Oh gee, I think it may actually be starting to hit me that I am really doing this. I am stepping into my destiny, into the purpose for why God created me and there is still so much more to come. When I look back on life, I would have never thought that this would be my life. I think that plays a part in why it hasn’t fully hit me yet.
Here I am sitting in a airport on a 9-hour layover that is quickly coming to an end. In just 2 and a half hours I will be boarding another flight to arrive in Lima, Peru. Lima is not our destination though, so we will be staying the night there in a hostel. The next morning, our squad will be departing from each other in our designated teams with our team leaders and heading to seperate cities to do ministry for the rest of the month.
My team is being hosted in Cusco, Peru this month, so we will be catching a 24-hour bus ride from Lima in the morning to make our way there. I think it is in that moment when all this will become extremely real for me. I can’t completely grasp how I am feeling at the moment. I am excited, but not overly. I am present, but also very exhausted from training and traveling. Parts of me are looking forward to the long bus ride for the views, but also wondering if I will at some points be able to rest.
I received some information on what the month in Peru will be looking like, so I am going to share it with you.
We will be serving at Calvary Chapel Cusco in Cusco, Peru where they focus on sharing the grace God has given us and teaching from His word. Adventures in Missions (AIM) which is the organization that operates the World Race, has been partners with this ministry since 2016. Our focus in this ministry will mainly be college campus outreach, children’s ministry, and worship, but we will also be helping them with maintenance and construction.
As of now, we will be lodging in their church building which was formerly a home and using a local bus as transportation. The buses there are about $0.25 per ride, WOW! The locals have sent us an evaluation of their area and overall it is rather safe. There is no malaria in the area, thank God, but the water is not safe to drink without filtration and the fruits and veggies aren’t safe without proper cleansing.
Peru is a developing country on the west coast of South America. The spoken language in mist of the country is Spanish, and the native language is Quechua. Peruvian cuisine is an up and coming favorite in the world with many tasty dishes that make use of the many different types of potatoes that are grown there. Peruvian people are a very religious people with many different religions in different places, though nationally, they are Catholic.
Writing this post actually got more excitement flowing through me and I am ready to hit the trail running. Our layover is an hour from being over, so launch will be officially official here soon. I am excited for you all to be on this journey with me! I will do photo blogs at least once a month, probably near the end.
Fundraising update:
I FINALLY made my $10k goal although I was late yet again. I honestly don’t want to be late on the third one because it causes a ton of stress. My third goal is to reach $13k by the end of November, so I need another $3k to make it there. I know many people don’t like to tithe to a church because they can’t see what they are using their money for, but I am the church and the money is being used to reach those in need of the gospel. So, if you find it in your heart to tithe in this ministry you can see first-hand that the seed you sow is making an impact in this world and the Lord will bless you in return.
I am currently doing one fundraiser right now, which is Keys for the Journey. Mine is below including the testimony with it! You can check out the website and get your key at www.keysforthejourney.com, I will be partnering with them until the end of October, be sure to select Alycia Mathis at checkout for who you would like to support.
If you would like to just contribute to the journey, you can do so through the link above this post, through Cash App: $AlyciaMathis or Venmo: @Alycia-Mathis. I thank you all for the contributions you have made so far, and I pray God blesses you for your kindness, generosity, and obedience!
