What I´m doing:
Squad A has been busy bees this month. We´re partnering with a church and have a loaded schedule, reminiscent of youth group days. We´ve been holding children´s festivals, visiting families, holding church services, building a church, playing with children, and more. Here I am being a clown…I know it´s pretty scary but kids like it for some reason:
My favorite parts of it haven´t been as much the tasks as getting to know people. I´ve loved having conversations with our interpreters and local chuch members as we walk around town. I´ve loved sitting with teammates and hearing about their experience on the World Race and getting to see snippets of God through their eyes.
I´m finding that a lot of what I do in life is listen and ask questions…and I absolutely love it. I love when people get to express things that they´ve been mulling over in their heads. I love helping people sort through whether their believing truth or lies, and I LOVE when people feel valued and cared for. So a typical day for me in Peru is going from activity to activity, loving and listening.
How I´m feeling:
I´m doing well overall. I haven´t been sick much. I get worn out sometimes, but I always end up getting the rest I need. And oh my goodness, I´m just learning so much! If any of you want to grow a whole bunch, I suggest applying for this trip. It´s often not very comfortable physically. I often just want a soft couch or bed. I do have this cool little seat that my friend Julie gave me to bring and it´s been great! Thanks lady.
More than the physical discomfort though has been facing the issues in my life. I´ve been dealing with fears and insecurities I´ve been carrying around with me for years. I´m learning to let go and to really enjoy life. I´m getting to see
snapshots of beauty everyday. Yesterday I had tons! I got to rejoice with one of my teammates as she had aha! moment about God and later got to read words from scripture that helped console a woman whose grandson had attempted commiting suicide. Then I played with children the whole afternoon. They knocked me over at one point and I laid down looking up at a beautiful blue sky with fluffy white clouds, and the faces of several precious, dirty Peruivan children peering down at me. Later we took turns singing songs to each other. I held some children and sang one of my favorite lullabys that made me think of my wonderful family back home. I wish you could jump in my head to see how sweet it all was. I´m really starting to believe that everyday is a gift and that the Lord wants us to enjoy it!
Here´s the view out our bathroom window just to give you a picture of where we live:
