasmayo. He brought us to a desert city to unify our team and for me to teach me to rely on him even more than I have for literally e v e r y t h i n g. To find joy in every situation, even when it doesn’t go the way that I have expected and played out in my mind. Through my time reflecting on this over the last few months, I realized that in times where I have premeditated expectations of a situation and it doesn’t go that way, my attitude reflects how I am feeling towards others when they didn’t even do anything. How is that fair to them? I am not loving like Christ when I am reacting that way. I also realized that I was losing sight of what the Lord was trying to show me. I can’t get that time back that I spent moping and groping about the city in Peru when God intended for me be there, but I can choose how the rest of my time will be spent here. I choose to put my faith and trust in God that he knows exactly what he is doing. I choose to trust and obey him even when I don’t like it or my expectations weren’t met. I choose to find joy when I am weak and don’t understand what he is doing. I choose to confide in my team with these kinds of feelings and not run away from the community he has placed in front of me to encourage me in those moments of struggle. I choose people even when they don’t choose me.
After I confided into my team how I was feeling, they poured encouragement and truth into me of why I God brought me here. That there things I have, that only I can say or do. The story I have, no one else does and it needs to be shared to bring others to freedom and God’s Love.
Here is how my weekend went after coming to my team and asking for prayer from back home.
On Thursday, my team went to Chan Chan an ancient ruin historical monument in Trujillo. I started up a conversation with our tour guide named Jorge by asking, “Tienes Dios in tu corazón?” Which my way of asking if God is in his heart. He said and yes and that his immediate family (children & wife) were Christians but his brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles weren’t. His family represents 3 different religions. Catholicism, Jehovah’s Witness, and Christianity. We were able to pray for him and that his extended family members would one day know the Lord! He was so sweet and kind and told us everything he knew about the ruins.
Friday my team met up with some people from our church to do street ministry where we dance, do some skits, and share a testimony! My team prepared for one testimony and it was great! After we headed to the church and we were asked by Pastor Abel to share another testimony. (This is why you should always have your pocket testimony or sermon so when asked you are prepared) Our team was a little stumped for a second and then somehow before I knew it I was praying for what I was going to say. I didn’t feel as though I should share my personal testimony and if I did I had no idea what I would share with the youth and some adults. So I shared about “Letting Go of Expectations.” And it was great!
The next night we had church service and this woman brought the fire!! She preached on God’s love for us, the calling/anointing on our lives, and living a holy life for him. At one point she asked for people to come up who needed healing and I went up (I’m ok I promise, bowel issues) she prayed for healing in our bodies, then invited the floor open for others to come up. She prophesied over me and told me that I was here for a purpose and that God didn’t bring me to Peru in vain. Wow y’all, the Holy Spirit speaking RIGHT THROUGH HER. After service I was able to have an intimate and personal conversation with her and it was so so amazing. She was asking me questions and telling me things that she would have never known. But that’s the power of the Holy Spirit right there!!
I could have easily missed ALL of these God moments had I not changed my focus and attitude. I had to realign my thoughts to God’s thoughts and remember why he brought me here. Even when it doesn’t go the way I thought it would, I need to remember the bigger picture and that God has a purpose for it.
Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
