My time in Peru has come to an end. It does not feel like I’ve been here for a month. Peru has been my favorite month thus far. I love the food, the people and all of the beauty it holds. While we may be in the desert, the scenery here is beautiful. From the mountains you hardly see because it’s cloudy, to the sand dunes and the wonderful beaches, you can’t help but look to the sky and thank God for all He has created.
Upon arriving here, I was uncertain about living in the desert. I was excited about our ministry but not so much the location. As it turns out, living in the desert isn’t all that bad. The living situation was vastly different than last month. Instead of just my team, there was also another team from my squad living at the missionary site. We all lived in the same house, hung out with each other and worked together. Working with seven extra people, it was great to see the progress we made working on building the children’s home. I’ve never done construction before, so this was a good experience. I now know how to make concrete, paint rebars and dig large trenches for soon-to-be fountains. It was good, hard work and I had fun doing it! I also enjoyed the children’s ministry. I’ve never been bombarded by almost 70 kids before! They love and crave any and all the attention you give them. One thing I noticed while working with the kids was their way of getting your attention. If they wanted to be picked up or if they needed help, they didn’t just ask, they would hit you or kick you.
As much as I’ve enjoyed it here, leaving seems harder this month because I feel like there’s unfinished business here with our ministry. On September 2nd, our contact and his daughter were on their way to the vet, when they got held up at gun point. He was robbed of his wallet, truck, and their puppy that was in the back seat. That same day both teams were removed from the site and brought to a safer location an hour away. We still had one week of ministry left. While we spent our last week in Peru living near a beach and ministering to those around it, both teams found it hard to adjust to the new surroundings and new ministry. I suppose those are things we’ll have to get used to, while being on the race. It is crazy how one person’s actions can change an entire situation, or even a person’s life! While we were only in Peru for one month, our contacts were there for over a year and had planned on staying longer. The good news is that God has a plan and He can turn something bad into something good.
Despite what happened, I enjoyed our last week in Peru. I went surfing and fully enjoyed it. I experienced my first high tea at a wonderful place called the Chocolate Café. Now I’m off to Bolivia. The most hours I’ve spent on a bus have been 24. And now I get to experience 40+ hours! On our way to Bolivia, there will be a stop at Lake Titicaca! I will be going to Cochabamba, Bolivia which is located in a valley in the Andes Mountains. My team will be working in an orphanage, building an orphanage, and working in a café that helps to fund the orphanage. We’ll see what God has in store for us this month!! Thanks for following my blogs for the past 2 months!
I also want to let you know that I´m getting closer to my next deadline, which is $11,000 by October 1st. i only need $3,900 more. If you would like to donate, you can click on the support button. It is possible to make a monthly donations, as well as one time donations online. Anything and everything is appreciated! Thank you!
