As many of you know, the last few weeks my team has been living in the Amazon Jungle in Peru. It was a wild time, full of lots of growth, joy, and laughs, and I want to share some of my favorite moments with you.
The first day we arrived to our little jungle home, La Granja (which means The Farm in English), it poured in the afternoon. It was raining so hard, but my teammates Maddie, Jordan, Aidyn, and I decided to go dance around in the rain to cool off and just have fun. We ended up by the river, and ultimately all of us jumped in fully clothed and swam around. It was so fun and freeing and we felt such authentic childlike joy- the kind the Lord wants for me all the time.
On Thanksgiving, my team and I celebrated with snacks and board games. We ate local snacks like wafers and mini donuts throughout the day because we didn’t have access to any supermarket to buy groceries for a thanksgiving meal. But, our hosts cooked us tasty spaghetti for dinner and we sat around and laughed while playing games. With the non-traditional way that we celebrated, we were able to fully focus on each other and got to have intentional time with one another. This day showed me that real community looks like choosing one another and not letting distractions dictate your time with people.
On our 6th day, we went for a hike through the jungle. Rolando, the father of a family that lives full time on the Farm, guided us on the trails through the dense forest. He was so kind, and would cut away brush so that we could climb trees or swing on vines. He also cut different fruit down for us to try so that we could get an authentic jungle experience. On that day I was reminded of the Lord’s heart for beautiful things that praise him and his creative side. I also learned a lot through Rolando’s actions about giving things away to other people, even if you don’t think you have much to give away.
On our 9th day, we headed to a different village for ministry called Las Palmas. We brought the pastor of that village a chicken from the Farm. My teammate Maddie carried the rooster in her lap on the boat and the pastor was very excited to receive the gift. We then went to the church and ran a program for the kids in the village. They were shy at first, but quickly opened up. After the program we went outside and played soccer. The kids were so joyful in playing with us and excited that we wanted to play soccer with them. I learned that friendships and connections can be built without words, sometimes it just takes passing them the soccer ball, smiling, and cheering. I learned that there are so many different ways to connect with those around me, and when I go out of my comfort zone to seek those ways out the Lord does show up and build relationships.
On our 11th day, we began the day by having worship in the bread house at the Farm- a building that is still being built with the plan of using the space for women from local villages to bake bread for their families to sell to earn a more steady income. Then, we went to the village again that afternoon and taught the kiddos and played with them. The pastor of the village also showed us a sloth that came onto his property from the nearby reserve, and he let us hold it. It was so cool and something I have always wanted to do! On our boat ride back to the Farm, Rolando drove us upriver to watch the river dolphins and the sunset. It was so beautiful and peaceful, and reminded me of all the time spent on the lake in Minnesota with my family. I saw the Lord in the beauty of the pink sky and the green foliage lining the river. I felt peace as I soaked in creation without distraction.
On our 12th day, I got to paint with the family that lives on the Farm. Rolando & Zuleme- the husband and wife that live on the Farm, Mariela- a friend of our hosts, Jesús- Rolando & Zuleme’s 5 year old son, and Caela, Aly, and I watercolored together. We sat outside as the heat of the day wore off and the sun began to set. Aly translated, and we all talked about our families and ages. I learned about their other children that live on their own, and I got to tell them about my family. Getting to know people while expressing ourselves with art and painting was such a wonderful depiction of God’s friendship. I was reminded that sometimes all it takes is stepping out in boldness and inviting people into things like art and conversation can create unexpected, beautiful friendships.
All in all, the Jungle was amazing. The Farm, La Granja, is a place full of people I will never forget. I learned countless things and experienced the Lord in the big and small ways every moment. It is a place and time I will forever hold in my heart, and I am so blessed to have been able to experience the things I did.
