October 1, 2017…
One year later I sat on the front of a hammock/cargo/local transport boat with 6 people who were strangers to me the year before.
The Lord called us to San Jose, Peru… a village only accessible by a 12 hour boat ride.
We hooked up hammocks a week ago today..and slept Sunday evening side by side as we dreamed about where the Lord was leading us. He has instilled drive within each one of us, to serve and learn from the village of San Jose.
Only He would know that during that week we would meet Norma. Norma is a follower of God who, before coming to relationship with Christ, was unable to speak. Her petite stature was full of so much joy as she shared with us the miracle that the Lord performed within her. She prayed to the Lord that He give her His language, that He allow her to speak and to be able to communicate with others. The Lord answered these prayers for her and she now speaks! She uses the gift of language that the Lord blessed her with to share her story and the love of God with others in her community. She prayed over us and encouraged us to touch as many hearts as we can with God’s love and truth.
I was supported by my team and the village as I stood in front of the church, not an anxious bone in my body, as I shared my testimony, completely in Spanish. He was with me, without a doubt.
I witnessed Jesus in every single one of my teammates and the people around me. There were Rejoice Always brothers climbing walls to hang up hammocks for us inside of our temporary home. There were Rejoice Always sisters stopping to encourage young children to pray in thanksgiving. There were Rejoice Always teammates playing luz rojo, luz verde & pato, pato, pollo & futbol with an abundance of 30+ of God’s youngest children. There were Rejoice Always teammates singing the Lord’s music in the dark of the night, and the hot sun of the afternoon. There was spiritual rain pouring around us.
I ate fried alligator for the very first time, I learned what it means to serve humbly, and what it means to speak out about the connections the Lord makes between my life and those around me. I learned once again what unconditional love is.
We gained another brother.. Joshua. One of God’s children from North Carolina. Who’s mission trip to Lima was cancelled, but has been to Iquitos before and decided to take the time to come to Iquitos instead to follow the Lord’s calling to be here… in this exact same spot.. as all of us. Who will leave Peru tomorrow to head back to North Carolina.. just as we prepare to leave the following day to Colombia.
We ate garlic to ward off mosquitos, relived training camp memories as we bathed with buckets, and shared pasta out of a mug on our boat ride as we left San Jose.
We prayed over Julio’s granddaughter… who had an unexplainable fever for days on end.. we witnessed the divine answering of prayer for the fever to disappear as we arrived home.. to then walk through the door and be greeted by fever free sweet baby McKayla .
Praise God for good health, protection against evil, and protection against Malaria.
We’ve experienced bug beds since then.. and laughed about it as if it’s “NBD” because seriously… bed bugs? We just got back from watching God work on the Amazon river.
…
A year ago I was headed home from a weekend of country music, dole whip, sore feet, Sam Hunt sweat, and plans to return the following month for Rylie’s birthday… when my cell phone rang.
It was a little after 10PM, “There was a shooting at Route91”. “I can’t get ahold of Rylie, I’ll let you know when I hear something”.
It was Grace, my little sister. Who I said see you later to about 40 minutes before this.. in a McDonald’s parking lot after getting a coffee for my drive home.
My cell phone rang again “Nicole, I need you to not freak out, and don’t ask me a million questions, but Rylie was shot in the back and she can’t feel her legs”.
I drove to my parent’s house. Sat on the living room floor and tried to talk to my Dad, who arrived a few hours before me from a few day trip to officially move the rest of our family items and himself from Illinois to Arizona. The only words I could spit out were “we were just there…we were standing right there”.
I didn’t sleep. I didn’t tell many people I didn’t sleep. I just didn’t sleep. I didn’t go to work on Monday. I drove to Phoenix at 5AM and listened to country radio.. I asked God why Rylie. I asked God why we left early. I asked God why the 58. I asked God to answer it.
He was silent. For a few days.
His heart was broken just as mine.
His heart always breaks for what breaks ours.
I argued with people who tried to tell me that we weren’t there..so we don’t deserve to battle with God or to feel sad, or scared, or confused.
But then I witnessed miracles. I was baptized 3 weeks later.
I was sent this text:
“PSALM 91
ROUTE 91″
We had angels that night. Merna and Deja were there. They told us to go home before Jason Aldean started performing. They protected us. Merna’s favorite piece of scripture..PSALM 91.. a promise of feather’s that cover His children to protect them.. a description of the dark of the night and the spiritual evil that we all will be protected from… a promise that Rylie would walk again… it was all answered.
All of the why’s… all of the anger.. all of the confusion.. all of the sadness.. it was answered by His Word.. it was answered in Rylie’s face as Grace, myself, and Cody sat at Craig Hospital/Rehabilitatoin center in Denver Colorado for Rylie’s birthday. It was answered as I felt her determination to walk again.. to run out of Craig. It was answered as she blew out the candles on her 19th birthday. It was answered as the 4 of us went to the mall, and lived that weekend as close to a normal as we could. It all was answered as I witnessed first hand the grit of a young woman and the faithfulness in friendship of my sister as they completed yoga and core workouts together.
He’s doing new things. He’s doing unspeakable things. And I’m all in.
I’m all in for sitting on the front of a boat.. in the middle of the Amazon river.. praying over victims, survivors, and those impacted by Oct 1, 2017 with a group of used to be strangers who now speak words of love with me over an event they had no involvement with. I’m all in for them playing “When It Rains It Pours” and singing along to as much of the lyrics as possible with me.. for showing me graciousness and compassion.
And I’m all in for sitting in a common room.. in the heat and humidity of Iquitos Peru… across the table from my sweet sister Gail… with a finished cup of coffee against my wrist.. as the music to “Body Like a Backroad” play full blast into my headphones while I reminisce on that weekend a year ago with my younger sister.. who has become my role model for a life of decisions with full confidence and the will to tell it like it is.
I’m all in for spreading God’s love while always rejoicing in His creation. Because this week He closed the book of “Why’s and why not’s” in my head and lifted my chin towards a different question..
“Are you ready?”
Love y’all,
Cole Amy
