It has now been thirty-four hours since I have had a meal and two days since I have seen the outside world. Two words: stomach virus. I made it two months without getting sick on the mission field, but when three out of six members of the team are sick and sharing a room and bathroom with me, it was almost inevitable. Lying in my tent with a 101 fever and rising, tossing and moaning in pain, I begin getting frustrated with God. These feelings were mainly because I have no one else to be frustrated with, and maybe also because I had been daily praying that I would not get sick. I hear the rest of my teammates and the college kids of the church downstairs singing Hillsong songs in Spanish. The music is blaring more than loudly enough to tease me that I cannot be worshipping with everyone. I hadn't really felt close to anyone all day, so not only was I sad and sick, but I felt like I couldn't be close to God since I was so far from where the worshipping was happening. Normally, I would be singing and dancing to those songs, but those are two things that my body is very uncapable of doing on this night. So, not having anything else to do and feeling very desperate for God, I lie very still in my tent, worshipping in my heart and mind. It was then that a river of tears flooded down my face. I didn't know why I was having these emotions at first, but I soon realized that I was feeling the presence of God in that moment, and I was overwhelmed by it. It was more real than when I attend church and dance, sing, or lift my hands. In the stillness, I found God moving. In the queit, I heard His voice. In my weakness, He was uplifting my spirit. I still felt miserable all night long and God did not heal my body in that moment. (I wish my story ended that way.) However, a Christian of fourteen years, first needed to be reminded that true worship is of the heart. Hand motions and sounds from my mouth mean nothing if they don't coincide with the meditations of my heart. Secondly, worship is wherever God is. And God is everywhere.
I live for
intimate moments
with my God. =)
Thankfully, I will try to eat dinner tonight, a small bowl of chicken noodle soup that Martha, my Peruvian mom, is making. I am also attending church, where I will probably read through another five books of the Bible in order to stay awake. Two months in Spanish countries, and they still speak too fast for me to keep up! =) I'm getting better though, other than going into the pharmacy and asking for "sopa." Sopa sounds like soap, right? Nope, I asked the lady for "soup for women." I know, I know. I make Americans look good!
This upcoming week, my team will actually remain in Chepen. (Sadly, the missionaries whom we were going to stay with this week, to do construction work with, got robbed.) So, this week we will continue visitations to the sick and elderly, as well as church and small group ministry. My group is also going to do a "create your own ministry" week. We love creatively coming up with ways to share the gospel and bringing them to life. We have already been doing this in our free time. It's going to be great fun!
Prayer requests: Please pray for good health for my team and safe travels as we head to Cochabamba, Bolivia on Saturday. I'm so thankful for my time in Ecuador and Peru, and I'm excited for what the Lord is going to do next month! I know that I am positioned for great things to happen through the power of the Holy Spirit.
