The city of Cusco is an elegant little city nestled in the lush mountains of Peru. It’s the doorstep to the world renowned Machu Picchu.
It’s really similar to Antigua, Guatemala in that it has cobblestone streets and is filled with old European feeling architecture. Lots of beautiful cathedrals and churches and narrow streets.
Both World Race squads are here now in Cusco taking part in our latest debrief session. We’re all staying at an old hotel that feels a lot like a ski lodge. We’re having a lot of worship times and training sessions where we have the privilege to hear some of Andrew Shearman’s wisdom. We’ve had team debrief times and optional one-on-one times with some of the leaders that came down here.
I thought I had a lot of insights and things I was going to write about here, but, as I found out when I journaled the other day as well, I didn’t have as much to say as I thought.
….so I’ll see what comes out…
We are just under four months into this thing, and have just about 7 months left. Even though those four months have seemed to have gone by extremely fast, 7 months still feels like quite a considerable amount of time to have left. I mean it is, but it isn’t.
Some of the stuff that we’ve been talking about here in Cusco is just that yeah we’ve made it this far, but there’s still a lot to go; maybe even the most challenging parts are yet to come. How in a way we’ve totally given up our lives for this 11 month period, and yes, when the 11 months are over, we’re free to pursue and do whatever it is we want, but at the same time our lives are never going to be our own ever again. We’ve given up this year. We’ve relinquished and committed this time to God and doing what it is that he wants of us. When Thanksgiving comes and this particular journey is over…it’s really just the beginning of everything else. The rest of our lives…living for Jesus and whatever that entails.
We’ve talked about how we need to continue to die to ourselves. Give up our lives for Jesus’ sake! And as Andrew said, “…if hell can’t kill you cuz you’re already dead, (dead to yourself that is) then you’re just about free.”
And just to give you an update on me…There is something about Cusco…
It’s gotta be something with the altitude man…cuz I promise you, I have never been so full of gas in my entire life!! It’s insane! And I’m only eating maybe a meal a day. In the morning it’s not bad, but seriously as the day goes on…it gets outta control. My stomach growls almost non-stop, and in the evening and beyond, it gets rather painful at times. It reminds me of when I went to Young Life camp in Colorado…(which was now almost 10 years ago now!) my leader told us guys about how for some reason you get gas at high altitudes, and the acronym:
H.A.F.E. It simply stands for
High Altitude Flatulence Expulsion.
H.A.F.E. lives again in me lemme tell ya!
Other than that, Peru has been the best month for me on this whole trip so far. In Mexico and Guatemala, I was alright, but just wasn’t all there. Not sure if it was mostly because of some depression that came back or just the beginning stages of this trip and learning some big things. But whatever it was…it’s not there right now. I started taking prozac again in the last few weeks, but also began praying for some specific things which I think have hugely been answered. My improved spirits are probably attributed to both of those things…but whatever it is, I like it…and praise God for it!!!
I think the next thing that God is beginning to teach me is to be joyful in times of difficulty and struggle. I can’t remembered if I shared this in a blog already or not, but a piece of scripture that I’ve kinda hovered around this month is II Corinthians 12:9-10:
And He said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
