Month 11!!!
Is this real life?! I’m all over the place… And I know I’ll continue to be for a while.
But what a month it has been! I don’t think I could have asked for a better final month of the World Race. It’s been incredible. I’m thankful. And I sure do love this country.
Two special things about this month: I was able to be with my actual team of 4 – Jeff, Paige, and Joe – which never happens, so that’s been a blessing. And we are doing ATL (Ask The Lord) which means we don’t have a ministry or host or anything and we get to figure it out as we go and see where the Lord leads us. It’s been awesome.
We started in Cusco and while there we were able to go to Machu Picchu which felt like a dream. Then we spent about 3 days in the city with an awesome missionary family from Texas who we were able to get connected with. They started the church Calvary Chapel Cusco and do lots of children’s ministry and just opened a café in the community – it’s so neat! We were able to help them out with some supplies and preparation for a VBS they were going to be having and get to know them while doing that together. We were also there at the same time as a group of students from Antioch church in Texas and were able to worship with them and spend time together which was super sweet. We were very encouraged and blessed by our time there.
Our plan was to be in Lima for the rest of the month after leaving Cusco, and the family told us about some friends they have in Lima who started a Christian surfing school and they gave us their contact info. We were like ‘wow that’d be sweet’ and put it in our minds to get in touch with them.
Once we arrived in Lima, we didn’t know what we were going to be doing yet, so we found wifi and researched an AirBnB to book and the one we got was SUPER under budget (which is a blessing considering we have $5 a day), we decided to go ahead and book it for 4 nights to have time to breathe and see what opportunities the Lord would bring us to and then go from there.
On our last day in our AirBnB, we had the opportunity to meet with the guy who runs the surf ministry – Eternal Wave – who our friends in Cusco told us about. We had been praying about it since hearing about them in Cusco, and we had also been praying about what our lodging would be for the rest of our time in Peru since we had nothing figured out yet, so we were thankful to be able to get in contact with them!
The couple who run Eternal Wave, Carlos and Rosalyn, had us come over to the house and we sat together and chatted and talked about the race and about the ministry and about ourselves. We told them we are here to help and will literally do anything – whatever you need – just tell us. And they teared up and said they had been praying for someone because they need help, and are so thankful and know that us messaging them was from God. Man, it was beautiful and so humbling.
Then, Carlos asked where we were living. We told him we were at an AirBnB, but that we only had one more night there. Then he says, “well, my mom was talking to me earlier and said she wants to host you guys, so you could stay with us!”
Now I immediately teared up! We didn’t even ask – he brought it up and they had already talked about it!! The Lord worked out this timing perfectly and provided a place to live and a family to be with and a really incredible ministry for the rest of our time here!!! So good!
We checked out of our AirBnB the next day and moved in with our new family, and since then we’ve been super blessed in so many ways.
Carlos and Rosalyn have become dear friends who we spend every day with and have learned so much from. They are generous and kind and so much fun! We have met some awesome surf students out on the waves and through having them over for a movie and going to lunch together. We were able to go to the beach and give out free hot chocolate and bread and pray for people walking by. And we’ve been blessed with attending church here and getting to hang out with and encourage other Christians we’ve spent time with. And getting to surf throughout the week hasn’t been too bad either 😉
We have early mornings and long days and we clean a lot of wet suits and lift a lot of surf boards, but goodness our time here has been so filling and so wonderful. Lima will always have a place in my heart because of Carlos and Rosalyn – two beautiful people whose love for the Lord and for people is so evident. Carlos knows pretty much everyone on the beach and I have seen true discipleship lived out in his life – something he values highly. It’s awesome. He gets to know people through surfing and then shares his life with them and through that talks about Jesus and all He has done in his life. I love it. Sharing his life and the gospel of God! (2 Thessalonians 2:8) Carlos and Rosalyn have become like family and are two people I will visit again!!
I prayed to be able to build relationships this month, and that’s exactly what we’ve been able to do, as well as take a bit of their normal load off of them. And along the way the Lord is teaching me more about love – something I can always grow in. I’m so thankful and continually in awe of the Lord and His goodness. Amen!
*We’ll be here a few more days and then we’ll have our FINAL debrief with the whole squad together for preparation for going home a few days after that, AH!
to God be the glory
